Estimate of Expenditures for Construction of Frigates of Various Tonnage

Item

Type

Letterbook

Title

Estimate of Expenditures for Construction of Frigates of Various Tonnage

Description

Knox solicits an expert to provide one of many estimates for the cost of constructing frigates of various tonnage for Navy. Foster notes that Knox may be a better judge of the cost of the guns and the warlike stores. Recommends that timber be cut in the fall of the year of construction.

short description

Estimate of Expenditures for construction of Frigates of various tonnage

year created

1790

month created

10

day created

30

recipient

in image

note

Regarding estimate of Frigate constructions.

author note

John Foster

recipient note

Henry Knox

notable person/group

Henry Knox
John Foster Williams
Secretary of War
Marines
US Navy
War Department
blacksmith
blockmaker
joiner
carver
head builder
mastmaker
painter
rigger
shipchandler
shipwright
boat builder
plumber
cooper
officers and crew
captain
lieutenant
master
chaplain
master's mate
midshipman
schoolmaster
captain's clerk
quartermaster
quartermaster's mates
boatswain
boatswain's mates
yeoman of the sheets
coxswain
master sailmaker
sailmaker's mates
sailmaker's crew
gunner
gunner's mates
yeoman of the powder room
quarter gunners
armorers
carpenter
carpenter's mate
carpenter's crew
purser
steward
cook
surgeon
surgeon's mates
master at arms
corporal
trumpeter
midshipmen ordinary
cook's mate
yeoman of the boatswain's store-room
swabber
cooper
able seam
captain's cook
ordinary trumpeter
ordinary seamen
marines
sergeant
drum
fife
privates

notable location

Boston
Philadelphia

notable item/thing

estimate
frigate
guns
warlike stores
timber
ship
iron
oakum
barrels
pitch and tar
bolts duck
twine
rope
sails
anchors
bill
bills
boats
rigging
contingent bill
hull
best white oak
cedar
locust trunnels
water casks
rigging
cables
spare cordage
spare sails
small stores
ordnance stores
cannon
carriages
9 pounders
howitzers
muskets
pistols
cutlasses
powder
round shot
grape shot
double shot
shells
hand grenades
musket balls
pistol balls
provisions
pay
wages
twelvemonth provisions
bread or flour
beer
beef
pork
peas
oatmeal
butter
cheese
ordinaries for renewals of sails
pilotage
indent of sails
main sails
foresails
forestay sails
mainstay sail
mizenstay sails
mizen sails
maintop sails
foretop sails
spirit sail
jibbs
maintop stay sails
spanker
mizentop sail
lower steering sails
maintop gallant sails
middlestay sails
gallant sails
topsail
topmast steering sails
mizentop mast stay sail
top gallant steering sails
mizentop gallant sail
royals
main and mizen top gallant stay sails
spare canvas
making
twine
shrouds
fore shrouds
tack
buoy ropes
coils
main tacks

notable idea/issue

frigate construction
development of US Navy

document number

1790103040055

page start

1

transcription

Foster Williams to Secretary of War

Boston Octob. 30th 1790

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 open in my inquiries, it may vary a little. The cost of the guns and warlike stores you can form a better judgment of then 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 of 900 Tons

An estimate of a ship of 900 tons.

900 tons at £5.15 £5,175
38 tons Iron at £25 950
Blacksmith's bill at 22/per hundd 836
2 tons Oakum at £24 48
26 barrells Pitch and Tar 23.8
£7032.8
43 bolls Duck No. 1
8 do No. 2
7 do[No.] 3
22 do [No.] 4
2 brought over L7032.8.-

Whole Duck No5

38 do 6

7/36 do 7

136...at 60/...£108.-.- 130 lb Twine...at 2/...13.-.- 1880 lb bolt Rope...at 8o...62.13.4 Making Sails...at 10/per bolt...68.-.- [total] 551.13.4 Anchors 13,000 lb...at 8o...325 Blockmaker's bill...200 Joyner's bill...200 Carver's bill...80 Head builders...75 Mast maker's bill...350 Boats...80 [total] 1310.-.- Rigging including cables [indecipherable] at £48)...1920.-.- Painter's bill...100 Rigger's bill...150 Shiphandler's bill...2-- Contingent bill...150 [total] 600.-.- [grand total] £11.414.1.4

No. 1 Estimate of the cost of a frigate of forty guns, com-puted at 1?0 feet keel, and 42 feet beam_equal to 1300 tons.

