HMS Drake (1694)

For other ships with the same name, see HMS Drake.

History
England
Name	HMS Drake
Ordered	2 May 1694
Builder	George Fowler, Rotherhithe
Launched	26 September 1694
Commissioned	26 September 1694
Fate	Lost with all hands on 20 December 1694
General characteristics
Type	20-gun Sixth Rate
Tons burthen	253+6⁄94 bm
Length	93 ft 0 in (28.3 m) gundeck 77 ft 8 in (23.7 m) keel for tonnage
Beam	24 ft 9 in (7.5 m) for tonnage
Depth of hold	10 ft 8 in (3.3 m)
Armament	initially as ordered 20 × sakers on wooden trucks (UD) 4 × 3-pdr on wooden trucks (QD) 1703 Establishment 20 × 6-pdrs on wooden trucks (UD) 4 × 4-pdr on wooden trucks (QD)

HMS Drake was a member of the standardized 20-gun sixth rates built at the end of the 17th century. After commissioning she was lost within three months on the Irish Coast in a storm on 20 December 1694.

Drake was the second named vessel since it was used for a 16-gun vessel launched at Deptford in 1653 and sold at Jamaica in 1691.

Construction

She was ordered in the Second Batch of eight ships to be built under contract from George Fowler of Rotherhithe. She was launched on 26 September 1694.

Commissioned service

She was commissioned on 26 September 1694 under the command of Captain John Stapleton, RN.

Loss

HMS Drake was wrecked with the loss of all hands on the Irish Coast in a storm on 20 December 1694.

References

• Winfield, British Warships in the Age of Sail (1603 – 1714), by Rif Winfield, published by Seaforth Publishing, England © 2009, EPUB ISBN 9781783469246, Chapter 6, The Sixth Rates, Vessels acquired from 18 December 1688, Sixth Rates of 20 guns and up to 26 guns, Maidstone Group, Drake
• 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, e ISBN 978-1-5267-9328-7 (EPUB), Section D (Drake)