Fredricus
Fredricus
This ship of the 5th class was built in 1698 at the then main Swedish naval base Karlskrona. The designer, and perhaps constructor, was Charles Sheldon whose family produced many of Sweden's most distinguished shipbuilders during the 17th and 18th centuries.She was a three-masted ship approximately 34 by 9 meters, and her complement was 190 men, wherof 30 were soldiers. Her gundecks carried 36 to 46 cast-iron guns, 12 and 6 pounders, and she was considered heavily armed for her size.
In 1700 she was transferred to the west coast where she served primarily as a transport and convoy escort. For a period of time, 1717 - 1718, she was also rented out to the infamous privateer Lars Gatenhielm ("Lasse i Gatan")
Though she took part in no major battles she was instrumental in fending off Tordenskiolds attack on Gothenburg in 1717. After a final broadside from the Danish artillery batteries surrounding Marstrand she was scuttled by her own crew.
Archaeologist T. Bergstrand on "Fredricus". Photo: Bohuslän County Museum
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