Shipwright's bill for the hull of best white oak, & of live oak & red cedar where necessary, and with [undecipherable?]
3

[undecipherable] finished to a cleat at 23.33 Dollars[undecipherable] Smith's bill for Iron work includ-ing Anchors estimated at 6/2 of lb. at 11.33 This Joyner's bill including the materials...233 Boat bilder's bill for one [undecipherable] one barge, one long boat, one jolly boat...46 Painter & Plumber's bill...93 Carver's bill...60 Cooper's bill estimating water casks for six months...1.66 Blockmaker's bill...1.-- Mastmaker's bill...2.66 Rigging including cables and spare cordage, computed at 60/ of cord and Rigging bill of estimate...} 6.66 Sails including spare sails and sailmaker's bill of Est. No5} 3.18 Chandler's bill for small stones 2.66 Suppose a ship of 1300 tons...at of tons 56.80 - 73.840

Ordnance stores 30 cannon of 24 pounders to weigh about 48 C.W. at £20/ton, carriage No. 5340 6 do of 9 pounders to weigh about 18 C.W. carriages [undecipherable] at ... of ton...408 4 Howitzers, 8 inches, brass...3840 100 muskets...10[undecipherable]...1000
4

30 pair pistols...8.0...240

120 Cutlasses...120

200 rounds Powder 38,200 150/ 5730

150 rounds round shot 101 C.W. 2.66 269.34

50 at Grape at double headed 60.42.240.-

200 eight inch shells...240

100 Handgranades...50

200 musket or Pistol ball 20 C.W. 146.66 [total] 17.624

Provisions 6 months provisions complete of Ejt. B 7.495.68

Do 98.959.68

No.2 Pay or Wages of Officers and Crew of a frigate of 40 guns--

No of wok. Rates of pay for workers Total
Captain 1 60.- 60.-
Lieutenant 3 30.- 90.-
Master 1 25.- 25.-
Chaplain 1 25.- 25.-
Master's Mates 2 10.- 20.-
Midshipmen 6 7.50 45.-
Schoolmaster 1 7.50 7.50
Captain's Clerk 1 7.50 7.50
Quartermasters 3 7.- 21.-
Quartermaster's Mates 3 6.50 19.50
5

Boatswain 1 11. - 11. -
Boatswain's mates 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 mates 1 6.50 6.50
Sailmaker's Crew 1 6.- 6.-
Gunner 1 11.- 11.-
Gunner's mates 1 6.50 6.50
Yeoman of the Power Room 1 6.50 6.50
Quarter Gunners 10 6.- 60.-
Armourer 1 7.- 7.-
Carpenter 1 11.- 11.-
Carpenter's Mates 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 Male
Yeo of the Boatswain's Storeroom
Yeoman of the Boatswain's Storeroom
Swabber
Cooper
Able Seaman
Captain's Cook
Ordinary Trumpeter
[totals for last 9 rows] 130 5.- 650.-
6

Ordinary Seamen 131 4.- 524.-
Marines Lietenant 1 22.- 22.-
Sergeant 1 5.- 5.-
Corporal 1 4.- 4.-
Drum 1 3.- [price of drum and fife] 6.- [total of drum and fife]
Fife 1
Privates 20 3.- 60.-
D.o 1884.-
Twelve Month's Pay is D.o 22.608
No3 Estimate of twelve months provision for 350 men, Crew of a ship of 40 guns

Quality per week
one man</br> for 52 weeks 350 men
52 weeks</br> Price
Doll. Cts.</br> Total
Doll - Cts.</br>
Bread or Flour lb 7 364 C.W. qr 16
1137 1.26</br> 2. 40 2727. 97
Beer gall 7 364 3981 barrels 1. 065 4246.40
Beef lb 4 208 369 [undecipherable] 8.- 2952. -
Pork lb 2 104 185 bush 12. - 2220.-
Peas quart 1 52 568 bush 0.066 378.66
Oatmeal Pint 1 156 853 bush 1. - 853. -
Butter ounces 6 lb 19 1/2 6825 lb 0. 10 682.50
Cheese ounces 12 lb 39 13964 0. 066 930. 73
Do 14991. 16/100
7

No4 Estimate of the annual expence of one frigate of 40 grams

Wages or Pay Officers and Crew for 12 months of Estimate No [in margin] Doll. Cts. 2,2,608 . -- Ordinaries for renewals of sails, rigging repairs, heaving down, small stores, ordnance stores, pilotage [undecipherable]...6,500 . -- Provisions for 12 months of Acco. No 14,991 . 26 Do 44,099 . 26

