British Third Rate ship of the line 'Somerset' (1748)

Three Decks' Forum

Come and ask, answer or inform.

Recent updates

Update
Surinam (16) 1805-1825
British 16 Gun
Unrated Sloop
Update
Procris (10) 1822-1837
British 10 Gun
Unrated Sloop
Update
Pyramus (36) 1810-1879
British 36 Gun
5th Rate Frigate
Update
Dartmouth (36) 1813-1854
British 36 Gun
5th Rate Frigate
Update
Raven (16) 1805-1816
British 16 Gun
Unrated Sloop
Update
Grecian (10) 1814-1822
British 10 Gun
Unrated Schooner
Added
Alexander HornBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1814-1828
Added
GoringBritish
Ship Builder
Service 1673
Update
Bartholomew SharpeBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1682-1683
Update
John MackleyBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1673-1674
See more...

Somerset	265
Nominal Guns	68	BWAS-1714
Nationality	Great Britain
Operator	Royal Navy
Ordered	6.8.1745	BWAS-1714
Keel Laid Down	5.5.1746	BWAS-1714
Named	8.7.1748	BWAS-1714
Launched	18.7.1748	BWAS-1714
How acquired	Purpose built	BWAS-1714
Shipyard	Chatham Dockyard - Chatham	BWAS-1714
Constructor	John WardBritish Designer Ship Builder Dockyard Staff Service 1711-1752	BWAS-1714
Category	Third Rate	BWAS-1714
Ship Type	Ship of the Line	BWAS-1714
Sailing Rig	Ship Rigged	BWAS-1714
Wrecked	2.11.1778	BWAS-1714

Dimensions

DimensionMeasurementTypeMetric EquivalentBWAS-1714
Length of Gundeck160' 0"Imperial Feet48.768
Length of Keel131' 4"Imperial Feet39.9321
Breadth45' 4"Imperial Feet13.7363
Depth in Hold19' 4"Imperial Feet5.8025
Burthen1,435 ⁶²⁄₉₄Tons BM

Armament

18.7.1748Broadside Weight = 731 Imperial Pound ( 331.5085 kg)BWAS-1714
Lower Gun Deck26 British 32-Pounder
Upper Gun Deck28 British 18-Pounder
Quarterdeck12 British 9-Pounder
Forecastle2 British 9-Pounder

Crew Complement

Date# of MenNotesSource
1745520Design Complement

8 Ship Commanders

DatesRankNameSource
28.2.1748/49 - 21.11.1752Captain ADM 6/17/445BWAS-171416.1.1753 - 4.2.1755Captain Transfered ADM 6/18/53BWAS-17144.2.1755 - 5.7.1757Captain ADM 6/18/128BWAS-17145.7.1757 - 26.9.1762Captain Transfered ADM 6/18/418BWAS-171426.9.1762 - 23.5.1763Captain ADM 6/19/488
Issued by
Confirmed 27.4.1763ADM 6/198.1.1771 - 2.9.1773Captain ADM 6/20/332BWAS-171415.9.1773 - 31.3.1775Captain Transfered ADM 6/20/515BWAS-171431.3.1775 - 2.11.1778Captain ADM 6/21/82BWAS-1714

2 Flag Officers

DatesRankNameSource
1756Vice-Admiral of the Red ADM 6/86/91BWAS-17141759Vice-Admiral of the BlueBWAS-1714

3 Commissioned Officers

DatesRankNameSource
1.12.1748 - 21.1.1752Third Lieutenant ADM 6/17/416ADM 6/1730.12.1748 - 21.11.1752Second Lieutenant ADM 6/17/427ADM 6/1717.6.1775 - 24.2.1776Fourth Lieutenant ADM 6/21/110
Issued by , North America
Confirmed 5.8.1775NAO

1 Warrant Officer

DatesRankNameSource
1773 - 22.1.1773Surgeon ADM 6/20/475ADM 6/20

8 Petty Officers

DatesRatingNameSource
30.6.1739 - 12.1.1739/40Quartermasterref:170013.1.1739/40 - 29.10.1740Midshipman Transferedref:170013.6.1749 - 1.7.1751Midshipman ADM 107/4/350ADM 107/43.3.1754 - 26.2.1755Midshipman ADM 107/4/408ADM 107/427.2.1755 - 26.3.1755Master's Mate Transfered ADM 107/4/408ADM 107/49.8.1757 - 7.4.1760Midshipman ADM 107/5/213ADM 107/516.9.1757 - 9.2.1758Midshipman ADM 107/5/130ADM 107/510.2.1758 - 13.6.1759Master's Mate ADM 107/5/130ADM 107/1

