Britannia ➡ 1812 Princess Royal ➡ 1812 Saint George ➡ 1819 Barfleur

Posted by F.F. on Monday 8th of June 2026 17:20

I add, as a matter of honesty, that newspapers, while being not a most reliable source, as any kind of testimony worth being quoted, even when criticised; that the job done by Mʳ Jon Miller is either impressive and precious; and I hope he'll consider answers, when mistakes are found in the articles he quoted, not as blames on his work, but as little cherries on the great cakes he cooked.

Posted by F.F. on Tuesday 2nd of June 2026 23:15

I think it's worth remembering that even after 1802 the Britannia launched in 1762 was said to be a heavy sailer. As Nelson said it, «Never believe anything you may see in the papers».

Posted by Jon Miller on Tuesday 2nd of June 2026 01:32

Portsmouth, 10 January 1802: The Britannia, of 100 guns, that went lately out of dock, has been so thoroughly repaired, that she is now reckoned one of the finest and strongest built ships in the service: when she was in Earl St Vincent’s fleet, off the coast of Spain, she was called Iron-sides, from the extraordinary firmness of her construction, and solidity of her timbers. [Kentish Post, 15 January 1802]

Posted by Robin Walker on Sunday 25th of October 2020 16:00

Very informative.Been an obsessive naval historian for 50years and am impressed. Well done.