HMS Mermaid (1749) facts for kids
Mermaid
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Quick facts for kids History |
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.svg){kind=small} Great Britain |
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| Name | HMS Mermaid |
| Ordered | 4 February 1748 |
| Builder | Henry Adams, Bucklers Hard |
| Laid down | 2 April 1748 |
| Launched | 22 May 1749 |
| Commissioned | June 1749 |
| Fate | Bilged and abandoned on 6 January 1760 |
| General characteristics | |
| Class and type | Sixth-rate post ship |
| Tons burthen | 533 tons |
| Length |
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| Beam | 32 ft 2 in (9.80 m) |
| Depth of hold | 10 ft 2.5 in (3.112 m) |
| Sail plan | Full-rigged ship |
| Complement | 160 |
| Armament |
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HMS Mermaid was a special kind of warship called a 24-gun sixth-rate post ship. This means she was a smaller warship, but still important. She belonged to the Royal Navy, which is the British navy. Mermaid was built between 1748 and 1749 and played a part in the Seven Years' War, a big global conflict.
Contents
Building and Getting Ready for Service
Ordering the Ship
The order to build Mermaid was given on 4 February 1748. A shipbuilder named Henry Adams, from a place called Bucklers Hard, was chosen to build her.
Construction Details
The first part of the ship, the keel, was laid down on 2 April 1748. This is like laying the foundation for a building. The ship was designed by Joseph Allin, who was the main ship designer for the navy. She was officially named Mermaid on 6 December.
Launch and Completion
Mermaid was launched into the water on 22 May 1749. After that, she was finished and fully equipped at Portsmouth Dockyard by 7 August 1749. Building her cost about £4,211, and getting her ready for sea cost another £3,829.
Mermaid's Journeys and Service
Early Commanders and Voyages
Mermaid began her active service in June 1749. Her first captain was Captain John Montagu. He sailed her all the way to New York in August 1749. Later, in 1750, Captain Edward Keller took command, followed by Captain Elias Bate that same year.
Facing a Hurricane
On 15 September 1752, Mermaid faced a powerful hurricane while near Charles Town, South Carolina, in what was then British America. The storm pushed her ashore, meaning she was forced onto the land.
Changes in Command and Repairs
In 1753, Captain John Hollwall became her commander. Mermaid spent her first years of service sailing in the waters around North America and the Caribbean Sea. In July 1753, she was taken out of active service for a while. Over the next few months, she was repaired and refitted.
Later Service and Final Fate
Mermaid was put back into service in January 1754 under Captain Washington Shirley. She then sailed to New England in July 1754. In 1756, Captain Alexander Innes took command, and in 1758, Captain James Hackman became her last captain.
Sadly, on 4 December 1759, Mermaid ran aground on a sandbank off Big Grand Cay in the Bahamas. This caused serious damage to the bottom of her hull, a problem known as being "bilged." Because she was so badly damaged, she was left behind as a wreck on 6 January 1760.
