HMS Francis (1666)
HMS Francis was built by Anthony Deane during his tenure as the Master Shipwright at Harwich Dockyard under the 1665 Programme. She was commissioned in July 1666, she was Allin's squadron in the Mediterranean and participated in the blockade of Salé in October 1668, she was guardship at Sheerness between 1671 and 1674 and had service in the Channel. She was sent to the Leeward Islands in 1683 where she was lost in a hurricane in August 1684.
Francis was the fifth named vessel since its introduction for a discovery vessel in 1578 and wrecked in 1583.
Design and specifications
Her construction dates little is known other than Her launch date. She was launched at Harwich Dockyard in 1666. Her keel length reported for tonnage was. Her breadth was as reported for tonnage with her depth of hold of. Her draught was only. Her tonnage was calculated as 140 40/94 tons.Her initial armament was listed as fourteen to sixteen 6-pounder muzzle-loading smoothbore guns mounted on trucks. By 1671 this was changed to fourteen minions and two 3-pounder smoothbore guns. A minion cannon was a muzzle-loading smoothbore 1,000-pound gun with a -inch bore firing a 4-inch shot with a 4-pound powder charge. The guns were also mounted on wooden trucks.