British Third Rate ship of the line 'Victorious' (1785)

Three Decks' Forum

Come and ask, answer or inform.

Recent updates

Update
Thomas Edward HosteBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1810-1830
Update
Sir William HosteBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1798-1824
Update
Veteran (64) 1787-1816
British 64 Gun
3rd Rate Ship of the Line
Update
Thomas ClarkBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1793-1794
Added
Charles InglisBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1792
Update
Charles InglisBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1790-1814
Update
Swiftsure (74) 1787-1801
British 74 Gun
3rd Rate Ship of the Line
Update
Trompeuse (16) 1794-1796
British 16 Gun
Unrated Sloop
Update
John DouglasBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1778-1807
Update
Galatea (32) 1794-1809
British 32 Gun
5th Rate Frigate
See more...

Recent Comments

Puissant (74) 1793-1816
British 74 Gun
3rd Rate Ship of the Line
(1793)
Stork (16) 1796-1816
British 16 Gun
Unrated Sloop
(1796)
David HotchkisBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1779-1797
Sandwich (90) 1759-1810
British 90 Gun
2nd Rate Ship of the Line
(1759)
Bedford (74) 1775-1817
British 74 Gun
3rd Rate Ship of the Line
(1775)
Pomone (44) 1794-1802
British 44 Gun
5th Rate Frigate
(1794)
Canada (74) 1765-1834
British 74 Gun
3rd Rate Ship of the Line
(1765)
Haarlem (68) 1785-1797
Dutch 68 Gun
3rd Rate Ship of the Line
(1785)
Hercules (66) 1781-1797
Dutch 66 Gun
3rd Rate Ship of the Line
(1781)
Le Railleur (20) 1797-1797
French 20 Gun
Privateer Corvette
(1797)
See more...

Victorious
Nominal Guns	74	BWAS-1714
Nationality	Great Britain
Operator	Royal Navy
Ordered	31.12.1781	BWAS-1714
Keel Laid Down	11.1782	BWAS-1714
Acquired	27.4.1785	BWAS-1714
First Commissioned	12.1793	BWAS-1714
Shipyard	Blackwall Yard - Blackwall	BWAS-1714
Ship Class	Thunderer Class (1781)	BWAS-1714
Designed by	Sir Thomas SladeBritish Designer Ship Builder Dockyard Staff Service 1744-1783	BWAS-1714
Constructor	John PerryBritish Ship Builder Service 1775-1810	BWAS-1714
Category	Third Rate	BWAS-1714
Ship Type	Ship of the Line	BWAS-1714
Sailing Rig	Ship Rigged	BWAS-1714
Broken Up	8.1803	BWAS-1714

Dimensions

DimensionMeasurementTypeMetric EquivalentBWAS-1714
Length of Gundeck170' 6"Imperial Feet51.8182
Length of Keel139' 10"Imperial Feet42.3672
Breadth47' 6 ¾"Imperial Feet14.3447
Depth in Hold19' 11 ½"Imperial Feet5.8039
Draught Forward12' 5"Imperial Feet3.7211
Draught Aft17' 9"Imperial Feet5.2143
Burthen1,682 ⁵⁶⁄₉₄Tons BM

Armament

27.4.1785Broadside 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
1781600Design Complement

3 Ship Commanders

DatesRankNameSource
30.12.1793 - 23.5.1794Captain Transfered ADM 6/24/296BWAS-171430.7.1794 - 1800Captain ADM 6/25/68BWAS-17141801 - 8.1803CaptainBWAS-1714

