British Third Rate ship of the line 'Vanguard' (1748)

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Vanguard

7284
Nominal Guns68BWAS-1714
NationalityGreat Britain
OperatorRoyal Navy
Ordered3.10.1745BWAS-1714
Keel Laid Down11.1745BWAS-1714
Named27.3.1748BWAS-1714
Launched16.4.1748BWAS-1714
First Commissioned31.3.1748BWAS-1714
How acquiredPurpose builtBWAS-1714
ShipyardEast Cowes - Isle of Wight BWAS-1714
Ship Class1745 Establishment 68-Gunner (1745)BWAS-1714
Constructor
Philemon EwerBritish
Ship Builder
Service 1744
BWAS-1714
CategoryThird RateBWAS-1714
Ship TypeShip of the LineBWAS-1714
Sailing RigShip RiggedBWAS-1714
Sold13.4.1774BWAS-1714

Dimensions


DimensionMeasurementTypeMetric EquivalentBWAS-1714
Length of Gundeck160' 0"Imperial Feet48.768 
Length of Keel130' 9 ½"Imperial Feet39.6367 
Breadth45' 2"Imperial Feet13.7262 
Depth in Hold19' 4"Imperial Feet5.8025 
Burthen1,419 23⁄94Tons BM 

Armament


16.4.1748Broadside Weight = 731 Imperial Pound ( 331.5085 kg)BWAS-1714
Lower Gun Deck26 British 32-Pounder
Upper Gun Deck28 British 18-Pounder
Quarterdeck12 British 9-Pounder
Forecastle2 British 9-Pounder

Crew Complement


Date# of MenNotesSource
1745520Design Complement
3.1747/48140As a guardshipBWAS-1714

9 Ship Commanders


DatesRankNameSource
31.3.1748 - 12.11.1751Captain
The Hon. John HamiltonBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1736-1743
ADM 6/17/339BWAS-171412.11.1751 - 18.11.1752Captain
Hyde ParkerBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1736-1782
ADM 6/18/16BWAS-171416.1.1753 - 17.10.1753Captain
Frederick RogersBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1730-1754
ADM 6/18/54BWAS-171417.10.1753 - 5.4.1757Captain
John ByronBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1746-1780
Transfered ADM 6/18/81BWAS-17145.4.1757 - 21.9.1757Captain
Thomas KnackstonBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1735-1757
ADM 6/18/380ADM 6/1821.9.1757 - 13.8.1760Captain
Robert SwantonBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1724-1764
ADM 6/18/439BWAS-171413.8.1760 - 7.4.1762Captain
Mark RobinsonBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1740-1787
Transfered ADM 6/19/189ADM 6/196.11.1762 - 18.1.1763Captain
Francis Samuel DrakeBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1749-1780
ADM 6/19/449ADM 6/1818.1.1763 - 14.3.1764Captain
John Carter AllenBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1745-1799
ADM 6/20/29
Issued by
George Brydges RodneyBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1740-1782
, Barbados - Windward Islands - Barbados & the Leeward Islands
Confirmed 24.5.1764ADM 6/20

2 Flag Officers


DatesRankNameSource
13.8.1760 - 20.10.1762Commodore
Robert SwantonBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1724-1764
BWAS-171421.10.1762 - 1764Rear-Admiral of the Blue
Robert SwantonBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1724-1764
BWAS-1714

