British Fifth Rate frigate 'Syren' (1782)

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Syren	6704
Nominal Guns	32	BWAS-1714
Nationality	Great Britain
Operator	Royal Navy
Ordered	1.3.1781	BWAS-1714
Keel Laid Down	2.1781	BWAS-1714
Launched	24.9.1782	BWAS-1714
How acquired	Purpose built	BWAS-1714
Shipyard	Mistley - Essex	BWAS-1714
Ship Class	Amazon Class (1770)	BWAS-1714
Designed by	John WilliamsBritish Designer Ship Builder Service 1762-1784	BWAS-1714
Constructor	James BettsBritish Ship Builder Service 1778-1807	BWAS-1714
Category	Fifth Rate	BWAS-1714
Ship Type	Frigate	BWAS-1714
Sailing Rig	Ship Rigged	BWAS-1714
Broken Up	9.1822	BWAS-1714

Dimensions

DimensionMeasurementTypeMetric EquivalentBWAS-1714
Length of Gundeck126' 0"Imperial Feet38.4048
Length of Keel103' 10"Imperial Feet31.3944
Breadth35' 1 ¾"Imperial Feet10.6871
Depth in Hold12' 2"Imperial Feet3.683
Burthen679 ⁸⁄₉₄Tons BM

Armament

24.9.1782Broadside Weight = 228 Imperial Pound ( 103.398 kg)BWAS-1714
Upper Gun Deck26 British 12-Pounder
Quarterdeck4 British 18-Pound Carronade
Quarterdeck4 British 6-Pounder
Forecastle2 British 18-Pound Carronade
Forecastle2 British 6-Pounder

Crew Complement

Date# of MenNotesSource
1770220Design Complement

7 Ship Commanders

DatesRankNameSource
24.9.1782 - 6.1783Captain ADM 6/22/520BWAS-171421.7.1790 - 17.9.1791Captain ADM 6/24/52BWAS-17148.7.1794 - 8.1796Captain ADM 6/25/58BWAS-17148.1796 - 1801CaptainBWAS-17141801 - 1802CaptainBWAS-171428.4.1802 - 10.1802CaptainBWAS-171411.1812 - 1813CaptainBWAS-1714

16 Commissioned Officers

DatesRankNameSource
24.1.1791 - 16.9.1791First Lieutenant ADM 6/24/104ADM 6/2424.1.1791 - 16.9.1791Second Lieutenant ADM 6/24/104ADM 6/2416.9.1791 - 22.2.1793Second Lieutenant Transfered ADM 6/24/135ADM 6/2417.9.1791 - 9.4.1793First Lieutenant ADM 6/24/135ADM 6/2417.9.1791 - 10.4.1793Third Lieutenant ADM 6/24/135ADM 6/2428.2.1793 - 9.4.1793Second Lieutenant ADM 6/24/215ADM 6/2410.4.1793 - 19.2.1794First Lieutenant Transfered ADM 6/24/228ADM 6/2410.4.1793 - 19.2.1794Second Lieutenant ADM 6/24/228ADM 6/2411.4.1793 - 19.2.1794Third Lieutenant ADM 6/24/229ADM 6/2420.2.1794 - 7.7.1794First Lieutenant ADM 6/25/14ADM 6/2520.2.1794 - 7.7.1794Second Lieutenant Transfered ADM 6/25/14ADM 6/2520.2.1794 - 7.7.1794Third Lieutenant Transfered ADM 6/25/14ADM 6/258.7.1794 - 1794First Lieutenant ADM 6/25/58ADM 6/258.7.1794 - 1794Second Lieutenant ADM 6/25/58ADM 6/258.7.1794 - 1794Third Lieutenant ADM 6/25/58ADM 6/2523.6.1802 - 1802Acting LieutenantNBD1849

3 Warrant Officers

DatesRankNameSource
10.6.1779 - 10.2.1781Boatswain Transfered ADM 196/1/23ADM 29-18.10.1782 - 9.1783Master1.2.1793 - 30.8.1794MasterADM 29-1

3 Petty Officers

DatesRatingNameSource
9.1791 - 8.1794MidshipmanE-WIKI1.8.1801 - 30.4.1802Quarter GunnerPMD1.5.1802 - 13.10.1802Quartermaster's MatePMD

5 Crewmen

DatesRatingNameSource
1.3.1783 - 9.4.1783Able Seamanref:61624.11.1790 - 9.17911st Class VolunteerNBD184922.8.1797 - 28.1.1798Able SeamanPMD12.2.1798 - 19.2.1800Able SeamanPMD3.4.1800 - 31.7.1801Able SeamanPMD

Service History

DateEventSource
23.10.1782Began fitting at Chatham Dockyard - Chatham BWAS-1714
16.12.1782Completed fitting at Chatham Dockyard - Chatham at a cost of £6937.0.0dBWAS-1714
6.1783Paid offBWAS-1714
10.1783fitting at Plymouth - Devon at a cost of £234.9.10dBWAS-1714
12.1789Began middling repair at Plymouth - Devon BWAS-1714
7.1790RecommissionedBWAS-1714
9.1790Completed middling repair at Plymouth - Devon at a cost of £7038.0.0dBWAS-1714
9.1791Paid off and then recommissionedBWAS-1714
9.1791Began fitting at Plymouth Dockyard - Plymouth BWAS-1714
10.1791Completed fitting at Plymouth Dockyard - Plymouth at a cost of £2161.0.0dBWAS-1714
13.6.1793Took the Corvette
9.5.1795Action in Carteret Bay
2.2.1797Took the Cutter off Cherbourg
11.1797Began refitting at Portsmouth Dockyard - Portsmouth BWAS-1714
2.1798Completed refitting at Portsmouth Dockyard - Portsmouth at a cost of £9170.0.0dBWAS-1714
3.1798Sailed for the Leeward IslandsBWAS-1714
11.8.1799Surrender of Surinam
10.1799Occupation of SurinamBWAS-1714
12.1800Sailed for JamaicaBWAS-1714
10.1802Paid offBWAS-1714
6.1805Refitted as a Unrated Lazarette
11.1805fitting at Plymouth Dockyard - Plymouth BWAS-1714
1806Lazarette at MilfordBWAS-1714
11.1812Sailed to North America but later returned to MilfordBWAS-1714
9.1822Broken up at PembrokeBWAS-1714

Previous comments on this page

Posted by Jon Miller on Saturday 13th of June 2026 18:16

Portsmouth: Came into harbour to refit, having lost her foremast, bowsprit, and topmasts in a severe gale of wind, the Syren, of 32 guns. [Hampshire Chronicle, 4 November 1797]

Posted by Mark Bosman on Friday 25th of June 2021 03:18

According to Thomas Hoskins Naval Record (ADM 196/1/155) - he was the master of the Syren from 12 Dec 1797 to 6 Nov 1800

Posted by Robert Boon on Thursday 23rd of February 2017 13:35

The following individual received a clasp to the GSM for a successful attack by the boats of the Syren on the French trenches before Williamstadt on 15 March 1793:

Aylmer, Hon. Frederick Volunteer

ADM 171/8

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