British Third Rate ship of the line 'Thunderer' (1783)

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Thunderer	7122
Nominal Guns	74	B028
Nationality	Great Britain
Operator	Royal Navy
Ordered	23.7.1781	BWAS-1793
Keel Laid Down	3.1782	BWAS-1793
Acquired	13.11.1783	B028
Shipyard	Deptford - London	B028
Ship Class	Thunderer Class	B028
Designed by	Sir John Henslow (1730-1815)	BWAS-1793
Constructor	John & William Wells	B028
Category	Third Rate	B028
Ship Type	Ship of the Line	B028
Sailing Rig	Ship Rigged	B028
Broken Up	3.1814	B028

Dimensions

DimensionMeasurementTypeMetric EquivalentBWAS-1793
Length of Gundeck170' 8"Imperial Feet51.8189
Length of Keel139' 5"Imperial Feet42.3705
Breadth47' 7"Imperial Feet14.351
Depth in Hold19' 11"Imperial Feet5.794
Draught Forward13' 0"Imperial Feet3.9624
Draught Aft18' 4"Imperial Feet5.4991
Burthen1,679 ¹⁄₉₄Tons BM

Armament

1793Broadside 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
1793600EstablishmentBWAS-1714

17 Ship Commanders

DatesRankNameSource
20.1.1794 - 1794Captain Albemarle Bertie (1755-1824) ADM 6/25/7ref:9241796 - 2.1797Captain James BallardBWAS-17141.1796 - 2.1797Captain James BallardBWAS-17142.1797 - 7.1797Commander William OgilvyBWAS-17147.1797 - 5.1798Captain William OgilvyBWAS-17141.1799 - 5.1799Captain John CrawleyBWAS-17147.1800 - 4.1801CaptainSir Robert Mends (d.1823)BWAS-17144.1801Captain Henry William Bayntun (1766-1840)BWAS-17144.1801 - 8.1801Captain Henry Vansittart (1777-1843)BWAS-17148.1801 - 9.1801Captain John Delafons (d.1804)BWAS-17149.1801 - 11.1801Captain Solomon Ferris (1748-1803)BWAS-17143.1803 - 2.1805Captain William BedfordBWAS-17144.1805 - 10.1805Captain William LechmereBWAS-171410.1805Commander Thomas Searle (1777-1849)BWAS-171410.1805Lieutenant John StockhamBWAS-17143.1806 - 4.1806Captain William LukinBWAS-17144.1806 - 11.1808Captain John Talbot (1769-1851)BWAS-1714

1 Flag Officer

DatesRankNameSource
1.1796 - 1797Rear-Admiral Hugh Cloberry Christian (1747-1798)BWAS-1714

9 Commissioned Officers

DatesRankNameSource
1794Acting Lieutenant John Derry (d.1848)ref:9241794First Lieutenant Joseph Larcom (1764-1818)ref:9241794Second Lieutenant Abraham Wilisref:9241794Third Lieutenant John William Spranger (d.1822)ref:9241794Acting Fourth Lieutenant Thomas Bristow Youngref:92421.4.1805 - 1806Lieutenant John ClarkNAO23.4.1805 - 1806Lieutenant Thomas CarterNAO23.4.1805 - 1806Lieutenant Thomas ColbyNAO20.5.1805 - 1806Lieutenant William NormanNAO

9 Warrant Officers

DatesRankNameSource
7.12.1790 - 1793Master John Fryer (1752-1817)1794Chaplain John C Westcottref:9241794Surgeon Primrose Blair (d.1819)ref:9241794Purser George Fennelref:9241794Gunner George Grayref:9241794Carpenter William Caughtref:9241794Boatswain William Neilref:92426.2.1794 - 2.10.1796Master Bartholomew JacksonADM 29-125.12.1801 - 26.11.1808Gunner William WattNAO

4 Petty Officers

DatesRatingNameSource
1794Master's Mate Charles AylmerADM 171/81794Midshipman Donald FernandesADM 171/81795Master's Mate Donald FernandesADM 171/89.1806 - 21.12.1807Midshipman Whitwell ButlerNBD1849

9 Crewmen

DatesRatingNameSource
1794Able Seaman Alexander BoyleADM 171/81794Able Seaman William BenniworthADM 171/81794Captain's Servant Michael ThornADM 171/81794Captain's Servant William PeekADM 171/81794Surgeon's Servant William DineleyADM 171/81794Clerk John GoldsmithADM 171/826.2.1794 - 23.8.1794Yeoman of Sheets John Parry DischargedADM 29/818011st Class Volunteer Henry Fage BelsonNBD18491805 - 11.1808Able Seaman James Sutter Britton (1781-?)NBD1849

2 Marines

DatesRankNameSource
1794Lieutenant, 29th Foot Charles Bulkeley Egerton (1774-1857)ADM 171/81794Private, 29th Regiment of Foot William RobinsonADM 171/8

Service History

DateEventSource
7.12.1783Completed at Deptford at a cost of £2,191.12.9d for fittingBWAS-1714
4.5.1784Completed at Woolwich at a cost of £3,938 including copperingBWAS-1714
10.1792Started a middling repair at ChathamBWAS-1714
2.1793Commissioned for the ChannelBWAS-1714
2.1794Completed repair at a cost of £21,529BWAS-1714
1.6.1794Glorious 1st of June
17.10.1795Took the Sloop L'Eveillé (6)
14.4.1797In company with Valiant (74) destroyed the Harmonie (40) BWAS-1714
6.1801Started fitting at ChathamBWAS-1714
8.1801Completed fitting at a cost of £17,821BWAS-1714
11.1801Paid offBWAS-1714
3.1803RecommissionedBWAS-1714
28.5.1803In company with Minotaur (74) and Albion (74) took the 20-gun Franchise in the ChannelBWAS-1714
28.5.1803Took the Frigate La Franchise (40) in the Channel
26.7.1803Took the privateer **Venus** in the ChannelBWAS-1714
2.1805Paid offBWAS-1714
3.1805Started refitting at PlymouthBWAS-1714
4.1805RecommissionedBWAS-1714
6.1805Completed refitting at PlymouthBWAS-1714
22.7.18053rd Battle of Cape Finisterre
21.10.1805Battle of Trafalgar
12.3.1806Took the 14-gun privateer **San Christo del Paldo** off CadizBWAS-1714
2.1807In the DardanellesBWAS-1714
19.2.1807Forcing the Dardanelles
1.3.1807Passage of the Dardanelles
1808With Strachan's squadron off RochefortBWAS-1714
11.1808Paid off into ordinary at ChathamBWAS-1714
3.1814Broken up at ChathamBWAS-1714

Previous comments on this page

Posted by Brian on Sunday 31st of January 2016 04:02

1803, Letter from Capt. Bedford to Admiral Cornwallis, Thunderer at Sea, July 26 - On the 26th inst. I captured the Venus, French privateer pierced for 28 guns, mounting 16 six pounders and 8 pound carronades, 150 men, commanded by Monsieur Lemperterie, she is a fine vessel, quite new, sails remarkably fast, well sound, coppered, and measures 558 tons . She sailed from Bordeaux the 21st. inst. in company with four other privateers....W. Bedford

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