British Third Rate ship of the line 'Hercules' (1759)

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Yarmouth (64) 1745-1811
British 64 Gun
3rd Rate Ship of the Line
(1745)
Somerset (68) 1748-1778
British 68 Gun
3rd Rate Ship of the Line
(1748)
Santisima Trinidad (136) 1805-1805
British 136 Gun
1st Rate Ship of the Line
(1805)
Nuestra Señora de la Santísima Trinidad (116) 1769-1805
Spanish 116 Gun
1st Rate Ship of the Line
(1769)
Drake (14) 1798-1804
British 14 Gun
Unrated Sloop
(1798)
Drake (14) 1798-1804
British 14 Gun
Unrated Sloop
(1798)
Magicienne (32) 1781-1810
British 32 Gun
5th Rate Frigate
(1781)
L'Africaine (18) 1796-1796
French 18 Gun
Unrated Unknown
(1796)
Quebec (32) 1781-1816
British 32 Gun
5th Rate Frigate
(1781)
Diamond (38) 1794-1812
British 38 Gun
5th Rate Frigate
(1794)
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Hercules
Nominal Guns	74	BWAS-1714
Nationality	Great Britain
Operator	Royal Navy
Ordered	15.7.1756	BWAS-1714
Keel Laid Down	30.3.1757	BWAS-1714
Named	15.7.1756	BWAS-1714
Launched	15.3.1759	BWAS-1714
First Commissioned	16.3.1759	BWAS-1714
How acquired	Purpose built	BWAS-1714
Shipyard	Deptford Dockyard - Deptford	BWAS-1714
Ship Class	Hero Class (1756)	BWAS-1714
Designed by	Sir Thomas SladeBritish Designer Ship Builder Dockyard Staff Service 1744-1783	BWAS-1714
Constructor	Adam HayesBritish Designer Ship Builder Dockyard Staff Service 1748-1785	BWAS-1714
Category	Third Rate	BWAS-1714
Ship Type	Ship of the Line	BWAS-1714
Sailing Rig	Ship Rigged	BWAS-1714
Sold	17.8.1784	BWAS-1714

Dimensions

DimensionMeasurementTypeMetric EquivalentBWAS-1714
Length of Gundeck160' 6"Imperial Feet48.7705
Length of Keel135' 11"Imperial Feet41.1487
Breadth47' 2"Imperial Feet14.3329
Depth in Hold19' 9"Imperial Feet5.8166
Draught Forward12' 9"Imperial Feet3.7719
Draught Aft17' 5 ½"Imperial Feet5.1943
Burthen1,608 ³⁴⁄₉₄Tons BM

Armament

3.1759Broadside 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

18.4.1781Broadside Weight = 558 Imperial Pound ( 253.053 kg)BWAS-1714
Lower Gun Deck28 British 24-Pounder
Upper Gun Deck28 British 12-Pounder
Quarterdeck14 British 6-Pounder
Forecastle4 British 6-Pounder

Crew Complement

Date# of MenNotesSource
3.1759600EstablishmentBWAS-1714

3 Ship Commanders

DatesRankNameSource
16.3.1759 - 26.3.1763Captain ADM 6/19/45BWAS-171412.6.1781 - 24.12.1781Captain ADM 6/22/297BWAS-171424.12.1781 - 13.4.1782Captain Discharged ADM 6/22/389BWAS-1714

7 Commissioned Officers

DatesRankNameSource
30.3.1759 - 17.6.1762Second Lieutenant Transfered ADM 6/19/52ADM 6/1926.4.1759 - 8.3.1763Third Lieutenant ADM 6/19/60ADM 6/198.3.1763 - 26.3.1763Second Lieutenant ADM 6/19/469ADM 6/193.7.1781 - 12.7.1783First Lieutenant ADM 6/22/307ADM 6/223.7.1781 - 1781Second Lieutenant ADM 6/22/307ADM 6/221782 - 13.4.1782Second Lieutenantref:61621.4.1783 - 12.7.1783Fifth Lieutenant ADM 6/23/140
Issued by , Barbados - Windward Islands - Barbados & the Leeward Islands
Confirmed 19.9.1783ADM 6/23

2 Petty Officers

DatesRatingNameSource
15.5.1759 - 19.7.1760Midshipman Transfered ADM 107/5/289ADM 107/58.1781 - 5.1782Midshipmanref:616

Service History

DateEventSource
10.4.1759Completed at Deptford Dockyard - Deptford at a cost of £41897.5.5dBWAS-1714
20.11.1759Battle of Quiberon Bay
6.7.1760Sailed for the MediterrraneanBWAS-1714
3.1763Returned from the Mediterrranean and paid offBWAS-1714
26.3.1763

Paid off

ADM 33
19.4.1763SurveyedBWAS-1714
10.1764Began small repair at Plymouth Dockyard - Plymouth BWAS-1714
9.1765Completed small repair at Plymouth Dockyard - Plymouth at a cost of £4587.3.0dBWAS-1714
5.1773Began small repair at Plymouth Dockyard - Plymouth BWAS-1714
6.1773Completed small repair at Plymouth Dockyard - Plymouth at a cost of £544.5.4dBWAS-1714
4.1781Began fitting at Plymouth - Devon BWAS-1714
9.1781Completed fitting at Plymouth - Devon at a cost of £1687.2.4dBWAS-1714
12.4.1782Battle of the Saintes
21.7.1782Sailed to AmericaBWAS-1714
5.9.1782At New YorkBWAS-1714
24.10.1782Left New YorkBWAS-1714
1783Sailed to the Leeward IslandsBWAS-1714
7.1783Sailed home to pay offBWAS-1714
12.7.1783

Paid off

ADM 34
17.8.1784Sold at Plymouth for £1,300BWAS-1714

Sources

IDNameAuthorType

ADM 107/5 Archive

ADM 33 Archive

ADM 34 Document

ADM 6/19 Archive

ADM 6/22 Archive

ADM 6/23 Archive

BWAS-1714Rif Winfield, Book

ref:616Nicholas Tracy, Book

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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

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