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	B028
Ship Class	Thunderer Class
Designed by	Sir John Henslow (1730-1815)	BWAS-1793
Constructor	John & William Wells	B028
Category	Third Rate	B028
Ship Type	Ship of the Line
Sailing Rig	Ship Rigged
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 Commanding Officers

DatesRankNameSource
1794CaptainAlbemarle Bertie (1755-1824)ref:9241796 - 2.1797CaptainJames BallardBWAS-17141.1796 - 2.1797CaptainJames BallardBWAS-17142.1797 - 7.1797CommanderWilliam OgilvyBWAS-17147.1797 - 5.1798CaptainWilliam OgilvyBWAS-17141.1799 - 5.1799CaptainJohn CrawleyBWAS-17147.1800 - 4.1801CaptainSir Robert Mends (d.1823)BWAS-17144.1801CaptainHenry William Bayntun (1766-1840)BWAS-17144.1801 - 8.1801CaptainHenry Vansittart (1777-1843)BWAS-17148.1801 - 9.1801CaptainJohn Delafons (d.1804)BWAS-17149.1801 - 11.1801CaptainSolomon Ferris (1748-1803)BWAS-17143.1803 - 2.1805CaptainWilliam BedfordBWAS-17144.1805 - 10.1805CaptainWilliam LechmereBWAS-171410.1805CommanderThomas Searle (1777-1849)BWAS-171410.1805LieutenantJohn StockhamBWAS-17143.1806 - 4.1806CaptainWilliam LukinBWAS-17144.1806 - 11.1808CaptainJohn Talbot (1769-1851)BWAS-1714

1 Flag Officer

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

9 Commissioned Officers

DatesRankNameSource
1794Acting LieutenantJohn Derry (d.1848)ref:9241794First LieutenantJoseph Larcom (1764-1818)ref:9241794Second LieutenantAbraham Wilisref:9241794Third LieutenantJohn William Spranger (d.1822)ref:9241794Fourth LieutenantThomas Bristow Youngref:92421.4.1805 - 1806LieutenantJohn ClarkNAO23.4.1805 - 1806LieutenantThomas ColbyNAO23.4.1805 - 1806LieutenantThomas CarterNAO20.5.1805 - 1806LieutenantWilliam NormanNAO

9 Warrant Officers

DatesRatingNameSource
7.12.1790 - 1793MasterJohn Fryer (1752-1817)1794BoatswainWilliam Neilref:9241794ChaplainJohn C Westcottref:9241794SurgeonPrimrose Blair (d.1819)ref:9241794PurserGeorge Fennelref:9241794GunnerGeorge Grayref:9241794CarpenterWilliam Caughtref:92426.2.1794 - 2.10.1796MasterBartholomew JacksonADM29-125.12.1801 - 26.11.1808GunnerWilliam WattNAO

4 Petty Officers

DatesRatingNameSource
1794MidshipmanDonald FernandesADM 171/81794Master's MateCharles AylmerADM 171/81795Master's MateDonald FernandesADM 171/89.1806 - 21.12.1807MidshipmanWhitwell ButlerNBD1849

8 Crewmen

DatesRatingNameSource
1794Able SeamanWilliam BenniworthADM 171/81794Captain's ServantMichael ThornADM 171/81794Captain's ServantWilliam PeekADM 171/81794ClerkJohn GoldsmithADM 171/81794Surgeon's ServantWilliam DineleyADM 171/81794Able SeamanAlexander BoyleADM 171/818011st Class VolunteerHenry Fage BelsonNBD18491805 - 11.1808Able SeamanJames Sutter Britton (1781-?)NBD1849

2 Marines

DatesRankNameSource
1794Private, 29th Regiment of FootWilliam RobinsonADM 171/81794Lieutenant, 29th FootCharles Bulkeley Egerton (1774-1857)ADM 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 Unrated 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 Fifth Rate 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

Sources

IDDescriptionAuthorType

B028J. J. ColledgeBook

BWAS-1793Rif WinfieldBook

BWAS-1714Rif WinfieldBook

ref:924A C de PoggiBook

NAOVariousWeb Site

ADM29-1 Document

ADM 171/8British AdmiraltyDocument

NBD1849O'BrienDigital Book

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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