British Fifth Rate frigate 'Melampe' (1757)

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Melampe	5345
Nominal Guns	36	BWAS-1714
Nationality	Great Britain
Operator	Royal Navy
Previously	French Fifth Rate frigate 'Le Melampe' (1757) (36) 1757-1757 French 36 Gun 5th Rate Frigate
Captured	2.11.1757	BWAS-1714
First Commissioned	17.4.1758	BWAS-1714
Shipyard	Unknown	NNF-1715
Category	Fifth Rate	BWAS-1714
Ship Type	Frigate	BWAS-1714
Sailing Rig	Ship Rigged	BWAS-1714
Beached	1764	BWAS-1714

Dimensions

DimensionMeasurementTypeMetric EquivalentBWAS-1714
Length of Gundeck134' 6"Imperial Feet40.8477
Length of Keel111' 6 ½"Imperial Feet33.8455
Breadth35' 6"Imperial Feet10.6985
Depth in Hold11' 3 ½"Imperial Feet3.3655
Burthen747 ⁶⁴⁄₉₄Tons BM

Armament

4.1758Broadside Weight = 186 Imperial Pound ( 84.351 kg)BWAS-1714
Upper Gun Deck26 British 12-Pounder
Quarterdeck8 British 6-Pounder
Forecastle2 British 6-Pounder

Crew Complement

Date# of MenNotesSource
4.1758240 BWAS-1714

3 Ship Commanders

DatesRankNameSource
17.4.1758 - 8.5.1761Captain Transfered ADM 6/18/502BWAS-171426.5.1761 - 5.5.1763Captain ADM 6/19/318BWAS-17145.5.1763 - 19.1.1764Captain ADM 6/19/547
Issued by , Barbados - Windward Islands - Barbados & the Leeward Islands
Confirmed 1.11.1763BWAS-1714

9 Commissioned Officers

DatesRankNameSource
18.4.1758 - 27.8.1761First Lieutenant ADM 6/18/502ADM 6/1818.4.1758 - 21.4.1758Second Lieutenant ADM 6/18/502ADM 6/1821.4.1758 - 28.4.1758Second Lieutenant Transfered ADM 6/18/504ADM 6/1828.4.1758 - 21.11.1760Second Lieutenant ADM 6/18/506ADM 6/183.12.1760 - 25.10.1763Second Lieutenant ADM 6/19/214ADM 6/1927.8.1761 - 25.10.1762First Lieutenant ADM 6/19/345ADM 6/197.5.1763 - 19.1.1764First Lieutenant ADM 6/20/15
Issued by , Barbados - Windward Islands - Barbados & the Leeward Islands
Confirmed 13.3.1764ADM 6/2025.10.1763 - 12.12.1763Second Lieutenant Transfered ADM 6/20/25
Issued by
Confirmed 7.5.1764ADM 6/2012.12.1763 - 19.1.1764Second Lieutenant ADM 6/20/33
Issued by , Barbados - Windward Islands - Barbados & the Leeward Islands
Confirmed 21.6.1764ADM 6/20

Service History

DateEventSource
24.3.1758Purchased at Unknown at a cost of £5398.10.8dBWAS-1714
24.3.1758Began fitting at Portsmouth Dockyard - Portsmouth BWAS-1714
6.1758Completed fitting at Portsmouth Dockyard - Portsmouth at a cost of £4976.7.2dBWAS-1714
20.7.1758Took the Privateer
20.3.1759Action of 20 March 1759
28.3.1759Took the Frigate
29.3.1761Expedition against Belle-Isle
24.8.1762Sailed for the African coast and then to the Leeward islandsBWAS-1714
19.1.1764

Paid off

ADM 33
c.2.1764

Laid up in Antigua and later sold

BWAS-1714

Sources

IDNameAuthorType

ADM 33 Archive

ADM 6/18 Archive

ADM 6/19 Archive

ADM 6/20 Archive

BWAS-1714Rif Winfield, Book

NNF-1715Alain Demerliac, Book

Previous comments on this page

Posted by Jon Miller on Saturday 27th of June 2026 02:09

London, 30 November 1765: Letters received at Bristol from Senegal advise, that his Majesty’s ship Melampe, with the Dispatch sloop of war, were gone to Sierra-Leone, to inquire into several irregularities of the French traders, who are very numerous in that part of the coast, It is added that most of the French ships are mounted with carriage guns. [Ipswich Journal, 7 December 1765]

Posted by VERDU on Monday 3rd of March 2025 15:01

Concernant le Melampe / HMS Melampe
En 1757, Étienne Miressou construit la frégate Mélampe de 700 tx pour Delagrave
Source bulletin du musée basque N° 188

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