British Third Rate ship of the line 'Orion' (1787)

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Orion	5634
Nominal Guns	74	B028
Nationality	Great Britain
Operator	Royal Navy
Ordered	2.10.1782	BWAS-1793
Keel Laid Down	2.1783	BWAS-1793
Acquired	1.6.1787	B028
Shipyard	Deptford - London	BWAS-1793
Ship Class	Canada Class - Modified (1781)	B028
Designed by	William BatelyBritish Designer Ship Builder Dockyard Staff Service 1741-1755	B028
Constructor	William BarnardBritish Ship Builder Service 1763-1795	BWAS-1793
Category	Third Rate	B028
Ship Type	Ship of the Line	B028
Sailing Rig	Ship Rigged	B028
Broken Up	7.1814	B028

Dimensions

DimensionMeasurementTypeMetric EquivalentBWAS-1793
Length of Gundeck170' 5"Imperial Feet51.8178
Length of Keel140' 9 ½"Imperial Feet42.6847
Breadth46' 10 ½"Imperial Feet14.0335
Depth in Hold20' 6 ½"Imperial Feet6.1087
Draught Forward12' 3"Imperial Feet3.6957
Draught Aft18' 6"Imperial Feet5.5055
Burthen1,645 ⁴⁸⁄₉₄Tons BM

Armament

1.6.1787Broadside Weight = 891 Imperial Pound ( 404.0685 kg)BWAS-1793
Lower Gun Deck28 British 32-Pounder
Upper Gun Deck30 British 18-Pounder
Quarterdeck8 British 32-Pound Carronade
Quarterdeck6 British 9-Pounder
Forecastle4 British 9-Pounder

Crew Complement

Date# of MenNotesSource
7.1788550Design establishmentBWAS-1793

10 Ship Commanders

DatesRankNameSource
22.9.1787 - 21.2.1788Captain Transfered ADM 6/23/414ADM 6/231.7.1788 - 25.6.1789Captain ADM 6/23/468BWAS-179325.6.1789 - 22.9.1789Captain ADM 6/23/533BWAS-17936.9.1791 - 6.1794Captain ADM 6/24/134BWAS-17931795 - 1799CaptainBWAS-17933.1801 - 12.1801CaptainBWAS-179312.1801 - 1802CaptainBWAS-17935.1805 - 12.1806CaptainBWAS-179312.1806 - 1.1814CaptainBWAS-179310.1810 - 4.1811LieutenantNBD1849

1 Flag Officer

DatesRankNameSource
1809Rear-Admiral of the BlueBWAS-1793

27 Commissioned Officers

DatesRankNameSource
1.7.1788 - 13.11.1789Third Lieutenant ADM 6/23/468ADM 6/2313.11.1789 - 4.12.1789Second Lieutenant ADM 6/24/9ADM 6/2321.10.1790 - 21.5.1792Fifth Lieutenant ADM 6/24/80ADM 6/246.9.1791 - 21.5.1792First Lieutenant ADM 6/24/134ADM 6/246.9.1791 - 9.4.1792Second Lieutenant Transfered ADM 6/24/134ADM 6/246.9.1791 - 23.4.1792Third Lieutenant ADM 6/24/134ADM 6/246.9.1791 - 23.3.1792Fourth Lieutenant ADM 6/24/134ADM 6/2424.3.1792 - 21.5.1792Third Lieutenant ADM 6/24/163ADM 6/2424.4.1792 - 21.5.1792Second Lieutenant ADM 6/24/163ADM 6/2424.4.1792 - 25.11.1793Fourth Lieutenant ADM 6/24/163ADM 6/2422.5.1792 - 25.11.1793First Lieutenant ADM 6/24/165ADM 6/2422.5.1792 - 18.9.1792Second Lieutenant ADM 6/24/165ADM 6/2422.5.1792 - 18.9.1792Third Lieutenant ADM 6/24/165ADM 6/2419.9.1792 - 25.11.1793Second Lieutenant ADM 6/24/174ADM 6/2419.9.1792 - 25.11.1793Third Lieutenant Transfered ADM 6/24/174ADM 6/2431.12.1792 - 27.7.1793Fifth Lieutenant ADM 6/24/189ADM 6/2428.7.1793 - 1793Fifth Lieutenant ADM 6/24/276
Issued by , Jamaica - Greater Antilles
Confirmed 23.10.1793ADM 6/2426.11.1793 - 21.3.1794First Lieutenant ADM6/24/286ADM 6/2426.11.1793 - 1793Second Lieutenant ADM6/24/286ADM 6/2426.11.1793 - 1793Third Lieutenant ADM6/24/286ADM 6/2426.11.1793 - 1793Fourth Lieutenant ADM6/24/286ADM 6/2422.3.1794 - 1794First Lieutenant ADM 6/25/023ADM 6/2531.5.1805 - 1806LieutenantBWAS-179315.6.1805 - 1806LieutenantNAO4.7.1805 - 1806LieutenantNAO6.7.1805 - 1806LieutenantBWAS-17935.9.1806 - 1807LieutenantNBD1849

