British Third Rate ship of the line 'Mars' (1794)

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Mars	5283
Nominal Guns	74	B028
Nationality	Great Britain
Operator	Royal Navy
Ordered	17.1.1788	BWAS-1793
Keel Laid Down	10.1789	BWAS-1793
Named	23.10.1788	BWAS-1793
Launched	25.10.1794	B028
How acquired	Purpose built	B028
Shipyard	Deptford Dockyard - Deptford	B028
Ship Class	Mars Class (1788)	B028
Designed by	Sir John HenslowBritish Designer Ship Builder Dockyard Staff Service 1761-1805	BWAS-1793
Constructor	Martin WareBritish Ship Builder Dockyard Staff Service 1755-1787	BWAS-1793
Category	Third Rate	B028
Ship Type	Ship of the Line	B028
Sailing Rig	Ship Rigged	B028
Broken Up	10.1823	B028

Dimensions

DimensionMeasurementTypeMetric EquivalentBWAS-1793
Length of Gundeck176' 0"Imperial Feet53.6448
Length of Keel144' 1"Imperial Feet43.8918
Breadth49' 2"Imperial Feet14.9408
Depth in Hold20' 0 ½"Imperial Feet6.1087
Draught Forward12' 7"Imperial Feet3.7465
Draught Aft17' 5"Imperial Feet5.1997
Burthen1,852 ⁶²⁄₉₄Tons BM

Armament

25.10.1794Broadside Weight = 880 Imperial Pound ( 399.08 kg)BWAS-1793
Lower Gun Deck28 British 32-Pounder
Upper Gun Deck30 British 24-Pounder
Quarterdeck12 British 9-Pounder
Quarterdeck4 British 9-Pounder

1805Broadside Weight = 1080 Imperial Pound ( 489.78 kg)BWAS-1793
Lower Gun Deck28 British 32-Pounder
Upper Gun Deck30 British 24-Pounder
Quarterdeck12 British 32-Pound Carronade
Quarterdeck2 British 24-Pounder
Forecastle2 British 32-Pound Carronade
Forecastle2 British 24-Pounder

Crew Complement

Date# of MenNotesSource
22.3.1788640Design Complement

17 Ship Commanders

DatesRankNameSource
11.1794 - 2.1797CaptainBWAS-17932.1797 - 21.4.1798Captain†BWAS-179321.4.1798 - 26.4.1798LieutenantBWAS-179326.4.1798 - 7.1798CaptainBWAS-17937.1798 - 5.1799CaptainBWAS-17935.1799 - 1.1801CaptainBWAS-17931.1801 - 9.1802CaptainBWAS-17933.1803 - 1804CaptainBWAS-17934.1804 - 5.1805CaptainBWAS-17935.1805CaptainBWAS-17935.1805 - 21.10.1805Captain†BWAS-179322.10.1805 - 12.1805LieutenantBWAS-179312.1805 - 8.1806CaptainBWAS-17938.1806 - 1810CaptainBWAS-17935.2.1809 - 4.4.1710Captain Discharged ADM 196/5/1ADM 1961810 - 1812CaptainBWAS-17931812 - 12.1812CaptainBWAS-1793

2 Flag Officers

DatesRankNameSource
14.2.1799 - 1.1801Rear-Admiral of the BlueBWAS-17931.1801 - 1802Rear-Admiral of the BlueBWAS-1793

16 Commissioned Officers

DatesRankNameSource
8.12.1794 - 28.3.1799LieutenantNBD18491798LieutenantBWAS-17931798LieutenantBWAS-17931798 - 21.4.1798LieutenantBWAS-179312.9.1804 - 1805LieutenantNAO12.9.1804 - 1806LieutenantNBD18491805 - 22.10.1805First LieutenantNAO1805LieutenantNAO1805LieutenantNAO1805LieutenantNAO1805 - 1806LieutenantNBD184911.3.1805 - 9.8.1805Acting LieutenantNAO10.8.1805 - 3.1806LieutenantNAO9.1.1809 - 3.6.1813LieutenantNBD184926.10.1809 - 27.6.1811LieutenantNBD184927.9.1810 - 5.8.1811Lieutenant TransferedNBD1849

