AH-WR-1123

HMS Lark

Frigate · Great Britain · Lost 1778 · Narragansett Bay & the Rhode Island Coast

A 32-gun British frigate blown apart by her own exploding magazine after being set afire to escape a French fleet in Narragansett Bay in 1778.

Artistic recreation based on recorded historical documents. See the documented evidence.

Historically Reconstructed. Drawn from partial documentation of this vessel together with her known class and configuration. See the documented evidence.

The Vessel and Her Loss

HMS Lark was a 32-gun Richmond-class frigate that had served off Rhode Island since 1777. When the French fleet entered Narragansett Bay in August 1778 to support the American siege of Newport, Lark's captain ran her ashore near Arnold's Point and set her on fire. Flames reached the ship's powder magazine, and the resulting explosion sent wreckage flying for miles. Her remains were located in Narragansett Bay in the 1970s.

Vessel

Built: 1762
Builder: Elias Bird, Rotherhithe
Yard: Rotherhithe, England
Material: Wood
Length: 127 ft
Beam: 34 ft
Tonnage: Not established
Propulsion: Sail, full-rigged ship
Owners: Royal Navy

Loss

Date: August 5, 1778
Cause: Intentional sinking
Location: South side of Arnold's Point, Portsmouth, Rhode Island, Narragansett Bay
Water: Narragansett Bay
Voyage: Not established
Cargo: Not established
Aboard: Not established
Lives lost: Not established
Master: White

The Wreck Today

Depth: Not established
Condition: Site listed on the National Register of Historic Places jointly with HMS Cerberus.
Orientation: Not established
Discovered: 1970s
Protection: Listed on the National Register of Historic Places as part of the Wreck Sites of HMS Cerberus and HMS Lark (1973)

Position

Coordinates: 41.58° N 71.31° W
Accuracy: Approximate position
Nearest: Portsmouth, Rhode Island (Aquidneck Island)
Region: Narragansett Bay & the Rhode Island Coast

Coordinate is the NRHP-listed location for the joint Cerberus/Lark wreck site; not a precise position for Lark alone.

Evidence

Overall confidence: Documented (78/100)

Depth and present condition of the wreck are not established in the sources reviewed.

NOAA Ocean Explorer (AUVfest 2008)
Vessel history, loss circumstances, rediscovery.
National Register of Historic Places listing: Wreck Sites of HMS Cerberus and HMS Lark
Loss date, location, NRHP status.
Wikipedia, citing Royal Navy service records (used as general secondary confirmation)
Build details, dimensions, crew complement.