British Fifth Rate frigate 'Melpomene' (1794)

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Melpomene	5349
Nominal Guns	38	BWAS-1793
Nationality	Great Britain
Operator	Royal Navy
Previously	French Fifth Rate frigate 'La Melpomène' (1789) (36) 1789-1794 French 36 Gun 5th Rate Frigate
Captured	10.8.1794	BWAS-1793
Shipyard	Toulon - Provence	NNF-1774
Ship Class	Junon Class (1782)	NNF-1774
Designed by	Joseph-Marie-Blaise CoulombFrench Designer Ship Builder Service 1755-1789	NNF-1774
Category	Fifth Rate	BWAS-1793
Ship Type	Frigate	BWAS-1793
Sailing Rig	Ship Rigged	BWAS-1793
Sold	14.12.1815	BWAS-1793

Dimensions

DimensionMeasurementTypeMetric EquivalentBWAS-1793
Length of Gundeck148' 2"Imperial Feet45.1104
Length of Keel123' 8 ¼"Imperial Feet37.4968
Breadth39' 3"Imperial Feet11.8872
Depth in Hold13' 6"Imperial Feet3.9624
Burthen1,013 ⁵²⁄₉₄Tons BM

Armament

4.1795Broadside Weight = 425 Imperial Pound ( 192.7375 kg)BWAS-1793
Upper Gun Deck28 British 18-Pounder
Quarterdeck6 British 32-Pounder
Quarterdeck8 British 9-Pounder
Forecastle2 British 32-Pounder
Forecastle2 British 9-Pounder

Crew Complement

Date# of MenNotesSource
4.1795284 BWAS-1793

8 Ship Commanders

DatesRankNameSource
10.8.1794 - 1795CaptainBWAS-17934.1795 - 1802CaptainBWAS-17933.1803 - 1805CaptainBWAS-17931805 - 12.1805CaptainBWAS-179312.1805 - 1809CaptainBWAS-179322.6.1810 - 8.3.1811CommanderBWAS-17931812 - 29.10.1813CommanderBWAS-179310.1813 - 1814CommanderBWAS-1793

3 Warrant Officers

DatesRankNameSource
19.8.1794 - 29.3.1803GunnerNAO3.4.1803 - 12.2.1804Master ADM 196/1/147ADM 1961809 - 6.7.1809Second MasterBG

8 Petty Officers

DatesRatingNameSource
5.1803 - 9.1806MidshipmanNBD18491804 - 1805MidshipmanNBD18491.1804 - 4.1.1808MidshipmanNBD184912.1804 - 10.1805MidshipmanNBD18491809 - 7.7.1809Midshipman†BG1809 - 7.7.1809Gunner's Mate†BG4.1809 - 10.1809MidshipmanNBD18495.1809 - 8.1809MidshipmanNBD1849

5 Crewmen

DatesRatingNameSource
9.8.1795 - 12.4.1796VolunteerNRS0201809 - 6.7.1809Able SeamanBG1809 - 7.7.1809Able SeamanBG1809 - 7.7.1809Able Seaman†BG1809 - 7.7.1809LandmanBG

1 Marine

DatesRankNameSource
1809 - 7.7.1809Private†BG

Service History

DateEventSource
15.12.1794Began fitting at Chatham Dockyard - Chatham BWAS-1793
30.3.1795RegisteredBWAS-1793
1.6.1795Completed fitting at Chatham Dockyard - Chatham at a cost of £6534.0.0dBWAS-1793
11.7.1796Took the Privateer off Brest
15.5.1797Took the Privateer off the Isle of Wight
12.1797Took the Privateer in the Channel
3.8.1798Capture of the Aventurier
4.8.1798Took the Brig at Correjou by boat attack
17.11.1798Took the Brig in the Bay of Biscay
9.1.1799

Sailed from Plymouth on a cruise

TNC
28.2.1799Took the Privateer in the Bay of Biscay
25.3.1799

Arrived at Plymouth from a cruise

TNC
29.3.1799

Sailed from Plymouth for Portsmouth carrying French prisoners

TNC
2.4.1799

Arrived at Plymouth from Portsmouth

TNC
8.1799In the HelderBWAS-1793
30.8.1799Seizure of the Dutch Fleet at Vlieter
4.1800At Santiago, West AfricaBWAS-1793
3.1.1801Took the Unrated and destroyed him in the Senegal River with her boats losing 11 killed and 18 woundedBG
17.6.1801Took the Privateer on the French Coast
2.1803Began very small repair at Deptford Dockyard - Deptford BWAS-1793
3.1803Completed very small repair at Deptford Dockyard - Deptford BWAS-1793
1807Sailed to the MediterraneanBWAS-1793
20.4.1808Sailed for JamaicaBWAS-1793
1809In the BalticBWAS-1793
5.1810Began fitting as a Troopship at Chatham Dockyard - Chatham BWAS-1793
8.1810Refitted as a 22 gun Unrated Troop Ship
8.1810Completed fitting as a Troopship at Chatham Dockyard - Chatham BWAS-1793
16.3.1814Sailed for North AmericaBWAS-1793
14.12.1815Sold for £2,590 at SheernessBWAS-1793

Sources

IDNameAuthorType

ADM 196 Document

BGOfficial, Web Site

BWAS-1793Rif Winfield, Book

NAOVarious, Web Site

NBD1849O'Brien, Digital Book

NNF-1774Alain Demerliac, Book

NRS020John Knox Laughton, Book

TNCVarious, Periodical

Previous comments on this page

Posted by Jon Miller on Tuesday 21st of July 2026 02:50

Prize Money: Indefatigable, Melpomene, and Nymphe – Accounts of the sales of the Providence, Pomona, and Wohlfarden, will be deposited in the High Court of Admiralty. [Portsmouth Telegraph, 2 December 1799]

Posted by Jon Miller on Monday 15th of June 2026 13:40

Portsmouth, 21 December 1799: His Majesty’s ships Melpomene and Snake are ordered to be fitted and victualled for foreign service. [Hampshire Telegraph, 23 December 1799]

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