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Abstract No. 5 of the ships and vessels belonging to the British Navy at the commencement of the year 1797.
Letters of Reference RATE. CLASS. † CRUISERS. Stationary Harbour-ships, &c. ‡   Increase and decrease in the Classes since the date of the last year's Abstract
In commission. In ordinary, under or for repair. TOTAL. No. In commission. Not in commission. No. Building or ordered to be built. Grand Total Launched Purchased ‡ Captured || Converted from other Classes Ordered to be built Total of Increase Loss by Capture &c. § Converted to other Classes Sold or taken to pieces Total of Decrease
King's Yard Merchant's Yards
No. Tons. No. Tons. No. Tons. Brit. built For. built No. Tons. No. Tons. Brit. built For. built No. Tons. No. Tons. No. Tons No. Tons No. Tons No. Tons No. Tons No. Tons No. Tons No. Tons No. Tons No. Tons No. Tons
  Three-deckers.                                                             0 0             0 0
A First. 120-gun ship,         0 0         1 2747   1 2 5124 3 7871                 1 2747     1 2747             0 0
B First. 112-gun ship, 1 2351     1 2351 1                   1 2351                         0 0             0 0
D First. 100-gun ship, 18-pounder, 2 4572     2 4572 2                   2 4572                         0 0             0 0
E First. 100-gun ship, 12-pounder, 3 6428     3 6428 3                   3 6428                         0 0             0 0
F Second. 98-gun ship, 18-pounder, large,         0 0                 1 2276 1 2276                         0 0             0 0
G Second. 98-gun ship, 18-pounder,small,         0 0                 3 6363 3 6363                         0 0             0 0
H * Second. 98-gun ship, 12-pounder 13 25197 2 3880 15 29077 15   1 1869     1       16 30946                         0 0             0 0
I Second. 90-gun ship, 12-pounder 1 1814     1 1814 1   2 3699     2       3 5513                         0 0             0 0
  Two-deckers.         0 0                     0 0                         0 0             0 0
K Third. 80-gun ship 4 8573     4 8573 1 3             1 2062 5 10635                         0 0 1 2210         1 2210
L Third. 74-gun ship 24-pounder, 2 3754 1 1889 3 5643 1 2             9 17258 12 22901                     1 1919 1 1919             0 0
M Third. 74-gun ship 18-pounder, .large, 4 7344 1 1887 5 9231 3 2 1 1799       1 4 7538 10 18568                         0 0         1 1801 1 1801
N Third. 74-gun ship 18-pounder, middle 4 6862     4 6862 4   1 1778       1 2 3549 7 12189                         0 0 1 1721         1 1721
O Third. 74-gun ship 18-pounder, small, 46 75227 2 3229 48 78456 48 0 3 4803 6 9725 9       57 92984                         0 0 1 1628         1 1628
P * Third. 64-gun ship 28 38880 2 2771 30 41651 28 2 6 8251 9 12537 9 6     45 62439         4 5738 3 4037         7 9775             0 0
Q Fourth. 60-gun ship         0 0 0 0 1 1226 3 3718 1 3     4 4944                         0 0             0 0
  Line   108 181002 8 13656 116 194658 107 9 15 23425 19 28727 22 12 22 44170 172 290980 0 0 0 0 4 5738 3 4037 1 2747 1 1919 9 14441 3 5559 0 0 1 1801 4 7360
R Fourth. 56-gun ship, flush 2 2682     2 2682 2                   2 2682                         0 0             0 0
S Fourth. 54-gun ship, flush 2 2431     2 2431 2                   2 2431                         0 0     2 2774     2 2774
T Fourth. 50-gun ship 10 10551 2 2157 12 12708 10 2 2 2101 3 3192 4 1 3 3344 20 21345             2 2150         2 2150 1 1252 2 2341     3 3593
V Fifth. 44-gun ship 5 4486     5 4486 5   1 882 2 1693 2 1     8 7061                         0 0 1 1051 1 920     2 1971
  One-deckers.         0 0                     0 0                         0 0     4 3617     4 3617
W Fifth. 44-gun frigate 3 4129     3 4129 3                   3 4129                         0 0             0 0
X Fifth. 40-gun frigate, 24-pounder 1 1239     1 1239   1             1 1277 2 2516                         0 0             0 0
Y Fifth. 40-gun frigate, 18-pounder         0 0                 3 3474 3 3474                     1 1172 1 1172             0 0
Z Fifth. 38-gun frigate, large 5 5472 2 2122 7 7594 0 7             3 3181 10 10775             3 3190         3 3190 1 1064         1 1064
A * Fifth. 38-gun frigate, small 17 16790     17 16790 16 1             4 4074 21 20864 2 2001                     2 2001             0 0
B Fifth. 36-gun frigate, 18-pounder, large 1 1032     1 1032   1     1 1011   1 1 1049 3 3092             1 1011         1 1011             0 0
C * Fifth. 36-gun frigate, 18-pounder, small 15 13647     15 13647 15       1 882 1       16 14529 2 1852                     2 1852 1 881         1 881
D Fifth. 36-gun frigate, 12-pounder, small 13 11979 2 1856 15 13835   15 2 1791 5 4512   7     22 20138             5 4624 1 932     6 5556 1 951         1 951
E * Fifth. 32-gun frigate, 18-pounder, large         0 0                 1 914 1 914                     1 914 1 914             0 0
F Fifth. 32-gun frigate, 18-pounder, small 7 5608     7 5608 7                   7 5608                         0 0             0 0
