British Fourth Rate ship of the line 'Winchester' (1744)

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Winchester

593
Nominal Guns50BWAS-1714
NationalityGreat Britain
OperatorRoyal Navy
Ordered28.3.1743BWAS-1714
Keel Laid Down7.5.1743BWAS-1714
Launched3.5.1744BWAS-1714
First Commissioned5.4.1744BWAS-1714
How acquiredPurpose builtBWAS-1714
ShipyardRotherhithe - London - Surrey BWAS-1714
Ship Class1741 Establishment 50-Gunner (1741)BWAS-1714
Constructor
Elias BirdBritish
Ship Builder
BWAS-1714
CategoryFourth RateBWAS-1714
Ship TypeShip of the LineBWAS-1714
Sailing RigShip RiggedBWAS-1714
Sold20.6.1769BWAS-1714

Dimensions


DimensionMeasurementTypeMetric EquivalentBWAS-1714
Length of Gundeck140' 6"Imperial Feet42.6758 
Length of Keel114' 3 ¾"Imperial Feet34.7663 
Breadth40' 3 ½"Imperial Feet12.2047 
Depth in Hold17' 2 ½"Imperial Feet5.1943 
Burthen987 10⁄94Tons BM 

Armament


3.5.1744Broadside Weight = 414 Imperial Pound ( 187.749 kg)BWAS-1714
Lower Gun Deck22 British 24-Pounder
Upper Gun Deck22 British 12-Pounder
Quarterdeck4 British 6-Pounder
Forecastle2 British 6-Pounder

Crew Complement


Date# of MenNotesSource
1741300Design Complement

10 Ship Commanders


DatesRankNameSource
5.4.1744 - 15.4.1744Captain
Roger MartinBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1723-1756
ADM 6/16/286ADM 6/1616.4.1744 - 28.6.1744Captain
Sir William Hewett (4th Baronet of Headley Hall)British
Naval Sailor
Service 1711-1745
Transfered ADM 6/16/293ADM 6/1629.6.1744 - 6.11.1744Captain
The Hon. John ByngBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1718-1757
ADM 6/16/330BWAS-17147.11.1744 - 27.7.1749Captain
Lord Thomas BertieBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1739-1744
† Discharged Dead ADM 6/16/381BWAS-171428.7.1749 - 21.8.1749Captain
Nicholas VincentBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1737-1805
ADM 6/17/503
Issued by
Thomas GriffinBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1709-1762
, East Indies - Asia
Confirmed 7.11.1749ADM 6/1716.1.1755 - 4.2.1755Captain
Abraham NorthBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1727-1780
Transfered ADM 6/18/121ADM 6/184.2.1755 - 23.7.1759Captain
Edward Le CrasBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1733-1778
Transfered ADM 6/18/128BWAS-171423.7.1759 - 3.4.1760Captain
Sir William TrelawnyBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1743-1767
ADM 6/19/301ADM 6/193.4.1760 - 3.7.1761Captain
John HaleBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1732-1779
ADM 6/19/154BWAS-17143.7.1761 - 3.7.1764Captain
John DalrympleBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1740-1795
ADM 6/19/326BWAS-1714

1 Flag Officer


DatesRankNameSource
31.7.1755 - 10.1757Rear-Admiral of the White
Thomas FranklandBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1731-1775
Discharged ADM 6/12/131ODNB

13 Commissioned Officers


DatesRankNameSource
30.4.1744 - 6.7.1744First Lieutenant
Richard BrownBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1729-1756
ADM 6/16/304ADM 6/1630.4.1744 - 6.7.1744Second Lieutenant
Robert CuninghamBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1741-1747
ADM 6/16/304ADM 6/167.7.1744 - 6.11.1744First Lieutenant
Robert CuninghamBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1741-1747
Transfered ADM 6/16/335ADM 6/167.7.1744 - 5.2.1746/47Third Lt. & Lt. at Arms
William RunsimanBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1744-1760
ADM 6/16/336ADM 6/167.11.1744 - 5.1746Second Lieutenant
Thomas WyeBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1742-1747
Discharged ADM 6/16/381ADM 6/165.2.1746/47 - 3.8.1747Third Lt. & Lt. at Arms
William AdamsBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1743-1747
ADM 6/17/418
Issued by
Charles WatsonBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1734-1758

Confirmed 3.12.1748ADM 6/173.8.1747 - 8.6.1749Third Lt. & Lt. at Arms
Henry SpekeBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1730-1760
ADM 6/17/513
Issued by
Thomas GriffinBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1709-1762
, East Indies - Asia
Confirmed 6.3.1749/50ADM 6/175.9.1757 - 16.4.1761Second Lieutenant
George TalbotBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1744-1782
ADM 6/18/490
Issued by
Robert FranklandBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1739-1745

