Definition
HMS Norfolk (1693) is purported to refer to a vessel of the Royal Navy that may have been launched or commissioned in the year 1693 under the name Norfolk. No definitive, verifiable records of such a ship have been identified in major naval history references.
Overview
The name Norfolk has been used for several Royal Navy ships, most notably a 70‑gun third‑rate launched in 1699 and later vessels bearing the same name. The existence of a ship specifically designated HMS Norfolk with the launch year 1693 is not confirmed by the standard sources such as the Ships of the Royal Navy by J.J. Colledge and Ben Warlow, the National Archives vessel registers, or contemporary Admiralty lists.
Etymology / Origin
Norfolk derives from the historic English county of Norfolk, a common practice for the Royal Navy to name ships after counties, towns, or geographic features of the United Kingdom.
Characteristics
Because accurate information is not confirmed, details regarding the ship’s class, armament, dimensions, service history, commanders, or fate are unavailable. If a vessel named HMS Norfolk were launched in 1693, it would likely have been a wooden sailing warship typical of late‑17th‑century Royal Navy construction, possibly a fourth‑ or fifth‑rate according to the rating system of the period.
Related Topics
- HMS Norfolk (1699) – a documented 70‑gun third‑rate ship launched in 1699.
- Royal Navy ship‑naming conventions.
- List of ships of the Royal Navy.
Accurate information is not confirmed.