1650 Programme Group

March 2022 March 2022 1650 Programme five by contract Deptford Dockyard *25px|Commonwealth Navy Ensign 25px|Royal Navy Ensign Kingdom of England United Kingdom 1649 Programme Group 1651 Programme Group 1649 - 1650 1650 - 1745 6 5 1 34-gun Fourth Rate 511 16 94 tons (bm) 100 ft 0 in m on keel for tonnage 31 ft 0 in m on ship-rigged 150/1652, 160/1653 34 guns The 1650 Programme of six 510-ton Fourth Rate vessels was initiated by the Council of State on 16 November 1649. On 2 January 1650 the Admiralty Committee confirmed that six 'frigates' had been ordered at a cost of 6.10.0d per ton. The ships would be built under contract with the exception of one ship built in Dockyard. The ships were all named by 16 August 1650 and launched by the end of the year. Each ship was to carry initially 34 guns and 150 men, although this would increase over timeWinfield Design and specifications The construction of one vessel was assigned to Deptford Dockyard with the remainder contracted to private builders. The contract dimensional data was a keel length of 100 ft 0 in m on and a breadth of 31 ft 0 in m on, producing a builder's measurement tonnage of 511 16 94 tons at a contract price of 6.10.0dThe cost accounting for inflation of approximately £ in reference to today per ton; the actual measurements as built are set out below. Soon after their first service, most were modified to have a forecastle added (to protect the upper deck, but not to carry guns) and were girdled (another layer of timbers added on each side), increasing their breadth (and consequently their BM tonnage) and enabling them to carry a heavier armament without jeopardising their stability. The ships were originally to have 34 guns and a manning level of 150, however, this was later increased to 40 guns with 180 men by December 1653, and for the surviving ships by 1666 to 46 guns with 170 men (in Foresight and Assistance) or to 48 guns with 180 men (in Reserve, Advice and Centurion). The guns were generally culverinsLavery, page 100The culverin was a gun of 4,500 pounds with a 5.5 inch bore firing a 17.5 pound shot with a twelve pound powder charge on the lower deck (LD), demi-culverinsLavery, page 101The 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 on the upper deck and sakersLavery, page 102The sacar or saker was a gun of 1,400 pounds with a 3.5 inch bore firing a 4 pound shot with an 4 pound powder charge on the quarterdeck (QD).Winfield Ships of the 1650 Programme Group + Name Builder Launch year Gundeck length Keel length Original breadth Original burthen tonnage Breadth after girdling Tonnage after girdling Careers and fates English ship Foresight 1650 3 Jonas Shish,Deptford Dockyard 1650 121 ft 0in 101 ft 6 in 30 ft 10 in 51326 94 31 ft 1 in 52159 94 Wrecked 4 July 1698 about 50 miles south of Cuba English ship Assistance 1650 3 Henry Johnson, Deptford 1650 121 ft 5.5 in 101 ft 6 in (102ft aftergirdling) 30 ft 10 in 51326 94 32 ft 4 in 56720 94 Rebuilt Deptford 1687 Rebuilt Deptford Dockyard 1699 Rebuilt Limehouse 1712 Rebuilt Woolwich Dockyard 1720–25 Sunk as breakwater December 1745 English ship Reserve 1650 3 Peter Pett II, Woodbridge, Suffolk 1650 118 ft 4in 100 ft 0 in 31 ft 1 in 51387 94 32 ft 10 in 57359 94 Rebuilt at Deptford 1700–01 Foundered 27 November 1703 off Gorleston, Norfolk in the Great storm of 1703 English ship Advice 1650 3 Peter Pett II, Woodbridge, Suffolk 1650 118 ft 6in 100 ft 0 in 31 ft 2 in 51664 94 32 ft 0 in 54464 94 Rebuilt at Woolwich 1700–01 Taken by six French privateers off Great Yarmouth on 27 June 1711 English ship Pelican 1650 3 John Taylor, Wapping, London 1650 n/a 100 ft 0 in 30 ft 8 in 50022 94 n/a n/a Accidentally burnt at Portsmouth on 13 February 1656 English ship Centurion 1650 3 Peter Pett I, Ratcliffe, London 1650 n/a 104 ft 0 in 31 ft 0 in 53158 94 n/a n/a Wrecked 25 December 1689 in Plymouth Sound Notes Note Citations References British Warships in the Age of Sail (1603 – 1714), by Rif Winfield, published by Seaforth Publishing, England © Rif Winfield 2009, EPUB 978-1-78346-924-6, Chapter 4, The Fourth Rates - 'Small Ships', Vessels acquired from 24 March 1603, 1650 Programme 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, © the estate of J.J. Colledge, Ben Warlow and Steve Bush 2020, EPUB 978-1-5267-9328-7 The Arming and Fitting of English Ships of War 1600 - 1815, by Brian Lavery, published by US Naval Institute Press © Brian Lavery 1989, 978-0-87021-009-9, Part V Guns, Type of Guns Category:Frigates of the Royal Navy Category:Ships of the Royal Navy