British Merchant packet 'General Wall' (1759)

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Britannia (100) 1762-1825
British 100 Gun
1st Rate Ship of the Line
1812 Renamed "Princess Royal"
1812 Renamed "Saint George"
1819 Renamed "Barfleur"
(1762)
Devastation (6) 1841-1866
British 6 Gun
Unrated Steam Sloop
(1841)
Zephyr (8) 1790-1798
British 8 Gun
Merchant East Indiaman
(1790)
Pembroke (60) 1733-1749
British 60 Gun
4th Rate Ship of the Line
(1733)
Mercury (20) 1745-1753
British 20 Gun
6th Rate Ship
(1745)
Seahorse (24) 1748-1784
British 24 Gun
6th Rate Frigate
(1748)
Charles PowlettBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1728-1749
Namur (74) 1746-1749
British 74 Gun
3rd Rate Ship of the Line
(1746)
Namur (74) 1746-1749
British 74 Gun
3rd Rate Ship of the Line
(1746)
Shark (8) 1732-1755
British 8 Gun
Unrated Sloop
(1732)
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General Wall
Nominal Guns	Unknown	ref:1651
Nationality	Great Britain
Operator	Royal Mail
First Mentioned	1759	ref:1651
Home Port	Falmouth - Cornwall	ref:1651
Shipyard	Unknown	ref:1651
Category	Merchant	ref:1651
Ship Type	Packet
Last Mentioned	1761	ref:1651

2 Ship Commanders

DatesRankNameSource
26.9.1759 - 27.4.1761Commanderref:16518.4.1761 - 21.7.1762Commander Transferedref:1651

Service History

DateEventSource
26.9.1759

Commissioned as a packet for New York.

ref:1651
20.3.1761

CO killed, ransomed for £600

ref:722
20.3.1761Taken by ref:722

Sources

IDNameAuthorType

ref:1651 Archive

ref:722 Archive

Previous comments on this page

Posted by B. J. Pryor on Monday 3rd of May 2021 12:00

I believe this is the ship that carried Benjamin Franklin to England in June-July, 1757, under captain Walter Lutwidge. It was almost wrecked on the English coast but saved at the last moment by Archibald Kennedy, RN, who was also a passenger.

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Recent comments to other pages

Date posted	By	Page
Monday 8th of June 2026 17:20	F.F.	British First Rate ship of the line 'Britannia' (1762) (100) 1762-1825 British 100 Gun 1st Rate Ship of the Line 1812 Renamed "Princess Royal" 1812 Renamed "Saint George" 1819 Renamed "Barfleur"
Thursday 4th of June 2026 20:01	James Daschuk	British steam sloop 'Devastation' (1841) (6) 1841-1866 British 6 Gun Unrated Steam Sloop
Thursday 4th of June 2026 14:56	AvM	British Merchant east indiaman 'Zephyr' (1790) (8) 1790-1798 British 8 Gun Merchant East Indiaman
Wednesday 3rd of June 2026 19:37	Jon Miller	British Fourth Rate ship of the line 'Pembroke' (1733) (60) 1733-1749 British 60 Gun 4th Rate Ship of the Line
Wednesday 3rd of June 2026 19:33	Jon Miller	British Sixth Rate ship 'Mercury' (1745) (20) 1745-1753 British 20 Gun 6th Rate Ship

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