For brig-rigged sloops, see List of corvette and sloop classes of the Royal Navy

For gunboats, see List of gunboat and gunvessel classes of the Royal Navy

A gun-brig was a small brig-rigged warship that enjoyed popularity in the (British) Royal Navy

Royal Navy

The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...

 during the Napoleonic Wars, during which large numbers were purchased or built. In general these were vessels of under 200 tons burthen

Builder's Old Measurement

Builder's Old Measurement is the method of calculating the size or cargo capacity of a ship used in England from approximately 1720 to 1849. It estimated the tonnage of a ship based on length and maximum beam...

, and thus smaller than the more common s or the even larger s. The gun-brigs generally carried 12 guns, comprising two long guns in the chase

Chase gun

The chase guns, usually distinguished as bow chasers and stern chasers were cannons mounted in the bow or stern of a sailing ship...

 position and ten carronade

Carronade

The carronade was a short smoothbore, cast iron cannon, developed for the Royal Navy by the Carron Company, an ironworks in Falkirk, Scotland, UK. It was used from the 1770s to the 1850s. Its main function was to serve as a powerful, short-range anti-ship and anti-crew weapon...

s on the broadsides.

Development

The earliest gun-brigs were shallow-draught vessels. Initially they were not brigs at all, but were classed as 'gunvessels' and carried a schooner

Schooner

A schooner is a type of sailing vessel characterized by the use of fore-and-aft sails on two or more masts with the forward mast being no taller than the rear masts....

 or brigantine

Brigantine

In sailing, a brigantine or hermaphrodite brig is a vessel with two masts, only the forward of which is square rigged.-Origins of the term:...

 rig. They were re-rigged as brig

Brig

A brig is a sailing vessel with two square-rigged masts. During the Age of Sail, brigs were seen as fast and manoeuvrable and were used as both naval warships and merchant vessels. They were especially popular in the 18th and early 19th centuries...

s about 1796 and re-classed under the new term 'gun-brig'. They were designed as much to row as to sail, and carried their primary armament firing forward - a pair of long 18-pounders or 24-pounders, weapons which in any practical sense could only be trained and fired with the vessel under oars.

The 1797 batch introduced means to improve their sailing ability. Each was fitted with a Schank drop keel,The Schank keel was invented by Captain (later Admiral) John Schank

John Schank

Admiral John Schank was an officer of the British Royal Navy known for his skill in ship construction and mechanical design.-Biography:...

, and was known at the time as a "sliding keel". It was effectively a centreboard

Centreboard

A centreboard or centerboard is a retractable keel which pivots out of a slot in the hull of a sailboat, known as a centreboard trunk or centerboard case...

 or daggerboard

Daggerboard

A daggerboard is a retractable centreboard used by various sailing craft. While other types of centreboard may pivot to retract, a daggerboard slides in a casing. The shape of the daggerboard converts the forward motion into a windward lift, countering the leeward push of the...

 that the crew could raise to allow operations in shallow water under oars, or when sailing before the wind. In deeper water they could drop it to make the vessel weatherly when sailing to windward. and lighter bow chasers

Chase gun

The chase guns, usually distinguished as bow chasers and stern chasers were cannons mounted in the bow or stern of a sailing ship...

 replaced the heavy pair of guns firing forward over the bows; in later vessels one of the bow chasers would be moved aft to become a stern chaser, both of these guns then being mounted on the centreline and able to pivot. The broadside weapons consisted of 18-pounder carronades mounted on slides along both sides.

The later gun-brigs developed from this beginning into smaller versions of the brig-sloops with increased draught and seaworthiness, but were less suited for inshore warfare. Compared with the flat-bottomed hulls of the 1794-1800 designs, by the time of the Confounder class the hulls had achieved a relatively sharp cross-section, as performance under sail had become a more important consideration than ease of rowing. By now they were clearly seen as small versions of the brig-sloop rather than enlarged gunboats.

Deployment

The early gun-brigs were seen as inshore and coastal vessels, and saw their first service in coastal operations, notably in the Channel, where they sought out French coastal shipping. As their numbers grew and more seaworthy designs emerged, they were deployed world-wide, notably in the Baltic where many were involved in confrontations with the myriad of Danish gunboats during the Gunboat War

Gunboat War

The Gunboat War was the naval conflict between Denmark–Norway and the British Navy during the Napoleonic Wars. The war's name is derived from the Danish tactic of employing small gunboats against the conventional Royal Navy...

, but also on such distant stations as the East Indies.

Complement

The purpose-built gun-brigs were all established with a complement of 50 men, and maintained this level throughout their main period of operation, although of course the actual number carried varied with availability. The final batch saw the complement raised to 60. Each gun-brig had a lieutenant in command (as opposed to the brig-sloops, which were under commanders), and while he was the only commissioned officer aboard, he was assisted by a midshipman and a number of warrant officers - a master's mate (ranked as 'master and pilot') to share the watches, carpenter's mate, gunner's mate, boatswain's mate and surgeon's mate. Other petty officers included a ropemaker, sailmaker, clerk, quartermaster and quartermaster's mate. There were fifteen marines on board - a sergeant to command, a corporal and thirteen privates. The rest of the crew were ranked as seamen - able seamen, ordinary seamen or landsmen.

Historical evaluation

The naval historian and novelist C.S. Forester commented in relation to the gun-brigs that:
In this criticism of the gun-brig, Forester was perhaps being a little unfair; the class had been designed largely as convoy escorts for coastal operations and it is little wonder they rolled heavily in the open sea. They performed sterling service in a wide range of conditions not envisaged by their designers, making them analogous in this respect to the of World War II; cheap, uncomfortable, over-crowded and lightly armed but completely essential.

List of gun-brig classes and their evolution

The following sub-sections describe the sequence of the gun-brigs built to individual designs from the earliest acquisitions of 1793 until the last gun-brigs joined the Navy in 1813.

1793 purchases

Three vessels of about 140 tons each were purchased in 1793, and armed with two 18-pounder long guns and ten 18-pounder carronades. They were numbered (not named) GB No. 1, GB No. 2 and GB No. 3.The letters "GB" were never stated to be an abbreviation for "gunboat". Certainly by 1797 the term "gun-brig" was used, and the letters "GB" more likely represented that title, but still the letters were not explicitly an abbreviation. No further details were recorded, but their existence probably explains why the initial numbering of the Acute class below (prior to their being given names) began with GB No. 4.

Conquest class

The first batch of twelve gun-brigs were all built by contract to a design by Surveyor of the Navy

Surveyor of the Navy

The Surveyor to the Navy was a civilian officer in the Royal Navy. He was a member of the Navy Board from the inauguration of that body in 1546, and held overall responsibility for the design of British warships, although until 1745 the actual design work for warships built at each Royal Dockyard...

 Sir John Henslow, and ordered on 6 March 1794; they were all named and registered on 26 May. They were designed to be rowed (with 18 oars) as well as sailed, for which purpose they carried a brig rig, though it was originally planned to rig them as schooners or brigantine

Brigantine

In sailing, a brigantine or hermaphrodite brig is a vessel with two masts, only the forward of which is square rigged.-Origins of the term:...

s. The initial plan was that they would mount a main armament of 4-pounder long guns

Naval long gun

In historical naval usage, a long gun was the standard type of cannon mounted by a sailing vessel, so called to distinguish it from the much shorter carronades....

, but this was rapidly substituted by a broadside battery of ten 18-pounder carronade

Carronade

The carronade was a short smoothbore, cast iron cannon, developed for the Royal Navy by the Carron Company, an ironworks in Falkirk, Scotland, UK. It was used from the 1770s to the 1850s. Its main function was to serve as a powerful, short-range anti-ship and anti-crew weapon...

s, with two 24-pounders as chase gun

Chase gun

The chase guns, usually distinguished as bow chasers and stern chasers were cannons mounted in the bow or stern of a sailing ship...

s in the bow and two 4-pounders as chase guns in the stern. The 4-pounders were soon deleted, making them all 12-gun vessels.

From March 1795 all twelve of the class were attached to the Inshore Squadron commanded by Captain Sir Sidney Smith.

