British Fourth Rate ship of the line 'Ruby' (1745)

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Ruby	595
Nominal Guns	50	BWAS-1714
Nationality	Great Britain
Operator	Royal Navy
Ordered	30.9.1743	BWAS-1714
Keel Laid Down	18.2.1743/44	BWAS-1714
Named	23.5.1744	BWAS-1714
Launched	3.8.1745	BWAS-1714
How acquired	Purpose built	BWAS-1714
Shipyard	Bursledon - Hampshire	BWAS-1714
Ship Class	1741 Establishment 50-Gunner (1741)	BWAS-1714
Constructor	Philemon EwerBritish Ship Builder Service 1744	BWAS-1714
Category	Fourth Rate	BWAS-1714
Ship Type	Ship of the Line	BWAS-1714
Sailing Rig	Ship Rigged	BWAS-1714
Broken Up	28.5.1765	BWAS-1714

Dimensions

DimensionMeasurementTypeMetric EquivalentBWAS-1714
Length of Gundeck141' 5"Imperial Feet42.9799
Length of Keel114' 6"Imperial Feet34.7581
Breadth40' 3 ½"Imperial Feet12.2047
Depth in Hold17' 3"Imperial Feet5.1925
Burthen988 ⁶⁸⁄₉₄Tons BM

Armament

3.8.1745Broadside Weight = 414 Imperial Pound ( 187.749 kg)BWAS-1714
Lower Gun Deck22 British 24-Pounder
Upper Gun Deck22 British 12-Pounder
Quarterdeck4 British 6-Pounder
Forecastle2 British 6-Pounder

Crew Complement

Date# of MenNotesSource
1741300Design Complement

2 Ship Commanders

DatesRankNameSource
12.7.1745 - 31.7.1746Captain: on board from 3.8.1745 ADM 6/16/508BWAS-171431.7.1746 - 29.5.1752Captain ADM 6/17/135BWAS-1714

8 Commissioned Officers

DatesRankNameSource
13.7.1745 - 7.3.1745/46Second Lieutenant ADM 6/16/511ADM 6/1613.7.1745 - 6.3.1745/46Third Lt. & Lt. at Arms ADM 6/16/511ADM 6/167.3.1745/46 - 18.6.1747Second Lieutenant ADM 6/17/71ADM 6/177.3.1745/46 - 19.10.1747Third Lt. & Lt. at Arms ADM 6/17/71ADM 6/171.8.1746 - 29.5.1752First Lieutenant ADM 6/17/136ADM 6/1718.6.1747 - 29.5.1752Second Lieutenant ADM 6/17/239ADM 6/1919.10.1747 - 1.3.1748/49Third Lt. & Lt. at Arms ADM 6/17/275ADM 6/171.3.1748/49 - 8.5.1752Third Lt. & Lt. at Arms ADM 6/18/17
Issued by , East Indies - Asia
Confirmed 19.11.1751ADM 6/18

2 Petty Officers

DatesRatingNameSource
18.11.1745 - 11.9.1746Master's Mate ADM 107/4/87ADM 107/518.8.1753 - 7.10.1754Midshipman Transfered ADM 107/4/369ADM 107/4

1 Crewman

DatesRatingNameSource
31.12.1746 - 23.4.1747Able Seaman Transfered ADM 107/4/251ADM 107/4

Service History

DateEventSource
7.1745Commissioned for Home WatersBWAS-1714
3.8.1745Completed at Bursledon - Hampshire at a cost of £12729.4.0dBWAS-1714
3.8.1745Began fitting at Portsmouth Dockyard - Portsmouth BWAS-1714
14.10.1745Completed fitting at Portsmouth Dockyard - Portsmouth at a cost of £5738.1.7dBWAS-1714
20.9.1746Lorient Operations
1747Sailed to the East IndiesBWAS-1714
1751Returned homeBWAS-1714
29.5.1752

Paid off at Plymouth

ADM 6/18
26.7.1752SurveyedBWAS-1714
1757Hospital ship at PlymouthBWAS-1714
1757Refitted as a Unrated Hospital Ship
11.1.1765SurveyedBWAS-1714
12.2.1765Ordered to be broken upBWAS-1714
28.5.1765Breaking up completed at PlymouthBWAS-1714

Sources

IDNameAuthorType

ADM 107/4 Archive

ADM 107/5 Archive

ADM 6/16 Archive

ADM 6/17 Archive

ADM 6/18 Archive

ADM 6/19 Archive

BWAS-1714Rif Winfield, Book

Previous comments on this page

Posted by Jon Miller on Thursday 28th of May 2026 11:03

Gosport, 8 May 1752: The Vigilant, Ruby, Syren and Tartar Pink, the East India fleet, is just arrived at Spithead; and notwithstanding its being so confidently asserted in the London papers of their being arrived at Plymouth they did not touch there. Commodore Lisle died last January, and Capt Knight of the Ruby has the command. [Kentish Post 16 May 1752]

Posted by Jon Miller on Thursday 28th of May 2026 02:47

London, 20 April 1752: The Ruby man of war that put into the Cape from the East-Indies, had lost all her masts, and it will be some time before she can be repaired, and in a condition to sail for England. [Kentish Post, 22 April 1752]

Posted by Jon Miller on Thursday 28th of May 2026 02:37

London, 18 April 1752: Commodore Lisle arrived at the Cape of Good-Hope, in his way to England, the latter end of December last, in his Majesty’s ship Vigilant, with the Ruby, Tartar, Syren, and Swallow men of war, which have been in the East-Indies these five years. [Kentish Post, 22 April 1752]

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