British Fifth Rate frigate 'Ambuscade' (1773)

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Ambuscade

3022
Nominal Guns32BWAS-1714
NationalityGreat Britain
OperatorRoyal Navy
Ordered25.12.1770BWAS-1714
Keel Laid Down4.1771BWAS-1714
Launched17.9.1773B028
First Commissioned31.1.1776B028
How acquiredPurpose builtB028
ShipyardGrove Street Yard - Deptford - Barnards' Thames Yards BWAS-1714
Ship ClassAmazon Class (1770)B028
Designed by
John WilliamsBritish
Designer
Ship Builder
Service 1762-1784
BWAS-1714
Constructor
John BarnardBritish
Designer
Ship Builder
Service 1740-1782
BWAS-1714
CategoryFifth RateBWAS-1714
Ship TypeFrigateB028
Sailing RigShip RiggedB028
Captured14.12.1798B028
Becomes
French Fifth Rate frigate 'L'Embuscade' (1798) (32) 1798-1803
French 32 Gun
5th Rate Frigate

Dimensions


DimensionMeasurementTypeMetric EquivalentBWAS-1714
Length of Gundeck126' 3"Imperial Feet38.4077 
Length of Keel104' 1"Imperial Feet31.7056 
Breadth35' 1 ¾"Imperial Feet10.6871 
Depth in Hold12' 2"Imperial Feet3.683 
Draught Forward8' 4"Imperial Feet2.54 
Draught Aft13' 0"Imperial Feet3.9624 
Burthen683 81⁄94Tons BM 

Armament


17.9.1773Broadside 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
1776220EstablishmentBWAS-1714

13 Ship Commanders


DatesRankNameSource
31.1.1776 - 30.1.1779Captain
John MacartneyBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1748-1766
ADM 6/21/153BWAS-171430.1.1779 - 24.3.1779Captain
Thomas HaynesBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1745-1783
ADM 6/21/505BWAS-171424.3.1779 - 12.7.1780Captain
The Hon. Charles PhippsBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1771-1783
Transfered ADM 6/21/529BWAS-171412.7.1780 - 16.10.1781Captain
Hugh Seymour ConwayBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1776-1794
Transfered ADM 6/22/150BWAS-171425.10.1781 - 15.4.1782Captain
Henry DuncanBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1755-1782
ADM 6/22/356BWAS-171415.4.1782 - 30.4.1783Captain
William YoungBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1769-1812
ADM 6/22/450ADM 6/2224.10.1787 - 19.11.1787Captain
Thomas BostonBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1758-1801
ADM 6/23/431BWAS-171419.11.1787 - 1.12.1789Captain
William Henry King O'HaraBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1768-1789
Discharged Dead ADM 6/23/434BWAS-17142.12.1789 - 4.12.1789Captain
Robert Devereux FancourtBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1758-1825
ADM 6/24/137
Issued by
John Goodwin Gregory PeytonBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1764-1767

Confirmed 29.9.1791BWAS-17145.12.1789 - 18.5.1790Acting Captain
Robert StopfordBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1780-1830
Transfered ADM 196/68/191ADM 19630.9.1794 - 1796Captain
George DuffBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1779-1796
ADM 6/25/90BWAS-17141796 - 9.1797Captain
Thomas TwysdenBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1781-1801
TransferedBWAS-17141798 - 14.12.1798Captain
Henry JenkinsBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1780-1799
BWAS-1714

5 Commissioned Officers


DatesRankNameSource
3.2.1776 - 15.3.1777Second Lieutenant
Patrick SinclairBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1771-1791
ADM 6/21/154ADM 6/2124.10.1787 - 6.2.1788Second Lieutenant
The Hon. Henry CurzonBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1776-1830
ADM 6/23/431ADM 6/2313.1.1791 - 15.10.1791Second Lieutenant
Thomas CollisBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1791-1803
Transfered ADM 6/24/120
Issued by
Joseph PeytonBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1743-1799

Confirmed 28.4.1791ADM 6/241798 - 14.12.1798First Lieutenant
Dawson MayneBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1794
†TRN43.4.1798 - 14.12.1798Lieutenant
Joseph BriggsBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1798-1802
TRN4

