British Third Rate ship of the line 'Alexander' (1778)

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Alexander

369
Nominal Guns74BWAS-1714
NationalityGreat Britain
OperatorRoyal Navy
Ordered21.7.1773BWAS-1714
Keel Laid Down6.4.1774BWAS-1714
Launched8.10.1778BWAS-1714
First Commissioned20.10.1778BWAS-1714
How acquiredPurpose builtBWAS-1714
ShipyardDeptford Dockyard - Deptford BWAS-1714
Ship ClassAlfred Class
Designed byJohn Williams (1700-?)BWAS-1714
ConstructorAdam Hayes (d.1785)BWAS-1714
CategoryThird RateBWAS-1714
Ship TypeShip of the Line
Sailing RigShip Rigged
Captured6.11.1794BWAS-1714
BecomesFrench Third Rate ship of the line 'L'Alexandre' (1794) (74)

Dimensions


DimensionMeasurementTypeMetric EquivalentBWAS-1714
Length of Gundeck169' 0"Imperial Feet51.5112 
Length of Keel138' 5 ⅛"Imperial Feet42.0656 
Breadth46' 11"Imperial Feet14.025 
Depth in Hold20' 0"Imperial Feet6.096 
Draught Forward11' 8"Imperial Feet3.556 
Draught Aft16' 9 ½"Imperial Feet4.8895 
Burthen1,620 71⁄94Tons BM 

Armament


8.10.1778Broadside Weight = 781 Imperial Pound ( 354.1835 kg)BWAS-1714
Lower Gun Deck28 British 32-Pounder
Upper Gun Deck28 British 18-Pounder
Quarterdeck14 British 9-Pounder
Forecastle4 British 9-Pounder

Crew Complement


Date# of MenNotesSource
1772600Design Complement

7 Commanding Officers


DatesRankNameSource
2.10.1778 - 24.3.1779CaptainRichard Kempenfelt (1715-1782) ADM 6/21/456BWAS-17145.4.1779 - 19.12.1782CaptainLord Edward Michael Pakenham (2nd Baron Longford) (1743-1792) ADM 6/21/536BWAS-171419.12.1782 - 11.4.1783CaptainThomas Fitzherbert (1727-1794) ADM 6/23/557BWAS-171416.9.1790 - 1.3.1793CaptainJames Pigot (d.1822) ADM 6/24/67ADM 6/245.8.1793 - 15.4.1794CaptainThomas West ADM 6/24/259BWAS-171412.4.1794 - 6.11.1794CaptainRichard Rodney Bligh (1737-1821): on board from 15.4.1794 ADM 6/25/29BWAS-171430.10.1794CaptainCuthbert Collingwood (1750-1810) ADM 6/25/101ADM 6/25

1 Commissioned Officer


DatesRankNameSource
1798 - 1.8.1798LieutenantJohn Collins (d.1798)†TNC

2 Warrant Officers


DatesRatingNameSource
16.7.1781 - 11.4.1783MasterWilliam Bray (d.1808)ADM29-130.10.1793 - 25.5.1795MasterJames Banks Robinson (c.1748-1819)ADM29-1

1 Petty Officer


DatesRatingNameSource
1794 - 6.11.1794MidshipmanGeorge Miller Bligh (1780-1834)EWIKI

1 Crewman


DatesRatingNameSource
5.1.1782 - 12.1782Captain's ServantThomas BrowneNBD1849

Service History


DateEventSource
6.12.1778Completed at Deptford Dockyard - Deptford at a cost of £38895.18.3d
12.1779coppering and fitting at Portsmouth Dockyard - Portsmouth at a cost of £6607.15.9dBWAS-1714
13.3.1780Took the Frigate Le Monsieur (38) ref:692
13.1.1781Took the Privateer Le Duguesseau (28) off the Irish coastref:692
12.12.1781Action of 1781-12-12
12.12.17812nd Battle of Ushant
5.1782In the DownsBWAS-1714
9.1782Releif of GibraltarBWAS-1714
20.10.1782Battle of Cape Spartel
12.1782refitting at Chatham Dockyard - Chatham at a cost of £8509.12.2dBWAS-1714
11.4.1783

Paid off

BWAS-1714
8.1784Began small repair at Chatham Dockyard - Chatham BWAS-1714
12.1784Completed small repair at Chatham Dockyard - Chatham at a cost of £11064.18.3dBWAS-1714
8.1791fitting at Chatham Dockyard - Chatham BWAS-1714
8.1793RecommissionedBWAS-1714
6.11.1794Taken off the Scillies by a French squadron losing 40 killed and woundedBWAS-1714


Fleets

DatesFleetFleet CommanderSource
9.1782-12.1782Fleet for the relief of Gibraltar 1782Lord Richard Howe (4th Viscount Howe) (1725/26-1799) 
 
Previous comments on this page

Posted by Brian on Tuesday 29th of December 2015 21:36

London Gazette, March 18, 1780 Extract of a letter from the Right Honourable Lord Longford, Capt. of his Majesty's ship Alexander. Dated Spithead March 16, 1780 - On the 12th inst. being to the westward of Scilly we gave chase to a large frigate in the S.E. quarter, and after eighteen hours chase got within half gun shot of her; at daylight in the morning of the 13th she hoisted French colours and we fired chace guns at each other for about two hours. When we had got nearly alongside her, my foretop mast, without being struck or any part of the rigging cut, and without wind, went over the side. I found it quite rotten. The Courageux continued the chase, and about noon after firing a great number of shot, came up with and took her. She proved the Monsieur privateer, of Granville, of 40 guns, twelve and six pounders and three hundred and sixty two men commanded by Jean de Bochet. She had been eight days from L'Orient and taken nothing. She is a very fine frigate, almost new, 134 feet on the gun deck, and I hope will be found fit for his Majesty's service.

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