British Third Rate ship of the line 'Zealous' (1785)

Three Decks' Forum

Come and ask, answer or inform.

Recent updates

Update
Pedro de Linze y BerasteguiSpanish
Ship Owner
Service 1754-1769
Update
Galga (36) 1744-1784
Spanish 36 Gun
Privateer Frigate
Added
Lorenzo BeyenisSpanish
Ship Owner
Service 1769
Update
Juan Agustin de IradySpanish
Naval Sailor
Update
Guipuzcoano (64) 1778-1780
Spanish 64 Gun
Merchant Ship of the Line
Update
San Rafael (30) 1774-1780
Spanish 30 Gun
Merchant Frigate
Update
Luis ArburuSpanish
Naval Sailor
Update
Fermín UrtizbereaSpanish
Naval Sailor
Service 1780
Update
San Carlos (32) 1772-1780
Spanish 32 Gun
Merchant Frigate
Added
San Ignacio de Loyola (50) 1766-1779
Spanish 50 Gun
Merchant Ship
See more...

Zealous	2827
Nominal Guns	74	BWAS-1714
Nationality	Great Britain
Operator	Royal Navy
Ordered	19.6.1782	BWAS-1714
Keel Laid Down	1.12.1782	BWAS-1714
Launched	25.6.1785	BWAS-1714
First Commissioned	5.1794	BWAS-1714
How acquired	Built by Contract	BWAS-1714
Shipyard	Deptford Green - Deptford - Barnards' Thames Yards	BWAS-1714
Ship Class	Edgar Class (1774)	BWAS-1714
Designed by	Sir Thomas SladeBritish Designer Ship Builder Dockyard Staff Service 1744-1783	BWAS-1714
Constructor	William BarnardBritish Ship Builder Service 1763-1795	BWAS-1714
Category	Third Rate	BWAS-1714
Ship Type	Ship of the Line	BWAS-1714
Sailing Rig	Ship Rigged	BWAS-1714
Broken Up	12.1816	BWAS-1714

Dimensions

DimensionMeasurementTypeMetric EquivalentB028
Length of Gundeck168' 6"Imperial Feet51.2086
Breadth47Imperial Feet0.1705
Moulded Breadth168.5Imperial Feet
Burthen1,607Tons BM
DimensionMeasurementTypeMetric EquivalentBWAS-1714
Length of Gundeck168' 4"Imperial Feet51.2079
Length of Keel138' 0"Imperial Feet42.0624
Breadth47' 1"Imperial Feet14.3292
Depth in Hold19' 9"Imperial Feet5.8166
Draught Forward11' 9"Imperial Feet3.5814
Draught Aft18' 3"Imperial Feet5.4959
Burthen1,627 ²⁴⁄₉₄Tons BM

Armament

5.1794Broadside Weight = 781 Imperial Pound ( 354.1835 kg)BWAS-1714
Lower Gun Deck28 British 32-Pounder
Upper Gun Deck28 British 18-Pounder
Upper Gun Deck14 British 9-Pounder
Forecastle4 British 9-Pounder

Crew Complement

Date# of MenNotesSource
1785600EstablishmentBWAS-1714

12 Ship Commanders

DatesRankNameSource
24.5.1794 - 1.6.1795Captain ADM 6/25/44BWAS-17141.6.1795 - 5.10.1795CommanderBWAS-171411.1795 - 1796CaptainBWAS-17141796CaptainBWAS-17141796 - 1800CaptainBWAS-17141801 - 6.1802CaptainBWAS-17146.1802 - 12.1802CaptainBWAS-17146.1805 - 9.1806CaptainBWAS-17149.1806 - 1807CaptainBWAS-17141807 - 11.1808CaptainBWAS-171411.1808 - 8.1814CaptainBWAS-17148.1814 - 1.1815CaptainBWAS-1714

2 Flag Officers

DatesRankNameSource
1.6.1795 - 10.1795Rear-Admiral of the WhiteBWAS-17141801 - 1802Rear-Admiral of the BlueBWAS-1714

6 Commissioned Officers

DatesRankNameSource
13.5.1794 - 1794First Lieutenant ADM 6/25/42ADM 6/2514.5.1794 - 1794Third Lieutenant ADM 6/25/42ADM 6/2528.5.1794 - 1794Second Lieutenant ADM 6/25/45ADM 6/2528.5.1794 - 1794Fourth Lieutenant ADM 6/25/45ADM 6/2530.6.1805 - 25.12.1806LieutenantADM 6/253.7.1805 - 8.1814LieutenantNBD1849

2 Petty Officers

DatesRatingNameSource
7.1806 - 9.1806MidshipmanNBD18497.1806 - 19.1806MidshipmanNBD1849

2 Marines

DatesRankNameSource
1798Second Lieutenant of Marinesref:9291798First Lieutenant of Marinesref:929

