Until the Restoration there does not appear to have been any precise division into classes ; nor have we any account of the armament of ships ; at that time certain ships were ordered to be built to carry the following : Dasrsiption of let Rate. and Rate. 3rt1 Rate.
Gums. 780 men. 860 men. 470 men.
Cannon =42 pndrs. 26 Demicannon---.32 pounders .. 26 26 Culverins =18 pounders . . 28 26 ..
Demi do. == 12 pounders . . • .. 26 Sakers 6 pndrs 28 26 ..
Forecastle . . 4 .. 4 Quarter-deck . 12 10 10 3-pounders . . 2 2 4 — — — Total number of Guns . . . 100 90 70 There was, however, no uniformity preserved ; and in 1745 a committee was appointed, which recommended certain changes in the rating and arming, which however were not adhered to any more than the former systems. At the peace the Board of Admiralty represented this to the Prince Regent in a memorial. The present establishment of rates and classes was fixed by order in council, February, 1817:— Class I.—Rated ships : First-rate, comprising all three decked ships.
Second. One of Her Majesty's yachts, and all two-decked ships whose war-complements consist of 700 men and upwards.
Third. Her Majesty's other yachts, and all ships whose complements are from 600 to 700.
Fourth. Ships whose complements are from 400 to 600.
Fifth. Ships whose complements are from 250 to 400.
Sixth. Ships under 250.
Class II. Sloops and bomb-vessels. All such vessels as are commanded by a commander.
Class III. All other smaller vessels, such as are commanded by lieutenants or other inferior officers.
Great improvements have taken place in the size and form of the British as well as in the arrangement of the materials composing them, especially dur ing the present century. As France and Spain enlarged their ships, the English were obliged to do the same ; while from many of their ships added to the English navy we greatly improved our models. The following view of the increase of the size of first-rates will demonstrate this point :— Year. Tonnage of First-Rates.
1677 • . 1500 to 1600 1720 . . 1800 1745 . . 2000 1795 . . 2350, the Vile de Paris. 1808 . . 2616, Caledonia.
1839 . . 3100, Victoria, and seve ral others.
There is now a frigate, the Vernon, of greater tonnage than the first-rate of 1745, of 2080 tons, and 50 guns.
Sir Robert Seppings, late surveyor of the navy, introduced the circular bow and stern, the system of diagonal timbering or bracing, whereby the strength and durability of our ships are so immensely increased ; the method of scarfing short pieces, by which the delay and difficulty often attendant on the procuring of crooked timber are avoided ; the making frigate-timber applicable to the building of line-of battle ships, by the use of a circular cock, or dowel, instead of chocks, thereby effecting a saving of about 1000L in the building of a 74-gun ship, and the use of iron knees, by which he effected an immense saving of timber and space.
Sir W. Symonds, the able surveyor, has effected a still further economy of space by removing the chocks behind the iron knees, and using metal diagonal braces instead of wood. In latter years the various naval architects, Sir R. Sep pings, Captains Hayes and Symonds, R.N., and Professor Inman, have been permitted to try their respective systems in various experimental squadrons, com posed of vessels built under their direc tions ; and although many opinions are held as to the merits of each, there can be but one with regard to the general advantage arising to the science of naval architecture, so long neglected. A school for shipwright apprentices was established at Portsmouth, which, after producing more officers than could be provided for, was broken up. Our ships, those at least built of oak—for we have not yet worn out a ship built of teak—do not seem to be as durable as in former times. The Royal William, of 100 guns, which bore the flag of Richard Bickerton at Spithead in 1813, and was shortly after broken up, was built in the year 1719. The Sove reign of the Seas, built in 1637, was repaired in 1684, when all the ancient timber was so hard that it was difficult to work it. It was the practice in the north of England, and in Staffordshire especially, to bark timber standing, and to let it remain in that state for a time to season. The Sovereign of the Seas was built of such timber. The Achilles, 60, was built by contract in 1757, of timber barked in the spring and fbRed in the next winter : she was docked in 1770, and found exceedingly sound, and was sold in 1784, because she was too small for the line-of-battle. The Hawke sloop was built in 1793. Half of this vessel was built of timber barked in 1787, and felled in 1790 ; the other half of timber felled in the usual manner from the same soil and neighbourhood. In 1803 she was so decayed that she was taken to pieces ; both sides appear to have been equally decayed.