British Fifth Rate frigate 'Orpheus' (1780)

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Orpheus	5641
Nominal Guns	32	BWAS-1714
Nationality	Great Britain
Operator	Royal Navy
Ordered	2.10.1778	BWAS-1714
Keel Laid Down	7.7.1779	BWAS-1714
Launched	3.6.1780	BWAS-1714
How acquired	Purpose built	BWAS-1714
Shipyard	Grove Street Yard - Deptford - Barnards' Thames Yards	BWAS-1714
Ship Class	Amazon Class (1770)	BWAS-1714
Designed by	John WilliamsBritish Designer Ship Builder Service 1762-1784	BWAS-1714
Category	Fifth Rate	BWAS-1714
Ship Type	Frigate	BWAS-1714
Sailing Rig	Ship Rigged	BWAS-1714
Wrecked	23.1.1807	BWAS-1714

Dimensions

DimensionMeasurementTypeMetric EquivalentBWAS-1714
Length of Gundeck126' 4"Imperial Feet38.4087
Length of Keel104' 5 ⅜"Imperial Feet31.7087
Breadth35' 2 ¼"Imperial Feet10.6744
Depth in Hold12' 2"Imperial Feet3.683
Burthen688 ⁶⁶⁄₉₄Tons BM

Armament

3.6.1780Broadside 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
1770220Design Complement

16 Ship Commanders

DatesRankNameSource
1.1.1780 - 21.10.1782Captain ADM 6/22/74BWAS-171421.8.1782 - 30.12.1782Captain Transfered ADM 6/22/531ref:61630.12.1782 - 8.3.1783Captain ADM 6/22/567BWAS-17148.3.1783 - 26.7.1783Captain ADM 6/23/31ADM 6/2321.9.1790 - 22.11.1790Captain ADM 6/24/68ADM 6/2422.11.1790 - 2.12.1792Captain ADM 6/24/88ADM 6/243.12.1792 - 1797Captain†: on board from 4.12.1792 ADM 6/24/183BWAS-171412.1797CaptainBWAS-171412.1797 - 3.1798CommanderBWAS-17143.1798 - 1799CaptainBWAS-17141799 - 1800CaptainBWAS-17141799LieutenantBWAS-171427.2.1801 - 1802CaptainBWAS-17144.1803 - 8.1805CaptainBWAS-17148.1805 - 14.12.1805CaptainBWAS-171414.12.1805 - 23.1.1807CommanderNBD1849

8 Commissioned Officers

DatesRankNameSource
17.1.1780 - 21.3.1783Second Lieutenant ADM 6/22/79ADM 6/2222.11.1790 - 2.12.1792First Lieutenant ADM 6/24/91ADM 6/2422.11.1790 - 5.1.1791Second Lieutenant Transfered ADM 6/24/91ADM 6/243.12.1792 - 1792First Lieutenant ADM 6/24/183ADM 6/243.12.1792 - 1792Second Lieutenant ADM 6/24/183ADM 6/243.12.1792 - 26.11.1793Third Lieutenant ADM 6/24/183ADM 6/2427.11.1793 - 1793Third Lieutenant ADM6/24/286ADM 6/243.1797 - 28.2.1800Acting LieutenantNL1865

1 Petty Officer

DatesRatingNameSource
12.1805 - 23.1.1807MidshipmanNBD1849

Service History

DateEventSource
3.6.1780Began CompletedBWAS-1714
15.7.1780Completed Completed at a cost of £16108.7.8dBWAS-1714
23.8.1780Sailed for North AmericaBWAS-1714
8.4.1781Took the Privateer
14.4.1781Action of 1781-04-14
14.4.1781Took the Frigate
5.9.1781Battle of the Chesapeake
3.1783Paid offBWAS-1714
3.1783RecommissionedBWAS-1714
24.7.1783Sailed for the MediterraneanBWAS-1714
26.2.1787

Paid off

BWAS-1714
8.1790Began great repairBWAS-1714
10.1791Completed great repair at a cost of £11181.0.0dBWAS-1714
12.1792RecommissionedBWAS-1714
12.1792Began fitting at Deptford Dockyard - Deptford BWAS-1714
1.1793Completed fitting at Deptford Dockyard - Deptford at a cost of £5218.0.0dBWAS-1714
28.11.1793Sailed for the East IndiesBWAS-1714
5.5.1794Orpheus vs Duguay Trouin
1796Took the Frigate
16.2.1796At AmboynaBWAS-1714
8.3.1796BandaBWAS-1714
1800rebuilding at Bombay Dockyard - Bombay BWAS-1714
4.1803RecommissionedBWAS-1714
4.1803Began fitting at Plymouth Dockyard - Plymouth BWAS-1714
5.1803Completed fitting at Plymouth Dockyard - Plymouth at a cost of £5161.0.0dBWAS-1714
8.1805Sailed for JamaicaBWAS-1714
25.9.1806Took the Privateer
12.11.1806Took the Schooner
20.11.1806Took the Privateer off Campeche
23.1.1807Wrecked off Port RoyalBWAS-1714

Sources

IDNameAuthorType

ADM 6/22 Archive

ADM 6/23 Archive

ADM 6/24 Archive

BWAS-1714Rif Winfield, Book

NBD1849O'Brien, Digital Book

NL1865The Admiralty, Digital Book

ref:616Nicholas Tracy, Book

Previous comments on this page

Posted by Daniel Shaw on Friday 4th of June 2021 16:02

Boatswain in 1780 - Barlow Fielding, a black sailor (Source: The Command of the Ocean: A Naval History of Britain 1649-1815, N.A.M. Rodger)

Posted by Brian Stephens on Saturday 12th of April 2014 20:16

Edinburgh Advertiser January 9, 1801
The Orpheus, of 32 guns, was attacked in the night by two Dutch frigates, to which, astonished by her fire, and concluding her to be much larger than she was, the both struck and were carried into Ausboyna?? The First Lieutenant of the Orpheous was wounded in the arm; hoping no material ill will result from it.

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