1 Flag Officer

DatesRankNameSource
1801 - 8.1803Vice-Admiral of the BlueBWAS-1714

11 Commissioned Officers

DatesRankNameSource
12.1793 - 9.7.1794Acting LieutenantNBD184930.12.1793 - 13.5.1794First Lieutenant Transfered ADM 6/24/296ADM 6/2430.12.1793 - 3.4.1794Fifth Lieutenant ADM 6/24/296ADM 6/2427.1.1794 - 7.2.1794Second Lieutenant ADM 6/25/7ADM 6/2527.1.1794 - 3.4.1794Fourth Lieutenant ADM 6/25/7ADM 6/2522.2.1794 - 22.5.1794Second Lieutenant Transfered ADM 6/25/14ADM 6/254.4.1794 - 13.5.1794Third Lieutenant Transfered ADM 6/25/27ADM 6/254.4.1794 - 1794Fourth Lieutenant ADM 6/25/27ADM 6/2513.5.1794Fifth Lieutenant ADM 6/25/41ADM 6/251.10.1795 - 19.8.1796Acting Lieutenant Discharged ADM 196/3/1ADM 19618.6.1799 - 29.7.1803LieutenantNL1865

1 Petty Officer

DatesRatingNameSource
1795 - 4.1800Master's MateNBD1849

Service History

DateEventSource
5.1785Began fitting at Woolwich Dockyard - Woolwich BWAS-1714
5.5.1785Began Completed at Woolwich Dockyard - Woolwich BWAS-1714
7.1785Completed Completed at Woolwich Dockyard - Woolwich at a cost of £32105.4.5dBWAS-1714
7.1785Completed fitting at Woolwich Dockyard - Woolwich at a cost of £8824.0.0dBWAS-1714
10.1793Began small repair at Chatham Dockyard - Chatham BWAS-1714
12.1793CommissionedBWAS-1714
6.1794Paid offBWAS-1714
7.1794RecommissionedBWAS-1714
9.1794Completed small repair at Chatham Dockyard - Chatham at a cost of £15810.0.0dBWAS-1714
4.1795Sailed for the East IndiesBWAS-1714
9.9.1796Action off Sumatra
1802Sailed for homeBWAS-1714
8.1803Ran ashore in the Tagus and was broken up at LisbonBWAS-1714

Sources

IDNameAuthorType

ADM 196 Document

ADM 6/24 Archive

ADM 6/25 Archive

BWAS-1714Rif Winfield, Book

BWAS-1793Rif Winfield, Book

NBD1849O'Brien, Digital Book

NL1865The Admiralty, Digital Book

Previous comments on this page

Posted by Tim Oakley on Saturday 1st of January 2022 08:34

4.1795 Vice-Admiral Sir George Keith Elphinstone’s expedition sailed for the Cape of Good Hope and the East Indies, Victorious74 Captain John Brown handed over to Captain William Clarke before the force reached its destination.

Posted by Timothy Oakley on Tuesday 30th of March 2021 18:53

Circa 24 Apr 1802 Mr. J. Adie, Surgeon's Mate of the Victorious, to be Surgeon of La Chiffonne.

Posted by Warren on Tuesday 12th of January 2016 18:16

Mark Raynham - Commissioned Gunner - HMS Victorious Sep 1794 to Aug 1796 when he died at sea off Penang. Ref ADM36 series

Make a comment about this page

Recent comments to other pages

Date posted	By	Page
Saturday 13th of June 2026 12:37	Jon Miller	British Third Rate ship of the line 'Puissant' (1793) (74) 1793-1816 British 74 Gun 3rd Rate Ship of the Line
Saturday 13th of June 2026 12:33	Jon Miller	British sloop 'Stork' (1796) (16) 1796-1816 British 16 Gun Unrated Sloop
Saturday 13th of June 2026 12:28	Jon Miller	David HotchkisBritish Naval Sailor Service 1779-1797
Saturday 13th of June 2026 12:21	Jon Miller	British Second Rate ship of the line 'Sandwich' (1759) (90) 1759-1810 British 90 Gun 2nd Rate Ship of the Line
Saturday 13th of June 2026 12:18	Jon Miller	British Third Rate ship of the line 'Bedford' (1775) (74) 1775-1817 British 74 Gun 3rd Rate Ship of the Line

GDPR Statement