List of Spanish sail frigates explained

This is a list of Spanish sail frigates built or acquired during the period 1700-1854

Spanish frigates generally had religious names, often the names of saints or "our Lady". Those with primarily secular names (such as royal, geographical or adjectival names) usually had additionally a religious name (Avocación or alias), which is listed below in the second column where known.

An asterisk (*) in the "Launch date" column indicates the date of acquisition (purchase or capture) for vessels not built for the Spanish Navy.

The Habsburg Era - pre 1700

During the 17th century, and for much of the first half of the 18th century, the term 'frigate' (or 'fragata' in Spanish) encompassed ships with two complete gundecks rated at about 50 guns as well as smaller single-decked vessels. The smaller frigates evolved from the fast and lightly-armed vessels built chiefly on the coast of (Spanish) Flanders, and employed in the English Channel and southern North Sea, as well as escorting the trade routes from the Spanish Netherlands to the north coast of Spain.

The Early Bourbon Era - 1700 to 1750

NameAvocación
(alias)		Built atLaunch
date		No of
Guns		Fate/notes
Nuestra Señora
de Gracia 		1710*40
San Miguel 1712*24
Águila de Nantes 1713*20
Esperanza 28
Sorpresa 1714*36
Juno 1714*30
Tigre 1714*30
San Fernando el Chico San Fernando
el Pequeño / Fernandillo 		1714*24
Principe de Asturias
(despues Ynfante) 		1714*30
Santa Isabel Reina Santa Isabel 1714*22
San Felipe Felipillo/El Chico 1715*24
San Juan el Chico San Juanico 1715*30
Santa Ana Volante 24
Perla de España 40
San Francisco San Antonio de Padua 22
San Marcos 24
Galera de España 36
Victoria 40
Conde de Tolosa 40
Pingue Pintado 40
Águila Volante 30
Andalucia Baja 22
Iris 26
Júpiter 20
Peregrina 36
Tolosilla 30
Providencia 24
Sán Jose El Real Jorge 30
Rebeca 20
San Francisco Javier Hermiona 30
San Jorge 36
Selerais 30
Unicornio 24
Galera Victoria 40
Galgo de Andalucia 24 ex-
Fidela 30
Santa Rita Galera de Neptuno 30
Gusana 24
Pingue Volante 22
San Andrés 30
Santa Susana 24
Santa Teresa 20
Júpiter 20
Nuestra Señora
de Atocha 		Guarnizo1723 30 Galley-frigate
Griega Guarnizo1723 30 Galley-frigate
Nuestra Señora
de la Concepción 		Guarnizo1723 30 Galley-frigate
San Esteban Apedreado 1724 40
Catalina Santa Catalina 24 ex-Dutch
Jardín de Tritón 30
Santiago Neptuno 26
Burlandín El Burlando 44
Gusana 24
Nuestra Señora
de Aránzazu 		Pasajes1726 30
Nuestra Señora
del Rosario 		1696 44
Santa Susana 26
Neptuno26
Santa Bárbara La Chata 1728 22
La Señora Sara 22
San Francisco Javier 1727 40
Victoria 1729 40
Galera Victoria 14 February 1729 40 wrecked 27 February 1729
Galera Victoria 12 June 1730 40 replacement for 1729 vessel;
wrecked 16 December 1738
San Cayetano 1734 *24
Concepción 20
Hermiona 14 July 1733 50
Flora 1734 34
Triunfo San Gristóbal Havana1735 24 Galley-frigate; captured 4 December 1739.
Astrea Santa Bárbara Havana1737 24 Galley-frigate; captured 4 December 1739.
Santa Bárbara Estrella 1737 24
Águila CarracaAugust 1737 28 Galley-frigate; wrecked 1744.
Aurora Carraca20 April 1738 28 Galley-frigate; broken up 6 January 1769.
Concepción 1738 ?
Flora Santa Rosalía Havana31 August 1747 24 The only Spanish 'frigate' built in the 1740s was the first vessel for Spain with no apertures (e.g. oar or gun ports) along the lower deck.
Wrecked 26 January 1768.

