HMS Princess Charlotte
frigate of the Royal Navy
Vessel Wikidata
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HMS Princess Charlotte, later renamed HMS Burlington, was a 42-gun fifth-rate frigate built in 1814 at the Kingston Royal Naval Dockyard in Kingston, Ontario. Designed by George Record and constructed under a private contract by master shipwright John Goudie, the vessel measured approximately 755 tons burthen. She was 121 feet long overall, with a keel length of about 100 feet, a beam of 37 feet 8 inches, and a draught of 14 feet 4 inches. The frigate's hold had a depth of roughly 8 feet 8.5 inches. Armed with a total of 42 guns, she was pierced for 40 gunports but carried a slightly higher armament: twenty-four 24-pounder long guns on her upper deck, sixteen 32-pounder carronades, and two 68-pounder carronades on her quarterdeck and forecastle. Her complement consisted of around 280 officers and sailors. Commissioned on 5 May 1814 under Captain William Mulcaster, Princess Charlotte was built during the War of 1812 to bolster British naval strength on Lake Ontario. She participated in the British attack on Fort Oswego, where she supported land forces with her naval bombardment and served as a reserve vessel. During the assault, Mulcaster was severely wounded, and command passed to Lieutenant John Scott. The frigate also played a key role in the blockade of Sackets Harbor, a major U.S. naval base, although the blockade was lifted after a failed British attempt at Sandy Creek. Throughout her service, Princess Charlotte was actively involved in key military operations, including transporting reinforcements and supplies. She was renamed HMS Burlington on 9 December 1814, reflecting her continued service during the post-war period. In June 1816, she came under Captain Nicholas Lockyer's command and was later laid up in ordinary. Despite being offered for sale in 1833, she found no buyers and was ultimately towed away and scuttled in Deadmans Bay on Lake Ontario. Her wreck, along with those of her sister ships, was designated a National Historic Site of Canada in 2015.
This description has been generated using GPT-4.1-NANO based on the Vessel's wikidata information and then modified by ShipIndex.org staff.