British Fifth Rate galley 'Merlin' (1652)

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Recent Comments

Griffin (14) 1780-1780
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Wilkes (14) 1779-1780
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Merlin
Nominal Guns	14	B028
Nationality	Commonwealth of England
Operator	State Navy
Acquired	1652	B028
Shipyard	Chatham Dockyard - Chatham	BWAS-1603
Constructor	John TaylorBritish Designer Ship Owner Ship Builder Dockyard Staff Service 1627-1660	BWAS-1603
Category	Fifth Rate	B028
Ship Type	Galley
Captured	13.10.1665	B028
Becomes	Dutch Sixth Rate galley 'Galei van Dover' (1665) (22) 1665-1667 Dutch 22 Gun 6th Rate Galley

Dimensions

DimensionMeasurementTypeMetric EquivalentBWAS-1603
Length of Keel75' 0"Imperial Feet22.86
Breadth18' 0"Imperial Feet5.4864
Depth in Hold7 ' 8"Imperial Feet2.3368
Draught Aft9' 0"Imperial Feet2.7432
Burthen129' ²⁴⁄₉₄Tons BM

Crew Complement

Date# of MenNotesSource
1.165250 NRS013
166060 BWAS-1603
166535Establishment for peaceBWAS-1603
166580Establishment for war abroadBWAS-1603
166560Establishment for war at homeBWAS-1603

7 Ship Commanders

DatesRankNameSource
1652Captain†BWAS-16031652 - 1653CaptainBWAS-16031653 - 1654CaptainBWAS-16031655 - 1656CaptainBWAS-16031656 - 1658CaptainBWAS-16037.5.1660 - 8.12.1662CaptainBWAS-160325.3.1665 - 13.10.1665CaptainB051

1 Warrant Officer

DatesRankNameSource
19.9.1651 - 1651CarpenterSPD-1651

Service History

DateEventSource
18.2.1652/53Battle of Portland
2.6.1653Battle of the Gabbard
31.7.1653Battle of Scheveningen
4.4.1655Battle of Porto Farina
1660Re-rated as a Sixth rateBWAS-1603
13.10.1665Taken while protecting a merchant convoy from a Dutch flotilla off Tangier. The Dutch consisted of 5 vessels fo 30 guns or more, the convoy of 16 or 17 vessels, the majority of which were able to escape into TangierBG
13.10.1665Taken by the Dutch by a Dutch squadron off CadizBWAS-1603

Fleets
Dates	Fleet	Fleet Commander	Source
1659-1659	British Baltic Fleet 1659	Edward MontaguBritish Naval Sailor Service 1656-1672

Sources

IDNameAuthorType

B028J. J. Colledge, Book

B051John Charnock, Digital Book

BGOfficial, Web Site

BWAS-1603Rif Winfield, Book

NRS013Samuel R. Gardiner, Book

SPD-1651Mary Anne Everett Green, Book

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Date posted	By	Page
Friday 19th of June 2026 06:00	Jon Miller	American Privateer brigantine 'Griffin' (1780) (14) 1780-1780 American 14 Gun Privateer Brigantine
Friday 19th of June 2026 05:59	Jon Miller	American Privateer sloop 'Wilkes' (1779) (14) 1779-1780 American 14 Gun Privateer Sloop
Friday 19th of June 2026 05:58	Jon Miller	British sloop 'Fairy' (1778) (14) 1778-1811 British 14 Gun Unrated Sloop
Friday 19th of June 2026 05:48	Jon Miller	British Third Rate ship of the line 'Elizabeth' (1769) (74) 1769-1797 British 74 Gun 3rd Rate Ship of the Line
Friday 19th of June 2026 00:08	Jon Miller	French Fifth Rate frigate 'La Diane' (1779) (32) 1779-1780 French 32 Gun 5th Rate Frigate

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