Name	Ordered	Builder	Launched	Fate
Aimwell	6 March 1794	Perry & Hankey, Blackwall Blackwall -Places:*Blackwall, London - An area of east London, UK**Blackwall Tunnel - The main crossing of the River Thames in east London**The former shipyard Blackwall Yard**The former shipyard at Leamouth, London of Thames Ironworks and Shipbuilding Company and others....	12 May 1794	Broken up November 1811
Pelter	6 March 1794	Perry & Hankey, Blackwall Blackwall -Places:*Blackwall, London - An area of east London, UK**Blackwall Tunnel - The main crossing of the River Thames in east London**The former shipyard Blackwall Yard**The former shipyard at Leamouth, London of Thames Ironworks and Shipbuilding Company and others....	12 May 1794	Sold October 1802
Borer	6 March 1794	Randall & Co, Rotherhithe Rotherhithe Rotherhithe is a residential district in inner southeast London, England and part of the London Borough of Southwark. It is located on a peninsula on the south bank of the Thames, facing Wapping and the Isle of Dogs on the north bank, and is a part of the Docklands area...	17 May 1794	Sold 1810
Plumper	6 March 1794	Randall & Co, Rotherhithe Rotherhithe Rotherhithe is a residential district in inner southeast London, England and part of the London Borough of Southwark. It is located on a peninsula on the south bank of the Thames, facing Wapping and the Isle of Dogs on the north bank, and is a part of the Docklands area...	17 May 1794	Sold January 1802
Teazer	6 March 1794	John Dudman & Co, Deptford Deptford Deptford is a district of south London, England, located on the south bank of the River Thames. It is named after a ford of the River Ravensbourne, and from the mid 16th century to the late 19th was home to Deptford Dockyard, the first of the Royal Navy Dockyards.Deptford and the docks are...	26 May 1794	Sold October 1802
Tickler	6 March 1794	Hill & Mellish, Limehouse Limehouse Limehouse is a place in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. It is on the northern bank of the River Thames opposite Rotherhithe and between Ratcliff to the west and Millwall to the east....	28 May 1794	Sold May 1802
Swinger	6 March 1794	Hill & Mellish, Limehouse Limehouse Limehouse is a place in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. It is on the northern bank of the River Thames opposite Rotherhithe and between Ratcliff to the west and Millwall to the east....	31 May 1794	Sold October 1802
Force	6 March 1794	Thomas Pitcher, Northfleet Northfleet Northfleet is a town in the Borough of Gravesham in Kent, England. Its name is derived from North creek , and the settlement on the shore of the River Thames adjacent to Gravesend was known as Norfluet in the Domesday Book, and Northflet in 1201...	May 1794	Sold October 1802
Piercer	6 March 1794	Thomas King, Dover Dover Dover is a town and major ferry port in the home county of Kent, in South East England. It faces France across the narrowest part of the English Channel, and lies south-east of Canterbury; east of Kent's administrative capital Maidstone; and north-east along the coastline from Dungeness and Hastings...	2 June 1794	Sold June 1802
Attack	6 March 1794	John Wilson & Co, Frindsbury Frindsbury Frindsbury is part of the Medway Towns conurbation in Kent, southern England. It lies on the opposite side of the River Medway to Rochester, and at various times in its history has been considered fully or partially part of the City of Rochester. Frindsbury refers to both a parish and a manor....	28 June 1794	Sold September 1802
Fearless	6 March 1794	William Cleverley, Gravesend Gravesend, Kent Gravesend is a town in northwest Kent, England, on the south bank of the Thames, opposite Tilbury in Essex. It is the administrative town of the Borough of Gravesham and, because of its geographical position, has always had an important role to play in the history and communications of this part of...	June 1794	Wrecked 20 January 1804
Conquest	6 March 1794	Josiah & Thomas Brindley, Frindsbury Frindsbury Frindsbury is part of the Medway Towns conurbation in Kent, southern England. It lies on the opposite side of the River Medway to Rochester, and at various times in its history has been considered fully or partially part of the City of Rochester. Frindsbury refers to both a parish and a manor....	29? July 1794	Sold April 1817

Acute class

A further design by John Henslow, to which fifteen vessels were ordered on 7 February 1797. In this design, the breadth was increased by a foot from the Conquest class, and the depth of the hold was increased by eleven inches. All were brig-rigged and received Schank

John Schank

Admiral John Schank was an officer of the British Royal Navy known for his skill in ship construction and mechanical design.-Biography:...

 sliding or drop keel

Keel

In boats and ships, keel can refer to either of two parts: a structural element, or a hydrodynamic element. These parts overlap. As the laying down of the keel is the initial step in construction of a ship, in British and American shipbuilding traditions the construction is dated from this event...

s.

Initially these were intended to be classed as gunboats, and were given numbers (nos. GB No. 4 to GB No. 18) rather than names, but on 7 August they were re-classed as gunbrigs and given names. They carried the same armament as their predecessors.

Name	Ordered	Builder	Launched	Fate
Assault (ex GB No. 4)	7 February 1797	John Randall, Rotherhithe Rotherhithe Rotherhithe is a residential district in inner southeast London, England and part of the London Borough of Southwark. It is located on a peninsula on the south bank of the Thames, facing Wapping and the Isle of Dogs on the north bank, and is a part of the Docklands area...	10 April 1797	Sold June 1827
Asp (ex GB No. 5)	7 February 1797	John Randall, Rotherhithe Rotherhithe Rotherhithe is a residential district in inner southeast London, England and part of the London Borough of Southwark. It is located on a peninsula on the south bank of the Thames, facing Wapping and the Isle of Dogs on the north bank, and is a part of the Docklands area...	10 April 1797	Sold July? 1803
Acute (ex GB No. 6)	7 February 1797	John Randall, Rotherhithe Rotherhithe Rotherhithe is a residential district in inner southeast London, England and part of the London Borough of Southwark. It is located on a peninsula on the south bank of the Thames, facing Wapping and the Isle of Dogs on the north bank, and is a part of the Docklands area...	April 1797	Sold October 1802
Sparkler (ex GB No. 7)	7 February 1797	John Randall, Deptford Deptford Deptford is a district of south London, England, located on the south bank of the River Thames. It is named after a ford of the River Ravensbourne, and from the mid 16th century to the late 19th was home to Deptford Dockyard, the first of the Royal Navy Dockyards.Deptford and the docks are...	April 1797	Sold September 1802
Bouncer (ex GB No. 8)	7 February 1797	John & William Wells, Deptford Deptford Deptford is a district of south London, England, located on the south bank of the River Thames. It is named after a ford of the River Ravensbourne, and from the mid 16th century to the late 19th was home to Deptford Dockyard, the first of the Royal Navy Dockyards.Deptford and the docks are...	11? April 1797	Sold April 1802
Boxer (ex GB No. 9)	7 February 1797	John & William Wells, Deptford Deptford Deptford is a district of south London, England, located on the south bank of the River Thames. It is named after a ford of the River Ravensbourne, and from the mid 16th century to the late 19th was home to Deptford Dockyard, the first of the Royal Navy Dockyards.Deptford and the docks are...	11 April 1797	Sold July 1809
Biter (ex GB No. 10)	7 February 1797	John & William Wells, Deptford Deptford Deptford is a district of south London, England, located on the south bank of the River Thames. It is named after a ford of the River Ravensbourne, and from the mid 16th century to the late 19th was home to Deptford Dockyard, the first of the Royal Navy Dockyards.Deptford and the docks are...	13 March 1797	Sold May 1802
Bruiser (ex GB No. 11)	7 February 1797	John & William Wells, Deptford Deptford Deptford is a district of south London, England, located on the south bank of the River Thames. It is named after a ford of the River Ravensbourne, and from the mid 16th century to the late 19th was home to Deptford Dockyard, the first of the Royal Navy Dockyards.Deptford and the docks are...	11 April 1797	Sold January 1802
Blazer (ex GB No. 12)	7 February 1797	John Dudman & Co, Deptford Deptford Deptford is a district of south London, England, located on the south bank of the River Thames. It is named after a ford of the River Ravensbourne, and from the mid 16th century to the late 19th was home to Deptford Dockyard, the first of the Royal Navy Dockyards.Deptford and the docks are...	14 April 1797	Sold January 1803
Cracker (ex GB No. 13)	7 February 1797	John Dudman & Co, Deptford Deptford Deptford is a district of south London, England, located on the south bank of the River Thames. It is named after a ford of the River Ravensbourne, and from the mid 16th century to the late 19th was home to Deptford Dockyard, the first of the Royal Navy Dockyards.Deptford and the docks are...	25 April 1797	Sold December 1802
Clinker (ex GB No. 14)	7 February 1797	John Dudman & Co, Deptford Deptford Deptford is a district of south London, England, located on the south bank of the River Thames. It is named after a ford of the River Ravensbourne, and from the mid 16th century to the late 19th was home to Deptford Dockyard, the first of the Royal Navy Dockyards.Deptford and the docks are...	28 April 1797	Sold October 1802
Crash HMS Crash (1797) HMS Crash was a 12-gun . She was launched in April 1797 as GB No. 15 and received the name Crash in August. She served against the French and Dutch in the Napoleonic Wars, though after her capture in 1798 she spent a year in the service of the Batavian republic before the British recaptured her... (ex GB No. 15)	7 February 1797	Mrs Frances Barnard & Co, Deptford Deptford Deptford is a district of south London, England, located on the south bank of the River Thames. It is named after a ford of the River Ravensbourne, and from the mid 16th century to the late 19th was home to Deptford Dockyard, the first of the Royal Navy Dockyards.Deptford and the docks are...	5 April 1797	Sold September 1802
Contest (ex GB No. 16)	7 February 1797	Mrs Frances Barnard & Co, Deptford Deptford Deptford is a district of south London, England, located on the south bank of the River Thames. It is named after a ford of the River Ravensbourne, and from the mid 16th century to the late 19th was home to Deptford Dockyard, the first of the Royal Navy Dockyards.Deptford and the docks are...	11 April 1797	Wrecked 29 August 1799
Adder (ex GB No. 17)	7 February 1797	Mrs Frances Barnard & Co, Deptford Deptford Deptford is a district of south London, England, located on the south bank of the River Thames. It is named after a ford of the River Ravensbourne, and from the mid 16th century to the late 19th was home to Deptford Dockyard, the first of the Royal Navy Dockyards.Deptford and the docks are...	22 April 1797	Broken up February 1805
Spiteful (ex GB No. 18)	7 February 1797	Mrs Frances Barnard & Co, Deptford Deptford Deptford is a district of south London, England, located on the south bank of the River Thames. It is named after a ford of the River Ravensbourne, and from the mid 16th century to the late 19th was home to Deptford Dockyard, the first of the Royal Navy Dockyards.Deptford and the docks are...	24 April 1797	Broken up July 1823

Courser class

At the same time as John Henslow was designing the Acute class, his colleague, fellow-Surveyor

Surveyor of the Navy

The Surveyor to the Navy was a civilian officer in the Royal Navy. He was a member of the Navy Board from the inauguration of that body in 1546, and held overall responsibility for the design of British warships, although until 1745 the actual design work for warships built at each Royal Dockyard...

