The Scamander class were a series of ten 36-gun sailing frigates, all built by contract with private shipbuilders to an 1812 design by Sir William Rule, which served in the Royal Navy during the late Napoleonic War and War of 1812.
They were all built of "fir" (actually, pine), selected as a stop-gap measure because of the urgent need to build ships quickly, with the Navy Board supplying red pine timber to the contractors from dockyard stocks for the first seven ships. The last three were built of yellow pine. While quick to build, the material was not expected to last as long as oak-built ships, and indeed all were deleted by 1819, except the Tagus which lasted to 1822.
Ships in class
Red pine group. These seven ships were originally ordered under the names Liffey, Brilliant, Lively, Severn, Blonde, Forth and Greyhound, all being renamed on 11 December 1812 (except Liffey and Severn, which were renamed on 26 January 1813). (ex-Liffey) Builder: Mrs Mary Ross, Rochester Ordered: 4 May 1812 Laid down: August 1812 Launched: 1 May 1813 Completed: 13 July 1813 at Chatham Dockyard Fate: Sold 29 January 1818 (ex-Brilliant) Builder: Josiah & Thomas Brindley, Frindsbury Ordered: 4 May 1812 Laid down: August 1812 Launched: 29 June 1813 Completed: 13 December 1813 at Chatham Dockyard Fate: Broken up at Sheerness in April 1817 HMS Scamander (ex-Lively) Builder: Josiah & Thomas Brindley, Frindsbury Ordered: 4 May 1812 Laid down: August 1812 Launched: 13 July 1813 Completed: 24 December 1813 at Chatham Dockyard Fate: Sold 22 July 1819 HMS Tagus (ex-Severn) Builder: Daniel List, Binstead, Isle of Wight Ordered: 4 May 1812 Laid down: August 1812 Launched: 14 July 1813 Completed: 9 November 1813 at Portsmouth Dockyard Fate: Sold 19 April 1822 (ex-Blonde) Builder: William Wallis, Leamouth Ordered: 4 May 1812 Laid down: August 1812 Launched: 14 July 1813 Completed: 11 November 1813 at Woolwich Dockyard Fate: Sold 8 March 1819 (ex-Forth) Builder: John Pelham, Frindsbury, Kent Ordered: 4 May 1812 Laid down: September 1812 Launched: 26 June 1813 Completed: 24 December 1813 at Chatham Dockyard Fate: Sold 11 June 1818 (ex-Greyhound) Builder: John King, Upnor, Kent Ordered: 12 October 1812 Laid down: January 1813 Launched: 8 November 1813 Completed: 24 September 1814 at Chatham Dockyard Fate: Sold 29 January 1818
Yellow pine group.
Builder: John Barton, Limehouse Ordered: 16 November 1812 Laid down: January 1813 Launched: 13 September 1813 Completed: 18 December 1813 at Deptford Dockyard Fate: Sold 3 April 1817
Builder: John Barton, Limehouse Ordered: 17 November 1812 Laid down: January 1813 Launched: 25 October 1813 Completed: 31 January 1814 at Deptford Dockyard Fate: Sold 3 April 1817
Builder: William Wallis, Leamouth Ordered: 7 December 1812 Laid down: July 1813 Launched: 6 April 1814 Completed: 11 July 1814 at Woolwich Dockyard Fate: Sold 10 September 1817
References Rif Winfield, British Warships in the Age of Sail, 1793-1817, 2nd edition, Seaforth Publishing, Barnsley 2008. .