John Williams (Surveyor of the Navy)

Sir John Williams (1700–c.1784) was a British shipbuilder and designer who rose to be Surveyor of the Navy, the highest position in British naval architecture.

Life

He was born in 1700 the grandson of a John Williams who designed HMS Crescent in 1642.^[1]

In 1762 he was a Master Shipwright in Sheerness Dockyard. His only named ship construction is HMS Winchelsea (1764).^[2]

In June 1765 he was appointed Surveyor to the Navy, working alongside Thomas Slade. This role was based in the Admiralty and involved the master planning of the British fleet and strategic planning of harbour improvements.^[3]

In April 1778, he was joined at the Admiralty by Edward Hunt. He left in December 1784 his position being filled by John Henslow.^[1]

Ships designed

Portland-class ship (1766) 50-gun ships
Swan-class ship-sloop (1766) 14-gun sloops of which at least 25 were built
Amazon-class frigate (1770) thirty-three 32-gun frigates launched from 1773
Enterprise-class frigate (1771) twenty-seven 28-gun frigates launched from 1773
HMS Vengeance (1771) 74-gun ship of the line launched in 1774
Experiment-class ship (1772) a series of 50-gun ships
Sphinx-class post ship (1773) a series of ten 20-gun post ships
HMS Royal Sovereign (1774) 100-gun ship of the line not launched until 1786 and Collingwood's flagship at the Battle of Trafalgar
HMS Montagu (1775) 74-gun ship of the line launched in 1779
Porcupine-class post ship (1776) ten 24-gun post ships
HMS Jupiter (1776) 50-gun ship launched in 1778.
Alert-class cutter (1776) a series of 14-gun cutters
Sprightly-class cutter (1776) a series of 10-gun cutters
HMS Childers (1778) a 10-gun sloop
Flora-class frigate (1778) a series of four 36-gun frigates
L'Experiment (1779) 50-gun ship of the line
HMS Latona (1779) 38-gun frigate launched in 1781
HMS Unicorn (1781) 20-gun ship (redesign of the "Unicorn Prize")
HMS Raven (1782) 18-gun sloop (redesign of HMS Ceres?)
HMS Pigmy (1782) 14-gun cutter
HMS Blonde (1783) 32-gun frigate launched in 1787

References

^ ^a ^b "John Williams (1700-1786)". threedecks.org. Retrieved 2022-10-25.
^ "British Fifth Rate frigate 'Winchelsea' (1764)". threedecks.org. Retrieved 2022-10-25.
^ Records of the Surveyor of the Navy and successors. Board of Admiralty, Controller of the Navy, Board of Admiralty, Directorate of Naval Construction, Board of Admiralty, Ship Department, Naval Construction Division, Board of Admiralty, Steam Department, Board of Admiralty, Surveyor of the Navy, Navy Board, Comptroller of the Navy. 1620–1979.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: others (link)

[:0-1] "John Williams (1700-1786)". threedecks.org. Retrieved 2022-10-25.

[2] "British Fifth Rate frigate 'Winchelsea' (1764)". threedecks.org. Retrieved 2022-10-25.

[3] Records of the Surveyor of the Navy and successors. Board of Admiralty, Controller of the Navy, Board of Admiralty, Directorate of Naval Construction, Board of Admiralty, Ship Department, Naval Construction Division, Board of Admiralty, Steam Department, Board of Admiralty, Surveyor of the Navy, Navy Board, Comptroller of the Navy. 1620–1979.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: others (link)

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