HMS Chatham (1788)

HMS Chatham was a 44-gun fifth-rate frigate of the Royal Navy, launched in 1788. She was built to the specifications laid out by the 1782 Establishment. Her career spanned the French Revolutionary Wars and the Napoleonic Wars.

The Chatham saw action in several key naval battles. She participated in the Glorious First of June in 1794, where she engaged the French fleet. She also saw service in the West Indies and the Mediterranean. Her duties typically included convoy escort, patrolling, and engaging enemy privateers and warships.

Notable commanders of HMS Chatham included Captain George Vancouver, who had previously served as a midshipman under Captain James Cook. Vancouver commanded the Chatham on a voyage to the Pacific Ocean between 1791 and 1795 as part of the Vancouver Expedition, surveying the western coast of North America. This voyage was primarily undertaken in Discovery, but Chatham served as a tender for the expedition.

Following her service under Vancouver, the Chatham continued to serve in various roles for the Royal Navy. She underwent several refits and repairs throughout her career to maintain her seaworthiness. She was eventually broken up in 1830.

The Chatham is remembered not only for her involvement in major naval engagements but also for her role in the important exploratory voyage under Captain Vancouver, contributing to the mapping and surveying of the Pacific Northwest.