British Third Rate ship of the line 'Dorsetshire' (1712)

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Dorsetshire	7612
Nominal Guns	80	B028
Nationality	Great Britain
Operator	Royal Navy
Previously	British Third Rate ship of the line 'Dorsetshire' (1694) (80) 1694-1712 British 80 Gun 3rd Rate Ship of the Line
Ordered	29.12.1707	BWAS-1603
Keel Laid Down	24.11.1706	B028
Launched	20.9.1712	BWAS-1603
How acquired	Purpose built	BWAS-1603
Shipyard	Northam - Devon	BWAS-1603
Ship Class	1691 Program - 80 gun 2-Deckers	B028
Designed by	John TippettsBritish Ship Builder	BWAS-1603
Constructor	Richard StaceyBritish Designer Ship Builder Dockyard Staff Service 1702-1742	BWAS-1603
Category	Third Rate	B028
Ship Type	Ship of the Line	B028
Sailing Rig	Ship Rigged	B028
Broken Up	5.12.1749	B028

Dimensions

DimensionMeasurementTypeMetric EquivalentBWAS-1603
Length of Gundeck156' 0"Imperial Feet47.5488
Length of Keel127' 6"Imperial Feet38.7152
Breadth43' 6"Imperial Feet13.1572
Depth in Hold17' 8"Imperial Feet5.2106
Burthen1,283 ²⁸⁄₉₄Tons BM

Armament

20.9.1712Broadside Weight = 552 Imperial Pound ( 250.332 kg)BWAS-1603
Lower Gun Deck26 British 24-Pounder
Middle Gun Deck26 British 12-Pounder
Upper Gun Deck22 British 6-Pounder
Quarterdeck6 British 6-Pounder

Crew Complement

Date# of MenNotesSource
1706520Design Complement

9 Ship Commanders

DatesRankNameSource
24.1.1717/18 - 17.4.1718Captain Transfered ADM 6/12/112ADM 6/1218.4.1718 - 6.3.1718/19Second Captain ADM 6/12/125BWAS-16037.3.1718/19 - 7.5.1719Captain ADM 6/12/156ADM 6/1215.1.1719/20 - 21.11.1721Second Captain ADM 6/12/189BWAS-160322.2.1733/34 - 13.5.1734Captain ADM 6/14/166ADM 6/1421.5.1734 - 16.2.1735/36Captain ADM 6/15/188BWAS-160329.12.1742 - 27.1.1742/43Captain ADM 6/16/129ADM 6/1628.1.1742/43 - 12.4.1745Captain ADM 6/16/140BWAS-160312.4.1745 - 1.9.1746Captain ADM 6/16/463BWAS-1603

3 Flag Officers

DatesRankNameSource
28.3.1718 - 1719Rear-Admiral of the Blue ADM 107/3/19BWAS-16038.5.1719 - 1721Rear-Admiral of the Blue ADM 107/3/206BWAS-16032.1745 - 1.9.1746Rear-Admiral of the RedBWAS-1603

34 Commissioned Officers

DatesRankNameSource
24.1.1717/18 - 6.3.1718/19First Lieutenant ADM 6/12/112ADM 6/1224.1.1717/18 - 2.3.1717/18Second Lieutenant ADM 6/12/112ADM 6/1224.1.1717/18 - 6.3.1718/19Third Lieutenant ADM 6/12/112ADM 6/123.3.1717/18 - 21.5.1718Second LieutenantODNB26.5.1718 - 6.3.1718/19Second Lieutenant ADM 6/12/135ADM 6/1224.10.1718 - 6.3.1718/19Third Lieutenant Transfered ADM 6/12/229
Confirmed 8.1.1720/21ADM 6/127.3.1718/19 - 21.11.1721First Lieutenant ADM 6/12/157ADM 6/127.3.1718/19 - 29.6.1719Second Lieutenant ADM 6/12/157ADM 6/127.3.1718/19 - 11.4.1719Third Lieutenant ADM 6/12/157ADM 6/127.3.1718/19 - 8.2.1719/20Acting Fourth Lieutenant ADM 6/12/157ADM 6/127.3.1718/19 - 21.11.1721Fifth Lieutenant ADM 6/12/157ADM 6/1212.4.1719 - 21.11.1721Third Lieutenant ADM 6/12/186
Confirmed 30.12.1719ADM 6/124.4.1720 - 21.11.1721Acting Fourth Lieutenant ADM 6/12/201ADM 6/1223.2.1733/34 - 16.2.1735/36First Lieutenant ADM 6/14/168ADM 6/1423.2.1733/34 - 29.9.1735Second Lieutenant ADM 6/14/168ADM 6/1412.3.1733/34 - 23.5.1734Fourth Lt. & Lt. at Arms Transfered ADM 6/14/175ADM 6/1424.5.1734 - 29.9.1735Third Lieutenant ADM 6/14/188ADM 6/1430.9.1735 - 16.2.1735/36Second Lieutenant ADM 6/15/223ADM 6/1430.9.1735 - 16.2.1735/36Third Lieutenant ADM 6/15/223ADM 6/1429.12.1742 - 27.1.1742/43Third Lieutenant Transfered ADM 6/16/129ADM 6/1629.12.1742 - 27.1.1742/43Fourth Lt. & Lt. at Arms Transfered ADM 6/16/129ADM 6/1628.1.1742/43 - 11.5.1745Third Lieutenant ADM 6/16/141ADM 6/1612.5.1745 - 6.7.1745Third Lieutenant Transfered ADM 6/17/105
Issued by , The Mediterranean Sea
Confirmed 16.5.1746ADM 6/1725.5.1745 - 9.9.1745Second Lieutenant Transfered ADM 6/17/434
Issued by , The Mediterranean Sea
Confirmed 27.1.1748/49ADM 6/177.7.1745 - 9.9.1745Third Lieutenant ADM 6/17/488
Issued by , The Mediterranean Sea
Confirmed 17.8.1749ADM 6/179.9.1745 - 6.12.1745First Lieutenant ADM 6/17/186
Issued by , North America
Confirmed 3.1.1746/47ADM 6/179.9.1745 - 6.12.1745Second Lieutenant ADM 6/17/202
Issued by , North America
Confirmed 19.2.1746/47ADM 6/179.9.1745 - 26.1.1745/46Fourth Lt. & Lt. at Arms Transfered ADM 6/17/488
Issued by , North America
Confirmed 17.8.1749ADM 6/176.12.1745 - 25.1.1745/46First Lieutenant ADM 6/17/202
Issued by , North America
Confirmed 19.2.1746/47ADM 6/1725.1.1745/46 - 1.9.1746First Lieutenant ADM 6/17/173
Issued by , North America
Confirmed 17.11.1746ADM 6/1711.4.1746 - 1.9.1746Second Lieutenant ADM 6/17/159
Issued by , North America
Confirmed 3.10.1746ADM 6/1711.4.1746 - 27.5.1747Third Lieutenant Transfered ADM 6/17/150
Issued by , North America
Confirmed 6.9.1746ADM 6/1711.4.1746 - 14.4.1746Fourth Lt. & Lt. at Arms Transfered ADM 6/17/172
Issued by , Barbados - Windward Islands - Barbados & the Leeward Islands
Confirmed 11.11.1746ADM 6/1714.4.1746 - 1.9.1746Fourth Lt. & Lt. at Arms ADM 6/17/258
Issued by , North America
Confirmed 15.8.1747ADM 6/17

