British Sixth Rate ship 'Speedwell' (1716)

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Speedwell
Nominal Guns	24	BWAS-1714
Nationality	Great Britain
Operator	Royal Navy
Ordered	17.12.1715	BWAS-1714
Launched	27.3.1716	BWAS-1714
First Commissioned	25.6.1716	BWAS-1714
How acquired	Purpose built	BWAS-1714
Shipyard	Deptford Dockyard - Deptford	BWAS-1714
Ship Class	Gibraltar Group (1710)	BWAS-1714
Designed by	Sir Thomas SladeBritish Designer Ship Builder Dockyard Staff Service 1744-1783	BWAS-1714
Constructor	Richard StaceyBritish Designer Ship Builder Dockyard Staff Service 1695-1742	BWAS-1714
Category	Sixth Rate	BWAS-1714
Ship Type	Ship	BWAS-1714
Sailing Rig	Ship Rigged	BWAS-1714
Wrecked	21.11.1720	BWAS-1714

Dimensions

DimensionMeasurementTypeMetric EquivalentBWAS-1714
Length of Gundeck95' 5 ½"Imperial Feet28.9687
Length of Keel78' 9 ¾"Imperial Feet23.7935
Breadth25' 6 ½"Imperial Feet7.6327
Depth in Hold11' 6"Imperial Feet3.5052
Burthen273 ⁶⁹⁄₉₄Tons BM

Armament

27.3.1716Broadside Weight = 60 Imperial Pound ( 27.21 kg)BWAS-1714
Upper Gun Deck20 British 6-Pounder

Crew Complement

Date# of MenNotesSource
8.1753160Design Complement

5 Ship Commanders

DatesRankNameSource
25.6.1716 - 29.3.1717Captain and Master Transfered ADM 6/12/72B05130.3.1717 - 3.12.1718Captain ADM 6/12/145
Confirmed 28.11.1718BWAS-171430.7.1719 - 8.2.1719/20Commander ADM 6/12/176ADM 6/1211.2.1719/20 - 30.10.1720Captain ADM 6/12/194BWAS-171431.10.1720 - 21.11.1720Commander ADM 6/12/225ADM 6/12

1 Commissioned Officer

DatesRankNameSource
25.6.1716 - 3.12.1718Lieutenant ADM 6/12/72ADM 6/12

1 Warrant Officer

DatesRankNameSource
5.8.1719 - 21.11.1720Carpenter ADM 6/12/176ref:1788

Service History

DateEventSource
27.3.1716building at Deptford Dockyard - Deptford at a cost of £2465.19.9dBWAS-1714
27.3.1716Began fitting at Deptford Dockyard - Deptford BWAS-1714
6.1716Commissioned for the MediterraneanBWAS-1714
27.7.1716Completed fitting at Deptford Dockyard - Deptford at a cost of £1531.9.7dBWAS-1714
12.1718Ordered home and paid offBWAS-1714
8.1719Refitted as a 8 gun Unrated Bomb Vessel
1720RecommissionedBWAS-1714
21.11.1720Wrecked on the Dutch coastBWAS-1714

Sources

IDNameAuthorType

ADM 6/12 Archive

B051John Charnock, Digital Book

BWAS-1714Rif Winfield, Book

ref:1788Christopher Donnithorne, Book

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Date posted	By	Page
Thursday 23rd of July 2026 13:29	keith wilkie	British Third Rate ship of the line 'Yarmouth' (1745) (64) 1745-1811 British 64 Gun 3rd Rate Ship of the Line
Thursday 23rd of July 2026 13:13	keith wilkie	British Third Rate ship of the line 'Somerset' (1748) (68) 1748-1778 British 68 Gun 3rd Rate Ship of the Line
Wednesday 22nd of July 2026 04:24	F.F.	British First Rate ship of the line 'Santisima Trinidad' (1805) (136) 1805-1805 British 136 Gun 1st Rate Ship of the Line
Wednesday 22nd of July 2026 01:36	F.F.	Spanish First Rate ship of the line 'Nuestra Señora de la Santísima Trinidad' (1769) (116) 1769-1805 Spanish 116 Gun 1st Rate Ship of the Line
Tuesday 21st of July 2026 16:47	Jon Miller	British sloop 'Drake' (1798) (14) 1798-1804 British 14 Gun Unrated Sloop

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