burden, built by Peter Pett, son of Phineas, was the first three-decker built in England. Her length over all was 232 feet, and her main breadth 48 feet; she carried 126 guns. Later she was cut down one deck, and remained in the service till 1696, "with the character of the best man-of-war in the world." She was accidentally burned at Chatham. It appears to have been regarded as a remarkable coincidence, that the tonnage of this vessel was the same as the date of the year of her launching.
In 1646 Peter Pett built the Constant Warwick, of 315 tons burden, and 32 guns. This was the first frigate built in England, and Pett caused the fact of his being the inventor of the frigate to be engraved upon his tomb. Evelyn, in his diary, relates this conversation: "Sir Anthony Deane mentioned what exceeding advantage we of this Nation had by being the first who built frigates, the first of which ever built was that vessel which was afterwards called the Constant Warwick, and was the work of Pett at Chatham, for a trial of making a vessel which would sail swiftly. It was built with low decks, the guns lying near the water, and was so light and swift of sailing, that in a short time she had, ere the Dutch war was ended, taken as much money from privateers as would have laden her."
The dimensions of the Constant Warwick are given in Pepys Miscellanies, as follows: Length of keel, 85 feet; breadth, 26 feet 5 inches; depth, 13 feet 2 inches; carrying a crew of 140 men.
The Constant Warwick was, no doubt, the first
