British Second Rate ship of the line 'Prince' (1788)

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Prince	115
Nominal Guns	98	BWAS-1714
Nationality	Great Britain
Operator	Royal Navy
Ordered	9.12.1779	BWAS-1714
Keel Laid Down	1.1.1782	BWAS-1714
Launched	4.7.1788	BWAS-1714
How acquired	Purpose built	BWAS-1714
Shipyard	Woolwich Dockyard - Woolwich	BWAS-1714
Category	Second Rate	BWAS-1714
Ship Type	Ship of the Line	BWAS-1714
Sailing Rig	Ship Rigged	BWAS-1714
Broken Up	11.1837	BWAS-1714

Dimensions

DimensionMeasurementTypeMetric EquivalentB065
Length of Gundeck177' 6"Imperial Feet53.9516
Length of Keel146' 6"Imperial Feet44.5041
Breadth49' 0"Imperial Feet14.9352
Depth in Hold21' 0"Imperial Feet6.4008
Burthen1,824Tons BM
DimensionMeasurementTypeMetric EquivalentBWAS-1714
Length of Gundeck194' 6"Imperial Feet59.1328
Length of Keel163' 6"Imperial Feet49.6848
Breadth49' 0"Imperial Feet14.9352
Depth in Hold21' 0"Imperial Feet6.4008
Draught Forward13' 5"Imperial Feet4.0047
Draught Aft17' 8"Imperial Feet5.2106
Burthen2,088Tons BM

Armament

1790Broadside Weight = 958 Imperial Pound ( 434.453 kg)BWAS-1714
Lower Gun Deck28 British 32-Pounder
Middle Gun Deck30 British 18-Pounder
Upper Gun Deck30 British 12-Pounder
Quarterdeck8 British 12-Pounder
Forecastle2 British 12-Pounder

Crew Complement

Date# of MenNotesSource
7.1790750EstablishmentBWAS-1714
1794738EstablishmentBWAS-1714

15 Ship Commanders

DatesRankNameSource
30.7.1790 - 8.12.1790Captain: on board from 6.8.1790 ADM 6/24/56BWAS-171422.2.1793 - 21.12.1793Captain: on board from 10.3.1793 Transfered ADM 6/24/213BWAS-171430.9.1794 - 1.6.1795Captain ADM 6/25/90BWAS-17146.1795 - 6.1796CaptainBWAS-171410.1796 - 3.1799CaptainBWAS-17143.1799 - 1800CaptainBWAS-17148.1800 - 10.1800CaptainBWAS-171410.1800 - 4.1802CaptainBWAS-171411.1801 - 12.1801CaptainBWAS-17144.1803 - 3.1806CaptainBWAS-17143.1806 - 10.1806CaptainBWAS-171412.1806CaptainBWAS-171412.1806 - 3.1807CaptainBWAS-171410.1813 - 5.1815CaptainBWAS-17145.1815 - 19.1815CaptainBWAS-1714

7 Flag Officers

DatesRankNameSource
6.8.1790 - 8.12.1790Rear-Admiral of the BlueBWAS-171410.3.1793 - 15.1.1794Rear-Admiral of the White TransferedBWAS-171410.1796 - 1799Rear-AdmiralBWAS-17143.1799 - 1799Rear-Admiral of the RedBWAS-17147.5.1804 - 26.6.1805Vice-Admiral of the BlueBWAS-171410.1813 - 5.1815Admiral of the BlueBWAS-17145.1815 - 9.1815AdmiralBWAS-1714

34 Commissioned Officers

DatesRankNameSource
30.7.1790 - 21.11.1790First Lieutenant ADM 6/24/56ADM 6/2430.7.1790 - 8.12.1790Fourth Lieutenant ADM 6/24/56ADM 6/2430.7.1790 - 5.10.1790Sixth Lieutenant Transfered ADM 6/24/56ADM 6/2430.8.1790 - 5.12.1790Seventh Lieutenant Transfered ADM 6/24/63ADM 6/244.10.1790 - 8.12.1790Third Lieutenant ADM 60/24/73ADM 6/244.10.1790 - 8.12.1790Fifth Lieutenant ADM 60/24/73ADM 6/244.10.1790 - 8.12.1790Eighth Lieutenant ADM 60/24/73ADM 6/2423.2.1793 - 22.12.1793First Lieutenant Transfered ADM 6/24/214ADM 6/2423.2.1793 - 22.12.1793Second Lieutenant Transfered ADM 6/24/214ADM 6/2423.2.1793 - 22.12.1793Third Lieutenant Transfered ADM 6/24/214ADM 6/2423.2.1793 - 1793Fourth Lieutenant ADM 6/24/214ADM 6/2423.2.1793 - 1793Eighth Lieutenant ADM 6/24/214ADM 6/242.3.1793 - 31.5.1793Fifth Lieutenant ADM 6/24/215ADM 6/242.3.1793 - 22.12.1793Sixth Lieutenant Transfered ADM 6/24/215ADM 6/242.3.1793 - 22.12.1793Seventh Lieutenant Transfered ADM 6/24/215ADM 6/241.6.1793 - 22.12.1793Fifth Lieutenant Transfered ADM 6/24/243ADM 6/2416.7.1793 - 22.12.1793Ninth Lieutenant Transfered ADM 6/24/254ADM 6/2427.10.1796 - 6.6.1798Lieutenant Discharged ADM 196/5/1ADM 19628.3.1799 - 27.11.1800LieutenantNBD18495.4.1803 - 3.7.1804LieutenantNBD184919.4.1803 - 12.11.1805LieutenantNAO13.4.1804 - 1804LieutenantNAO13.4.1804 - 1806LieutenantNAO8.1804 - 1807LieutenantNBD18493.9.1804 - 1806LieutenantNAO21.11.1804 - 27.10.1806LieutenantNAO17.12.1804 - 1806LieutenantNAO1805Lieutenantref:81514.2.1805 - 1806LieutenantNAO5.6.1805 - 1806LieutenantNAO27.10.1805 - 30.12.1806First LieutenantNBD184911.1805 - 5.2.1806Acting LieutenantNBD18499.10.1813 - 4.1815LieutenantNBD18493.11.1813 - 11.5.1815Flag LieutenantNBD1849

