First and Second Rate Ships of the 18th Century

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HMS Namur (1756)



HMS Namur.



Originally ordered to the Neptune class specifications in July 1750, HMS Namur was altered to a modified design by William Bately during construction, by lengthening the gundeck by four feet, but shortening the keel. What emerged was a 90-gun second rateship of the line, built at Chatham Dockyard to the draught specified by the 1745 Establishment amended in 1750, and launched on 3 March 1756.

History
GREAT BRITAIN
Name:	HMS Namur
Ordered:	12 July 1750
Builder:	Chatham Dockyard
Launched:	3 March 1756
Fate:	Broken up, 1833
Notes:	·Participated in: ·Siege of Louisbourg (1758) ·Battle of Havana (1762) ·Battle of Cape St Vincent (1797) ·Battle of Lagos ·Affair of Fielding and Bylandt
General characteristics
Class and type:	1750 amendments 90-gun second rateship of the line
Tons burthen:	1814 bm
Length:	175 ft (53.3 m) (gundeck)
Beam:	48 ft 6 in (14.8 m)
Depth of hold:	20 ft 6 in (6.2 m)
Propulsion:	Sails
Sail plan:	Full rigged ship
Armament:	·90 guns: ·Gundeck: 26 × 32 pdrs ·Middle gundeck: 26 × 18 pdrs ·Upper gundeck: 26 × 12 pdrs ·Quarterdeck: 10 × 6 pdrs ·Forecastle: 2 × 6 pdrs

HMS Namur’s battle honours surpass even those of the more famous HMS Victory.

History.





HMS Namur figurehead, Naval Museum of Halifax, CFB Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
By Hantsheroes - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=53811666




Namur was the flagship of Edward Boscawen Vice Admiral of the Blue in the capture of Louisburg in 1758. General James Wolfe had sailed across the Atlantic in Namur on this occasion before his capture of Quebec. Also on this journey was 6th Lieutenant Michael Henry Pascal with his slave and servant Olaudah Equiano who at that time was called Gustavus Vasser, his slave name given him by Pascal. Equiano in his book wrote that the ceremony of surrender was "the most beautiful procession on the water I ever saw", and gives fuller details.



In 1758, fifteen Namur sailors were tried and condemned to death by hanging for mutiny; they had protested to be replaced aboard another ship. King´s grace reprieved them from death penalty except one. (Leonard F- Gutteridge: Mutiny - a list of naval insurrection", 1992 Annapolis USA)



HMS Namur at the Battle of LagosBy Richard Perret (active in 1806) - Own work, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=14856944



Namur was the Flagship of a British fleet commanded by Sir Edward Boscawen at the Battle of Lagos which took place between the British and and a French fleet under Jean-François de La Clue-Sabran over two days in 1759.



Namur was also the flagship of Admiral Sir George Pocock at the Battle of Havana (1762).



Paid off for repairs from November 1765 until March 1766 she was not recommissioned until October 1770 under Captain Walter Griffiths for service in the Falkland Island dispute. Paid off again in July 1771 for great repairs at Chatham. In 1780 she was coppered at Portsmouth prior to being recommissioned in 1795 under Captain James Hawkins-Witshed for Channel service.



Namur fought in the Battle of Cape St Vincent (1797) under the command of Captain Whitshed. Namur was the ship astern of HMS Captain, under the command of CommodoreHoratio Nelson, at the beginning stages of the battle.

Namur was razeed to a 74-gun ship between June 1804 and May 1805. Her new Captain was Lawrence Halstead. Under him she took part in Strachan's naval engagement of 4th Nov. 1805 (Battle of Cape Ortegal), when the remnant of the French and Spanish warship fleet which had escaped from Trafalgar was engaged by Lord Strachan's squadron; she took on and captured the French warship "Formidable".

Serving in Warren's squadron throughout 1806, she paid off in July 1807. She was de-marked as a receiving ship at Chatham, and then to lie at the Nore as a guard ship under Captain Richard Jones.She remained in that role until finally paid off in September 1815.

She was finally broken up at Chatham in 1833.



Some of Namur's timbers were used to support the floor of the wheelwright's workshop at Chatham Dockyard. They were rediscovered there in 1995 and identified in 2003. The restored timbers form the centrepiece of the "Command of the Oceans" gallery at the Chatham Historic Dockyard museum opened in 2016.

