HMS Bristol (1653)

For other ships of the same name, see HMS Bristol.
History
England
Name: HMS Bristol
Builder: Tippetts, Portsmouth
Launched: 1653
France
Acquired: April 1709
Captured: 1709, by the Royal Navy
Fate: Sunk, 1709
General characteristics as built[1]
Class & type: Fourth-rate frigate
Tons burthen: 532 bm
Length: 104 ft (31.7 m) (keel)
Beam: 31 ft 1 in (9.5 m)
Depth of hold: 13 ft (4.0 m)
Propulsion: Sails
Sail plan: Full rigged ship
Armament: 44 guns (1660); 48 guns (1666)
General characteristics after 1693 rebuild[2]
Class & type: 50-gun fourth-rate ship of the line
Tons burthen: 710 bm
Length: 130 ft (39.6 m) (gundeck)
Beam: 35 ft 2 in (10.7 m)
Depth of hold: 13 ft (4.0 m)
Propulsion: Sails
Sail plan: Full rigged ship
Armament: 50 guns of various weights of shot

HMS Bristol was a 44-gun fourth-rate frigate of the English Royal Navy, originally built for the navy of the Commonwealth of England at Portsmouth under the direction of Master Shipwright John Tippetts, and launched in 1653 at a cost of £4,256.[3] She was the first ship of the Royal Navy to bear this name. Originally built for 50 guns, in 1660 she actually carried 44. This was raised in 1666 to 48 (24 culverins, 22 demi-culverins and 2 sakers)and until her rebuild in 1693 she generally carried 48 guns, with the older culverins and demi-culverins gradually replaced by more modern 12-pounders and 8-pounders.[4] She was present at the battles of Lowestoft, the Four Days Battle, and the St. James Day Fight during the Second Anglo-Dutch War, and Solebay in the Third Anglo-Dutch War. She was involved in the wars against North African corsairs in the later 1670s and early 1680s, as well as escorting convoys to North America. Life aboard her when cruising in the Mediterranean in 1677-8 is described in the diary of Henry Teonge.

In 1693, Bristol was rebuilt at Deptford as a 50-gun fourth-rate ship of the line.[5]

In April 1709 she was captured by the French, but was recaptured two weeks later, at which time she was sunk.

Notes

  1. ↑ Lavery, Ships of the Line, vol.1, p. 160.
  2. ↑ Lavery, Ships of the Line, vol. 1, p. 165.
  3. ↑ Winfield British Warships in the Age of Sail 1603-1714 p. 98.
  4. ↑ Winfield British Warships in the Age of Sail 1603-1714 p. 98.
  5. ↑ Winfield British Warships in the Age of Sail 1603-1714 p. 98.

References

  • Lavery, Brian (2003) The Ship of the Line - Volume 1: The development of the battlefleet 1650-1850. Conway Maritime Press. ISBN 0-85177-252-8.
  • Winfield, Rif (2009) British Warships in the Age of Sail 1603-1714: Design, Construction, Careers and Fates. Seaforth Publishing. ISBN 978-1-84832-040-6.


This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the Thursday, October 22, 2015. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.