,_Tartar_(1801),_Cornelia_(1808)_RMG_J6588.jpg) Plan of the Narcissus-class frigates
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| Class overview | |
|---|---|
| Name | Narcissus-class frigate |
| Operators |  Royal Navy |
| Preceded by | Amphion class |
| Succeeded by | Apollo class |
| Built | 1800–1808 |
| In service | 1801–1837 |
| Planned | 5 |
| Completed | 3 |
| Cancelled | 2 |
| Lost | 1 |
| General characteristics | |
| Type | Fifth-rate frigate |
| Tons burthen | 885 90⁄94 (bm) |
| Length | |
| Beam | 37 ft 8 in (11.5 m) |
| Depth of hold | 12 ft 6 in (3.8 m) |
| Propulsion | Sails |
| Complement | 254 |
| Armament |
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The Narcissus-class frigate was a 32-gun, 18-pounder fifth-rate frigate class of five ships of the Royal Navy. Designed by Surveyor of the Navy Sir John Henslow, the class was created to make use of shipyards that could not construct larger frigates. They were similar in design to the preceding 32-gun frigate class, the Amphion class, but were slightly shorter. Two ships were initially constructed, with a later batch of three being ordered in response to an Admiralty request for the resumption of production of proven frigate designs. The final two ships of the class were cancelled when the shipyard they were being constructed at went bankrupt. Unlike her sister ships, the name ship of the class Narcissus was armed with experimental short 24 pounders rather than 18 pounders.
The ships of the class were not especially fast, slower than the Amphion class, but were well-liked because of their easy sailing qualities and manoeuvrability. The three completed vessels all saw service during the period of the Napoleonic Wars, with key actions including Narcissus at the Battle of Blaauwberg in 1806 and cutting out USRC Surveyor in 1813, Tartar at the Battle of Alvøen in 1808, and Cornelia at the invasions of Isle de France and Java in 1810–1811. Of the three, Narcissus survived until 1837 serving as a hospital ship, while Tartar was wrecked in 1811 and Cornelia broken up in 1814.