British Third Rate ship of the line 'Elephant' (1786)

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Elephant	4066
Nominal Guns	74	BWAS-1714
Nationality	Great Britain
Operator	Royal Navy
Ordered	27.12.1781	BWAS-1714
Keel Laid Down	2.1783	BWAS-1714
Launched	24.8.1786	BWAS-1714
How acquired	Purpose built	BWAS-1714
Shipyard	Bursledon - Hampshire	BWAS-1714
Ship Class	Edgar Class (1774)	BWAS-1714
Constructor	George ParsonsBritish Ship Builder Service 1795-1801	BWAS-1714
Category	Third Rate	BWAS-1714
Ship Type	Ship of the Line	BWAS-1714
Sailing Rig	Ship Rigged	BWAS-1714
Broken Up	11.1830	BWAS-1714

Dimensions

DimensionMeasurementTypeMetric EquivalentBWAS-1714
Length of Gundeck168' 0"Imperial Feet51.2064
Length of Keel137' 9 ⅞"Imperial Feet41.7798
Breadth46' 11 ½"Imperial Feet14.0335
Depth in Hold19' 9 ½"Imperial Feet5.8039
Draught Forward12' 6"Imperial Feet3.7338
Draught Aft17' 8"Imperial Feet5.2106
Burthen1,616 ⁴⁹⁄₉₄Tons BM

Armament

24.8.1786Broadside Weight = 781 Imperial Pound ( 354.1835 kg)BWAS-1793
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
25.8.1774550Design Complement

6 Ship Commanders

DatesRankNameSource
14.6.1790 - 1.12.1790Captain: on board from 15.6.1790 ADM 6/24/40BWAS-171412.1799 - 6.1801CaptainBWAS-17146.1801 - 1.1805CaptainBWAS-17145.1805 - 1807CaptainBWAS-17141807 - 19.9.1807CommanderBWAS-17149.7.1811 - 7.5.1814Captain ADM 196/3/2BWAS-1793

2 Flag Officers

DatesRankNameSource
12.1799 - 3.1801Rear-Admiral of the RedBWAS-171427.3.1801 - 4.4.1801Vice-Admiral of the BlueBWAS-1714

9 Commissioned Officers

DatesRankNameSource
2.8.1790 - 8.2.1793Fifth Lieutenant Transfered ADM 6/24/57ADM 6/2430.9.1790 - 25.7.1793Fourth Lieutenant Transfered ADM 6/24/72ADM 6/2426.10.1790 - 1.5.1793Second Lieutenant Transfered ADM 6/24/82ADM 6/2428.12.1802 - 1803LieutenantNBD18495.1804 - 1805LieutenantNBD18491806 - 9.1806LieutenantW02518.6.1806 - 28.8.1807Acting LieutenantNL186530.11.1813 - 14.5.1814LieutenantNBD184924.12.1813 - 10.5.1814LieutenantNBD1849

1 Warrant Officer

DatesRankNameSource
15.6.1790 - 1.12.1790PurserADM 29/8

4 Petty Officers

DatesRatingNameSource
1801 - 2.4.1801MidshipmanBG1801 - 2.4.1801MidshipmanBG3.1802 - 10.1803Midshipman Transferedref:10596.1805 - 7.1807MidshipmanNBD1849

1 Crewman

DatesRatingNameSource
9.10.1790 - 1.12.1790Captain's ServantADM 29/8

Service History

DateEventSource
24.8.1786Completed at Bursledon - Hampshire at a cost of £30772.2.4dBWAS-1714
26.8.1786Began coppering and fitting at Portsmouth Dockyard - Portsmouth BWAS-1714
7.11.1786Completed coppering and fitting at Portsmouth Dockyard - Portsmouth at a cost of £10108.0.0dBWAS-1714
8.1790fitting at Portsmouth Dockyard - Portsmouth at a cost of £4157.0.0dBWAS-1714
3.8.1790Sailed for the Spanish ArmamentBWAS-1714
1.12.1790Paid offADM 51
10.1793fitting at Portsmouth Dockyard - Portsmouth at a cost of £190.0.0dBWAS-1714
8.1799Began fitting at Portsmouth Dockyard - Portsmouth BWAS-1714
3.1800Completed fitting at Portsmouth Dockyard - Portsmouth at a cost of £21521.0.0dBWAS-1714
2.4.1801Battle of Copenhagen
10.1801Sailed for JamaicaBWAS-1714
11.1804Began fitting at Chatham Dockyard - Chatham BWAS-1714
3.1.1805

Paid off

BWAS-1714
7.1805Completed fitting at Chatham Dockyard - Chatham at a cost of £17695.0.0dBWAS-1714
19.9.1807Paid offADM 51
4.1809Began large repair at Portsmouth Dockyard - Portsmouth BWAS-1714
9.1811Completed large repair at Portsmouth Dockyard - Portsmouth at a cost of £51290.0.0dBWAS-1714
28.12.1812Took the Schooner
7.5.1814Paid offADM 51
2.1817Began rebuilding at Portsmouth Dockyard - Portsmouth BWAS-1714
3.1818Refitted as a Fourth Rate Frigate
3.1818Completed rebuilding at Portsmouth Dockyard - Portsmouth at a cost of £39407.0.0dBWAS-1714
11.1830Broken up at PortsmouthBWAS-1714

Sources

IDNameAuthorType

ADM 29/8 Archive

ADM 51 Archive

ADM 6/24 Archive

BGOfficial, Web Site

BWAS-1714Rif Winfield, Book

BWAS-1793Rif Winfield, Book

NBD1849O'Brien, Digital Book

NL1865The Admiralty, Digital Book

W025P. Davis, Web Site

ref:1059 Digital Book

Previous comments on this page

Posted by Mike Webb on Monday 17th of May 2021 14:54

This ship appears to have been on convoy duty in Jamaica, July 1807. It is named in a letter from John Coloquhoun Grant to Joseph Foster Barham II (sugar plantation owner), 6 July 1807 (in Bodleian, MS. Clar. dep. c. 357). Described there as Elephant of 74 guns.

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