The English ship ''Winsby'' (renamed HMS ''Happy Return'' in 1660) was a 44-gun fourth-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 navy of the Commonwealth of England at

Great Yarmouth Great Yarmouth (), often called Yarmouth, is a seaside town and unparished area in, and the main administrative centre of, the Borough of Great Yarmouth in Norfolk, England; it straddles the River Yare and is located east of Norwich. A pop ...

, and launched in February 1654. ''Winsby'' was named for the Parliamentarian victory at the Battle of Winceby (1643). After the restoration of the monarchy in 1660, ''Winsby'' was renamed, as her original name was incompatible with the restored

Stuart monarchy The House of Stuart, originally spelt Stewart, was a royal house of Scotland, England, Ireland and later Great Britain. The family name comes from the office of High Steward of Scotland, which had been held by the family progenitor Walter fit ...

Construction and commissioning

The

''Winsby'' was a fourth rate, named after the Battle of Winceby (1643). She was ordered by the Commonwealth on 27 December 1652. The ship was launched on 21 February 1654. The English ship ''Winsby'' cost the navy £3,932. It was built at

in Norfolk under the direction of master

shipwright Shipbuilding is the construction of ships and other floating vessels. It normally takes place in a specialized facility known as a shipyard. Shipbuilders, also called shipwrights, follow a specialized occupation that traces its roots to befor ...

Edmund Edgar. She had a length at the gun deck of , a

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of , a draught of , and a

depth of hold Depth(s) may refer to: Science and mathematics * Three-dimensional space * Depth (ring theory), an important invariant of rings and modules in commutative and homological algebra * Depth in a well, the measurement between two points in an oil w ...

of . The ship's tonnage was 605 tons

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. Originally built for 50 guns, by 1666 she was carrying 52 guns (8 sakers, 22 culverins, and 22

demi-culverin The demi-culverin was a medium cannon similar to but slightly larger than a saker and smaller than a regular culverin developed in the late 16th century. Barrels of demi-culverins were typically about long, had a calibre of and could weigh up t ...

s). By 1685, this had changed to 48 guns (22 culverins, 20 demi-culverins and 6 demi-culverin cutts). The ship had a crew of 190 officers and ratings in 1666.

Career

''Winsby'' was commissioned in 1654 under Captain Joseph Ames (until 1660), and fought at the Battle of Santa Cruz (20 April 1657). During 1659 she was in operations in the Sound. ''Winsby'' was renamed after the restoration of the monarchy in 1660, as her original name was incompatible with the restored

. Under Ames, ''Happy Return'' served in the North Sea in June 1660. In September that year she came under the command of Captain John Tyrwhit. Robert Moulton was captain from 31 May 1664 to 16 August 1664. From 4 October 1664 to 25 August the following year she was under Captain James Lambert—under Lambert she fought at the Battle of Lowestoft (Red squadron, Centre division) on 3 June 1665, and at the Battle of Vägen on 3 August that year. From 28 August 1665 to 11 June 1666, Henry Cuttance was her captain. ''Happy Return'' took part in the ''Four Days' Battle'' (White squadron, Van division), 14 June 1666. From 12 June 1666 to 11 October 1667, she was under Captain Francis Courtney. The quarter-gallery of the Happy Return RMG PW6974

The quarter-gallery of the Happy Return RMG PW6974

''Happy Return'' fought in both Battles of Schooneveld (25 May and 4 June 1673). By 1677. her armament had been increased from 44 to 54 guns. In 1678 she was operating in the Mediterranean, and took part in the expedition to Tangier in 1681. In 1685 she was in home waters and back in the Mediterranean, where she returned in 1690. on 22 April 1690 she captured the 32-gun ship '' La Vierge de Grace''. The following year she saw convoy service off Barfleur ''Happy Return'' was amongst those warships led by HMS ''Gloucester'' which was commissioned to convey James Stuart, Duke of York (the future King James II of England) to Scotland. On 6 May 1682, ''Gloucester'' struck a sandbank off the Norfolk coast, and quickly sank. The Duke was saved, but as many as 250 people drowned, including members of the royal party. On 4 November 1691, ''Happy Return'' was captured by French privateers off

Dunkirk Dunkirk (french: Dunkerque ; vls, label=French Flemish, Duunkerke; nl, Duinkerke(n) ; , ;) is a commune in the department of Nord in northern France.

References

Sources

* * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Happy Return (1654) Ships of the line of the Royal Navy 1650s ships Captured ships