Stone frigate is a nickname for a naval establishment on land. The term has its origin in Britain's
Royal NavyThe Royal Navy of the United Kingdom is the oldest of HM Armed Forces . From the beginning of the 18th century until well into the 20th century, it was the most powerful navy in the world, playing a key part in establishing the British Empire as the dominant world power from 1815 until the early...
after its use of
Diamond RockDiamond Rock is a 175 meter high basalt island located south of Fort-de-France, the main port of the Caribbean island of Martinique. The uninhabited island is about three kilometers from Pointe Diamant. The island gets its name from the reflections that its sides cast at certain hours of the day,...
, off Martinique, as a 'sloop of war' to harass the French. The command of this first stone frigate was given to Commodore Hood's first lieutenant,
James Wilkes MauriceVice-Admiral James Wilkes Maurice was an officer of the Royal Navy during the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars...
, who, with cannon taken off the Commodore's ship, manned it with a crew of 120 until its capture by the French in the
Battle of Diamond RockThe Battle of Diamond Rock took place between 31 May and 2 June 1805 during the Napoleonic Wars. It was an attempt by French forces despatched under Captain Julien Cosmao to retake Diamond Rock, at the entrance to the bay leading to Fort-de-France, from the British forces that had occupied it over...
in 1805.
Until the late 19th century, the Royal Navy housed training and other support facilities in
hulksA hulk is a ship that is afloat, but incapable of going to sea. Although sometimes used to describe a ship that has been launched but not completed, the term most often refers to an old ship that has had its rigging and/or internal equipment removed, retaining only its flotational qualities...
— old wooden ships of the line — moored in ports as
receiving shipA receiving ship is a ship that is used in harbor to house newly recruited sailors before they are assigned to a crew.In the Royal Navy, the use of impressment to collect sailors resulted in the problem of preventing escape of the unwilling "recruits." The receiving ship was part of the solution;...
s,
depot shipA depot ship is a ship which acts as a mobile or fixed base for other ships and submarines or supports a naval base. Depot ships may be specifically designed for their purpose or be converted from another purpose. They are especially used as bases for submarines, fast attack craft or small...
s, or floating barracks.
Stone frigate is a nickname for a naval establishment on land. The term has its origin in Britain's
Royal NavyThe Royal Navy of the United Kingdom is the oldest of HM Armed Forces . From the beginning of the 18th century until well into the 20th century, it was the most powerful navy in the world, playing a key part in establishing the British Empire as the dominant world power from 1815 until the early...
after its use of
Diamond RockDiamond Rock is a 175 meter high basalt island located south of Fort-de-France, the main port of the Caribbean island of Martinique. The uninhabited island is about three kilometers from Pointe Diamant. The island gets its name from the reflections that its sides cast at certain hours of the day,...
, off Martinique, as a 'sloop of war' to harass the French. The command of this first stone frigate was given to Commodore Hood's first lieutenant,
James Wilkes MauriceVice-Admiral James Wilkes Maurice was an officer of the Royal Navy during the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars...
, who, with cannon taken off the Commodore's ship, manned it with a crew of 120 until its capture by the French in the
Battle of Diamond RockThe Battle of Diamond Rock took place between 31 May and 2 June 1805 during the Napoleonic Wars. It was an attempt by French forces despatched under Captain Julien Cosmao to retake Diamond Rock, at the entrance to the bay leading to Fort-de-France, from the British forces that had occupied it over...
in 1805.
Until the late 19th century, the Royal Navy housed training and other support facilities in
hulksA hulk is a ship that is afloat, but incapable of going to sea. Although sometimes used to describe a ship that has been launched but not completed, the term most often refers to an old ship that has had its rigging and/or internal equipment removed, retaining only its flotational qualities...
— old wooden ships of the line — moored in ports as
receiving shipA receiving ship is a ship that is used in harbor to house newly recruited sailors before they are assigned to a crew.In the Royal Navy, the use of impressment to collect sailors resulted in the problem of preventing escape of the unwilling "recruits." The receiving ship was part of the solution;...
s,
depot shipA depot ship is a ship which acts as a mobile or fixed base for other ships and submarines or supports a naval base. Depot ships may be specifically designed for their purpose or be converted from another purpose. They are especially used as bases for submarines, fast attack craft or small...
s, or floating barracks. The
AdmiraltyThe Admiralty was formerly the authority in the United Kingdom responsible for the command of the Royal Navy. Originally exercised by a single person, the office of Lord High Admiral was from the 18th century onward almost invariably put "in commission", and was exercised by a Board of Admiralty.In...
regarded shore accommodation as expensive and liable to lead to indiscipline. These floating establishments kept their names while the actual vessels housing them changed. For example, the gunnery training school at
PortsmouthPortsmouth is a city located in the county of Hampshire on the south coast of England. Portsmouth is the United Kingdom's only island city and is located on Portsea Island. The City of Portsmouth and Portsmouth Football Club are both nicknamed Pompey...
occupied three ships between its foundation in 1830 and its move ashore in 1891 but all were named (or renamed) HMS
Excellent.
