British Third Rate ship of the line 'Nonsuch' (1774)

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Nonsuch	354
Nominal Guns	64	B028
Nationality	Great Britain
Operator	Royal Navy
Ordered	30.11.1769	BWAS-1714
Keel Laid Down	1.1772	BWAS-1714
Launched	17.12.1774	BWAS-1714
First Commissioned	25.8.1775
How acquired	Purpose built	BWAS-1714
Shipyard	Plymouth Dockyard	BWAS-1714
Ship Class	Intrepid Class
Designed by	John Williams (1700-?)	BWAS-1793
Constructor	Israel Pownoll (d.1779)	BWAS-1714
Category	Third Rate	B028
Ship Type	Ship of the Line
Sailing Rig	Ship Rigged
Broken Up	6.1802	BWAS-1714

Dimensions

DimensionMeasurementTypeMetric EquivalentBWAS-1714
Length of Gundeck159' 5"Imperial Feet48.4654
Length of Keel131' 0"Imperial Feet39.9288
Breadth44' 5"Imperial Feet13.443
Depth in Hold19' 0 ½"Imperial Feet5.8039
Draught Forward11' 4"Imperial Feet3.4544
Draught Aft17' 6"Imperial Feet5.2034
Burthen1,372 ⁶⁹⁄₉₄Tons BM

Armament

17.12.1774Broadside Weight = 600 Imperial Pound ( 272.1 kg)BWAS-1793
Lower Gun Deck26 British 24-Pounder
Upper Gun Deck26 British 18-Pounder
Quarterdeck10 British 9-Pounder
Forecastle2 British 9-Pounder

5.1794Broadside Weight = 1196 Imperial Pound ( 542.386 kg)BWAS-1793
Gun Deck26 British 68-Pound Carronade
Gun Deck26 British 24-Pounder

Crew Complement

Date# of MenNotesSource
1777500Design Complement

13 Commanding Officers

DatesRankNameSource
25.8.1775 - 31.1.1776CaptainThomas Graves (1725-1802) ADM 6/21/118BWAS-171431.1.1776 - 1.2.1778CaptainWalter Griffith (1727-1779) ADM 6/21/153BWAS-17141.2.1778 - 9.1778CaptainSamuel Reeve (c.1732-1803) ADM 6/21/488
Issued by Lord Richard Howe (4^th Viscount Howe) (1725/26-1799), North America
Commission confirmed 15.12.1778ADM 6/219.1778 - 31.8.1779CaptainWilliam Hotham (1736-1813)BWAS-171431.8.1779 - 8.3.1780CaptainWilliam Blair (1741-1782) ADM 6/22/123
Issued by Sir Peter Parker (1715-1811), Jamaica
Commission confirmed 3.5.1780ADM 6/2223.3.1780 - 15.8.1781CaptainSir James Wallace (d.1803) ADM 6/22/102BWAS-171415.8.1781 - 30.8.1783CaptainWilliam Truscott (1734-1798) ADM 6/22/325BWAS-17143.1794 - 6.1794CaptainBilly Douglas (d.1817)BWAS-17146.1794 - 24.12.1794CaptainPhilip D'Auvergne (1754-1816)BWAS-17142.1795 - 8.1795CaptainWilliam Mitchell (1746-1816)BWAS-17142.6.1795 - 4.1796CaptainHenry Blackwood (1770-1832)BWAS-171430.4.1796 - 10.1797CaptainRobert Dudley OliverBWAS-17141.9.1797 - 1799CaptainIsaac WolleyBWAS-1714

1 Commissioned Officer

DatesRankNameSource
17.7.1777 - 7.12.1777Acting LieutenantWilliam Carnegie (1756-1831)NAO

1 Warrant Officer

DatesRatingNameSource
3.10.1797 - 30.4.1802GunnerCharles FieldADM29-1

1 Crewman

DatesRatingNameSource
18.8.1794 - 1795Able SeamanCharles Bertram (1777-?)NBD1849

Service History

DateEventSource
12.1774Began fitting at Plymouth Dockyard BWAS-1714
8.1775Guard ship at PlymouthBWAS-1714
25.4.1776Completed at Plymouth Dockyard at a cost of £29967.5.5dBWAS-1714
25.4.1776Completed fitting at Plymouth Dockyard at a cost of £6764.14.1dBWAS-1714
12.1776refitting at Plymouth Dockyard at a cost of £3052.15.3dBWAS-1714
16.1.1777Took the Privateer Sloop Charming Sally (6) 135 miles north northwest of Cape Finisterre
23.3.1777Sailed for North AmericaBWAS-1714
26.5.1778Assisted in the destruction of Spitfire (1) BWAS-1714
22.7.1778At Sandy HookBWAS-1714
4.11.1778Sailed for the Leeward IslandsBWAS-1714
14.12.1778Battle of St. Lucia
6.7.1779Battle of Grenada
1.1780Began coppering and fitting at Chatham Dockyard BWAS-1714
8.3.1780

Paid off

ADM 51
5.1780Completed coppering and fitting at Chatham Dockyard at a cost of £10339.12.7dBWAS-1714
5.7.1780Took the Privateer Le Hussard (18)
5.7.1780Took the Unrated Cutter L'Hussard (18)
14.7.1780Destroyed La Légère (32) , armed en-fluteBWAS-1714
14.7.1780Took the Fifth Rate Frigate La Belle Poule (32)
13.3.1781Sailed to the relief of GibraltarBWAS-1714
12.4.1781Arrived at GibraltarBWAS-1714
14.5.1781Actif v Nonsuch
6.1781Began refitting at Portsmouth Dockyard BWAS-1714
9.1781Completed refitting at Portsmouth Dockyard at a cost of £9146.2.1dBWAS-1714
15.1.1782Sailed for the West IndiesBWAS-1714
12.4.1782Battle of the Saintes
30.8.1783Paid offADM 51
5.1794Refitted as a 52 gun Unrated Floating Battery
6.1794In the Channel IslandsBWAS-1714
24.12.1794Paid offADM 51
2.1795Floating battery at HullBWAS-1714
10.5.1802Paid offADM 51

Sources

IDDescriptionAuthorType

B028J. J. ColledgeBook

BWAS-1714Rif WinfieldBook

BWAS-1793Rif WinfieldBook

ADM 6/21 Archive

ADM 6/22 Archive

NAOVariousWeb Site

ADM29-1 Document

NBD1849O'BrienDigital Book

ADM 51 Archive

Previous comments on this page

Posted by BrianStephens on Monday 5th of May 2014 18:50

The Gentleman's magazine. v. 50 (1780).
Adm. Office - Sir James Wallace, of his Majesty's ship Nonsuch, acquaints the board, that while his boats were employed burning the Legers off the Loire, he observed 3 sail making signals to each other, to whom he immediately gave chase and about midnight came up with and engaged one of them, which, after a defence of two hours, struck, and proved the Belle Poule of 32 guns, 12 pounders, and 275 men, 24 of whom, with their Captain, were killed, and the 2d Captain, with other officers and men, to the number of 50, wounded. The Nonsuch had 3 men killed, and 10 wounded, two of whom has since died.

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