 Sir William Rule, was ordered to produce an alternative design. Rule's design too incorporated a Schank drop or sliding keel.

Fifteen vessels to this design - the Courser class - were ordered at the same time as those to the Acute class. A sixteenth unit was added to the order a month later. Originally numbered GB No. 19 to GB No. 33, plus GB No. 45, the following sixteen vessels were all given names on 7 August 1797.

Name	Ordered	Builder	Launched	Fate
Steady (ex GB No. 19)	7 February 1797	Hill & Mellish, Limehouse Limehouse Limehouse is a place in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. It is on the northern bank of the River Thames opposite Rotherhithe and between Ratcliff to the west and Millwall to the east....	24 April 1797	Sold 1806
Courser (ex GB No. 20)	7 February 1797	Hill & Mellish, Limehouse Limehouse Limehouse is a place in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. It is on the northern bank of the River Thames opposite Rotherhithe and between Ratcliff to the west and Millwall to the east....	25 April 1797	Sold (probably to HM Customs) August 1803
Defender HMS Defender (1797) Launched on 21 May 1797, GB No. 21 was renamed HMS Defender on 7 August the same year. She was a 12-gun built for the British Royal Navy at Limehouse and disposed of in 1802.-Design and construction :... (ex GB No. 21)	7 February 1797	Hill & Mellish, Limehouse Limehouse Limehouse is a place in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. It is on the northern bank of the River Thames opposite Rotherhithe and between Ratcliff to the west and Millwall to the east....	21 May 1797	Sold September 1802
Eclipse (ex GB No. 22)	7 February 1797	Perry & Co, Blackwall Blackwall -Places:*Blackwall, London - An area of east London, UK**Blackwall Tunnel - The main crossing of the River Thames in east London**The former shipyard Blackwall Yard**The former shipyard at Leamouth, London of Thames Ironworks and Shipbuilding Company and others....	29 March 1797	Sold September 1802
Furious (ex GB No. 23)	7 February 1797	Perry & Co, Blackwall Blackwall -Places:*Blackwall, London - An area of east London, UK**Blackwall Tunnel - The main crossing of the River Thames in east London**The former shipyard Blackwall Yard**The former shipyard at Leamouth, London of Thames Ironworks and Shipbuilding Company and others....	31 March 1797	Sold October 1802
Flamer (ex GB No. 24)	7 February 1797	Perry & Co, Blackwall Blackwall -Places:*Blackwall, London - An area of east London, UK**Blackwall Tunnel - The main crossing of the River Thames in east London**The former shipyard Blackwall Yard**The former shipyard at Leamouth, London of Thames Ironworks and Shipbuilding Company and others....	30 March 1797	Sold April 1802
Furnace (ex GB No. 25)	7 February 1797	Perry & Co, Blackwall Blackwall -Places:*Blackwall, London - An area of east London, UK**Blackwall Tunnel - The main crossing of the River Thames in east London**The former shipyard Blackwall Yard**The former shipyard at Leamouth, London of Thames Ironworks and Shipbuilding Company and others....	10 April 1797	Sold October 1802
Growler (ex GB No. 26)	7 February 1797	Thomas Pitcher, Northfleet Northfleet Northfleet is a town in the Borough of Gravesham in Kent, England. Its name is derived from North creek , and the settlement on the shore of the River Thames adjacent to Gravesend was known as Norfluet in the Domesday Book, and Northflet in 1201...	10 April 1797	Captured by French privateers 21 December 1797
Griper (ex GB No. 27)	7 February 1797	Thomas Pitcher, Northfleet Northfleet Northfleet is a town in the Borough of Gravesham in Kent, England. Its name is derived from North creek , and the settlement on the shore of the River Thames adjacent to Gravesend was known as Norfluet in the Domesday Book, and Northflet in 1201...	10 April 1797	Sold October 1802
Grappler (ex GB No. 28)	7 February 1797	Thomas Pitcher, Northfleet Northfleet Northfleet is a town in the Borough of Gravesham in Kent, England. Its name is derived from North creek , and the settlement on the shore of the River Thames adjacent to Gravesend was known as Norfluet in the Domesday Book, and Northflet in 1201...	April 1797	Destroyed in action 31 December 1803
Gallant (ex GB No. 29)	7 February 1797	Thomas Pitcher, Northfleet Northfleet Northfleet is a town in the Borough of Gravesham in Kent, England. Its name is derived from North creek , and the settlement on the shore of the River Thames adjacent to Gravesend was known as Norfluet in the Domesday Book, and Northflet in 1201...	April 1797	Sold October 1802
Hardy (ex GB No. 30)	7 February 1797	William Cleverley, Gravesend Gravesend, Kent Gravesend is a town in northwest Kent, England, on the south bank of the Thames, opposite Tilbury in Essex. It is the administrative town of the Borough of Gravesham and, because of its geographical position, has always had an important role to play in the history and communications of this part of...	10 April 1797	Sold May 1802
Haughty (ex GB No. 31)	7 February 1797	William Cleverley, Gravesend Gravesend, Kent Gravesend is a town in northwest Kent, England, on the south bank of the Thames, opposite Tilbury in Essex. It is the administrative town of the Borough of Gravesham and, because of its geographical position, has always had an important role to play in the history and communications of this part of...	April 1797	Sold May 1802
Hecate (ex GB No. 32)	7 February 1797	John Wilson & Co, Frindsbury Frindsbury Frindsbury is part of the Medway Towns conurbation in Kent, southern England. It lies on the opposite side of the River Medway to Rochester, and at various times in its history has been considered fully or partially part of the City of Rochester. Frindsbury refers to both a parish and a manor....	2 May 1797	Sunk as breakwater 1809
Hasty (ex GB No. 33)	7 February 1797	John Wilson & Co, Frindsbury Frindsbury Frindsbury is part of the Medway Towns conurbation in Kent, southern England. It lies on the opposite side of the River Medway to Rochester, and at various times in its history has been considered fully or partially part of the City of Rochester. Frindsbury refers to both a parish and a manor....	June 1797	Sold December 1802
Tigress (ex GB No. 45)	March 1797	Josiah & Thomas Brindley, King's Lynn King's Lynn King's Lynn is a sea port and market town in the ceremonial county of Norfolk in the East of England. It is situated north of London and west of Norwich. The population of the town is 42,800....	11 September 1797	Sold January 1802

1797 purchases

The first ten of these small mercantile brigs were all purchased at Leith and fitted there for naval service, being registered on the Navy List on 5 April 1797. An eleventh vessel (Staunch) was purchased in frame in Kent and registered on 15 April 1797. These assorted vessels did not, of course, constitute a single class, but as procured as a group they are here treated similarly. Originally numbered GB No. 34 to GB No. 44, the following eleven vessels were all given names on 7 August 1797.

Name	Purchased	Former mercantile name	Fate
Meteor (ex GB No. 34)	March 1797	Lady Cathcart	Sold February 1802
Mastiff (ex GB No. 35)	March 1797	Herald	Wrecked 5 January 1800
Minx (ex GB No. 36)	March 1797	Tom	Sold January 1801
Manly (ex GB No. 37)	April 1797	Experiment	Sold December 1802
Pouncer (ex GB No. 38)	March 1797	David	Sold September 1802
Pincher (ex GB No. 39)	March 1797	Two Sisters	Sold April 1802
Wrangler (ex GB No. 40)	March 1797	Fortune	Sold December 1802
Rattler (ex GB No. 41)	March 1797	Hope	Sold May 1802
Ready (ex GB No. 42)	March 1797	Minerva	Sold December 1802
Safeguard (ex GB No. 43)	March 1797	unknown	Sold September 1802
Staunch (ex GB No. 44)	March 1797	none	Sold late 1803

1799 purchase

Built in 1798 as a cutter, and re-rigged by the Navy as a brig, this was a very small vessel of only 60 tons, established with just 18 men and six 3-pounder guns. One should perhaps consider this vessel in practice simply as a gunboat, although she was rated as a gun-brig. In 1825 Malay pirates captured her and massacred her entire crew before wrecking her on Babar Island

Babar Island

The Babar Islands are located in Maluku Province, Indonesia between latitudes 7 degrees 31 minutes South to 8 degrees 13 minutes South and from longitudes 129 degrees 30 minutes East to 130 degrees 05 minutes East...

 in the southern Moluccas.

Name	Purchased	Former mercantile name	Fate
Lady Nelson	1799	Lady Nelson	Wrecked February 1825

Archer class (1801 batch)

As in 1797, the two Surveyors were asked to produce alternative designs for the next batch of gun-brigs, which were lengthened by 5 feet from the previous classes. Ten vessels were ordered at the close of 1800 to Sir William Rule's design. One, Charger', received an 8" brass mortar in 1809.