Notable crewmembers.

• The marine painter Clarkson Stanfield served on board the ship, after being pressed into the Royal Navy in 1808. He was discharged on health grounds in 1814.
• One of Namur's captains was Charles Austen, a brother of Jane Austen.
• Olaudah Equiano, a former African slave who was active in the British abolitionist movement, served as a powder monkey on Namur.

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HMS Prince George (1772)





HMS Prince George was a 90-gun Barfleur Class second-rateship of the line of the Royal Navy. She was constructed at Chatham, M/shipwright M Allin to July 1767 then completed by Joseph Harris. Launched on the 31st of August 1772 at Chatham. During her career, she was upgraded to a 98-gun ship, through the addition of eight 12 pdr guns to her quarterdeck.

History
GREAT BRITAIN
Name:	HMS Prince George
Ordered:	11 June 1766
Builder:	Chatham Dockyard
Laid down:	18 May 1767
Launched:	31 August 1772
Honours and awards:	·Participated in: ·Battle of Cape St. Vincent (1780) ·Battle of the Saintes ·Battle of Groix
Fate:	Broken up, 1839
General characteristics
Class and type:	Barfleur-classship of the line
Tons burthen:	1955 (bm)
Length:	177 ft 6 in (54.10 m) (gundeck)
Beam:	50 ft 3 in (15.32 m)
Depth of hold:	21 ft (6.4 m)
Propulsion:	Sails
Sail plan:	Full rigged ship
Complement:	750 officers and men
Armament:	·90 guns: ·Gundeck: 28 × 32-pounder guns ·Middle gundeck: 30 × 18-pounder guns ·Upper gundeck: 30 × 12-pounder guns ·Fc: 2 × 9-pounder guns ·98 guns: ·Gundeck: 28 × 32-pounder guns ·Middle gundeck: 30 × 18-pounder guns ·Upper gundeck: 30 × 12-pounder guns ·QD: 8 × 12-pounder guns ·Fc: 2 × 9-pounder guns

She was commissioned under Captain Charles Middleton in November of 1776. for Portsmouth and the Nore.She was fitted and coppered at Portsmouth.



In 1780, Prince George was part of Rodney's fleet at the Battle of Cape St. Vincent. She took part in the Battle of the Saintes in 1782, and the Battle of Groix in 1795 under Captain James Gambier and later Captain Sir John Orde as the Flagship of Admiral Viscount Adam Duncan. In the October of that year she served in the Channel under Captain William Edge and then Captain James Bowen as Flagship of Rear Admiral Hugh Christian. When she was disabled by a gale she was paid off in the March of 1796 and sent for repairs in Portsmouth.



Recommissioned in the October of that year under Captain John Erwin she served as Flagship to Rear Admiral Sir William Parker. She sailed to the Med and was in action in 1780 at the Battle of Cape St. Vincent.



She continued to serve in both the Med and the Channel , with a spell in Jamacia in 1802, over the next few years until in 1807, she was dispatched to the West indies under Captain Woodley Losack, in the squadron command by Rear-Admiral Alexander Cochrane. The squadron captured the Telemaco, Carvalho and Master on 17 April 1807.

In December Prince George participated in Cochrane's expedition that captured the Danish islands of St Thomas on 22 December and Santa Cruz on 25 December. The Danes did not resist and the invasion was bloodless.
In May 1813 Prince George was ordered to be converted to a 74 gun ship, but on inspection was discovered to be rotten throughout her body.

Fate.




Prince George was converted at Portsmouth in 1816 to serve as a sheer hulk. In 1835 she was used in a series of gunnery trials as a target ship, the results of which contributed to the rapid introduction of the shell firing gun. The Prince George was finally broken up in 1839.

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HMS Princess Royal (1773)



HMS Princess Royal was a 90-gun Barfleur Class second rate ship of the line of the Royal Navy, Built at Portsmouth. M/shipbuilder Thomas Bushnell. launched on 18 October 1773 at Portsmouth.