No 5. Indent of Sails and Sailmaker's bills of a frigate of 140 foot keel 12 foot beam viz. 2 Main sails, 2 fore sails, 2 forestay sails, 1 mainstay sail, 2 mizenstay sails [flourish] 2 mizens...3645 yds No1...at 2/1 L379.13.9 2 maintop sails, 2 foretop sails, 2 sprit sail 2638 yds No at 2/...263.16.-- 2 Jibbs, 2 Main top stay sails, and spanker 1170 yds No4, at 1/10...105.4.10 1 mizen top sail 315 yds No at 1/11...30.3.9 2 lower steering sails, 2 maintop gallant sails and two middlestay sails 1458 yds No5 at 1/9....127..7..-- 2 foretop gallant sails, sprit sail, topsail, mizen top mast stay sail, & 3 top mast steering sails 1540 yds No6 at 1/8...128.6.8
8

Three top gallant steering sails, mizen top gallant sail, three royals, main and mizen top gallant stay sails, 828 yds No at 1/7...65.11.-- Spare canvas...200.--.-- Making the above sails...216.--.-- 300lb Twine at 2/6...37.10.-- L 1551.13.-- Equal to...Dollars 4137.73

No6 Inventory of Rigging of a ship of 140 feet keel 42 feet beam

C G lb oz
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 8 29 1 9 6
2 do 130 do 7 26 2 4 12
[4?] do 130 do 6 39 -- -- --
[4?] do 130 do 5 1/2 32 3 4 9
2 do 130 do 5 13 2 4 11
2 do 130 do 4 1/2 10 3 24 8
Main Shrouds 225 10 46 3 14 --
Fore Shrouds 200 9 37 2 11 12
Main Stay 18 17 10 3 10 3
9

Forestay 17 16 1/2 9 2 15 10
Main Spring Stay 19 13 6 2 21 3
Fore do do 15 12 4 2 0 --
Mizen Shrouds 130 8 17 1 9 6
do Stay 18 12 5 1 16 11
Mizen Spring Stay 16 8 2 0 14 14
Main topmast Shrouds 140 6 10 2 -- --
do backstay 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 7 1/2 14 -- 7 --
do stay 26 8 1/2 3 3 18 5
do Spring do 24 7 2 1 22 7
Lower [sails?] 200 5 10 1 18 12
Maintacks 26 9 in the [week?] 4 1 15 6
Fore do 25 8 do 3 1 9 6
2 Buoy ropes 60 each 8 16 -- -- --
2 do do 40 do 7 8 -- 18 11
12 Coils 80 do 4 1/2 40 2 -- --
12 do do do 4 38 -- -- 6
12 do do do 3 3/4 28 3 15 8
12 do do do 3 1/2 24 2 14 6
12 do do do 3 1/4 20 3 -- --
16 do do do 3 24 -- -- --
20 do do do 2 3/4 26 2 24 12
20 do do do 2 1/2 21 1 5 12
18 do do do 2 1/4 19 1 5 10
10

18 Coils 80 each 2 16 -- 2 6
20 do do do 14 3/4 14 1 21 8
20 do do do 1 1/2 12 -- 3 8
24 Coils 5 thread hook 18 -- -- --
16 do 12 do ratlines 8 -- -- -- --
14 do 9 do do 6 -- -- -- --
18 do 6 do [worming?] 4 -- -- -- --
16 do 4 do do 4 -- -- -- --
14 do 2 do do 3 -- -- -- --
20 Ct. [undecipherable] of 43 & 2 yarn spunyarn
1688 1 2 [undecipherable]
1 sheet anchor CW
56</br>
3 do each of 45
2 do do 25
2 do do 16
2 do do 12
1 do 9
1 do 7
NB Cordage or rigging materials of the first quality maybe purchased at the present time at about £60 [per ton?]

Item sets

Document instances

In image In source Location in source
[view document] (9 pages) ZXA06 (315 pages) Collection: Letters Sent by the Secretary of the Navy to Federal Executive Agents (Letters to President, Secretary of State, Secretary of War, and Letters to (Requisitions on) Secretary of the Treasury and other Treasury Department Officials), June 1798-June 1824. (RG45) V:1, P:1-9

Document names

Type Name Location Notes
Author John Foster Williams [unknown] [n/a]
Recipient Henry Knox [unknown] [n/a]