French frigate Sérieuse (1779)

A Magicienne class frigate
History
France
Name	Sérieuse
Namesake	"serious"
Ordered	28 August 1778
Builder	Toulon
Laid down	March 1779
Launched	28 August 1779
Commissioned	October 1779
Fate	Destroyed 1 or 2 August 1798 Battle of the Nile
General characteristics [1]
Class and type	Magicienne-class frigate
Displacement	1,100 tons (French)
Tons burthen	600 (French; "port tonnage")
Length	44.12 m (144.8 ft) (overall) 38.66 m (126.8 ft) (keel)
Beam	11.21 m (36.8 ft)
Draught	5.2 m (17 ft) (laden(
Complement	265-285
Armament	Upperdeck:26 × 12-pounder long guns Spardeck:6 × 6-pounder long guns
Armour	Timber

The Sérieuse was a Magicienne class frigate of the French Navy, launched in 1779.

In 1781, Sérieuse ferried soldiers after the Invasion of Minorca.

She was at Toulon when the Coalition captured the city. When they left, on 18 December 1793, they attempted to burn her.^[2] However, the French managed to extinguish the fire and save the ship.

On 9 June 1794, Sérieuse captured HMS Speedy off Nice.

In 1798, she took part in the Expedition of Egypt, and in the Battle of the Nile. She attempted to reinforce the crew of Tonnant by sending 150 men of her own crew. The next night, 1 August 1798, HMS Orion sank Sérieuse.

• Winfield, Rif & Stephen S Roberts (2015) French Warships in the Age of Sail 1786 - 1861: Design Construction, Careers and Fates. (Seaforth Publishing). ISBN 9781848322042