1650 Programme Group

The 1650 Programme of six 510 ton Fourth Rate vessels was initiated by the Council of State on 16 November 1649. On 2 January 1650 the Admiralty Committee confirmed that six 'frigrates' had been ordered at a cost of 6.10.0d per ton. The ships would be built under contract with the exception of one ship built in Dockyard. The ships were all named by 16 August 1650 and launched by the end of the year. Each ship was to carry initially 34 guns and 150 men. This would increase over time^[1]

Class overview
Name	1650 Programme Group
Builders	five by contract Deptford Dockyard
Operators	Kingdom of England  Royal Navy
Preceded by	1649 Programme Group
Succeeded by	1651 Programme Group
Built	1649 - 1650
In service	1650 - 1745
Completed	6
Lost	5
Retired	1
General characteristics
Type	34-gun Fourth Rate
Tons burthen	511+16⁄94 tons (bm)
Length	100 ft 0 in (30.48 m) keel for tonnage
Beam	31 ft 0 in (9.45 m)
Sail plan	ship-rigged
Complement	150/1652, 160/1653
Armament	34 guns

Design and specifications

The construction one vessels was assigned to Deptford dockyard with the remainder contracted to private builders. The contract dimensional data was keel of 100 ft 0 in (30.48 m) breadth 31 ft 0 in (9.45 m) and a builder's measure tonnage of 511+16⁄94 tons at a contract price of 6.10.0d^{[Note 1]} per ton. The ships were to have 34 guns and a manning level of 150, however, this was increased to 40 and 44 guns with 180 personnel. The guns would be culverins^{[2][Note 2]} on the lower deck (LD), demi-culverines^{[3][Note 3]} on the upper deck and sakers^{[4][Note 4]} on the quarterdeck (QD).^[5]

Ships of the 1650 Programme Group

Name	Builder	Launch date	Remarks
Foresight (1650)	Deptford Dockyard	1650	Wrecked 4 July 1698
Assistance (1650)	Henry Johnson, Deptford	1650	Rebuilt Deptford 1687 Rebuilt Deptford Dockyard 1699 Rebuilt Limehouse 1712 Rebuilt Woolwich Dockyard 1720–25 Sunk as breakwater December 1745
Reserve (1650)	Peter Pett II, Woodbridge	1650	Rebuilt at Deptford 1700–01 Foundered November 1703
Advice (1650)	Peter Pett II, Woodbridge	1650	Rebuilt at Woolwich 1700–01 Taken by French privateers 1711
Pelican (1650)	John Taylor, Wapping	1650	Accidentally burnt at Portsmouth 13 February 1656
Centurion (1650)	Peter Pett I, Ratcliffe	1650	Wrecked 25 December 1689

Notes

1. The cost accounting for inflation of approximately £1,100 in reference to today
2. The culverin was a gun of 4,500 pounds with a 5.5 inch bore firing a 17.5 pound shot with a twelve pound powder charge
3. The demi-culverin was a gun of 3,400 pounds with a four inch bore firing a 9.5 pound shot with an eight pound powder charge
4. The sacar or saker was a gun of 1,400 pounds with a 3.5 inch bore firing a 4 pound shot with an 4 pound powder charge

Citations

1. Winfield
2. Lavery, page 100
3. Lavery, page 101
4. Lavery, page 102
5. Winfield

References

• British Warships in the Age of Sail (1603 – 1714), by Rif Winfield, published by Seaforth Publishing, England © Rif Winfield 2009, EPUB ISBN 978-1-78346-924-6, Chapter 4, The Fourth Rates - 'Small Ships', Vessels acquired from 24 March 1603, 1650 Programme
• 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, © the estate of J.J. Colledge, Ben Warlow and Steve Bush 2020, EPUB ISBN 978-1-5267-9328-7
• The Arming and Fitting of English Ships of War 1600 - 1815, by Brian Lavery, published by US Naval Institute Press © Brian Lavery 1989, ISBN 978-0-87021-009-9, Part V Guns, Type of Guns