Service History

DateEventSource
8.1783Began small repair at Woolwich Dockyard - Woolwich BWAS-1714
7.1.1785Began fitting at Woolwich Dockyard - Woolwich BWAS-1714
21.8.1785Completed fitting at Woolwich Dockyard - Woolwich at a cost of £7608.0.0dBWAS-1714
21.8.1785Completed at Woolwich Dockyard - Woolwich BWAS-1714
7.1794Completed small repair at Woolwich Dockyard - Woolwich at a cost of £7779.0.0dBWAS-1714
23.5.1795Sailed for the MediterraneanBWAS-1714
24.7.1797Battle of Santa Cruz de Tenerife
1.8.1798Battle of the Nile
3.1799Took the Privateer Mediterranean?
4.1799Arrived at NaplesBWAS-1714
6.1799Sailed from NaplesBWAS-1714
1801In the BalticBWAS-1714
1.1801Began fitting at Chatham Dockyard - Chatham BWAS-1714
3.1801Completed fitting at Chatham Dockyard - Chatham at a cost of £14998.0.0dBWAS-1714
8.1801In the MediterraneanBWAS-1714
12.1802Had been paid offBWAS-1714
6.1804Began middling repair at Portsmouth Dockyard - Portsmouth BWAS-1714
6.1805RecommissionedBWAS-1714
6.1805Completed middling repair at Portsmouth Dockyard - Portsmouth BWAS-1714
1807Off CadizBWAS-1714
1.1809At CorunnaBWAS-1714
21.2.1809Sailed for PortugalBWAS-1714
1812In the BalticBWAS-1714
1813In the BalticBWAS-1714
8.1814Sailed to North America with supplies for the Lakes FlotillaBWAS-1714
1.1815Paid off into Ordinary at PortsmouthBWAS-1714
12.1816Broken up at PortsmouthBWAS-1714

Sources

IDNameAuthorType

Book

ADM 6/25 Archive

B028J. J. Colledge, Book

BWAS-1714Rif Winfield, Book

NBD1849O'Brien, Digital Book

ref:929Paul Harris Nicolas, Book

Previous comments on this page

Posted by Jon Miller on Monday 13th of July 2026 13:38

Portsmouth, 11 April 1801: Rear-Admiral Totty having hoisted his flag on the 6th, on board the Zealous, Captain Linzee, at Sheerness, sailed immediately for Yarmouth, where she arrived yesterday. [Hampshire Telegraph, 13 April 1801]

Posted by Jon Miller on Friday 10th of July 2026 21:04

Portsmouth, 24 January 1801: Government have directed the immediate equipment of every ship of the line in a state for service. At Chatham the shipwrights have begun to work two tides extra by candle-light upon the Blenheim, of 90 guns, which is to be cut down to a third rate; the Irresistible, Theseus, , and Zealous, of 74 guns; Utrecht, of 66; Asia, De Ruyter, Gelykheid, Lion, and Standard, of 64; and Batavier and Beschermer, of 56, are also under equipment at the same port; and, in addition to the like energy in other of his Majesty’s yards, contracts have been concluded with the owners of private yards for as many 74’s as they can immediately build. [Hampshire Chronicle, 26 January 1801]

Posted by Margaret Kennedy on Sunday 1st of June 2025 11:19

According to the National Archives Register of French POWs, Edinburgh & Greenock 1811-1812, HMS Zealous delivered to Leith a total of 319 French (and other) POWs between 8 and 10 January 1812. These were parole prisoners who were then forwarded to different towns by Lt Glenn, Agent for Transport.

Posted by BRIAN BOUCHARD on Saturday 29th of July 2017 12:07

Thomas Stokes was Master of the Zealous around 1802.

Make a comment about this page

Recent comments to other pages

Date posted	By	Page
Thursday 23rd of July 2026 13:29	keith wilkie	British Third Rate ship of the line 'Yarmouth' (1745) (64) 1745-1811 British 64 Gun 3rd Rate Ship of the Line
Thursday 23rd of July 2026 13:13	keith wilkie	British Third Rate ship of the line 'Somerset' (1748) (68) 1748-1778 British 68 Gun 3rd Rate Ship of the Line
Wednesday 22nd of July 2026 04:24	F.F.	British First Rate ship of the line 'Santisima Trinidad' (1805) (136) 1805-1805 British 136 Gun 1st Rate Ship of the Line
Wednesday 22nd of July 2026 01:36	F.F.	Spanish First Rate ship of the line 'Nuestra Señora de la Santísima Trinidad' (1769) (116) 1769-1805 Spanish 116 Gun 1st Rate Ship of the Line
Tuesday 21st of July 2026 16:47	Jon Miller	British sloop 'Drake' (1798) (14) 1798-1804 British 14 Gun Unrated Sloop

GDPR Statement