Recent updates


Recent Comments



Medway

7745
Nominal Guns60BWAS-1714
NationalityGreat Britain
OperatorRoyal Navy
Ordered5.12.1740BWAS-1714
Keel Laid Down7.1.1740/41BWAS-1714
Acquired26.5.1742BWAS-1714
First Commissioned24.5.1742BWAS-1714
ShipyardRotherhithe - London - Surrey BWAS-1714
Ship Class1733 Establishment 60 Gunner - modified (1733)BWAS-1714
Constructor
Elias BirdBritish
Ship Builder
BWAS-1714
CategoryFourth RateBWAS-1714
Ship TypeShip of the LineBWAS-1714
Sailing RigShip RiggedBWAS-1714
Abandoned19.4.1749BWAS-1714

Dimensions


DimensionMeasurementTypeMetric EquivalentBWAS-1714
Length of Gundeck144' 0"Imperial Feet43.8912 
Length of Keel116' 7"Imperial Feet35.3679 
Breadth41' 6"Imperial Feet12.6492 
Depth in Hold16' 11"Imperial Feet4.881 
Burthen1,067 4994Tons BM 
Burthen1,068 194Tons BM 

Armament


26.5.1742Broadside Weight = 462 Imperial Pound ( 209.517 kg)BWAS-1714
Lower Gun Deck24 British 24-Pounder
Upper Gun Deck24 British 12-Pounder
Quarterdeck8 British 6-Pounder
Forecastle2 British 6-Pounder

1745Broadside Weight = 474 Imperial Pound ( 214.959 kg)BWAS-1714
Lower Gun Deck24 British 24-Pounder
Upper Gun Deck26 British 12-Pounder
Quarterdeck8 British 6-Pounder
Forecastle2 British 6-Pounder

Crew Complement


Date# of MenNotesSource
1733420Design Complement

5 Ship Commanders


DatesRankNameSource
24.5.1742 - 6.10.1741Captain
George CockburneBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1718-1756
ADM 6/16/57
ADM 6/16
6.10.1743 - 18.3.1743/44Captain
Edward LeggeBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1726-1747
Transfered ADM 6/16/226
BWAS-1714
19.3.1743/44 - 3.5.1746Captain
Edward PeytonBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1707-1748
ADM 6/16/280
BWAS-1714
3.5.1746 - 5.7.1748Captain
Henry RosewellBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1728-1771
BWAS-1714
5.7.1748 - 11.9.1748Captain
William HolmesBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1742-1749
Transfered ADM 6/17/487
Issued by
Curtis BarnetBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1710-1756
, East Indies - Asia
Confirmed 17.8.1749
ADM 6/17

2 Flag Officers


DatesRankNameSource
1746 - 2.5.1746Commodore
Curtis BarnetBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1710-1756
BWAS-1714
3.5.1746 - 11.9.1748Commodore
Edward PeytonBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1707-1748
ADM 6/19/26
BWAS-1714

5 Commissioned Officers


DatesRankNameSource
25.5.1742 - 9.10.1743Third Lieutenant
John PatersonBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1726-1740
ADM 6/16/59
ADM 6/16
10.10.1743 - 13.3.1743/44Second Lieutenant
John PatersonBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1726-1740
ADM 6/16/227
ADM 6/16
14.3.1743/44 - 18.3.1743/44Second Lieutenant
John HusseyBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1732-1746
ADM 6/16/279
ADM 6/16
19.3.1743/44 - 28.3.1744First Lieutenant
Thomas NoelBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1731-1734
Transfered ADM 6/16/281
ADM 6/16
19.3.1743/44 - 21.7.1745Second Lieutenant
Wheeler HoultBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1741-1749
Transfered ADM 6/16/280
ADM 6/16

2 Petty Officers


DatesRatingNameSource
21.12.1742 - 18.7.1744Midshipman
John DeardsBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1738-1748
Transfered ADM 107/4/53
ADM 107/4
25.3.1743 - 10.10.1743Midshipman
James WorthBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1732-1795
ADM 107/3/504
ADM 107/3

1 Crewman


DatesRatingNameSource
25.9.1742 - 20.12.1742Able Seaman
John DeardsBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1738-1748
ADM 107/4/53
ADM 107/4

Service History


DateEventSource
26.5.1742Began fitting at Deptford Dockyard - Deptford BWAS-1714
26.5.1742Completed at Rotherhithe - London - Surrey at a cost of £15886.10.0dBWAS-1714
29.6.1742Completed fitting at Deptford Dockyard - Deptford at a cost of £6294.13.5dBWAS-1714
30.4.1744

Sailed for the East Indies

BWAS-1714
24.11.1744Took the East Indiaman
Le Favori (40) 1743-1744
French 40 Gun
Merchant East Indiaman
at Achin

1745Refitted as a 60 gun Fourth Rate Ship of the Line
25.6.17461st Battle of Negapatam
18.10.1748

Paid off

ADM 33
18.11.1748Refitted as a Unrated Sheer Hulk
18.11.1748

Sunk in Trincomalee bay as a Sheer Hulk

BWAS-1714
19.4.1749Paid offADM 33

 
Previous comments on this page

Posted by Jon Miller on Thursday 28th of May 2026 02:29

London, 11 April 1752: The Santa Catharina, taken in the East-Indies by the Medway man of war, being condemned as a lawful prize, the prize money due thereon is ordered to be paid the 29th Instant. The Lascars who for some time past have been here, were concerned in the above prize. [Kentish Post, 15 April 1752]


Posted by Jon Miller on Wednesday 20th of May 2026 09:35

Gosport, 28 September: On Wednesday, Mr Adams, a shipwright, fell from the gallery of the Old Medway, breaking up in the dock-yard, and broke one of his arms and fingers, and was otherwise very much bruised. He fell upwards of 40 feet. [Kentish Post, 4 October]


Posted by Albert Parker on Sunday 20th of June 2021 02:01

Medway left England for the East Indies on April 30/May 11, 1744. She could only have been refitted as a 60 instead of 58 in 1745 the East Indies. She began the year at Batavia, *Dutch* East Indies, an unlikely place to find British ordnance. She had been leaky from the start of the campaign, not a good condition for the addition of even just two 12-pounders. From Batavia, the squadron stood across the Bay of Bengal to Ceylon, cruising off the island to meet incoming British Indiamen. With her squadron, she cruiesd on the Coromandel Coast during July and August, and remained there through April 1746, growing ever leakier. Although there were several British East India stations on the Coromandel Coast, notably Madras and Cuddalore, both had only open roadsteads where any kind of refitting was difficult. Either might have had some 12-pounders on hand, and a good carpenter could have made naval gun carriages for them, but it doesn't seem very likely.


Make a comment about this page







Recent comments to other pages

Date postedByPage
Wednesday 22nd of July 2026 04:24F.F.
Wednesday 22nd of July 2026 01:36F.F.
Tuesday 21st of July 2026 16:47Jon Miller
British sloop 'Drake' (1798) (14) 1798-1804
British 14 Gun
Unrated Sloop
Tuesday 21st of July 2026 16:46Jon Miller
British sloop 'Drake' (1798) (14) 1798-1804
British 14 Gun
Unrated Sloop
Tuesday 21st of July 2026 16:45Jon Miller