British Third Rate ship of the line 'Culloden' (1783)

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Culloden	3763
Nominal Guns	74	BWAS-1714
Nationality	Great Britain
Operator	Royal Navy
Ordered	12.7.1779	BWAS-1714
Keel Laid Down	2.1782	BWAS-1714
Acquired	16.6.1783	BWAS-1714
First Commissioned	8.1783	BWAS-1714
Shipyard	Rotherhithe - London - Surrey	BWAS-1714
Designed by	Edward HuntBritish Ship Builder Administrator Dockyard Staff Service 1757-1809	BWAS-1714
Constructor	John RandallBritish Designer Ship Builder Service 1780-1802	BWAS-1714
Category	Third Rate	BWAS-1714
Ship Type	Ship of the Line	BWAS-1714
Sailing Rig	Ship Rigged	BWAS-1714
Broken Up	2.1813	BWAS-1714

Dimensions

DimensionMeasurementTypeMetric EquivalentNNF-1715
Length of Gundeck170' 0"French Feet (Pied du Roi)55.216 (181′ 1″ Imperial)
Length of Keel138' 11"French Feet (Pied du Roi)44.8231 (147′ 0″ Imperial)
Breadth47' 8 ¾"French Feet (Pied du Roi)15.2859 (50′ 1″ Imperial)
Depth in Hold20' 3 ⅞"French Feet (Pied du Roi)6.5197 (21′ 4″ Imperial)
Draught Forward13' 6"French Feet (Pied du Roi)4.2765 (14′ 0″ Imperial)
Draught Aft18' 6"French Feet (Pied du Roi)5.8667 (19′ 2″ Imperial)
Burthen1,683 ²⁹⁄₉₄Tons BM

Armament

16.6.1783Broadside 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
1779590Design Complement

15 Ship Commanders

DatesRankNameSource
16.8.1783 - 8.6.1786Captain ADM 6/23/113BWAS-171411.6.1786 - 25.6.1789Captain ADM 6/23/340BWAS-171425.6.1789 - 19.3.1791Captain ADM 6/23/533BWAS-171419.3.1791 - 20.9.1791Captain ADM 6/24/111BWAS-171422.12.1792 - 12.4.1794Captain ADM 6/24/186BWAS-171413.4.1794 - 12.1794Captain ADM 6/25/30BWAS-17147.8.1794 - 1794Captain ADM 6/25/72BWAS-171412.1794 - 6.1800CaptainBWAS-17146.1800 - 16.8.1800CommanderBWAS-171412.11.1802 - 4.1803CaptainBWAS-17144.1803 - 5.1803CaptainBWAS-17145.1803 - 2.1804CaptainBWAS-17142.1804 - 6.1804CaptainBWAS-17146.1804 - 10.1807CaptainBWAS-171412.1808 - 31.7.1809CaptainBWAS-1714

5 Flag Officers

DatesRankNameSource
12.4.1794 - 1795Rear-Admiral of the BlueBWAS-17143.1803 - 5.1803Rear-Admiral of the BlueBWAS-17146.2.1804 - 1.5.1804Rear-Admiral of the RedBWAS-17142.5.1804 - 6.5.1804Vice-Admiral of the BlueBWAS-17146.1804 - 1807Rear-Admiral of the WhiteBWAS-1714

