British First Rate ship of the line 'Royal Sovereign' (1786)

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Royal Sovereign -> 1825 Captain

18
Nominal Guns100BWAS-1714
NationalityGreat Britain
OperatorRoyal Navy
Ordered3.2.1772BWAS-1714
Keel Laid Down7.1.1774BWAS-1714
Launched11.9.1786BWAS-1714
How acquiredPurpose builtBWAS-1714
ShipyardPlymouth Dockyard - Plymouth BWAS-1714
Designed by John Williams (1700-?)BWAS-1714
Constructor Thomas PollardBWAS-1714
CategoryFirst RateBWAS-1714
Ship TypeShip of the Line BWAS-1714
Sailing RigShip RiggedBWAS-1714
Broken Up8.1841BWAS-1714

Dimensions


DimensionMeasurementTypeMetric EquivalentBWAS-1714
Length of Gundeck150' 9"Imperial Feet45.7246 
Moulded Breadth183' 10 ½"Imperial Feet55.7911 
Breadth52' 1"Imperial Feet15.8623 
Depth in Hold22' 2 ½"Imperial Feet6.7183 
Draught Forward13' 3"Imperial Feet3.9878 
Draught Aft18' 8"Imperial Feet5.5118 
Burthen2,175 29⁄94Tons BM 

Armament


1786Broadside Weight = 1188 Imperial Pound ( 538.758 kg)BWAS-1714
Lower Gun Deck28 British 42-Pounder
Middle Gun Deck28 British 24-Pounder
Upper Gun Deck30 British 12-Pounder
Quarterdeck10 British 12-Pounder
Forecastle4 British 12-Pounder

1793Broadside Weight = 1048 Imperial Pound ( 475.268 kg)BWAS-1714
Lower Gun Deck28 British 32-Pounder
Middle Gun Deck28 British 24-Pounder
Upper Gun Deck30 British 12-Pounder
Quarterdeck10 British 12-Pounder
Forecastle4 British 12-Pounder

Crew Complement


Date# of MenNotesSource
1786850EstablishmentBWAS-1714

33 Ship Commanders


DatesRankNameSource
1.10.1787 - 10.12.1787Captain James Samber (c.1736-1816) ADM 6/22/421ADM 6/2222.5.1790 - 28.8.1790Acting Captain Richard FisherBWAS-171428.8.1790 - 21.9.1790Captain John Houlton (c.1728-1791) ADM 6/24/63ADM 6/2421.9.1790 - 1.10.1790Captain John Dilkes (c.1742-1827)BWAS-17141.10.1790 - 4.12.1790Captain William Domett (1754-1828) ADM 6/24/72BWAS-171427.2.1793 - 1795Captain Henry Nicholls ADM 6/24/214BWAS-17143.1795 - 1796Captain John Whitby (d.1806)BWAS-17146.1796 - 3.1797Captain William BedfordBWAS-17143.1797Acting Captain John MillerBWAS-17143.1797 - 9.1800Captain William BedfordBWAS-17141800 - 1801Captain Richard Brown (d.1803)BWAS-17141.1801 - 4.1802Captain Richard RaggettBWAS-17144.1803 - 1.1804Captain Richard Curry (1772-?)BWAS-17141.1804 - 3.1804Captain Pulteney Malcolm (1768-1838)BWAS-17143.1804 - 5.1805Captain John Stuart (d.1811)BWAS-171414.9.1805 - 10.10.1805Captain John ConnBWAS-171411.10.1805 - 26.1.1806Captain Edward Rotherham (1753-1830)BWAS-171411.1805 - 1806Captain Henry GarrattBWAS-171411.1806 - 8.1808Captain Henry GarrattBWAS-17148.1808 - 11.1809Captain David Colby (d.1834)BWAS-171411.1809 - 2.1810Captain Abel FerrisBWAS-171426.11.1809 - 19.2.1810Acting Captain Abel FerrisNAO2.1810 - 7.1810Captain Henry Whitmarsh PearseBWAS-17147.1810 - 8.1811Captain Joseph Spear (d.1837)BWAS-17148.1811 - 12.1811Captain John Harvey (d.1837)BWAS-171412.1811Captain Robert Plampin (1762-1834)BWAS-171412.1811 - 10.1812Captain William BedfordBWAS-171410.1812 - 12.1813Captain James BissettBWAS-171412.1813 - 3.1814Captain Thomas Gordon CaulfieldBWAS-17143.1814 - 5.1814Captain Charles Thurlow SmithBWAS-17145.1814 - 8.1814Captain Robert Stuart Lambert (1771-1836)BWAS-17144.1815 - 6.1815Captain Edward Pelham Brenton (1774-1839)BWAS-171431.5.1815 - 30.8.1815Captain William Robert Broughton (1762-1821)BWAS-1714

