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HISTORY
HMS
Trincomalee is a Royal Navy Leda-class sailing frigate built
shortly following the end of the Napoleonic Wars. She was
ordered on 30 October 1812 and was finally launched on the 12
October 1817. After serving as a hulk, she was restored to her
original appearance, and now serves as a museum ship.
The Trincomalee is one of two surviving frigates of this era.
She was built in Bombay India in 1817, out of teak, due to oak
shortages in Britain as a result of shipbuilding drives for the
Napoleonic Wars. The ship was named Trincomalee, after an action
in 1782 between the Royal and French navies off the Ceylon (Sri
Lanka) port of that name.
The Trincomalee was purchased by George Wheatley Cobb in the
early 20th century who renamed it the Foudroyant in honour of
HMS Foudroyant, his earlier ship that was wrecked in 1897. She
remained in service until 1991 when she was restored and renamed
back to Trincomalee.
Though not the oldest warship in Britain (that honour goes to
HMS Victory), she is the oldest British warship afloat (Victory
is dry docked).
Following her recent restoration the Trincomalee has become the
centre piece of an historic dockyard museum in Hartlepool, United
Kingdom, known as 'Hartlepool's Maritime Experience', which also
includes PS Wingfield Castle.
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