HMS Merlin (1757)

HMS Merlin was a 16-gun sloop of the Royal Navy, launched in 1757. She was built at Deptford Dockyard to the lines of the Swallow class designed by Surveyor Slade.

Merlin served during the Seven Years' War. She participated in various operations, including patrol duties and escorting convoys.

Her armament consisted of sixteen 6-pounder cannons and several swivel guns. Sloops like Merlin were employed for a variety of tasks, including scouting, dispatch carrying, and suppressing smuggling.

Details of her commission and specific actions can be found in contemporary naval records and historical accounts of the period. She was eventually sold out of service in [Insert Date if Known]. More detailed service records may be available in the National Archives (UK).