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

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Vanguard	7829
Nominal Guns	74	BWAS-1714
Nationality	Great Britain
Operator	Royal Navy
Ordered	9.12.1779	BWAS-1714
Keel Laid Down	6.10.1782	BWAS-1714
Acquired	6.3.1787	BWAS-1714
First Commissioned	6.1790	BWAS-1714
Shipyard	Deptford Dockyard - Deptford	BWAS-1714
Ship Class	Edgar Class (1774)	BWAS-1714
Designed by	Sir Thomas SladeBritish Designer Ship Builder Dockyard Staff Service 1744-1783	BWAS-1714
Constructor	Sir Henry PeakeBritish Designer Ship Builder Dockyard Staff Service 1762-1813	BWAS-1714
Category	Third Rate	BWAS-1714
Ship Type	Ship of the Line	BWAS-1714
Sailing Rig	Ship Rigged	BWAS-1714
Broken Up	29.9.1821	BWAS-1714

Dimensions

DimensionMeasurementTypeMetric EquivalentBWAS-1714
Length of Gundeck168' 0"Imperial Feet51.2064
Length of Keel137' 8 ½"Imperial Feet41.7703
Breadth46' 10 ½"Imperial Feet14.0335
Depth in Hold19' 9"Imperial Feet5.8166
Burthen1,609 ⁴¹⁄₉₄Tons BM

Armament

6.3.1787Broadside 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
25.8.1774600Design Complement

19 Ship Commanders

DatesRankNameSource
22.6.1790 - 14.9.1791Captain ADM 6/24/43BWAS-171420.2.1793 - 28.2.1794Captain: on board from 28.2.1793 ADM 6/24/212BWAS-17141.3.1794 - 12.4.1794Captain Transfered adm 6/25/30BWAS-171414.5.1794 - 6.11.1794CaptainBWAS-17144.11.1794 - 8.1797CaptainBWAS-171420.1.1798 - 4.8.1798CaptainBWAS-17144.8.1798 - 2.10.1798CommanderODNB2.10.1798 - 6.1799CaptainODNB6.1799 - 2.1800CaptainBWAS-17142.1801 - 11.1801CaptainBWAS-171411.1801 - 4.1802CommanderBWAS-17144.1802 - 3.1804CaptainBWAS-17143.3.1804 - 4.1804CaptainBWAS-17144.1804 - 7.1805CaptainBWAS-17147.1805 - 11.1805CaptainBWAS-17142.1807 - 2.1808CaptainBWAS-17142.1808 - 5.1808CaptainBWAS-17145.1808 - 1.1809CaptainBWAS-17141.1809 - 11.1811CaptainBWAS-1714

3 Flag Officers

DatesRankNameSource
14.5.1794 - 6.11.1794Rear-Admiral of the BlueBWAS-171412.1797 - 7.6.1799Rear-Admiral of the BlueNA-ROA5.1808 - 1809Vice-Admiral of the BlueBWAS-1714

21 Commissioned Officers

DatesRankNameSource
22.6.1790 - 30.8.1791Third Lieutenant Transfered ADM 6/24/43ADM 6/242.11.1790 - 14.9.1791Acting Lieutenantref:61625.2.1793 - 12.9.1793First Lieutenant ADM 6/24/214ADM 6/2425.2.1793 - 14.6.1793Third Lieutenant Transfered ADM 6/24/214ADM 6/2425.2.1793 - 9.9.1793Fourth Lieutenant ADM 6/24/214ADM 6/2425.2.1793 - 9.9.1793Fifth Lieutenant ADM 6/24/214ADM 6/245.3.1793 - 12.9.1793Second Lieutenant ADM 6/24/216ADM 6/2410.9.1793 - 6.2.1794Third Lieutenant ADM 6/24/267ADM 6/2410.9.1793 - 24.9.1793Fourth Lieutenant ADM 6/24/267ADM 6/2410.9.1793 - 24.9.1793Fifth Lieutenant ADM 6/24/267ADM 6/2413.9.1793 - 6.2.1794First Lieutenant ADM 6/24/267ADM 6/2413.9.1793 - 6.2.1794Second Lieutenant ADM 6/24/267ADM 6/2425.9.1793 - 1793Fourth Lieutenant ADM 6/24/268ADM 625.9.1793 - 1793Fifth Lieutenant ADM 6/24/268ADM 67.2.1794 - 1794First Lieutenant ADM 6/25/11ADM 6/257.2.1794 - 1794Second Lieutenant ADM 6/25/11ADM 6/257.2.1794 - 1794Third Lieutenant ADM 6/25/11ADM 6/2511.4.1798 - 13.8.1798LieutenantNAO5.1802 - 1802Acting LieutenantNBD184912.10.1803 - 28.11.1804Lieutenant TransferedNAO3.6.1808 - 8.1809LieutenantNBD1849