8 Warrant Officers

DatesRankNameSource
20.8.1790 - 14.1.1794BoatswainADM 29/813.4.1795 - 11.3.1796MasterADM 29-118.7.1803 - 8.1.1804Surgeonref:18761805Masterref:18769.1.1805 - 3.3.1805Surgeonref:18764.3.1805 - 15.3.1805Surgeon Ran/Desertedref:18766.4.1805 - 1805Surgeonref:187622.4.1825 - 31.3.1828PurserADM 29/8

11 Petty Officers

DatesRatingNameSource
1795 - 1797MidshipmanNBD18491796 - 1797Master's MateNBD18491799MidshipmanNBD18497.1803 - 2.1807MidshipmanBWAS-17141804 - 8.2.1805MidshipmanNBD18498.1805 - 4.1807MidshipmanNBD18495.1812 - 1814MidshipmanNBD18491814 - 11.1814MidshipmanNBD18491814 - 22.2.1815MidshipmanNBD18491814 - 1815Master's MateNL18651815Master's MateNL1865

5 Crewmen

DatesRatingNameSource
1805 - 1806Able SeamanNL186525.7.1805 - 8.18051st Class VolunteerNBD184917.8.1814 - 2.9.1815Able SeamanADM 29/81815 - 2.8.1815Seaman†ref:19981815 - 15.8.1815Seaman†ref:1998

Service History

DateEventSource
7.1790Commissioned for the Spanish ArmamentBWAS-1714
10.1790Fitted at Plymouth at a cost of £6,227.17.8dBWAS-1714
12.1790Paid offBWAS-1714
2.1793RecommissionedBWAS-1714
1.1794Paid offBWAS-1714
10.1794RecommissionedBWAS-1714
23.6.1795Action of Ile Groix
6.1796Paid offBWAS-1714
2.6.1796Ordered to be lengthened at Portsmouth with a new 17 foot section insertedBWAS-1714
10.1796RecommissionedBWAS-1714
11.1796Completed lengthening at a cost of £31,267BWAS-1714
1798At the Blockade of CadizBWAS-1714
1799Service in the ChannelBWAS-1714
7.4.1799

Sailed from Portsmouth

TNC
1.6.1799Sailed for the MediterraneanBWAS-1714
1800Service in the ChannelBWAS-1714
2.1800Started making defects goodBWAS-1714
4.1800Completed making defects goodBWAS-1714
4.1802Paid offBWAS-1714
5.1802Started a very small repair at PlymouthBWAS-1714
6.1802Completed very small repair at a cost of £8,668BWAS-1714
4.1803Began fitting at PortsmouthBWAS-1714
4.1803RecommissionedBWAS-1714
1.1804Completed fitting at a cost of £17,110BWAS-1714
12.1804At the Blockade of BrestBWAS-1714
21.10.1805Battle of Trafalgar
10.1806Laid up at PlymouthBWAS-1714
12.1806RecommissionedBWAS-1714
3.1807Paid offBWAS-1714
1808Placed in ordinary until 1813BWAS-1714
8.1813Started refitting as a guardshipBWAS-1714
10.1813Completed refitting at a cost of £20,861BWAS-1714
10.1813Recommissioned as guardship at SpitheadBWAS-1714
4.1816Fitted at Portsmouth as a victualling vessel and as accomodaiotn for dockyard officials. Completed 1816/06BWAS-1714
11.1837Broken up at PortsmouthBWAS-1714

Notes on Ship

The dimensions taken from Rif Winfield's British Warships in the Age of Sail 1714-1793 are after the 1796 lengthening, the dimensions taken from Lavery are as designed.

Sources

IDNameAuthorType

ADM 196 Document

ADM 29-1 Document

ADM 29/8 Archive

ADM 6/24 Archive

B065Brian Lavery, Book

BWAS-1714Rif Winfield, Book

NAOVarious, Web Site

NBD1849O'Brien, Digital Book

NL1865The Admiralty, Digital Book

TNCVarious, Periodical

ref:1876Derek Ayshford, Pam Ayshford, Web Site

ref:1998 Archive

ref:815 Web Site

Previous comments on this page

Posted by TopNard on Friday 14th of October 2016 12:13

http://www.kenthistoryforum.co.uk/index.php?topic=18598.0

Posted by cy on Friday 14th of October 2016 10:53

Hi Topnard
Thanks for the info, but no source indicated and no date for the armament list. The Prince (not HMS until mid 19C) was not originally armed with carronades.

Posted by TopNard on Friday 14th of October 2016 10:28

HMS Prince was armed with 28 32pdr long guns on the lower gun deck, 30 18pdr long guns on the middle gun deck, 30 12pdr long guns on her upper gun deck, with 8 more 12pdr long guns on her quarterdeck and 2 on the forecastle. In addition, she carried 6 12pdr carronades on her poop deck and 2 more on the forecastle. There would also have been 20 or so half-pounder swivel guns on her upper deck handrails and in her fighting tops

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