"This book attempts to provide more information than the usual ship lists, which normally only mention launch date, dimensions and fate, by giving an anecdotal history of the vessel's voyages, actions and people. It covers the period from the mid 18th century to about 1840 – the last half century of the sailing warship.
The information was derived from contemporary sources and and is presented using the political, moral and social conventions of the time.
Sailing warships were rated according to the number of their guns.
Only 1st rates, 100 or more guns, 2nd rates, 90 or 94 guns and 3rd rates, 74 or 80 guns, were powerful enough to fight in the line of battle. The frigates had 32, 36, 38 or 40 guns mounted on a single gun deck. Carronades were not included in the rating and in at least one case 20 additional carronades were carried on a vessel rated as a 32-gun ship.
Below the 6th rates came the sloops, brigs, gun-brigs, bombs, schooners and cutters which were commanded by either a commander or a lieutenant.
The names of two standard types of brig-sloop, which were built in large numbers, are listed in the text – 115 of the 10-gun Cherokee class and 110 of the 18-gun Cruiser class.
The alphabetical list includes not only all those vessels built for, and commissioned in, the Royal Navy between the 1780s and the 1840s, but also a number of the many commercial vessels which were hired for service as warships during the French wars, and some of the private warships, or privateers, fitted out by commercial owners to attack enemy trade and operating under letters-of-marque. (Some 4000 such licenses were issued during the two French wars. The practice ended in 1856.)…"
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Hope you enjoy!.
Amicalement
Armand
paints brigs for the British fleet.