Confirmed 2.3.1758ADM 6/1811.10.1758 - 20.4.1751Third Lieutenant
John FrodshamBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1752-1783
ADM 6/18/546ADM 6/1817.4.1761 - 19.5.1761First Lieutenant
George TalbotBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1744-1782
ADM 6/19/309ADM 6/1917.4.1761 - 19.5.1761Second Lieutenant
James NormanBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1749-1795
ADM 6/19/309ADM 6/1919.5.1761 - 31.7.1761First Lieutenant
James NormanBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1749-1795
ADM 6/19/316ADM 6/1920.6.1762 - 1.11.1763Third Lieutenant
Stephen StephensBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1755-1809
ADM 6/20/38
Issued by
George Brydges RodneyBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1740-1782

Confirmed 9.7.1764ADM 6/20

4 Petty Officers


DatesRatingNameSource
16.2.1744/45 - 5.6.1745Master's Mate
John RogersBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1735-1762
ADM 107/3/567ADM 107/326.7.1746 - 1.11.1746Midshipman
William BaconBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1744-1779
Transfered ADM 107/4/295ADM 107/410.5.1755 - 10.11.1755Midshipman
The Hon. Cyprian KnollysBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1753-1758
Transfered ADM 107/5/62ADM 107/527.7.1761 - 20.6.1762Midshipman
Stephen StephensBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1755-1809
ADM 6/87/206ADM 6/87

5 Crewmen


DatesRatingNameSource
26.1.1744/45 - 15.2.1744/45Able Seaman
John RogersBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1735-1762
ADM 107/4/567ADM 107/326.1.1744/45 - 3.7.1746Able Seaman
William BaconBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1744-1779
Transfered ADM 107/4/295ADM 107/41758 - 31.7.1758Unknown
John MallettBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1758
Transfered ADM 36/4801/118ADM 361758 - 11.8.1758Unknown
Alexander GrantBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1758
Transfered ADM 36/4801/119ADM 361758 - 14.8.1758Unknown
Edward BourkBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1758
Transfered ADM 36/4801/119ADM 36

Service History


DateEventSource
4.1744Commissioned for home watersBWAS-1714
3.5.1744Completed at Rotherhithe - London - Surrey at a cost of £13237.8.0dBWAS-1714
3.5.1744Began fitting at Deptford Dockyard - Deptford BWAS-1714
8.6.1744Completed fitting at Deptford Dockyard - Deptford at a cost of £6227.12.5dBWAS-1714
1.1745Sailed for the East IndiesBWAS-1714
25.6.17461st Battle of Negapatam
21.8.1749

Paid off

ADM 106
11.1749Began middling repair at Woolwich Dockyard - Woolwich BWAS-1714
8.1.1749/50SurveyedBWAS-1714
8.1750Completed middling repair at Woolwich Dockyard - Woolwich at a cost of £6415.9.10dBWAS-1714
1.1755RecommissionedBWAS-1714
13.8.1755Sailed for the Leeward IslandsBWAS-1714
10.1755

Arrived in the Leeward Islands

ODNB
1756Flagship in the Leeward IslandsBWAS-1714
11.1756refitting at Unknown at a cost of £4056.6.2dBWAS-1714
1757Sailed to the Jamaica stationBWAS-1714
1758In home watersBWAS-1714
13.11.1758Sailed for the Leeward IslandsBWAS-1714
1.1759In operations against Martinique and QuadeloupeBWAS-1714
16.1.1759Attack on Martinique
20.1.1759Capture of Guadeloupe
18.5.1759Admiralty order that she was to be soldBWAS-1714
20.6.1759Sold at Portsmouth for £505BWAS-1714
6.5.1760Sailed with a convoy for New EnglandBWAS-1714
25.8.1760

her boats were fired upon by the crew of the Bristol privateer Sampson in harbour of  New York

ref:1846
1761In the Downs squadronBWAS-1714
16.11.1761Sailed for Africa and then to the West IndiesBWAS-1714
1763In the Leeward IslandsBWAS-1714
3.7.1764

Paid off

BWAS-1714
25.9.1764SurveyedBWAS-1714
5.5.1769SurveyedBWAS-1714

 
Previous comments on this page

Posted by Jon Miller on Wednesday 20th of May 2026 10:39

Portsmouth, 3 August 1749: This day the corpse of the Lord Thomas Bertie, late commander of the Winchester man of war, from the East-Indies, was brought ashore, in order to prepare for his interment. [Kentish Post, 9 August 1749]

Posted by Richard Gamble on Saturday 30th of September 2023 22:00

Deployed for India from Spithead 19 FEB 1745, arrived Madras, India by 12 FEB 1746// From British newspaper report:
Extract of a Letter from Portsmouth, Feb. 19. This Morning sailed from Spithead his Majesty’s Ships of War the Ipswich, Admiral Medley, Jersey, Gosport, Winchster, Harwich, Ludlow Castle, and Maidstone, with nine East India Men and upwards of 100 Sail of Merchant Ships, bound to Lisbon, Oporto, Gibraltar, and Port Mahon. Yesterday sailed his Majesty’s Ship the Falkland, Capt. Granville, on a Cruize for six Months. We hear the Winchester and Harwich Men of War are to go all the way to India with the East India Men, having taken in Provisions and stores accordingly, besides a supply for the Squadron that went out in May last under the Command of Commodore Barnet.
Source: British Newspaper Archive, The Kentish Post, Wednesday 27 FEB 1744-5, p. 3:1

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