HMS Dragon (1647)

History
Commonwealth of England
Name	Dragon
Ordered	9 January 1647
Builder	Henry Goddard, Chatham Dockyard
Launched	1650
Commissioned	1650
Honours and awards	Dungeness 1652 Portland 1653 The Gabbard 1653 Scheveningen 1653
Kingdom of England
Name	HMS Dragon
Acquired	May 1660
Honours and awards	Lowestoffe 1665 Four Days' Battle 1666 Orfordness 1666 Bugia 1671 Barfleur 1692
Great Britain
Acquired	1707 Act of Union
Fate	Wrecked, 16 March 1712
General characteristics as built
Class and type	38-gun fourth rate
Tons burthen	414+72⁄94 bm
Length	120 ft 0 in (36.6 m) gundeck 96 ft 0 in (29.3 m) keel for tonnage
Beam	28 ft 6 in (8.7 m)
Depth of hold	14 ft 3 in (4.3 m)
Sail plan	ship-rigged
Complement	150 – 1652 160 – 1653 130 – 1660 230/200/150 – 1666
Armament	as built 38/32 guns various types 1666 12 × culverins 20 × demi-culverins 8 × sakers 1667 12 × culverins (LD) 20 × 8-pdrs guns (UD) 4 × sakers (QD)
General characteristics after 1689-90 rebuild
Class and type	46-gun fourth rate ship of the line
Tons burthen	530+79⁄94 bm
Length	118 ft 11 in (36.2 m) gundeck 99 ft 0 in (30.2 m) keel for tonnage
Beam	31 ft 9 in (9.7 m)
Depth of hold	12 ft 2 in (3.7 m)
Sail plan	ship-rigged
Complement	220
Armament	1696 survey 18 × 12-pdrs 20 × 8-pdrs 8 × sakers 1703 Establishment 20/18 × 12-pdr guns (8.5 ft) (LD) 20/18 × 6-pdrs guns (8 ft) (UD) 6/4 × 6-pdrs guns (7 ft) (UD) 2/2 × 6-pdrs guns (8 ft) (Fc)
General characteristics after 1707 rebuild
Class and type	46-54-gun fourth rate
Tons burthen	719+73⁄94 tons bm
Length	130 ft 0 in (39.6 m) (gundeck) 108 ft 0 in (32.9 m) (keel)
Beam	35 ft 0 in (10.7 m)
Depth of hold	14 ft 0 in (4.3 m)
Sail plan	Full-rigged ship
Complement	185 (peacetime) – 280 (wartime)
Armament	46 (peacetime) – 54 (wartime) guns comprising: 22/20 × 12-pounder guns (LD) 22/18 × 6-pounder guns (UD) 4 × 6-pounder guns (QD) 2 × 6-pounder guns (Fc) Forecastle: 2 × 6p-pounder guns

HMS Dragon was a 38-gun fourth rate of the English Navy; she became part of the Royal Navy after the Restoration, built by the Master Shipwright Henry Goddard at Chatham and launched in 1647. She was the first frigate to be built at Chatham (the term 'frigate' during this period referred to a vessel designed for fast sailing, with a low superstructure, rather than a role which did not develop until the following century).

Dragon was the fourth named vessel since it was used for a ship of 100 ton bm, in service from 1512 to 1514^[1]/