British Third Rate ship of the line 'Gibraltar' (1780)

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Gibraltar	378
Nominal Guns	80	BWAS-1714
Nationality	Great Britain
Operator	Royal Navy
Previously	Spanish Third Rate ship of the line 'Fénix' (1749) (80) 1749-1780 Spanish 80 Gun 3rd Rate Ship of the Line
Named	20.3.1780	BWAS-1714
Captured	16.1.1780	BWAS-1714
Shipyard	Havana - Cuba	SWoA
Ship Class	Rayo Class (1749)
Designed by	Juan JorgeSpanish Designer Ship Builder Service 1747-1769	SWoA
Constructor	Pedro de TorresSpanish Ship Builder Service 1731-1749	SWoA
Category	Third Rate	BWAS-1714
Ship Type	Ship of the Line	BWAS-1714
Sailing Rig	Ship Rigged	BWAS-1714
Broken Up	11.1836	BWAS-1714

Dimensions

DimensionMeasurementTypeMetric EquivalentBWAS-1714
Length of Gundeck178' 10 ¾"Imperial Feet54.2735
Length of Keel144' 6"Imperial Feet43.8947
Breadth52' 11 ¾"Imperial Feet15.8687
Depth in Hold22' 1 ¾"Imperial Feet6.7247
Burthen2,157 ²⁄₉₄Tons BM

Armament

1780Broadside Weight = 729 Imperial Pound ( 330.6015 kg)BWAS-1714
Lower Gun Deck30 British 24-Pounder
Upper Gun Deck32 British 18-Pounder
Quarterdeck12 British 9-Pounder
Forecastle6 British 9-Pounder

12.1781Broadside Weight = 893 Imperial Pound ( 404.9755 kg)BWAS-1714
Lower Gun Deck30 British 24-Pounder
Upper Gun Deck32 British 24-Pounder
Quarterdeck2 British 68-Pound Carronade
Quarterdeck12 British 9-Pounder
Forecastle6 British 9-Pounder

Crew Complement

Date# of MenNotesSource
2.1780650 BWAS-1714

20 Ship Commanders

DatesRankNameSource
20.3.1780 - 13.10.1780Captain ADM 6/22/102BWAS-171413.10.1780 - 7.2.1781Captain ADM 6/22/182BWAS-17148.2.1781 - 13.5.1781Captain ADM 6/22/356
Issued by , Barbados - Windward Islands - Barbados & the Leeward Islands
Confirmed 25.10.1781ref:61613.5.1781 - 27.7.1781Captain Transfered ADM 6/22/475
Issued by , Barbados - Windward Islands - Barbados & the Leeward Islands
Confirmed 3.6.1782BWAS-171427.7.1781 - 9.11.1781Captain Transfered ADM 6/22/403
Issued by , Barbados - Windward Islands - Barbados & the Leeward Islands
Confirmed 24.1.1782ADM 6/2210.11.1781 - 24.7.1784Captain ADM 6/22/363BWAS-171419.5.1790 - 21.9.1790Captain ADM 6/24/31TNC6.10.1790 - 7.12.1790Captain ADM 6/24/74ADM 6/2425.5.1793 - 7.7.1794Captain ADM 6/24/242BWAS-17147.7.1794 - 1797Captain ADM 6/25/57BWAS-17147.1797 - 1803CaptainBWAS-17146.1803 - 31.7.1804CaptainBWAS-17141806CaptainBWAS-17141806 - 4.1807CaptainBWAS-17144.1807 - 4.1809CaptainBWAS-17144.1809 - 6.1809CaptainBWAS-17146.1809CaptainBWAS-17146.1809 - 1810CaptainBWAS-17141810 - 1.1812CaptainBWAS-17141.1812 - 12.2.1812CaptainBWAS-1714

3 Flag Officers

DatesRankNameSource
26.9.1780 - 13.5.1781Rear-Admiral of the Blue TransferedBWAS-171410.1781 - 23.11.1781Admiral of the White Transfered ADM 107/4/102BWAS-17148.1.1782 - 24.7.1784CommodoreODNB

23 Commissioned Officers

DatesRankNameSource
20.11.1781 - 18.5.1782First Lieutenant Transfered ADM 6/22/368ADM 6/2223.11.1781 - 24.7.1784Fifth Lieutenant ADM 6/22/369ADM 6/2219.5.1790 - 11.10.1790Fifth Lieutenant Transfered ADM 6/24/31ADM 6/246.10.1790 - 7.12.1790First Lieutenant ADM 6/24/74ADM 6/246.10.1790 - 7.12.1790Second Lieutenant ADM 6/24/74ADM 6/246.10.1790 - 2.11.1790Fourth Lieutenant ADM 6/24/74ADM 6/243.11.1790 - 7.12.1790Third Lieutenant ADM 6/24/85ADM 6/243.11.1790 - 18.11.1790Fourth Lieutenant Transfered ADM 6/24/85ADM 6/243.11.1790 - 7.12.1790Fifth Lieutenant ADM 6/24/85ADM 6/2430.5.1793 - 1793First Lieutenant ADM 6/24/243ADM 6/2430.5.1793 - 9.1.1794Second Lieutenant ADM 6/24/243ADM 6/2430.5.1793 - 9.1.1794Third Lieutenant ADM 6/24/243ADM 6/2430.5.1793 - 21.8.1793Fourth Lieutenant ADM 6/24/243ADM 6/2425.6.1793 - 21.8.1793Fifth Lieutenant ADM 6/24/249ADM 6/2422.8.1793 - 10.2.1794Fourth Lieutenant ADM 6/24/262ADM 6/2422.8.1793 - 6.10.1793Fifth Lieutenant Transfered ADM 6/24/262ADM 6/2410.1.1794 - 10.2.1794Second Lieutenant ADM 6/25/3ADM 6/2511.2.1794 - 1794Second Lieutenant ADM 6/25/12ADM 6/2511.2.1794 - 1794Third Lieutenant ADM 6/25/12ADM 6/2511.2.1794 - 1794Fourth Lieutenant ADM 6/25/12ADM 6/2511.2.1794 - 1794Fifth Lieutenant ADM 6/25/12ADM 6/2514.1.1797 - 3.4.1797LieutenantNBD18491809First LieutenantW041

