List of early warships of the English Navy

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This is a list of early warships belonging to the English sovereign and/or the English Government, the precursor to the Royal Navy of England, from 1707 of Great Britain, and subsequently the United Kingdom. These include major and minor warships from prior to 1618 until around 1660, the latter being the year in which the Royal Navy came formally into existence with the Restoration of Charles II (before the Interregnum, English warships had been the personal property of the monarch and were collectively termed "the King's Ships"). Between Charles I's execution in 1649 and the Restoration eleven years later, the Navy became the property of the state (Commonwealth and Protectorate), under which it expanded dramatically in size.

Contents

[edit] Glossary

The dates for ships before 1618 are probably listed using the contemporary English convention of the first day of the year being 25th March.

In the sections listing warships in the English/Royal Navy from 1618 onwards, the dates have been quoted using the modern convention of the year starting on 1 January.

[edit] List of English Warships before 1618

Where applicable, number of main guns follows name (see Rating system of the Royal Navy). Note that long-lived ships could be rearmed several times. Many earlier ships went through periodic repairs and rebuildings (many now unrecorded) during which their dimensions and their armament changed considerably.
  • Trinity de la Tour (Trinity of the Tower) - Dismantled c. 1409, materials used for Trinity Royal
  • Goodgrace (c. 1400)
  • Le Carake (ex-Genoese Sancta Maria & Sancta Brigida, captured 1409)
  • Christopher of the Tower 5 (1410/12) - Hulk
  • Trinity Royal (c. 1412)
  • Holyghost de la Tour (ex-Spanish Santa Clara, captured c. 1413)
  • Jesus (c. 1416)
  • George (ex-Genoese ?, captured 1416) - To Venice 1424
  • Marie Hampton (ex-Genoese ?, captured 1416)
  • Marie Sandwich (ex-Genoese ?, captured 1416)
  • Andrew (ex-Genoese Galeas Negre, captured 1417)
  • Christopher (ex-Genoese Pynele, captured c. 1417) - Sold 1423
  • Peter (ex-Genoese ?, captured 1417)
  • Paul (ex-Genoese Vivande, captured 1417)
  • Agase (ex-Genoese ?, captured c. 1417) - Wrecked on mudflats c. 1418
  • Grace Dieu (1418) - Lightning and fire, 1439
  • Grace Dieu (c. 1437) - BU c. 1487
  • Peter - Abandoned 1462
  • Mary de la Tour (Mary of the Tower) 48
  • George
  • Edward Howard (c. 1466, ex-Portuguese ?, captured 1479)
  • Sovereign 141 (c. 1488) - Rebuilt 1509, last mentioned c. 1520
  • Grace Dieu 225 (1490) - Renamed Regent, burnt at the Battle of St Matthieu, 1512
  • Margaret (1505; Scottish)
  • Gabriel Royal (captured 1509)
  • Peter Pomegranate (c. 1510)
  • Mary Rose 78 (1510) - Sank 1545, port-side remains recovered 1982 and preserved at Portsmouth
  • Michael 27 (1511; Scottish) - Sold to France 1514
  • Great Bark 63 (c. 1512)
  • Katherine Forteleza (captured 1512)
  • Great Nicholas (captured 1512)
  • John Baptist (captured 1512)
  • Christ (captured 1512)
  • Henri Grâce à Dieu ("Great Harry") 186 (1512) - Accidentally burned 1553
  • Great Barbara (captured 1513)
  • Great Elizabeth (captured 1514)
  • Mary Gonson (c. 1514?)
  • Jesus of Lubeck (ex-Hanseatic League Jesus von Lubeck, purchased 1544) - Sunk by Spanish 1568
  • Grand Mistress (c. 1545) - Prototype of galleon
  • Greyhound (c. 1545) - Prototype of galleon
  • Anne Gallant (c. 1545)
  • Antelope 38 (c. 1546)
  • Bull 25 (c. 1546)
  • Hart (c. 1546)
  • Tygar (c. 1546)
  • Minion
  • Elizabeth (c. 1559)
  • Triumph (c. 1561)
  • Aid (1562)
  • Victory (c. 1562)
  • White Bear 40 (1563) - Rebuilt in 1599[1]
  • Foresight 37 (c. 1570)
  • Dreadnought 41 (1573) - BU 1645
  • Swiftsure (c. 1573)
  • Revenge (c. 1577)
  • Swallow (c. 1580)
  • Elizabeth Bonaventure (c. 1581)
  • Ark Raleigh 44 - Renamed Ark Royal, renamed Anne Royal, rebuilt 1608 [2]
  • Bonaventure
  • Philip and Mary 38 - Renamed Nonpareil, renamed Nonsuch, rebuilt 1603 [2]
  • Red Lion or Golden Lion 38 - Renamed Lion, rebuilt 1609 [2]
  • Hart 56
  • Rainbow 40 (c. 1586) – Rebuilt 1617 [2]
  • Tramontana (c. 1586)
  • Vanguard 40 (1586) - Rebuilt 1615 [2]
  •  ? (ex-Spanish San Felipe, captured 1587)
  • Mercury - Sold 1611
  • Defiance 46 (1590)
  • Madre de Dios (ex-Portuguese Madre de Dios, captured 1592)
  • Adventure (c. 1594) - BU c. 1645
  • Scourge of Malice (c. 1595)
  • Warspite 29 (c. 1596) - Converted to lighter 1635 [this vessel is also listed under List of Major Warships of the English Navy (1618-1642)]
  • Due Repulse 40/48 (c. 1596) – also known as Repulse', rebuilt 1610 [2]
  • St Andrew (captured 1596)
  • St Matthew (captured 1596)
  • Hope 34/38 (c. 1601) - Renamed Assurance
  • Destiny 34 (c. 1616) - Renamed Convertine