Name	Ordered	Builder	Launched	Fate
Aggressor	30 December 1800	Wells & Co, Blackwall Blackwall -Places:*Blackwall, London - An area of east London, UK**Blackwall Tunnel - The main crossing of the River Thames in east London**The former shipyard Blackwall Yard**The former shipyard at Leamouth, London of Thames Ironworks and Shipbuilding Company and others....	1 April 1801	Sold 23 November 1815
Archer	30 December 1800	Wells & Co, Blackwall Blackwall -Places:*Blackwall, London - An area of east London, UK**Blackwall Tunnel - The main crossing of the River Thames in east London**The former shipyard Blackwall Yard**The former shipyard at Leamouth, London of Thames Ironworks and Shipbuilding Company and others....	2 April 1801	Sold 14 December 1815
Bold HMS Bold (1801) HMS Bold was a 14-gun Archer-class gun-brig of the Royal Navy built at Blackwall Yard.-Service:Bold was commissioned under Lieutenant James Ides Short, for the Nore...	30 December 1800	Wells & Co, Blackwall Blackwall -Places:*Blackwall, London - An area of east London, UK**Blackwall Tunnel - The main crossing of the River Thames in east London**The former shipyard Blackwall Yard**The former shipyard at Leamouth, London of Thames Ironworks and Shipbuilding Company and others....	16 April 1801	Broken up April 1811
Conflict	30 December 1800	John Dudman & Co, Deptford Deptford Deptford is a district of south London, England, located on the south bank of the River Thames. It is named after a ford of the River Ravensbourne, and from the mid 16th century to the late 19th was home to Deptford Dockyard, the first of the Royal Navy Dockyards.Deptford and the docks are...	17 April 1801	Captured by the French 24 October 1804
Charger	30 December 1800	John Dudman & Co, Deptford Deptford Deptford is a district of south London, England, located on the south bank of the River Thames. It is named after a ford of the River Ravensbourne, and from the mid 16th century to the late 19th was home to Deptford Dockyard, the first of the Royal Navy Dockyards.Deptford and the docks are...	17 April 1801	Sold 9 June 1814
Constant	30 December 1800	John Dudman & Co, Deptford Deptford Deptford is a district of south London, England, located on the south bank of the River Thames. It is named after a ford of the River Ravensbourne, and from the mid 16th century to the late 19th was home to Deptford Dockyard, the first of the Royal Navy Dockyards.Deptford and the docks are...	28 April 1801	Sold 15 February 1816
Locust	30 December 1800	Mrs Frances Barnard Sons & Co, Deptford Deptford Deptford is a district of south London, England, located on the south bank of the River Thames. It is named after a ford of the River Ravensbourne, and from the mid 16th century to the late 19th was home to Deptford Dockyard, the first of the Royal Navy Dockyards.Deptford and the docks are...	2 April 1801	Sold 11 August 1814
Mallard	30 December 1800	Mrs Frances Barnard Sons & Co, Deptford Deptford Deptford is a district of south London, England, located on the south bank of the River Thames. It is named after a ford of the River Ravensbourne, and from the mid 16th century to the late 19th was home to Deptford Dockyard, the first of the Royal Navy Dockyards.Deptford and the docks are...	11 April 1801	Captured by the French 24 December 1804
Mariner	30 December 1800	Thomas Pitcher, Northfleet Northfleet Northfleet is a town in the Borough of Gravesham in Kent, England. Its name is derived from North creek , and the settlement on the shore of the River Thames adjacent to Gravesend was known as Norfluet in the Domesday Book, and Northflet in 1201...	4 April 1801	Sold 29 September 1814
Minx	30 December 1800	Thomas Pitcher, Northfleet Northfleet Northfleet is a town in the Borough of Gravesham in Kent, England. Its name is derived from North creek , and the settlement on the shore of the River Thames adjacent to Gravesend was known as Norfluet in the Domesday Book, and Northflet in 1201...	14 April 1801	Captured by the Danes 2 September 1809

Bloodhound class

Sir John Henslow produced his equivalent design to that of Rule's Archer batch, and ten vessels were ordered to this design just nine days after those of his colleague's design.

Name	Ordered	Builder	Launched	Fate
Escort	7 January 1801	Perry, Wells & Green, Blackwall Blackwall -Places:*Blackwall, London - An area of east London, UK**Blackwall Tunnel - The main crossing of the River Thames in east London**The former shipyard Blackwall Yard**The former shipyard at Leamouth, London of Thames Ironworks and Shipbuilding Company and others....	1 April 1801	Sold to HM Customs August 1815
Jackall	7 January 1801	Perry, Wells & Green, Blackwall Blackwall -Places:*Blackwall, London - An area of east London, UK**Blackwall Tunnel - The main crossing of the River Thames in east London**The former shipyard Blackwall Yard**The former shipyard at Leamouth, London of Thames Ironworks and Shipbuilding Company and others....	1 April 1801	Wrecked 30 May 1807
Bloodhound	7 January 1801	John Randall & Co, Rotherhithe Rotherhithe Rotherhithe is a residential district in inner southeast London, England and part of the London Borough of Southwark. It is located on a peninsula on the south bank of the Thames, facing Wapping and the Isle of Dogs on the north bank, and is a part of the Docklands area...	2 April 1801	Sold 18 September 1816
Basilisk HMS Basilisk (1801) HMS Basilisk was a built by Randall in Rotherhithe and launched in 1801. She served during the Napoleonic Wars protecting convoys from privateers, conducting close-inshore surveillance and taking enemy coastal shipping. She served briefly at the end of the French Revolutionary Wars, with most of...	7 January 1801	John Randall & Co, Rotherhithe Rotherhithe Rotherhithe is a residential district in inner southeast London, England and part of the London Borough of Southwark. It is located on a peninsula on the south bank of the Thames, facing Wapping and the Isle of Dogs on the north bank, and is a part of the Docklands area...	2 April 1801	Sold 14 December 1815
Censor	7 January 1801	John Randall & Co, Rotherhithe Rotherhithe Rotherhithe is a residential district in inner southeast London, England and part of the London Borough of Southwark. It is located on a peninsula on the south bank of the Thames, facing Wapping and the Isle of Dogs on the north bank, and is a part of the Docklands area...	2 April 1801	Sold 11 January 1816
Ferreter	7 January 1801	Perry, Wells & Green, Blackwall Blackwall -Places:*Blackwall, London - An area of east London, UK**Blackwall Tunnel - The main crossing of the River Thames in east London**The former shipyard Blackwall Yard**The former shipyard at Leamouth, London of Thames Ironworks and Shipbuilding Company and others....	4 April 1801	Captured by the Dutch 31 March 1807
Starling	7 January 1801	Balthazar & Edward Adams, Bucklers Hard Bucklers Hard Bucklers Hard is a hamlet situated on the banks of the Beaulieu River in the English county of Hampshire.- Overview :With its Georgian cottages running down to the river, Bucklers Hard is part of the 9,000 acre Beaulieu Estate...	4 April 1801	Destroyed in action 24 December 1804
Snipe	7 January 1801	Balthazar & Edward Adams, Bucklers Hard Bucklers Hard Bucklers Hard is a hamlet situated on the banks of the Beaulieu River in the English county of Hampshire.- Overview :With its Georgian cottages running down to the river, Bucklers Hard is part of the 9,000 acre Beaulieu Estate...	2 May 1801	Broken up May 1846
Vixen	7 January 1801	Balthazar & Edward Adams, Bucklers Hard Bucklers Hard Bucklers Hard is a hamlet situated on the banks of the Beaulieu River in the English county of Hampshire.- Overview :With its Georgian cottages running down to the river, Bucklers Hard is part of the 9,000 acre Beaulieu Estate...	9 June 1801	Sold 28 March 1815
Monkey	7 January 1801	John Nicholson, Rochester	11 May 1801	Wrecked 25 December 1810

1793-1801 ex-French prizes

During the French Revolutionary War, some twenty-one similar vessels were captured from the French (both naval vessels and privateers) and commissioned in the Royal Navy as gun-brigs. These assorted vessels did not, of course, constitute a single class, but as all were procured from the enemy during the French Revolutionary War they are here treated similarly.

• Espiegle
• Actif
• Requin
• Dixmunde
• Nieuport
• Ostend
• Resolue
• Lacedaemonian
• Athenienne
• Venom
• Transfer
• Deux Amis
• Halifax
• Aventurier
  French corvette Aventurier (1793)
  Aventurier , was a 16-gun brig of the French Navy. She was launched in 1793 and was captured in 1798. The Royal Navy named her HMS Aventurier and disposed of her in 1802.-French service:...
  
  
• Marianne, of 12 guns, captured by on 1 March 1799, recaptured by the French, recaptured by the British in November 1799 and sold September 1801 at the end of the campaign in Egypt.

Captured together
Commodore Sir Sidney Smith in Tigre took a flotilla of seven vessels at Acre

Acre, Israel

Acre , is a city in the Western Galilee region of northern Israel at the northern extremity of Haifa Bay. Acre is one of the oldest continuously inhabited sites in the country....

 on 18 March 1799. The British took four or five into service.

• Negresse, of six guns and 53 men; served at the landing of British troops at Abu Qir Bay
  Abu Qir Bay
  The Abū Qīr Bay is a spacious bay on the Mediterranean Sea in Egypt, lying between Abu Qir and the Rosetta mouth of the Nile. It contains a natural gas field, discovered in the 1970s.On August 1, 1798, Horatio Nelson fought the Battle of the Nile, often referred to as the "Battle of Aboukir Bay"...
  
   on 8 March 1801. Sold in 1802.
• Foudre, of eight guns and 52 men; recaptured by the French in April, recaptured by the British in 1800; sold in September 1801.
• Dangereuse, of six guns and 23 men; under the command of Lieutenant R. Tyte she served in the Egyptian campaign of 1801, assisted at the landing at Abu Qir Bay, and was sold that same year.
• Maria Rose, of four guns and 22 men; disposed of in 1800.
• Dame de Grace, of four guns and 35 men; recaptured by the French on 8 May 1799 and scuttled.