2 Warrant Officers

DatesRankNameSource
16.8.1781 - 1781Purser ADM 6/22/326ADM 6/226.8.1790 - 13.9.1791MasterADM 29-1

5 Petty Officers

DatesRatingNameSource
10.3.1798 - 9.1798MidshipmanNBD184914.8.1798 - 29.8.1798MidshipmanNAO4.1802 - 9.1804MidshipmanNBD18492.1807 - 21.10.1807MidshipmanBWAS-17144.1807 - 5.1809MidshipmanNBD1849

4 Crewmen

DatesRatingNameSource
3.1797BoyNBD18495.5.1798 - 16.2.1800Able SeamanADM 29/830.8.1798 - 7.6.1799Able SeamanNAO1.10.1817 - 30.6.1821ShipkeeperADM 29/8

Service History

DateEventSource
16.3.1787Began Completed at Woolwich Dockyard - Woolwich BWAS-1714
11.5.1787Completed Completed at Woolwich Dockyard - Woolwich at a cost of £36116.12.10dBWAS-1714
8.1790fitting at Portsmouth Dockyard - Portsmouth at a cost of £4339.0.0dBWAS-1714
9.1791Paid offBWAS-1714
2.1793RecommissionedBWAS-1714
6.1793fitting at Portsmouth Dockyard - Portsmouth at a cost of £6218.0.0dBWAS-1714
8.3.1794Sailed for the Leeward IslandsBWAS-1714
6.1795Took the Corvette off Antigua
10.10.1795Took the Flûte in the Windward Islands
8.1797Paid offBWAS-1714
8.1797Began fitting at Chatham Dockyard - Chatham BWAS-1714
12.1797RecommissionedBWAS-1714
2.1798Completed fitting at Chatham Dockyard - Chatham at a cost of £19121.0.0dBWAS-1714
1.8.1798Battle of the Nile
2.1800Paid off at PortsmouthBWAS-1714
1.1801Began fitting at Chatham Dockyard - Chatham BWAS-1714
2.1801RecommissionedBWAS-1714
4.1801Completed fitting at Chatham Dockyard - Chatham BWAS-1714
11.1801In the BalticBWAS-1714
30.6.1803Took the Frigate off San Domingo
24.7.1803Took the Ship of the Line off San Domingo
25.7.1803Capture of the Duquesne
25.7.1803Took the Corvette off San Domingo
4.9.1803Took the Brig off St Marc, San Domingo
5.9.1803Took the Schooner
7.1805Off JamaicaBWAS-1714
11.1805Paid offBWAS-1714
1.1807Began fitting at Plymouth Dockyard - Plymouth BWAS-1714
2.1807RecommissionedBWAS-1714
3.1807Completed fitting at Plymouth Dockyard - Plymouth BWAS-1714
15.8.1807Second Battle of Copenhagen
11.1811Paid offBWAS-1714
12.1812Refitted as a Unrated Prison Ship
9.1814Refitted as a Unrated Powder Hulk

Sources

IDNameAuthorType

ADM 29-1 Document

ADM 29/8 Archive

ADM 6Authority, Archive

ADM 6/22 Archive

ADM 6/24 Archive

ADM 6/25 Archive

BWAS-1714Rif Winfield, Book

BWAS-1793Rif Winfield, Book

NA-ROA Book

NAOVarious, Web Site

NBD1849O'Brien, Digital Book

ODNBOxford University Press, Web Site

ref:616Nicholas Tracy, Book

Previous comments on this page

Posted by Jon Miller on Friday 24th of July 2026 06:38

Death: The 28th ult at Plymouth Dock, Mr John Campbell, Purser of His Majesty’s ship Canopus, and late Secretary to Admiral Lord Nelson, on board the Vanguard, in the glorious action of the 1st of August, 1798, in which Mr Campbell, was wounded. [Portsmouth Telegraph, 9 December 1799]

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