HMS Ceres (1777)

Ceres

HMS Ceres
History
Kingdom of Great Britain
Name	HMS Ceres
Namesake	Ceres of Roman mythology
Ordered	16 July 1774
Builder	Nicholas Phillips, Woolwich Dockyard
Laid down	27 May 1776
Launched	25 March 1777
Captured	December 1778
France
Name	Cérès
Acquired	December 1778 by capture
Captured	April 1782
Kingdom of Great Britain
Name	HMS Raven
Namesake	Birds of the genus Corvus, particularly the common raven
Acquired	April 1782 by capture
Captured	January 1783
/France
Name	Cérès
Acquired	January 1783
Fate	Sold 1791
General characteristics [1]
Displacement	450 tons[2] (French)
Tons burthen	361 26⁄94(bm)
Length	108 ft 0 in (32.9 m) (gundeck) 90 ft 11+1⁄4 in (27.7 m) (keel)
Beam	27 ft 4 in (8.3 m)
Depth of hold	12 ft 5 in (3.8 m)
Sail plan	Sloop
Complement	HMS Ceres:125 Cérès: HMS Raven:125 Cérès: 150
Armament	HMS Ceres Gundeck: 18 × 6-pounder guns QD: 8 × ½-pounder swivel guns Fc:4 × ½-pounder swivel guns Cérès: 18 guns HMS Raven Gundeck: 14 × 6-pounder guns QD: 8 × ½-pounder swivel guns Fc:4 × ½-pounder swivel guns Cérès: 18 × 6-pounder guns

HMS Ceres was an 18-gun sloop launched in 1777 for the British Royal Navy that the French captured in December 1778 off Saint Lucia. The French Navy took her into service as Cérès. The British recaptured her in 1782 and renamed her HMS Raven, only to have the French recapture her again early in 1783. The French returned her name to Cérès, and she then served in the French Navy until sold at Brest in 1791.