The Middle Bourbon Era - 1750 to 1808

NameAvocación
(alias)		Built atLaunch
date		No of
Guns		Fate/notes
(La) Galga Ferrol1 March 1752 30 First 'true' frigate built under Jorge Juan concepts.
Sold 27 June 1764
Pena Carraca1753 26
Júpiter Carraca1753 22 Despatch vessel
Mercurio Carraca1753 22 Despatch vessel
Perla Santa Isabel ReinaCartagena24 February 1752 22 Broken up 1777.
Dorada Santa AnaCartagena14 February 1753 22 Fireship 1780, deleted 1783.
Esmeralda Santa Lucía MártirCartagena12 May 1753 30 Enlarged from Perla Class;
fireship 1780, deleted later.
Venganza Santa InésCarraca4 June 1753 26
Águila Santa Maria MagdalenaCarraca15 August 1753 22
Victoria Santa GertrudisCarraca26 September 1753 24
Flecha Santa SaturninaCarraca28 October 1753 22
Hermiona Santa MónicaCarraca24 November 1753 24
Industria Santa CristinaCarraca13 June 1755 26
Liebre Santa Catalina Carraca26 July 1755 26
Venus Santa Brígida Carraca5 September 1755 26
Ventura Santa ClaraCarraca21 October 1755 26
Juno Santa Cecilia Cartagena30 August 1755 26
Palas Santa Irene Cartagena29 November 1755 26
Astrea Santa Catalina
Virgen y Mártir 		Cartagena29 March 1756 26
Concepción 22
Tetis Guadalupe Havana29 January 1761 22
Fénix Santa Bárbara 1758 22
Nuestra Señora
de la Soledad 		Guarnizo1 July 1761 30
Santa Rosa July 1767 *22 ex-French Aguila
Santa Rosalía Cartagena1 April 1767 30
Santa Catalina Guarnizo12 July 1767 34
Santa Teresa Guarnizo18 February 1768 34
Santa Bárbara Guarnizo15 June 1768 34
Santa Gertrudis Guarnizo12 August 1768 24
Santa Lucía Havana31 March 1770 34
Nuestra Señora
del Rosario 		Ferrol4 April 1770 34
Nuestra Señora
del Carmen 		Ferrol24 November 1770 34
Santa Dorotea Cartagena1772 26
Nuestra Señora
de la Asunción 		Ferrol4 April 1772 34
Santa Perpetua Ferrol31 July 1772 34
Santa María
de la Cabeza 		Ferrol2 July 1772 34
Santa María Magdalena Ferrol7 July 177334
Esmeralda 1773 26
Santa Clara Cartagena23 April 177334
Santa Margarita Ferrol23 June 177434 captured 11 November 1779
Santa Marta Ferrol5 July 177434
Santa Dorotea Ferrol21 December 177534 captured 15 July 1798
Santa Clara Ferrol18 May 177634
Santa Águeda Havana24 July 1776 30
Santa Rufina Cartagena 18 February 1777 34
Santa Leocadia Ferrol24 March 177734
Santa Cecilia Havana28 June 1777 34
Santa Mónica Cartagena23 October 1777 34
Grana Nuestra Señora
de la Paz 		Ferrol18 July 1778 28
Santa Matilde HavanaMarch 1778 34
Nuestra Señora
de la O 		Havana9 November 1778 34
Santa Escolástica Ferrol31 March 177834
Winchcomb 1779 *26
Santa Balbina 1780 *34 ex-Helbrech
Santa Bibiana 1780 *34 ex-Monstraut
Santa Paula 1780 *34 ex-Geoffrey
Héroe 1780 *26 broken up 1783
Real Jorge San Jorge 1780 *30 ex-Royal George
Santa Clara Havana10 July 1780 34 captured 5 October 1804
Santa María
de la Cabeza 		Havana1781 34
Santa Sabina Ferrol1 September 1781 40 1st Spanish 18pdr frigate;
broken up 1828
Nuestra Señora
de Loreto 		Ferrol15 December 1781 40 2nd Spanish 18pdr frigate;
wrecked 29 May 1792
Santa Rosa Ferrol20 May 1782 34
Nuestra Señora
del Pilar 		Ferrol7 December 1782 40 3rd Spanish 18pdr frigate;
broken up 1817
Colón 30 ex-British mercantile Gaton
Santa Elena Ferrol7 October 1783 40 4th Spanish 18pdr frigate;
sunk in action 26 March 1797
Santa Tecla Ferrol5 May 1784 46
Santa Casilda Cartagena12 March 178434
Cartagena5 March 178534
Santa María Ferrol1785 34
Nuestra Señora
de la Paz 		Ferrol2 August 1785 34
Nuestra Señora
de Guadalupe 		Havana4 November 1786 34
Santa Florentina Cartagena21 December 1786 34
Santa Teresa Ferrol3 March 1787 34
Santa LeocadiaFerrol2 June 1787 34
Santa Catalina Ferrol9 December 1787 34
Nuestra Señora
de la Soledad 		Cartagena3 May 1788 34
Nuestra Señora
de las Mercedes 		Havana18 November 1788 34
Perla Santa Mónica Cartagena31 July 1789 34
Nuestra Señora de Atocha Havana14 October 1789 40
Mahonesa Santa Mónica Mahón2 October 178934
Palas Santa MargaretaFerrol14 November 1789 34
Juno Nuestra Señora
de los Dolores		Ferrol31 December 1789 34
Perla Santa Mónica Cartagena31 July 178934
Minerva Santa Marta Havana14 October 1790 44
Ceres Nuestra Señora
de la Almudeda 		Havana22 October 1790 40
Preciosa Divina Pastora Carraca18 January 1791 34
Esmeralda Santa Petronila Mahón30 May 1791 34
Diana Santa Ana Mahón10 March 1792 34
Tetis Santa Amalia Ferrol6 August 1793 44
Gloria Santa Mónica Havana1792 44
Calypso Rochefort18 January 1793 *34 ex-French Calypso
(launched 1785)
Sirena Santa Genoveva Rochefort19 February 1793 *34 ex-French Heléne
(launched 1791)
Venganza Santa Petronila Mahón16 May 179334
Pomona Santa Quiteria Ferrol25 October 1794 40
Ninfa Nuestra Señora
del Rosario 		Mahón19 December 1794 34
Ifigenia LorientFebruary 1795 *34 ex-French Iphigénie
(launched 1777)
Fama Santa Victoria Cartagena30 May 179534
Flora Santa María Magdalena
de Pacís 		Ferrol19 December 1795 44
Anfítrite Santa Úrsula Havana1796 40
Santa BárbaraFerrol27 December 1797 40
Proserpina Mahón16 May 1797 34
Hermiona Bristol27 September 1797 * 34 ex-British Hermione,
(launched 1782)
Prueba Ferrol9 December 1801 44
Cornelia Brest14 June 1808 * 40 ex-French Cornelie

