British sloop 'Merlin' (1757)

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Merlin ➡ 1757 Zephyr	20621
Nominal Guns	10	BWAS-1714
Nationality	Great Britain
Operator	Royal Navy
Previously	French sloop 'Le Merlin' (1757) (10) 1757-1757 French 10 Gun Unrated Sloop
Captured	8.1757	BWAS-1714
First Commissioned	1.11.1757	BWAS-1714
Shipyard	Rotherhithe - London - Surrey	BWAS-1714
Category	Unrated	BWAS-1714
Ship Type	Sloop	BWAS-1714
Sailing Rig	Snow	BWAS-1714
Captured	23.8.1778	BWAS-1714
Becomes	French corvette 'Le Zéphyr' (1778) (14) 1778-1780 French 14 Gun Unrated Corvette

Dimensions

DimensionMeasurementTypeMetric EquivalentBWAS-1714
Length of Gundeck86' 6 ½"Imperial Feet26.2255
Length of Keel70' 2 ¼"Imperial Feet21.3424
Breadth24' 5 ½"Imperial Feet7.3279
Depth in Hold10' 10"Imperial Feet3.048
Burthen223 ¹⁶⁄₉₄Tons BM

Armament

8.1757Broadside Weight = 33.5 Imperial Pound ( 15.1926 kg)BWAS-1714
Upper Gun Deck10 British 6-Pounder
Upper Gun Deck14 British 1/2-Pound Swivel

Crew Complement

Date# of MenNotesSource
8.1757100 BWAS-1714

11 Ship Commanders

DatesRankNameSource
1.11.1757 - 3.5.1762Commander ADM 6/18/450BWAS-17143.5.1762 - 15.7.1763Commander Transfered ADM 6/19/405BWAS-17148.9.1763 - 18.1.1764Commander ADM 6/19/536ADM 6/1911.4.1764 - 8.2.1766Commander Transfered ADM 6/20/21BWAS-17148.2.1766 - 15.12.1767Commander ADM 6/20/106BWAS-17147.6.1770 - 25.6.1773Commander ADM 6/20/280BWAS-171425.6.1773 - 21.1.1775Commander Transfered ADM 6/20/500ADM 6/2022.1.1775 - 23.6.1775CaptainBWAS-171423.6.1775 - 30.5.1776Commander ADM 6/21/121
Issued by , The Mediterranean Sea
Confirmed 16.9.1775BWAS-171424.6.1776 - 30.5.1777Commander ADM 6/21/201
Issued by , The Mediterranean Sea
Confirmed 24.7.1776BWAS-171430.5.1777 - 23.8.1778Commander ADM 6/21/373
Issued by , The Mediterranean Sea BWAS-1714

5 Commissioned Officers

DatesRankNameSource
31.8.1759 - 29.9.1761Lieutenant ADM 6/19/401
Issued by
Confirmed 14.4.1762ADM 6/191.11.1763 - 7.1.1764Lieutenant Transfered ADM 6/19/547ADM 6/1925.3.1775 - 17.4.1776Lieutenant Transfered ADM 6/21/81ADM 6/2123.5.1776 - 29.1.1777Lieutenant ADM 6/21/197
Issued by , The Mediterranean Sea
Confirmed 26.6.1776ADM 6/2129.1.1777 - 30.5.1777Lieutenant ADM 6/21/327
Issued by , The Mediterranean Sea
Confirmed 24.10.1777ADM 6/21

Service History

DateEventSource
14.9.1757

John Clevland. The Merlin Sloop, lately retaken from the enemy by the Lancaster and Chichester, is to be purchased with her masts, yards and a boat. There is a frigate also called the Merlin and ask by what name the sloop is to be registered

ADM354
14.9.1757Purchased at Portsmouth Dockyard - Portsmouth at a cost of £1663.4.2dBWAS-1714
16.9.1757Renamed ZephyrBWAS-1714
11.1757RecommissionedBWAS-1714
2.1758Began fitting at Portsmouth Dockyard - Portsmouth BWAS-1714
3.1758Completed fitting at Portsmouth Dockyard - Portsmouth at a cost of £1313.0.2dBWAS-1714
9.4.1758Sailed for North CarolinaBWAS-1714
7.1.1762Operations against Martinique
7.1762Off the Portugese coastBWAS-1714
18.1.1764Paid offBWAS-1714
5.1764Sailed for NewfoundlandBWAS-1714
15.12.1767

Paid off

BWAS-1714
3.2.1768SurveyedBWAS-1714
3.1768Began large repair at Woolwich Dockyard - Woolwich BWAS-1714
8.1768Completed large repair at Woolwich Dockyard - Woolwich at a cost of £2146.15.8dBWAS-1714
5.1770Began fitting at Woolwich Dockyard - Woolwich BWAS-1714
6.1770RecommissionedBWAS-1714
8.1770Completed fitting at Woolwich Dockyard - Woolwich at a cost of £1241.15.9dBWAS-1714
31.8.1770Sailed for JamaicaBWAS-1714
14.6.1773

Paid off

BWAS-1714
1.1775Began fitting at Sheerness Dockyard - Sheerness BWAS-1714
3.1775RecommissionedBWAS-1714
5.1775Completed fitting at Sheerness Dockyard - Sheerness at a cost of £2419.12.11dBWAS-1714
23.5.1775Sailed for the MediterraneanBWAS-1714
23.8.1778Taken by

Sources

IDNameAuthorType

ADM 6/19 Archive

ADM 6/20 Archive

ADM 6/21 Archive

ADM354 Document

BWAS-1714Rif Winfield, Book

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