Nelson & His World

I wonder if someone can help clarify the terminology of vessels smaller than frigates for me?

My query is prompted by the Lively (1754), a 20-gun 6th rate ship. A number of books refer to her as a sloop-of-war, which I think is incorrect as sloops-of-war were vessels with less than 20 guns. As I understand it, 6th rate ships comprised frigates of 28 guns and smaller ships with 20 or more guns. How would the Lively have been referred to in speech or journals at the time? A '20-gun ship'?

Also, as I understand it, the term sloop-of-war says nothing about the rigging of the vessel, and larger sloops-of-war were ship-rigged. In that case presumably an 18-gun ship-rigged sloop-of-war could have been referred to as 'a ship' or an '18-gun sloop-of-war' or 'His Majesty's Sloop X', but not 'His Majesty's Ship X'?

Anybody still with me?

As a supplementary question, presumably 'His Majesty's Ship' could be used for all ships of 20 guns and above, but frigates of 28 to 44 guns could be called either 'His Majesty's Ship' or 'His Majesty's Frigate'?

I think I understand late 18th C ships' ratings more or less OK, but I am more interested in how they were referred to in conversation or in journals at the time. For example, it is very rare to find a vessel described as a sixth rate ship in contemporary writing.

You are correct in stating that the term Sloop had nothing to do with the rig. In contemporary letters it seems that if a ship was not of the 'rated' classes, then the type of ship was used to refer to it ..i.e HM sloop, HM cutter etc.

For example, Admiral Rodney writes "... yesterday His Majesty's Sloop Merlin is arrived from England" or "...you are hereby required & directed to cause His Majesty's Schooners the Earl of Egmont and Sir Edward Hawke to be put into condition ....."

Alternatively the type can appear after the name, such as "..the Merlin sloop".

'Rated' ships seem to be rarely referred to by the rate; they are either simply 'His Majesty's Ship xxxxx ' or "the xxxxxx" and occasionally by using their rated force, such as "...the Lively, 20,....."