[edit] List of English Warships (1618-1642)

Number of main guns follows name (see Rating system of the Royal Navy)
The major ships are listed in the order shown in pages 158-159 of The Ship of the Line, Volume I, by Brian Lavery, published by Conways, 1983, ISBN 0-85177-252-8. Lesser warships ("below the line") are taken from A History of the Administration on the Royal Navy (sic!) 1509-1660, by Michael Oppenheim, published by the Bodley Head, 1896.

[edit] Major Ships Existing in 1618

Note that Ships Royal would under Charles II become the First Rank (later First Rate) ships; similarly, Great Ships would become the Second Rank (later Second Rate) ships; Middling Ships would become the Third Rank (later Third Rate) ships; and Small Ships would become the Fourth Rank (later Fourth Rate) ships - later to be further sub-divided (about 1650) into Fourth, Fifth and Sixth Rates.

  • Ships Royal all the ships listed (except Prince Royal) were rebuilds of earlier ships
  • Great Ships all the ships listed (except Warspite) were rebuilds of earlier ships [3]
  • Middling Ships all the ships listed were rebuilds of earlier ships [3]

[edit] New Ships, James I

  • Great Ships (later, Second Rank Ships)
    Originally with 42 guns, by 1660 this had increased to 56 guns (64 in the Triumph).
    • Constant Reformation 42 (1619) – Joined Royalists June 1648, lost September 1651. [3]
    • Victory 42 (1620) – Rebuilt 1666. [3]
    • Swiftsure 42 (1621) – Rebuilt 1654. [3]
    • St George 42 (1622) - Renamed George 1649 but resumed name St George 1660, hulked 1687 and then sunk as a blockship 1697. [3]
    • St Andrew 42 (1622) - Renamed Andrew 1649 but resumed name St Andrew 1660, wrecked 1666. [3]
    • Triumph 42 (1623) - Sold 1688. [3]
  • Small Ships (later, Fourth Rank Ships)

[edit] New Ships, Charles I

  • First Rank (Ships Royal)
  • Second Rank (Great Ships)
    • Charles 44 (1632) - Renamed Liberty 1649, wrecked 1650 [3]
    • Henrietta Maria 42 (1633) - Renamed Paragon 1650, lost 1655 [3]
    • James 48 (c. 1634) – rearmed as 60 guns by 1660, sold 1682 [3]
    • Unicorn 46 (1634) - rearmed as 56 guns by 1660, sold 1688 [3]
  • Third Rank (Middling Ships)

[edit] Major Rebuilds, 1618-1642

[edit] Lesser Ships

Early frigates

[edit] Captured Ships, 1625-1636

[edit] List of major English warships of the English Civil War, the Commonwealth and Protectorate (1642-1660)

The interregnum between the execution of Charles I and the Restoration of royal authority in 1660 saw the full emergence of the ship-of-the-line and its employment during the first Anglo-Dutch War. During this period the English navy technically became first the Commonwealth Navy, later the Protectorate Navy and subsequently the Commonwealth Navy again; the prefix "HMS" is thus not applicable to any English warship during the Interregnum.

