HMS Winchelsea (1694)

HMS Winchelsea was a 32-gun fifth rate vessel built under contract at Redbridge (Southampton) in 1693/94. After commissioning she was employed for trade protection in the North Sea, guard ship at Plymouth, briefly with Shovell's Fleet in the Channel and a brief visit to the West Indies. While on fisheries protection in the Channel she was taken by the French off Hastings in June 1706.

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

History
Royal Navy EnsignEngland
NameHMS Winchelsea
Ordered17 February 1693
BuilderMrs. Anne Wyatt, Redbridge (Southampton)
Launched13 August 1694
Commissionedpossibly 1694
Captured6 June 1706
FateTaken by five French privateers while on Fisheries Protection in English Channel
General characteristics as built
Class and type30-gun fifth rate
Tons burthen36453⁄94 tons (bm)
Length
  • 103 ft 5 in (31.52 m) gundeck
  • 85 ft 4.5 in (26.02 m) keel for tonnage
Beam28 ft 4 in (8.64 m)
Depth of hold10 ft 7.5 in (3.24 m)
PropulsionSails
Sail planFull-rigged ship
Armament
  • 1703 Establishment 32/28 guns
  • 4/4 x demi-culverins (LD)
  • 22/20 x 6-pdr guns (UD)
  • 6/4 x 4-pdr guns(QD)

She was the first vessel to bear the name Winchelsea or Winchelsey in the English and Royal Navy.[1]

Construction and Specifications

She was ordered on 10 April 1693 to be built under contract by Mrs. Ann Wyatt of Redbridge (Southampton). She was launched on 13 August 1694. Her dimensions were a gundeck of 103 feet 5 inches (31.52 metres) with a keel of 85 feet 4.5 inches (26.02 metres) for tonnage calculation with a breadth of 28 feet 4 inches (8.64 metres) and a depth of hold of 10 feet 7.5 inches (3.24 metres). Her builder’s measure tonnage was calculated as 36453⁄94 tons (burthen).[2]

The gun armament initially was four demi-culverins[3][Note 1] mounted on wooden trucks on the lower deck (LD) with two pair of guns per side. The upper deck (UD) battery would consist of between twenty and twenty-two sakers[4][Note 2] guns mounted on wooden trucks with ten or eleven guns per side. The gun battery would be completed by four to six minions[5][Note 3] guns mounted on wooden trucks on the quarterdeck (QD) with two to three guns per side.[6]

Commissioned service - 1694-1706

She was commissioned under the command of Captain James Littleton for service in the North Sea. In 1696 she was under Captain Francis Hosier (until 1698) still serving in the North Sea. She became a guard ship at Plymouth in 1698. Later in 1698 she was under Captain William Moses (until 1699) while remaining as guard ship. In 1701 she came under Captain Richard Short for service in Irish Waters. In 1702 under Captain George Smith she sailed with an eastern convoy. She then patrolled in the North Sea in 1703.On 7 February 1704 she was under Captain John Trotter assigned to Sir Cloudesley Shovell's Fleet in the English Channel. she sailed to the West Indies in the autumn. On 29 April 1705 she was under Captain William Gray until his death then was under Captain Henry Turville. She returned to Home Waters in July 1705. September 1705 she was under the command of Captain John Castle for fishery protection in the English Channel.[2]

Loss

She was taken by four or five French privateers off Hastings on 6 June 1706. Captain Castle was killed during the action.[2][7]

Notes
  1. A 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
  2. A 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.
  3. A 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. Colledge (2020)
  2. Winfred 2009, Ch 5, The Fifth Rates, Vessels acquired from 16 December 1688, Fifth Rates of 32 and 36 guns, 1693 Programme, Winchelsea
  3. Lavery (1989), Part V, Ch 18, culverins, page 101
  4. Lavery (1989), Part V, Ch 18, Sakers, pages 102-103
  5. Lavery (1989), Part V, Ch 18, Minion, page 103
  6. Winfred 2009, Ch 5, The Fifth Rates, Vessels acquired from 16 December 1688, Fifth Rates of 32 and 36 guns, 1693 Programme
  7. Clowes (1898), Chapter XXIV, page 511

References
  • Winfield (2009), British Warships in the Age of Sail (1603 – 1714), by Rif Winfield, published by Seaforth Publishing, England © 2009, EPUB ISBN 978-1-78346-924-6
  • Colledge (2020), 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, © 2020, EPUB ISBN 978-1-5267-9328-7
  • Lavery (1989), 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
  • Clowes (1898), The Royal Navy, A History from the Earliest Times to the Present (Vol. II). London. England: Sampson Low, Marston & Company, © 1898
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