British Fourth Rate ship 'Medusa' (1785)

Three Decks' Forum

Come and ask, answer or inform.

Recent updates

Added
Sea-flower (4) 1714-1718
British 4 Gun
Merchant Sloop
Added
Charles BainsBritish
Ship Owner
Merchant Sailor
Service 1714-1718
Added
John ScottBritish
Merchant Sailor
Service 1798
Update
La Vengeance (20) 1797-1800
French 20 Gun
Privateer Unknown
Update
Zephyr (8) 1790-1798
British 8 Gun
Merchant East Indiaman
Update
Woodcot (Unknown) 1786-1798
British Unknown Gun
Merchant East Indiaman
Update
Raymond (Unknown) 1782-1798
British Unknown Gun
Merchant East Indiaman (EIC Regular Ship)
Update
Cassandra (26) 1720-1723
Pirate 26 Gun
6th Rate Ship
Update
Cassandra (26) 1719-1720
British 26 Gun
Merchant East Indiaman
Added
Richard LazenbyBritish
Naval Sailor
Pirate
Service 1719-1723
See more...

Recent Comments

Devastation (6) 1841-1866
British 6 Gun
Unrated Steam Sloop
(1841)
Zephyr (8) 1790-1798
British 8 Gun
Merchant East Indiaman
(1790)
Pembroke (60) 1733-1749
British 60 Gun
4th Rate Ship of the Line
(1733)
Mercury (20) 1745-1753
British 20 Gun
6th Rate Ship
(1745)
Seahorse (24) 1748-1784
British 24 Gun
6th Rate Frigate
(1748)
Charles PowlettBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1728-1749
Namur (74) 1746-1749
British 74 Gun
3rd Rate Ship of the Line
(1746)
Namur (74) 1746-1749
British 74 Gun
3rd Rate Ship of the Line
(1746)
Shark (8) 1732-1755
British 8 Gun
Unrated Sloop
(1732)
Zephyr (8) 1790-1798
British 8 Gun
Merchant East Indiaman
(1790)
See more...

Medusa
Nominal Guns	50	BWAS-1714
Nationality	Great Britain
Operator	Royal Navy
Ordered	1.8.1775	BWAS-1714
Keel Laid Down	3.1776	BWAS-1714
Named	20.10.1775	BWAS-1714
Launched	23.7.1785	BWAS-1714
First Commissioned	8.1790	BWAS-1714
How acquired	Purpose built	BWAS-1714
Shipyard	Plymouth Dockyard - Plymouth	BWAS-1714
Ship Class	Experiment Class (1772)	BWAS-1714
Designed by	John WilliamsBritish Designer Ship Builder Service 1762-1784	BWAS-1714
Constructor	Thomas PollardBritish Ship Builder Dockyard Staff Service 1765-1799	BWAS-1714
Category	Fourth Rate	BWAS-1714
Ship Type	Ship	BWAS-1714
Sailing Rig	Ship Rigged	BWAS-1714
Wrecked	26.11.1798	BWAS-1714

Dimensions

DimensionMeasurementTypeMetric EquivalentBWAS-1714
Length of Gundeck140' 9 ½"Imperial Feet42.6847
Length of Keel115' 11 ½"Imperial Feet35.0647
Breadth38' 7 ¾"Imperial Feet11.6015
Depth in Hold16' 7"Imperial Feet4.9064
Draught Forward10' 6"Imperial Feet3.2004
Draught Aft14' 5"Imperial Feet4.299
Burthen920 ¹⁶⁄₉₄Imperial Feet0.0043

Armament

8.1790Broadside Weight = 302 Imperial Pound ( 136.957 kg)BWAS-1714
Lower Gun Deck20 British 12-Pounder
Upper Gun Deck22 British 12-Pounder
Quarterdeck6 British 6-Pounder
Forecastle2 British 32-Pound Carronade

Crew Complement

Date# of MenNotesSource
8.1790300EstablishmentBWAS-1714

4 Ship Commanders

DatesRankNameSource
24.8.1790 - 17.12.1792Captain ADM 6/24/62BWAS-17141.1.1793 - 12.1795Captain ADM 6/24/189BWAS-17143.1796 - 7.1797CommanderBWAS-17147.1797 - 26.11.1798CommanderBWAS-1714

