British Third Rate ship of the line 'Ajax' (1798)

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Ajax
Nominal Guns	74	B028
Nationality	Great Britain
Operator	Royal Navy
Ordered	30.4.1795	BWAS-1793
Keel Laid Down	9.1795	BWAS-1793
Launched	3.3.1798	B028
How acquired	Purpose built	B028
Shipyard	Rotherhithe - London - Surrey	B028
Ship Class	Ajax Class (1795)	B028
Designed by	William RuleBritish Designer Ship Builder Dockyard Staff Service 1778-1813	B028
Constructor	John RandallBritish Designer Ship Builder Service 1782-1802	BWAS-1793
Category	Third Rate	B028
Ship Type	Ship of the Line	B028
Sailing Rig	Ship Rigged	B028
Burnt	11.2.1807	BWAS-1793

Dimensions

DimensionMeasurementTypeMetric EquivalentBWAS-1793
Length of Gundeck182' 5"Imperial Feet55.4751
Length of Keel149' 10 ⅝"Imperial Feet45.4311
Breadth49' 6"Imperial Feet14.9521
Depth in Hold21' 3"Imperial Feet6.477
Draught Forward13' 2"Imperial Feet3.9793
Draught Aft18' 2"Imperial Feet5.4928
Burthen1,953 ⁴⁶⁄₉₄Tons BM

Armament

3.3.1798Broadside Weight = 865 Imperial Pound ( 392.2775 kg)BWAS-1793
Lower Gun Deck28 British 32-Pounder
Upper Gun Deck28 British 24-Pounder
Quarterdeck14 British 9-Pounder
Forecastle4 British 9-Pounder

Crew Complement

Date# of MenNotesSource
10.6.1795690Design Complement

10 Ship Commanders

DatesRankNameSource
1.1798 - 6.1798CaptainBWAS-17936.1798 - 7.1798CaptainBWAS-17937.1798 - 4.1799CaptainBWAS-17934.1799 - 5.1799CaptainBWAS-17935.1799 - 2.3.1801CaptainSNL17996.1804 - 4.1805CaptainBWAS-17934.1805 - 5.1805CaptainBWAS-17935.1805 - 10.1805CaptainBWAS-179310.1805 - 12.1805LieutenantBWAS-17931.1806 - 14.2.1807CaptainBWAS-1793

7 Commissioned Officers

DatesRankNameSource
25.6.1804 - 1806LieutenantNAO17.7.1804 - 14.2.1807LieutenantNAO1.3.1805 - 1806LieutenantNAO1.3.1805 - 22.1.1806LieutenantNAO1.4.1805 - 1806LieutenantNAO1.6.1805 - 1806LieutenantNAO3.7.1805 - 13.8.1805First LieutenantNAO

1 Petty Officer

DatesRatingNameSource
1806 - 14.2.1807MidshipmanNBD1849

Service History

DateEventSource
9.1795Began building at Rotherhithe - London - Surrey BWAS-1793
3.3.1798Completed building at Rotherhithe - London - Surrey at a cost of £57556.0.0dBWAS-1793
3.3.1798Began fitting at Deptford Dockyard - Deptford BWAS-1793
7.4.1798Completed fitting at Deptford Dockyard - Deptford BWAS-1793
7.4.1798Began fitting at Woolwich Dockyard - Woolwich BWAS-1793
13.7.1798Completed fitting at Woolwich Dockyard - Woolwich BWAS-1793
2.7.1799Action in Basque RoadsBWAS-1793
2.7.1799Attack on Aix Roads
9.1.1800Took the Privateer ref:692
1.6.1800Operation in Quiberon Bay
1.1801Sailed for the MediterraneanBWAS-1793
19.4.1802Paid offADM 51
12.1802Began middling repair at Portsmouth Dockyard - Portsmouth BWAS-1793
6.1804RecommissionedBWAS-1793
8.1804Completed middling repair at Portsmouth Dockyard - Portsmouth at a cost of £38853.0.0dBWAS-1793
22.7.18053rd Battle of Cape Finisterre
21.10.1805Battle of Trafalgar
11.2.1807Burnt by accident off Tenedos in the Aegean, grounded and blew up with 250 killedBWAS-1793

Sources

IDNameAuthorType

ADM 51 Archive

B028J. J. Colledge, Book

BWAS-1793Rif Winfield, Book

NAOVarious, Web Site

NBD1849O'Brien, Digital Book

SNL1799Steele, Book

ref:692Jean Jacques Salein, Web Site

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Date posted	By	Page
Saturday 28th of January 2023 19:55	Robert Hubler	Robert BiggsBritish Naval Sailor Service 1752-1801
Wednesday 25th of January 2023 15:36	Laurence Scales	John FranklandBritish Dockyard Staff Service 1771-1785
Tuesday 24th of January 2023 22:13	Albert Parker	Edward SmithBritish Naval Sailor Service 1717-1743
Tuesday 24th of January 2023 18:11	F.F.	French Second Rate ship of the line 'La Ville de Paris' (1764) (90) 1764-1782 French 90 Gun 2nd Rate Ship of the Line
Tuesday 24th of January 2023 17:45	Duncan Mirylees	Vestal Class (1831)

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