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[Tucker Williams
Secretary of War]
Boston Octob 30 1790
Sir
Agreeably to your request I enclose you an estimate of a frigate of nine hundred tons, and believe it to be not far wide of what will be the real cost, but as the circumstances would not admit of my being too often in my enquiries, it may vary a little. The cost of the guns and warlike stores you can form a better judgment of than myself. The timber &c should be cut in the fall of the year as that would add much to its duration. Should any further enquiries be necessary, or any services that I can render be acceptable, shall be happy in being favored with your commands, and have the honor to be &c
Estimate accompanying the above.
[Estimate
900 Tons]
An estimate of a ship of 900 tons.
900 tons at £5.15 . . . . . . £6175
38 tons Iron . at £25 . . . . 950
Blacksmith's bill at 22½ pd hundd. 836
2 tons Oakum . at £24 . . . . 48
26 barrels Pitch and Tar . . . . 23.8 / 7032.85
43 bolts Duck No 1
8 do . No 2
7 do . . 3
22 do . . 4
brought over . £7032.8
11 bolts Duck No 5
38 do . . 6
7 do . . 7
136 . . . . at 60/ . £408.—
130 lb Eluine . at 2/ . . . 13.—
1880 lb bale Rope . at 8 . 62.13.4
Making Sails . . at 10/ pd bolt . 68.— . 531.13.4
Anchors 13000 lb . at 8 . . 325
Blockmaker's bill . . . . . 200
Joyner's bill . . . . . . . 200
Carver's bill . . . . . . . 80
Boat builders . . . . . . . 75
Mastmaker's bill . . . . . . 350
Boats . . . . . . . . . . 80 . 1310.—
Rigging including Cables 40 ton at £48 . 1920.—
Painter's bill . . . . . . . 100
Rigger's bill . . . . . . . 150
Shipchandler's bill . . . . . 200
Contingent bill . . . . . . 150 . 600.—
£ 11414.1.4
Estimate of the cost of a frigate of forty guns, completed at 140 feet keel, and 42 feet beam — equal to 1300 tons.
Shipwright's bill for the hull of boat with oak, & firework, and cedar where necessary, and with board
trunels finished to a cleat at 23.33 Dollars
Smith's bill for iron work including Anchors estimated at 62 ½ lb at 11.33 —
Ship Joyner's bill including the materials . . . . . . 2.33
Boat Builder's bill for one pinnace one barge, one long boat, one jolly boat . 46
Painter & Plumber's bill . . . . . 95
Carver's bill . . . . . . . . 60
Cooper's bill estimating water casks for six months . . . . . . 7.66
Blackmaker's bill . . . . . . 1.—
Mastmaker's bill . . . . . . 2.66 —
Rigging including tables and spare cordage, computed at 60/ pr Cwt and Rigging bill pr estimate . . . . . . . 6.66
Sails including spare sails and Sailmaker's bill pr Est. No 3 . . 3.18
Chandler's bill for small stores . 2.66
Suppose a Ship of 1300 tons . . at pr ton 36.80 — 73,840
Ordnance Stores
30 cannon of 24 pounders to weigh about 48 C. wt at £20 pr ton, carriage &c . 5340
6 do of 9 pounders to weigh about 18 C. wt Carriages &c at pr ton . . 408
4 Howitzers, 8 inches, brass . . . 3840
100 Muskets . . . Do . . . 1000
50 pair Pistols . . 3.Do . 240
