English ship Antelope (1651)

For other ships with the same name, see Antelope (ship) and HMS Antelope.

History
England
Name	Antelope
Ordered	8 August 1651
Builder	Woolwich Dockyard
Launched	Spring 1652
Fate	Wrecked, 30 September 1652
General characteristics
Class and type	56-gun second rate great frigate
Tons burthen	828 tons
Length	120 ft (36.6 m) (keel)
Beam	36 ft (11.0 m)
Depth of hold	16 ft (4.9 m)
Propulsion	Sails
Sail plan	Full-rigged ship
Complement	250 (or possibly more)
Armament	56 guns of various weights of shot

The Antelope was a 56-gun great frigate of the navy of the Commonwealth of England, launched at Woolwich Dockyard in 1652. Notwithstanding the term "frigate", this was the largest of the warships ordered by the Commonwealth, and was eventually classed as a second rate.

The Antelope was fitted out in July 1652, and sailed from Woolwich in August. She was commissioned under Captain Andrew Ball, and deployed to the Danish coast to convoy merchantmen from the Sound. She sailed for home on 27 September but was wrecked off Jutland at around 3 o'clock in the morning of 30 September 1652, in bad weather. Most of her crew were saved.

References

• Lavery, Brian (2003) The Ship of the Line – Volume 1: The development of the battlefleet 1650-1850. Conway Maritime Press. ISBN 0-85177-252-8.
• Winfield, Rif (2009) British Warships in the Age of Sail 1603-1714: Design, Construction, Careers and Fates. Seaforth Publishing. ISBN 978-1-84832-040-6.