British Third Rate ship of the line 'Gloucester' (1654)

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Gloucester

4481
Nominal Guns52B028
NationalityCommonwealth of England, Scotland and Ireland
OperatorState Navy
Ordered12.1652BWAS-1603
Acquired3.1653/54BWAS-1603
ShipyardLimehouse - London B028
Constructor
Mathew GravesBritish
Ship Builder
Service 1651
B065
CategoryThird RateB028
Ship TypeShip of the LineB028
Sailing RigShip RiggedB028
Wrecked6.5.1682B028

Dimensions


DimensionMeasurementTypeMetric EquivalentB065
Length of Keel117' 0"Imperial Feet35.6616 
Breadth34' 10"Imperial Feet10.3632 
Depth in Hold14' 6"Imperial Feet4.3053 
Burthen755Tons BM 
DimensionMeasurementTypeMetric EquivalentTRN2
Draught Aft18' 0"Imperial Feet5.4864 
DimensionMeasurementTypeMetric EquivalentBWAS-1603
Length of Keel117' 0"Imperial Feet35.6616 
Breadth34' 10"Imperial Feet10.3632 
Depth in Hold14' 6"Imperial Feet4.3053 
Draught Aft17' 6"Imperial Feet5.2034 
Burthen755 11 /94Tons BM 

Armament


1666Broadside Weight = 493 Imperial Pound ( 223.5755 kg)BWAS-1603
Gun Deck19 British Demi-Cannon
Gun Deck4 British Culverin
Gun Deck34 British Demi-Culverin

Crew Complement


Date# of MenNotesSource
25.12.1656310280 Sailors and 30 SoldiersTRN2
1660210 BWAS-1603
1666280 BWAS-1603

12 Ship Commanders


DatesRankNameSource
1654 - 1656Captain
Benjamin BlakeBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1649-1657
BWAS-16031656Captain
Richard NewberryBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1650-1656
BWAS-16031658Captain
Eustace SmithBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1644-1660
BWAS-16031659Captain
William WhitehorneBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1653-1659
BWAS-160310.6.1664 - 7.9.1664Captain
Christopher MyngsBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1651-1655
BWAS-16038.9.1664 - 25.3.1665Captain
John HarmanBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1646-1673
B05128.3.1665 - 9.6.1666Captain
Robert ClarkeBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1644-1662
B05110.6.1666 - 26.10.1667Captain
Richard MayBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1665-1683
B05116.1.1671/72 - 3.4.1672Captain
John HolmesBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1664-1678
BWAS-160316.4.1672 - 12.8.1673Captain
William ColemanBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1665-1679
BWAS-160314.8.1673 - 31.3.1674Captain
Sir William JennensBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1648-1690
B0518.4.1682 - 6.5.1682Captain
Sir John BerryBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1665-1689
BWAS-1603

1 Commissioned Officer


DatesRankNameSource
1664Lieutenant
William JennensBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1648-1690
B051

1 Crewman


DatesRatingNameSource
4.1.1680/81 - 6.6.1682Master's Servant
Thomas RussellBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1681-1721
ADM 107/1/100ADM 107/1

Service History


DateEventSource
25.12.1654Left Spithead as part of
Sir William PennBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1644-1670
fleet for the CaribbeanBWAS-1603
25.6.1655Left in the West Indies when William Penn returned to EnglandTRN2
3.6.1665Battle of Lowestoft
1666Refitted as a 60 gun Third Rate
5.5.1666While stationed of the Texel, intercepted a Dutch flotilla of twelve ships bound from the Baltic to Amsterdam, and took seven of themTRN2
1.6.1666Four Days Battle
25.7.1666St James Day Battle
13.3.1671/72Battle of Smyrna Convoy
5.1672Flagship a squadron of ten sail watching the Dutch Ports, the squadron was chased to Sheerness by thirty Netherlands shipsTRN2
28.5.1672Battle of Solebay
28.5.1673First Battle of Schooneveld
4.6.1673Second Battle of Schooneveld
11.8.1673Battle of Texel
6.5.1682Wrecked off YarmouthB028


Notes on Ship


Loss of the GloucesterTRN2
The year 1682 was a year of peace, and is mainly remarkable for the circumstances which attended the loss of the Gloucester, in which the Duke of York was on his way to Leith. The captain of the ship, and senior officer of the escorting squadron, was Sir John Berry; but the navigation of the vessel had been entrusted to Captain James Aire. The Gloucester, in the early morning of May 6th, ran upon the Lemon and Oar, and upwards of one hundred and thirty persons, including Robert, third Earl of Roxburghe, and several other noblemen and gentlemen of the Duke's suite, perished. There is some reason for believing that the ship was deliberately wrecked by Aire, acting as agent for a party of conspirators who desired the death of the Duke of York.
 
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