British bomb vessel 'Vesuvius' (1776)

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Vesuvius	7105
Nominal Guns	8	BWAS-1714
Nationality	Great Britain
Operator	Royal Navy
Ordered	14.2.1776	BWAS-1714
Keel Laid Down	3.1776	BWAS-1714
Named	12.6.1776	BWAS-1714
Launched	3.7.1776	BWAS-1714
First Commissioned	19.5.1778	BWAS-1714
How acquired	Built by Contract	BWAS-1714
Shipyard	Blackwall Yard - Blackwall	BWAS-1714
Ship Class	Etna Class (1776)	BWAS-1714
Designed by	Sir Thomas SladeBritish Designer Ship Builder Dockyard Staff Service 1744-1783	BWAS-1714
Constructor	John PerryBritish Ship Builder Service 1775-1810	BWAS-1714
Category	Unrated	BWAS-1714
Ship Type	Bomb Vessel	BWAS-1714
Sold	13.8.1812	BWAS-1714

Dimensions

DimensionMeasurementTypeMetric EquivalentBWAS-1714
Length of Gundeck91' 6"Imperial Feet27.8892
Length of Keel74' 2"Imperial Feet22.5679
Breadth27' 8"Imperial Feet8.2586
Depth in Hold12' 1"Imperial Feet3.6703
Burthen301 ⁹¹⁄₉₄Tons BM

Armament

3.7.1776Broadside Weight = 27.5 Imperial Pound ( 12.4716 kg)BWAS-1714
Gun Deck8 British 6-Pounder
Gun Deck14 British 1/2-Pound Swivel
Gun Deck1 British 10" Mortar
Gun Deck1 British 13" Mortar

Crew Complement

Date# of MenNotesSource
2.177660Design Complement

28 Ship Commanders

DatesRankNameSource
19.5.1778 - 17.1.1780Commander ADM 6/21/409BWAS-171423.1.1780 - 19.6.1780Commander Transfered ADM 6/22/155
Issued by , Jamaica - Greater Antilles
Confirmed 26.7.1780BWAS-17146.12.1780 - 29.3.1781Commander ADM 6/22/321
Issued by , Barbados - Windward Islands - Barbados & the Leeward Islands
Confirmed 7.8.1781ADM 6/2229.3.1781 - 2.11.1781Commander ADM 6/22/348
Issued by , North America
Confirmed 5.10.1781BWAS-17142.11.1781 - 11.6.1782Commander ADM 6/22/359ADM 6/2211.4.1782 - 2.4.1782Commander Transfered ADM 6/22/449BWAS-17149.7.1782 - 18.1.1783Commander ADM 6/22/493BWAS-17141.12.1787Commander ADM 6/23/440ADM 6/2321.9.1790 - 8.10.1790Commander Transfered ADM 6/24/69ADM 6/2422.11.1790 - 5.1.1791Commander Transfered ADM 6/24/89ADM 6/2419.4.1791 - 9.1791Commander ADM 6/24/118BWAS-171424.4.1793Commander ADM 6/24/232ADM 6/2410.5.1793Commander ADM 6/24/237ADM 6/247.6.1793Commander ADM 6/24/245ADM 6/248.8.1793 - 4.11.1793Commander ADM 6/24/260ADM 6/241.11.1793 - 25.3.1794Commander ADM 6/24/279BWAS-171425.3.1794 - 1794Commander ADM 6/25/94
Confirmed 10.10.1794ADM 6/2519.9.1795 - 1797CommanderBWAS-17141798 - 10.1798CommanderBWAS-171410.1798 - 24.12.1798LieutenantBWAS-171424.12.1798 - 9.1781CommanderBWAS-17149.1801 - 1802CommanderBWAS-17141803 - 4.1804CommanderBWAS-17144.1804 - 10.1806CommanderBWAS-171425.9.1806 - 12.1807CommanderNL186510.1806 - 1807CommanderBWAS-17144.1808 - 3.1809CommanderBWAS-17143.1809 - 1810CommanderBWAS-1714