G * Fifth. 32-gun frigate, 12-pounder, large 6 4772     6 4772 4 2                 6 4772 3 2463         1 748         4 3211             0 0
H Fifth. 32-gun frigate, 12-pounder, small 31 21460 7 4808 38 26268 35 3     3 2114 2 1     41 28382             3 2063         3 2063 2 1376         2 1376
I Sixth 28-gun frigate 20 11853 3 1801 23 13654 18 5 1 594 3 1826 4       27 16074             3 1751         3 1751 1 594     2 1200 3 1794
K Sixth 24-gun post-ship, . 6 3152     6 3152 4 2     2 1147 .. 2     8 4299             2 1028         2 1028             0 0
N Sixth 22-gun flush 1 524     1 524   1                 1 524                         0 0             0 0
O Sixth 20-gun post-ship, . 6 2788 1 432 7 3220 4 3 1 481     1       8 3701                         0 0 1 430         1 430
P Sixth 20-gun flush 2 935 1 564 3 1499   3                 3 1499             2 1075         2 1075             0 0
Q Sloop Arrow & Dart 2 772     2 772 2                   2 772     2 772                 2 772             0 0
R Sloop 18-gun ship-sloop, quarter-deck 11 4697 1 453 12 5150 10 2     2 966   2 1 422 15 6538 1 427 4 1695     1 453         6 2575 1 427     1 480 2 907
S Sloop 18-gun ship-sloop, flush 2 684     2 684   2             4 1528 6 2212             2 684     2 727 4 1411             0 0
T * Sloop 16-gun ship-sloop, quarter-deck, .large 15 5600 1 367 16 5967 13 3     3 1037 3   1 365 20 7369     2 781 1 367 1 365         4 1513             0 0
U Sloop 16-gun ship-sloop, quarter-deck, small 9 2912     9 2912 9       1 319 1       10 3231                         0 0             0 0
V Sloop 16-gun ship-sloop, flush 5 1592     5 1592 2 3     1 355   1     6 1947         2 692 1 300         3 992 1 315         1 315
W Sloop 14-gun ship-sloop, quarter-deck 8 2386     8 2386 8   1 304 2 608 3       11 3298                         0 0             0 0
X Sloop 14-gun ship-sloop, flush 1 200     1 200 1                   1 200                         0 0             0 0
Y Sloop 18-gun brig sloop, large 9 3319     9 3319 8 1             1 384 10 3703                     1 384 1 384             0 0
Z Sloop 18-gun brig sloop, small 7 2221     7 2221 7               1 337 8 2558     2 631             1 337 3 968 1 316         1 316
a Sloop 16-gun brig sloop, 8 2235     8 2235 1 7     1 275 1       9 2510             1 234         1 234 3 896     1 250 4 1146
b Sloop 14-gun brig sloop, 9 2147 3 612 12 2759 9 3     1 202 1       13 2961             2 500         2 500 2 390         2 390
d Bombs of 8 guns and 2 mortars, . 2 609     2 609 2                   2 609                         0 0             0 0
e Fireships 14 guns, 3 1273     3 1273 3       1 423 1       4 1696                         0 0             0 0
f Gun-Brigs 14 guns, 6 1264     6 1264 2 4     1 202   1     7 1466             4 853         4 853             0 0
g Gun-Brigs 12 guns, 14 2121 3 442 17 2563 16 1                 17 2563             1 195         1 195             0 0
h Gun-Brigs 10 guns, 3 480     3 480   3     1 170   1     4 650             2 350         2 350             0 0
i Cutters, &c. 14 guns, 4 772     4 772 3 1     1 181 1       5 953                         0 0             0 0
k Cutters, &c. 12 guns, 8 1163     8 1163 7 1     2 275 2       10 1438     2 297 1 123             3 420             0 0
l Cutters, &c. 10 guns, 4 537     4 537   4                 4 537             3 350         3 350 1 111         1 111
m Cutters, &c. 8 guns, 2 220     2 220   2                 2 220             2 220         2 220 2 241         2 241
n Cutters, &c. 6 guns, 4 361     4 361   4                 4 361             3 290         3 290             0 0
o Cutters, &c. 4 guns, 4 274     4 274 1 3     1 88 1       5 362             3 227         3 227             0 0
p First-rate 50 guns,         0 0                     0 0                         0 0     1 2747     1 2747
r Fourth-rates 26 guns,         0 0     5 6035     5       5 6035                 5 6035     5 6035             0 0
s Fifth-rates 24 guns,         0 0     16 14323     16       16 14323                 4 3617     4 3617             0 0
t Fifth-rates 18 guns,         0 0         1 697   1     1 697                         0 0     1 932     1 932
u Floating Battery 58 & 46 guns,         0 0     2 3035     2       2 3035                         0 0             0 0
v Floating Battery 20 and under guns,         0 0     4 1489     4       4 1489                         0 0             0 0
w Gun-vessels from 1 to 4 guns         0 0     15 1226 7 466   22     22 1692                         0 0             0 0
y Sloops on Discovery,         0 0     1 406 1 337 2       2 743                         0 0             0 0
z Armed Transport         0 0     8 2432 1 677 6 3     9 3109         1 125             1 125             0 0
b Yachts, royal, or. Large         0 0     3 515 3 568 6       6 1083                         0 0             0 0
c Yachts, small,         0 0     3 264 2 135 5       5 399 1 102                     1 102             0 0
  * Grand Total   401 344371 34 29270 435 373641 336 99 80 59303 72 53085 96 56 46 64519 633 550548 9 6845 12 4176 9 7045 51 26698 11 13331 7 5453 99 63548 23 15854 11 13331 5 3731 39 32916

