Navy Board Letter of 4th June, 1716, to the Master Shipwrights at the Various Yards about Models.

Whereas the Rt. Honble. the Lords of the Admiralty have been pleased in regard that the care of Building and Rebuilding Ships of the Royal Navy is of such Importance to His Majesty's Service that the utmost caution ought to be had in the doing thereof to direct by their Lordships' Order of the 25th of last Month that when we shall hereafter receive Orders to cause any Ships of what Rate soever to be Built or Rebuilt that we order, before the same shall be taken in hand, the Master Shipwright of the yard where the same is to be performed to transmit to this Board not only a Draught or Model of such Ships as to their Dimensions, but how they propose to finish them as well within board as without that so we may inspect thereinto and either dignify our approval of what shall be so proposed or order such Alterations to be made therein as shall be judged necessary wherein particular regard is to be had as well to good Husbandry as that any Ships of each Rate be built as near to the same Dimensions as possibly may be. These are in pursuance of their Lordships' said Order to direct and require you as any Ships shall be ordered to be Built or Rebuilt to send a Draught to this Board of your Design for the doing thereof agreeable in Dimensions to the present Establishment and Plans of each Deck with Descriptions of the several usefull Accomodations both on the Decks and in the Hold. And in the doing thereof you are to use your utmost Endeavours to delineate such a Body as may not only sail well but likewise perform all other requisite Services that so a Ship built thereby may in every respect be a compleat Man of War. You are also to prepare and send with your said Draught a Solid or Model shaped exactly by the same with the Load Water Line, the heighth of the Decks and Wales, the Channels, Chainplates, Ports Gallerys &c., marked thereon; And that everything proper to explain your Design be done both on the Draught and Solid in as particular a manner as possible for our consideration and directions therein before you proceed on your Building or Rebuilding.

Admiralty Library

Transcribed by Lars Bruzelius

Sjöhistoriska Samfundet | The Maritime History Virtual Archives.