HMS Lark explained

Sixteen ships of the Royal Navy have borne the name HMS Lark or HMS Larke, after the bird, the lark:

• was a pinnace in service in 1588.
• was an 8-gun ship captured by the Parliamentarians from the Royalists in 1656 and sold in 1663.
• was an 18-gun sixth rate launched in 1675 and sold in 1698.
• was a 42-gun fourth rate launched in 1703, rebuilt in 1726, hulked in 1742 and wrecked in 1744.
• was a 44-gun fifth rate launched in 1744 and sold in 1757.
• was a 32-gun fifth rate launched in 1762 and burnt to avoid being captured in 1778.
• was a 16-gun cutter purchased in 1779, rigged as a sloop from 1781 and sold in 1784.
• was a 16-gun sloop launched in 1794. She foundered in 1809.
• was a 2-gun survey cutter launched in 1830 and broken up in 1860.
• was a screw gunboat launched in 1855 and sold in 1878.
• was a survey schooner, previously in civilian service as the Falcon. She was purchased in 1877, renamed HMS Sparrowhawk later that year and sold in 1889.
• was a survey schooner launched in 1880 and sold in 1887.
• HMS Lark was an sloop launched in 1879 as . She was renamed HMS Lark in 1892 and HMS Cruizer in 1893. She was sold in 1919.
• HMS Lark was a sloop launched in 1852 as . She was renamed HMS Cruiser in 1857 and HMS Lark in 1893 as a training ship. She was sold in 1912.
• was a destroyer, previously named HMS Haughty but renamed shortly after being launched in 1913. She was sold in 1923.
• was a modified sloop launched in 1943. She was torpedoed in 1945, salvaged by the Russians and recommissioned with them as Neptun. She was scrapped in 1956.