The following lists include ships of the line, i.e. vessels of the First, Second, Third and Fourth Rates which were judged fit to stand in the line of battle. Smaller warships of the Fifth and Sixth Rates, and the even smaller unrated vessels, appear in the subsequent section.

Under the categorisation as amended in late 1653, the Rates were based on the number of men in the established complement of a ship, as follows: First Rate, 400 men and over. Second Rate, 300 men and up to 399. Third Rate, 200 men and up to 299. Fourth Rate, 140 men and up to 199. However, there were numerous exceptions, and ships changed their Rating from time to time.

Number of main guns follows name (see Rating system of the Royal Navy)
The larger ships are listed in pages 159-160 of The Ship of the Line Volume I, by Brian Lavery, published by Conways, 1983, ISBN 0-85177-252-8, as amended by later research which will be published in 2009 in British Warships in the Age of Sail: 1603-1714, by Rif Winfield, Seaforth Publishing. Lesser warships ("below the line") are taken from A History of the Administration on the Royal Navy (sic!) 1509-1660, by Michael Oppenheim, published by the Bodley Head, 1896.
The frigates listed here are not the type of vessel known as frigates in the 18th and 19th centuries.

[edit] First and Second Rates (three-decked ships)

A programme comprising four Second Rates of 60 guns each was adopted in 1654. However, of these four ships the Naseby was completed as a First Rate, while the Richard was reclassed as a First Rate in 1660.

  • First Rate
    • Naseby 80 (1655) - Renamed Royal Charles 1660, captured by the Netherlands, 1667, BU. [5]
  • Second Rates
    • Richard 70 (c. 1658) - Renamed Royal James 1660, burnt 1667. [5]
    • Dunbar 64 (c. 1656) - Renamed Henry 1660, rearmed to 82, burnt by accident in 1682. [5]
    • London 64 (c. 1654) - Blown up by accident in 1665. [5]

[edit] Early Frigates (Fourth Rates)

  • The 'First' English Frigate
    • Constant Warwick 32 (1645) but as a private venture; she was hired by the Navy from 1646, and purchased outright in 1649 - BU 1666 for rebuild [5]

[edit] Later Frigates (Third and Fourth Rates)

  • Great Frigate (Second Rate)
  • Speaker group Third Rate Frigates
  • 1649 Programme Group, Third rate Frigates
  • 1652 Programme Group, Third rate Frigates
  • Later Third Rate frigates
  • 1649 Programme Group, Fourth rate Frigates
  • 1650 Programme Group, Fourth rate Frigates
  • 1651 Programme Group, Fourth rate Frigates
  • Ruby class (part of 1651 Programme)
  • 1652 Programme Group, Fourth rate Frigates
  • 1653 Programme Group, Fourth rate Frigates
    • Gainsborough 38/40 (1653) - Renamed Swallow 1660, wrecked 1692 [5]
    • Preston 40 (1653) - Renamed Antelope 1660, sold 1693 [5]
    • Nantwich 38/40 (1654) - Renamed Bredah 1660, wrecked 1666 [5]
    • Jersey 38/40 (1654) - Captured by France 1691 [5]
    • Maidstone 40/48 (1654) - Renamed Mary Rose 1660, - Captured by France 1691 [5]
    • Taunton 40 (1654) - Renamed Crown 1660, rearmed to 48 [5]
    • Dover 40 (1654) - Rearmed to 48 [5]
  • Large type (built as 44-gun, later raised in stages to 54 guns)

[edit] Major Rebuilds

  • Sovereign 100 (1660) - Rebuilt 1685 [5]
  • Swiftsure 60 (1654) – Captured by the Dutch 1667 [5]
  • Lion 48 (c. 1658) – re-armed at 60 by 1677. Sold 1698 [5]

[edit] Captures of the First Anglo-Dutch War

The following list covers only the major vessels, all taken from the Dutch and added to the Commonwealth Navy as Fourth Rates; several dozen further small vessels were also captured from the Dutch during this war, and added to the Protectorate Navy, usually as Fifth Rate or Sixth Rate vessels.

