The fourth of five ships said to have been expended at Sheppey in (5) to (8) inclusive, and listed by name in (1) as lost there.

Primary Sources:

'The 26th Instant about quarter ebb, the Dutch drove a mile or two farther down, about 10 of the clock Sir Joseph Jordan from Harwich with upwards of 20 sail of small Fregats, Fireships and others, was discovered standing from the Eastwards right with the Dutch, when two of his Fireships, being near them, but firing too soon, burnt down without effect, two or three more were also put by without that execution done upon them which was expected, the wind being too high for their purpose, only one Dutch ship, generally believed to be a Man of War, and supposed to have run a ground as she was standing over towards the Isle of Shepy, was seen on Fire . . . ‘ (5)

July 26. 8 pm. Isle of Graine. Capt. John Shaw to Lord Arlington.

'The Dutch came there this morning early. Saw some ships coming towards them; the Dutch fired at them, and immediately after several were on fire, and their whole squadron clouded with smoke of their own ordnance and that of the fire-ships, which confirmed his judgment that they were a squadron of fire-ships sent from Harwich, and put him in great hopes of the total destruction of the Dutch squadron. They appeared to be about 21 sail. Hoped that everyone would have boarded a Dutch ship, and burnt together; but when the smoke vanished, saw the Dutch still riding in their berths, and five of our fire ships burning without grappling with any, so could not observe that they burnt any of the Dutch. The rest of the 21 sail stood away to the southward, and two or three Dutch men-of-war stood in amongst them, one of which, coming on ground near Sheppey, they having no hopes of getting her off, set fire to her themselves, and she afterwards drove ashore about four miles below Sheerness. Prince Rupert was nearer to her than himself, and, without doubt, he will hear of it from him. Our ships afterwards tacked and stood about, out of shot of the Dutch, who did not weigh anchor to pursue them, so that 15 sail anchored safe by Sir Edw. Spragg's squadron. Wishes they could have had better success, as such an opportunity might have produced more honourable effects.’ (6)

Saturday 27 July 1667.

'Up and to the office, where I hear that Sir John Coventry is come over from Bredah . . . This morning news is come that Sir Jos. Jordan is come from Harwich, with sixteen fire-ships and four other little ships of war: and did attempt to do some execution upon the enemy, but did it without discretion, as most do say, so as that they have been able to do no good, but have lost four of their fire ships. They attempted it seems, when the wind was too strong, that our grapplings could not hold: others say we come to leeward of them, but all condemn it as a foolish management. They are come to Sir Edward Spragg about Lee, and the Dutch are below at the Nore.' (7)

29 July. 'I went to Gravesend, the Dutch fleete still at anker before the river, where I saw 5 of his Ma-tys men of war encounter above 20 of the Dutch, in the bottome of the Hope, chaceing them with many broadsides given and return'd towards the buoy of the Nore, where the body of their fleete lay, wch lasted till about midnight. One of their ships was fir'd, supposed by themselves, she being run on ground. Having seene this bold action, and their braving us so far up the river, I went home ye next day, not without indignation at our negligence, and the Nation's reproach.' (8)

Secondary Sources:

A purchased vessel, converted into a fireship, and used against the Dutch in the battle of the Thames Estuary. Following a successful raid on the Medway, the Dutch blockaded the Thames, and the SWAN, in company with four other fireships, was expended against the enemy, but to what effect is not recorded. Several of the fireships failed to get into action, and others were abandoned after being set on fire too early to be effective. (2)

Source (2) interprets the date of purchase as the date of building.

Fireship, bought and expended 1667. (3)(4)

SWAN - Dimensions given as 52 feet long x 16 feet beam. (3)

Name spelt as SWANN. (4)

Purchased: 1667 (1)(2)(3)(4)
Commanding Officer: Captain John Votier, RN (1)(2)
Owner: Royal Navy (1)(2)(3)(4)
Armament: 2 x cannon (1)(2)(3)(4)

Date of Loss Qualifier: Actual date of loss

<1> British Warship losses in the Age of Sail 1650-1859 (Monograph). SKE6713.

<2> Larn, Richard and Bridget, 1995, Shipwreck index of the British Isles, volume 2 : Hampshire, Isle of Wight, Sussex, Kent (Mainland), Kent (Downs), Goodwin Sands, Thames (Bibliographic reference). SKE31910.

<3> 1765-, London Gazette (Newspaper). SKE56185.

<4> Calendar of State Papers Domestic (Bibliographic reference). SKE6354.

<5> Pepys S, 1667, The Diary of Samuel Pepys (Bibliographic reference). SKE56186.