British Fourth Rate ship 'President' (1650)

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President ➡ 1660 Bonaventure
Great President
Nominal Guns	34	B028
Nationality	Commonwealth of England
Operator	State Navy
Ordered	4.1649	BWAS-1603
Acquired	9.4.1650	B028
Shipyard	Deptford Dockyard - Deptford	B028
Designed by	Peter PettBritish Designer Ship Builder Service 1610-1672	B028
Constructor	Peter PettBritish Designer Ship Builder Service 1610-1672	B028
Category	Fourth Rate	B028
Ship Type	Ship	B028
Sailing Rig	Ship Rigged	B028
Broken Up to Rebuild	1663	BWAS-1603
Becomes	British Fourth Rate ship 'Bonaventure' (1663) (48) 1663-1682 British 48 Gun 4th Rate Ship

Dimensions

DimensionMeasurementTypeMetric EquivalentB028
Length of Gundeck124' 0"Imperial Feet37.7952
Breadth30' 0"Imperial Feet9.144
Burthen462Tons BM
DimensionMeasurementTypeMetric EquivalentB032
Length of Keel100' 0"Imperial Feet30.48
Breadth29' 6"Imperial Feet8.8561
Depth in Hold14' 9"Imperial Feet4.3244
Burthen462Tons BM
DimensionMeasurementTypeMetric EquivalentBWAS-1603
Length of Gundeck124' 0"Imperial Feet37.7952
Length of Keel100' 0"Imperial Feet30.48
Breadth29' 6"Imperial Feet8.8561
Depth in Hold14' 9"Imperial Feet4.3244
Burthen462 ⁸⁴⁄₉₄Tons BM

Crew Complement

Date# of MenNotesSource
10.1651180EstablishmentW015
1.3.1651/52150 B032
1653180 BWAS-1603
1660160 BWAS-1603

6 Ship Commanders

DatesRankNameSource
1650 - 10.1652CaptainW01510.1652 - 3.1652/53CaptainBWAS-16033.1652/53 - 1655CaptainBWAS-16031656Captain†BWAS-16031656 - 1660CaptainBWAS-160311.8.1662 - 18.11.1663CaptainB051

1 Commissioned Officer

DatesRankNameSource
23.1.1652/53 - 1653LieutenantW014

Service History

DateEventSource
1650Completed at Deptford Dockyard - Deptford at a cost of £3378.15.0dBWAS-1603
4.1650Completed at Deptford Dockyard - Deptford at a cost of £3378.15.0dBWAS-1603
19.5.1652Battle of Dover
22.5.1652Action of 1652-05-22
8.1652

Sent by Robert Blake to reinforce Sir George Ayscue in company with Convertine, Convert , Sampson , and Golden Dove

SPD-1652-3
25.9.1652Vice-Admiral William Penn sent Capt. Howett in the Foresight , and Capt. Graves in the President, frigates, to ply to windward, to discover the Dutch and bring intelligence
28.9.1652Battle of Kentish Knock
12.1652Sent a ship of Lubeck into Plymouth
8.12.1652In Portsmouth
27.12.1652Entered Portsmouth harbour, having been in commission for 13 months
1653Rerated as a 44 gunner
13.1.1652/53A request for a new purser, the incumbant having died, and a new steward, the old one being undeserving, was made to the admiralty Commitee
18.2.1652/53Battle of Portland
3.3.1652/53At the Battle of Portland took a Dutch man-of-war of about 500 tons and 30 guns and carried her into Portsmouth
2.6.1653Battle of the Gabbard
18.6.1653In Harwich to be careened
2.7.1653Left Harwich in company with the
3.7.1653The President lost her bowsprit and foremast and put into the Thames
31.7.1653Battle of Scheveningen
1660Rerated as a 38 gunner
1660Renamed BonaventureB028

Previous comments on this page

Posted by Alasdair on Friday 29th of January 2021 12:30

I have been doing some local history in Scotland and it appears that the President took part in a failed attempt to land 1500 troops at Burntisland on January 29th 1651. It carried the vanguard. Fire was exchanged from both sides, minimal damage, but the attacking ships became confused. This added to the light fading and an unfavourable tide meant that the attack was abandoned.

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