- Joined
- Oct 11, 2022
- Messages
- 14
- Points
- 58
Hello all,
As part of my research as a Maritime Archaeologist, I have become acquainted with the British warship HMS Belisarius, which had the distinction of being the flagship for the naval escort assigned to the Loyalist evacuation of Charleston South Carolina at the end of the American Revolutionary War. This evacuation fleet later suffered a wrecking event here at my hometown of St. Augustine Florida, in which sixteen ships ended their carriers upon the bar outside our inlet. Belisarius sailed on to later be sold out of service at the end of the war.
Because of her historical connections to my research and my hometown, I chose Belisarius as the ship my friends and I portray at reenactments. I would really love to model an example of what she could have looked like.
After some archival research in Kew, I have copies of both the Captain's and the Master's Logs which cover the entire career of the ship... however there is no depiction, sketch or painting that I know of which gives me an idea of how the ship appeared. They tell me she was coppered and painted. Nothing more to be gleaned there. I also have a copy of the coded signals distributed throughout the fleet before departure, including the verbal challenge "RODNEY!" to which all ships hailed should answer "AND OLD ENGLAND!". It would be fantastic to have the correct signal flags featured on my anticipated model.
J.J. Colledge's "Ships of the Royal Navy" is the most illuminating source I have found thus far with this simple entry:
"BELISARIUS 6th Rate 24, 514bm, 164x27.5ft.
American, captured 7.8.1781 by MEDEA. Sold 2.12.1783"
My query to you all, as the subject matter experts: Has anyone encountered this ship in their research before, or know of any further sources I could pursue?
As part of my research as a Maritime Archaeologist, I have become acquainted with the British warship HMS Belisarius, which had the distinction of being the flagship for the naval escort assigned to the Loyalist evacuation of Charleston South Carolina at the end of the American Revolutionary War. This evacuation fleet later suffered a wrecking event here at my hometown of St. Augustine Florida, in which sixteen ships ended their carriers upon the bar outside our inlet. Belisarius sailed on to later be sold out of service at the end of the war.
Because of her historical connections to my research and my hometown, I chose Belisarius as the ship my friends and I portray at reenactments. I would really love to model an example of what she could have looked like.
After some archival research in Kew, I have copies of both the Captain's and the Master's Logs which cover the entire career of the ship... however there is no depiction, sketch or painting that I know of which gives me an idea of how the ship appeared. They tell me she was coppered and painted. Nothing more to be gleaned there. I also have a copy of the coded signals distributed throughout the fleet before departure, including the verbal challenge "RODNEY!" to which all ships hailed should answer "AND OLD ENGLAND!". It would be fantastic to have the correct signal flags featured on my anticipated model.
J.J. Colledge's "Ships of the Royal Navy" is the most illuminating source I have found thus far with this simple entry:
"BELISARIUS 6th Rate 24, 514bm, 164x27.5ft.
American, captured 7.8.1781 by MEDEA. Sold 2.12.1783"
My query to you all, as the subject matter experts: Has anyone encountered this ship in their research before, or know of any further sources I could pursue?
