British Third Rate ship of the line 'Gloucester' (1654)

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Gloucester	4481
Nominal Guns	52	B028
Nationality	Commonwealth of England, Scotland and Ireland
Operator	State Navy
Ordered	12.1652	BWAS-1603
Acquired	3.1653/54	BWAS-1603
Shipyard	Limehouse - London	B028
Constructor	Mathew Graves	B065
Category	Third Rate	B028
Ship Type	Ship of the Line	B028
Sailing Rig	Ship Rigged	B028
Wrecked	6.5.1682	B028

Dimensions

DimensionMeasurementTypeMetric EquivalentB065
Length of Keel117' 0"Imperial Feet35.6616
Breadth34' 10"Imperial Feet10.3632
Depth in Hold14' 6"Imperial Feet4.3053
Burthen755Tons BM
DimensionMeasurementTypeMetric EquivalentTRN2
Draught Aft18' 0"Imperial Feet5.4864
DimensionMeasurementTypeMetric EquivalentBWAS-1603
Length of Keel117' 0"Imperial Feet35.6616
Breadth34' 10"Imperial Feet10.3632
Depth in Hold14' 6"Imperial Feet4.3053
Draught Aft17' 6"Imperial Feet5.2034
Burthen755 11 /94Tons BM

Armament

1666Broadside Weight = 493 Imperial Pound ( 223.5755 kg)BWAS-1603
Gun Deck19 British Demi-Cannon
Gun Deck4 British Culverin
Gun Deck34 British Demi-Culverin

Crew Complement

Date# of MenNotesSource
25.12.1656310280 Sailors and 30 SoldiersTRN2
1660210 BWAS-1603
1666280 BWAS-1603

13 Commanding Officers

DatesRankNameSource
1654 - 1656CaptainBenjamin Blake (d.1689)BWAS-16031656CaptainRichard NewberryBWAS-16031658CaptainEustace SmithBWAS-16031659CaptainWilliam WhitehorneBWAS-160310.6.1664 - 7.9.1664CaptainChristopher Myngs (d.1666)BWAS-16038.9.1664 - 25.3.1665CaptainJohn Harman (d.1673)B05128.3.1665 - 9.6.1666CaptainRobert Clarke (d.1669)B05110.6.1666 - 26.10.1667CaptainRichard MayB05116.1.1671/72 - 3.4.1672CaptainJohn Holmes (d.1679)BWAS-160316.4.1672 - 12.8.1673CaptainWilliam Coleman (d.1681)BWAS-160314.8.1673 - 31.3.1674CaptainSir William JennensB0518.4.1682 - 6.5.1682CaptainSir John Berry (1635-1690/91)BWAS-16038.6.1703 - 1703CaptainPhilip Boys (1671-1726/27) ADM 6/8/35
Commission confirmed 20.12.1703ADM 6/8

1 Commissioned Officer

DatesRankNameSource
1664LieutenantWilliam JennensB051

1 Crewman

DatesRatingNameSource
12.12.1681 - 25.5.1683Master's ServantThomas Russell (c.1659-1739/40) ADM 107/1/100ADM 107/1

Service History

DateEventSource
25.12.1654Left Spithead as part of Sir William Penn (d.1670) fleet for the CaribbeanBWAS-1603
25.6.1655Left in the West Indies when William Penn returned to EnglandTRN2
3.6.1665Battle of Lowestoft
1666Refitted as a 60 gun Third Rate
5.5.1666While stationed of the Texel, intercepted a Dutch flotilla of twelve ships bound from the Baltic to Amsterdam, and took seven of themTRN2
1.6.1666Four Days Battle
25.7.1666St James Day Battle
13.3.1671/72Battle of Smyrna Convoy
5.1672Flagship a squadron of ten sail watching the Dutch Ports, the squadron was chased to Sheerness by thirty Netherlands shipsTRN2
28.5.1672Battle of Solebay
28.5.1673First Battle of Schooneveld
4.6.1673Second Battle of Schooneveld
11.8.1673Battle of Texel
6.5.1682Wrecked off YarmouthB028

Notes on Ship

Loss of the GloucesterTRN2
The year 1682 was a year of peace, and is mainly remarkable for the circumstances which attended the loss of the Gloucester, in which the Duke of York was on his way to Leith. The captain of the ship, and senior officer of the escorting squadron, was Sir John Berry; but the navigation of the vessel had been entrusted to Captain James Aire. The Gloucester, in the early morning of May 6th, ran upon the Lemon and Oar, and upwards of one hundred and thirty persons, including Robert, third Earl of Roxburghe, and several other noblemen and gentlemen of the Duke's suite, perished. There is some reason for believing that the ship was deliberately wrecked by Aire, acting as agent for a party of conspirators who desired the death of the Duke of York.

Sources

IDDescriptionAuthorType

B028J. J. ColledgeBook

BWAS-1603Rif WinfieldBook

B065Brian LaveryBook

TRN2William Laid ClowesDigital Book

B051John CharnockDigital Book

ADM 6/8 Archive

ADM 107/1 Archive

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