  • White Raven 36 (ex-Dutch, captured 1652) - captured by Dutch privateers 1654.
  • Hound 36 (ex-Dutch Hasewind, captured 1652) - hulked 1656 and sold 1660.
  • Princess Maria 38 (ex-Dutch Prinses Royaal Maria, captured 1652) - wrecked 1658.
  • Dolphin 30 (ex-Dutch Dolfijn, captured 1652) - sold 1657.
  • Sophia 38 (ex-Dutch Sophia, captured 1652) - sold 1667.
  • Stork 36 (ex-Dutch Ooievaar, captured 1652) - Hulked 1653 and sold 1663.
  • Violet 44 (ex-Dutch, captured 1652) - Hulked 1653 and broken up 1672.
  • Heatsease 36 (ex-Dutch, captured 1652) - Sold 1656.
  • Welcome 36 (ex-Dutch, captured 1652) - Expended as fireship 1673.
  • Oak 32 (ex-Dutch, captured 1652) - burnt by fireship 1653.
  • Bear 36 (ex-Dutch Beer, captured 1652) - given to Ordnance Board 1666.
  • Tulip 32 (ex-Dutch, captured 1652) - Sold 1657.
  • Sampson 32 (ex-Dutch Samsun, captured 1652) - Sold 1658.
  • Cardiff 36 (ex-Dutch Fortun, captured 1652) - Sold 1658.
  • Black Raven 38 (ex-Dutch Zwarte Raaf, captured 1653) - Sold 1654.
  • Ostrich/Estridge (ex-Dutch Vogelstruys, captured 1653) - hulked 1653, and sunk as a breakwater 1679.
  • Golden Cock 36 (ex-Dutch Vergulde Haan, captured 1653) - Sold 1656.
  • Great Charity 44 (ex-Dutch Groote Liefde, captured 1653) - recaptured by Netherlands 1665.
  • Little Charity 38 (ex-Dutch Gecroonde Liefde, captured 1653) - Sold 1656.
  • Elias 36 (ex-Dutch Elias, captured 1653) - Wrecked 1664.
  • Westergate 38 (ex-Dutch Westergo, captured 1653) - foundered 1664.
  • Mathias 38 (ex-Dutch Sint Mattheus, captured 1653) - Burnt by the Dutch 1667.
  • Half Moon 34 (ex-Dutch Halve Maan, captured 1653) - sold 1660.
  • Rosebush 32 (ex-Dutch Rozeboom, captured 1653) - hulked 1664 and sold 1668.
  • Indian 44 (ex-Dutch East Indiaman Roos van Amsterdam, captured 1654) - Sold 1660.

[edit] Captures from the Royalists

  • Guinea 30 (ex-Royalist Charles, captured 1649, ex-merchantman Guinea Frigate) - Sold 1667.
  • Marigold 30 (ex-Royalist Crowned Lion, captured 1650) - Sold 1658.
  • Gillyflower 32 (ex-Royalist Saint Michael, captured 1651, ex-merchantman Archangel San Miguel) - Sold 1667
  • Marmaduke 42 (ex-Royalist Revenge of Whitehall, captured 1652, ex-merchantman Marmaduke) - sunk as a blockship 1667.

[edit] Capture from the Portuguese

  • Convertine 44 (ex-Portuguese, probably the Nossa Senhora da Natividade) - Captured 1650, captured in turn by the Netherlands 1666.

[edit] Captures from the French

  • Success 38 (ex-French Jules) - captured 1650, renamed Old Success 1660 and sold 1662
  • Crow 36 (ex-French Croissant) - captured 1652 and sold 1656.
  • Great Gift 36 (ex-French Don de Dieu) - captured 1652 and expended as a fireship 1666.
  • Fortune 36 (ex-French Fortunee) - captured 1652 and sold 1654.

