British Third Rate ship of the line 'Princessa' (1780)

Three Decks' Forum

Come and ask, answer or inform.

Recent updates

Update
John StylesBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1793-1794
Update
Thomas ElkingtonBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1794
Update
Aurora (28) 1777-1814
British 28 Gun
6th Rate Frigate
Update
John Milligan SeppingsBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1793-1794
Update
John SkinnerBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1782-1794
Added
Princess Royal (6) 1794-1794
British 6 Gun
Merchant Packet
Update
Edward BrowneBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1794
Update
Polyphemus (64) 1782-1827
British 64 Gun
3rd Rate Ship of the Line
Update
William ShippardBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1794
Update
Robert PassmoreBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1794-1798
See more...

Recent Comments

La Résolue (18) 1798-1798
French 18 Gun
Privateer Unknown
(1798)
Phaeton (38) 1782-1828
British 38 Gun
5th Rate Frigate
(1782)
Seahorse (38) 1794-1819
British 38 Gun
5th Rate Frigate
(1794)
Charles John Moore MansfieldBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1772-1807
Sir Robert Lawrie (6^th Baronet of Maxwelton)British
Naval Sailor
Service 1790-1847
Sir Graham Eden HamondBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1793-1836
John AllenBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1793-1846
Sir Thomas Bladen CapelBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1792-1847
Thomas ManbyBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1795-1825
Thomas CamelfordBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1797-1799
See more...

Princessa
Nominal Guns	70	BWAS-1714
Nationality	Great Britain
Operator	Royal Navy
Previously	Spanish Third Rate ship of the line 'Princessa' (1750) (70) 1750-1780 Spanish 70 Gun 3rd Rate Ship of the Line
Named	3.4.1780	BWAS-1714
Captured	16.1.1780	BWAS-1714
First Commissioned	26.1.1780	BWAS-1714
Shipyard	Havana - Cuba	ref:1200
Ship Class	Princesa Class (1748)	ref:1200
Designed by	Matthew MullinsBritish Designer Ship Builder Service 1748-1777	ref:1200
Constructor	Matthew MullinsBritish Designer Ship Builder Service 1748-1777	ref:1200
Category	Third Rate	BWAS-1714
Ship Type	Ship of the Line	BWAS-1714
Sailing Rig	Ship Rigged	BWAS-1714
Broken Up	12.1809	BWAS-1714

Dimensions

DimensionMeasurementTypeMetric EquivalentBWAS-1714
Length of Gundeck170' 2 ¼"Imperial Feet51.8224
Length of Keel138' 3"Imperial Feet42.0644
Breadth51' 2 ¼"Imperial Feet15.5512
Depth in Hold22' 1 ¼"Imperial Feet6.712
Burthen1,926 ⁶⁷⁄₉₄Tons BM

Armament

4.1780Broadside Weight = 660 Imperial Pound ( 299.31 kg)BWAS-1714
Lower Gun Deck28 British 24-Pounder
Upper Gun Deck30 British 18-Pounder
Quarterdeck/Forecastle12 British 9-Pounder

Crew Complement

Date# of MenNotesSource
4.1780560 BWAS-1714

3 Ship Commanders

DatesRankNameSource
26.1.1780 - 30.5.1781Captain ADM 6/22/104
Issued by , Barbados - Windward Islands - Barbados & the Leeward Islands
Confirmed 1.4.1780BWAS-171427.7.1781 - 25.12.1782Captain Transfered ADM 6/23/78
Issued by , Barbados - Windward Islands - Barbados & the Leeward Islands
Confirmed 30.5.1783BWAS-171425.12.1782 - 5.7.1783Captain ADM 6/23/108
Issued by , Barbados - Windward Islands - Barbados & the Leeward Islands
Confirmed 11.8.1783BWAS-1714

1 Flag Officer

DatesRankNameSource
13.5.1781 - 5.7.1783Rear-Admiral of the BlueBWAS-1714

1 Warrant Officer

DatesRankNameSource
29.1.1780 - 13.5.1780MasterADM 29-1

1 Petty Officer

DatesRatingNameSource
6.1781 - 5.1783MidshipmanWWNH

3 Crewmen

DatesRatingNameSource
19.3.1803 - 15.7.1803Able SeamanADM 29/824.9.1805 - 31.12.1805LandmanADM 29/812.2.1807 - 31.12.1809LandmanADM 29/8

Service History

DateEventSource
5.5.1780Began fitting at Portsmouth Dockyard - Portsmouth BWAS-1714
22.8.1780Completed fitting at Portsmouth Dockyard - Portsmouth at a cost of £26236.1.3dBWAS-1714
29.11.1780

Sailed for the West Indies

BWAS-1714
3.2.1781

At St Eustatius

BWAS-1714
29.4.1781

At Martinique

BWAS-1714
29.4.1781Battle of Fort Royal
5.1781

At Tobago

BWAS-1714
5.9.1781Battle of the Chesapeake
5.12.1781

Sailed for the West Indies

BWAS-1714
25.1.1782Battle of Saint Kitts
12.4.1782Battle of the Saintes
21.7.1782

Sailed to America

BWAS-1714
5.9.1782

Arrived at New York

BWAS-1714
24.10.1782

Left New York

BWAS-1714
5.7.1783

Paid off

BWAS-1714
8.1783fitting at Plymouth Dockyard - Plymouth BWAS-1714
7.1784Began fitting at Plymouth Dockyard - Plymouth BWAS-1714
8.1784Refitted as a Unrated Sheer Hulk
8.1784Completed fitting at Plymouth Dockyard - Plymouth BWAS-1714

Sources

IDNameAuthorType

ADM 29-1 Document

ADM 29/8 Archive

BWAS-1714Rif Winfield, Book

WWNHJoseph F. Callo, Alastair Wilson, Book

ref:1200Enrique García-Torralba Pérez, Book

Previous comments on this pageno comments to display

Make a comment about this page

Recent comments to other pages

Date posted	By	Page
Sunday 14th of June 2026 18:29	Jon Miller	French Privateer 'La Résolue' (1798) (18) 1798-1798 French 18 Gun Privateer Unknown
Sunday 14th of June 2026 18:29	Jon Miller	British Fifth Rate frigate 'Phaeton' (1782) (38) 1782-1828 British 38 Gun 5th Rate Frigate
Sunday 14th of June 2026 18:27	Jon Miller	British Fifth Rate frigate 'Seahorse' (1794) (38) 1794-1819 British 38 Gun 5th Rate Frigate
Sunday 14th of June 2026 18:24	Jon Miller	Charles John Moore MansfieldBritish Naval Sailor Service 1772-1807
Sunday 14th of June 2026 18:19	Jon Miller	Sir Robert Lawrie (6^th Baronet of Maxwelton)British Naval Sailor Service 1790-1847

GDPR Statement