British sloop 'Onyx' (1808)

Three Decks' Forum

Come and ask, answer or inform.

Recent updates

Recent Comments



Onyx

5619
Nominal Guns10BWAS-1793
NationalityUnited Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland
OperatorRoyal Navy
Ordered31.12.1807BWAS-1793
Keel Laid Down2.1808BWAS-1793
Launched8.7.1808BWAS-1793
How acquiredBuilt by ContractBWAS-1793
ShipyardIpswich - Suffolk BWAS-1793
Ship ClassCherokee Class (1807)BWAS-1793
Designed by
Sir Henry PeakeBritish
Designer
Ship Builder
Dockyard Staff
Service 1762-1813
BWAS-1793
Constructor
Jabez BaileyBritish
Ship Builder
Service 1804-1814
BWAS-1793
CategoryUnratedBWAS-1793
Ship TypeSloopBWAS-1793
Sailing RigBrigBWAS-1793
Sold for Break Up3.2.1819BWAS-1793

Dimensions


DimensionMeasurementTypeMetric EquivalentBWAS-1793
Length of Gundeck90' 0"Imperial Feet27.432 
Length of Keel73' 7"Imperial Feet22.3097 
Breadth24' 7"Imperial Feet7.3597 
Depth in Hold11' 0"Imperial Feet3.3528 
Draught Forward6' 6"Imperial Feet1.9812 
Draught Aft8' 8"Imperial Feet2.6416 
Burthen236 50⁄94Tons BM 

Armament


8.7.1808Broadside Weight = 78 Imperial Pound ( 35.373 kg)B181
Gun Deck8 British 18-Pound Carronade
Bow Chaser2 British 6-Pounder

Crew Complement


Date# of MenNotesSource
26.11.180775Design Complement

7 Ship Commanders


DatesRankNameSource
9.1808 - 16.1.1809Commander
Charles GillBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1797-1815
BWAS-17932.1809 - 8.1810Commander
John ParishBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1802-1817
BWAS-17938.1810 - 4.3.1811Commander
Gawen William HamiltonBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1807-1828
BWAS-17934.3.1811 - 11.1811Commander
William Fairbrother CarrollBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1804-1830
BWAS-17934.12.1811 - 6.10.1812Commander
Charles SquireBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1802-1812
BWAS-17936.10.1812 - 12.1812Commander
Charles PhillipsBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1806-1834
BWAS-179312.1812 - 7.1816Commander
Smith CobbBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1807-1816
BWAS-1793

3 Commissioned Officers


DatesRankNameSource
2.1.1810 - 30.11.1813Lieutenant
Edward BiddulphBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1803-1823
NBD184931.12.1812 - 2.2.1813Lieutenant
Edwin Ludlow RichBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1804-1841
NBD18494.1815 - 7.1816Acting Lieutenant
Ralph Richard Tomkin KempsterBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1815-1826
NBD1849

Service History


DateEventSource
15.7.1808Began fitting at Sheerness Dockyard - Sheerness BWAS-1793
18.10.1808Completed fitting at Sheerness Dockyard - Sheerness BWAS-1793
1.1.1809Onyx vs Manly
1.1.1809Took the Gun-brig
Manly (12) 1805-1809
Dutch 12 Gun
Unrated Gun-brig
in the North Sea
30.8.1810Sailed for the MediterraneanBWAS-1793
1814Sailed to JamaicaBWAS-1793
7.1816Laid up at SheernessBWAS-1793
3.2.1819Sold at Sheerness to Thomas Pitman for £950BWAS-1793

 
Previous comments on this page

Posted by Jon Miller on Friday 3rd of July 2026 17:16

Portsmouth, 29 June 1816: The Onyx, Capt Strangways, arrived here on Tuesday, from Jamaica, which she left on the 6th of May, and has brought home 900,000 dollars, chiefly on account of Government, and some for merchants in this country. [Hampshire Chronicle, 1 July 1816]

Make a comment about this page






Recent comments to other pages

Date postedByPage
Sunday 26th of July 2026 15:59Jon Miller
British Third Rate ship of the line 'Minotaur' (1793) (74) 1793-1810
British 74 Gun
3rd Rate Ship of the Line
Sunday 26th of July 2026 15:57Jon Miller
James RussellBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1794-1801
Sunday 26th of July 2026 15:56Jon Miller
John Miller GarnierBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1795-1801
Sunday 26th of July 2026 15:55Jon Miller
Bernard HaleBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1790-1794
Sunday 26th of July 2026 15:52Jon Miller
British sloop 'Alonzo' (1801) (16) 1801-1842
British 16 Gun
Unrated Sloop
Copyright © Cy Harrison 2010-2026, all rights reserved
GDPR Statement