17 Commissioned Officers

DatesRankNameSource
12.4.1788 - 20.10.1790Fourth Lieutenant ADM 6/23/457ADM 6/234.7.1789 - 30.7.1789Third Lieutenant ADM 6/23/536ADM 6/2330.7.1789 - 30.8.1791Second Lieutenant Transfered ADM 6/23/540ADM 6/233.6.1790 - 20.10.1790Fifth Lieutenant ADM 6/24/37ADM 6/2421.10.1790 - 23.12.1790Third Lieutenant Transfered ADM 6/24/80ADM 6/2321.10.1790 - 21.12.1792Fourth Lieutenant ADM 6/24/80ADM 6/2421.10.1790 - 13.5.1792Fifth Lieutenant Transfered ADM 6/24/80ADM 6/249.11.1790 - 20.9.1791Fifth Lieutenant ADM 6/24/108
Issued by
Confirmed 22.2.1791ADM 6/241.3.1791 - 17.7.1793Third Lieutenant Transfered ADM 6/24/109ADM 6/43.1.1792 - 1794Second Lieutenant ADM 6/24/190ADM 6/2422.12.1792 - 1794First Lieutenant ADM 6/24/186ADM 6/2422.12.1792 - 5.2.1793Second Lieutenant Transfered ADM 6/24/186ADM 6/2422.12.1792 - 1.6.1794Third Lieutenant: on board from 1794 ADM 6/24/186ADM 6/2422.12.1792 - 1794Fourth Lieutenant ADM 6/24/186ADM 6/2422.12.1792 - 11.3.1794Fifth Lieutenant Transfered ADM 6/24/186ADM 6/2410.1.1794 - 1794Fifth Lieutenant ADM 6/25/3ADM 6/2516.12.1794 - 15.3.1797LieutenantNBD1849

11 Warrant Officers

DatesRankNameSource
21.6.1786 - 18.10.1788MasterADM 29-12.3.1793 - 1793Chaplain ADM 6/24/215ADM 6/241794Surgeonref:9241794Purserref:9241794Gunnerref:9241794Carpenterref:9241794Boatswainref:9241794Masterref:9241794QuartermasterADM 171/85.3.1797 - 19.9.1800PurserADM 29/817.3.1797 - 22.12.1800CarpenterNAO

13 Petty Officers

DatesRatingNameSource
1786 - 10.1789MidshipmanNBD18491794MidshipmanADM 171/81794MidshipmanADM 171/81794MidshipmanADM 171/81796 - 6.4.1804MidshipmanNBD184911.1802 - 3.1804MidshipmanNBD18493.1803 - 1811MidshipmanNBD18492.1804 - 5.1804MidshipmanNBD18493.1804 - 4.1805MidshipmanNBD18495.1804 - 21.9.1806MidshipmanNBD184921.9.1806 - 31.1.1808Master's MateNBD184912.1806 - 1.1808MidshipmanNBD18498.1807MidshipmanNBD1849

24 Crewmen

DatesRatingNameSource
16.3.1787 - 3.10.1787Volunteerref:6163.10.1787 - 12.3.1788Able Seamanref:61619.5.1788 - 21.9.1791Able SeamanADM 29/81794MidshipmanADM 171/81794Able SeamanADM 171/81794Able SeamanADM 171/81794Able SeamanADM 171/81794Able SeamanADM 171/81794Able SeamanADM 171/81794Ordinary SeamanADM 171/81794Ordinary SeamanADM 171/81794Ordinary SeamanADM 171/81794Ordinary SeamanADM 171/81794LandmanADM 171/81794LandmanADM 171/81794LandmanADM 171/81794Captain's ServantADM 171/81794BoyADM 171/81794BoyADM 171/81794Armourer's MateADM 171/87.4.1803 - 5.18031st Class VolunteerNBD18495.1803 - 1805VolunteerNBD18495.1804 - 12.18051st Class VolunteerNBD184924.10.1805 - 31.7.1809Able Seaman TransferedADM 29/8

6 Marines

DatesRankNameSource
1794Captain of Marinesref:9241794Lieutenant of Marinesref:9241794Lieutenant of Marinesref:9241794PrivateADM 171/81794PrivateADM 171/81794PrivateADM 171/8

Service History

DateEventSource
16.6.1783Began fitting at Deptford Dockyard - Deptford BWAS-1714
5.7.1783Began fitting at Woolwich Dockyard - Woolwich BWAS-1714
5.7.1783Completed fitting at Deptford Dockyard - Deptford at a cost of £2438.3.2dBWAS-1714
8.1783Commissioned as a guardship at PlymouthBWAS-1714
4.1784Completed fitting at Woolwich Dockyard - Woolwich at a cost of £11372.6.6dBWAS-1714
8.6.1786

