HMS Sheerness (1691)

History
England
NameHMS Sheerness
Ordered28 June 1689
BuilderRoyal Dockyard, Sheerness
Launched6 March 1691
Commissioned1691
Reclassifiedsixth rate in 1717
Captured28 March 1760
FateTaken by the French and burnt
General characteristics
Type32-gun fifth rate
Tons burthen3591/94 bm
Length
  • 105 ft 9 in (32.2 m) gundeck
  • 89 ft 3 in (27.2 m) keel for tonnage
Beam27 ft 6 in (8.4 m) for tonnage
Depth of hold10 ft 0 in (3.0 m)
Sail planship-rigged
Complement
  • as fifth rate 145/100
  • as sixth rate 115/85
Armament
  • as built
  • 4 × 4 demi-culverines on wooden trucks (LD)
  • 20 × sakers on wooden trucks (UD)
  • 4 × 4 minions on wooden trucks (QD)
  • 1703 Establishment
  • 4 × 4 9-pdr guns on wooden trucks (LD)
  • 22/20 × 6-pdr guns on wooden trucks (UD)
  • 6/4 × 4-pdr guns on wooden trucks (QD)
  • as sixth rate
  • 20/18 × 6-pdrs on wooden trucks (UD)
General characteristics as rebuilt 1731
Type20-gun Sixth Rate
Tons burthen428+1394 bm
Length
  • 106 ft 0 in (32.3 m) gundeck
  • 87 ft 0 in (26.5 m) keel for tonnage
Beam30 ft 5 in (9.3 m) for tonnage
Depth of hold9 ft 2 in (2.8 m)
Sail planship-rigged
Armament20 × 6-pdr 19 cwt guns on wooden trucks (UD)

HMS Sheerness was a fifth rate built under the 1689 programme built at Sheerness Dockyard. Her guns were listed under old terms for guns as demi-culverines,[Note 1] sakers[Note 2] and minions.[Note 3] After commissioning she spent her career in Home Waters, North America, Mediterranean and the West Indies. She was reduced to a 20-gun sixth rate in 1717 then rebuilt as a Modified 1719 Establishment sixth rate in 1731. She was sold in 1744.[1][2]

Sheerness was the second named vessel since it was used for a2-gun smack built at Chatham in 1673 and sunk 24 April 1695 as a foundation at Sheerness.[3]


Cite error: There are <ref group=Note> tags on this page, but the references will not show without a {{reflist|group=Note}} template (see the help page).

  1. ^ Winfield 2009
  2. ^ Winfield 2007
  3. ^ Colledge