British Third Rate ship of the line 'Nonsuch' (1774)

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Nonsuch	354
Nominal Guns	64	B028
Nationality	Great Britain
Operator	Royal Navy
Ordered	30.11.1769	BWAS-1714
Keel Laid Down	1.1772	BWAS-1714
Launched	17.12.1774	BWAS-1714
First Commissioned	25.8.1775	BWAS-1714
How acquired	Purpose built	BWAS-1714
Shipyard	Plymouth Dockyard - Plymouth	BWAS-1714
Ship Class	Intrepid Class (1765)	BWAS-1714
Designed by	John WilliamsBritish Designer Ship Builder Service 1762-1784	BWAS-1793
Constructor	Israel PownollBritish Designer Ship Builder Dockyard Staff Service 1741-1779	BWAS-1714
Category	Third Rate	B028
Ship Type	Ship of the Line	BWAS-1714
Sailing Rig	Ship Rigged	BWAS-1714
Broken Up	6.1802	BWAS-1714

Dimensions

DimensionMeasurementTypeMetric EquivalentBWAS-1714
Length of Gundeck159' 5"Imperial Feet48.4654
Length of Keel131' 0"Imperial Feet39.9288
Breadth44' 5"Imperial Feet13.443
Depth in Hold19' 0 ½"Imperial Feet5.8039
Draught Forward11' 4"Imperial Feet3.4544
Draught Aft17' 6"Imperial Feet5.2034
Burthen1,372 ⁶⁹⁄₉₄Tons BM

Armament

17.12.1774Broadside Weight = 600 Imperial Pound ( 272.1 kg)BWAS-1793
Lower Gun Deck26 British 24-Pounder
Upper Gun Deck26 British 18-Pounder
Quarterdeck10 British 9-Pounder
Forecastle2 British 9-Pounder

5.1794Broadside Weight = 1196 Imperial Pound ( 542.386 kg)BWAS-1793
Gun Deck26 British 68-Pound Carronade
Gun Deck26 British 24-Pounder

Crew Complement

Date# of MenNotesSource
1777500Design Complement

12 Ship Commanders

DatesRankNameSource
25.8.1775 - 31.1.1776Captain ADM 6/21/118BWAS-171431.1.1776 - 1.2.1778Captain ADM 6/21/153BWAS-17141.2.1778 - 31.8.1779Captain ADM 6/21/488
Issued by , North America
Confirmed 15.12.1778ADM 6/2131.8.1779 - 8.3.1780Captain ADM 6/22/123
Issued by , Jamaica - Greater Antilles
Confirmed 3.5.1780ADM 6/2223.3.1780 - 15.8.1781Captain ADM 6/22/102BWAS-171415.8.1781 - 30.8.1783Captain ADM 6/22/325BWAS-171418.3.1794 - 30.6.1794Captain ADM 6/25/21BWAS-17141.7.1794 - 24.12.1794Captain ADM 6/25/54BWAS-17142.1795 - 8.1795CaptainBWAS-17142.6.1795 - 4.1796CaptainBWAS-171430.4.1796 - 10.1797CaptainBWAS-17141.9.1797 - 1799CaptainBWAS-1714

8 Commissioned Officers

DatesRankNameSource
25.8.1775 - 10.3.1777Third Lieutenant Transfered ADM 6/21/118ADM 6/2117.7.1777 - 7.12.1777Acting LieutenantNAO9.2.1781 - 19.10.1781Fourth Lieutenant Transfered ADM 6/22/248ADM 6/2212.11.1781 - 22.11.1781First Lieutenant ADM 6/22/363ADM 6/2218.3.1794 - 1794Second Lieutenant ADM 6/25/21ADM 6/255.5.1794 - 1794First Lieutenant ADM 6/25/39ADM 6/251796Lieutenant ADM 1/1512/268ADM 11796Lieutenant ADM 1/1512/268ADM 1

1 Warrant Officer

DatesRankNameSource
3.10.1797 - 30.4.1802GunnerADM 29-1

2 Crewmen

DatesRatingNameSource
18.8.1794 - 1795Able SeamanNBD18493.4.1795 - 22.4.1795Captain's ServantADM 29/8

