HMS Ruby (1652)

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

History
Royal Navy EnsignEngland
NameHMS Ruby
OrderedMay 1651
BuilderPeter Pett, Deptford Dockyard
Launched15 March 1652
Captured21 October 1707, by the French
French Royal Navy EnsignFrance
NameRuby
Acquired21 October 1707
Out of service1708
FateBroken up
General characteristics as built[1]
Tons burthen55677⁄94 (bm)
Length
  • 125 ft 6 in (38.3 m) (gundeck)
  • 105 ft 6 in (32.2 m) (keel)
Beam31 ft 6 in (9.6 m)
Depth of hold15 ft 9 in (4.8 m)
PropulsionSails
Sail planFull-rigged ship
Complement226
Armament40 guns (1660); 48 guns (1677)
General characteristics after 1706 rebuild[2]
Class and type46-54-gun fourth rate ship of the line
Tons burthen67488⁄94 (bm)
Length128 ft 4 in (39.1 m) (gundeck)
Beam34 ft 8 in (10.6 m)
Depth of hold13 ft 7 in (4.1 m)
PropulsionSails
Sail planFull-rigged ship
Armament46-54 guns of various weights of shot

HMS Ruby was a 40-gun frigate of the Commonwealth of England, built by Peter Pett at Deptford[1] and launched on 15 March 1652.

She took part in numerous actions during all three of the Anglo-Dutch Wars of 1652–54, 1665–67 and 1672–74. She later served in the West Indies, and in 1683 was sent to the Leeward Islands to protect their British settlements against Carib and pirate raids.[3] In 1687 the notorious English pirate Joseph Bannister was captured by the crew of Ruby and brought to Port Royal for trial. He later escaped and returned to piracy, but was recaptured by HMS Drake. Fearing another escape the governor of Jamaica had him hanged without trial before he could get off the ship

Ruby was rebuilt in 1687 at Sir Henry Johnson's shipyard at Blackwall. On 7 April 1694 Ruby captured the French privateer Entreprenante, which the Royal Navy took into service as HMS Ruby Prize.

She served in the War of the Spanish Succession and, commanded by Captain George Walton, took part in the action of August 1702 as part of a fleet under Admiral John Benbow. She was one of the only ships to support the Admiral in HMS Breda in that engagement.

A print published in France shows Rubis during the Action of 2 May 1707 off Beachy Head

HMS Ruby was rebuilt at Deptford in 1706 as a fourth rate ship of the line carrying between 46 and 54 guns.[4] However, captured Ruby on 21 October 1707 (NS) during the Battle at The Lizard.

The French brought Ruby back to St Malo 8 January 1708[5] and commissioned her into the French Navy. She took part in a campaign to the Levant, and was decommissioned the next year to be broken up.[6]

Citations[]

  1. ^ a b Lavery, 1984, vol.1, p160.
  2. ^ , Lavery, 1984, vol.1, p167.
  3. ^ Burns 1954, p. 334n
  4. ^ Lavery, SoLv1 p167
  5. ^ Gazette No. 1, 28 January 1708, p. 36
  6. ^ Les bâtiments ayant porté le nom de Rubis Archived 16 November 2009 at the Wayback Machine

References[]

  • Burns, Alan (1954). History of the British West Indies. Allen & Unwin. OCLC 186233189.
  • Lavery, Brian (2003). The Ship of the Line - Volume 1: The development of the battlefleet 1650-1850. Conway Maritime Press. ISBN 0851772528.


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