HMS Bird was an 8-gun survey sloop[1] of the Royal Navy, in service from 1764 to 1775 and engaged in an early coastal survey of Ireland.
| History | |
|---|---|
 Great Britain | |
| Name | HMS Bird |
| Builder | Henry Bird, Rotherhithe |
| Launched | 1764 |
| Completed | August 1764 |
| Acquired | May 1764 |
| Commissioned | 1764 |
| Decommissioned | 1775 |
| Fate | Broken up at Deptford, March 1775 |
| General characteristics | |
| Class and type | 8-gun survey sloop |
| Tons burthen | 75 20⁄94 (bm) |
| Length |
|
| Beam | 17 ft 7 in (5.4 m) |
| Depth of hold | 8 ft 1 in (2.5 m) |
| Propulsion | Sails |
| Sail plan | snow-rigged |
| Complement | 30 |
| Armament | 8 guns (unknown poundage) |
The small and lightly-armed vessel was purchased on the stocks in May 1764 from shipwright Henry Bird of Rotherithe.[2] As designed, Bird's overall length was 58 ft 6 in (17.8 m) with a beam of 17 ft 7 in (5.4 m) and hold depth of 8 ft 1 in (2.5 m). She measured 75 20⁄94 tons burthen and was armed with 8 small guns.[2]
She was fitted out at Deptford dockyard between May and August 1764 at a total cost of £664 and commissioned thereafter under Lieutenant John Cowan.[2] Launched in 1764,[3] she spent four years conducting coastal survey work along the Irish shore, returning to Deptford for refitting in 1769.[2]
Bird was broken up at Deptford Dockyard in March 1775.[2]
References
editBibliography
edit- Colledge, J. J.; Warlow, Ben (2010) [1969]. Ships of the Royal Navy: The Complete Record of All Fighting Ships of the Royal Navy (4th Rev ed.). Newbury, Berkshire: Casemate. ISBN 978-1-935149-07-1. OCLC 603386630.
- Winfield, Rif (2007). British Warships of the Age of Sail 1714–1792: Design, Construction, Careers and Fates. Seaforth. ISBN 9781844157006.