British Third Rate ship of the line 'Robust' (1764)

Three Decks' Forum

Come and ask, answer or inform.

Recent updates

Recent Comments



Robust

329
Nominal Guns74BWAS-1714
NationalityGreat Britain
OperatorRoyal Navy
Ordered16.12.1761BWAS-1714
Keel Laid Down2.1762BWAS-1714
Named18.4.1763BWAS-1714
Launched25.10.1764BWAS-1714
First Commissioned27.12.1777BWAS-1714
How acquiredBuilt by ContractBWAS-1714
ShipyardKing's Yard - Harwich BWAS-1714
Ship ClassRamillies Class (1760)BWAS-1714
Designed by
Sir Thomas SladeBritish
Designer
Ship Builder
Dockyard Staff
Service 1744-1783
BWAS-1714
Constructor
John BarnardBritish
Designer
Ship Builder
Service 1740-1782
BWAS-1714
CategoryThird RateBWAS-1714
Ship TypeShip of the LineBWAS-1714
Sailing RigShip RiggedBWAS-1714
Broken Up1.1817BWAS-1714

Dimensions


DimensionMeasurementTypeMetric EquivalentBWAS-1714
Length of Gundeck168' 8 ½"Imperial Feet51.2191 
Length of Keel138' 3"Imperial Feet42.0644 
Breadth47' 0"Imperial Feet14.3256 
Depth in Hold19' 9 ¼"Imperial Feet5.7976 
Burthen1,624 41⁄94Tons BM 

Armament


12.1777Broadside 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
1777550EstablishmentBWAS-1714

13 Ship Commanders


DatesRankNameSource
27.12.1777 - 30.3.1779Captain
Alexander Arthur HoodBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1741-1805
ADM 6/21/349BWAS-171431.3.1779 - 24.9.1782Captain
Philips CosbyBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1739-1805
ADM 6/21/533BWAS-17143.10.1787 - 8.12.1787Captain
The Hon. William CornwallisBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1755-1807
ADM 6/23/423BWAS-17146.7.1790 - 16.9.1791Captain
Rowland CottonBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1753-1794
ADM 6/24/47ADM 6/2429.1.1793 - 30.8.1793Captain
George Keith ElphinstoneBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1770-1815
ADM 6/24/198BWAS-171430.8.1793 - 4.6.1794Captain
Benjamin HallowellBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1783-1830
ADM 6/25/75
Confirmed 13.8.1794BWAS-17144.6.1794 - 7.7.1794Captain
Christopher ParkerBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1778-1804
Transfered ADM 6/25/46BWAS-17147.7.1794 - 4.1799Captain
Edward ThornbroughBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1773-1830
ADM 6/25/57BWAS-17144.1799 - 11.1800Captain
George CountessBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1774-1810
BWAS-171416.10.1800 - 4.1801Captain
John Acworth OmmanneyBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1793-1828
BWAS-171411.1800 - 12.1800Captain
William BrownBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1788-1815
BWAS-17144.1801 - 1801Captain
The Hon. Henry CurzonBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1776-1830
BWAS-171429.4.1802 - 9.6.1802Captain
William RickettsBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1794-1804
BWAS-1714

1 Flag Officer


DatesRankNameSource
29.4.1802 - 7.1802Admiral of the White
Lord John Jervis (Viscount St Vincent)British
Naval Sailor
Service 1749-1806
BWAS-1714

15 Commissioned Officers


DatesRankNameSource
6.7.1790 - 16.9.1791First Lieutenant
George LangleyBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1780-1791
ADM 6/24/47ADM 6/246.7.1790 - 16.9.1791Third Lieutenant
James Butler NorrisBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1782-1794
ADM 6/24/47ADM 6/246.7.1790 - 16.9.1791Fourth Lieutenant
Christopher ChristieBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1782-1798
ADM 6/24/47ADM 6/246.7.1790 - 16.9.1791Fifth Lieutenant
Christopher KilnerBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1787-1796
ADM 6/24/47ADM 6/2418.8.1790 - 16.9.1791Second Lieutenant
Nicholas KempeBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1780-1802
ADM 6/24/61ADM 6/2429.1.1793 - 8.4.1794First Lieutenant
William OgilvyBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1780-1801
Transfered ADM 6/24/198ADM 6/2429.1.1793 - 8.4.1794Second Lieutenant
Andrew ToddBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1783-1794
Transfered ADM 6/24/198ADM 6/2429.1.1793 - 8.4.1794Fifth Lieutenant
Thomas AlexanderBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1789-1814
Transfered ADM 6/24/198ADM 6/2415.2.1793 - 8.4.1794Third Lieutenant
Edward RamageBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1790-1797
Transfered ADM 6/24/209ADM 6/2415.2.1793 - 8.4.1794Fourth Lieutenant
John TurnerBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1790-1794
Transfered ADM 6/24/209ADM 6/2411.4.1794 - 1794First Lieutenant
James HillsBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1778-1794
ADM 6/25/29ADM 6/2611.4.1794 - 1794Second Lieutenant
Maltis Lucullus RyallBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1773-1794
ADM 6/25/29ADM 6/2611.4.1794 - 1794Third Lieutenant
John BarnsleyBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1781-1794
ADM 6/25/29ADM 6/2611.4.1794 - 2.5.1794Fourth Lieutenant
Robert PercyBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1783-1799
Transfered ADM 6/25/29ADM 6/2611.4.1794 - 1794Fifth Lieutenant
Henry RowedBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1793-1814
ADM 6/25/29ADM 6/26

