HMS Southsea Castle (1696)
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| History | |
|---|---|
 England | |
| Name | HMS Southsea Castle |
| Ordered | 3 May 1695 |
| Builder | John Knowler, Redbridge (Southampton) |
| Launched | 1 August 1696 |
| Commissioned | 1696 |
| Fate | Wrecked on the Dove Sands off Hoylake (Wirral) on 15 September 1697 |
| General characteristics as built | |
| Class and type | 32-gun fifth rate |
| Tons burthen | 3736⁄94 tons (bm) |
| Length |
|
| Beam | 28 ft 1.5 in (8.57 m) |
| Depth of hold | 10 ft 8.5 in (3.26 m) |
| Propulsion | Sails |
| Sail plan | Full-rigged ship |
| Complement | 145/110 |
| Armament |
|
HMS Southsea Castle was a 32-gun fifth rate built under contract by John Knowler of Redbridge (Southampton) in 1695/96.
She was the first vessel to bear the name Southsea Castle in the English and Royal Navy.[1]
Construction and specifications[edit]
She was ordered on 3 May 1695 to be built under contract by John Knowler of Redbridge (Southampton). She was launched on 1 August 1696. Her dimensions were a gundeck of 106 feet 6 inches (32.46 metres) with a keel of 88 feet 8 inches (27.03 metres) for tonnage calculation with a breadth of 28 feet 1.5 inches (8.57 metres) and a depth of hold of 10 feet 8.5 inches (3.26 metres). Her builder's measure tonnage was calculated as 3736⁄94 tons (burthen).[2]
The gun armament initially was four demi-culverins[3][Note 1] on the lower deck (LD) with two pair of guns per side. The upper deck (UD) battery would consist of between twenty and twenty-two 6-pounder guns[4][Note 2] with ten or eleven guns per side. The gun battery would be completed by four 4-pounder guns[5][Note 3] on the quarterdeck (QD) with two to three guns per side.[6]
Commissioned Service 1696-1697[edit]
She was commissioned in 1696 under the command of Captain Samuel Whitaker. In 1697 she was under Commander Thomas Legge to sail with a Virginia bound convoy.[2]
Loss[edit]
She was wrecked on the Dove Sands off Hoylake (Wirral) on 15 September 1697.[2]
Notes[edit]
- ^ A demi-culverin was a gun of 3,400 pounds with a four-inch bore firing a 9.5-pound shot with an eight-pound powder charge
- ^ A 6-pounder was a Dutch gun used to replace the saker
- ^ A minion renamed the 4-pounder was a gun of 1,000 pounds with a 3.5-inch bore firing a 4-pound shot with a 4-pound powder charge.
Citations[edit]
- ^ Colledge (2020)
- ^ a b c Winfred 2009, Ch 5, The Fifth Rates, Vessels acquired from 16 December 1688, Fifth Rates of 32 and 36 guns, 1694 Programme, Southsea Castle
- ^ Lavery (1989), Part V, Ch 18, culverins, page 101
- ^ Lavery (1989), Part V, Ch 18, The 6-pounder, page 102
- ^ Lavery (1989), Part V, Ch 18, Minion or 4-pounder, page 103
- ^ Winfred 2009, Ch 5, The Fifth Rates, Vessels acquired from 16 December 1688, Fifth Rates of 32 and 36 guns, 1694 Programme
References[edit]
- Winfield (2009), British Warships in the Age of Sail (1603 – 1714), by Rif Winfield, published by Seaforth Publishing, England © 2009, EPUB ISBN 978-1-78346-924-6
- Colledge (2020), Ships of the Royal Navy, by J.J. Colledge, revised and updated by Lt Cdr Ben Warlow and Steve Bush, published by Seaforth Publishing, Barnsley, Great Britain, © 2020, EPUB ISBN 978-1-5267-9328-7
- Lavery (1989), The Arming and Fitting of English Ships of War 1600 – 1815, by Brian Lavery, published by US Naval Institute Press © Brian Lavery 1989, ISBN 978-0-87021-009-9, Part V Guns, Type of Guns
- Clowes (1898), The Royal Navy, A History from the Earliest Times to the Present (Vol. II). London. England: Sampson Low, Marston & Company, © 1898