11 Warrant Officers

DatesRankNameSource
1792 - bef.11.4.1792First Surgeons' Materef:19811794Purserref:9241794Gunnerref:9241794Carpenterref:9241794Boatswainref:9241794Masterref:9241794 - 1.6.1794Surgeonref:16656.5.1796 - 6.1.1799MasterADM 29-117.6.1805 - 8.7.1806Surgeon Discharged Sickref:187612.7.1805 - 7.11.1805Masterref:187627.7.1805 - 22.1.1806Second Master Discharged Sickref:1876

5 Petty Officers

DatesRatingNameSource
7.1788 - 12.1793MidshipmanNBD184910.7.1788 - 11.1.1790Midshipman Discharged ADM 196/5/1ADM 1961794MidshipmanADM 171/81794 - 3.6.1794Midshipmanref:17131.1808 - 6.1809MidshipmanNBD1849

12 Crewmen

DatesRatingNameSource
13.3.1793 - 18.3.1795Able SeamanADM 171/81794Able SeamanADM 171/81794Able SeamanADM 171/81794Able SeamanADM 171/81794Able SeamanADM 171/81794LandmanADM 171/81794LandmanADM 171/81794LandmanADM 171/81794LandmanADM 171/81794Lieutenant's ServantADM 171/81795Able SeamanADM 171/826.7.1805 - 18061st Class VolunteerNBD1849

3 Marines

DatesRankNameSource
1794Second Lieutenant of Marinesref:9241794PrivateADM 171/81794PrivateADM 171/8

Service History

DateEventSource
1.11.1787Completed at Woolwich Dockyard at a cost of £32,114.11.1d to build, plus £3,449 for fitting at Deptofrd and a further £7,052 for fitting at WoolwichBWAS-1793
7.1788Began fitting as a guardship at PlymouthBWAS-1793
7.1788Commissioned as a guard ship at PlymouthBWAS-1793
8.1788Completed fitting as a guardship at ac ost of £4,114BWAS-1793
9.1791Recommissioned as a guard ship at PlymouthBWAS-1793
24.3.1793Sailed for the Leeward IslesBWAS-1793
25.8.1793Took the privateer Sans Culottes off the American coastBWAS-1793
6.1794Began a refit at PlymouthBWAS-1793
1.6.1794Glorious 1st of June
7.1794Completed refit at a cost of 6,232BWAS-1793
23.6.1795Action of Ile Groix
3.1796Began refitting at PortsmouthBWAS-1793
3.1796Completed refitting at a cost of £9,874BWAS-1793
4.1.1797Sailed for the MediterraneanBWAS-1793
14.2.17972nd Battle of Cape St Vincent
14.2.1797Took the Ship of the Line off Cape ClearE-WIKI
1.8.1798Battle of the Nile
1799Paid off early in the yearBWAS-1793
2.1801Began fitting at PlymouthBWAS-1793
3.1801RecommissionedBWAS-1793
4.1801Completed fittingBWAS-1793
1802Paid offBWAS-1793
4.1805Began fitting at PortsmouthBWAS-1793
5.1805RecommissionedBWAS-1793
7.1805Completed fittingBWAS-1793
21.10.1805Battle of Trafalgar
15.8.1807Second Battle of Copenhagen
1808In the BalticBWAS-1793
1.1814Paid offBWAS-1793
7.1814Broken up at PlymouthBWAS-1793

Fleets
Dates	Fleet	Fleet Commander	Source
14.8.1798-1798	Saumarez's Squadron 1798	Sir James SaumarezBritish Naval Sailor

Sources

IDNameAuthorType

ADM 171/8British Admiralty, Document

ADM 196 Document

ADM 29-1 Document

ADM 6/23 Archive

ADM 6/24 Archive

ADM 6/25 Archive

B028J. J. Colledge, Book

BWAS-1793Rif Winfield, Book

E-WIKIVarious, Web Site

NAOVarious, Web Site

NBD1849O'Brien, Digital Book

ref:1665Thomas Trotter, Book

ref:1713 Digital Book

ref:1876Derek Ayshford, Pam Ayshford, Web Site

ref:1981 Document

ref:924A C de Poggi, Book

Previous comments on this page

Posted by Ed Smith on Friday 4th of March 2022 14:31

The commander of this ship from 1806-1814 should be Sir Archibald Collingwood Dickson, not the other officer listed simply as Archibald Dickson. I have in front of me a letter from Sir Archibald Collingwood Dickson, HMS Orion, at sea dated May 6 1809. Both men are listed in CSORN, but your listing his the wrong one.

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