The 1637 Group of two 300 ton 'pinnances' to carry fourteen pieces of ordnance and sixteen banks of oars were ordered on 12 December 1636. These vessels would carry thirty pieces of ordnance with ten pairs of gun ports on the lower deck with two pair forward and four pairs aft on the upper deck. The waist would be unprotected until two more pairs of gun ports were added later. Their measurements would compare favourably to the 'frigate' type vessels built a decade later. Their beam to length ratio of 3.46 to 1 would make a more true frigate than the Constant Warwick.[1]
| Class overview | |
|---|---|
| Name | 1637 Group |
| Builders |
|
| Operators |  English Navy Royal
Kingdom of England |
| Preceded by | Crane Group |
| Succeeded by | 1646 Programme Group |
| Built | 1590 |
| In service | 1637 - 1638 |
| In commission | 1638 - 1668 |
| Completed | 2 |
| Lost | 1 |
| Retired | 1 |
| General characteristics | |
| Type | Small Ship |
| Tons burthen | 304.2/405.5 tons bm |
| Length | 90 ft 0 in (27.4 m) keel |
| Beam | 26 ft 0 in (7.9 m) |
| Depth of hold | 13 ft 0 in (4.0 m) |
| Sail plan | ship-rigged |
| Complement | 120 - 1652 |
| Armament | 30 guns |
Design and specifications
editThe ships were built in Bermondsey under contract. Only order dates and launch dates are available for each ship. The specification dimensions are keel for tonnage 90 feet 0 inches (27.4 metres) with a breadth of 26 feet 0 inches (7.9 metres) and depth of hold of 13 feet 0 inches (4.0 metres). The builder's measure tonnage was 304.2 and 405.5 tons. When the vessels were remeasured their dimensions were keel 90 feet 1 inch (27.5 metres) with a beam of 27 feet 4 inches (8.3 metres) and depth of hold of 11 feet 0 inches (3.4 metres). Their builder's measure was 357+93⁄94 tons.[2]
The gun armaments will be specified on within the ship articles as they varied between the vessels. As built they carried thirty guns of culverins,[3][Note 1] demi-culverins,[4][Note 2] and sakers.[5][Note 3] The initial manning of the ships was120 personnel in 1652, increasing to 140 souls by 1653.[6]
Ships of the 1637 Group
edit| Name | Builder | Launch date | Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|
| Expedition | Matthew Graves, Bermondsey | 20 March 1637 |
|
| Providence | Mr Trackmore, St Savior's Dock, Bermondsey | 21 March 1637 |
|
Notes
edit- ^ A culverin was a gun of 4,500 pounds with a 5.5 inch bore firing a 17.5 pound shot with a twelve pound powder charge.
- ^ A demi-culverin was a gun of 3,400 pounds with a four inch bore firing a 9.5 pound shot with an eight pound powder charge.
- ^ A sacar or saker was a gun of 1,400 pounds with a 3.5 inch bore firing a 5.5 pound shot with an 5.5 pound powder charge.
Citations
editReferences
edit- British Warships in the Age of Sail (1603 – 1714), by Rif Winfield, published by Seaforth Publishing, England © Rif Winfield 2009, EPUB ISBN 978-1-78346-924-6, Chapter 4, The Fourth Rates - 'Small Ships', Vessels Acquired from 24 March 1603, 1637 Group
- Ships of the Royal Navy, by J.J. Colledge, revised and updated by Lt-Cdr Ben Warlow and Steve Bush, published by Seaforth Publishing, Barnsley, Great Britain, © the estate of J.J. Colledge, Ben Warlow and Steve Bush 2020, EPUB ISBN 978-1-5267-9328-7
- The Arming and Fitting of English Ships of War 1600 - 1815, by Brian Lavery, published by US Naval Institute Press © Brian Lavery 1989, ISBN 978-0-87021-009-9, Part V Guns, Type of Guns