NAVAL ASPECTS.
A large number of authorities use the term 'frigate' or 'gunboat' when referring to an armed vessel, and it is difficult to know what exactly they are referring to.
According to Bjorn Landstrom, in 'Sailing Ship', George Allen & Unwin, 1969, the term "frigates" was used from the 17th. Cent., denoting small, swift crafts, fully rigged men-of-war, but with only one gun-deck, with 6-12 guns.
In "Pepys's Miscellanies", reprinted in 'The Wooden Fighting Ship in the Royal Navy', by E. H. H. Archibald, (Blandford Press), 1968, the 'Swan' is listed as a 5th. Rate, with 80 crew, but no mention of the number of guns, while the `Nicodemus' is listed as a 6th. Rate, of 91 tons, with 50 crew and 10 guns. In his list referring to the Commonwealth, there are a number of vessels listed as "frigates".
According to Rodger, 'The Command of the Sea' (Allan Lane, Penguin Books, 2004)
P xxvi, the scheme of six Rates using the size of their crew, was adopted in 1653, but this was standardised by Pepys in 1677 and 1685.
First Rates	90-100 guns; Second Rates 64-90 guns; Third Rates 56-70 guns;
Fourth Rates 38-62 guns;	Fifth Rates 28-38 guns; Sixth Rates	4-18 guns. First and Second Rates had three gun decks, Third and Fourth had two gun decks, and these four Rates were considered fit to fight in the line of battle.
According to The Wooden Fighting Ship in the Royal Navy', Whelps" were small fast ships, probably the first instance of building a class of vessel to one draught, and were called 'The 1st  to 10th. Whelps.' Armed with 14 guns, they were intended to deal with the Dunkirk privateers. He also states that this term might have become the name for a type of warship, but it did not come to pass, and foreign terms such as frigate, corvette and sloop were used instead.
Maxwell, in History of Dundee, P200, mentions a small bark of thirty tons, and P542, mentions English gunboats being driven off at Burntisland prior to Lambert's landing, while Ludlow, in his Memoirs, I P362, refers to English gunboats blockading the Scottish coasts in large numbers. Grainger, in Cromwell against the Scots, P18, refers to more warships being sent from Plymouth to help in the East coast blockade, while on P80, he mentions the English frigate 'President' in January, 1651, then on P84, three English frigates at Inchgarvie and Blackness, March 29ffi. 1651, on P157 the English frigate `Speaker' sailed to Perth. This 'Speaker' was the first of the new, two decker "great frigates" of the Third Rate, launched in April 1650, It was originally meant to carry 44 guns, but she was completed to carry 50. 'The Wooden Fighting ship in the Royal Navy' lists her as 691 tons, 260 crew and 52 guns.
The commander of the 'Speaker' is, in himself, quite an interesting character, since he was born in Suffolk, and went to Massachusetts in 1638. He returned for the Civil War and was appointed Major in Rainsburgh's (Suffolk) Regiment of Foot, which was largely officered by Americans. In 1645, he went to sea, and was eventually promoted Rear-Admiral, as the Navy Commissioner at Harwich, 1657. Like so many of the New Model officers who served in the Navy, he preferred his Army rank, and continued to use it, even when at sea.
For a number of years, I had assumed that a number of English ships were needed, and I tried to find out more about them. Unfortunately, no-one has written anything concerning the naval activities off the Scottish coast at this time. However, taking the complement of the 'Speaker', which was in the vicinity, it is logical that the 10 naval cannon landed to assist Monck could have come from her, but the 200 seamen, which took part in the assault, if landed from her, would have left 60 for sailing purposes, which is probably enough. As a result, it is possible that there was only one, or possibly two, English warships in the vicinity of Dundee.
SCOTTISH SHIPS.
[As detailed in The Journal of-Thomas Cuningham of Campvere, 1640-1654
(The Scottish History Society, 1927)]
10,000 arms were purchased for the use of the Scots army in Ireland, by order of the Committee of both kingdoms at London, October 1642.
6,000 muskets; 6,000 bandoliers; 4,000 pikes; 10,000 swords; 10,000 swordbelts; loaded in 3 ships, Robert Masterton, Andrew Rany and. John Hay, one of which was seized by the Parliament of England's ships and brought to London. The English Parliament agreed to pay £10,316 13s 4d, one third in hand, one third within one month after safe delivery at Leith, and the final third two months later. Interest for the last two thirds amounted to £482 9s 9d. Total received £10799 2s ld. The payments were made in November 1642, for the first third, again through Tierens at London, for £3438 17s 9d; and for the other two thirds in May, June and July, 1644, amounting to £7360 4s 4d The ship seized by the English, the 'James of Kirkcald', skippered by Robert Masterton, was detained for over a month, and the case was referred to the consideration of the Committee at Goldsmiths Hall, but Cunningham never received any compensation, which he claimed amounted to £509 7s.
Cunningham also commissioned another frigate, the 'Lorne' , captain Andrew Ray, with 14 gunners, 30 seamen and 60 soldiers, provisioned for six months, at a cost of £1,800, for service in Ireland, and this was accompanied by the 'Golden Lyon' of Leith, Captain Louis Dick. Both these ships put into Plymouth, where they were detained and used for the safety of Cornwall and Devon, and the frigate performed gallant tasks for the Parliament of England, and was awarded many testimonials and certificates for this service.
Also, in 1643, with another ordinance from the Parliament of England of 10th. December 1642, he commissioned the Lorne, frigate, commanded by Captain William Hodges, with
"her Vice Admirall the Guist the Captain William Knightsbridge, being the first private men of warre commissionated with letters of marque against the Irish rebels and disaffected person in all thee dominions."
[This ship seems to be the same as one mentioned earlier, with a different captain.]
It appears again with another ordinance from the Parliament of England of 30th. November 1643, when Cunningham and several partners from London, commissioned
"5 men of ware (viz. the Achilles, Admirall John Man; my frigott the Lorne, ViceAdmirall William Hodges; the Magdalen, Rear-Admirall John Hosier; the Marigold, Captaine Docks; and the Scout, Captaine Partridge) for guarding the seas and hindering the supplies sent from forraign parts to the Irish rebels after their capitulating with the Lord Ormond, in the which squadron and adventure (whereof Richard Cranley, Abraham and Thomas Chamberlans Roger Treedy, John Morris and John Dethick, treasurers of the same, were administrators) I hazarded one full tenth part during their employment from the 12th. February till the 15th. of November 1644, whereby there became due by the Parliament of England to mee for my proportional) share of £ 1273 4s. victual money (besides a large summe promised for assisting and relieving the town of Lyme) £127 6s. 4d. money."