In 1847 the Admiralty awarded the Naval General Service Medal with clasp "Egypt" to the crews of both Dangereuse and Negresse.

1796-1800 ex-Dutch prizes

During the French Revolutionary War, two similar vessels were captured from the Dutch and commissioned in the Royal Navy as gun-brigs. These vessels did not, of course, constitute a single class, but as both were procured from the enemy during the French Revolutionary War they are here treated similarly.

• Amboyna
• Mongoose

Archer class (1804 batch)

Most of the early gun-brigs having been sold or broken up during the short-lived Peace of Amiens, in the first half of 1804 a further batch of forty-seven gun-brigs were ordered to the 1800 William Rule design - twenty-five on 9 January, seven on 22 March and fifteen during June - with an additional one ordered from Halifax Dockard, Nova Scotia on 1 October. Many took the names of former gun-brigs.

Name	Ordered	Builder	Launched	Fate
Bruiser	9 January 1804	Thomas Pitcher, Northfleet Northfleet Northfleet is a town in the Borough of Gravesham in Kent, England. Its name is derived from North creek , and the settlement on the shore of the River Thames adjacent to Gravesend was known as Norfluet in the Domesday Book, and Northflet in 1201...	28 April 1804	Sold 24 February 1815
Blazer	9 January 1804	Thomas Pitcher, Northfleet Northfleet Northfleet is a town in the Borough of Gravesham in Kent, England. Its name is derived from North creek , and the settlement on the shore of the River Thames adjacent to Gravesend was known as Norfluet in the Domesday Book, and Northflet in 1201...	3 May 1804	Sold 15 December 1814
Cracker	9 January 1804	Thomas Pitcher, Northfleet Northfleet Northfleet is a town in the Borough of Gravesham in Kent, England. Its name is derived from North creek , and the settlement on the shore of the River Thames adjacent to Gravesend was known as Norfluet in the Domesday Book, and Northflet in 1201...	30 June 1804	Sold 21 November 1815
Haughty	9 January 1804	John Dudman & Co, Deptford Deptford Deptford is a district of south London, England, located on the south bank of the River Thames. It is named after a ford of the River Ravensbourne, and from the mid 16th century to the late 19th was home to Deptford Dockyard, the first of the Royal Navy Dockyards.Deptford and the docks are...	7 May 1804	Sold 11 January 1816
Wrangler	9 January 1804	John Dudman & Co, Deptford Deptford Deptford is a district of south London, England, located on the south bank of the River Thames. It is named after a ford of the River Ravensbourne, and from the mid 16th century to the late 19th was home to Deptford Dockyard, the first of the Royal Navy Dockyards.Deptford and the docks are...	28 May 1804	Sold 14 December 1815
Manly HMS Manly (1804) HMS Manly was an Archer-class gun-brig launched in 1804. During her career she was captured twice, once by the Dutch and once by the Danes. The British recaptured her both times, renaming her HMS Bold after her recapture in 1813. She was sold out of service in 1814.-Active service as Manly:She...	9 January 1804	John Dudman & Co, Deptford Deptford Deptford is a district of south London, England, located on the south bank of the River Thames. It is named after a ford of the River Ravensbourne, and from the mid 16th century to the late 19th was home to Deptford Dockyard, the first of the Royal Navy Dockyards.Deptford and the docks are...	7 May 1804	Sold 11 August 1814
Pelter	9 January 1804	John Dudman & Co, Deptford Deptford Deptford is a district of south London, England, located on the south bank of the River Thames. It is named after a ford of the River Ravensbourne, and from the mid 16th century to the late 19th was home to Deptford Dockyard, the first of the Royal Navy Dockyards.Deptford and the docks are...	25 July 1804	Presumed to have foundered March 1809
Plumper (i)	9 January 1804	John Dudman & Co, Deptford Deptford Deptford is a district of south London, England, located on the south bank of the River Thames. It is named after a ford of the River Ravensbourne, and from the mid 16th century to the late 19th was home to Deptford Dockyard, the first of the Royal Navy Dockyards.Deptford and the docks are...	7 September 1804	Captured by the French 16 July 1805
Flamer	9 January 1804	Josiah & Thomas Brindley, Frindsbury Frindsbury Frindsbury is part of the Medway Towns conurbation in Kent, southern England. It lies on the opposite side of the River Medway to Rochester, and at various times in its history has been considered fully or partially part of the City of Rochester. Frindsbury refers to both a parish and a manor....	8 May 1804	Sold 16 September 1858
Firm HMS Firm (1804) HMS Firm was a 12-gun Archer-class gun-brig of the Royal Navy, built by Josiah and Thomas Brindley at Frindsbury, Kent, and launched on 2 July 1804.-Service history:...	9 January 1804	Josiah & Thomas Brindley, Frindsbury Frindsbury Frindsbury is part of the Medway Towns conurbation in Kent, southern England. It lies on the opposite side of the River Medway to Rochester, and at various times in its history has been considered fully or partially part of the City of Rochester. Frindsbury refers to both a parish and a manor....	2 July 1804	Wrecked 29 June 1811
Furious	9 January 1804	Josiah & Thomas Brindley, Frindsbury Frindsbury Frindsbury is part of the Medway Towns conurbation in Kent, southern England. It lies on the opposite side of the River Medway to Rochester, and at various times in its history has been considered fully or partially part of the City of Rochester. Frindsbury refers to both a parish and a manor....	21 July 1804	Sold 9 February 1815
Griper	9 January 1804	Josiah & Thomas Brindley, Frindsbury Frindsbury Frindsbury is part of the Medway Towns conurbation in Kent, southern England. It lies on the opposite side of the River Medway to Rochester, and at various times in its history has been considered fully or partially part of the City of Rochester. Frindsbury refers to both a parish and a manor....	24 September 1804	Wrecked 18 February 1807
Contest	9 January 1804	William Courtney, Chester Chester Chester is a city in Cheshire, England. Lying on the River Dee, close to the border with Wales, it is home to 77,040 inhabitants, and is the largest and most populous settlement of the wider unitary authority area of Cheshire West and Chester, which had a population of 328,100 according to the...	June 1804	Presumed to have foundered December 1809
Defender HMS Defender (1804) The second HMS Defender was a 12-gun Archer-class gun-brig built in Chester in 1804 and employed in the English Channel. On 14 December 1809, she was wrecked near Folkestone.-Commanding officers:*August 1804, Lieutenant George Hayes...	9 January 1804	William Courtney, Chester Chester Chester is a city in Cheshire, England. Lying on the River Dee, close to the border with Wales, it is home to 77,040 inhabitants, and is the largest and most populous settlement of the wider unitary authority area of Cheshire West and Chester, which had a population of 328,100 according to the...	28 July 1804	Wrecked 14 December 1809
Steady	9 January 1804	Richards & Davidson, Chester Chester Chester is a city in Cheshire, England. Lying on the River Dee, close to the border with Wales, it is home to 77,040 inhabitants, and is the largest and most populous settlement of the wider unitary authority area of Cheshire West and Chester, which had a population of 328,100 according to the...	21 July 1804	Sold 9 February 1815
Biter	9 January 1804	William Wallis, Blackwall Blackwall -Places:*Blackwall, London - An area of east London, UK**Blackwall Tunnel - The main crossing of the River Thames in east London**The former shipyard Blackwall Yard**The former shipyard at Leamouth, London of Thames Ironworks and Shipbuilding Company and others....	27 July 1804	Wrecked 10 November 1805
Safeguard	9 January 1804	Robert Davy, Topsham Topsham Topsham may refer to:United Kingdom:* Topsham, DevonUnited States:* Topsham, Maine, a town** Topsham , Maine, a census-designated place in the town* Topsham, Vermont, a town... , Exeter Exeter Exeter is a historic city in Devon, England. It lies within the ceremonial county of Devon, of which it is the county town as well as the home of Devon County Council. Currently the administrative area has the status of a non-metropolitan district, and is therefore under the administration of the...	4 August 1804	Captured by the Danes 29 June 1811
Swinger	9 January 1804	Robert Davy, Topsham Topsham Topsham may refer to:United Kingdom:* Topsham, DevonUnited States:* Topsham, Maine, a town** Topsham , Maine, a census-designated place in the town* Topsham, Vermont, a town... , Exeter Exeter Exeter is a historic city in Devon, England. It lies within the ceremonial county of Devon, of which it is the county town as well as the home of Devon County Council. Currently the administrative area has the status of a non-metropolitan district, and is therefore under the administration of the...	September 1804	Broken up June 1812
Acute	9 January 1804	Robert Adams, Chapel, Southampton Southampton Southampton is the largest city in the county of Hampshire on the south coast of England, and is situated south-west of London and north-west of Portsmouth. Southampton is a major port and the closest city to the New Forest...	21 July 1804	Broken up 1864?
Attack	9 January 1804	Robert Adams, Chapel, Southampton Southampton Southampton is the largest city in the county of Hampshire on the south coast of England, and is situated south-west of London and north-west of Portsmouth. Southampton is a major port and the closest city to the New Forest...	9 August 1804	Captured by the Danes 19 August 1812
