British Fifth Rate frigate 'Sybille' (1794)

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Sybille	6693
Nominal Guns	38	BWAS-1793
Nationality	Great Britain
Operator	Royal Navy
Previously	French Fifth Rate frigate 'La Sibylle' (1791) (36) 1791-1794 French 36 Gun 5th Rate Frigate
Captured	17.6.1794	BWAS-1793
Shipyard	Toulon - Provence	NNF-1774
Ship Class	Hébé Class (1781)	NNF-1774
Designed by	Jacques-Noël SanéFrench Naval Sailor Designer Ship Builder Administrator Service 1758-1836	NNF-1774
Category	Fifth Rate	BWAS-1793
Ship Type	Frigate	BWAS-1793
Sailing Rig	Ship Rigged	BWAS-1793
Sold	7.8.1833	BWAS-1793

Dimensions

DimensionMeasurementTypeMetric EquivalentBWAS-1793
Length of Gundeck154' 3"Imperial Feet46.9392
Length of Keel127' 4 ¾"Imperial Feet38.7287
Breadth40' 1 ½"Imperial Feet12.2047
Depth in Hold12' 4"Imperial Feet3.6576
Burthen1,090 ⁹¹⁄₉₄Tons BM

Armament

4.1795Broadside Weight = 324 Imperial Pound ( 146.934 kg)BWAS-1793
Upper Gun Deck28 British 18-Pounder
Quarterdeck12 British 9-Pounder
Forecastle4 British 9-Pounder

1799Broadside Weight = 503 Imperial Pound ( 228.1105 kg)BWAS-1793
Upper Gun Deck28 British 18-Pounder
Quarterdeck12 British 32-Pound Carronade
Quarterdeck4 British 9-Pounder
Forecastle2 British 32-Pound Carronade
Forecastle2 British 9-Pounder

14 Ship Commanders

DatesRankNameSource
7.10.1794 - 1.3.1799CaptainODNB25.5.1799 - 6.1799CommanderBWAS-179312.6.1799 - 7.1799CommanderBWAS-179313.3.1800 - 28.5.1803Captain Transfered ADM 196/3/1ADM 1967.1805 - 8.1807CaptainBWAS-17938.1807 - 9.1813CaptainBWAS-17939.1813 - 1814CaptainBWAS-17931814CaptainBWAS-17939.1817 - 5.1819CaptainBWAS-179315.9.1817 - 7.12.1818LieutenantNBD184919.5.1819 - 8.1820CaptainBWAS-17938.1820 - 1823CaptainBWAS-17937.1823 - 11.1826CaptainBWAS-179312.1826 - 1830CaptainBWAS-1793

3 Flag Officers

DatesRankNameSource
9.1817 - 8.1820Rear-Admiral of the WhiteBWAS-17938.1820 - 1823Rear-Admiral of the BlueBWAS-17931827Rear-AdmiralODNB

4 Commissioned Officers

DatesRankNameSource
1799First LieutenantODNB11.2.1814 - 18.4.1815First LieutenantNBD18497.4.1824 - 26.9.1825LieutenantW0255.12.1826 - 10.1827LieutenantNBD1849

4 Warrant Officers

DatesRankNameSource
9.2.1793 - 29.4.1794Gunner ADM 196/1/23ADM 29-18.7.1812 - 1.1814Masterref:187128.10.1825 - 9.11.1826Masterref:18711827 - 9.1827Master's Materef:567

8 Petty Officers

DatesRatingNameSource
1805 - 7.1807MidshipmanNBD18498.2.1812 - 10.1812MidshipmanNBD184910.1813 - 1814MidshipmanNBD184911.1817 - 8.1820MidshipmanNBD18498.1822 - 14.3.1823MidshipmanNBD18491823MidshipmanNBD18498.1823 - 2.1825MidshipmanNBD184910.1823 - 2.1825MidshipmanNBD1849