2 Petty Officers


DatesRatingNameSource
13.1.1791 - 7.1792Midshipman
Patrick CampbellBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1788-1830
ref:6161799 - 1.1805Master's Mate
John BallantyneBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1794-1843
NBD1849

1 Crewman


DatesRatingNameSource
18.4.1795 - 3.17961st Class Volunteer
Alexander BoyackBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1795-1805
NBD1849

Service History


DateEventSource
17.9.1773Began fitting at Deptford Dockyard - Deptford BWAS-1714
19.9.1773building at Grove Street Yard - Deptford - Barnards' Thames Yards at a cost of £7125.16.9dBWAS-1714
1.10.1773Completed fitting at Deptford Dockyard - Deptford BWAS-1714
1.1776Began fitting at Chatham Dockyard - Chatham BWAS-1714
4.1776Completed fitting at Chatham Dockyard - Chatham at a cost of £4971.5.9dBWAS-1714
20.7.1776Sailed for North AmericaBWAS-1714
1778In North AmericaBWAS-1714
1.1779Commissioned for the Western squadron and paid off later in the yearBWAS-1714
3.1779Began coppering and fitting at Chatham Dockyard - Chatham BWAS-1714
4.1779RecommissionedBWAS-1714
5.1779Completed coppering and fitting at Chatham Dockyard - Chatham at a cost of £4476.17.11dBWAS-1714
28.6.1779Took the Privateer
Le Prince de Montbray (20) 1779-1779
French 20 Gun
Privateer Unknown

23.7.1779Took the Corvette
La Hélène (16) 1778-1779
French 16 Gun
Unrated Corvette
in the North Sea
9.1779Sent to the relief of GuernseyBWAS-1714
4.7.1780Took the Privateer
Eleonore (Unknown) 1780-1780
American Unknown Gun
Privateer Unknown
in the North Sea
1.1781In AmericaBWAS-1714
5.1782Took the Privateer
Le Commandeur de Dunkerque (Unknown) 1782-1782
French Unknown Gun
Privateer Unknown
in the North Sea
27.6.1782Took the Lugger
Le Petit Gens d'Armes (Unknown) 1782-1782
French Unknown Gun
Privateer Lugger
in the ChannelBWAS-1714
28.6.1782Took the Ship
Le Middlebourg (13) 1782-1782
French 13 Gun
Privateer Ship
in the North Sea
30.4.1783

Paid off

BWAS-1714
3.1784fitting at Plymouth Dockyard - Plymouth BWAS-1714
7.1784Began small repair at Plymouth Dockyard - Plymouth BWAS-1714
12.1784Completed small repair at Plymouth Dockyard - Plymouth at a cost of £7808.4.11dBWAS-1714
7.1787Began fitting at Plymouth Dockyard - Plymouth BWAS-1714
10.1787RecommissionedBWAS-1714
1.1788Completed fitting at Plymouth Dockyard - Plymouth at a cost of £2330.0.0dBWAS-1714
5.4.1788Sailed for the MediterraneanBWAS-1714
5.1790In the MediterraneanBWAS-1714
9.1791Paid offBWAS-1714
5.1793Began middling repair at Woolwich Dockyard - Woolwich BWAS-1714
9.1794RecommissionedBWAS-1714
3.1795Completed middling repair at Woolwich Dockyard - Woolwich at a cost of £16598.0.0dBWAS-1714
26.5.1796Sailed for JamaicaBWAS-1714
4.1797Took the Schooner
Le Buonaparte (Unknown) 1797-1797
French Unknown Gun
Privateer Schooner
in the West Indies
20.11.1798Took the Corvette
L'Hirondelle (20) 1798-1798
French 20 Gun
6th Rate Corvette
in the Channel
29.11.1798

Arrived at Spithead with L'Hirondelle

TNC
14.12.1798Ambuscade vs Bayonnaise
14.12.1798Taken by
La Bayonnaise (28) 1794-1803
French 28 Gun
6th Rate Corvette


 
Previous comments on this page

Posted by Claire Norris on Monday 16th of June 2025 11:11

Ambuscade and Prudent reported as taking the privateer L'Americaine in LLoyd's list 2nd Feb 1781. That ship sold off to and re-named Butterworth a whaler - the Butterworth Squadron- reputed first western ship to Hawaii.

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