120 Cutlasses . . 1 . . . 120
200 rounds Powder 38,200 . 1864 . 3730
150 rounds round shot 10 C. wt 2.66 . 2619.34
50 do Grape & double headed 60 . 2.40.—
200 eight inch Shells . . . . . 240
100 Hand granades . . . . . . 50
200 musket & Pistol ball 205 wt 146.66 . 17,624
Provisions
6 months provisions complete pr Est. B . 7,495.68
Ds . 98,959.68
No 2
Pay or Wages of Officers and Crew of a frigate of 40 guns—
| | No | Rate of pay per month | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
Captain . . . . | 1 | 60 — | 60 —
Lieutenant . . . | 3 | 30 — | 90 —
Master . . . . | 1 | 25 — | 25 —
Chaplain . . . . | 1 | 25 — | 25 —
Master's Mate . . | 2 | 10 — | 20 —
Midshipmen . . . | 6 | 7.50 | 45 —
Schoolmaster . . | 1 | 7.50 | 7½
Captain's Clerk . | 1 | 7.50 | 7½
Quartermasters . . | 3 | 7 — | 21 —
Quartermaster's Mates | 3 | 6.50 | 19½
Boatswain . . . | 1 | 11 — | 11 —
Boatswain's Mate . | 1 | 7 — | 7 —
Yeoman of the Sheets | 2 | 6.50 | 13 —
Coxswain . . . | 1 | 6.50 | 6.50
Master Sailmaker . | 1 | 8.50 | 8.50
Sailmaker's Mate . | 1 | 6.50 | 6.50
Sailmaker's Crew . | 1 | 6 — | 6 —
Gunner . . . . | 1 | 11 — | 11 —
Gunner's Mate . . | 1 | 6.50 | 6.50
Yeoman of the Powder Room | 1 | 6.50 | 6.50
Quarter Gunners . | 10 | 6 — | 60 —
Armourer . . . | 1 | 7 — | 7 —
Carpenter . . . | 1 | 11 — | 11 —
Carpenter's Mate . | 1 | 8.50 | 8.50
Carpenter's Crew . | 5 | 6 — | 30 —
Purser . . . . | 1 | 11 — | 11 —
Steward . . . . | 1 | 6 — | 6 —
Cook . . . . | 1 | 6 — | 6 —
Surgeon . . . . | 1 | 25 — | 25 —
Surgeon's Mates . | 2 | 12.50 | 25 —
Master at Arms . | 1 | 7.50 | 7.50
Corporal . . . | 1 | 7 — | 7 —
Trumpeter . . . | 1 | 6 — | 6 —
Midshipmen ordinary
Cook's Mate
Yeoman of the Boatswain's Store room
Dauber
Loper
able Seaman
Captain's Cook
Ordinary Trumpeter } 130 | 5 — | 650 —
Ordinary Seamen . | 131 | 4 — | 524 —
Marines — Lieutenant . | 1 | 22 — | 22 —
Serjeant . . . | 1 | 5 — | 5 —
Corporal . . . | 1 | 4 — | 4 —
Drum . . . . | 1 | 3 | 6
Fife . . . . | 1 | |
Privates . . . | 20 | 3 — | 60 —
Ds 1884 —
Twelve months pay is Ds 22608
No 3
Estimate of twelve months provision for 350 men, Crew of a ship of 40 guns.
| Quality | per weeks one man | for 52 52 weeks | 350 men 52 weeks | Price Dolls Cts | Total Dolls Cts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Bread or Flour | lb 7 | 364 | 137,200 lb | 2.40 | 2727.97
Beer | ½ gallo 7 | 364 | 3981 hunds | 1.065 | 4246.40
Beef | lb 4 | 208 | 369 hund | 8.— | 2952.—
Pork | lb 2 | 104 | 185 hund | 12.— | 2220.—
Pease | Quart 1 | 52 | 563 bushs | 0.666 | 378.66
Oatmeal | Pint 1 | 156 | 853 bush. | 1.— | 853.—
Butter | ounces 6 | lb 19½ | 6825 lb | 0.10 | 682.50
Cheese | ounces 12 | lb 39 | 13961 | 0.066 | 930.73
Ds 14991 [undecipherable]
No 4
Estimate of the annual expence of one frigate of 40 guns.—
Wages or Pay of Officers and Crew for 12 months pr Estimate No 2 . . Dlls Cts 22608.—
