British Third Rate ship of the line 'Polyphemus' (1782)

Three Decks' Forum

Come and ask, answer or inform.

Recent updates

Polyphemus	5860
Nominal Guns	64	B028
Nationality	Great Britain
Operator	Royal Navy
Ordered	1.12.1773	BWAS-1714
Keel Laid Down	1.1776	BWAS-1714
Acquired	27.4.1782	B028
Shipyard	Sheerness Dockyard - Sheerness	B028
Ship Class	Intrepid Class	B028
Designed by	John Williams (1700-?)	BWAS-1714
Constructor	Sir Henry Peake (1753-1825)	BWAS-1714
Category	Third Rate	B028
Ship Type	Ship of the Line	B028
Sailing Rig	Ship Rigged	B028
Broken Up	15.9.1827	B028

Dimensions

DimensionMeasurementTypeMetric EquivalentBWAS-1714
Length of Gundeck160' 0"Imperial Feet48.768
Length of Keel133' 3"Imperial Feet40.5407
Breadth44' 7"Imperial Feet13.4557
Depth in Hold19' 0"Imperial Feet5.7912
Draught Forward11' 0"Imperial Feet3.3528
Draught Aft16' 9"Imperial Feet4.9149
Burthen1,408 ⁷³⁄₉₄Tons BM

Armament

27.4.1782Broadside 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

Crew Complement

Date# of MenNotesSource
1777500Design Complement

13 Commanding Officers

DatesRankNameSource
2.5.1782 - 25.12.1782CaptainThe Hon. William Clement Finch (1753-1794) ADM 6/22/462BWAS-171425.12.1782 - 27.6.1783CaptainJohn Ford (c.1738-1796) ADM 6/23/161
Issued by Hugh Pigot (1722-1792), North America
Commission confirmed 13.11.1783BWAS-171410.4.1794 - 1800CaptainGeorge Lumsdaine ADM 6/25/28BWAS-17148.1800 - 4.1802CaptainJohn Lawford (1756-1842)BWAS-17146.1804 - 9.1806CaptainRobert Redmill (1758-1819)BWAS-17149.1806 - 10.1806CaptainJoseph Ore MasefieldBWAS-171410.1806CaptainJohn BroughtonBWAS-171410.1806 - 5.1808CaptainPeter HeywoodBWAS-17145.1808 - 3.1811CaptainWilliam Pryce Cumby (1771-1837)BWAS-17143.1811 - 10.1811CaptainThomas GravesBWAS-171410.1811 - 12.1811CommanderNicholas Lechmere PateshallBWAS-171412.1811 - 1.1812CaptainCornelius Quinton (d.1842)BWAS-17141.1812 - 11.1812CaptainPeter John DouglasBWAS-1714

4 Flag Officers

DatesRankNameSource
1796 - 1800Vice-Admiral of the RedRobert Brice (c.1730-1805)BWAS-171410.1806 - 1.1808Rear-Admiral of the WhiteGeorge MurrayBWAS-17145.1808 - 1811Vice-Admiral of the WhiteBartholomew Samuel Rowley (1763-1811)BWAS-171412.1811 - 1.1812Vice-Admiral of the WhiteCharles Stirling (1760-1833)BWAS-1714

12 Commissioned Officers

DatesRankNameSource
10.4.1794 - 20.12.1795LieutenantEdward Brace (1770-1843)WWNH7.3.1796 - 29.6.1797LieutenantEdward Brace (1770-1843)WWNH30.6.1797 - 10.8.1797CommanderEdward Brace (1770-1843)WWNH19.8.1804 - 1806LieutenantJohn MedlicottNAO1.9.1804 - 1806LieutenantWilliam SandeyNAO23.10.1804 - 1806LieutenantRobert Mayne (d.1846)NAO15.7.1805 - 1805LieutenantCharles SquareyNAO7.10.1805 - 1806LieutenantGeorge MowbrayNAO5.1807 - 30.8.1807Acting LieutenantCharles BowenBWAS-171427.5.1808 - 5.11.1809Flag LieutenantWilliam BlackNBD18491809 - 1810Flag LieutenantJohn Alexander (d.1857)NL18657.2.1812 - 23.4.1813LieutenantGeorge BlurtonNBD1849

1 Warrant Officer

DatesRatingNameSource
1797 - 1800SurgeonGabriel JohnstonNA-ROA

4 Petty Officers

DatesRatingNameSource
1800 - 5.1802MidshipmanJohn Donaldson Boswall (1790-?)NBD18498.1800 - 1803MidshipmanAndrew O'BrienNBD184911.1806 - 5.1807Master's MateCharles BowenBWAS-17147.1809 - 1809MidshipmanGeorge Argles (d.1846)NL1865

