British Fifth Rate frigate 'Magicienne' (1781)

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Magicienne	5217
Nominal Guns	32	BWAS-1714
Nationality	Great Britain
Operator	Royal Navy
Previously	French Fifth Rate frigate 'La Magicienne' (1778) (32) 1778-1781 French 32 Gun 5th Rate Frigate
Captured	2.9.1781	BWAS-1714
Shipyard	Toulon - Provence	NNF-1774
Ship Class	Magicienne Class (1777)	NNF-1774
Designed by	Joseph-Marie-Blaise CoulombFrench Designer Ship Builder Service 1755-1789	NNF-1774
Category	Fifth Rate	BWAS-1714
Ship Type	Frigate	BWAS-1714
Sailing Rig	Ship Rigged	BWAS-1714
Burnt to avoid capture	27.8.1810	BWAS-1714

Dimensions

DimensionMeasurementTypeMetric EquivalentBWAS-1714
Length of Gundeck143' 9"Imperial Feet43.5917
Length of Keel118' 4 ½"Imperial Feet35.9791
Breadth39' 2 ½"Imperial Feet11.8999
Depth in Hold12' 4 ½"Imperial Feet3.6703
Burthen967 ⁷⁴⁄₉₄Tons BM

Armament

1782Broadside Weight = 174 Imperial Pound ( 78.909 kg)BWAS-1714
Upper Gun Deck26 British 12-Pounder
Quarterdeck4 British 6-Pounder
Forecastle2 British 6-Pounder

Crew Complement

Date# of MenNotesSource
1791220 BWAS-1714

8 Ship Commanders

DatesRankNameSource
29.9.1781 - 24.9.1783CaptainBWAS-171421.9.1790 - 12.3.1793Captain ADM 6/24/68ADM 6/2412.3.1793 - 1795Captain ADM 6/24/218ADM 6/241.1796 - 1798CaptainBWAS-17141798 - 1801CaptainBWAS-17145.1802 - 1803CaptainBWAS-17146.1803 - 12.1806CaptainBWAS-171412.1808 - 24.8.1810CaptainBWAS-1714

7 Commissioned Officers

DatesRankNameSource
22.11.1790 - 29.4.1793First Lieutenant Transfered ADM 6/24/91ADM 6/2422.11.1790 - 28.4.1791Second Lieutenant Transfered ADM 6/24/92ADM 6/2416.3.1793 - 2.8.1793First Lieutenant ADM 6/24/221ADM 6/2416.3.1793 - 2.8.1793Second Lieutenant ADM 6/24/221ADM 6/2416.3.1793 - 4.8.1793Third Lieutenant Transfered ADM 6/24/221ADM 6/243.8.1793 - 1793First Lieutenant ADM 6/24/258ADM 6/243.8.1793 - 1793Second Lieutenant ADM 6/24/258ADM 6/24

1 Warrant Officer

DatesRankNameSource
20.10.1781 - 31.3.1793Gunner ADM 196/1/23ADM 29-1

2 Petty Officers

DatesRatingNameSource
9.7.1795 - 1797MidshipmanNBD18491803Midshipmanref:1626

Service History

DateEventSource
22.9.1781Purchased in North AmericaBWAS-1714
12.1782Sailed to JamaicaBWAS-1714
2.1.1783Action of 1783-01-02
9.1783Paid offBWAS-1714
30.10.1783fitting at Chatham Dockyard - Chatham BWAS-1714
9.1790Began great repair at Harwich - Essex BWAS-1714
2.1793Began fitting at Chatham Dockyard - Chatham BWAS-1714
2.1793Completed great repair at Harwich - Essex at a cost of £14373.0.0dBWAS-1714
3.1793RecommissionedBWAS-1714
5.1793Completed fitting at Chatham Dockyard - Chatham at a cost of £6607.0.0dBWAS-1714
25.8.1793Sailed for JamaicaBWAS-1714
6.5.1796Took the Schooner on the American coast
21.5.1796Sailed for the MediterraneanBWAS-1714
1.11.1796Took the Lugger off San DomingoBG
1.1797Took three privateers during January, Februrary and MarchBWAS-1714
3.1797Took the Privateer
6.4.1797Cape Roxo, San DomingoBWAS-1714
22.4.1797At Les IroisBWAS-1714
27.12.1797Took the Privateer off Puerto Rico
1798Took the Privateer
30.10.1798

Arrived at Port Royal, Jamiaca with a French Schooner and her prize.

TNC
10.1800Completed large repair at Woolwich Dockyard - Woolwich BWAS-1714
1801In the North SeaBWAS-1714
6.1803RecommissionedBWAS-1714
26.2.1805Sailed for JamaicaBWAS-1714
6.2.1806Action of San Domingo
25.2.1806Took the Privateer in the Mona passage
12.1806Paid offBWAS-1714
11.1807Began large repair at Woolwich Dockyard - Woolwich BWAS-1714
12.1808RecommissionedBWAS-1714
23.5.1809Sailed for the Cape of Good HopeBWAS-1714
29.12.1809Took the East Indiaman
7.1810At the Capture of Ile BourbonBWAS-1714
6.7.1810The Capture of Reunion
23.8.1810Battle of Mauritius
24.8.1810Grounded and burnt to avoid capture at Mauritius, losing 8 killed and 20 WoundedBWAS-1714

Sources

IDNameAuthorType

ADM 29-1 Document

ADM 6/24 Archive

BGOfficial, Web Site

BWAS-1714Rif Winfield, Book

NBD1849O'Brien, Digital Book

NNF-1774Alain Demerliac, Book

TNCVarious, Periodical

ref:1626 Book

Previous comments on this page

Posted by Jon Miller on Saturday 30th of May 2026 05:10

Sheerness, 11 October 1801: Orders have been received this morning for the different vessels mentioned, to prepare immediately for paying off, viz, the Magicienne, Braak, Daphne, Waazamield, Hebe, and La Raison frigates; Alceste and Serapis, floating batteries; Experiment, fire vessel, and Hecla, bomb; and Boreas, slop ship; with the Crash, Swinger, Wrangler, Pincher, Scourge, Sparkler, Furnace, Force, Teazer, Gallant, and Constant. [London Courier, 12 October 1801]

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