HMS Nymph
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208842627
2008-04-28T21:05:47Z
Rgmmortimore
2300097
dab
'''HMS''' '''''Nymph''''' was a [[Royal Navy]] [[sloop]] launched at [[Chatham Dockyard]] in May [[1778]]. She was one of 25 vessels of the Swan class of Royal Navy ships. She sank in the [[British Virgin Islands]] in [[1783]]. The ''Nymph'' was 96 feet long, with a beam of 26 feet and a depth in the hold of 12 feet.
The 303-ton vessel was fitted with three masts and was able to accommodate 125 men, 16 guns and 14 swivel guns. Her role was to protect English interests and island inhabitants from French and American [[privateer]]s. She was first commissioned under Vice Admiral [[Edward Hughes (admiral)|Sir Edward Hughes]]' East India fleet in [[1779]], and her duties included protecting interests in Calcutta, Bombay and Madras and serving as an escort to East India merchant convoys.
In December [[1782]], HMS ''Nymph'' was recommissioned to the West Indies under Admiral [[Hugh Pigot (18th century admiral)|Hugh Pigot]] and Rear Admiral [[Richard Hughes|Sir Richard Hughes]], of the Lesser Antilles squadron.
The ''Nymph's'' Caribbean adventures ended abruptly, however. A crew member's carelessness caused a fire, which forced the crew to abandon the ship as it foundered in [[Road Town]]'s harbour.
In February [[1969]], dredging in Road Town harbour revealed the remains of the ''Nymph''. Artifacts were removed, but no archaeological survey or site excavation was conducted.
The location of the wreck was subsequently lost for many years, and remains a mystery. Since 2005, the Department of Archaeology and Anthropology at the [[University of Bristol]] have been surveying Road Harbour in an effort to locate and survey the remains of HMS Nymph.
==External links==
* [http://www.virginislandsdailynews.com/index.pl/article?id=6215287 Virgin Islands daily news]
* [http://www.bris.ac.uk/news/2005/728 University of Bristol website]
* [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/bristol/4104002.stm BBC news]
* [http://www.bviwelcome.com/articles/shipwrecks/ Famous shipwrecks in the BVI]
{{DEFAULTSORT:Nymph}}
[[Category:Shipwrecks in the Atlantic Ocean]]
[[Category:Shipwrecks of the British Virgin Islands]]
[[Category:Royal Navy sloops]]
[[Category:Shipwrecks in the Caribbean Sea]]
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