British Third Rate ship of the line 'Venerable' (1784)

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Venerable	7123
Nominal Guns	74	B028
Nationality	Great Britain
Operator	Royal Navy
Ordered	23.7.1781	BWAS-1714
Keel Laid Down	4.1782	BWAS-1714
Acquired	19.4.1784	B028
First Commissioned	5.1794	B028
Shipyard	Blackwall Yard - Blackwall	B028
Ship Class	Thunderer Class (1781)	B028
Designed by	Sir John HenslowBritish Designer Ship Builder Dockyard Staff Service 1761-1795	BWAS-1714
Constructor	John PerryBritish Ship Builder Service 1743-1810	BWAS-1714
Category	Third Rate	B028
Ship Type	Ship of the Line	B028
Sailing Rig	Ship Rigged	B028
Wrecked	24.11.1804	B028

Dimensions

DimensionMeasurementTypeMetric EquivalentBWAS-1714
Length of Gundeck170' 0"Imperial Feet51.816
Length of Keel139' 8"Imperial Feet42.3724
Breadth47' 2"Imperial Feet14.3329
Depth in Hold19' 11"Imperial Feet5.794
Draught Forward12' 8"Imperial Feet3.7592
Draught Aft17' 11"Imperial Feet5.1852
Burthen1,652 ⁶⁴⁄₉₄Tons BM

Armament

19.4.1784Broadside Weight = 781 Imperial Pound ( 354.1835 kg)BWAS-1793
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
1805121Design Complement

11 Ship Commanders

DatesRankNameSource
23.5.1794 - 6.1795Captain ADM 6/25/44BWAS-17146.1795 - 9.1795CaptainBWAS-17149.1795CaptainBWAS-17149.1795 - 11.1796CaptainBWAS-171414.9.1796 - 14.3.1798CaptainBWAS-171430.1.1799 - 7.1.1801CaptainBWAS-17141.1801 - 1802CaptainBWAS-17141802 - 1803CaptainBWAS-17141803 - 2.1804CaptainBWAS-17142.1804 - 8.1804CaptainBWAS-17148.1804 - 24.11.1804CaptainBWAS-1714

3 Flag Officers

DatesRankNameSource
6.1795 - 11.1797Admiral of the BlueBWAS-171412.6.1803 - 10.8.1803Rear-Admiral of the RedNAO23.8.1803 - 26.12.1803Rear-Admiral of the RedNAO

2 Commissioned Officers

DatesRankNameSource
9.7.1794 - 3.1797LieutenantNBD184911.1794 - 11.4.1795LieutenantNBD1849

2 Warrant Officers

DatesRankNameSource
12.6.1794 - 16.4.1795MasterADM 29-119.1.1803 - 10.12.1804CarpenterADM 29/8

6 Petty Officers

DatesRatingNameSource
9.4.1795 - 14.3.1798MidshipmanADM 29/81797MidshipmanNBD18491800 - 1801MidshipmanNBD184910.1802 - 12.1803MidshipmanNBD18493.1804 - 4.1805MidshipmanNBD18495.1804 - 24.11.1804MidshipmanNBD1849

4 Crewmen

DatesRatingNameSource
1799 - 1800BoyNBD18494.1799 - 18011st Class VolunteerNBD18494.1799 - 18011st Class VolunteerNBD184926.7.1803 - 10.8.18031st Class VolunteerNBD1849

Service History

DateEventSource
8.1784Began fitting at Woolwich Dockyard - Woolwich BWAS-1714
29.8.1784Completed at Woolwich Dockyard - Woolwich at a cost of £32263.2.1dBWAS-1714
29.8.1784Completed fitting at Woolwich Dockyard - Woolwich at a cost of £6588.11.4dBWAS-1714
10.1793Began small repair at Chatham Dockyard - Chatham BWAS-1714
5.1794CommissionedBWAS-1714
6.1794Completed small repair at Chatham Dockyard - Chatham at a cost of £14977.0.0dBWAS-1714
6.1795In the North SeaBWAS-1714
11.10.1797Battle of Camperdown
14.3.1798

Paid off

BWAS-1714
6.1798Began fitting at Chatham Dockyard - Chatham BWAS-1714
3.1799Completed fitting at Chatham Dockyard - Chatham at a cost of £21714.0.0dBWAS-1714
24.4.1799

Arrived at St Helens

TNC
2.7.1799Attack on Aix Roads
6.7.1801Battle of Algeciras Bay
12.7.1801The Gut of Gibraltar
24.11.1804Wrecked in Torbay losing 8 drownedBWAS-1714

Previous comments on this page

Posted by Richard Porteous on Thursday 27th of August 2020 19:46

My g-g-g grandfather James Porteous was Fleet Pilot at the Battle of Camperdown 1797 and evidently along with Admiral Duncan were the only two persons who were not injured on the quarterdeck. Porteous subsequently became Master of King George 111's Royal Yacht 'Royal George'. His son, also James Porteous, was Second Master on HMS Montague at Camperdown and received the Naval General Medal 1848 with Camperdown bar.

Posted by Richard Porteous on Thursday 27th of August 2020 19:46

Posted by Charles on Thursday 24th of July 2014 18:32

Plymouth, September 6, 1794

Earl Howe’s [Grand] Fleet hove into sight of this harbour early yesterday morning: the night preceding, they fell in with 18 sail of homeward bound East Indiamen off Dartmouth, who ran foul of several of the fleet, and slightly damaged them, which obliged his Lordship to bear up for Torbay, in order to have his disabled ships refitted. - The AQUILON and MELAMPUS Frigates belonging to the fleet, have received the greatest damage, the former arrived here yesterday with her bowsprit sprung, and fore-top-mast carried away - the latter was towed into the Sound this afternoon by the RUSSEL man of war, with the loss of her bowsprit and Foremast. The AQUILON got in a new bowsprit this morning, and her repairs are expected to be complete in the course of the day.

Torbay, Sept 6 1794

Yesterday evening arrived and came to an anchor the Grand Fleet, under the command of Earl Howe; also the TRITON East Indiaman, towed in by VENERABLE man of war, having run foul of the LATONA frigate, and knocked away her bow-sprit and forestays, and carried away all her lower masts.

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