''Gainsborough'' was a 40-gun
fourth-rate
In 1603 all English warships with a compliment of fewer than 160 men were known as 'small ships'. In 1625/26 to establish pay rates for officers a six tier naval ship rating system was introduced.Winfield 2009 These small ships were divided i ...
frigate
A frigate () is a type of warship. In different eras, the roles and capabilities of ships classified as frigates have varied somewhat.
The name frigate in the 17th to early 18th centuries was given to any full-rigged ship built for speed and ...
of the
English
English usually refers to:
* English language
* English people
English may also refer to:
Peoples, culture, and language
* ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England
** English national ide ...
Navy, originally built under the 1652 programme for the navy of the
Commonwealth of England
The Commonwealth was the political structure during the period from 1649 to 1660 when England and Wales, later along with Ireland and Scotland, were governed as a republic after the end of the Second English Civil War and the trial and execut ...
by Thomas Taylor at
Pitch House (Wapping), and launched in 1653.
She was named for the Parliamentarian victory at the
Battle of Gainsborough
The Battle of Gainsborough was a battle in the First English Civil War, fought on 28 July 1643. The strategically important town of Gainsborough was a Royalist base used for harassing the Parliamentarians who were generally dominant in Lin ...
in 1643.
After
the Restoration
Restoration is the act of restoring something to its original state and may refer to:
* Conservation and restoration of cultural heritage
** Audio restoration
** Film restoration
** Image restoration
** Textile restoration
* Restoration ecology
...
of the monarchy in 1660, she was renamed ''Swallow''. By 1666 her armament had been increased to 48 guns.
The ''Swallow'', commanded by Captain
Wolfran Cornewall, served as
Colonel Cunningham's flagship during the expedition to Loch Foyle in April 1689.
The fleet carried two battalions which should have reinforced the garrison of Derry. The town, which was loyal to
King William, had already been attacked in December 1688, and was about to be attacked again as
James
James is a common English language surname and given name:
*James (name), the typically masculine first name James
* James (surname), various people with the last name James
James or James City may also refer to:
People
* King James (disambiguat ...
was on his way to the town with a strong army. However
Robert Lundy
Robert Lundy (floruit, fl. 1689) (died 1717) was a Scottish army officer best known for serving as Governor of Londonderry during the early stages of the Siege of Derry.
Early career
Lundy was born in Dumbarton and raised in the Church of Scotla ...
, the city's governor, told Cunningham to return to England as the town would surrender.
The ''Swallow'', still under the command of Wolfbran Cornewall, was also part of the relief fleet for Derry under General
Percy Kirke
Lieutenant General Percy Kirke (c. 1646 – 31 October 1691), English soldier, was the son of George Kirke, a court official to Charles I and Charles II.
Career
In 1666 Kirke obtained his first Army commission in Lord Admiral's regiment, and ...
in June and July 1689.
''Swallow'' was wrecked at Kinsale on 9 February 1692.
Notes
References
*Lavery, Brian (2003) ''The Ship of the Line - Volume 1: The development of the battlefleet 1650-1850.'' Conway Maritime Press. .
*Winfield, Rif (2009) ''British Warships in the Age of Sail 1603-1714: Design, Construction, Careers and Fates''. Seaforth Publishing. .
Ships of the line of the Royal Navy
1650s ships
Ships built in Wapping
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