AON Posted November 5, 2019 Share #1 Posted November 5, 2019 (edited) I am transcribing some old newspaper postings and stumbled on the building of two different ships in the same yard for the British Royal Navy in 1785 that were assigned the same name. SQUIRREL - see below. Did this really happen? Edited November 5, 2019 by AON Canute and mtaylor 2 Quote Alan O'Neill "only dead fish go with the flow" Ongoing Build (31 Dec 2013) - HMS BELLEROPHON (1786), POF scratch build, scale 1:64, 74 gun 3rd rate Man of War, Arrogant Class Member of the Model Shipwrights of Niagara, Niagara Region, Ontario, Canada (2016), and the Nautical Research Guild (since 2014) Associate member of the Nautical Research and Model Ship Society (2021) Offshore member of The Society of Model Shipwrights (2021) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mtaylor Posted November 6, 2019 Share #2 Posted November 6, 2019 Interesting find. Wikipedia shows only a 24 gun ship by that name and year. Canute 1 Quote Mark "The shipwright is slow, but the wood is patient." - me Current Build: Past Builds: La Belle Poule 1765 - French Frigate from ANCRE plans - ON HOLD Triton Cross-Section NRG Hallf Hull Planking Kit HMS Sphinx 1775 - Vanguard Models - 1:64 Non-Ship Model: On hold, maybe forever: CH-53 Sikorsky - 1:48 - Revell - Completed Licorne - 1755 from Hahn Plans (Scratch) Version 2.0 (Abandoned) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bruce d Posted November 6, 2019 Share #3 Posted November 6, 2019 Hello Alan, Odd. Can I ask what are the list headings? Do the headings state that these are RN ships under construction or might it include ships undergoing other work as well? If I have it right, 'Sutton' was a yard in Plymouth. A cutter named Squirrel was launched there in 1785 after some delays in building. Bruce Canute and mtaylor 2 Quote 🌻 STAY SAFE A model shipwright and an amateur historian are heads & tails of the same coin current builds: HMS Berwick 1775, 1/192 scratchbuild; a Slade 74 in the Navy Board style Mediator sloop, 1/48 - an 18th century transport scratchbuild French longboat - CAF - 1/48, on hold Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amateur Posted November 6, 2019 Share #4 Posted November 6, 2019 (edited) LIke the list in Wiki: The NMM gives plans for a 20 gun 6th rate ship (1755), named Squirrel a 24 gun 6th rate build in 1785 and a 16 gun second class brig (1853). No others mentioned aoudn 1785, and no 28 guns.... Jan Edited November 6, 2019 by amateur mtaylor and Canute 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bruce d Posted November 6, 2019 Share #5 Posted November 6, 2019 5 minutes ago, amateur said: 20 gun 6th rate ship (1755) Yes, saw that too, but the 1755 Squirrel was sold and renamed prior to 1785. She was in private hands as a whaler in 1785. mtaylor and Canute 2 Quote 🌻 STAY SAFE A model shipwright and an amateur historian are heads & tails of the same coin current builds: HMS Berwick 1775, 1/192 scratchbuild; a Slade 74 in the Navy Board style Mediator sloop, 1/48 - an 18th century transport scratchbuild French longboat - CAF - 1/48, on hold Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
druxey Posted November 6, 2019 Share #6 Posted November 6, 2019 Looks like a transcription error into print. The entry for the 24 gun ship seems to be the accurate one. She was built by Barton of Liverpool, launched 9.5.1785 and survived (as a hulk) until sold in 1817. (Lyon, The Sailing Navy List, page 89). mtaylor, Canute and Mark P 3 Quote Be sure to sign up for an epic Nelson/Trafalgar project if you would like to see it made into a TV series http://trafalgar.tv Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bruce d Posted November 6, 2019 Share #7 Posted November 6, 2019 45 minutes ago, druxey said: ... built by Barton of Liverpool, launched 9.5.1785 ... Oops. Quite right, my earlier statement that she was built at Plymouth was wrong. After launching she went to Plymouth for survey and further fitting out. She is described as a cutter at this time. mtaylor and Canute 2 Quote 🌻 STAY SAFE A model shipwright and an amateur historian are heads & tails of the same coin current builds: HMS Berwick 1775, 1/192 scratchbuild; a Slade 74 in the Navy Board style Mediator sloop, 1/48 - an 18th century transport scratchbuild French longboat - CAF - 1/48, on hold Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matle Posted November 6, 2019 Share #8 Posted November 6, 2019 Typos are as old as typography =) Canute, mtaylor and Mark P 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AON Posted December 30, 2019 Author Share #9 Posted December 30, 2019 I must apologize for not responding since the 6th of November!!! For some reason I did not get any notifications of any postings here. The headings were SHIP - YARD - GUNS I suspect if it was a typo (which is as likely as anything I suppose) then the proper ships name was omitted in error. Another posting lists the 24 gun Squirrel as having been launched the following year, having been published in The Scots Magazine on the 1st of May 1786. I have also seen ships built under one name and launched under another only to be renamed again some years later. Canute and mtaylor 2 Quote Alan O'Neill "only dead fish go with the flow" Ongoing Build (31 Dec 2013) - HMS BELLEROPHON (1786), POF scratch build, scale 1:64, 74 gun 3rd rate Man of War, Arrogant Class Member of the Model Shipwrights of Niagara, Niagara Region, Ontario, Canada (2016), and the Nautical Research Guild (since 2014) Associate member of the Nautical Research and Model Ship Society (2021) Offshore member of The Society of Model Shipwrights (2021) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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