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History
England
Name	HMS Experiment
Ordered	28 June 1689
Builder	Royal Dockyard, Chatham
Launched	17 December 1689
Commissioned	1690
Fate	Breaking completed at Portsmouth in July 1738
General characteristics
Type	32-gun fifth rate
Tons burthen	3712/94 bm
Length	105 ft 0 in (32.0 m) gundeck; 92 ft 0 in (28.0 m) keel for tonnage;
Beam	27 ft 6 in (8.4 m) for tonnage
Depth of hold	10 ft 6 in (3.2 m)
Sail plan	ship-rigged
Complement	as fifth rate 145/100; as sixth rate 115/85;
Armament	as built; 4 × 4 demi-culverines on wooden trucks (LD); 20 × sakers on wooden trucks (UD); 4 × 4 minions on wooden trucks (QD); 1703 Establishment; 4 × 4 9-pdr guns on wooden trucks (LD); 22/20 × 6-pdr guns on wooden trucks (UD); 6/4 × 4-pdr guns on wooden trucks (QD); as sixth rate; 20/18 6-pdrs on wooden trucks (UD);
General characteristics as rebuilt 1727
Type	20-gun Sixth Rate
Tons burthen	374+66⁄94 bm
Length	106 ft 0 in (32.3 m) gundeck; 87 ft 9 in (26.7 m) keel for tonnage;
Beam	28 ft 4 in (8.6 m) for tonnage
Depth of hold	9 ft 2 in (2.8 m)
Sail plan	ship-rigged
Armament	20 × 6-pdr 19 cwt guns on wooden trucks (UD)

HMS Experiment was a fifth rate built under the 1689 programme built at Deptford Dockyard. Her guns were listed under old terms for guns as demi-culverines,^{[Note 1]} sakers^{[Note 2]} and minions.^{[Note 3]} After commissioning she spent her career in Home Waters, North America, Mediterranean and the West Indies. She was reduced to a 20-gun sixth rate in 1717 then rebuilt as a 1719 Establishment sixth rate in 1724. Her breaking was finally completed at Portsmouth in 1738.^[1]^[2]

Experiment was the third named vessel since it was used for a double-hulled sloop built in 1664 and lost in 1687.^[3]

Construction

She was ordered on 28 June 1689 from Chatham Dockyard to be built under the guidance of Master Shipwright Robert Lee. She was launched on 17 December 1689.^[4]

Commissioned service

She was commissioned in 1690 under the command of Captain John Jennings, RN for service in America. Captain Thomas Heathe, RN took command in 1692 for service with the Fleet. In January Captain James Greenaway, RN was in command with Wheeler's squadron in the West Indies. Captain Michael Wilkins took command in February 1694, but died on 16 August, then Captain David Lloyd, RN took command at Jamaica.In 1695 Captain James Lawrence was her commander until he died on 15 September 1695. In May 1697, Captain John Lapthorne, RN was her commander in Home Waters followed by Captain Trevor Tudor, RN in 1698 for the Mediterranean followed by a stint in Newfoundland in 1700.^[5] In 1701 Captain Richard Paul, RN took command for Whetstone's squadron in the West Indies. With the death of Captain Paul on 17 March 1703, Captain William Russel until his death on 30 June 1703. Captain Humphrey Pudner, RN took command. Captain William Jamesson took command until his death, then Captain John Williams, RN took over in September 1706.^[6]

In January 1707 Captain Robert Bowler, RN took command at Jamaica, followed by Captain Charles Adamson, RN who died on 27 February 1708. Captain Robert Johnson, RN took command after Captain Adamson died, then in February 1708 Captain Robert Studley, RN took command with Admiral Byng's Fleet at the Downs. In November 1708 Captain James Hemmington, RN was with Mighells's squadron in the North Sea. June 1709 she was under Captain Charles Hardy, RN then Captain Hemmington took command again in November 1709 for service in the English Channel and later onto Portugal. She took privateer, La Decouverte on 24 August 1710.^[7] In March 1711 Captain Mathew Elford, RN was in command for service in North America and Jamaica. She took the privateer, La Dame de Lazire on 1 June 1711. In December 1712 she was sent to Motherbank to look after the quarantine ships. In 1713 she was in Home Waters for 'owling'. She underwent a great repair at Portsmouth between April and August 1713 at a cost of £25,847.18.9d.^{[Note 4]} She was paid off in December 1714. She was reduced to a 20-gun sixth rate at Plymouth costing £1,450.6.43/4d^{[Note 5]} in July 1717.^[8]

