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 'frigates' 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, although this would increase over time

Design and specifications

The construction of one vessel was assigned to Deptford Dockyard with the remainder contracted to private builders. The contract dimensional data was a keel length of and a breadth of, producing a builder's measurement tonnage of tons at a contract price of 6.10.0d per ton; the actual measurements as built are set out below. Soon after their first service, most were modified to have a forecastle added and were girdled, increasing their breadth and enabling them to carry a heavier armament without jeopardising their stability. The ships were originally to have 34 guns and a manning level of 150, however, this was later increased to 40 guns with 180 men by December 1653, and for the surviving ships by 1666 to 46 guns with 170 men or to 48 guns with 180 men. The guns were generally culverins on the lower deck, demi-culverins on the upper deck and sakers on the quarterdeck.

Ships of the 1650 Programme Group

Name	Builder	Launch year	Gundeck length	Keel length	Original breadth	Original burthen tonnage	Breadth after girdling	Tonnage after girdling	Careers and fates
	Jonas Shish, Deptford Dockyard	1650	121 ft 0in	101 ft 6 in	30 ft 10 in	513	31 ft 1 in	521	Wrecked 4 July 1698 about 50 miles south of Cuba
	Henry Johnson, Deptford	1650	121 ft 5.5 in	101 ft 6 in	30 ft 10 in	513	32 ft 4 in	567	Rebuilt Deptford 1687 Rebuilt Deptford Dockyard 1699 Rebuilt Limehouse 1712 Rebuilt Woolwich Dockyard 1720–25 Sunk as breakwater December 1745
	Peter Pett II, Woodbridge, Suffolk	1650	118 ft 4in	100 ft 0 in	31 ft 1 in	513	32 ft 10 in	573	Rebuilt at Deptford 1700–01 Foundered 27 November 1703 off Gorleston, Norfolk in the Great storm of 1703
	Peter Pett II, Woodbridge, Suffolk	1650	118 ft 6in	100 ft 0 in	31 ft 2 in	516	32 ft 0 in	544	Rebuilt at Woolwich 1700–01 Taken by six French privateers off Great Yarmouth on 27 June 1711
	John Taylor, Wapping, London	1650	n/a	100 ft 0 in	30 ft 8 in	500	n/a	n/a	Accidentally burnt at Portsmouth on 13 February 1656
	Peter Pett I, Ratcliffe, London	1650	n/a	104 ft 0 in	31 ft 0 in	531	n/a	n/a	Wrecked 25 December 1689 in Plymouth Sound