Piercer HMS Piercer (1804) HMS Piercer was a Royal Navy launched in 1804. She served against the French, Danes and Dutch in the Napoleonic Wars and was assigned to the Downs station. She participated in a number of operations in the Bay of Biscay, the English Channel, and the North Sea. In 1814 the British government...	9 January 1804	Obadiah Ayles, Topsham Topsham Topsham may refer to:United Kingdom:* Topsham, DevonUnited States:* Topsham, Maine, a town** Topsham , Maine, a census-designated place in the town* Topsham, Vermont, a town... , Exeter Exeter Exeter is a historic city in Devon, England. It lies within the ceremonial county of Devon, of which it is the county town as well as the home of Devon County Council. Currently the administrative area has the status of a non-metropolitan district, and is therefore under the administration of the...	29 July 1804	Transferred to Government of Hanover June 1814
Growler	9 January 1804	Balthazar & Edward Adams, Bucklers Hard Bucklers Hard Bucklers Hard is a hamlet situated on the banks of the Beaulieu River in the English county of Hampshire.- Overview :With its Georgian cottages running down to the river, Bucklers Hard is part of the 9,000 acre Beaulieu Estate...	10 August 1804	Sold 31 August 1815
Bouncer	9 January 1804	William Rowe, Newcastle Newcastle upon Tyne Newcastle upon Tyne is a city and metropolitan borough of Tyne and Wear, in North East England. Historically a part of Northumberland, it is situated on the north bank of the River Tyne...	11 August 1804	Captured by the French February 1805
Staunch HMS Staunch (1804) HMS Staunch was a Royal Navy 14-gun , built by Benjamin Tanner and launched in 1804 at Dartmouth, Devon. She served in the Indian Ocean and participated in the Action of 18 September 1810 before she foundered with the loss of all hands in 1811.-Service:...	9 January 1804	Benjamin Tanner, Dartmouth Dartmouth, Devon Dartmouth is a town and civil parish in the English county of Devon. It is a tourist destination set on the banks of the estuary of the River Dart, which is a long narrow tidal ria that runs inland as far as Totnes...	21 August 1804	Presumed foundered June 1811
Pincher	9 January 1804	Joseph Graham, Harwich Harwich Harwich is a town in Essex, England and one of the Haven ports, located on the coast with the North Sea to the east. It is in the Tendring district. Nearby places include Felixstowe to the northeast, Ipswich to the northwest, Colchester to the southwest and Clacton-on-Sea to the south...	28 August 1804	Sold 17 May 1816
Clinker	22 March 1804	Thomas Pitcher, Northfleet Northfleet Northfleet is a town in the Borough of Gravesham in Kent, England. Its name is derived from North creek , and the settlement on the shore of the River Thames adjacent to Gravesend was known as Norfluet in the Domesday Book, and Northflet in 1201...	30 June 1804	Presumed foundered December 1806
Tigress	22 March 1804	John Dudman & Co, Deptford Deptford Deptford is a district of south London, England, located on the south bank of the River Thames. It is named after a ford of the River Ravensbourne, and from the mid 16th century to the late 19th was home to Deptford Dockyard, the first of the Royal Navy Dockyards.Deptford and the docks are...	1 June 1804	Captured by the Danes 2 August 1808
Teazer	22 March 1804	John Dudman & Co, Deptford Deptford Deptford is a district of south London, England, located on the south bank of the River Thames. It is named after a ford of the River Ravensbourne, and from the mid 16th century to the late 19th was home to Deptford Dockyard, the first of the Royal Navy Dockyards.Deptford and the docks are...	16 July 1804	Sold 3 August 1815
Sparkler	22 March 1804	Matthew Warren, Brightlingsea Brightlingsea Brightlingsea is a coastal town in the Tendring district of Essex, England, located between Colchester and Clacton-on-Sea, situated at the mouth of the River Colne, on Brightlingsea Creek. It has an estimated population of 8500....	6 August 1804	Wrecked 13 January 1808
Tickler	22 March 1804	Matthew Warren, Brightlingsea Brightlingsea Brightlingsea is a coastal town in the Tendring district of Essex, England, located between Colchester and Clacton-on-Sea, situated at the mouth of the River Colne, on Brightlingsea Creek. It has an estimated population of 8500....	8 August 1804	Captured by the Danes 4 June 1808
Hardy	22 March 1804	R. B. Roxby, Wearmouth	7 August 1804	Sold 6 August 1835
Gallant	22 March 1804	R. B. Roxby, Wearmouth	20 September 1804	Sold 14 December 1815
Attentive	June 1804	Bools & Good, Bridport Bridport Bridport is a market town in Dorset, England. Located near the coast at the western end of Chesil Beach at the confluence of the River Brit and its Asker and Simene tributaries, it originally thrived as a fishing port and rope-making centre...	18 September 1804	Broken up August 1812
Cheerly	June 1804	Bools & Good, Bridport Bridport Bridport is a market town in Dorset, England. Located near the coast at the western end of Chesil Beach at the confluence of the River Brit and its Asker and Simene tributaries, it originally thrived as a fishing port and rope-making centre...	October 1804	Sold 9 February 1815
Daring HMS Daring (1804) HMS Daring was a 12-gun gun-brig of the Archer class of the British Royal Navy.-History:She was built under contract by Jabez Bailey, of Ipswich and launched in October 1804. In August 1809, she served in the West Scheldt, being detached under Sir Home Popham to take soundings...	June 1804	Jabez Bailey, Ipswich Ipswich Ipswich is a large town and a non-metropolitan district. It is the county town of Suffolk, England. Ipswich is located on the estuary of the River Orwell...	October 1804	Destroyed to prevent capture 27 January 1813
Rapid	June 1804	Robert Davy, Topsham Topsham Topsham may refer to:United Kingdom:* Topsham, DevonUnited States:* Topsham, Maine, a town** Topsham , Maine, a census-designated place in the town* Topsham, Vermont, a town... , Exeter Exeter Exeter is a historic city in Devon, England. It lies within the ceremonial county of Devon, of which it is the county town as well as the home of Devon County Council. Currently the administrative area has the status of a non-metropolitan district, and is therefore under the administration of the...	20 October 1804	Destroyed in action 18 May 1808
Urgent	June 1804	John Bass, Lympstone Lympstone Lympstone is a village and civil parish in East Devon in the English county of Devon. It has a population of 1,754. There is a harbour on the estuary of the River Exe, lying at the outlet of Wotton Brook between cliffs of red breccia...	2 November 1804	Sold 31 July 1816
Fervent	June 1804	Balthazar & Edward Adams, Bucklers Hard Bucklers Hard Bucklers Hard is a hamlet situated on the banks of the Beaulieu River in the English county of Hampshire.- Overview :With its Georgian cottages running down to the river, Bucklers Hard is part of the 9,000 acre Beaulieu Estate...	15 December 1804	Broken up 1879
Fearless	June 1804	Joseph Graham, Harwich Harwich Harwich is a town in Essex, England and one of the Haven ports, located on the coast with the North Sea to the east. It is in the Tendring district. Nearby places include Felixstowe to the northeast, Ipswich to the northwest, Colchester to the southwest and Clacton-on-Sea to the south...	18 December 1804	Wrecked 8 December 1812
Forward	June 1804	Joseph Todd, Berwick Berwick Berwick-upon-Tweed is a border town in the north of England.Berwick may also refer to:- England :*Berwick Street Market, London*Berwick, Sussex**Berwick railway station*Berwick St John, Wiltshire...	4 January 1805	Sold 14 December 1815
Desperate	June 1804	Thomas White, Broadstairs Broadstairs Broadstairs is a coastal town on the Isle of Thanet in the Thanet district of east Kent, England, about south-east of London. It is part of the civil parish of Broadstairs and St Peter's, which includes St. Peter's and had a population in 2001 of about 24,000. Situated between Margate and...	2 January 1805	Sold 15 December 1814
Earnest	June 1804	Menzies & Goalen, Leith Leith -South Leith v. North Leith:Up until the late 16th century Leith , comprised two separate towns on either side of the river....	January 1805	Sold 2 May 1816
Woodlark	June 1804	Menzies & Goalen, Leith Leith -South Leith v. North Leith:Up until the late 16th century Leith , comprised two separate towns on either side of the river....	January 1805	Wrecked 13 November 1805
Protector	June 1804	Matthew Warren, Brightlingsea Brightlingsea Brightlingsea is a coastal town in the Tendring district of Essex, England, located between Colchester and Clacton-on-Sea, situated at the mouth of the River Colne, on Brightlingsea Creek. It has an estimated population of 8500....	1 February 1805	Sold 30 August 1833
Sharpshooter	June 1804	Matthew Warren, Brightlingsea Brightlingsea Brightlingsea is a coastal town in the Tendring district of Essex, England, located between Colchester and Clacton-on-Sea, situated at the mouth of the River Colne, on Brightlingsea Creek. It has an estimated population of 8500....	2 February 1805	Sold 17 May 1816
Dexterous	June 1804	Balthazar & Edward Adams, Bucklers Hard Bucklers Hard Bucklers Hard is a hamlet situated on the banks of the Beaulieu River in the English county of Hampshire.- Overview :With its Georgian cottages running down to the river, Bucklers Hard is part of the 9,000 acre Beaulieu Estate...	2 February 1805	Sold 17 October 1816
Redbreast	June 1804	John Preston, Great Yarmouth Great Yarmouth Great Yarmouth, often known to locals as Yarmouth, is a coastal town in Norfolk, England. It is at the mouth of the River Yare, east of Norwich.It has been a seaside resort since 1760, and is the gateway from the Norfolk Broads to the sea...	27 April 1805	Sold 14 June 1850
Plumper (ii)	1 October 1804	Halifax Dockyard, Nova Scotia Nova Scotia Nova Scotia is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the most populous province in Atlantic Canada. The name of the province is Latin for "New Scotland," but "Nova Scotia" is the recognized, English-language name of the province. The provincial capital is Halifax. Nova Scotia is the...	29 December 1807	Wrecked 5 December 1812

1804 purchases

These four assorted vessels purchased in June 1804 did not, of course, constitute a single class, but as procured as a group they are here treated similarly.

