Coventry-class frigate explained

The Coventry-class frigates were 28-gun sixth rate frigates of the Royal Navy, principally in service during the Seven Years' War and the American Revolutionary War. They were designed in 1756 by Britain's Surveyor of the Navy, Sir Thomas Slade, and were largely modeled on, which was regarded as an exemplar among small frigates due to its speed and maneuverability. The 1750s were a period of considerable experimentation in ship design, and Slade authorized individual builders to make "such alterations withinboard as may be judged necessary" in final construction.

A total of twelve Coventry-class frigates were built in oak during the Seven Years' War. Eleven of these were ordered from private shipyards and built over the relatively short period of three years; the twelfth was completed following the close of the War in a royal dockyard after its original contractor became bankrupt.

The five vessels in the second batch were built fir hulls rather than oak. The use of fir instead of oak increased the speed of construction but reduced the frigate's durability over time. This batch also differed in external appearance to the oak-built frigates, as they had a square tuck stern. The third and fourth batches returned to oak frames.

More than a quarter-century after the design was produced, two further oak-built ships to this design were ordered to be built by contract in October 1782. One of these was cancelled a year later, when the builder became bankrupt.

Ships

First batch

ShipBuilderPrice and contract rate Naval fitoutLaid downLaunchedCommissionedOut of servicealign = center class=unsortableFateRef.
Henry Adams, Buckler's Hard£5,130 at £8.15s per ton£3,977May 1756May 1757May 17571783Captured by French Navy[1]
Henry Bird, Rotherhithe£5,541 at £9.9s per ton£3,879May 1756April 1757March 17571828Sold at Sheerness Dockyard
Gorill & Pownall, Liverpool£4,910 at £8.7s per tonNot recordedSeptember 1756February 1758February 17581778
Thomas Seward, Rochester£5,277 at £9.0s per ton£4,085October 1756February 1758January 17581794Broken up at Sheerness Dockyard

Second batch

Admiralty's intention for the second batch of vessels was for a total of ten frigates, swiftly and cheaply built from fir rather than oak. The design for these vessels was modified to square the stern, increasing stability in rough seas and allowing a marginal improvement in storage capacity. Construction tenders were offered to private shipyards but the proposed prices exceeded Admiralty's budget. The batch was therefore reduced to just five ships, to be built using government labour at the Royal Dockyards.[1] The use of fir significantly reduced construction time from the average nine months for the first batch of oak-hulled frigates to three and a half months for the fir-hulled ships. However the fir timbers were significantly less durable: the four vessels that served without being captured averaged only nine years at sea before being broken up or sold. All of the second batch of vessels were out of service before any of the first batch had been retired. Admiralty returned to using oak-built hulls for all subsequent ships in the Coventry-class.

ShipBuilderPrice and contract rate Naval fitoutLaid downLaunchedCommissionedOut of servicealign = center class=unsortableFateRef.
Israel Pownoll, Woolwich Dockyard£6,314£2,879April 1757July 1757September 17571770Sold out of naval service[2]
John Lock, Chatham Dockyard£11,313 including fitoutNot recordedMay 1757July 1757August 17571762Captured by French Navy
Adam Hayes, Deptford Dockyard£9,813 including fitout Not recordedMay 1757August 1757October 17571765Broken up at Portsmouth Dockyard
Israel Pownoll, Woolwich Dockyard£6,929£2,866May 1757October 1757November 17571764Sold out of naval service
John Lock, Chatham Dockyard£11,228 including fitoutNot recordedMay 1757September 1757November 17571766Sold out of naval service

Third batch

9 oak-built ships

Final batch

2 oak-built ships, only 1 completed

Bibliography

Notes and References

  1. 2007, pp.227228
  2. 2007, pp.227228

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