HMS Lizard (1694)

For other ships with the same name, see HMS Lizard.

HMS Lizard was a member of the standardized 20-gun sixth rates built at the end of the 17th century. She was commissioned for service in the Bristol Channel, followed by the Irish Sea. She went missinging in the Mediterranean when she was lost with all hands in May 1696.

History
England
Name	HMS Lizard
Ordered	21 July 1693
Builder	Royal Dockyard, Chatham
Launched	19 March 1694
Commissioned	22 January 1694
Fate	Lost with all hands 31 May 1696
General characteristics
Type	20-gun Sixth Rate
Tons burthen	250+36⁄94 bm
Length	94 ft 3 in (28.7 m) gundeck 79 ft 6 in (24.2 m) keel for tonnage
Beam	24 ft 4 in (7.4 m) for tonnage
Depth of hold	10 ft 8 in (3.3 m)
Armament	initially as ordered 20 × sakers on wooden trucks (UD) 4 × 3-pdr on wooden trucks (QD) 1703 Establishment 20 × 6-pdrs on wooden trucks (UD) 4 × 4-pdr on wooden trucks (QD)

Lizard was the fourth ship to bear this name since it was used for a 120 builder's measure ship listed from 1512 to 1522.

Construction

She was ordered in the First Batch of four ships from Chatham Dockyard to be built under the guidance of their Master Shipwright, Robert Lee. She was launched on 19 March 1694.

Commissioned service

She was commissioned on 22 January 1694 under the command of Captain William Caldwell, RN for service in the Bristol Channel. Just over a year later, Captain Joseph Welby, RN assumed command on 26 February 1695. She maintained her service in the Briston Channel before moving into the Irish Sea. In 1696 she was assigned to the Mediterranean. Shortly after arriving in the Mediterranean she went missing.

Loss

HMS Lizard was lost with all hands off Toulon on 31 May 1696.

References

• Winfield, British Warships in the Age of Sail (1603 – 1714), by Rif Winfield, published by Seaforth Publishing, England © 2009, EPUB ISBN 9781783469246, Chapter 6, The Sixth Rates, Vessels acquired from 18 December 1688, Sixth Rates of 20 guns and up to 26 guns, Maidstone Group, Lizard
• Colledge, 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, © 2020, e ISBN 978-1-5267-9328-7 (EPUB), Section L (Lizard)