Adventure (1594)

Adventure was a 26-gun galley in the service of the English Navy Royal. She spent her early career in expeditions as far as West Indies, Cadiz and the Azores. She later was assigned to the Channel Guard during two more attempts by Philip II of Spain to invade England. She would spend the rest of her time in Home Waters, mainly the English Channel and North Sea. She was broken in 1645.[1]

For other ships with the same name, see HMS Adventure.

History
Royal Navy EnsignEnglish Navy Royal
NameAdventure
BuilderDeptford Dockyard
Launched1594
Commissioned1595
FateBroken in 1645
General characteristics
Class and type
  • Galley
  • Fourth Rate - 1626
Tons burthen174.6/343.2 tons bm
Length88 ft 0 in (26.8 m) keel
Beam26 ft 0 in (7.9 m)
Depth of hold12 ft 0 in (3.7 m)
PropulsionSail
Sail planship-rigged
Complement120 (1603)
Armament
  • in 1603
  • 4 x culverins
  • 11 × demi-culverins
  • 5 × sakers
  • in 1624
  • 12 × demi-culverins
  • 6 × sakers
  • 4 × minions

Adventure was the first named vessel in the English and Royal Navies.[2]

Construction and specifications

She was built on the Thames at Deptford Dockyard under the guidance of Master Shipwright Matthew Baker. She was launched in 1594. Her dimensions were 88 feet 0 inches (26.8 metres) for keel with a breadth of 26 feet 0 inches (7.9 metres) and a depth of hold of 12 feet 0 inches (3.7 metres). Her tonnage was between 274.6 and 343.2 tons.[3]

Her gun armament was in 1603 18 guns consisting of four culverins,[4][Note 1] eleven demi-culverines,[5][Note 2] five sakers[6][Note 3] plus two fowlers.[7][Note 4] In 1624 her armament was listed as twelve demi-culverines, six sakers, six minions[8][Note 5] plus four fowlers. Her manning was around 120 officers and men in 1603.[9]

Commissioned service

She was commissioned in 1595 under Captain Thomas Drake, followed by Captain Henry Savile for service with Sir Francis Drake and Sir John Hawkyns expedition to the West Indies. Both Hawkins and Drake would be killed there. In 1597 she was under Captain Sir George Carew for an expedition to the Azores. In 1599 under Captain George Somers on the Irish Station. Captain Sir Alexander Clifford was her commander with the Channel Guard in 1599. In 1602 she was under Captain Sackville Trevor with Sir Richard Leveson's Squadron in an attack on Cezimbra on 3 June 1602. Later in 1602 she was under Captain Thomas Norreys with Sir William Monson's squadron. During 1611-1612 she was under command of Captain Sir William Monson for service in the English Channel.[10]

She was in commission in the summer of 1623 under the command of Captain Richard Bingley. The next time she was incommission was 1626 under the command of Captain George Alleyne. She was off the Dutch coast at the capture of Saint Esprit in October 1627. She was repaired at Deptford between December 1627 and 1628. In November 1628 Captain John Mennes was in command, She was again in commission under Captain Richard Paramore (took command on 30 March 1635) sailing with Lindsey's Fleet in the Channel. Ayear later on 30 March 1636 she was under command of Captain Thomas Price sailing with Northumberland's Fleet in the Channel. Her last commander was Captain J. Hall in 1638. In November 1638 she was reported to be old, leaky and rotten. She was laid up at Chatham.[11]

Disposition

Adventure was broken by Admiralty Ordered (AO) 2 November 1645.[12]

Notes
  1. The culverin was a gun of 4,500 pounds with a 5.5 inch bore firing a 17.5 pound shot with an twelve pound powder charge.
  2. The 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.
  3. The sacar or saker was a gun of 1,400 pounds with a 3.5 inch bore firing a 5.5 pound shot with an 5.5 pound powder charge.
  4. The fowler was an anti-personnel breech-loading gun that fired either stone or grape shot. the weapon weighed about 5 cwt and the breech weighed another 1 cwt.
  5. The minion was a gun of 1,000 pounds with a 3.5 inch bore firing a 4 pound shot with an 4 pound powder charge.

Citations
  1. Winfield
  2. Colledge
  3. Winfield
  4. Lavery, page 100
  5. Lavery, page 101
  6. Lavery, page 102
  7. Lavery, page 103
  8. Lavery, page 103
  9. Winfield
  10. Winfield
  11. Winfield
  12. Winfield

References
  • British Warships in the Age of Sail (1603 – 1714), by Rif Winfield, published by Seaforth Publishing, England © Rif Winfield 2009, EPUB ISBN 978-1-78346-924-6, Chapter 4, The Fourth Rates - 'Small Ships', Vessels in service or on order at 24 March 1603, Adventure
  • 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 ISBN 978-1-5267-9328-7, Section A (Adventure)
  • The Arming and Fitting of English Ships of War 1600 - 1815, by Brian Lavery, published by US Naval Institute Press © Brian Lavery 1989, ISBN 978-0-87021-009-9, Part V Guns, Type of Guns
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