5 Crewmen

DatesRatingNameSource
15.5.1738 - 29.6.1739Able Seamanref:17004.1.1749/50 - 25.11.1750Lieutenant's Servant Transfered ADM 107/5/18ADM 107/52.7.1751 - 18.10.1752Able Seaman Transfered ADM 107/4/350ADM 107/41.12.1753 - 2.3.1754Able Seaman ADM 107/4/408ADM 107/414.12.1776 - 13.12.1778Able SeamanADM 29/8

Service History

DateEventSource
29.7.1748Completed at Chatham Dockyard - Chatham at a cost of £33967.13.8dBWAS-1714
12.1748Commissioned as a guardship at ChathamBWAS-1714
1750Moved to SheernessBWAS-1714
21.11.1752Paid off at Chatham Dockyard ADM 6/18
1.1753Guard ship at ChathamBWAS-1714
22.4.1755Sailed to North AmericaBWAS-1714
13.4.1757Took the Privateer
6.9.1757

Arrived at Halifax

ODNB
6.6.1758The Siege of Louisbourg
11.1758

Had arrived at Spithead

ODNB
14.2.1759Sailed for North AmericaBWAS-1714
6.1759Seige of Quebec
9.1759At QuebecBWAS-1714
21.5.1760Sailed for the MediterraneanBWAS-1714
6.1763Paid offBWAS-1714
1.1771RecommissionedBWAS-1714
1.1771Recommissioned as guardship at PlymouthBWAS-1714
22.6.1773Participated in the Spithead reviewBWAS-1714
24.10.1774Sailed to North AmericaBWAS-1714
18.12.1774Arrived in BostonNDARI
4.1776Returned home to pay offBWAS-1714
5.1776Guardship at PlymouthBWAS-1714
9.4.1777Sailed for North AmericaBWAS-1714
22.7.1778At Sandy HookBWAS-1714
2.11.1778Wrecked off Cape Cod losing 21 drownedBWAS-1714

Fleets
Dates	Fleet	Fleet Commander	Source
27.4.1755-4.11.1755	Fleet for North America	The Hon. Edward BoscawenBritish Naval Sailor Ship Owner Administrator Marine Service 1726-1759
1.1.1775-1.1.1775	North American Squadron on the 1st of January 1775	Samuel GravesBritish Naval Sailor Service 1732-1783

Sources

IDNameAuthorType

ADM 107/1 Archive

ADM 107/4 Archive

ADM 107/5 Archive

ADM 29/8 Archive

ADM 6/17 Archive

ADM 6/18 Archive

ADM 6/19 Archive

ADM 6/20 Archive

BWAS-1714Rif Winfield, Book

NAOVarious, Web Site

NDARIWilliam Bell Clark, Digital Book

ODNBOxford University Press, Web Site

ref:1700 Web Site

Previous comments on this page

Posted by martin rigby on Tuesday 22nd of September 2020 07:59

Gunner of the Somerset was Stephen Foster from 1748 until at least 1765. Source: ADM\B\177. Later Gunner of Royal George. He died in 1808. His headstone describes him as 'the oldest seaman in His Majesty's service'.
The ship's Gunner on its loss in North America was Richard Collier. Source: HMS Somerset 1746-1778 by M H Gibson.

Posted by Cy on Thursday 27th of July 2017 11:38

The simple answer is 'don't know'. This is the third RN ship to carry the name, use the ships search to find them all.
I would guess they were named in honour of either the county, or, possibly more likely, one of the Dukes or Earls of Somerset.

Posted by Jane Somerset Trisos on Thursday 27th of July 2017 10:21

I would like to know the origin of the naming of the ship SOMERSET 1748. I am of English Somerset descent

Make a comment about this page

Recent comments to other pages

Date posted	By	Page
Monday 20th of March 2023 18:57	Cy	French Privateer lugger 'L'Étoile' (1809) (14) 1809-1809 French 14 Gun Privateer Lugger
Monday 20th of March 2023 18:23	A. Morddel	French Privateer lugger 'L'Étoile' (1809) (14) 1809-1809 French 14 Gun Privateer Lugger
Monday 20th of March 2023 17:49	Cy	French Privateer lugger 'L'Étoile' (1809) (14) 1809-1809 French 14 Gun Privateer Lugger
Monday 20th of March 2023 15:31	A. Morddel	French Privateer lugger 'L'Étoile' (1809) (14) 1809-1809 French 14 Gun Privateer Lugger
Monday 20th of March 2023 04:37	Tim Oakley	James SymonsBritish Naval Sailor Service 1780-1808

GDPR Statement