1 Crewman

DatesRatingNameSource
20.1.1810 - 8.2.18121st Class VolunteerNBD1849

Service History

DateEventSource
30.11.1794Began fitting at Portsmouth Dockyard - Portsmouth BWAS-1793
17.4.1795Completed fitting at Portsmouth Dockyard - Portsmouth at a cost of £7705.0.0dBWAS-1793
1796In the MediterraneanBWAS-1793
1797Sailed to the Cape of Good Hope and the East IndiesBWAS-1793
1.1.1798At ManillaBWAS-1793
1.1.1798Attack on Manilla
22.1.1798Attack on the fort of Samboangon
28.2.1799Capture of the Forte
1.3.1799Took the Frigate off the coast of Bengal
23.8.1800Took the Sloop BG
23.8.1800Took the Brig BG
23.8.1800Took the Brig BG
19.8.1801Capture of the Chiffone
19.8.1801Took the Frigate off the Seychelles
4.1803Paid offBWAS-1793
9.1804Began large repair at Deptford - London BWAS-1793
7.1805RecommissionedBWAS-1793
7.1805Completed large repair at Deptford - London at a cost of £22224.0.0dBWAS-1793
8.1805fitting at Deptford Dockyard - Deptford at a cost of £12690.0.0dBWAS-1793
3.5.1807Took the Privateer
15.8.1807Second Battle of Copenhagen
25.1.1808Took the Lugger
16.8.1808Took the Brig-Corvette
12.1808Began making good defects at Plymouth Dockyard - Plymouth BWAS-1793
2.1809Completed making good defects at Plymouth Dockyard - Plymouth at a cost of £11286.0.0dBWAS-1793
10.1810Took the Privateer off the Irish coast
10.5.1812Took the Cutter in latitude 49 deg. 6 min. north , in longitude 8 deg. 22 min. westBG
11.1812Sailed to North AmericaBWAS-1793
5.2.1813Took the Privateer
25.3.1813Sailed for NewfoundlandBWAS-1793
1814Sailed to GreenlandBWAS-1793
4.1815Began large repair at Woolwich Dockyard - Woolwich BWAS-1793
10.1816Completed large repair at Woolwich Dockyard - Woolwich at a cost of £30477.0.0dBWAS-1793
11.1817fitting at Chatham Dockyard - Chatham at a cost of £12642.0.0dBWAS-1793
1818Flagship at JamaicaBWAS-1793
1819Flagship at JamaicaBWAS-1793
1820Flagship at JamaicaBWAS-1793
7.1823RecommissionedBWAS-1793
7.1823Began making good defects at Portsmouth Dockyard - Portsmouth BWAS-1793
10.1823Completed making good defects at Portsmouth Dockyard - Portsmouth at a cost of £15604.0.0dBWAS-1793
11.1826Paid offBWAS-1793
11.1826Began making good defects at Portsmouth Dockyard - Portsmouth BWAS-1793
12.1826RecommissionedBWAS-1793
4.1827Completed making good defects at Portsmouth Dockyard - Portsmouth at a cost of £14734.0.0dBWAS-1793
6.9.1827Took the Slave Ship Bight of Beninref:567
1.1830Began fitting as a Lazarette at Portsmouth Dockyard - Portsmouth BWAS-1793
7.1831Completed fitting as a Lazarette at Portsmouth Dockyard - Portsmouth BWAS-1793
7.8.1833Sold to Mr Henry for £2,460BWAS-1793

Previous comments on this page

Posted by Jon Miller on Saturday 18th of July 2026 21:46

Portsmouth, 20 June 1801: The Severn is arrived at New York from Canton. On the 15th of January, in Molacca Roads, fell in with the British ships Centurion, Sybille, and Braave, of 40 guns each, and Victorious, of 74 guns. The first-mentioned ships were from Batavia, , having razed the blockade of that place. [Hampshire Telegraph, 22 June 1801]

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