HMS Deal Castle (1706) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids History
Great Britain
Name	HMS Deal Castle
Builder	Richard Burchett, Rotherhithe
Launched	9 September 1706
Acquired	2 August 1706
Commissioned	1707
Out of service	12 December 1722
Reinstated	May 1727
Fate	Broken at Deptford 14 August 1746
General characteristics
Type	20-gun Sixth Rate
Tons burthen	272+18⁄94 bm
Length	98 ft 2 in (29.9 m) gundeck 74 ft 6 in (22.7 m) keel for tonnage
Beam	26 ft 2.5 in (8.0 m) for tonnage
Depth of hold	11 ft 0 in (3.4 m)
Sail plan	ship-rigged
Armament	20 x 6-pdrs on upper deck 4 x 4-pdrs guns on quarterdeck
General characteristics As Rebuilt 1727
Class and type	20=gun, Sixth Rate
Tons burthen	3755/94 bm
Length	106 ft 1 in (32.33 m) gundeck 87 ft 10 in (26.77 m) keel for tonnage
Beam	28 ft 4 in (8.64 m) maximum
Depth of hold	9 ft 2 in (2.79 m)
Sail plan	ship-rigged
Armament	20 x 6-pdrs on upper deck

HMS Deal Castle was a special kind of warship called a 24-gun sixth-rate ship. It was part of the Royal Navy of Great Britain. The ship was bought in 1706 and sailed in different parts of the world, like the West Indies, North America, and around England.

After serving for many years, Deal Castle was rebuilt in 1727. It then continued its duties in the same areas. Finally, the ship was taken apart in August 1746.

Deal Castle was actually the second ship to have this name. The first Deal Castle was also a 24-gun ship. It was launched in 1697 but was captured by the French in 1706.

Building the Deal Castle

This ship was originally going to be a merchant vessel, meaning it would carry goods for trade. However, the Royal Navy decided to buy it while it was still being built! They bought it on August 2, 1706, from a builder named Richard Burchett in Rotherhithe.

The ship was officially launched, or put into the water, on September 9, 1706. Here are some interesting facts about its size:

• Its main deck for guns was about 98 feet (29.9 meters) long.
• The bottom part of the ship, called the keel, was about 74 feet (22.7 meters) long.
• The ship was about 26 feet (8 meters) wide.
• The inside depth of its hull was about 11 feet (3.4 meters).

Deal Castle was designed to carry 20 cannons that fired 6-pound cannonballs on its upper deck. It also had four smaller cannons that fired 4-pound cannonballs on its quarterdeck. It was a full-rigged ship, which means it had three masts with square sails.

Early Adventures at Sea

Deal Castle officially started its service in 1707. Its first commander was Charles Howard. The ship was sent to the West Indies, a group of islands in the Caribbean Sea.

• In August 1707, Commander Henry Blimstone took over after Commander Howard passed away.
• In 1709, Commander John Codner became the commander. He sailed the ship in the North Sea and the English Channel. Later, he took the ship to Jamaica. He was promoted to captain in 1713 but sadly died in 1714.
• In April 1714, Captain Francis Willis took command. He prepared the ship for duty along the Scottish Coast.
• In 1717, Deal Castle sailed to Newfoundland, which is now part of Canada.

The Big Rebuild in 1727

After years of service, Deal Castle needed a major upgrade! In 1723, it was decided that the ship would be rebuilt at Sheerness Dockyard. This was a big project to make the ship stronger and more modern.

The rebuild followed new plans from 1719 for 20-gun ships. The ship was taken apart and then put back together. It was launched again (floated out of the dock) on April 6, 1727.

Here are the new sizes after the rebuild:

• Its gundeck was now about 106 feet (32.3 meters) long.
• The keel was about 87 feet (26.8 meters) long.
• The ship was wider, at about 28 feet (8.6 meters).
• The depth of its hold was about 9 feet (2.8 meters).

After the rebuild, Deal Castle still carried 20 cannons that fired 6-pound cannonballs on its upper deck. It was still a full-rigged ship. The rebuild was finished on June 16, 1727, and cost about £3,716.

More Service After the Rebuild

After its rebuild, Deal Castle was ready for more adventures!

• In May 1727, Captain Timothy Brett took command. The ship served in "Home Waters," meaning around Great Britain.
• In 1728, Captain Samuel Mead was in charge.
• The ship was taken out of service for a short time in November 1731 but was quickly recommissioned under Captain David Aubin.
• In March 1734, Captain Robert Shorting took command. After he passed away in August 1734, Captain William Knight brought the ship back to Home Waters.
• From March to July 1738, the ship went through another repair period.
• In June 1738, Captain Temple West took command. The ship sailed to Halifax, Nova Scotia in 1739 and then to Tagus in 1740.
• In February 1741, Captain John Hamilton took over and sailed with a group of ships to Lisbon.
• In December 1741, Captain Jacon Elton commanded the ship in the Western Approaches (the waters west of Great Britain).
• In July 1742, it was at Vigo with another ship called HMS Looe.
• In February 1743, Captain Samuel Goddard took command and served in the West Indies.
• On February 23, 1744, Deal Castle captured a privateer ship called Le Bien Aime. Privateers were private ships allowed by a government to attack enemy ships.
• By September 1744, Captain Thomas Somers was the commander.
• On May 16, 1745, Deal Castle captured two more privateers, La Fidele and La Providence.
• The ship returned to Home Waters and was taken out of service in December 1745.

The End of an Era

After a long and busy life at sea, HMS Deal Castle was inspected. It was then sold for £191 in Deptford on August 14, 1746. It was taken apart, marking the end of its service.