Nightingale Group

The Nightingale sixth rates were basically repeats of the Maidstone Group. Initially two vessels were ordered, however with one lost within months of completion a third vessel was ordered. The main difference between these and the Maidstones was the slight deck over the upper deck to improve defensibility. Their armament was similar as were the dimensions of the vessels. They were constructed between 1702 and 1704.

Class overview
Name	Nightingale Group
Builders	Chatham Dockyard Portsmouth Dockyard
Operators	Royal Navy
Preceded by	Maidstone Group
Succeeded by	Purchased Group
Built	1702–1704
In service	1702–1724
Completed	3
Lost	2
Retired	1
General characteristics
Type	20-gun sixth rate
Tons burthen	244+57⁄94 bm
Length	93 ft 0 in (28.3 m) gundeck 77 ft 8 in (23.7 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	20 × 6 pdr guns on wooden trucks (UD) 4 × 4 pdr guns on wooden trucks (QD)

Design and specifications

The construction of the vessels was assigned to naval dockyards. As with most vessels of this time period only order and launch dates are available. Each ship was built to the Maidstone Group generalized specification with dimensional creep accruing in all vessels. The dimensional data listed here is the general specification, whereas the actual dimensions where known will be listed with each ship. The general specification called for a gundeck of 93 feet 0 inches (28.3 metres) with a keel length of 77 feet 8 inches (23.7 metres) for tonnage calculation. The breadth would be 24 feet 4 inches (7.4 metres) for tonnage with a depth of hold of 10 feet 8 inches (3.3 metres). The tonnage calculation would be 244+57⁄94.

The gun armament as established in 1703 would be twenty 6-pounder cannon mounted on wooden trucks on the upper deck with four 3-pounder guns on the quarterdeck.

Ships of the Nightingale Group

Name	Builder	Launch date	Remarks
Nightingale (1702)	Chatham Dockyard	16 December 1702	taken by French 1707 retaken and renamed Fox 1708 Broken up at Deptford 2 March 1724
Squirrel (1703) i	Portsmouth Dockyard	June 1703	Captured by French privateers 21 September 1703
Squirrel (1704) ii	Portsmouth Dockyard	October 1704	captured by French privateers 7 July 1706, then recaptured 1708 and foundered

References

• 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)
• 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, Nightingale Group