British Third Rate ship of the line 'Bedford' (1775)

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Bedford	362
Nominal Guns	74	BWAS-1714
Nationality	Great Britain
Operator	Royal Navy
Ordered	12.10.1768	BWAS-1714
Keel Laid Down	10.1769	BWAS-1714
Launched	27.10.1775	BWAS-1714
First Commissioned	25.7.1776	BWAS-1714
How acquired	Purpose built	BWAS-1714
Shipyard	Woolwich Dockyard - Woolwich	BWAS-1714
Ship Class	Royal Oak Class (1765)	BWAS-1714
Designed by	John WilliamsBritish Designer Ship Builder Service 1762-1784	BWAS-1714
Constructor	Nicholas PhillipsBritish Ship Builder Dockyard Staff Service 1772-1790	BWAS-1714
Category	Third Rate	BWAS-1714
Ship Type	Ship of the Line	BWAS-1714
Sailing Rig	Ship Rigged	BWAS-1714
Broken Up	10.1817	BWAS-1714

Dimensions

DimensionMeasurementTypeMetric EquivalentBWAS-1714
Length of Gundeck168' 6"Imperial Feet51.2086
Length of Keel138' 2"Imperial Feet42.0637
Breadth46' 9"Imperial Feet14.0589
Depth in Hold20' 0"Imperial Feet6.096
Burthen1,606 ²¹⁄₉₄Tons BM

Armament

27.10.1775Broadside Weight = 781 Imperial Pound ( 354.1835 kg)BWAS-1714
Lower Gun Deck28 British 32-Pounder
Upper Gun Deck28 British 18-Pounder
Quarterdeck14 British 9-Pounder
Forecastle4 British 9-Pounder

Crew Complement

Date# of MenNotesSource
18.12.1765600Design Complement

14 Ship Commanders

DatesRankNameSource
24.7.1776 - 19.9.1776Captain ADM 6/21/201ADM 6/2119.9.1776 - 10.4.1778Captain ADM 6/21/214BWAS-171410.4.1778 - 5.5.1781Captain ADM 6/21/388ODNB5.5.1781 - 25.9.1781Captain ADM 6/22/348
Issued by , Barbados - Windward Islands - Barbados & the Leeward Islands
Confirmed 5.10.1781BWAS-171425.9.1781 - 17.7.1783Captain ADM 6/22/482
Issued by , North America
Confirmed 19.6.1782ADM 6/2212.6.1787 - 30.8.1791Captain ADM 6/23/401BWAS-171431.8.1791 - 29.12.1792Captain Transfered ADM 6/24/131BWAS-171429.12.1792 - 4.7.1794Captain ADM 6/24/188BWAS-17141.1795 - 8.1795CaptainBWAS-17148.1795 - 11.1795CaptainBWAS-171412.1796 - 24.5.1798Captain ADM 107/2/203BWAS-171429.9.1807 - 23.1.1809Captain ADM 107/2/203BWAS-171424.1.1809 - 17.10.1809Captain ADM 107/2/203BWAS-17141810 - 5.7.1815Captain ADM 107/2/203BWAS-1714

3 Flag Officers

DatesRankNameSource
5.5.1781 - 17.7.1783CommodoreBWAS-1714c.31.8.1791 - 1792Vice-Admiral of the RedBWAS-17141.2.1793 - 23.4.1793Rear-Admiral of the BlueBWAS-1714

22 Commissioned Officers

DatesRankNameSource
25.7.1776 - 19.12.1778Second Lieutenant ADM 6/21/203ADM 6/2119.12.1778 - 11.9.1779First Lieutenant ADM 6/21/548
Issued by , North America
Confirmed 30.4.1779ADM 6/211.6.1781 - 17.7.1783Sixth Lieutenant ADM 6/23/44
Issued by , North America
Confirmed 3.4.1783ADM 6/2312.6.1787 - 24.1.1789Third Lieutenant Transfered ADM 6/23/400ADM 6/2321.9.1790 - 28.12.1792Fifth Lieutenant ADM 6/24/69ADM 6/2424.6.1791 - 24.10.1791Third Lieutenant ADM 6/24/124ADM 6/2431.8.1791 - 28.12.1793First Lieutenant Transfered ADM 6/24/131ADM 6/2431.8.1791 - 4.9.1791Fourth Lieutenant ADM 6/24/131ADM 6/245.9.1791 - 29.12.1792Second Lieutenant Transfered ADM 6/24/132ADM 6/245.9.1791 - 24.10.1791Fourth Lieutenant ADM 6/24/132ADM 6/2425.10.1791 - 28.12.1792Third Lieutenant Transfered ADM 6/24/140ADM 6/2425.10.1791 - 1791Fourth Lieutenant ADM 6/24/142ADM 6/2429.12.1792 - 1792First Lieutenant ADM 6/24/188ADM 6/2429.12.1792 - 1792Second Lieutenant ADM 6/24/188ADM 6/2429.12.1792 - 7.1.1793Third Lieutenant Transfered ADM 6/24/188ADM 6/2429.12.1792 - 1792Fifth Lieutenant ADM 6/24/188ADM 6/2414.1.1793 - 1793Third Lieutenant ADM 6/24/194ADM 6/241795LieutenantADM 171/85.3.1798 - 24.5.1798Lieutenant ADM 107/2/203ADM 6/43020.10.1807 - 10.1813LieutenantNBD184924.10.1810 - 5.1813LieutenantNBD184925.2.1815 - 5.7.1815Lieutenant ADM 107/2/203NAO

