Henry Peake facts for kids

Sir Henry Peake (1753–1825) was a very important ship designer and builder for the Royal Navy, which is the navy of the United Kingdom. He rose through the ranks to become the Surveyor of the Navy, a top job where he oversaw the design and construction of many ships.

Sir Henry Peake's Life

Henry Peake was born in 1753 near Portsmouth, England. He joined the Royal Navy in May 1762 when he was only nine years old! He started as an apprentice ship's carpenter, learning how to build and fix ships.

By 1779, he became the Master Shipwright at Sheerness Dockyard. This meant he was in charge of all the shipbuilding and repairs there.

In June 1806, Henry Peake became one of the two Surveyors of the Navy. This was a very high position where he helped decide how new warships would be designed and built for the entire Royal Navy. He worked alongside another important person, Sir William Rule.

He was knighted by the Prince Regent (who later became King George IV) on June 25, 1814. This meant he was given the title "Sir" for his important work. Sir Henry Peake officially retired in 1822 and passed away in 1825.

Sir Henry Peake's Family

Sir Henry Peake was married to Sarah Ladd. They had several sons who also became important officers in the Royal Navy:

• Admiral Thomas Ladd Peake (1782-1865)
• Commander William Peake (1780-1813), who sadly died while serving on HMS Peacock
• James Peake
• Commander Henry Frederick Peake

Ships Sir Henry Peake Built

Sir Henry Peake oversaw the building of many ships at various dockyards. Here are some of the notable ships he helped construct:

• HMS Polyphemus (1782) (1782) – a 64-gun ship of the line (a large warship)
• HMS Europa (1783) (1783) – a 50-gun ship of the line
• HMS Vanguard (1787) (1787) – a 74-gun ship of the line
• HMS Grampus (1802) (1802) – a 50-gun ship of the line
• HMS Colossus (1803) (1803) – a 74-gun ship of the line
• Royal Sovereign (1804) – an unarmed yacht
• HMS Hebe (1804) (1804) – a 32-gun frigate (a fast warship)
• HMS Arrow (1805) (1805) – a 14-gun schooner (a smaller, fast ship)
• HMS Minerva (1805) (1805) – a 32-gun frigate

Ships Sir Henry Peake Designed

Besides building ships, Sir Henry Peake also designed many of them. The dates in brackets show when the design was created, not when the ship was launched.

• HMS Brunswick (1786) – a 74-gun ship of the line
• HMS Bermuda (1806) – a 10-gun sloop (a small warship)
• Cherokee-class brig-sloop (1807) – a class of over one hundred 10-gun sloops
• HMS Rapid (1808) – a 16-gun sloop
• Pygmy-class schooner (1809) – a 10-gun schooner
• Vesuvius-class sloop (1812) – a 10-gun sloop designed as a bomb vessel (a ship that fired bombs)
• Fury-class sloop (1813) – a 12-gun sloop also designed as a bomb vessel
• HMS Waterloo (1813) – an 80-gun ship of the line