Nightingale Group

Class overview
Name| Nightingale Group
Builders|

* Chatham Dockyard
* Portsmouth Dockyard

Operators|  Royal Navy
Preceded by| Maidstone Group
Succeeded by| Purchased Group
Built| 1702–1704
In service| 1702–1724
Completed| 3
Lost| 2
Retired| 1
General characteristics
Type| 20-gun sixth rate
Tons burthen| 244+57⁄94 bm
Length|

* 93 ft 0 in (28.3 m) gundeck
* 77 ft 8 in (23.7 m) keel for tonnage

Beam| 24 ft 4 in (7.4 m) for tonnage
Depth of hold| 10 ft 8 in (3.3 m)
Armament|

* 20 x 6 pdr guns on wooden trucks (UD)
* 4 x 4 pdr guns on wooden trucks (QD)

The Nightingale sixth rates were basically repeats of the Maidstone Group. Initially two vessels were ordered, however with one lost within months of completion a third vessel was ordered. The main difference between these and the Maidstones was the slight deck over the upper deck to improve defensibility. Their armament was similar as were the dimensions of the vessels. They were constructed between 1702 and 1704.[1]

## Design and specifications[edit]

The construction of the vessels was assigned to naval dockyards. As with most vessels of this time period only order and launch dates are available. Each ship was built to the Maidstone Group generalized specification with dimensional creep accruing in all vessels. The dimensional data listed here is the general specification, whereas the actual dimensions where known will be listed with each ship. The general specification called for a gundeck of 93 feet 0 inches (28.3 metres) with a keel length of 77 feet 8 inches (23.7 metres) for tonnage calculation. The breadth would be 24 feet 4 inches (7.4 metres) for tonnage with a depth of hold of 10 feet 8 inches (3.3 metres). The tonnage calculation would be 244+57⁄94.[2]

The gun armament as established in 1703 would be twenty 6-pounder cannon mounted on wooden trucks on the upper deck with four 3-pounder guns on the quarterdeck.[3]

## Ships of the Nightingale Group[edit]

Name | Builder | Launch date | Remarks

|
|
|

Nightingale (1702) | Chatham Dockyard | 16 December 1702 |

* taken by French 1707
* retaken and renamed Fox 1708
* Broken up at Deptford 2 March 1724

Squirrel (1703) i | Portsmouth Dockyard | June 1703 | Captured by French privateers 21 September 1703
Squirrel (1704) ii | Portsmouth Dockyard | October 1704 | captured by French privateers 7 July 1706, then recaptured 1708 and foundered

## Notes[edit]

## Citations[edit]

1. ^ Winfield
2. ^ Winfield
3. ^ Winfield

## References[edit]

* Colledge, Ships of the Royal Navy, by J.J. Colledge, revised and updated by Lt Cdr Ben Warlow and Steve Bush, published by Seaforth Publishing, Barnsley, Great Britain, © 2020, e ISBN 978-1-5267-9328-7 (EPUB)
* Winfield, British Warships in the Age of Sail (1603 – 1714), by Rif Winfield, published by Seaforth Publishing, England © 2009, EPUB ISBN 9781783469246, Chapter 6, The Sixth Rates, Vessels acquired from 18 December 1688, Sixth Rates of 20 guns and up to 26 guns, Nightingale Group

* v
* t
* e

Nightingale Group

* Nightingale
* Squirrel
* Squirrel

* Preceded by: Maidstone Group
* Followed by: Gibraltar Group

* List of corvette and sloop classes of the Royal Navy

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