2 Warrant Officers

DatesRankNameSource
1794SailmakerADM 171/81794 - 1.6.1794Surgeonref:1665

5 Petty Officers

DatesRatingNameSource
1794MidshipmanADM 171/81794MidshipmanADM 171/81794MidshipmanADM 171/81794Master's MateADM 171/81796 - 8.1801MidshipmanNBD1849

8 Crewmen

DatesRatingNameSource
1794Able SeamanADM 171/81794Able SeamanADM 171/81794Ordinary SeamanADM 171/81794Ordinary SeamanADM 171/81794Ordinary SeamanADM 171/81794LandmanADM 171/81794Carpenter's CrewADM 171/89.4.1795 - 1796Able Seamanref:924

2 Marines

DatesRankNameSource
1794Private, 25th Regiment of FootADM 171/81794Private, 25th Regiment of FootADM 171/8

Service History

DateEventSource
16.1.1780Taken at the Moonlight BattleBWAS-1714
20.3.1780Named and registered by Admiralty orderBWAS-1714
4.1780Began fitting at Plymouth - Devon BWAS-1714
8.1780Completed fitting at Plymouth - Devon at a cost of £16068.5.3dBWAS-1714
29.4.1781Battle of Fort Royal
10.1781Began fitting at Plymouth - Devon BWAS-1714
1.1782Completed fitting at Plymouth - Devon at a cost of £9872.2.5dBWAS-1714
6.2.1782Sailed for the East IndiesBWAS-1714
20.6.17832nd Battle of Cuddalore
24.7.1784

Paid off

ADM 34
9.1784Fitted for ordinaryBWAS-1714
2.1788Began middling repair at Plymouth - Devon BWAS-1714
2.1790Completed middling repair at Plymouth - Devon at a cost of £36713.0.6dBWAS-1714
5.1790Recommissioned for the Spanish ArmamentBWAS-1714
7.12.1790Paid offADM 35
1.6.1794Glorious 1st of June
13.7.1795Battle of Hyeres
2.1797Began repairs at Plymouth Dockyard - Plymouth BWAS-1714
4.1797Completed repairs at Plymouth Dockyard - Plymouth at a cost of £12818.0.0dBWAS-1714
31.7.1804Paid offADM 35
1805Refitted as a 80 gun Second Rate
7.1805Began fitting at Portsmouth Dockyard - Portsmouth BWAS-1714
3.1806Completed fitting at Portsmouth Dockyard - Portsmouth at a cost of £30642.0.0dBWAS-1714
26.8.1806Chase of the Vétéran
12.2.1812

Paid off into ordinary

ADM 35
8.1813Began fitting at Plymouth Dockyard - Plymouth BWAS-1714
12.1813Refitted as a Other Vessels Powder Hulk
12.1813Completed fitting at Plymouth Dockyard - Plymouth BWAS-1714
9.1824Refitted as a Other Vessels Lazarette
9.1824fitting at Plymouth Dockyard - Plymouth BWAS-1714
11.1836Broken up at Pembroke DockBWAS-1714

Sources

IDNameAuthorType

ADM 171/8British Admiralty, Document

ADM 34 Document

ADM 35 Archive

ADM 6/22 Archive

ADM 6/24 Archive

ADM 6/25 Archive

BWAS-1714Rif Winfield, Book

NBD1849O'Brien, Digital Book

ODNBOxford University Press, Web Site

SWoAManuel Blasco Felip, Enrique García-Torralba Pérez, John Tredrea, Rif Winfield, Book

TNCVarious, Periodical

W041Patrick Marioné, Web Site

ref:1665Thomas Trotter, Book

ref:616Nicholas Tracy, Book

ref:924A C de Poggi, Book

Previous comments on this page

Posted by Jon Miller on Tuesday 2nd of June 2026 05:06

Letters from Portsmouth this morning, present us with very important intelligence. The Hound sloop of war arrived at the Motherbank on Tuesday night, in sixteen days from Gibraltar, and brings an account of a mutiny having broke out on board his Majesty’ ship Gibraltar, of 84 guns, on her passage from that port to Malta, in company with the Superb, Dragon, and Triumph. The mutineers took possession of the ship, and run her under the sterns of the others, cheering them, in the hope that the crews would join them. Disappointed however, in this expectation, the mutineers of the Gibraltar became panic-struck, and were easily subdued by their officers, who conducted themselves with the greatest gallantry upon the occasion. The ringleaders of the mutiny were secured, and three of them had been hanged before the Hound sailed from Gibraltar. [Kentish Post, 7 January 1803]

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