[edit] Other Ships

  • John 28
  • Amity 30 (ex-merchantman) - Sold 1667

For ships-of-the-line of the Royal Navy, successor to the Protectorate Navy after 1660, see List of ships of the line of the Royal Navy

[edit] List of smaller English warships of the English Civil War, the Commonwealth and Protectorate (1642-1660)

In principle, vessels with an established complement of fewer than 150 were classed (from late 1653) as Fifth Rate (with between 80 and 139 men), Sixth Rate (wıth between 50 and 79 men), or as unrated (wıth fewer than 50 men). However there were numerous exceptions, and a large number of vessels changed categories during their service lives.

LIST IN PREPARATION (completed below for purpose-built craft, but numerous captured and purchased vessels need to be added)

  • Purchased vessels of the 1640s.
    • Cygnet 18, purchased 1643, sold 1654.
    • Hector 22, purchased 1644, sold 1656.
  • Captured vessels of the 1640s.
    • Fellowship 28, captured from Royalists 1643, sold 1662.
    • Warwick 22, captured from Royalists 1643, sold 1660.
    • Globe 24, captured from Royalists 1644, sold 1648.
    • Swann 12, captured from Royalists 1645, wrecked 1653.
    • Satisfaction 20, purchased 1646, wrecked 1662.
  • Fifth Rates, 1651 Programme
    • Pearl 22, built 1651, sunk as a breakwater 1697.
    • Mermaid 22, built 1651, rebuilt 1689.
    • Primrose 22, built 1651, wrecked 1656.
    • Nightingale 22, built 1651, wrecked 1674.
  • Sixth Rates, 1652 Programme
    • Drake 14, built 1652, sold 1691.
    • Merlin 14, built 1652, captured by the Dutch 1665.
    • Martin 14, built 1652, sold 1667.
  • Fifth Rates, 1653 Programme
    • Colchester 22, built 1654, sunk 1667.
    • Islip 22, built 1654, wrecked 1655.
    • Fagons 22, built 1654, renamed Milford 1660, burnt 1673.
    • Selby 22, built 1654, renamed Eagle 1660, sunk as a breakwater 1694.
    • Basing 22, built 1654, renamed Guernsey 1660, taken to pieces 1693.
    • Grantham 22, built 1654, renamed Garland 1660, sold 1698.
  • Fifth Rates, 1654 Programme
    • Norwich 22, built 1655, wrecked 1682.
    • Pembroke 22, built 1655, foundered 1667 after collision.
    • Dartmouth 22, built 1655, wrecked 1690.
    • Cheriton 22, built 1656, renamed Speedwell 1660, wrecked 1676.
    • Wakefield 22, built 1656, renamed Richmond 1660, sold 1698.
    • Oxford 22, built 1656, destroyed in explosion 1669.
  • Fifth Rates, 1656 Programme
    • Forrester 22, built 1657, destroyed in explosion 1672.
    • Bradford 24, built 1658, renamed Success 1660, wrecked 1680.
  • Sixth Rates and Unrated vessels, 1657 Programme

(note these six were ketch-rigged, three being classed as Sixth Rates and three being unrated)

[edit] Footnotes

  1. ^ Date of launch and rebuild in J. J. Colledge, p. 385
  2. ^ a b c d e f Date of rebuild taken from p158, Lavery, Brian The Ship of the Line Volume I, pub Conways, 1983, ISBN 0-85177-252-8
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad ae af ag ah ai aj ak al am p158-159, Lavery, Brian The Ship of the Line Volume I, pub Conways, 1983, ISBN 0-85177-252-8
  4. ^ 51 guns in 1622. How many it had earlier is not stated. p158 The Ship of the Line Volume I, by Brian Lavery, pub Conways, 1983, ISBN 0-85177-252-8
  5. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad ae af ag ah ai aj ak al am an ao ap aq ar as at au av aw ax ay az ba bb bc bd be bf bg bh p159-160, Lavery, Brian The Ship of the Line Volume I, pub Conways, 1983, ISBN 0-85177-252-8

[edit] References

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