8 Warrant Officers

DatesRankNameSource
9.6.1796 - 24.1.1801PurserADM 29/816.4.1803 - 9.10.1804Surgeonref:187617.5.1803 - 9.10.1804Masterref:18761805Masterref:187618.2.1805 - 28.4.1805Surgeonref:187628.4.1805 - 1805SurgeonNAO29.4.1805 - 19.1.1806Surgeon Discharged Sickref:18761.2.1806 - 21.9.1806MasterNAO

8 Petty Officers

DatesRatingNameSource
1796 - 7.1798MidshipmanNBD18491798MidshipmanTRN41798 - 21.4.1798Midshipman†TRN41804 - 26.10.1809MidshipmanNBD18491805 - 19.10.1807MidshipmanNBD18499.1805 - 11.1805Midshipmanref:6161806 - 1808MidshipmanNBD18491807 - 2.1813MidshipmanNBD1849

15 Crewmen

DatesRatingNameSource
1795Able SeamanADM 171/81795Able SeamanADM 171/81795Ordinary SeamanADM 171/81795Ordinary SeamanADM 171/81795Ordinary SeamanADM 171/81795Ordinary SeamanADM 171/81795LandmanADM 171/81795LandmanADM 171/81795ServantADM 171/81795ServantADM 171/81795ServantADM 171/82.3.1798 - 4.1802UnknownNBD18492.2.1803 - 18.3.1803Able SeamanADM 29/825.3.1806 - 7.18071st Class VolunteerNBD184924.12.1806 - 18071st Class VolunteerNBD1849

1 Marine

DatesRankNameSource
1798 - 21.4.1798Captain of Marines†TRN4

Service History

DateEventSource

10.1789Began building at Deptford Dockyard - Deptford BWAS-1793
25.10.1794Completed building at Deptford Dockyard - Deptford at a cost of £50270.0.0dBWAS-1793
25.10.1794Began fitting at Deptford Dockyard - Deptford BWAS-1793
25.10.1794Took the Ship of the Line off Brest
8.11.1794Completed fitting at Deptford Dockyard - Deptford BWAS-1793
16.6.1795First Battle of Groix
4.1797Spithead mutinyBWAS-1793
21.4.1798Mars vs Hercule
1799Blockade of RochefortBWAS-1793
6.4.1799

Sailed from Plymouth to join the Channel fleet

TNC
2.7.1799Attack on Spanish squadron in Aix roadsBWAS-1793
1801Blockade of BrestBWAS-1793
9.1802Began middling repair at Plymouth Dockyard - Plymouth BWAS-1793
3.1803RecommissionedBWAS-1793
4.1803Completed middling repair at Plymouth Dockyard - Plymouth BWAS-1793
21.10.1805Battle of Trafalgar
18.7.1806Took the Frigate at the Action off Rochefort
25.9.1806Action off Rochefort
1807To the Baltic in the AutumnBWAS-1793
15.8.1807Second Battle of Copenhagen
22.10.1810Sailed for PortugalBWAS-1793
1812In the BalticBWAS-1793
12.1812Laid upBWAS-1793
1813fitting at Portsmouth Dockyard - Portsmouth BWAS-1793
10.1823Broken up at PortsmouthBWAS-1793

Sources

IDNameAuthorType

ADM 171/8British Admiralty, Document

ADM 196 Document

ADM 29/8 Archive

B028J. J. Colledge, Book

BWAS-1793Rif Winfield, Book

NAOVarious, Web Site

NBD1849O'Brien, Digital Book

TNCVarious, Periodical

TRN4William Laird Clowes, Digital Book

ref:1876Derek Ayshford, Pam Ayshford, Web Site

ref:616Nicholas Tracy, Book

Previous comments on this page

Posted by Jon Miller on Wednesday 15th of July 2026 06:31

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 the 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]

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