Name	Purchased	Builder	Launched	Fate
Watchful (ex mercantile Jane)	June 1804	Norfolk Norfolk Norfolk is a low-lying county in the East of England. It has borders with Lincolnshire to the west, Cambridgeshire to the west and southwest and Suffolk to the south. Its northern and eastern boundaries are the North Sea coast and to the north-west the county is bordered by The Wash. The county...	1795	Sold 3 November 1814
Thrasher (ex mercantile Adamant)	June 1804	Matthew Warren, Brightlingsea Brightlingsea Brightlingsea is a coastal town in the Tendring district of Essex, England, located between Colchester and Clacton-on-Sea, situated at the mouth of the River Colne, on Brightlingsea Creek. It has an estimated population of 8500....	1804	Sold 3 November 1814
Sentinel (ex mercantile Friendship)	June 1804	"Little Yarmouth Yarmouth, Isle of Wight Yarmouth is a port and civil parish in the western part of the Isle of Wight, off the southern coast of mainland England. The town is named for its location at the mouth of the small Western Yar river... "	1800	Wrecked 10 October 1812
Volunteer (ex mercantile Harmony)	June 1804	Whitby Whitby Whitby is a seaside town, port and civil parish in the Scarborough borough of North Yorkshire, England. Situated on the east coast of Yorkshire at the mouth of the River Esk, Whitby has a combined maritime, mineral and tourist heritage, and is home to the ruins of Whitby Abbey where Caedmon, the...	1804	Sold June 1812

Confounder class

The Confounder class vessels were built to an 1804 design by William Rule. The design reflected learning from the experiences of the earlier gunbrig classes. As a result, the Confounder class vessels were more "sea-kindly" and better able to handle long voyages. Two vessels were converted to mortar brigs in 1809.

Name	Ordered	Builder	Launched	Fate
Confounder	20 November 1804	Robert Adams, Chapel, Southampton Southampton Southampton is the largest city in the county of Hampshire on the south coast of England, and is situated south-west of London and north-west of Portsmouth. Southampton is a major port and the closest city to the New Forest...	April 1805	Sold 9 June 1814
Hearty	20 November 1804	Jabez Bailey, Ipswich Ipswich Ipswich is a large town and a non-metropolitan district. It is the county town of Suffolk, England. Ipswich is located on the estuary of the River Orwell...	12 April 1805	Sold 11 July 1816
Martial	20 November 1804	Charles Ross, Rochester	17 April 1805	Sold 21 January 1836
Resolute	20 November 1804	John King, Dover Dover Dover is a town and major ferry port in the home county of Kent, in South East England. It faces France across the narrowest part of the English Channel, and lies south-east of Canterbury; east of Kent's administrative capital Maidstone; and north-east along the coastline from Dungeness and Hastings...	17 April 1805	Broken up 1852
Exertion	20 November 1804	John Preston, Great Yarmouth	2 May 1805	Destroyed in action 9 July 1812
Indignant	20 November 1804	Bools & Good, Bridport Bridport Bridport is a market town in Dorset, England. Located near the coast at the western end of Chesil Beach at the confluence of the River Brit and its Asker and Simene tributaries, it originally thrived as a fishing port and rope-making centre...	13 May 1805	Broken up June 1811
Encounter	20 November 1804	Robert Guillaume, Northam Northam Northam is the name of a number of places around the world:* Northam, Devon - a town in Devon, England.* Northam railway station* Northam, Hampshire - A district of the city of Southampton, England... , Southampton Southampton Southampton is the largest city in the county of Hampshire on the south coast of England, and is situated south-west of London and north-west of Portsmouth. Southampton is a major port and the closest city to the New Forest...	16 May 1805	Captured by the French 11 July 1812
Rebuff	20 November 1804	Richards & Davidson, Hythe Hythe, Hampshire Hythe is a village near Southampton, Hampshire, England. It is located by the shore of Southampton Water, and has a ferry service connecting it to Southampton...	30 May 1805	Sold 15 December 1814
Starling	20 November 1804	William Rowe, Newcastle Newcastle upon Tyne Newcastle upon Tyne is a city and metropolitan borough of Tyne and Wear, in North East England. Historically a part of Northumberland, it is situated on the north bank of the River Tyne...	May 1805	Sold 29 September 1814
Inveterate	20 November 1804	Bools & Good, Bridport Bridport Bridport is a market town in Dorset, England. Located near the coast at the western end of Chesil Beach at the confluence of the River Brit and its Asker and Simene tributaries, it originally thrived as a fishing port and rope-making centre...	30 May 1805	Wrecked 18 February 1807
Intelligent	20 November 1804	Bools & Good, Bridport Bridport Bridport is a market town in Dorset, England. Located near the coast at the western end of Chesil Beach at the confluence of the River Brit and its Asker and Simene tributaries, it originally thrived as a fishing port and rope-making centre...	26 August 1805	Became a mooring lighter 1816 - final fate unknown
Dapper	20 November 1804	Robert Adams, Chapel, Southampton Southampton Southampton is the largest city in the county of Hampshire on the south coast of England, and is situated south-west of London and north-west of Portsmouth. Southampton is a major port and the closest city to the New Forest...	December 1805	Sold 29 September 1814
Fancy	20 November 1804	John Preston, Great Yarmouth	7 January 1806	Foundered 24 December 1811
Conflict	20 November 1804	Robert Davy, Topsham Topsham Topsham may refer to:United Kingdom:* Topsham, DevonUnited States:* Topsham, Maine, a town** Topsham , Maine, a census-designated place in the town* Topsham, Vermont, a town... , Exeter Exeter Exeter is a historic city in Devon, England. It lies within the ceremonial county of Devon, of which it is the county town as well as the home of Devon County Council. Currently the administrative area has the status of a non-metropolitan district, and is therefore under the administration of the...	14 May 1805	Sold 29 September 1814
Strenuous	20 November 1804	William Rowe, Newcastle Newcastle upon Tyne Newcastle upon Tyne is a city and metropolitan borough of Tyne and Wear, in North East England. Historically a part of Northumberland, it is situated on the north bank of the River Tyne...	16 May 1805	Sold 1 September 1814
Turbulent HMS Turbulent (1805) HMS Turbulent was a Confounder-class 12-gun gun-brig in the Royal Navy. She was the first ship to bear this name. Built at Dartmouth, Devon by Tanner, she was launched on 17 July 1805. The Danes captured her in 1808. She was sold in 1814....	20 November 1804	Benjamin Tanner, Dartmouth Dartmouth, Devon Dartmouth is a town and civil parish in the English county of Devon. It is a tourist destination set on the banks of the estuary of the River Dart, which is a long narrow tidal ria that runs inland as far as Totnes...	17 July 1805	Captured by the Danes 9 June 1808
Havock	20 November 1804	Stone, Great Yarmouth	25 July 1805	Broken up 25 June 1859
Virago	20 November 1804	Benjamin Tanner, Dartmouth Dartmouth, Devon Dartmouth is a town and civil parish in the English county of Devon. It is a tourist destination set on the banks of the estuary of the River Dart, which is a long narrow tidal ria that runs inland as far as Totnes...	23 September 1805	Sold 30 May 1816
Bustler	20 November 1804	Obadiah Ayles, Topsham Topsham Topsham may refer to:United Kingdom:* Topsham, DevonUnited States:* Topsham, Maine, a town** Topsham , Maine, a census-designated place in the town* Topsham, Vermont, a town... , Exeter Exeter Exeter is a historic city in Devon, England. It lies within the ceremonial county of Devon, of which it is the county town as well as the home of Devon County Council. Currently the administrative area has the status of a non-metropolitan district, and is therefore under the administration of the...	12 August 1805	Captured by the French 26 December 1808
Adder	20 November 1804	Obadiah Ayles, Topsham Topsham Topsham may refer to:United Kingdom:* Topsham, DevonUnited States:* Topsham, Maine, a town** Topsham , Maine, a census-designated place in the town* Topsham, Vermont, a town... , Exeter Exeter Exeter is a historic city in Devon, England. It lies within the ceremonial county of Devon, of which it is the county town as well as the home of Devon County Council. Currently the administrative area has the status of a non-metropolitan district, and is therefore under the administration of the...	9 November 1805	Wrecked 9 December 1806
Richmond	23 August 1805	Greensword & Kidwell, Itchenor	February 1806	Sold 29 September 1814

1806 purchases

These two vessels were the former Revenue cutters Speedwell and Ranger respectively. These two assorted vessels did not, of course, constitute a single class, but as procured from the same source they are here treated similarly.

