1651 Programme Group

Class overview
Name	1651 Programme Group
Builders	Peter Pett I, Radcliffe Portsmouth Dockyard
Operators	Kingdom of England Royal Navy
Preceded by	1650 Programme Group
Succeeded by	Ruby Group
Built	1651–1653
In service	1651–1709
Completed	3
Lost	2
Retired	1
General characteristics
Type	34-gun Fourth Rate
Tons burthen	410+0⁄94 bm
Sail plan	ship-rigged
Complement	150/1652, 160/1653
Armament	34 guns

The 1651 Programme of five 410-ton fourth-rate vessels was urged by the Council of State all speed should be made in completing the ships in May 1650. Initially five vessels were specified, three of 410 tons at 6.10.0d per ton and two of 600 tons at £7.10.0d per ton. The size of these vessels grew from the 1647 predecessors with 600 tonners being much broader. The three 410-ton vessels would be completed as 34-gun frigates (or fourth rates).

Design and specifications

The construction of the vessels was assigned to Portsmouth Dockyard with one vessel contracted to Peter Pett I of Ratcliffe. The dimensional data was so varied that it will be listed on the individual vessels along with their gun armament composition.

Ships of the 1651 Programme Group

Name	Builder	Launch date	Remarks
Laurel (1651)	Portsmouth Dockyard	1651	Wrecked 30 May 1657
Sapphire (1651)	Peter Pett I, Ratcliffe	1651	Run aground 31 March 1670
Bristol (1653)	Portsmouth Dockyard	1653	Rebuilt at Deptford 1693 Captured by the French on 12 April 1709, then recaptured and sunk 25 April 1709

References

• British Warships in the Age of Sail (1603 – 1714), by Rif Winfield, published by Seaforth Publishing, England © Rif Winfield 2009, EPUB ISBN 978-1-78346-924-6, Chapter 4, The Fourth Rates - 'Small Ships', Vessels acquired from 24 March 1603, 1650 Programme
• Ships of the Royal Navy, by J.J. Colledge, revised and updated by Lt-Cdr Ben Warlow and Steve Bush, published by Seaforth Publishing, Barnsley, Great Britain, © the estate of J.J. Colledge, Ben Warlow and Steve Bush 2020, EPUB ISBN 978-1-5267-9328-7