British Third Rate ship of the line 'Albion' (1763)

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Albion	321
Nominal Guns	74	BWAS-1714
Nationality	Great Britain
Operator	Royal Navy
Ordered	1.12.1759	BWAS-1714
Keel Laid Down	6.6.1760	BWAS-1714
Named	28.10.1760	BWAS-1714
Launched	16.5.1763	BWAS-1714
First Commissioned	21.9.1770	BWAS-1714
How acquired	Purpose built	BWAS-1714
Shipyard	Deptford Dockyard - Deptford	BWAS-1714
Ship Class	Albion Class (1760)	BWAS-1714
Constructor	Adam HayesBritish Designer Ship Builder Dockyard Staff Service 1748-1785	BWAS-1714
Category	Third Rate	BWAS-1714
Ship Type	Ship of the Line	BWAS-1714
Sailing Rig	Ship Rigged	BWAS-1714
Wrecked	26.4.1797	BWAS-1714

Dimensions

DimensionMeasurementTypeMetric EquivalentBWAS-1714
Length of Gundeck168' 0"Imperial Feet51.2064
Length of Keel139' 0"Imperial Feet42.3672
Breadth47' 5"Imperial Feet14.3437
Depth in Hold18' 10"Imperial Feet5.4864
Burthen1,662 ³¹⁄₉₄Tons BM

Armament

16.5.1763Broadside Weight = 781 Imperial Pound ( 354.1835 kg)BWAS-1714
Lower Gun Deck28 British 32-Pounder
Upper Gun Deck28 British 18-Pounder
Quarterdeck14 British 9-Pounder
Forecastle4 British 9-Pounder

Crew Complement

Date# of MenNotesSource
24.4.1760550Design Complement

6 Ship Commanders

DatesRankNameSource
21.9.1770 - 20.9.1773Captain ADM 6/20/293BWAS-171420.9.1773 - 27.10.1775Captain ADM 6/20/516BWAS-171427.10.1775 - 18.4.1778Captain ADM 6/21/130BWAS-171418.4.1778 - 4.5.1778Captain Transfered ADM 6/21/392ADM 6/214.5.1778 - 24.12.1781Captain ADM 6/21/401BWAS-171418.3.1794 - 26.4.1797Captain ADM 6/25/21BWAS-1714

10 Commissioned Officers

DatesRankNameSource
1.7.1775 - 31.10.1775Third Lieutenant ADM 6/21/100ADM 6/2131.10.1775 - 6.12.1776Fourth Lieutenant ADM 6/21/132ADM 6/2127.6.1776 - 4.11.1776First Lieutenant Transfered ADM 6/21/198ADM 6/216.12.1776 - 26.2.1777Fifth Lieutenant ADM 6/21/241ADM 6/2126.2.1777 - 20.3.1778Fourth Lieutenant ADM 6/21/261ADM 6/2120.3.1778 - 8.4.1778Third Lieutenant Transfered ADM 6/21/380ADM 6/2118.3.1794 - 1794Third Lieutenant ADM 6/25/21ADM 6/2520.3.1794 - 18.4.1794Second Lieutenant Transfered ADM 6/25/21ADM 6/2525.3.1794 - 1794First Lieutenant ADM 6/25/023ADM 6/2522.4.1794 - 1794Second Lieutenant ADM 6/25/35ADM 6/25

11 Warrant Officers

DatesRankNameSource
1770 - 16.11.1770Master Transfered ADM 6/20/316ADM 6/201775 - 12.8.1775Master Transfered ADM 6/21/114ADM 6/211778 - 11.5.1778Surgeonref:71916.5.1794 - Second Surgeons' Materef:198126.5.1794 - bef.23.4.1795Surgeonref:198123.6.1794 - 19.10.1795BoatswainNAO23.4.1795 - bef.11.11.1795Surgeonref:198111.11.1795 - bef.30.12.1795Surgeonref:198120.2.1796 - 8.5.1797SurgeonADM 29/831.3.1796 - bef.16.12.1796First Surgeons' Materef:198116.12.1796 - 1796First Surgeons' Materef:1981

2 Petty Officers

DatesRatingNameSource
1770 - 19.1.1771Midshipmanref:61622.8.1772 - 6.4.1773Midshipman TransferedNAO

2 Crewmen

DatesRatingNameSource
23.3.1771 - 11.10.1771Captain's Servant TransferedNAO24.3.1794 - 2.4.1795Captain's ServantADM 29/8

Service History

DateEventSource
16.6.1763Began fitting at Chatham Dockyard - Chatham BWAS-1714
3.11.1770Completed at Chatham Dockyard - Chatham at a cost of £33629.13.1dBWAS-1714
3.11.1770Completed fitting at Chatham Dockyard - Chatham at a cost of £9274.1.1dBWAS-1714
7.1771Began small repair at Plymouth Dockyard - Plymouth BWAS-1714
10.1771Completed small repair at Plymouth Dockyard - Plymouth at a cost of £5119.12.9dBWAS-1714
5.1778RecommissionedBWAS-1714
5.1778fitting at Plymouth Dockyard - Plymouth at a cost of £9748.15.2dBWAS-1714
9.6.1778Sailed for North AmericaBWAS-1714
13.12.1778Sailed for the West IndiesBWAS-1714
1779In the Leeward IslandsBWAS-1714
6.7.1779Battle of Grenada
17.4.1780Battle of Martinique
15.5.1780Action of March 15 1780
19.5.1780Action of March 19 1780
24.12.1781

Paid off

ADM 51
4.1782Began middling repair at Chatham Dockyard - Chatham BWAS-1714
2.1783Completed middling repair at Chatham Dockyard - Chatham at a cost of £31000.18.7dBWAS-1714
2.1794Began fitting at Chatham Dockyard - Chatham BWAS-1714
3.2.1794Refitted as a 22 gun Unrated Floating Battery
18.3.1794Recommissioned for the NoreBWAS-1714
5.1794Completed fitting at Chatham Dockyard - Chatham at a cost of £11972.0.0dBWAS-1714
26.4.1797Wrecked on the SwinBWAS-1714

Previous comments on this page

Posted by Jon Miller on Friday 12th of June 2026 20:14

Portsmouth: A letter from Harwich, dated April 30, says, “I am sorry to acquaint you of the loss of his Majesty’s ship Albion, on a sand called the Middle, in the Swin, owing to the unskilfulness of the pilot. She went on shore on Thursday; her masts are gone, and she is full of watar: the crew were saved by a frigate and some fishing smacks, and carried to the Nore.” [Hampshire Chronicle, 6 May 1797]

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