British sloop 'Speedy' (1782)

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Speedy
Nominal Guns	14	BWAS-1714
Nationality	Great Britain
Operator	Royal Navy
Ordered	23.3.1781	BWAS-1714
Keel Laid Down	6.1781	BWAS-1714
Launched	29.6.1782	BWAS-1714
First Commissioned	5.1783	BWAS-1714
How acquired	Purpose built	BWAS-1714
Shipyard	King's Boatbuilders - Dover	BWAS-1714
Ship Class	Speedy Class (1781)	BWAS-1714
Designed by	Thomas KingBritish Ship Builder Service 1778-1779	BWAS-1714
Constructor	Thomas KingBritish Ship Builder Service 1778-1779	BWAS-1714
Category	Unrated	BWAS-1714
Ship Type	Sloop	BWAS-1714
Sailing Rig	Brig	BWAS-1714
Captured	9.6.1794	BWAS-1714
Becomes	French brig 'Le Speedy' (1794) (14) 1794-1795 French 14 Gun Unrated Brig

Dimensions

DimensionMeasurementTypeMetric EquivalentBWAS-1714
Length of Gundeck78' 3"Imperial Feet23.7839
Length of Keel59' 0"Imperial Feet17.9832
Breadth25' 9"Imperial Feet7.6657
Depth in Hold10' 10"Imperial Feet3.048
Draught Forward5' 2"Imperial Feet1.5748
Draught Aft9' 0"Imperial Feet2.7432
Burthen208 ⁸⁄₉₄Imperial Feet0.0022

Armament

5.1783Broadside Weight = 31 Imperial Pound ( 14.0588 kg)BWAS-1714
Gun Deck14 British 4-Pounder
Gun Deck12 British 1/2-Pound Swivel

Crew Complement

Date# of MenNotesSource
5.179390EstablishmentBWAS-1714

7 Ship Commanders

DatesRankNameSource
6.7.1782 - 20.5.1783Commander ADM 6/22/492ADM 6/2220.5.1783 - 8.5.1787Commander ADM 6/23/70BWAS-17148.5.1787 - 22.11.1790Commander ADM 6/23/396BWAS-171422.12.1790 - 13.11.1792Commander ADM 6/24/96BWAS-171413.11.1792 - 11.10.1793Commander ADM 6/24/181BWAS-171411.10.1793 - 20.2.1794Commander ADM 6/25/40
Issued by , The Mediterranean Sea
Confirmed 6.5.1794BWAS-171420.2.1794 - 9.6.1794Commander ADM 6/25/97
Confirmed 20.10.1794BWAS-1714

8 Commissioned Officers

DatesRankNameSource
9.10.1782 - 24.5.1783Lieutenant ADM 6/22/525ADM 6/2225.10.1790 - 3.1.1791Lieutenant ADM 6/24/82ADM 6/244.1.1791 - 27.4.1791Lieutenant ADM 6/24/99ADM 6/2428.4.1791 - 28.1.1793First Lieutenant Transfered ADM 6/24/120ADM 6/2428.4.1791 - 21.4.1793Second Lieutenant ADM 6/24/120ADM 6/2422.4.1793Second Lieutenant ADM 6/24/231ADM 6/2423.4.1793 - 1793Second Lieutenant ADM 6/24/240ADM 6/2427.6.1793 - 1794First Lieutenant ADM 6/25/39
Issued by , The Mediterranean Sea
Confirmed 5.5.1794ADM 6/25

1 Warrant Officer

DatesRankNameSource
1793 - bef.4.1.1793Surgeon's Materef:1981

1 Petty Officer

DatesRatingNameSource
5.1792 - 1793MidshipmanODNB

Service History

DateEventSource
29.6.1782building at Dover - New Hampshire at a cost of £4200.7.3dBWAS-1714
16.7.1782Began coppering and fitting at Deptford Dockyard - Deptford BWAS-1714
25.10.1782Completed coppering and fitting at Deptford Dockyard - Deptford BWAS-1714
5.1783Commissioned for the Humber stationBWAS-1714
1.1787Paid offBWAS-1714
4.1787Began refitting at Woolwich Dockyard - Woolwich BWAS-1714
5.1787RecommissionedBWAS-1714
7.1787Completed refitting at Woolwich Dockyard - Woolwich at a cost of £1801.0.0dBWAS-1714
10.1791Paid offBWAS-1714
6.1792Began refitting at Deptford Dockyard - Deptford BWAS-1714
11.1792RecommissionedBWAS-1714
12.1792Completed refitting at Deptford Dockyard - Deptford at a cost of £3000.0.0dBWAS-1714

Sources

IDNameAuthorType

ADM 6/22 Archive

ADM 6/24 Archive

ADM 6/25 Archive

BWAS-1714Rif Winfield, Book

ODNBOxford University Press, Web Site

ref:1981 Document

Previous comments on this page

Posted by regis on Tuesday 19th of May 2020 21:00

the destiny of this ship is wrong : become a ship from a French Alcion Class ??

Posted by Jeffrey D Modell on Monday 31st of December 2018 18:10

Was incapable of being rearmed from 4-pounders to 6-pounders because the gunports were too small. Lord Cochrane tried two 12-pounder chasers but the timbers would not take it. He replaced the mainyard with a foremast topgallant from Le Genereux, 74.

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