Paid off

BWAS-1714
19.6.1786

Recommissioned as guardship at Plymouth

BWAS-1714
19.6.1786Refitted as a Third Rate GuardshipBWAS-1714
5.1790refitting at Plymouth Dockyard - Plymouth BWAS-1714
20.9.1791

Paid off

ADM 35
10.1791Began small repair at Plymouth Dockyard - Plymouth BWAS-1714
24.3.1793Sailed for the Leeward IslandsBWAS-1714
5.1793Completed small repair at Plymouth Dockyard - Plymouth at a cost of £24139.0.0dBWAS-1714
1.6.1794Glorious 1st of June
23.5.1795Sailed for the MediterraneanBWAS-1714
13.7.1795Battle of Hyeres
14.2.17972nd Battle of Cape St Vincent
24.7.1797Battle of Santa Cruz de Tenerife
1.8.1798Battle of the Nile
2.1799At AlexandriaBWAS-1714
1800Blockade of MaltaBWAS-1714
6.1800Sailed homeBWAS-1714
8.1800Began large repair at Plymouth Dockyard - Plymouth BWAS-1714
16.8.1800

Paid off

ADM 35
3.1803Completed large repair at Plymouth Dockyard - Plymouth BWAS-1714
2.9.1803Action of 1803-09-02
9.7.1804Sailed for the East IndiesBWAS-1714
25.6.1806Took the Corvette in the East Indies
27.11.1806At the destruction of Dutch ships in BataviaBWAS-1714
12.1807At SurabayaBWAS-1714
10.6.1808Took the Privateer in the East Indies
31.7.1809Paid offADM 51
2.1813Broken up at PortsmouthBWAS-1714

Sources

IDNameAuthorType

ADM 171/8British Admiralty, Document

ADM 29-1 Document

ADM 29/8 Archive

ADM 35 Archive

ADM 51 Archive

ADM 6/23 Archive

ADM 6/24 Archive

ADM 6/25 Archive

ADM 6/4 Archive

BWAS-1714Rif Winfield, Book

NAOVarious, Web Site

NBD1849O'Brien, Digital Book

NNF-1715Alain Demerliac, Book

ref:616Nicholas Tracy, Book

ref:924A C de Poggi, Book

Previous comments on this page

Posted by Midi Berry on Monday 10th of May 2021 04:03

I have a copy of the will of my 4xGreat Grandfather, Thomas Young, made on 6 June 1804, stating he was 'at present Master of Arms on board of His Majesty's Ship Culloden (Christopher Cole Esquire Commander)'. I hope this may be useful. I'd also be grateful for any further details.

Posted by Cy on Wednesday 11th of December 2019 15:51

The place to start is probably the National Archives, ADM 36 - Admiralty: Royal Navy Ships' Musters.
There are 31 volumes for the Culloden listed on the Discovery website.

Also ADM 27/10/86 contains the following entry

William Wood; Ship's name: HMS Culloden; Pay book number: SB 705; Rank: Ordinary Seaman; Relation: Wife (name not stated); When Alloted: 1804; Remarks: Discharged 10 August 1809 to Plymouth sick quarters.

ADM 27/2/305 has the following, which may well not be the same person given he was only an ordinary seaman in 1804

William Wood; Ship's name: HMS Lancaster; Pay book number: SB 354; Rank: Able Seaman; Relation: Wife Sarah; When Alloted: 1797; Remarks: Not stated.

William Wood; Ship's name: HMS Lancaster; Pay book number: SB 354; Rank: Quartermaster's Mate; Relation: Wife Sarah; When Alloted: 1799; Remarks: Not stated.

Posted by Suzanne Battison on Wednesday 11th of December 2019 14:03

I am looking for information on William Wood who was mentioned on his gravestone as being a member of HMS Culloden, he died in September 1808 aged 32 and I'd like to find out more about him, thank you, Suzanne

Posted by Suzanne Newbury on Thursday 6th of April 2017 11:16

Was James Meredith Captain of Marines on the Culloden?

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Culloden

Dimensions

Armament

Crew Complement

15 Ship Commanders

5 Flag Officers

17 Commissioned Officers

11 Warrant Officers

13 Petty Officers

24 Crewmen

6 Marines

Service History

Sources

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