2 Crewmen

DatesRatingNameSource
6.1793 - 2.1797Ordinary SeamanJohn BroughtonNBD184915.9.1794 - 5.7.1797Able SeamanJohn HeadleyADM29-1

Service History

DateEventSource
4.1782CommissionedBWAS-1714
24.7.1782Completed at Sheerness Dockyard - Sheerness at a cost of £37218.5.1dBWAS-1714
20.10.1782Battle of Cape Spartel
8.12.1782Arrived in the West IndiesBWAS-1714
27.6.1783

Returned home and paid off

BWAS-1714
12.1783Began small repair at Chatham - Kent BWAS-1714
9.1784Completed small repair at Chatham - Kent at a cost of £6371.10.4dBWAS-1714
12.1793Began small repair at Chatham - Kent BWAS-1714
6.1794Completed small repair at Chatham - Kent at a cost of £8771.0.0dBWAS-1714
22.10.1795Present at the capture of the Overijssel (64)
22.10.1795Took the Third Rate Ship of the Line Overijssel (64) at Queenstown
1796Became flagship on the Irish stationBWAS-1714
5.1796Began refitting at Plymouth - Devon BWAS-1714
7.1796Completed refitting at Plymouth - Devon at a cost of £5605.0.0dBWAS-1714
12.1796Took the Privateer Schooner Les Deux Amis (14) off the Irish coast
5.1.1797Took the Tortue (40) off IrelandBWAS-1714
5.1.1797Took the Fifth Rate Frigate Tartu (38) off Ireland
6.1797Began making good defects at Plymouth - Devon BWAS-1714
8.1797Completed making good defects at Plymouth - Devon at a cost of £2987.0.0dBWAS-1714
11.1799Began fitting at Chatham - Kent BWAS-1714
3.1800Completed fitting at Chatham - Kent at a cost of £12753.0.0dBWAS-1714
2.4.1801Battle of Copenhagen
4.1802Paid off into ordinaryBWAS-1714
3.1804Began fitting at Chatham - Kent BWAS-1714
7.1804RecommissionedBWAS-1714
7.1804Recommissioned for the Channel fleetBWAS-1714
9.1804Completed fitting at Chatham - Kent BWAS-1714
7.12.1804Took the Sixth Rate Frigate Santa Gertrudis (24) off Cape St Mary
21.10.1805Battle of Trafalgar
15.7.1806Took the Unrated Brig César (16) in the Gironde
1.1808Began refitting at Portsmouth - Hampshire BWAS-1714
2.1808Completed refitting at Portsmouth - Hampshire BWAS-1714
2.7.1808Sailed for JamaicaBWAS-1714
14.3.1809Capture of the d'Hautpoult
11.1812Paid offBWAS-1714
3.1813Began refitting at Chatham - Kent BWAS-1714
9.1813Completed conversion to a powder hulkBWAS-1714
9.1813Completed refitting at Chatham - Kent BWAS-1714
1815Placed in ordinaryBWAS-1714
1815Moved to the Medway as a powder hulkBWAS-1714
2.1826Began refitting at Chatham - Kent BWAS-1714
4.1826Completed fitting for ordinaryBWAS-1714
4.1826Completed refitting at Chatham - Kent BWAS-1714
15.9.1827Broken up at ChathamBWAS-1714

Fleets
From	Until	Fleet	Fleet Commander	Source
1782/09	1782/12	Fleet for the relief of Gibraltar 1782	Lord Richard Howe (4^th Viscount Howe) (1725/26-1799)

Sources

IDDescriptionAuthorType

B028J. J. ColledgeBook

BWAS-1714Rif WinfieldBook

BWAS-1793Rif WinfieldBook

WWNHAlastair Wilson, Joseph F. CalloBook

NAOVariousWeb Site

NBD1849O'BrienDigital Book

NL1865The AdmiraltyDigital Book

NA-ROA Book

ADM29-1 Document

Previous comments on this pageno comments to display

Make a comment about this page

Recent comments to other pages

Date posted	By	Page
Friday 16th of August 2019 04:51	Tim Oakley	Battle of Porto Praya
Wednesday 14th of August 2019 16:45	Tim Oakley	Chevalier Philippe Raquin des Gouttes (1580-1649)
Wednesday 14th of August 2019 11:01	Tim Oakley	Battle of Grenada
Wednesday 14th of August 2019 10:56	Tim Oakley	Battle of Grenada
Wednesday 14th of August 2019 10:49	Tim Oakley	French Third Rate ship of the line 'Le Zélé' (1763) (74)

GDPR Statement