British sloop 'Swallow' (1745)

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Swallow

6997
Nominal Guns10BWAS-1714
NationalityGreat Britain
OperatorRoyal Navy
Ordered5.4.1745BWAS-1714
Keel Laid Down5.1745BWAS-1714
Named11.12.1745BWAS-1714
Launched14.12.1745BWAS-1714
First Commissioned27.12.1745BWAS-1714
How acquiredPurpose builtBWAS-1714
ShipyardRotherhithe - London - Surrey BWAS-1714
Ship ClassMerlin Class (1743)BWAS-1714
Designed by
Jacob AckworthBritish
Naval Sailor
Designer
Ship Builder
Dockyard Staff
Service 1690-1744
BWAS-1714
Constructor
Henry BirdBritish
Designer
Ship Owner
Ship Builder
Service 1758-1759
BWAS-1714
CategoryUnratedBWAS-1714
Ship TypeSloopBWAS-1714
Sailing RigSnowBWAS-1714
Sold20.6.1769BWAS-1714

Dimensions


DimensionMeasurementTypeMetric EquivalentBWAS-1714
Length of Gundeck91' 10 ½"Imperial Feet27.7495 
Length of Keel75' 7 ¾"Imperial Feet22.8791 
Breadth26' 3 ½"Imperial Feet7.9375 
Depth in Hold6' 10 ¼"Imperial Feet1.8352 
Burthen278 13⁄94Tons BM 

Armament


14.12.1745Broadside Weight = 33.5 Imperial Pound ( 15.1926 kg)BWAS-1714
Upper Gun Deck10 British 6-Pounder
Upper Gun Deck14 British 1/2-Pound Swivel

1748Broadside Weight = 45.5 Imperial Pound ( 20.6346 kg)BWAS-1714
Upper Gun Deck14 British 6-Pounder
Upper Gun Deck14 British 1/2-Pound Swivel

Crew Complement


Date# of MenNotesSource
1743110Design Complement
1748125 BWAS-1714

15 Ship Commanders


DatesRankNameSource
27.12.1745 - 9.10.1748Commander
John RowzierBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1712-1752
ADM 6/17/35BWAS-17149.10.1748 - 1.9.1749Commander
Andrew CockburneBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1728-1755
Transfered ADM 6/18/4
Issued by
The Hon. Edward BoscawenBritish
Naval Sailor
Ship Owner
Administrator
Marine
Service 1726-1759
, East Indies - Asia
Confirmed 23.5.1751BWAS-17141.9.1749 - 22.1.1753Commander
Henry SpekeBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1730-1760
ADM 6/18/72
Issued by
The Hon. Edward BoscawenBritish
Naval Sailor
Ship Owner
Administrator
Marine
Service 1726-1759

Confirmed 20.6.1753BWAS-171424.7.1755 - 23.8.1756Commander
Henry AngelBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1372-1762
ADM 6/18/182BWAS-171423.8.1756 - 17.10.1758Commander
John LendrickBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1740-1764
ADM 6/18/303BWAS-171418.10.1758 - 26.12.1758Commander
Herbert SawyerBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1747-1794
ADM 6/18/549ADM 6/183.1.1759 - 14.4.1760Commander
Francis BanksBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1747-1772
ADM 6/19/19BWAS-171414.4.1760 - 27.8.1760Commander
Charles FieldingBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1756-1778
ADM 6/19/158BWAS-171427.8.1760 - 3.7.1761Commander
James CranstonBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1747-1783
ADM 6/19/193BWAS-17143.7.1761 - 19.10.1761Commander
Robert BriceBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1746-1805
Transfered ADM 6/19/326BWAS-17147.4.1762 - 24.5.1763Commander
James MackenzieBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1734-1763
: on board from 26.5.1762 ADM 6/19/396BWAS-171410.5.1765 - 20.6.1765Commander
William DicksonBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1745-1799
ADM 6/20/74ADM 6/2020.6.1765 - 2.4.1766Commander
James JonesBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1744-1764
Transfered ADM 6/20/79ADM 6/201.7.1766 - 12.4.1769Commander
Philip CarteretBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1747-1794
ADM 6/20/126BWAS-171420.9.1793Commander
Richard BogerBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1773-1793
ADM 6/24/268ADM 6/24

