HMS ''Thetis'' was a 46-gun fifth-rate

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 ...

built for the Royal Navy during the 1810s. She was first commissioned in 1823 and was assigned to the

South America Station The South America Station was a formation of the Royal Navy which existed from 1808 to 1838 when it was split into the Pacific Station and the South East Coast of America Station. Following the invasion of Portugal by Napoleon, the Portuguese cou ...

three years later. The ship was wrecked in 1830 off Cape Frio, Brazil, with the loss of 22 crewmen; most of her cargo of

bullion Bullion is non-ferrous metal that has been refined to a high standard of elemental purity. The term is ordinarily applied to bulk metal used in the production of coins and especially to precious metals such as gold and silver. It comes from t ...

was successfully salvaged.

Description

''Thetis'' had a length at the

gundeck The term gun deck used to refer to a deck aboard a ship that was primarily used for the mounting of cannon to be fired in broadsides. The term is generally applied to decks enclosed under a roof; smaller and unrated vessels carried their guns on ...

of and at the keel. She had a

beam Beam may refer to: Streams of particles or energy *Light beam, or beam of light, a directional projection of light energy **Laser beam *Particle beam, a stream of charged or neutral particles **Charged particle beam, a spatially localized grou ...

of , a draught of and a depth of hold of . The ship's tonnage was 1086 tons

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.Winfield 2008, p. 686 ''Thetis'' was armed with twenty-eight 18-pounder cannon on her

, fourteen 32-pounder

carronade A carronade is a short, smoothbore, cast-iron cannon which was used by the Royal Navy. It was first produced by the Carron Company, an ironworks in Falkirk, Scotland, and was used from the mid-18th century to the mid-19th century. Its main func ...

s on her quarterdeck and a pair of 9-pounder cannon and two more 32-pounder carronades in forecastle. The ship had a crew of 315 officers and ratings.Winfield & Lyon, p. 107

Construction and career

''Thetis'', the eighth ship of her name to serve in the Royal Navy, was ordered on 18 December 1812, laid down in December 1814 at Pembroke Dockyard, Wales, and launched on 1 February 1813. She sailed for Plymouth Dockyard on 21 August 1817 and was completed for

ordinary Ordinary or The Ordinary often refer to: Music * ''Ordinary'' (EP) (2015), by South Korean group Beast * ''Ordinary'' (Every Little Thing album) (2011) * "Ordinary" (Two Door Cinema Club song) (2016) * "Ordinary" (Wayne Brady song) (2008) * ...

on 20 September. ''Thetis'' cost £27,435 to build and £7,699 to fit out for ordinary. The ship's first commission began on 15 March 1823, under the command of

Captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police department, election precinct, e ...

John Phillimore Sir John Phillimore CB (18 January 1781 – 21 March 1840) was an officer of the Royal Navy who saw service during the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars. He was involved in several notable actions during his active career, taking par ...

, and she was completed for sea duty on 20 August 1823 at the cost of an additional £12,959.Winfield 2014, p. 577 Soon after this ''Thetis'' was used in an experiment reducing the onboard rum ration, for which the ship received the nickname "Tea Chest". ''Thetis'' was assigned to the South America Station in June 1826 and Captain Arthur Bingham assumed command on 8 November. He died on 19 August 1830 and Captain Samuel Burgess was in command by 29 November. On 5 December ''Thetis'', the ship was wrecked off Cape Frio, Brazil; 22 crewmen drowned. Two-thirds of her cargo of bullion was subsequently salvaged. In August 1832 the Falmouth packet brought back to England 17,000 dollars salvaged from ''Thetis''."Money-Market and City Intelligence." ''Times'' [London, England] 8 Aug. 1832: 3. The Times Digital Archive. Web. 6 Aug. 2018.
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Notes

References

* *Hepper, David J. (1994) ''British Warship Losses in the Age of Sail, 1650–1859''. (Rotherfield: Jean Boudriot). * * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Thetis (1817) Leda-class frigates 1817 ships Ships built in Pembroke Dock Maritime incidents in December 1830