British Second Rate ship of the line 'Duke' (1777)

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Duke	109
Nominal Guns	90	BWAS-1714
Nationality	Great Britain
Operator	Royal Navy
Ordered	18.6.1771	BWAS-1714
Keel Laid Down	10.1772	BWAS-1714
Named	8.1771	BWAS-1714
Launched	18.10.1777	BWAS-1714
First Commissioned	8.4.1778	BWAS-1714
How acquired	Purpose built	BWAS-1714
Shipyard	Plymouth Dockyard - Plymouth	BWAS-1714
Ship Class	Duke Class	BWAS-1714
Category	Second Rate	BWAS-1714
Ship Type	Ship of the Line	BWAS-1714
Sailing Rig	Ship Rigged	BWAS-1714
Broken Up	1843	BWAS-1714

Dimensions

DimensionMeasurementTypeMetric EquivalentBWAS-1714
Length of Gundeck177' 6"Imperial Feet53.9516
Length of Keel145' 2"Imperial Feet44.1971
Breadth50' 2"Imperial Feet15.2908
Depth in Hold21' 9"Imperial Feet6.6294
Draught Forward12' 8"Imperial Feet3.7592
Draught Aft18' 7"Imperial Feet5.5086
Burthen1,943 ²⁸⁄₉₄Tons BM

Armament

1778Broadside Weight = 907 Imperial Pound ( 411.3245 kg)BWAS-1714
Lower Gun Deck28 British 32-Pounder
Middle Gun Deck30 British 18-Pounder
Upper Gun Deck30 British 12-Pounder
Forecastle2 British 9-Pounder

1782Broadside Weight = 931 Imperial Pound ( 422.2085 kg)BWAS-1714
Lower Gun Deck28 British 32-Pounder
Middle Gun Deck30 British 18-Pounder
Upper Gun Deck30 British 12-Pounder
Quarterdeck8 British 6-Pounder
Forecastle2 British 9-Pounder

3.6.1791Broadside Weight = 778 Imperial Pound ( 352.823 kg)BWAS-1714
Lower Gun Deck28 British 32-Pounder
Middle Gun Deck30 British 18-Pounder
Quarterdeck8 British 12-Pounder
Forecastle2 British 12-Pounder

Crew Complement

Date# of MenNotesSource
1778750EstablishmentBWAS-1714
1794738EstablishmentBWAS-1714

12 Ship Commanders

DatesRankNameSource
8.4.1778 - 16.4.1778Captain Transfered ADM 6/21/388ADM 6/2116.4.1778 - 29.10.1778Captain ADM 6/21/390BWAS-171429.10.1778 - 24.11.1781Captain ADM 6/21/464BWAS-171424.11.1781 - 24.12.1781Captain ADM 6/22/369BWAS-171424.12.1781 - 9.6.1783Captain ADM 6/22/389BWAS-17144.8.1790 - 26.3.1791Captain ADM 6/24/58BWAS-171430.8.1791 - 7.6.1792Captain ADM 6/24/130ref:6167.6.1792 - 29.12.1792Captain Transfered ADM 6/24/166BWAS-171429.12.1792 - 1.2.1793Captain ADM 6/24/188BWAS-17141.2.1793 - 18.3.1793Captain ADM 6/24/202ADM 6/2418.3.1793 - 8.11.1793Captain ADM 6/24/221BWAS-171422.8.1796 - 31.8.1797CaptainBWAS-1714

2 Flag Officers

DatesRankNameSource
17.9.1791 - 1792Vice-Admiral of the RedBWAS-17141792 - 8.11.1793Vice-Admiral of the Blue DischargedBWAS-1714

11 Commissioned Officers

DatesRankNameSource
1781 - 9.6.1783Lieutenantref:6164.8.1790 - 5.10.1790First Lieutenant Transfered ADM 6/24/58ADM 6/244.8.1790 - 1790Second Lieutenant ADM 6/24/58ADM 6/244.8.1790 - 1790Third Lieutenant ADM 6/24/58ADM 6/244.8.1790 - 1790Acting Fourth Lieutenant ADM 6/24/58ADM 6/244.8.1790 - 17.10.1790Sixth Lieutenant ADM 6/24/58ADM 6/2416.8.1790 - 27.10.1790Seventh Lieutenant ADM 6/24/60ADM 6/2418.10.1790 - 1790Fifth Lieutenant ADM 6/24/79ADM 6/2428.10.1790 - 1790Sixth Lieutenant ADM 6/24/83ADM 6/2428.10.1790 - 1790Seventh Lieutenant ADM 6/24/83ADM 6/245.2.1793 - 3.11.1793Lieutenantref:616

2 Warrant Officers

DatesRankNameSource
27.2.1794 - 31.3.1797CookADM 29-125.8.1796 - 16.10.1796MasterADM 29-1

1 Petty Officer

DatesRatingNameSource
8.1792 - 1793Midshipmanref:616

1 Crewman

DatesRatingNameSource
17.10.1796 - 10.4.1798Able SeamanADM 29/8

Service History

DateEventSource
27.7.17781st Battle of Ushant
1779With Hardy's fleetBWAS-1714
1780With Geary's fleetBWAS-1714
1781Coppered and fitted at Portsmouth at a cost of £6,615.1.5dBWAS-1714
13.3.1781Sailled to the relief of GibraltarBWAS-1714
12.4.1781Arrived at GibraltarBWAS-1714
12.12.1781Action of 1781-12-12
12.12.17812nd Battle of Ushant
1782Refitted as a 98 gun Second Rate
31.1.1782Sailed for the West IndiesBWAS-1714
28.2.1782Joined Rodney's fleet in the West IndiesBWAS-1714
9.4.1782In the Dominica channelBWAS-1714
12.4.1782Battle of the Saintes
21.7.1782Sailed to America with PigotBWAS-1714
5.9.1782Arrived at New YorkBWAS-1714
24.10.1782Left New YorkBWAS-1714
9.6.1783

Paid off

BWAS-1714
11.1784Started a small to middling repairBWAS-1714
6.1785Completed repair at a cost of £22,852.12.5dBWAS-1714
3.1791Recommissioned as guard ship at PortsmouthBWAS-1714
24.3.1793Sailed for the Leeward IslandsBWAS-1714
8.1796RecommissionedBWAS-1714
5.1797Involved in the Spithead MutinyBWAS-1714
21.4.1798Paid offADM 51
1799

Fitted as a lazarette at a cost of £4,696 and moved to Stangate for quarantine service

BWAS-1714
5.1803Removed from navy lsitBWAS-1714
1843Broken up at PortsmouthBWAS-1714

Sources

IDNameAuthorType

BWAS-1714Rif Winfield, Book

ADM 6/21 Archive

ref:616Nicholas Tracy, Book

ADM 6/24 Archive

ADM 29-1 Document

ADM 29/8 Archive

ADM 51 Archive

Previous comments on this page

Posted by BrianStephens on Monday 5th of May 2014 18:37

The Gentleman's magazine. v. 50 (1780).
Aug. 18 - In a storm which happened off Cape Finisterre, the Duke of 90 guns, and the Prince George (Adm. Digby's ship) of 98 guns, on board of which was Prince William, were driven so close together, that, as the sailors phrase, "is you might have tossed a biscuit from one ship to the other" but fortunately by the spirited exertions on both sides, they were parted without damage.

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