What was a Cherokee-class brig-sloop?

The Cherokee class was a group of 115 ten-gun brig-sloops built for the Royal Navy beginning in 1808. Unlike three-masted ship sloops, these vessels featured a two-masted brig rigging with a fore mast and a taller main mast. Alongside military duties, members of this class served as mail packet ships, took part in exploration and surveys, and included the famously modified HMS Beagle.

What we know

• The Cherokee class comprised 115 vessels ordered for the Royal Navy, mounting ten guns. [2]
• Brig-sloops were distinguished from ship-sloops by having two masts instead of three. [2, 3]
• Of the 115 ordered vessels, five were cancelled and six were replaced by steam-powered paddle vessels. [2]
• The Cherokee class was the most numerous class of sailing warships built to a single design for any navy at any time. [3]
• HMS Beagle was the best-known vessel of the Cherokee class, modified for its second survey voyage under Robert FitzRoy with Charles Darwin on board. [2]

Where to go next

• a case in pointWhat was the role of HMS Beagle in the Cherokee class?
• how it workedHow did brig-sloops differ from ship-sloops in rigging?
• the bigger pictureWhat was the Royal Navy rating system for unrated warships?
• compared withHow did the Cruizer-class compare in number and size?
• what followedWhat were mail packet ships used for in the Royal Navy?
• an unexpected connectionHow did a warship class become home to an evolutionary naturalist?A military warship designed for ten guns ultimately hosted Charles Darwin during his historic voyage that shaped modern evolutionary biology.

Sources

• [1]Cherokee-class brig-sloop (Wikidata Q1070297) · CC0 1.0
• [2]Cherokee-class brig-sloop · CC BY-SA 4.0
• [3]Cruizer-class brig-sloop · CC BY-SA 4.0
• [4]Sloop-of-war · CC BY-SA 4.0
• [5]List of gun-brigs of the Royal Navy · CC BY-SA 4.0