Ordinaries for renewals of sails, digging, repairs, heaving down, small stores, ordnance stores, pilotage &c . . . . . . . 6500.—
Provisions for 12 months pr acct No 3 . 14991.26
Ds 44099.26
No 5
Indent of Sails and Sailmaker's bills of a frigate of 140 feet keel 42 feet beam
viz:
2 Main sails, 2 fore sails, 2 forestay sails,
1 main stay sail, 2 mizon stay sails —
2 mizons . 3645 Yds No 1 . at 2/ . £379.13.9
2 Main top sails, 2 fore top sails, 1 sprit sail
2638 Yds No 2 at 2/ . . . 263.16.—
2 Jibs, 2 Main top stay sails, and spunker 1170 Yds No 4 at 1/10 . . 105.4.10
1 mizon top sail, 315 Yds No 3 at 1/1 . . 30.3.9
2 lower steering sails, 2 main top gallant sails and two middle stay sails
1458 Yds No 5 at 1/9 . . . . 127.7.—
2 fore top gallant sails, sprit sail, top sail, mizon top mast stay sail, & 3 top mast steering sails
1540 Yds No 6 at 1/6½ . . . 128.6.8½
Three top gallant steering sails, mizon top gallant sail, three royals, main and mizon top gallant stay sails, 828 Yds No 7 at 1/7 . . . 65.11.—
Spare canvas . . . . . . . . 200.—
Making the above sails . . . . . 216.—
300 lb Twine, at 2/6 . . . . . 37.10.—
£ 1551.13.—
Equal to . Dollars 4137.73
No 6
Inventory of Rigging of a ship of 140 feet keel and 42 feet beam
| | | £ | s | d |
|---|---|---|---|---|
2 Cables | 125 fathoms each of 19 inches | 187 | 2 | —
2 do | 115 do . 18 | 152 | 1 | —
4 do | 110 do . 17 | 264 | 3 | 18.12
2 do | 102 do . 16 | 108 | 3 | 5.12
2 do | 120 do . 15 | 102 | 2 | —
2 do | 120 do . 12 | 72 | — | —
2 do | 120 do . 10 | 50 | — | —
2 do | 110 do . 8½ | 29 | 1 | 9.6
2 do | 130 do . 7 | 26 | 2 | 4.12
4 do | 130 do . 6 | 39 | — | —
1 do | 130 do . 5½ | 32 | 3 | 4.9
2 do | 130 do . 5 | 13 | 2 | 4.11
2 do | 130 do . 4½ | 10 | 3 | 21.9
Main Shrouds | 225 . . 10 | 46 | 3 | 14.—
Fore Shrouds | 200 . . 9 | 37 | 2 | 11.d
Main Stay | 18 . . 17 | 10 | 3 | 10.5
Fore Stay . 17 . . 16½ . . . 9 | 2 | 15.10
Main Spring Stay 19 . 13 . . . 6 | 2 | 21.3
Fore do do 15 . 12 . . . 4 | 2 | 0
Mizon Shrouds 130 . 8 . . . 17 | 1 | 9.6
do Stay 18½ . 12 . . . 5 | 1 | 16.11
Mizon Spring Stay 16 . 8 . . . 2 | 0 | 14.14
Main topmast Shrouds 120 . 6 . . 10 | 2 | —
do back Stay 130 . 8 . . 17 | 1 | 9.6—
do Stay . 26 . 9 . . . 4 | 1 | 15.6
do Spring do 24 . 7 . . . 2 | 1 | 22.7
Fore topmast Shrouds 135 . 6 . . 10 | — | 14.—
do back Stay 120 . 7½ . . 14 | — | 1.—
do Stay 26 . 8½ . . . 3 | 3 | 18.5
do Spring do 24 . 7 . . . 2 | 1 | 22.7
Lower Sheets . 200 . 5 . . . 10 | 1 | 18.12
Main tacks . 26 . . 9 in the made . 4 | 1 | 15.6
Fore do . 25 . . 8 do . . 3 | 1 | 9.6
2 Buoy ropes . to each 8 . . . 16 | — | —
2 do do . 40 do 7 ½ . . 8 | — | 18.11
12 Coils . . 80 do 4½ . . 40 | 2 | —
12 do . . . do do 4 . . 38 | — | 6
12 do . . . do do 3½ . . 28 | 3 | 15.8½
12 do . . . do do 3½ . . 24 | 2 | 14.6
12 do . . . do do 3½ . . 20 | 3 | —
16 do . . . do do 3 . . 24 | — | —
20 do . . . do do 2½ . . 26 | 2 | 25.12
20 do . . . do do 2½ . . 21 | 1 | 5.12
18 do . . . do do 2½ . . 19 | 1 | 5.10