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

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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

2 Warrant Officers

DatesRatingNameSource
1797 - 1800SurgeonGabriel JohnstonNA-ROA1801 - 2.4.1801BoatswainEdward BurrBG

5 Petty Officers

DatesRatingNameSource
1800 - 5.1802MidshipmanJohn Donaldson Boswall (1790-?)NBD18498.1800 - 1803MidshipmanAndrew O'BrienNBD18491801 - 2.4.1801MidshipmanJames Bell (d.1801)†BG11.1806 - 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 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 Schooner Les Deux Amis (14) off the Irish coast
5.1.1797Took the Tortue (40) off IrelandBWAS-1714
5.1.1797Took the 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 Frigate Santa Gertrudis (24) off Cape St Mary
21.10.1805Battle of Trafalgar
15.7.1806Took the 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
Dates	Fleet	Fleet Commander	Source
9.1782-12.1782	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

BGOfficialWeb Site

ADM29-1 Document

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