As ships began to use increasingly complex technology during the late 19th century, these facilities became too large to continue afloat and were moved to shore establishments while keeping their names. An early "stone frigate" was the engineering training college
HMS MarlboroughSix warships of the Royal Navy have been named HMS Marlborough after the Duke of Marlborough:*Saint Michael, a second-rate, renamed Marlborough in 1706, fought in the Seven Years' War, present in Sir George Pocock's fleet at the taking of Havana from the Spanish in 1762, foundered at sea later in...
, moved ashore to Portsmouth in 1880. The gunnery school continued to be named HMS
Excellent after its move ashore to
Whale IslandWhale Island is a small island in Portsmouth Harbour, close by Portsea Island. It is currently home to HMS Excellent, the oldest shore training establishment within the Royal Navy, and the Headquarters of Commander in Chief, Fleet.-Early History:...
in 1891. By
World War IWorld War I , also known as the First World War, the Great War, and the War to End All Wars, was a global military conflict which involved most of the world's great powers, assembled in two opposing alliances: the Triple Entente and the Triple Alliance...
there were about 25 "stone frigates" in the
United KingdomThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is a sovereign state located off the northwestern coast of continental Europe. It is an island country, spanning an archipelago including Great Britain, the northeastern part of Ireland, and many small islands...
.
The practice continues in the Royal Navy and some other navies of the
Commonwealth of NationsThe Commonwealth of Nations, often referred to as the Commonwealth and previously as the British Commonwealth, is an intergovernmental organisation of fifty-three independent member states. Most of them were formerly part of the British Empire. They co-operate within a framework of common values...
, including the
Canadian NavyCanadian Forces Maritime Command , also known as the Canadian Navy, is the maritime force of the Canadian Forces. While equal in rank and position, The Chief of the Maritime Staff takes precedence over the Chiefs of the Land and Air Staffs following the tradition of the Royal Navy.MARCOM is the...
, the
Royal Australian NavyThe Royal Australian Navy is the naval branch of the Australian Defence Force. Following federation of the Australian Colonies in 1901, the former colonial navies merged to become the Commonwealth Naval Forces...
, and the
Royal New Zealand NavyThe Royal New Zealand Navy is the maritime arm of the New Zealand Defence Force...
.
Examples
HMCSThe designation Her Majesty's Canadian Ship , is applied as a prefix to any Canadian Forces warship. In the reign of a king, the designation changes to His Majesty's Canadian Ship; the French version of the title remains unchanged in this instance...
Stone Frigate, located at
Royal Military College of CanadaThe Royal Military College of Canada , is the military academy of the Canadian Forces, and is a degree-granting university. RMC is the only federal institution in Canada with degree granting powers. Located on Point Frederick, a 41-hectare peninsula in Kingston, Ontario, the college is a blend of...
in
Kingston, OntarioKingston, Ontario is a Canadian city located in the eastern portion of Southern Ontario, where Lake Ontario runs into the St. Lawrence River and the Thousand Islands begin.Kingston is the county seat of Frontenac County...
, was constructed during 1820 to store part of the dismantled British fleet from the
War of 1812The War of 1812, between the United States of America and the British Empire , lasted from 1812 to 1815. It was fought chiefly on the Atlantic Ocean and on the land, coasts and waterways of North America.There were several immediate stated causes for the U.S...
which had been dismantled pursuant to the
Rush-Bagot TreatyThe Rush-Bagot Treaty was a treaty between the United States and the United Kingdom enacted in 1817 . The treaty provided for the demilitarization of the Great Lakes and Lake Champlain, where many British naval armaments and forts still remained. The treaty laid the basis for a demilitarized...
of 1817. The former warehouse was converted into a
dormitoryA dormitory, often shortened to dorm, in the United States is a residence hall consisting of sleeping quarters or entire buildings primarily providing sleeping and residential quarters for large numbers of people, often boarding school, college or university students. In the U.K...
and classrooms when the college was established in 1876. Renovations to the Stone Frigate began in the summer of 2003. Interior stone walls were restored and cleaned and new structural supports and interior walls were constructed. Windows, doors, and mechanical and electrical services were installed and an annex extension was built. The Department of National Defence officially re-opened the renovated Stone Frigate building in early April 2004. The Stone Frigate is on the Registry of Historic Places of Canada