12 Flag Officers


DatesRankNameSource
9.1790 - 11.1790Vice-Admiral of the BlueLord Samuel Hood (1st Baron Hood) (1724-1816) ADM 107/3/53BWAS-17142.1793 - 1794Vice-Admiral of the Red Thomas Graves (1725-1802) ADM 107/3/474BWAS-171412.1794 - 7.1795Admiral of the BlueThe Hon. William Cornwallis (1744-1819)BWAS-17146.1796 - 3.1797Vice-Admiral Alan Gardner (1742-1809)BWAS-17141800 - 1802Vice-Admiral of the White Henry Harvey (1737-1810)ODNB1.1801 - 4.1802Vice-Admiral Henry Harvey (1812-1869)BWAS-171426.3.1804 - 17.6.1805Rear-Admiral of the WhiteSir Richard Hussey Bickerton (2nd Baronet Bickerton of Upwood) (1759-1832)BWAS-171411.10.1805 - 21.10.1805Vice-Admiral of the Blue Cuthbert Collingwood (1750-1810)BWAS-171411.1806 - 11.1809Vice-Admiral Edward Thornbrough (1754-1834)BWAS-17144.1812 - 1813AdmiralLord George Keith Elphinstone (Baron Keith) (1745/46-1823)BWAS-17141.1814 - 8.1814Vice-Admiral William Sidney Smith (1764-1840)BWAS-17144.1815 - 7.1815Rear-AdmiralSir Benjamin Hallowell (1761-1834)BWAS-1714

17 Commissioned Officers


DatesRankNameSource
27.2.1793 - 10.3.1795Lieutenant Mathew Buckle (1770-1855)NBD18495.7.1803 - 15.3.1804Lieutenant Samuel Brown (1776-1852)NBD18491804 - 1805Lieutenant Henry BoyesNBD18499.1804 - 21.8.1805Lieutenant Henry Duncan (1786-1835)ref:6161805 - 11.11.1805Lieutenant George HewsonNBD184917.6.1805 - 1806Lieutenant Joseph SimmondsNAO4.7.1805 - 14.8.1805Lieutenant Richard Booth BowdenNBD184916.8.1805 - 1806Lieutenant James BashfordNAO10.9.1805 - 1806Lieutenant Francis Blower GibbesNAO15.9.1805 - 24.12.1805Lieutenant Edward BarkerNAO11.10.1805 - 21.10.1805Lieutenant Brice Gilliland (d.1805)†NAO11.10.1805 - 4.11.1805Lieutenant John ClavellNAO22.10.1805 - 22.12.1805Acting Lieutenant James Bayly (1785-1857)NBD184922.12.1805 - 19.4.1806Lieutenant James Bayly (1785-1857)NBD18493.2.1811 - 5.8.1812Lieutenant John BulfordNBD18492.4.1814 - 16.5.1814Lieutenant Charles Orlando Bridgeman (1791-?)NBD18494.1815 - 7.1815Lieutenant George Francis BridgesNBD1849

3 Warrant Officers


DatesRankNameSource
1780 - 22.2.1780Boatswain Alexander Mackay Transfered ADM 6/22/92ADM 6/221805 - 21.10.1805Master William Chalmers (d.1805)† Discharged DeadTRN519.2.1811 - 31.12.1811Gunner Francis HarrisNAO

18 Petty Officers


DatesRatingNameSource
18.5.1791 - 24.9.1791Midshipman Thomas Baker (1771-1845)ref:6161793 - 21.9.1795Midshipman William Henry Brown Tremlett (1777-?)ref:6161794Midshipman Joseph BuckinghamADM 171/81797 - 4.1802Midshipman Thomas Beer (1787-1867)NBD184910.1800 - 26.4.1802Master's Mate Edward BoysNBD184913.4.1803 - 21.10.1805Midshipman John Aikenhead (1787-1805)†NAO8.1803 - 3.1804Midshipman Isaac BurchNBD184910.1804 - 1805MidshipmanSir James Athill (d.1863)NBD18494.1805 - 3.1806Midshipman Thomas Pitt Robinson (1792-1861)NBD184911.10.1805 - 23.11.1805Midshipman Gilbert Dutton Kennicott (1789-1874)NBD184911.1805 - 1806Midshipman William BishopNBD184911.1806 - 8.1808Midshipman William Nettleton BoyceNBD18495.1807 - 11.1809Midshipman John BranfordNBD18491814 - 28.4.1814Midshipman Edward Canes (d.1848)NBD18491.1814 - 3.1814Midshipman Warre Squire Bradley (1797-?)NBD18495.1814 - 8.1814Midshipman Charles BurnetNBD18491815Master's Mate Daniel M'neale BeattyNBD18494.1815 - 8.1815Master's Mate Joseph Fauriel Barrett (1793-?)NBD1849