10 Commissioned Officers

DatesRankNameSource
24.8.1790 - 21.1.1793First Lieutenant ADM 6/24/62ADM 6/2424.8.1790 - 16.12.1792Second Lieutenant Transfered ADM 6/24/62ADM 6/2415.10.1790 - 16.12.1792Third Lieutenant Transfered ADM 6/24/77ADM 6/248.1.1793 - 21.1.1793Second Lieutenant ADM 6/24/191ADM 6/248.1.1793 - 18.4.1794Third Lieutenant ADM 6/24/191ADM 6/2422.1.1793 - 18.4.1794First Lieutenant ADM 6/24/196ADM 6/242.2.1793 - 18.4.1794Second Lieutenant ADM 6/24/202ADM 6/2419.4.1794 - 1794First Lieutenant ADM 6/25/34ADM 6/2519.4.1794 - 1794Second Lieutenant ADM 6/25/34ADM 6/2519.4.1794 - 1794Third Lieutenant ADM 6/25/34ADM 6/25

2 Warrant Officers

DatesRankNameSource
24.8.1790 - 9.10.1792MasterADM 29-11792 - bef.18.12.1792Surgeonref:1981

1 Petty Officer

DatesRatingNameSource
2.5.1811 - 21.5.1814MidshipmanNBD1849

2 Crewmen

DatesRatingNameSource
6.1.1793 - 23.2.1793Captain's ServantADM 29/83.6.1810 - 2.5.18111st Class VolunteerNBD1849

Service History

DateEventSource
23.7.1785building at Plymouth Dockyard - Plymouth at a cost of £26417.0.0dBWAS-1714
8.1790Began fitting at Plymouth Dockyard - Plymouth BWAS-1714
15.9.1790Completed fitting at Plymouth Dockyard - Plymouth at a cost of £3296.0.0dBWAS-1714
22.9.1790Sailed for the African coastBWAS-1714
1.1793CommissionedBWAS-1714
2.1793Fitted as a receiving ship at Chatam. At a cost of £3,446BWAS-1714
2.1793Refitted as a Unrated Receiving Ship
2.1793fitting at Chatham Dockyard - Chatham at a cost of £3446.0.0dBWAS-1714
4.1793At CorkBWAS-1714
12.1793Refitted as a 38 gun Fifth Rate Frigate
15.2.1795Sailed for JamaicaBWAS-1714
12.1795Returned from Jamaica with a convoy and paid offBWAS-1714
1796Possibly a troopshipBWAS-1714
2.1796Began fitting at Plymouth Dockyard - Plymouth BWAS-1714
3.1796Commissioned as a hospital shipBWAS-1714
3.1796Refitted as a Unrated Hospital Ship
1.1797Completed fitting at Plymouth Dockyard - Plymouth at a cost of £8961.0.0dBWAS-1714
7.1797Commissioned as a troopshipBWAS-1714
7.1797Refitted as a Unrated Troop Ship
10.1798Sailed for the MediterraneanBWAS-1714
26.11.1798Wrecked off Rosia Bay near GibraltarBWAS-1714

Sources

IDNameAuthorType

ADM 29-1 Document

ADM 29/8 Archive

ADM 6/24 Archive

ADM 6/25 Archive

BWAS-1714Rif Winfield, Book

NBD1849O'Brien, Digital Book

ref:1981 Document

Previous comments on this pageno comments to display

Make a comment about this page

Recent comments to other pages

Date posted	By	Page
Thursday 4th of June 2026 20:01	James Daschuk	British steam sloop 'Devastation' (1841) (6) 1841-1866 British 6 Gun Unrated Steam Sloop
Thursday 4th of June 2026 14:56	AvM	British Merchant east indiaman 'Zephyr' (1790) (8) 1790-1798 British 8 Gun Merchant East Indiaman
Wednesday 3rd of June 2026 19:37	Jon Miller	British Fourth Rate ship of the line 'Pembroke' (1733) (60) 1733-1749 British 60 Gun 4th Rate Ship of the Line
Wednesday 3rd of June 2026 19:33	Jon Miller	British Sixth Rate ship 'Mercury' (1745) (20) 1745-1753 British 20 Gun 6th Rate Ship
Wednesday 3rd of June 2026 19:26	Jon Miller	British Sixth Rate frigate 'Seahorse' (1748) (24) 1748-1784 British 24 Gun 6th Rate Frigate

GDPR Statement