British Third Rate ship of the line 'Cornwall' (1761)

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Cornwall

315
Nominal Guns74BWAS-1714
NationalityGreat Britain
OperatorRoyal Navy
Ordered13.12.1758BWAS-1714
Keel Laid Down19.2.1759BWAS-1714
Launched19.5.1761BWAS-1714
First Commissioned5.8.1761BWAS-1714
How acquiredPurpose builtBWAS-1714
ShipyardDeptford Dockyard - Deptford BWAS-1714
Ship ClassArrogant Class (1759)BWAS-1714
Designed by
Sir Thomas SladeBritish
Designer
Ship Builder
Dockyard Staff
Service 1744-1783
BWAS-1714
Constructor
William WellsBritish
Ship Builder
BWAS-1714
CategoryThird RateBWAS-1714
Ship TypeShip of the LineBWAS-1714
Sailing RigShip RiggedBWAS-1714
Scuttled30.6.1780BWAS-1714

Dimensions


DimensionMeasurementTypeMetric EquivalentBWAS-1714
Length of Gundeck168' 3 ½"Imperial Feet51.2191 
Length of Keel137' 0 ¼"Imperial Feet41.764 
Breadth47' 4 ¼"Imperial Feet14.332 
Depth in Hold19' 9 ½"Imperial Feet5.8039 
Burthen1,634 32⁄94Tons BM 

Armament


19.5.1761Broadside 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
26.1.1759550Design Complement

6 Ship Commanders


DatesRankNameSource
5.8.1761 - 5.2.1763Captain
Robert ManBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1731-1780
ADM 6/19/338BWAS-17141.12.1763 - 1.12.1766Captain
George MackenzieBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1740-1779
ADM 6/19/552BWAS-17141.12.1766 - 6.12.1769Captain
Molyneaux ShuldhamBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1732-1793
ADM 6/20/149BWAS-17146.12.1769 - 27.5.1771Captain
John LloydBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1722-1778
ADM 6/20/264BWAS-171417.3.1777 - 23.1.1778Captain
Robert RoddamBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1741-1805
ADM 6/21/267BWAS-171423.1.1778 - 30.6.1780Captain
Timothy EdwardsBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1745-1780
ADM 6/21/356BWAS-1714

4 Commissioned Officers


DatesRankNameSource
18.9.1770 - 27.5.1771First Lieutenant
Charles CaesarBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1747-1777
ADM 6/20/291ADM 6/2017.12.1770 - 27.5.1771Third Lieutenant
Francis KeirBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1760-1782
ADM 6/20/325ADM 6/2017.3.1777 - 30.6.1780First Lieutenant
William LawesBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1745-1780
ADM 6/21/267ADM 6/2111.9.1777 - 30.6.1780Second Lieutenant
Henry AshingtonBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1750-1797
ADM 6/21/312ADM 6/21

1 Petty Officer


DatesRatingNameSource
9.3.1763 - 26.8.1764Midshipman
Robert Devereux FancourtBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1758-1825
ADM 107/6/81ADM 107/6

1 Crewman


DatesRatingNameSource
1.9.1768 - 1769Able Seaman
Thomas Hannaford HurdBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1768-1802
ref:616

Service History


DateEventSource
8.1761Commissioned for the Channel fleetBWAS-1714
9.1761Began fitting at Deptford Dockyard - Deptford BWAS-1714
16.9.1761Completed at Deptford Dockyard - Deptford at a cost of £27963.2.3dBWAS-1714
16.9.1761Completed fitting at Deptford Dockyard - Deptford at a cost of £9361.7.7dBWAS-1714
5.2.1763

Paid off

ADM 33
12.1763Began fitting at Plymouth Dockyard - Plymouth BWAS-1714
4.1764Sailed with troops to the West IndiesBWAS-1714
4.1764Completed fitting at Plymouth Dockyard - Plymouth at a cost of £4283.7.1dBWAS-1714
1766Guardship at PlymouthBWAS-1714
11.1770fitting at Plymouth Dockyard - Plymouth at a cost of £6332.10.10dBWAS-1714
28.5.1771

Paid off

ADM 33
3.12.1771SurveyedBWAS-1714
5.1773Began large repair at Chatham Dockyard - Chatham BWAS-1714
7.1775Completed large repair at Chatham Dockyard - Chatham at a cost of £24486.18.9dBWAS-1714
3.1777RecommissionedBWAS-1714
7.1777fitting at Chatham Dockyard - Chatham at a cost of £4244.10.6dBWAS-1714
9.6.1778Sailed for North AmericaBWAS-1714
13.9.1778Sailed for the West IndiesBWAS-1714
6.7.1779Battle of Grenada
17.4.1780Battle of Martinique
15.5.1780Action of March 15 1780
19.5.1780Action of March 19 1780
30.6.1780Declared unserviceable due to severe battle damage and scuttled at St LuciaBWAS-1714
30.6.1780Paid offADM 34

 
Previous comments on this page

Posted by Jon Miller on Saturday 20th of June 2026 03:53

Letters from St Lucia, dated June 21, say, that the Cornwall man of war had sunk going into the Carenage, but the crew and most of the stores were saved; that the Fame man of war had been broken up, the Albion and another ship of the line were rendered unfit for service, and that the Tapageur cutter, was wrecked on a sunken rock in the bay of Carenage. [Exeter Flying Post, 4 August 1780]

Posted by Jon Miller on Friday 19th of June 2026 09:02

An account is received of the death of Captain Edwards of the Cornwall man of war. His ship was sunk going into the harbour of St Lucia, in consequence of damages it received in repeated engagements. He was coming home in the Actaeon, and died of a billious fever on the 12th of July last. [Exeter Flying Post, 8 September 1780]

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