Name	Purchased	Builder	Launched	Fate
Linnet HMS Linnet (1806) HMS Linnet was originally His Majesty’s revenue cutter Speedwell, launched in 1797, that the Royal Navy purchased in 1806. Linnet captured a number of privateers before the French frigate Gloire captured her in 1813. The French sold or transferred her to the Americans, who operated her as the...	1806	Cowes Cowes Cowes is an English seaport town and civil parish on the Isle of Wight. Cowes is located on the west bank of the estuary of the River Medina facing the smaller town of East Cowes on the east Bank...	1797	Captured by French Navy 25 February 1813
Pigmy	1806 (while building)	John Avery, Dartmouth Dartmouth, Devon Dartmouth is a town and civil parish in the English county of Devon. It is a tourist destination set on the banks of the estuary of the River Dart, which is a long narrow tidal ria that runs inland as far as Totnes...	June 1806	Wrecked 2 March 1807

Bold (or modified Confounder) class

A revival of Sir William Rule's Confounder class of 1804, this final group of was built to a somewhat modified version of that design, and were commonly referred to as the Bold class. Twelve were ordered in November 1811, and a further batch of six followed in November 1812. Unlike earlier brigs of this size, most were re-rated as brig-sloops at or soon after their completion, and were under commanders (rather than lieutenants), at least until 1815-17, when they reverted to being gun-brigs.

Name	Ordered	Builder	Launched	Fate
Bold HMS Bold (1812) HMS Bold was a 14-gun built by Tyson & Blake at Bursledon. She was launched in 1812 and wrecked off Prince Edward's Island on 27 September 1813.-Design and construction:...	16 November 1811	Tyson & Blake, Bursledon Bursledon Bursledon is a village on the River Hamble in Hampshire, England. It is located within the borough of Eastleigh. Close to the city of Southampton, Bursledon has a railway station, a marina, dockyards and the Bursledon Windmill. Nearby villages include Swanwick, Hamble-le-Rice, Netley and Sarisbury...	26 June 1812	Wrecked 27 September 1813
Manly HMS Manly (1812) HMS Manly was a 12-gun of the Royal Navy launched in 1812. She served in the War of 1812, her boats participating in the Battle of Lake Borgne. She was sold in 1833.-Active service:...	16 November 1811	Thomas Hills, Sandwich Sandwich A sandwich is a food item, typically consisting of two or more slices of :bread with one or more fillings between them, or one slice of bread with a topping or toppings, commonly called an open sandwich. Sandwiches are a widely popular type of lunch food, typically taken to work or school, or...	13 July 1812	Sold 12 December 1833
Snap	16 November 1811	Russell & Son, Lyme Regis Lyme Regis Lyme Regis is a coastal town in West Dorset, England, situated 25 miles west of Dorchester and east of Exeter. The town lies in Lyme Bay, on the English Channel coast at the Dorset-Devon border...	25 July 1812	Sold 4 January 1832
Thistle	16 November 1811	Mrs Mary Ross, Rochester	13 July 1812	Broken up July 1823
Boxer HMS Boxer (1812) HMS Boxer was a 12-gun built and launched in July 1812. The ship had a short service history with the Royal Navy before the 16-gun USS Enterprise captured her near Portland, Maine in September 1813. She then went to have at least a decade-long commercial career.-Design and construction:The Bold...	16 November 1811	Hobbs & Hellyer, Redbridge, Southampton Southampton Southampton is the largest city in the county of Hampshire on the south coast of England, and is situated south-west of London and north-west of Portsmouth. Southampton is a major port and the closest city to the New Forest...	25 July 1812	Captured by US Navy 9 September 1813
Borer	16 November 1811	Tyson & Blake, Bursledon Bursledon Bursledon is a village on the River Hamble in Hampshire, England. It is located within the borough of Eastleigh. Close to the city of Southampton, Bursledon has a railway station, a marina, dockyards and the Bursledon Windmill. Nearby villages include Swanwick, Hamble-le-Rice, Netley and Sarisbury...	27 July 1812	Sold 12 October 1815
Shamrock	16 November 1811	Edward Larking, King's Lynn King's Lynn King's Lynn is a sea port and market town in the ceremonial county of Norfolk in the East of England. It is situated north of London and west of Norwich. The population of the town is 42,800....	8 August 1812	Sale notified 24 January 1867
Borer	16 November 1811	Thomas Hills, Sandwich Sandwich A sandwich is a food item, typically consisting of two or more slices of :bread with one or more fillings between them, or one slice of bread with a topping or toppings, commonly called an open sandwich. Sandwiches are a widely popular type of lunch food, typically taken to work or school, or...	26 August 1812	Became dredger at Mauritius 1826-7
Conflict	16 November 1811	William Good, Bridport Bridport Bridport is a market town in Dorset, England. Located near the coast at the western end of Chesil Beach at the confluence of the River Brit and its Asker and Simene tributaries, it originally thrived as a fishing port and rope-making centre...	26 September 1812	Sold 30 December 1840
Contest	16 November 1811	William Good, Bridport Bridport Bridport is a market town in Dorset, England. Located near the coast at the western end of Chesil Beach at the confluence of the River Brit and its Asker and Simene tributaries, it originally thrived as a fishing port and rope-making centre...	24 October 1812	Presumed to have foundered 14 April 1828
Swinger	16 November 1811	William Good, Bridport Bridport Bridport is a market town in Dorset, England. Located near the coast at the western end of Chesil Beach at the confluence of the River Brit and its Asker and Simene tributaries, it originally thrived as a fishing port and rope-making centre...	15 July 1813	Broken up March 1877
Plumper	16 November 1811	William Good, Bridport Bridport Bridport is a market town in Dorset, England. Located near the coast at the western end of Chesil Beach at the confluence of the River Brit and its Asker and Simene tributaries, it originally thrived as a fishing port and rope-making centre...	9 October 1813	Sold 12 December 1833
Adder	2 November 1812	Robert Davy, Topsham Topsham Topsham may refer to:United Kingdom:* Topsham, DevonUnited States:* Topsham, Maine, a town** Topsham , Maine, a census-designated place in the town* Topsham, Vermont, a town... , Exeter Exeter Exeter is a historic city in Devon, England. It lies within the ceremonial county of Devon, of which it is the county town as well as the home of Devon County Council. Currently the administrative area has the status of a non-metropolitan district, and is therefore under the administration of the...	28 June 1813	Wrecked December 1831
Griper	2 November 1812	Richards & Davidson, Hythe Hythe, Hampshire Hythe is a village near Southampton, Hampshire, England. It is located by the shore of Southampton Water, and has a ferry service connecting it to Southampton... , Southampton Southampton Southampton is the largest city in the county of Hampshire on the south coast of England, and is situated south-west of London and north-west of Portsmouth. Southampton is a major port and the closest city to the New Forest...	14 July 1813	Broken up November 1868
Clinker	2 November 1812	Robert Davy, Topsham Topsham Topsham may refer to:United Kingdom:* Topsham, DevonUnited States:* Topsham, Maine, a town** Topsham , Maine, a census-designated place in the town* Topsham, Vermont, a town... , Exeter Exeter Exeter is a historic city in Devon, England. It lies within the ceremonial county of Devon, of which it is the county town as well as the home of Devon County Council. Currently the administrative area has the status of a non-metropolitan district, and is therefore under the administration of the...	15 July 1813	Sale notified 24 January 1867
Pelter	2 November 1812	Henry Tucker, Bideford Bideford Bideford is a small port town on the estuary of the River Torridge in north Devon, south-west England. It is also the main town of the Torridge local government district.-History:...	27 August 1813	Sold 8 August 1862
Mastiff	2 November 1812	William Taylor, Bideford Bideford Bideford is a small port town on the estuary of the River Torridge in north Devon, south-west England. It is also the main town of the Torridge local government district.-History:...	25 September 1813	Broken up May 1851
Snapper	2 November 1812	Hobbs & Hellyer, Redbridge, Southampton Southampton Southampton is the largest city in the county of Hampshire on the south coast of England, and is situated south-west of London and north-west of Portsmouth. Southampton is a major port and the closest city to the New Forest...	27 September 1813	Sold 3 July 1861

1803-1808 ex-French prizes

During the early years of the Napoleonic War, some seventeen similar vessels were captured from the French (both naval vessels and privateers) and commissioned in the Royal Navy as gun-brigs. These assorted vessels did not, of course, constitute a single class, but as all were procured from the enemy during the Napoleonic War they are here treated similarly.

• Caroline
• Eclipse
• Papillon
• Cerf
• Hirondelle
• Morne Fortunee (i)
• Seaforth
• Hart
• Decouverte
• Unique
• Netley
• Morne Fortunee (ii)
• Carlotta
• Caledon

1804-1809 purchased vessels

• Enchantress
• Rolla (ex-American merchant vessel) - Purchased 1806; sold 1810 - Purchased 1807; recaptured by the French on 29 September 1808.
• Nancy - Purchased 1809; sold 1813.

1805-1806 ex-Spanish prizes

During the Napoleonic War, two similar vessels were captured from the Spanish and commissioned in the Royal Navy as gun-brigs. These vessels did not, of course, constitute a single class, but as both were procured from the enemy during this war they are here treated similarly.

• Leocadia
• Raposa

1807 ex-Danish prizes

During the Napoleonic War, two similar vessels were captured from the Danes and commissioned in the Royal Navy as gun-brigs. These vessels did not, of course, constitute a single class, but as both were procured from the enemy during this war they are here treated similarly.

• Brev Drageren
  HMS Brev Drageren (1807)
  HMS Brev Drageren was the Danish let brigger Brevdrageren, which was one of the many vessels the Danes surrendered to the British after the Battle of Copenhagen in 1807...
  
  
• Warning

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