25 Crewmen


DatesRatingNameSource
1794Able Seaman James McDonald (d.1829)ADM 171/81794Able Seaman John LawlerADM 171/81794Able Seaman John SmithADM 171/81794Able Seaman Gilbert SmithADM 171/81794Able Seaman John RobinsonADM 171/81794Ordinary Seaman Roger JefferyADM 171/81794Ordinary Seaman Henry ParkADM 171/81794 - 1795Ordinary Seaman John KellyADM 171/81794Landman William YeomanADM 171/81794Landman Richard WrightADM 171/81794Landman Henry SouthcottADM 171/81794Landman John HowellsADM 171/81794Landman James HillADM 171/81794Landman William ColesADM 171/81794Landman James ChalmersADM 171/81794Admiral's Servant Thomas TristADM 171/81794Captain's Servant John GibsonADM 171/81794Captain's Servant William CarterADM 171/81794Lieutenant's Servant George Elliott SalterADM 171/81794Gunner's Servant Simon SimonsADM 171/81795Ordinary Seaman James ChalmersADM 171/81795Ordinary Seaman John DuncanADM 171/81795Master's Servant Samuel Perkins Pritchard (1787-?)ADM 171/83.1796 - 17971st Class Volunteer Thomas Beer (1787-1867)NBD184914.7.1803 - 8.18031st Class Volunteer Isaac BurchNBD1849

4 Marines


DatesRankNameSource
1794Drummer John MullayADM 171/81794Drummer Nicholas MorrishADM 171/81794Private Andrew FoleyADM 171/81794Private Samuel StrettonADM 171/8

Service History


DateEventSource
9.1787Completed and "Partly fitted for sea" at a cost of £61,254.14.7d for the hull, £6,203.14.9d for rigging and stores and £6,760.7.2d for fittingBWAS-1714
10.1787CommissionedBWAS-1714
10.12.1787

Paid off

BWAS-1714
5.1790Started fitting at PlymouthBWAS-1714
5.1790Recommissioned for the Spanish ArmamentBWAS-1714
8.1790Completed fitting at a cost of £7,311.18.2dBWAS-1714
24.8.1790Sailed from PlymouthBWAS-1714
2.1793RecommissionedBWAS-1714
6.1794Started refitting at PlymouthBWAS-1714
1.6.1794Glorious 1st of June
16.6.1795First Battle of Groix
2.1799Started refitting at PortsmouthBWAS-1714
4.1799Completed refitting at a cost of £11,556BWAS-1714
5.5.1799

Arrived at Cawsand Bay, Plymouth

TNC
1.6.1799Sailed for the MediterraneanBWAS-1714
2.1804Sailed for the MediterraneanBWAS-1714
3.1804Off ToulonBWAS-1714
5.1805Escort to General Craig's expedition to the Mediterranean
21.10.1805Battle of Trafalgar
5.1806Started a repair and refit at PlymouthBWAS-1714
11.1806RecommissionedBWAS-1714
1.1807Completed repair and refit at a cost of £63,500BWAS-1714
22.1.1814Sailed from Plymouth for the MediterraneanBWAS-1714
5.1814Still in the Mediterranean
18.8.1814

Paid off

BWAS-1714
28.8.1815Paid offADM 51
17.5.1825Renamed CaptainBWAS-1714
6.1825Started fitting as a receiving ship at PlymouthBWAS-1714
8.1825Completed fittingBWAS-1714
8.1841Break up completed at Plymouth for £763. The value of stores and materials saved was £5,996BWAS-1714


Notes on Ship


Description of the launchTIMES
"... Monday, September 11. The wind this morning veered round from the W to the N and from the appearance of the weather promised a very fine day. At twelve o'clock at noon it was determined by the Builder and Master Attendant, that the Royal Sovereign should be launched in the evening. Preparations were made for the purpose; the usual colours were hoisted on board her as a signal for launching. At seven o'clock the last shores were cut away, and she went off the stocks into her proper element with a grandeur undescribable. The launch being very long, the appearance of her moving slowly into the sea was beautifully majestic. Conceive to yourself near 50,000 spectators at the moment this noble ship began to move, all eagerly looking at once object, struck with awe at so magnificent a sight, a dazed silence reigned among them, not even a whisper could be heard for the space of six or seven moments."
 
Previous comments on this page

Posted by Tim Oakley on Friday 15th of November 2019 00:51

1 March 1796 Royal Sovereign100 Captain John Whitby, Vice-Admiral Red William Cornwallis sailed for the Leeward Islands
15 March 1796 Royal Sovereign100 Captain John Whitby, Vice-Admiral Red William Cornwallis returned to port after a collision with a transport which sank with the loss of one hundred and forty two men

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