Service History

DateEventSource
12.1774Began fitting at Plymouth Dockyard - Plymouth BWAS-1714
8.1775Guard ship at PlymouthBWAS-1714
25.4.1776Completed at Plymouth Dockyard - Plymouth at a cost of £29967.5.5dBWAS-1714
25.4.1776Completed fitting at Plymouth Dockyard - Plymouth at a cost of £6764.14.1dBWAS-1714
12.1776refitting at Plymouth Dockyard - Plymouth at a cost of £3052.15.3dBWAS-1714
16.1.1777Took the Sloop 135 miles north northwest of Cape Finisterre
23.3.1777Sailed for North AmericaBWAS-1714
26.5.1778Assisted in the destruction of BWAS-1714
22.7.1778At Sandy HookBWAS-1714
4.11.1778Sailed for the Leeward IslandsBWAS-1714
14.12.1778Battle of St. Lucia
6.7.1779Battle of Grenada
1.1780Began coppering and fitting at Chatham Dockyard - Chatham BWAS-1714
8.3.1780

Paid off

ADM 34
5.1780Completed coppering and fitting at Chatham Dockyard - Chatham at a cost of £10339.12.7dBWAS-1714
5.7.1780Took the Privateer
5.7.1780Took the Cutter
14.7.1780Took the Frigate
13.3.1781Sailed to the relief of GibraltarBWAS-1714
12.4.1781Arrived at GibraltarBWAS-1714
14.5.1781Actif v Nonsuch
6.1781Began refitting at Portsmouth Dockyard - Portsmouth BWAS-1714
9.1781Completed refitting at Portsmouth Dockyard - Portsmouth at a cost of £9146.2.1dBWAS-1714
15.1.1782Sailed for the West IndiesBWAS-1714
12.4.1782Battle of the Saintes
30.8.1783

Paid off

ADM 34
5.1794Refitted as a 52 gun Unrated Floating Battery
6.1794In the Channel IslandsBWAS-1714
24.12.1794Paid offADM 51
2.1795Floating battery at HullBWAS-1714
1.7.1795

Henry Blackwood, Nonsuch, Hull. Reports that Lieutenant Bruce has never joined. Requests a replacement Lieutenant; he has no Petty Officers on board.

ADM 1
10.1.1796

Henry Blackwood, HMS Nonsuch, Hull Roads. Lieutenant William Bainbridge, recently appointed, has never joined the ship and he has only two Lieutenants on the books.

ADM 1
14.1.1796

Henry Blackwood, HMS Nonsuch, Hull Roads. Mules [William Mules] and Bromwich [Bryan l'anson Bromwich] are the only two Lieutenants currently on board the ship.

ADM 1
10.5.1802

Paid off

ADM 35

Sources

IDNameAuthorType

ADM 1Authority, Book

ADM 29-1 Document

ADM 29/8 Archive

ADM 34 Document

ADM 35 Archive

ADM 51 Archive

ADM 6/21 Archive

ADM 6/22 Archive

ADM 6/25 Archive

B028J. J. Colledge, Book

BWAS-1714Rif Winfield, Book

BWAS-1793Rif Winfield, Book

NAOVarious, Web Site

NBD1849O'Brien, Digital Book

Previous comments on this page

Posted by Judith Young on Thursday 26th of February 2026 14:46

From St Saviour's parish register, Jersey, Channel Islands:
William Catneck ordinary Seaman belonging to His Majestie's ship the Nonsuch no 183 hath been buried the 22nd October 1794.

Posted by BrianStephens on Monday 5th of May 2014 18:50

The Gentleman's magazine. v. 50 (1780).
Adm. Office - Sir James Wallace, of his Majesty's ship Nonsuch, acquaints the board, that while his boats were employed burning the Legers off the Loire, he observed 3 sail making signals to each other, to whom he immediately gave chase and about midnight came up with and engaged one of them, which, after a defence of two hours, struck, and proved the Belle Poule of 32 guns, 12 pounders, and 275 men, 24 of whom, with their Captain, were killed, and the 2d Captain, with other officers and men, to the number of 50, wounded. The Nonsuch had 3 men killed, and 10 wounded, two of whom has since died.

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Nonsuch

Dimensions

Armament

Crew Complement

12 Ship Commanders

8 Commissioned Officers

1 Warrant Officer

2 Crewmen

Service History

Sources

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