The Final phase - 1815 to 1854

The post-Napoleonic era began with the acquisition of six frigates from Russia in 1818. These proved of poor quality and were soon disposed of.

NameBuilt atLaunch
date		No of
Guns		Fate/notes
Astrolabio St Petersburg17 September 181144 ex-Russian Avtroil, acquired 21 February 1818
Mercurio St Petersburg13 July 181544 ex-Russian Merkurii, acquired 21 February 1818
Patricio Arkangelsk21 June 181644 ex-Russian Patrikii, acquired 21 February 1818;
renamed María Isabel soon after acquisition.
Captured by Chileans 20 September 1819.
Ligera St Petersburg16 August 181644 ex-Russian Legkii, acquired 12 October 1818
Viva Arkangelsk26 May 181640 ex-Russian Provornyi, acquired 12 October 1818
Pronta St Petersburg16 August 181640 ex-Russian Pospeshnyi, acquired 12 October 1818
Aretusa Bordeaux29 April 1819 40 Stricken 1829
Iberia Ferrol3 March 1825 50 Stricken in December 1830
Lealtad Ferrol19 March 1825 50 Wrecked 13 January 1834 at Santander
Restauración Ferrol14 October 1826 50 Renamed Ville de Bilbao in 1837;
hulked in 1840
Esperanza Cavite29 November 1834 48
Cortes Ferrol27 July 1836 44 Stricken 21 March 1863
Isabel II Ferrol23 September 1836 44 Hulked in May 1860
Reina María Cristina Ferrol6 February 1837 52 Stricken 25 October 1852
Bailén Ferrol29 March 1854 40 Stricken 21 August 1865

References

See also

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