Location:
Public Record Office
Ruskin Avenue
Kew
Richmond
Surrey
TWD 4DU
UK.

The documents here deal with the correspondence between the Navy Board and the Admiralty over the suitability of the Prince of Neufchatel to be bought in for naval use. However it was found that she was not as strongly built as demanded by the navy.
Despite this her sailing qualities were so admired that the lines were to be taken off her so as a schooner could be built to the same hull form.

Navy Board to Admiralty
25 February 1815
Prince de Neufchatel
must be docked to acertain her form
dimensions stated.

Mr. Barrow having on the 16th inst. signified to us the directions of the, Lord Commissioners of Admiralty to cause the Prince de Neufchatel American privateer, which has been tendered for H.M. service to be inspected, with a view of ascertaining her remarkable sailing qualities and to report her dimensions, with our opinion, we include a copy of a report on her dimensions made by the officers of the Deptford yard and in laying the same before their Lordships, we request you will state, as the opinion of the surveyor of the Navy, that an inspection into the form of the vessel (by which her sailing qualities are affected) cannot be made, unless she be taken into a dock, or on a slip, for that purpose.

The American schooner the Prince de Neufchatel having been docked at Deptford, and a drawing of her lines taken, we transmit the drawing herewith to be laid before the Lord Commissioners of Admiralty in obedience to their Lordship's order of the 21 [or 27] February last.

In answer to Mr. Barrow's letter of the 21st instant, transmitting by command of the Lord Commissioners of Admiralty for our consideration and report thereon the accompanying application from Mr. Collier for compensation for damage alleged to have befallen the Prince of Neufchatel schooner while in the charge of the dockyard officers at Deptford, we desire you will be pleased to lay before their Lordships the enclosed copy of a report from the officers of the yard dated the 7th inst. by which it appears the vessel sustained no damage and inform their Lordships that upon the strength of that report we - when Mr. Collier's claim was under our consideration decided against it as stated in our letter to him of the 13th inst. of which he has produced a copy.

In obedience to the directions of the Lord Commissioners of Admiralty of the 10th ult. that we should cause a draft to be prepared of a facsimile of the hull of the Prince de Neufchatel to be built for H.M. service and to be commanded by a lieutenant and a propose an establishment for her; we transmit here with a sheer draft which is a facsimile of the Prince de Neufchatel schooner.
In arranging the internal accommodations (shewn in pencil lines on the draft and plans) we have added a platform deck, which appears absolutely necessary for the accommodation of the officers, the birthing of the seamen and the preservation of the stores: in order to however to keep the vessel proposed to be built, as light as possible we should suggest that the bulkheads should be panelled with canvas.
In the American schooner there are no such accommodations, the stores being promiscuously placed and the crew sleeping over them.
We feel it is our duty on this occasion to state that when the Prince de Neufchatel was docked at Deptford she exhibited a very unusual size of weakness; that she is of small scantlings with large openings and has a bottom of only two inches in thickness which in a vessel of 111 feet 10 inches in length and measures 328 tons, we consider to little to render her an efficient and safe cruizer in the Channel; but we do not think ourselves at liberty to make such alterations without their lordships express directions.
We would submit that the schooner to be built may be constructed at Woolwich and established with, 16 carronades 12lbs; 2 Guns 6lbs; and with a complement of 75 men, according to the enclosed scheme.