British Third Rate ship of the line 'Centaur' (1797)

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Centaur	3526
Nominal Guns	74	BWAS-1793
Nationality	Great Britain
Operator	Royal Navy
Ordered	17.1.1788	BWAS-1793
Keel Laid Down	11.1790	BWAS-1793
Named	23.10.1788	BWAS-1793
Launched	14.3.1797	BWAS-1793
How acquired	Purpose built	BWAS-1793
Shipyard	Woolwich Dockyard - Woolwich	BWAS-1793
Designed by	Sir John HenslowBritish Designer Ship Builder Dockyard Staff Service 1761-1805	BWAS-1793
Constructor	John ToveryBritish Ship Builder Dockyard Staff Service 1776-1793	BWAS-1793
Category	Third Rate	BWAS-1793
Ship Type	Ship of the Line	BWAS-1793
Sailing Rig	Ship Rigged	BWAS-1793
Broken Up	11.1819	BWAS-1793

Dimensions

DimensionMeasurementTypeMetric EquivalentBWAS-1793
Length of Gundeck176' 0"Imperial Feet53.6448
Length of Keel144' 3"Imperial Feet43.8929
Breadth49' 0"Imperial Feet14.9352
Depth in Hold20' 0"Imperial Feet6.096
Draught Forward13' 0"Imperial Feet3.9624
Draught Aft17' 9"Imperial Feet5.2143
Burthen1,842 ²⁴⁄₉₄Tons BM

Armament

14.3.1797Broadside Weight = 880 Imperial Pound ( 399.08 kg)BWAS-1793
Lower Gun Deck28 British 32-Pounder
Upper Gun Deck30 British 24-Pounder
Quarterdeck4 British 9-Pounder
Quarterdeck12 British 9-Pounder

Crew Complement

Date# of MenNotesSource
22.3.1788640Design Complement

10 Ship Commanders

DatesRankNameSource
3.1797 - 3.1801CaptainBWAS-17933.1801 - 10.1801CaptainBWAS-179310.1801 - 4.1802CaptainBWAS-17934.1802 - 1804CaptainBWAS-17931804 - 1805CaptainBWAS-179331.12.1804 - 1805CaptainBWAS-17931805CaptainBWAS-179312.1805 - 1807CaptainBWAS-17931807 - 1810CaptainBWAS-17939.1814 - 1815CaptainBWAS-1793

2 Flag Officers

DatesRankNameSource
4.1802 - 2.10.1807CommodoreBWAS-17932.10.1807 - 1810Rear-Admiral of the BlueBWAS-1793

9 Commissioned Officers

DatesRankNameSource
21.7.1798 - 7.1798LieutenantNBD184919.6.1801 - 26.3.1802LieutenantNBD18491804 - 1.5.1804LieutenantODNB4.1804 - 5.1804LieutenantODNB20.1.1805 - 20.3.1805LieutenantNBD184923.1.1805 - 7.1.1806LieutenantNBD18499.1808 - 12.1810LieutenantNAO25.7.1811 - 1811LieutenantNBD184924.10.1814 - 8.2.1816LieutenantNBD1849

2 Warrant Officers

DatesRankNameSource
24.2.1797 - 30.3.1797PurserADM 29/831.3.1797 - 29.4.1802PurserADM 29/8

7 Petty Officers

DatesRatingNameSource
1801MidshipmanNBD18495.1802 - 7.11.1804MidshipmanNBD184910.1806 - 11.1810MidshipmanNBD18492.9.1809 - 11.1810MidshipmanNBD18491810 - 2.1815MidshipmanNBD18491811 - 31.1.1812MidshipmanNBD184911.1814 - 6.12.1815MidshipmanNBD1849

3 Crewmen

DatesRatingNameSource
24.4.1806 - 2.9.18091st Class VolunteerNBD18491815 - 24.11.1815Seaman†ref:19981815 - 6.12.1815Seaman†ref:1998

1 Marine

DatesRankNameSource
1815 - 28.11.1815Private†ref:1998

Service History

DateEventSource
11.1790Began building at Woolwich Dockyard - Woolwich BWAS-1793
14.3.1797Completed building at Woolwich Dockyard - Woolwich at a cost of £59538.0.0dBWAS-1793
17.3.1797Began fitting at Woolwich Dockyard - Woolwich BWAS-1793
11.6.1797Completed fitting at Woolwich Dockyard - Woolwich BWAS-1793
2.6.1798Sailed for the MediterraneanBWAS-1793
11.1798Occupation of MinorcaBWAS-1793
2.2.1799Took the Privateer at the Action off Rochefort
19.6.1799Capture off Cape Sicie
21.6.1803Capture of St. Lucia and Tobago
3.2.1804Capture of the Curieux
4.2.1804Took the Brig cut out at Port Royal
2.1806Began middling repair at Plymouth Dockyard - Plymouth BWAS-1793
6.1806Completed middling repair at Plymouth Dockyard - Plymouth at a cost of £41413.0.0dBWAS-1793
25.9.1806Action off Rochefort
25.9.1806Took the Frigate off Ile d'Aix
15.8.1807Second Battle of Copenhagen
12.1807Occupation of MadeiraBWAS-1793
24.12.1807Occupation of Madeira
1808In the BalticBWAS-1793
25.8.1808Capture of the Vsevolod
1809Operations in the ScheldtBWAS-1793
2.11.1809Sailed for the MediterraneanBWAS-1793
11.1812Began making good defects at UnknownBWAS-1793
1.1813Completed making good defects at a cost of £15253.0.0dBWAS-1793
1815In North AmericaBWAS-1793
11.1815Laid up at PlymouthBWAS-1793
11.1819Broken up at PlymouthBWAS-1793

Sources

IDNameAuthorType

Book

ADM 29/8 Archive

BWAS-1793Rif Winfield, Book

NAOVarious, Web Site

NBD1849O'Brien, Digital Book

ODNBOxford University Press, Web Site

ref:1998 Archive

Previous comments on this page

Posted by Jon Miller on Wednesday 15th of July 2026 06:33

Portsmouth, 2 May 1801: The Court Martial that has been sitting on board the Cambridge, on Capt Lloyd, of the Mars, and Lieuts Burnett and Davis, of the Centaur, for those ships running foul of each other, on he night of the 10th inst closed this day. Capt Lloyd and Lieut Burnett were acquitted: Lieut Davis was sentenced to be dismissed from His Majesty’s ship Centaur, and to lose six months rank. [Hampshire Telegraph, 4 May 1801]

Posted by Jon Miller on Thursday 9th of July 2026 08:30

Portsmouth, 3 January 1801: Admiral James Saumarez wil hoist his Flag on board the Centaur, and Capt Brenton is appointed to command the ship. [Hampshire Telegraph, 5 January 1801]

Posted by Jon Miller on Saturday 13th of June 2026 07:54

Portsmouth: A machine was tried on Monday on board his Majesty’s ship Centaur, which bids fair to be of the greatest utility to the marine of this kingdom: it is a new capstan, invented by William Bolton, Esq, a commander in his Majesty’s navy, (the officer who experienced such cruelties in France while a prisoner, during thee Roberspierrean tyranny). Four men actually raised the Centaur’s sheet anchor. Had all the powers been applied, it was allowed that two men would have done it. Indeed, from many causes, there is little doubt that one man would raise a 74’s anchor. This machine possesses both power and velocity, as the powers can be applied or detached with wonderful facility; and used as a simple capstan, it is much superior to any common one. [Hampshire Chronicle, 19 August 1797]

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