British Second Rate ship of the line 'Prince of Wales' (1794)

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Prince of Wales	118
Nominal Guns	98	BWAS-1793
Nationality	Great Britain
Operator	Royal Navy
Ordered	29.11.1783	BWAS-1793
Keel Laid Down	5.1784	BWAS-1793
Named	3.12.1783	BWAS-1793
Launched	28.6.1794	BWAS-1793
How acquired	Purpose built	BWAS-1793
Shipyard	Plymouth Dockyard - Plymouth	BWAS-1793
Ship Class	Boyne Class (1783)	BWAS-1793
Category	Second Rate	BWAS-1793
Ship Type	Ship of the Line	BWAS-1793
Sailing Rig	Ship Rigged	BWAS-1793
Broken Up	26.12.1822	BWAS-1793

Dimensions

DimensionMeasurementTypeMetric EquivalentBWAS-1793
Length of Gundeck182' 3"Imperial Feet55.4745
Length of Keel149' 11 ⅜"Imperial Feet45.4247
Breadth50' 4 ½"Imperial Feet15.2527
Depth in Hold21' 9"Imperial Feet6.6294
Draught Forward14' 5"Imperial Feet4.299
Draught Aft18' 8"Imperial Feet5.5118
Burthen2,024 ¹⁄₉₄Tons BM

Armament

1794Broadside Weight = 958 Imperial Pound ( 434.453 kg)BWAS-1793
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
1794750EstablishmentBWAS-1793

13 Ship Commanders

DatesRankNameSource
11.11.1794 - 12.1795CaptainBWAS-179312.1795 - 1.1798CaptainBWAS-17931.1798 - 6.1799CaptainBWAS-17936.1799 - 6.1800CaptainBWAS-17937.1800 - 5.1803CaptainBWAS-17931.1806 - 3.1806CaptainBWAS-17933.1806 - 4.1807CaptainBWAS-17934.1807 - 7.1807CaptainBWAS-17937.1807 - 1808CaptainBWAS-179312.1811 - 1.1812CaptainBWAS-17931.1812 - 3.1812CaptainBWAS-17933.1812 - 5.1812CaptainBWAS-17935.1812 - 1813CaptainBWAS-1793

9 Flag Officers

DatesRankNameSource
10.1794 - 8.1799Rear-Admiral ADM 6/24/204BWAS-17931.1795 - 1.6.1795Rear-Admiral of the BlueODNB1.6.1795 - 2.1799Rear-Admiral of the RedODNB11.1799 - 6.1800Vice-Admiral of the BlueBWAS-17937.1800 - 1806Rear-Admiral of the BlueBWAS-17931.1806 - 4.1807Vice-AdmiralBWAS-17934.1807 - 7.1807Rear-AdmiralBWAS-17934.1807 - 7.1807Vice-AdmiralBWAS-17937.1807 - 1808Admiral of the BlueBWAS-1793

4 Commissioned Officers

DatesRankNameSource
3.1800 - 13.7.1801Acting LieutenantNBD184912.1804 - 1.1808LieutenantNBD18497.1807 - 1808UnknownBWAS-179310.11.1812 - 26.1.1813LieutenantNBD1849

1 Warrant Officer

DatesRankNameSource
1815 - 5.11.1815Boatswainref:1998

5 Petty Officers

DatesRatingNameSource
1799 - 31.7.1799MidshipmanNBD18491800 - 1804MidshipmanNBD184920.9.1800 - 30.6.1801Admiral's SecretaryADM 29/81.1.1801 - 1802MidshipmanNBD18491813 - 7.1814MidshipmanNBD1849

1 Crewman

DatesRatingNameSource
20.6.1803 - 10.18041st Class VolunteerNBD1849

Service History

DateEventSource
10.1794CommissionedBWAS-1793
27.12.1794Completed at a cost of £58,483 including fittingBWAS-1793
23.6.1795Action of Ile Groix
16.2.1797Capture of Trinidad
11.8.1799Surrender of Surinam
9.1800Completed a refit at Portsmouth as a cost of £13,765BWAS-1793
10.1804Started a refit at PortsmouthBWAS-1793
1.1805Completed refit at a cost of £12,998BWAS-1793
3.1805Took part in the blockade of FerrolBWAS-1793
22.7.1805Lost three killed and twenty wounded in Calder's ActionBWAS-1793
22.7.18053rd Battle of Cape Finisterre
26.7.1807Sailed for the BalticBWAS-1793
15.8.1807Second Battle of Copenhagen
1808In ordinary until 1811BWAS-1793
3.1809Started a small to middling repair at ChathamBWAS-1793
8.1810Completed small to middling repair at a cost of £31,659BWAS-1793
12.1811RecommissionedBWAS-1793
11.12.1811Took the Privateer ref:692
1.1812Fitted at Sheerness at a cost of £17,156BWAS-1793
7.1814Laid up at PortsmouthBWAS-1793
26.12.1822Break up completed at PortsmouthBWAS-1793

Sources

IDNameAuthorType

ADM 29/8 Archive

BWAS-1793Rif Winfield, Book

NBD1849O'Brien, Digital Book

ODNBOxford University Press, Web Site

ref:1998 Archive

ref:692Jean Jacques Salein, Web Site

Previous comments on this page

Posted by cy on Thursday 17th of August 2023 15:29

The muster books for the ship wil be held in the National Archives in Kew. Having a date of service would help. They will give you dates of service and rating, and if you are very lucky his age and place of birth.
They are not digitised so you would have to visit in person.

Posted by Adrienne on Thursday 17th of August 2023 15:12

Hello. I think my Gt Gt Gt Gt Grandfather was a crew member on this ship. Does anyone know how I can find the names of the crew members and where they originated from?

Posted by Peter Hore on Wednesday 25th of June 2014 10:10

and William Cuming was Calder's flag captain in 1805 ...

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