4 Petty Officers


DatesRatingNameSource
5.2.1777 - 27.12.1777Midshipman
William DomettBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1769-1825
ref:6161793 - 1794Midshipman
Charles AdamBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1790-1848
NBD18497.1794 - 9.1799Midshipman
Samuel BromleyBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1792-1812
NBD184916.4.1799 - 10.1800Midshipman
Edward BoysBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1796-1814
NBD1849

5 Crewmen


DatesRatingNameSource
1795Able Seaman
James AshBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1795
ADM 171/81795Able Seaman
William MorrisBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1795
ADM 171/81795Able Seaman
William MinwoodBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1795
ADM 171/81795Landman
Daniel CullenBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1794-1795
ADM 171/81795Landman
Nicholas ArthursBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1794-1795
ADM 171/8

Service History


DateEventSource
10.12.1764Completed at Harwich - Essex at a cost of £31399.3.8dBWAS-1714
5.1774Began small repair at Chatham Dockyard - Chatham BWAS-1714
1.1775Completed small repair at Chatham Dockyard - Chatham at a cost of £8291.7.11dBWAS-1714
12.1777First in commissionBWAS-1714
3.1778fitting at Chatham Dockyard - Chatham at a cost of £8187.7.7dBWAS-1714
27.7.17781st Battle of Ushant
23.5.1779Sailed for North AmericaBWAS-1714
1.1780Operations against Charleston until MayBWAS-1714
16.3.1781Battle of Cape Henry
9.1782Paid offBWAS-1714
2.1783Began large repair at Chatham Dockyard - Chatham BWAS-1714
4.1784Completed large repair at Chatham Dockyard - Chatham at a cost of £29469.16.11dBWAS-1714
10.1787RecommissionedBWAS-1714
12.1787Paid offBWAS-1714
7.1790RecommissionedBWAS-1714
16.9.1791

Paid off

BWAS-1714
11.1791Began small repair at Chatham Dockyard - Chatham BWAS-1714
4.1792Completed small repair at Chatham Dockyard - Chatham at a cost of £7292.0.0dBWAS-1714
1.1793RecommissionedBWAS-1714
22.5.1793Sailed to the MediterraneanBWAS-1714
28.8.1793At ToulonBWAS-1714
12.1793At evacuation of ToulonBWAS-1714
6.1794In Quiberon operationsBWAS-1714
11.4.1795Took the Frigate
La Gentille (32) 1778-1795
French 32 Gun
5th Rate Frigate
in the Channel
1796In the North SeaBWAS-1714
1797Spithead MutinyBWAS-1714
10.1797refitting at Portsmouth Dockyard - Portsmouth at a cost of £11253.0.0dBWAS-1714
1.1798making good defects at Portsmouth Dockyard - Portsmouth BWAS-1714
12.10.1798Battle of Tory Island
2.5.1799

Sailed from Plymouth

TNC
2.7.1799Attack on Basque RoadsBWAS-1714
2.7.1799Attack on Aix Roads
7.1802Paid offBWAS-1714
7.1802Refitted as a Unrated Receiving Ship
1807fitting at Portsmouth Dockyard - Portsmouth BWAS-1714
1.1817Broken up at PortmsouthBWAS-1714

 
Previous comments on this page

Posted by Jon Miller on Saturday 4th of July 2026 03:23

Portsmouth, 27 July 1816: The Gladiator, Alcide, and Robust, are to be taken to pieces. The Cuba, Squirrel, and Speedy, are to be sold. [Hampshire Chronicle, 29 July 1816]

Posted by Jon Miller on Tuesday 30th of June 2026 03:38

Portsmouth, 30 March 1816: The following thirty ships, at this port, are ordered to be sold, or taken to pieces. Those employed as receiving ships, powder ships, and military depots, are to be retained so long as they may be required for those services: Blake, Fortunee, Gladiator, Malacca, Emerald, Castor, Prince, Excellent, Elephant, Mars, Magnificent, Royal Oak, Swiftsure, Victorious, York, Hyperion, Atlas, Fortitude, San Antonio, Bull Dog, Alcide, Robust, Cuba, Squirrel, Pluto, Speedy, Prince George, Arve Princen, Hygeia.
The Tuscan and Tickler, at Plymouth, are to be sold; the Majestic and Medusa have been broken up at Pater Yard. [Hampshire Telegraph, 1 April 1816]

Make a comment about this page






Recent comments to other pages

Date postedByPage
Sunday 26th of July 2026 11:05Jon Miller
Spanish Fifth Rate frigate 'Mahonesa' (1789) (34) 1789-1796
Spanish 34 Gun
5th Rate Frigate
Sunday 26th of July 2026 11:05Jon Miller
French Third Rate ship of the line 'Le Guerrier' (1753) (74) 1753-1798
French 74 Gun
3rd Rate Ship of the Line
Sunday 26th of July 2026 11:03Jon Miller
French Privateer ship 'L'Heureux' (1797) (16) 1797-1798
French 16 Gun
Privateer Ship
Sunday 26th of July 2026 11:01Jon Miller
French Third Rate ship of the line 'Le Souverain' (1757) (74) 1757-1798
French 74 Gun
3rd Rate Ship of the Line
1792 Renamed "Peuple Souverain"
Sunday 26th of July 2026 11:00Jon Miller
French Third Rate ship of the line 'L'Aquilon' (1789) (74) 1789-1798
French 74 Gun
3rd Rate Ship of the Line
Copyright © Cy Harrison 2010-2026, all rights reserved
GDPR Statement