H.M. Frigate UNICORN
The oldest British-built ship afloat

Particularly recommended secondary sources are:

John Fincham Treatise on Masting Ships and Mastmaking (1829, but a reprint of the 1854 edition is published by Conway Maritime Press, 1982. Most of the basic information is unchanged).

Dr. John Harland Seamanship in the Age of Sail. (Conway Maritime Press, 1984). A highly detailed account of the actual mechanics of the sailing ship, based on contemporary sailing manuals.

David Steele Steele's Art of Rigging. (Many editions but 1818 edition reprinted by Fisher Nautical Press in 1974). A classic, but the information is based largely on current practice in the late 1700's, and sizes tend to be too small for UNICORN.

Sir Wm. Symonds Instructions for the Guidance of the Mastmakers Department of His Majesty's Dockyards, 1836. (Very rare, but the Maritime Museum has at least one set). Symonds was the Surveyor of the Navy when he issued these tables, which cover mast and spar dimensions in great detail.

Again, very few contemporary drawings exist, and information is sketchy. In general one has to assume that the fittings, as for the rigging, were fairly standardised, and use such references as:

Jean Boudriot The Seventy-Four Gun Ship (4 Volumes, 1986-88). Covers French practice in minute and exceedingly comprehensive detail. Beautifully illustrated. Expensive (Now translated to English).

Jean Boudriot La VENUS, 1982. As above, but one volume dealing with the French Frigates from which the LEDA class, including UNICORN, were derived. Unfortunately only available in French.

Arthur Bugler HMS VICTORY, Repair and Restoration. (HMSO. 1966). Excellent and comprehensive detail for VICTORY, but rather early for UNICORN.

Peter Goodwin The Construction and Fitting of the Sailing Man of War 1650-1850. (Conway 1987). Largely based on Victory, Unicorn and Foudroyant (Trincomalee), this book provides good comparisons of the three ships as they are now are, with good constructional drawings.

Dr. Frank Howard Sailing Ships of War. (Conway 1979). A good comprehensive survey of the development of ships hulls, rigging and fittings.

Brian Lavery The Arming and Fittings of English Ships of War 1600-1815 (Conway 1988). A first-rate, well researched and illustrated explanation of the various fittings and how they changed over time. Unfortunately stops a few years short of Unicorn, but nonetheless extremely relevant and useful.

David White Anatomy of the Ship. The Frigate Diana. (conway, 1987). Beautifully detailed, well researched drawings of almost every aspect of the 1793 Diana. Although some 30 years earlier than Unicorn this ship was a direct precursor and the drawings are highly relevant.

Mariners's Mirror The Journal of the Society for Nautical Research. The back numbers are well worth a search, as four issues a year have been. published since 1910, and almost every aspect of Maritime history has been touched upon.

Model Shipwright Quarterly Journal from Conway Maritime Press, with an excellent blend of modelmaking and serious historical investigation.

Useful contemporary sources include:

"The Sheerness Books" 3 Volumes held in the National Maritime Museum, (Draught Room), with the original drawings which would have accompanied Navy Board Orders. Dates circa. 1820-1850. A goldmine, but the drawings often refer to experimental fittings which may not have become standard practice.

"The Admiralty Collection" A vast collection of plans of Royal Naval ships, foreign captures, etc., held in the Draught Room of the National Maritime Museum. Many of the later "as fitted" (ca 1840) drawings show considerable detail of fittings, some of which are relevant to Unicorn's period.

Contemporary Models Maritime Museums all over the World.

18 pdrs The Unicorn Preservation Society publishes drawings of the replica 18 pdr guns and carriages as currently fitted in the ship. Excellent quality fibreglass replica gun barrels can be supplied at full size (9 feet long!) from moulds taken from an original gun in Edinburgh Castle.

32 pdrs Drawings of these are not currently available, but it is intended to produce a set in due course, based upon the drawings held in the National Maritime Museum of Sir Robert Seppings design for mounting 32 pdr Carronades "on the inside and outside principle" (NMM, "Sheerness Books" Vol. 1, No. 212.

General The Guns of the Frigate Unicorn (W. Roderick Stewart) provides basic information concerning miscellaneous gunnery equipment.

(The preceding notes were mainly prepared in May 1991, and a wealth of excellent books and articles have been published since then. However the main information is still relevant, and updates from time to time will incorporate recent research. Comments, suggestions and questions are particularly welcome. WRS January 1999)