5 Commissioned Officers

DatesRankNameSource
22.11.1790 - 12.4.1791Lieutenant Transfered ADM 6/24/93ADM 6/2424.8.1793 - 18.11.1793Lieutenant Transfered ADM 6/24/262ADM 6/2419.11.1793 - 1793Lieutenant ADM 6/24/285ADM 6/2421.9.1808 - 24.2.1809LieutenantNBD184924.1.1810 - 17.2.1810Lieutenant Transfered ADM 196/5/1ADM 196

Service History

DateEventSource
3.1776Began building at Blackwall - London BWAS-1714
3.7.1776Completed building at Blackwall - London at a cost of £3766.18.10dBWAS-1714
3.7.1776Began fitting at Woolwich Dockyard - Woolwich BWAS-1714
29.10.1776Completed fitting at Woolwich Dockyard - Woolwich at a cost of £1100.6.11dBWAS-1714
7.3.1779Sailed for the African coast and the Leeward IslandsBWAS-1714
4.1779Recapture of GoreeBWAS-1714
1.1780In the Leeward IslandsBWAS-1714
7.1781Began coppering and fitting at Woolwich Dockyard - Woolwich BWAS-1714
1.1782Completed coppering and fitting at Woolwich Dockyard - Woolwich at a cost of £3352.14.9dBWAS-1714
2.1783Laid up at DeptfordBWAS-1714
3.1783Paid offBWAS-1714
5.1786Began great repair at Deptford Dockyard - Deptford BWAS-1714
3.1788Completed great repair at Deptford Dockyard - Deptford at a cost of £8046.0.0dBWAS-1714
3.1791Began fitting at Deptford Dockyard - Deptford BWAS-1714
4.1791RecommissionedBWAS-1714
6.1791Completed fitting at Deptford Dockyard - Deptford at a cost of £1853.0.0dBWAS-1714
9.1791Paid offBWAS-1714
8.1793RecommissionedBWAS-1714
8.1793Began fitting at Deptford Dockyard - Deptford BWAS-1714
9.1793Completed fitting at Deptford Dockyard - Deptford at a cost of £1212.0.0dBWAS-1714
10.1794Paid offBWAS-1714
9.1795RecommissionedBWAS-1714
11.1796Began fitting at Portsmouth Dockyard - Portsmouth BWAS-1714
4.1797Completed fitting at Portsmouth Dockyard - Portsmouth at a cost of £1407.0.0dBWAS-1714
1.5.1798Action of 1st May 1798
10.1798Sailed for the MediterraneanBWAS-1714
7.1801Began fitting at Portsmouth Dockyard - Portsmouth BWAS-1714
8.1801Completed fitting at Portsmouth Dockyard - Portsmouth BWAS-1714
9.1801RecommissionedBWAS-1714
3.1803Began fitting at Woolwich Dockyard - Woolwich BWAS-1714
5.1803Completed fitting at Woolwich Dockyard - Woolwich BWAS-1714
23.8.1807Aciton of 1807-08-23
3.1808Began fitting at Woolwich Dockyard - Woolwich BWAS-1714
6.1808Completed fitting at Woolwich Dockyard - Woolwich BWAS-1714
1812In ordinaryBWAS-1714
13.8.1812Sold at WoolwichBWAS-1714

Sources

IDNameAuthorType

ADM 196 Document

ADM 6/22 Archive

ADM 6/23 Archive

ADM 6/24 Archive

ADM 6/25 Archive

BWAS-1714Rif Winfield, Book

NBD1849O'Brien, Digital Book

NL1865The Admiralty, Digital Book

Previous comments on this page

Posted by Michael Batchelor on Wednesday 21st of December 2022 06:30

My 2xgreat-grandfather George Simmonds was a clerk on Vesuvius 16 April 1809 to 15 April 1810. (RefTHA:PRO:ADM 6/120 - Pursers 1813-20). I am trying to compile a record of his service in the Royal Navy for the benefit of my grandchildren.
Simmonds died in Singapore in 1847 when he was the Paymaster on HMS Maeander.
Is there any record of his service on Vesuvius or any other records. The above reference shows that he was a clerk on Pearl, Imogen,Bahan(??), Vesuvius, Osprey. In 1812 he was wounded and captured by the French during an attack on the island of Speikeroog. He returned to England in 1814 and qualified as a Purser (see ref. above).
Any information relating to Simmonds which you are able to supply would be very much appreciated.

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