HMS Serpent

Ten ships of the Royal Navy have borne the name HMS "Serpent", after the synonym for snake, whilst another two were planned:

*HMS|Serpent|1562|6 was a vessel captured in 1562 and last recorded in 1653.
*HMS|Serpent|1693|6 was a 12-gun bomb vessel launched in 1693 and wrecked in 1694.
*HMS|Serpent|1695|6 was a 4-gun bomb vessel launched in 1695 and captured by a French privateer in 1703.
*HMS|Serpent|1742|6 was a bomb vessel (carrying 2 mortars and 8 guns) launched in 1742 and wrecked in 1748.
*HMS|Serpent|1771|6 was allegedly a 12-gun bomb vessel reported as being built in 1771, but no such vessel was built.
*HMS "Serpent" was to have been a 16-gun ship-sloop. She was laid down in February 1783 and cancelled in October of that year when the builder (Phineas Jacobs of Sandgate) went out of business.
*HMS|Serpent|1789|6 was a 16-gun ship-sloop launched in 1789 and foundered in 1806.
*HMS|Serpent|1794|6 was a 4-gun gun vessel, formerly a Dutch hoy purchased in 1794. She is believed to have been broken up in 1796.
*HMS "Serpent" was to have been an 18-gun sloop, laid down in 1810 and cancelled later that year.
*HMS|Serpent|1832|6 was a 16-gun brig-sloop launched in 1832. She was used as a target from 1857 and was broken up in 1861.
*HMS|Serpent|1860|6 was a wood screw gunvessel launched in 1860 and sold in 1875.
*HMS|Serpent|1887|6 was a torpedo cruiser launched in 1887 and wrecked in 1890.