HMS Chichester (1785)

HMS Chichester (1785) was a 44-gun fifth-rate frigate of the Royal Navy, launched in 1785. She was built by Barnard at Deptford Dockyard, based on the lines of the Roebuck class.

Service: The Chichester saw service primarily in the West Indies and the Atlantic. She participated in various operations, including convoy escort and patrols against privateers and enemy shipping during periods of conflict. Her duties also included enforcing customs laws and suppressing smuggling activities in the regions she patrolled.

Fate: The HMS Chichester was wrecked on the Florida Reef in 1795. All of her crew were reportedly saved. A court martial acquitted her captain of any negligence in the incident, attributing the loss to navigational errors caused by strong currents and poor visibility. The wreck site has since been identified.