H *. IT will be here observed, that, although the columns of both the Increase and Decrease compartments are vacant, the grand total of this class differs, by 217 tons, from that of the same class in the preceding year's Abstract. This is because one of the ships, the Prince, was lengthened 11 feet, and thereby became enlarged from 1871 to 2088 tons.

P *. The four purchased vessels of this class had been laid down for Indiamen, and, together with a fifth not yet launched, were purchased of the company by the British government. They chiefly differed from the larger individuals of R, in being constructed with a detached quarterdeck and forecastle, and in having one port fewer of a side on each deck ; so as, from the increased width of the ports, to carry 24 instead of 18 pounders on the first deck.

A *, C', and G". The frigates in the launched columns were all built of fir.

E *, Of 880 tons and upwards.

T *. The purchased ship was the Pylades, which had been driven on shore in Haraldswick bay, Isle of Nest, in the year 1794 (see the British casualty list for that year, vol. i., p. 391), but was afterwards got off, and being deemed irreparably damaged, sold at Leith. The new owners, however, contrived to repair the ship, and in 1796 sold her back to the British government.

* The hired vessels numbered about 74. Of course both the line and the general grand totals of this Abstract, exhibit, when compared with the Corresponding totals in Abstract No. 4, the difference remarked upon and explained at note H*. Thus:

 

1

2

  

3

  

4

5

6

592

530423 + 99

63548=691

593971-39

32916 = 652

561055 - 19

10724 = 633

550331+217 tons = 633

550548

1. Of these sets of figures, 1 is the grand total of Abstract No. 4 ; 2 is the Increase total, and 3 the Decrease total of the present Abstract ; 4, such of the ships in the two launched columns as, having been ordered to be built in 1795, are already included in the totals of Abstract No. 4 : they comprise all but the two cutters at i. The next set of figures, 5, would have been the grand total of Abstract No. 5, but for the Prince's 217 tons, the addition of which gives 6, the true grand total of the Abstract.

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