HMS Trincomalee

The HMS Trincomalee

The HMS Trincomalee is a British frigate that was named in honour of the ‘Battle of Trincomalee’, which occurred on the 3^rd September 1782 off the coast of Sri Lanka (then Ceylon).

A frigate was a light, fast and agile vessel which often had its armament concentrated on one deck. They were no match for the ‘ship of the line’ and hence depended on their superior speed to avoid any engagements on unfavorable terms. They primarily served as the ‘eyes’ of the battle fleet and sought to engage enemy merchantman, pirates or other vessels of similar size.

 HMS Trincomalee by Joseph Wheatley
This illustration clearly shows the concentration of the vessels firepower on one deck as was the general form in frigates of the period. 

A French frigate the ‘Hebe’, captured by the British in 1782 was used as the model for 47 British frigates built between 1800 and 1830. The vessels so built were grouped as the ‘Leda’ class – taken from Greek myth, the name was of a woman who had been seduced by Zeus disguised as a swan.

She was ordered in October 1812 and built by the famous Indian shipwrights – the Wadia family. Due to shortages of Oak due to the flurry of shipbuilding brought about by the Napoleonic Wars this vessel was built using Malabar teak – vast amounts of which were found in the forests inland from the Wadia Shipyards of Bombay. 

Jamsetjee Bomanjee Wadia

Construction began in May 1816 under Master shipbuilder Jamsetjee Bomanjee Wadia. Costing 23,000 pound, she was launched on 12th October 1817. 

After remaining in reserve till 1845 she sailed out of Portmouth in 1847 and served the Royal Navy for 10 years. The HMS Trincomalee served on the North American and West Indian stations. After recall to England in 1850 she was dispatched to serve with the Pacific squadron on the west coast of the continental US.

After being renamed Foudroyant she served as a training ship in private hands. In 1992 after restoration she was renamed ‘Trincomalee’ and is now the centerpiece of the Nautical museum in Hartlepool. She is the oldest British warship afloat.    

The 'Trincomalee' at Hartlepool