British Third Rate ship of the line 'Dorsetshire' (1757)

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Recent Comments

L'Enfant de la Patrie (16) 1796-1797
French 16 Gun
Privateer Unknown
(1796)
Principe de la Paz (20) 1797-1797
Spanish 20 Gun
Privateer Unknown
(1797)
Boston (32) 1762-1811
British 32 Gun
5th Rate Frigate
(1762)
Le Castor (14) 1797-1797
French 14 Gun
Privateer Lugger
(1797)
San Fiorenzo (36) 1794-1837
British 36 Gun
5th Rate Frigate
(1794)
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Service 1779-1811
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Naval Sailor
Service 1779-1814
Sir William HargoodBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1780-1837
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British 36 Gun
5th Rate Frigate
(1783)
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4th Rate Ship of the Line
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Dorsetshire
Nominal Guns	68	BWAS-1714
Nationality	Great Britain
Operator	Royal Navy
Ordered	19.1.1754	BWAS-1714
Keel Laid Down	22.6.1754	BWAS-1714
Named	19.6.1756	BWAS-1714
Launched	13.12.1757	BWAS-1714
First Commissioned	27.1.1758	BWAS-1714
How acquired	Purpose built	BWAS-1714
Shipyard	Portsmouth Dockyard - Portsmouth	BWAS-1714
Ship Class	Burford Class (1753)	BWAS-1714
Constructor	Edward AllinBritish Designer Ship Builder Dockyard Staff Service 1750-1767	BWAS-1714
Category	Third Rate	BWAS-1714
Ship Type	Ship of the Line	BWAS-1714
Sailing Rig	Ship Rigged	BWAS-1714
Broken Up	3.1775	BWAS-1714

Dimensions

DimensionMeasurementTypeMetric EquivalentBWAS-1714
Length of Gundeck162' 0"Imperial Feet49.3776
Length of Keel134' 4 ⅝"Imperial Feet40.8591
Breadth44' 10"Imperial Feet13.4112
Depth in Hold19' 8"Imperial Feet5.8138
Burthen1,436 ⁷¹⁄₉₄Tons BM

Armament

13.12.1757Broadside 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
1753520Design Complement

6 Ship Commanders

DatesRankNameSource
27.1.1758 - 21.2.1760Captain ADM 6/18/478BWAS-171421.2.1760 - 7.5.1763Captain ADM 6/19/137ADM 6/1912.12.1763 - 12.12.1766Captain ADM 6/19/554BWAS-171412.12.1766 - 16.9.1767Captain Transfered ADM 6/20/151BWAS-171416.9.1767 - 4.10.1769Captain ADM 6/20/180BWAS-17144.10.1769 - 29.5.1771Captain ADM 6/20/256BWAS-1714

5 Commissioned Officers

DatesRankNameSource
27.1.1758 - 26.4.1758First Lieutenant Transfered ADM 6/18/478ADM 6/185.3.1762 - 26.7.1762Fourth Lieutenant ADM 6/19/490
Issued by
Confirmed 3.5.1763ADM 6/1926.7.1762 - 7.5.1763Second Lieutenant ADM 6/19/490
Issued by
Confirmed 3.5.1763ADM 6/1912.1.1764 - 13.1.1767First Lieutenant ADM 6/20/3ADM 6/2013.1.1767 - 9.11.1768First Lieutenant ADM 6/20/154ADM 6/20

2 Warrant Officers

DatesRankNameSource
1760Carpenter Transfered ADM 6/19/184ADM 6/191761Carpenterref:1618

3 Petty Officers

DatesRatingNameSource
14.9.1758 - 4.5.1759Midshipman Ordinary ADM 107/5/352ADM 107/51759 - 2.1760Midshipmanref:6765.5.1759 - 25.3.1760Midshipman Transfered ADM 107/5/352ADM 107/5

1 Crewman

DatesRatingNameSource
12.2.1758 - 13.9.1758Captain's Servant ADM 107/5/352ADM 107/5

Service History

DateEventSource
1758Began fitting at Portsmouth Dockyard - Portsmouth BWAS-1714
29.4.1758Action of 29 April 1758
29.5.1758Took the Ship of the Line
12.6.1758Completed at Portsmouth Dockyard - Portsmouth at a cost of £21693.19.2dBWAS-1714
12.6.1758Completed fitting at Portsmouth Dockyard - Portsmouth at a cost of £6728.9.3dBWAS-1714
14.9.1758Arrived at Plymouth ADM 106
20.11.1759Battle of Quiberon Bay
13.4.1760Sailed for LouisburgBWAS-1714
8.7.1760Action in Chaleur Bay
11.11.1761Took the Privateer
30.11.1761Sailed for the MediterraneanBWAS-1714
7.5.1763

Paid off

BWAS-1714
12.1763Recommissioned as a guardship at Portsmouth, remained as such until 1771BWAS-1714
12.12.1763Refitted as a Third Rate GuardshipBWAS-1714
1764Began fitting at Portsmouth Dockyard - Portsmouth BWAS-1714
20.1.1764Completed fitting at Portsmouth Dockyard - Portsmouth at a cost of £5908.19.6dBWAS-1714
11.1768fitting at Portsmouth Dockyard - Portsmouth at a cost of £3733.1.3dBWAS-1714
29.5.1771

Paid off

BWAS-1714
18.7.1771SurveyedBWAS-1714
22.3.1775Broken up at Chatham for £427.1.1dBWAS-1714

Sources

IDNameAuthorType

ADM 106 Document

ADM 107/5 Archive

ADM 6/18 Archive

ADM 6/19 Archive

ADM 6/20 Archive

BWAS-1714Rif Winfield, Book

ref:1618 Document

ref:676 Web Site

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Date posted	By	Page
Saturday 13th of June 2026 05:20	Jon Miller	French Privateer 'L'Enfant de la Patrie' (1796) (16) 1796-1797 French 16 Gun Privateer Unknown
Saturday 13th of June 2026 05:19	Jon Miller	Spanish Privateer 'Principe de la Paz' (1797) (20) 1797-1797 Spanish 20 Gun Privateer Unknown
Saturday 13th of June 2026 05:18	Jon Miller	British Fifth Rate frigate 'Boston' (1762) (32) 1762-1811 British 32 Gun 5th Rate Frigate
Saturday 13th of June 2026 05:15	Jon Miller	French Privateer lugger 'Le Castor' (1797) (14) 1797-1797 French 14 Gun Privateer Lugger
Saturday 13th of June 2026 05:15	Jon Miller	British Fifth Rate frigate 'San Fiorenzo' (1794) (36) 1794-1837 British 36 Gun 5th Rate Frigate

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