8 Commissioned Officers


DatesRankNameSource
31.3.1748 - 26.7.1748Second Lieutenant
John BrayBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1701-1748
ADM 6/17/339ADM 6/1731.3.1748 - 26.7.1748Third Lieutenant
Robert TilliardBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1743-1749
ADM 6/17/339ADM 6/1726.7.1748 - 2.6.1749Second Lieutenant
Robert TilliardBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1743-1749
ADM 6/17/370ADM 6/1720.9.1752 - 18.11.1752Third Lieutenant
Thomas HarrisonBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1740-1766
ADM 6/18/44ADM 6/1820.2.1755 - 9.12.1755Fourth Lt. & Lt. at Arms
William BrograveBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1743-1762
ADM 6/18/139ADM 6/1817.9.1756 - 5.4.1757Fourth Lieutenant
John FergusonBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1738-1814
Transfered ADM 6/18/309ADM 6/1816.10.1762 - 14.3.1764Third Lieutenant
Thomas HardyBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1744-1764
ADM 6/20/33ADM 6/2012.12.1763 - 14.3.1764Fourth Lieutenant
John PiddleBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1763-1764
ADM 6/20/25
Issued by
Richard TyrrellBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1740-1760
, Barbados - Windward Islands - Barbados & the Leeward Islands
Confirmed 7.5.1764ADM 6/20

1 Warrant Officer


DatesRankNameSource
1752 - 10.3.1751/52Boatswain
Benjamin HallBritish
Naval Sailor
Dockyard Staff
Service 1752-1755
Transfered ADM 6/18/27ADM 6/18

2 Petty Officers


DatesRatingNameSource
28.3.1754 - 28.9.1754Midshipman
Connolly HodgsonBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1749-1777
Transfered ADM 107/4/395ADM 107/41.4.1755 - 19.12.1755Not Rated
John FergusonBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1738-1814
ADM 107/4/344ADM 107/4

4 Crewmen


DatesRatingNameSource
29.5.1747 - 3.11.1747Able Seaman
Edward KatonBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1743-1774
Transfered ADM 107/4/307ADM 107/49.8.1749 - 22.9.1749Captain's Servant
Robert GregoryBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1748-1769
Transfered ADM 107/4/322ADM 107/410.5.1753 - 28.4.1754Able Seaman
William GaspeyBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1745-1760
Transfered ADM 107/4/358ADM 107/412.11.1756 - 9.11.1757Able Seaman
Faithful Adrian FortescueBritish
Naval Sailor
Merchant Sailor
Service 1755-1774
Transfered ADM 107/5/353ADM 107/5

Service History


DateEventSource
3.1747/48Commissioned as a guard ship at PlymouthBWAS-1714
18.4.1748Began fitting at Portsmouth Dockyard - Portsmouth BWAS-1714
15.7.1748Completed at Portsmouth Dockyard - Portsmouth at a cost of £23331.0.0dBWAS-1714
15.7.1748Completed fitting at Portsmouth Dockyard - Portsmouth at a cost of £7448.5.9dBWAS-1714
4.1752Sailed to Minorca with troopsBWAS-1714
18.11.1752Paid off at Plymouth Dockyard ADM 6/18
1.1753Recommissioned as guardship for PlymouthBWAS-1714
1754Sailed to Minorca with troopsBWAS-1714
1755In North AmericaBWAS-1714
2.1757Completed fitting at a cost of £12775.4.4dBWAS-1714
11.1757Began fitting at UnknownBWAS-1714
8.4.1758Sailed for AmericaBWAS-1714
6.6.1758The Siege of Louisbourg
6.1759Seige of Quebec
9.1759At QuebecBWAS-1714
10.3.1760Sailed for North AmericaBWAS-1714
16.5.1760Destruction of the Pomone (36) and L'Atalante (32) in the St LawrenceBWAS-1714
18.10.1761Sailed for the Leeward IslandsBWAS-1714
1.1762At MartiniqueBWAS-1714
7.1.1762Operations against Martinique
3.1762At GrenadaBWAS-1714
14.3.1764

Paid off

BWAS-1714
7.1765SurveyedBWAS-1714
13.4.1774Sold at Portsmouth for £895BWAS-1714

 
Previous comments on this page

Posted by Jon Miller on Wednesday 27th of May 2026 02:16

London, 25 January 1752: The Vanguard man of war is appointed by the Lords of the Admiralty one of the guard ships at the Nore. [Kentish Post, 29 January 1752]

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