1 Warrant Officer

DatesRankNameSource
13.4.1719 - 26.2.1720/21Master ADM 52/154/123ADM 52

1 Petty Officer

DatesRatingNameSource
5.4.1720 - 15.4.1723Midshipman ADM 107/3/128ADM 107/3

Service History

DateEventSource
1718Completed at Portsmouth Dockyard - Portsmouth at a cost of £15760.13.8dBWAS-1603
11.8.1718Battle of Cape Passaro
1719Fitted as a flagship for the BalticBWAS-1603
1720In the BalticBWAS-1603
1721In the BalticBWAS-1603
21.11.1721

Paid off

ADM 51
1722Began great repair at Portsmouth Dockyard - Portsmouth BWAS-1603
1724Completed great repair at Portsmouth Dockyard - Portsmouth at a cost of £15943.10.0dBWAS-1603
1734RecommissionedBWAS-1603
16.2.1735/36

Paid off

BWAS-1603
1741Began small repair at Portsmouth Dockyard - Portsmouth BWAS-1603
1743Completed small repair at Portsmouth Dockyard - Portsmouth at a cost of £10213.3.3dBWAS-1603
12.1743RecommissionedBWAS-1603
1744In the MediterraneanBWAS-1603
10.2.1743/44Battle of Toulon
1745In the MediterraneanBWAS-1603
9.1745Sailed to the Leeward IslandsBWAS-1603
1746Off Cape BretonBWAS-1603
1.9.1746Paid offADM 51
16.1.1747/48An investigation was ordered into the feasability of being reduced to a 66-gun ship. Presumably she wasn't suitableBWAS-1603
1749SurveyedBWAS-1603
5.9.1749Ordered to be broken up for £545.3.2 1/4dBWAS-1603

Fleets
Dates	Fleet	Fleet Commander	Source
6.1719-11.1719	British Baltic Fleet 1719	Sir John NorrisBritish Naval Sailor Service 1689-1693
13.4.1721-20.10.1721	British Baltic Fleet 1721	Sir John NorrisBritish Naval Sailor Service 1689-1693

Notes on Ship

Court Martial

The Admiralty Libraray SUBJECT CATALOGUE of PRINTED BOOKS

"The Trials at large, taken at the Court-Martial, held on Henry Page, Charles Davids, William Griffiths, and Cornelius Smelt, Lieutenants on board the Dorsetshire, commanded by Capt. George Burrish. Also upon Capt. George Burrish, on Board the London, from the 24th of September, to the 9th of October, 1745. Being an enquiry into the Conduct of the said gentlemen in the late Engagement in the Mediterranean on the 11th of February 1743 [Battle of Toulon, the date is OS], under the Command of Admiral Mathews."

Previous comments on this page

Posted by Albert Parker on Tuesday 23rd of July 2019 04:12

1746: Dorsetshire was among the ships that Vice-Admiral Isaac Townsend was supposed to take to Louisbourg for the summer, but she does not appear in detailed accounts of the 1746 campaign there such as W.A.B. Douglas, "“Nova Scotia and the Royal Navy, 1713–1766,” Ph.D. dissertation, Queen’s University (Kingston, Ontario), 1973, pp. 113-33 or H.L. Richmond, "The Navy in the War of 1739-48," vol. III, pp. 20–50. In vol. II, p. 230, Richmond says that Dorsetshire was one of the ships that sailed for Louisbourg from Antigua on Jan. 31, 1746. However, the squadron encountered a storm; 2 ships bore away for England, the rest returned to Antigua. Townsend later arrived at Louisbourg with 3 ships only, not including Dorsetshire. Richmond, ibid., says that the rest of Townsend's ships "returned to England with the trade [i.e., a convoy of merchantmen]." Admiralty records kept in London and used by Winfield might reflect Dorsetshire's *assignment to* or *orders for* Louisbourg with the rest of the Leeward Islands squadron.

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