British Third Rate ship of the line 'Alexander' (1778)

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Alexander	369
Nominal Guns	74	BWAS-1714
Nationality	Great Britain
Operator	Royal Navy
Ordered	21.7.1773	BWAS-1714
Keel Laid Down	6.4.1774	BWAS-1714
Launched	8.10.1778	BWAS-1714
First Commissioned	20.10.1778	BWAS-1714
How acquired	Purpose built	BWAS-1714
Shipyard	Deptford Dockyard - Deptford	BWAS-1714
Ship Class	Alfred Class (1772)
Designed by	John WilliamsBritish Designer Ship Builder Service 1762-1784	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
Sailing Rig	Ship Rigged
Captured	6.11.1794	BWAS-1714
Becomes	French Third Rate ship of the line 'L'Alexandre' (1794) (74) 1794-1795 French 74 Gun 3rd Rate Ship of the Line

Dimensions

DimensionMeasurementTypeMetric EquivalentBWAS-1714
Length of Gundeck169' 0"Imperial Feet51.5112
Length of Keel138' 5 ⅛"Imperial Feet42.0656
Breadth46' 11"Imperial Feet14.025
Depth in Hold20' 0"Imperial Feet6.096
Draught Forward11' 8"Imperial Feet3.556
Draught Aft16' 9 ½"Imperial Feet4.8895
Burthen1,620 ⁷¹⁄₉₄Tons BM

Armament

8.10.1778Broadside 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
1772600Design Complement

6 Ship Commanders

DatesRankNameSource
2.10.1778 - 24.3.1779Captain Transfered ADM 6/21/456BWAS-17145.4.1779 - 19.12.1782Captain ADM 6/21/536BWAS-171419.12.1782 - 11.4.1783Captain ADM 6/23/557BWAS-171416.9.1790 - 1.3.1793Captain Transfered ADM 6/24/67ADM 6/245.8.1793 - 15.4.1794Captain ADM 6/24/259BWAS-171412.4.1794 - 6.11.1794Captain: on board from 15.4.1794 ADM 6/25/29BWAS-1714

12 Commissioned Officers

DatesRankNameSource
16.9.1790 - 28.2.1793First Lieutenant Transfered ADM 6/24/67ADM 6/2416.9.1790 - 12.8.1793Second Lieutenant ADM 6/24/67ADM 6/2416.9.1790 - 28.3.1793Third Lieutenant Transfered ADM 6/24/67ADM 6/2416.9.1790 - 7.4.1793Fourth Lieutenant Transfered ADM 6/24/67ADM 6/2416.9.1790 - 19.4.1793Fifth Lieutenant Transfered ADM 6/24/67ADM 6/2413.8.1793 - 1793First Lieutenant ADM 6/24/261ADM 6/2413.8.1793 - 1793Second Lieutenant ADM 6/24/261ADM 6/2429.8.1793 - 13.3.1794Third Lieutenant ADM 6/24/264ADM 6/249.9.1793 - 3.2.1794Fourth Lieutenant ADM 6/24/266ADM 6/2426.11.1793 - 1793Fifth Lieutenant ADM6/24/286ADM 6/244.2.1794 - 1794Fourth Lieutenant ADM 6/25/11ADM 6/2514.3.1794 - 1794Third Lieutenant ADM 6/25/20ADM 6/25

10 Warrant Officers

DatesRankNameSource
16.7.1781 - 11.4.1783MasterADM 29-117.9.1790 - bef.17.9.1793Surgeonref:19818.10.1790 - 1790Second Surgeons' Materef:19818.10.1790 - bef.7.9.1793First Surgeons' Materef:198117.9.1793 - bef.1794Surgeonref:198117.9.1793 - bef.3.2.1794First Surgeons' Materef:19814.10.1793 - 3.2.1794Second Surgeons' Materef:198130.10.1793 - 25.5.1795MasterADM 29-13.2.1794 - 1794First Surgeons' Materef:19817.2.1794 - 1794Third Surgeons' Materef:1981

2 Petty Officers

DatesRatingNameSource
5.3.1783 - 11.4.1783Midshipman ADM 196/5/1ADM 1961794 - 6.11.1794MidshipmanE-WIKI

2 Crewmen

DatesRatingNameSource
5.1.1782 - 12.1782Captain's ServantNBD184930.1.1783 - 4.3.1783Captain's Servant ADM 196/5/1ADM 196

Service History

DateEventSource
6.12.1778Completed at Deptford Dockyard - Deptford at a cost of £38895.18.3d
12.1779coppering and fitting at Portsmouth Dockyard - Portsmouth at a cost of £6607.15.9dBWAS-1714
13.3.1780Took the Frigate ref:692
13.1.1781Took the Privateer off the Irish coastref:692
12.12.1781Action of 1781-12-12
12.12.17812nd Battle of Ushant
5.1782In the DownsBWAS-1714
9.1782Releif of GibraltarBWAS-1714
20.10.1782Battle of Cape Spartel
12.1782refitting at Chatham Dockyard - Chatham at a cost of £8509.12.2dBWAS-1714
11.4.1783

Paid off

BWAS-1714
8.1784Began small repair at Chatham Dockyard - Chatham BWAS-1714
12.1784Completed small repair at Chatham Dockyard - Chatham at a cost of £11064.18.3dBWAS-1714
8.1791fitting at Chatham Dockyard - Chatham BWAS-1714
6.11.1794

Taken off the Scillies by Nielly French Squadron losing 40 killed and wounded .

BWAS-1714

Fleets
Dates	Fleet	Fleet Commander	Source
9.1782-12.1782	Fleet for the relief of Gibraltar 1782	Lord Richard Howe (4^th Viscount Howe)British Naval Sailor Marine Service 1736-1799

Previous comments on this page

Posted by Brian on Tuesday 29th of December 2015 21:36

London Gazette, March 18, 1780 Extract of a letter from the Right Honourable Lord Longford, Capt. of his Majesty's ship Alexander. Dated Spithead March 16, 1780 - On the 12th inst. being to the westward of Scilly we gave chase to a large frigate in the S.E. quarter, and after eighteen hours chase got within half gun shot of her; at daylight in the morning of the 13th she hoisted French colours and we fired chace guns at each other for about two hours. When we had got nearly alongside her, my foretop mast, without being struck or any part of the rigging cut, and without wind, went over the side. I found it quite rotten. The Courageux continued the chase, and about noon after firing a great number of shot, came up with and took her. She proved the Monsieur privateer, of Granville, of 40 guns, twelve and six pounders and three hundred and sixty two men commanded by Jean de Bochet. She had been eight days from L'Orient and taken nothing. She is a very fine frigate, almost new, 134 feet on the gun deck, and I hope will be found fit for his Majesty's service.

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