4 Warrant Officers

DatesRankNameSource
22.11.1794 - 19.9.1796BoatswainADM 29/81795Master's MateADM 171/821.9.1798 - 31.3.1802CarpenterADM 29-111.9.1812 - 5.7.1815Master ADM 52/4049/4ADM 52

9 Petty Officers

DatesRatingNameSource
1795MidshipmanADM 171/81795MidshipmanADM 171/81798 - 28.6.1799MidshipmanADM 171/88.1807 - 8.1809MidshipmanNBD184924.10.1807 - 1807MidshipmanNAO25.10.1807 - 25.2.1815MidshipmanNAO26.1.1809 - 14.12.1809CoxswainADM 29/85.1810 - 9.1814MidshipmanNBD18491813MidshipmanNBD1849

7 Crewmen

DatesRatingNameSource
1795Able SeamanADM 171/81795Able SeamanADM 171/81795Able SeamanADM 171/81795Able SeamanADM 171/81795Able SeamanADM 171/81795BoyADM 171/81795BoyADM 171/8

Service History

DateEventSource
7.1776Commissioned as a guard shipBWAS-1714
11.1776Began fitting at Woolwich Dockyard - Woolwich BWAS-1714
12.11.1776Completed at Woolwich Dockyard - Woolwich at a cost of £33011.11.1dBWAS-1714
12.11.1776Completed fitting at Woolwich Dockyard - Woolwich at a cost of £5891.13.3dBWAS-1714
9.6.1778Sailed for North AmericaBWAS-1714
4.1779Began coppering and fitting at Plymouth Dockyard - Plymouth BWAS-1714
5.1779Completed coppering and fitting at Plymouth Dockyard - Plymouth at a cost of £9207.13.10dBWAS-1714
8.1.1780Attack on the Caracas Convoy
16.1.1780Battle of Cape St. Vincent
19.1.1780Sailed to the Relief fo GibraltarBWAS-1714
24.2.1780Took the Ship of the Line off Madeira
13.5.1780Sailed for North AmericaBWAS-1714
13.7.1780Arrived in North AmericaBWAS-1714
16.3.1781Battle of Cape Henry
5.9.1781Battle of the Chesapeake
5.12.1781Arrived in the West IndiesBWAS-1714
25.1.1782Battle of Saint Kitts
12.4.1782Battle of the Saintes
21.7.1782Sailed to AmericaBWAS-1714
26.4.1783Sailed from Jamiaca for homeBWAS-1714
17.7.1783

Paid off

BWAS-1714
12.1784Began middling repair at Portsmouth Dockyard - Portsmouth BWAS-1714
10.1785Completed middling repair at Portsmouth Dockyard - Portsmouth at a cost of £22494.6.0dBWAS-1714
6.1787RecommissionedBWAS-1714
9.1787fitting at Portsmouth Dockyard - Portsmouth BWAS-1714
8.1791Paid offBWAS-1714
8.1791Recommissioned as a guard ship at PortsmouthBWAS-1714
14.3.1795Action off Genoa
13.7.1795Battle of Hyeres
7.10.1795Action of 1795-10-07
15.11.1795

Paid off

ADM 51
9.1796Began fitting at Portsmouth Dockyard - Portsmouth BWAS-1714
12.1796RecommissionedBWAS-1714
3.1797Completed fitting at Portsmouth Dockyard - Portsmouth at a cost of £23622.0.0dBWAS-1714
11.10.1797Battle of Camperdown
24.5.1798Paid offADM 35
7.1799Began small repair at Plymouth Dockyard - Plymouth BWAS-1714
9.1799Completed small repair at Plymouth Dockyard - Plymouth at a cost of £1363.0.0dBWAS-1714
1800Refitted as a Unrated Prison Ship
9.1805Began large repair at Plymouth Dockyard - Plymouth BWAS-1714
9.1807Refitted as a 74 gun Third Rate Ship of the Line
10.1807Completed large repair at Plymouth Dockyard - Plymouth at a cost of £52317.0.0dBWAS-1714
11.11.1807Sailed for Rio de JaneiroBWAS-1714
9.1810Began refitting at Plymouth Dockyard - Plymouth BWAS-1714
10.1810Completed refitting at Plymouth Dockyard - Plymouth at a cost of £11444.0.0dBWAS-1714
3.4.1813Sailed for the Leeward IslandsBWAS-1714
1814Blockade of FlushingBWAS-1714
14.12.1814Battle of Lake Borgne
5.7.1815Paid offADM 35
10.1817Broken up at PortsmouthBWAS-1714

Sources

IDNameAuthorType

Book

ADM 171/8British Admiralty, Document

ADM 29-1 Document

ADM 29/8 Archive

ADM 35 Archive

ADM 51 Archive

ADM 52 Document

ADM 6/21 Archive

ADM 6/22 Archive

ADM 6/23 Archive

ADM 6/24 Archive

ADM 6/430 Archive

BWAS-1714Rif Winfield, Book

NAOVarious, Web Site

NBD1849O'Brien, Digital Book

ODNBOxford University Press, Web Site

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