Commissioned Service as a Sixth Rate

She recommissioned under Captain Edmund Hooke, RN for service at Sale, Morocco in 1718. In June 1719 her commander was Captain William Davies, RN and remained at Sale. She was docked at Plymouth on 20 March 1724 for dismantling and preparation for rebuilding.^[9]

Rebuild to 1719 Establishment Sixth Rate 1724 - 1727

She was ordered to be rebuilt on 12 April and again on 27 April 1727 at Plymouth Dockyard under the guidance of Master Shipwright Peirson Lock. Her keel was laid in March and launched on 1 November 1727. The dimensions after rebuild were gundeck 106 feet 0 inches (32.3 metres) with a keel length of 87 feet 9 inches (26.7 metres) for tonnage calculation. The breadth would be 28 feet 4 inches (8.6 metres) with a depth of hold of 9 ft 2 in (2.8 m). The tonnage calculation would be 37466/94 tons.^[10] The gun armament as established in 1713 would be twenty 6-pounder 19 hundredweight (cwt) guns mounted on wooden trucks.^[11] She was completed for sea in 1728 at a cost of £3,895.^{[Note 6]}^[12]

Commissioned Service After 1727 Rebuild

She was commissioned in January 1728 under the command of Captain Henry Reddish, RN for cruising off Newfoundland. She returned Home and paid off in September 1731. She underwent a middling repair at Plymouth costing £2,487.10.7d^{[Note 7]} in November 1731. She was recommissioned in 1732 under the command of Captain John StLo, RN for service in the West Indies. She returned Home and paid off in August 1732.^[13]

Disposition

Her breaking was completed at Portsmouth in July 1738.^[14]

Notes

^ A demi-culverine was a gun of 3,400 pounds with a four-inch bore firing a 9.5-pound shot with an eight-pound powder charge.
^ A sacar or saker was a gun of 1,400 pounds with a 3.5-inch bore firing a 5.5-pound shot with a 5.5-pound powder charge.
^ A minion was a gun of 1,000 pounds with a 3.5-inch bore firing a 4-pound shot with a 4-pound powder charge.
^ A total cost accounting for inflation of approximately £4,719,200 in today's money.
^ A total cost accounting for inflation of approximately £264,900 in today's money.
^ A total cost accounting for inflation of approximately £731,800 in today's money.
^ A total cost accounting for inflation of approximately £517,700 in today's money.

Citations

^ Winfield 2009
^ Winfield 2007
^ Colledge
^ Winfield 2009
^ Winfield 2009
^ Winfield 2009
^ Winfield 2009
^ Winfield 2007
^ Winfield 2009
^ Winfield 2007
^ Winfield 2009
^ Winfield 2007
^ Winfield 2007
^ Winfield 2007

References

Winfield 2009, British Warships in the Age of Sail (1603–1714), by Rif Winfield, published by Seaforth Publishing, England © 2009, EPUB ISBN 978-1-78346-924-6, Chapter 5, The Fifth Rates, Vessels acquired from 16 December 1688, Fifth Rates of 32 and 36 guns, 1689 Programme, Experiment
Winfield 2007, British Warships in the Age of Sail (1714–1792), by Rif Winfield, published by Seaforth Publishing, England © 2007, EPUB ISBN 978-1-78346-925-3, Chapter 6, Sixth Rates, Sixth Rates of 20 or 24 guns, Vessels acquired from 1 August 1714, 1719 Establishment Group, Experiment
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, EPUB ISBN 978-1-5267-9328-7, Section E (Experiment)