4 Commissioned Officers


DatesRankNameSource
16.7.1749 - 16.9.1749Lieutenant
John BurtonBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1736-1755
Transfered ADM 6/17/521
Issued by
The Hon. Edward BoscawenBritish
Naval Sailor
Ship Owner
Administrator
Marine
Service 1726-1759
, East Indies - Asia
Confirmed 18.5.1750ADM 6/1731.7.1755 - 19.1.1757Lieutenant
John AikenheadBritish
Service 1736-1760
ADM 6/18/184ADM 6/188.6.1757 - 7.3.1759Lieutenant
David YoungBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1739-1759
ADM 6/18/408ADM 6/187.4.1761 - 1.7.1766Lieutenant
John FordBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1753-1795
ADM 6/19/306ADM 6/19

1 Crewman


DatesRatingNameSource
13.12.1748 - 30.8.1749Clerk
Benjamin ElliotBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1746-1759
Transfered ADM 107/4/330ADM 107/4

Service History


DateEventSource
5.1745Began building at Rotherhithe - London - Surrey BWAS-1714
14.12.1745Completed building at Rotherhithe - London - Surrey at a cost of £2144.0.0dBWAS-1714
14.12.1745Began fitting at Deptford Dockyard - Deptford BWAS-1714
12.2.1745/46Completed fitting at Deptford Dockyard - Deptford at a cost of £2080.9.3dBWAS-1714
11.1747Sailed for the East IndiesBWAS-1714
1748Refitted as a 14 gun Unrated SloopBWAS-1714
22.1.1753Paid off at Deptford Dockyard ADM 6/18
12.4.1753SurveyedBWAS-1714
6.1755Began middling repair at Deptford Dockyard - Deptford BWAS-1714
7.1755RecommissionedBWAS-1714
11.1755Completed middling repair at Deptford Dockyard - Deptford at a cost of £3370.2.1dBWAS-1714
4.5.1757Took the Privateer
Le Faucon (10) 1757-1757
French 10 Gun
Privateer Unknown

6.1758Operations against St Malo, Cherbourg and St Cas until SeptemberBWAS-1714
5.6.1758Raid on Saint-Malo
9.1.1761Took the Privateer
Le Vautour (4) 1760-1761
French 4 Gun
Privateer Unknown
BG
12.2.1761Took the Privateer
Le Tigre (Unknown) 1761-1761
French Unknown Gun
Privateer Unknown

28.2.1761Took the Snow
Le Sultan (10) 1761-1761
French 10 Gun
Privateer Snow
off Bayonne after a chafe of 26 hours and brought into Plymouth SoundBG
24.5.1763

Paid off

ADM 51
17.8.1763SurveyedBWAS-1714
2.1766Began small repair at Chatham Dockyard - Chatham BWAS-1714
1.7.1766RecommissionedBWAS-1714
8.1766Completed small repair at Chatham Dockyard - Chatham at a cost of £3915.1.6dBWAS-1714
21.8.1766Sailed for the PacificBWAS-1714
3.6.1768Arrived at Batavia from BonteBWAS-1714
5.9.1768Sailed from Batavia for LondonBWAS-1714
4.1769Paid offBWAS-1714
20.6.1769Sold at Deptford for £545BWAS-1714

 
Previous comments on this page

Posted by Jon Miller on Thursday 28th of May 2026 02:41

London, 18 April 1752: Commodore Lisle arrived at the Cape of Good-Hope, in his way to England, the latter end of December last, in his Majesty’s ship Vigilant, with the Ruby, Tartar, Syren, and Swallow men of war, which have been in the East-Indies these five years. [Kentish Post, 22 April 1752]

Posted by Jon Miller on Thursday 21st of May 2026 18:28

London, 6 January 1750: The Swallow sloop of war is appointed to cruize on the coast of Norfolk, in order to put the more effectual stop to smuggling. [Kentish Post, 10 January 1750]

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