History
GREAT BRITAIN
Name:	HMS Princess Royal
Ordered:	10 September 1767
Builder:	Portsmouth Dockyard
Laid down:	31 October 1767
Launched:	18 October 1773
Honours and awards:	Participated in: Naval Battle of Genoa Naval Battle of Hyères Islands
Fate:	Broken up, 1807
General characteristics
Class and type:	Barfleur-classship of the line
Tons burthen:	1973 (bm)
Length:	177 ft 6 in (54.10 m) (gundeck)
Beam:	50 ft 3 in (15.32 m)
Depth of hold:	21 ft (6.4 m)
Propulsion:	Sails
Sail plan:	Full rigged ship
Complement:	750 officers and men
Armament:	90 guns: Gundeck: 28 × 32-pounder guns Middle gundeck: 30 × 18-pounder guns Upper gundeck: 30 × 12-pounder guns Fc: 2 × 9-pounder guns 98 guns: Gundeck: 28 × 32-pounder guns Middle gundeck: 30 × 18-pounder guns Upper gundeck: 30 × 12-pounder guns QD: 8 × 12-pounder guns Fc: 2 × 9-pounder guns

During her career she was upgraded to a 98-gun ship, by the addition of eight 12 pdr guns to her quarterdeck.

Used initially as a guard ship, in 1790 she was commissioned under the command of Captain John Holloway as the Flagship of Vice-Admiral William Hotham, to deal with the Spanish Armament and then the Russian Armament.

Recommissioned in 1793 under Captain John Child Purvis as Flagship to Rear Admiral Samuel Goodall she sailed for the Med on the 22nd of April 1793.

In 1795, Princess Royal took part in the Naval Battle of Genoa and the Naval Battle of Hyères Islands still under the command of Captain John Child Purvis.

In 1797 she recommissioned under Captain Thomas Baker, as Flagship of Rear Admiral Sir John Orde and was involved in the Mutiny.
In 1801 she was flagship of Rear Admiral Sir Erasmus Gower, and in 1803 as Flagship to Sir Robert Calder.

On being ordered to be reduced to 74 guns she was found to be decayed.

She was broken up in 1807.

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HMS Prince (1788)



HMS Prince was a 98-gun second rateship of the line of the Royal Navy. A revived London class ship first designed by Sir Thomas Slade, M/shipwrights, John Jenner to 1782 when he died, and then successively Henrey Peake, Martin Ware, and finally completed by John Nelson. She was launched on the 4th of July 1788 at Woolwich.

History
GREAT BRITAIN
Name:	HMS Prince
Ordered:	9 December 1779
Builder:	Woolwich Dockyard
Laid down:	1 January 1782
Launched:	4 July 1788
Fate:	Broken up, 1837
Notes:	Participated in: Battle of Trafalgar
General characteristics
Class and type:	London-classship of the line
Tons burthen:	1871
Length:	177 ft 6 in (54.10 m) (gundeck)
Beam:	49 ft (15 m)
Depth of hold:	21 ft (6.4 m)
Propulsion:	Sails
Sail plan:	Full rigged ship
Armament:	98 guns: Gundeck: 28 × 32 pdrs Middle gundeck: 30 × 18 pdrs Upper gundeck: 30 × 12 pdrs Quarterdeck: 8 × 12 pdrs Forecastle: 2 × 12 pdrs

Life.

She saw relatively little action during her career and seems to have been a relatively poor sailer—she sailed, according to one observing captain, 'like a haystack.'

Commissioned in 1790 by CaptainJosiah Rogers for the Spanish Armament, as Flagship of Sir John Jervis she saw no action, and was next recommissioned in 1793 under Capotain Cuthbert Collingwood, as the Flagship of Rear Admiral George Bowyer in Lord Howe's fleet.

In 1795 she was at the Battle off Isle de Groix under Captain Francis Parry. Captain Charles Powell Hamilton from October 1795 until she was paid off in June 1796.

Lengthened at Plymouth in late 1796 with a new 17 feet section inserted to improve her sailing qualities, she reccomissioned under Captain Thomas Larcome as Flagship of Rear Admiral Sir Roger Curtis for service in the North Sea.

She sailed for the Med in June 1798, and took part in the blockade of Cadiz. By 1800 she was in the Channel under the Earl of Northesk, and at the end of 1801 returned to Plymouth for small repairs.
In 1803 she took part in the blockade of Brest, and then joined Admiral Nelson's Fleet.


Trafalgar.

By 1805 she was in service with the Channel Fleet under Captain Richard Grindall. At the Battle of Trafalgar, in October that year she was in the Lee column. Passed by her whole division, she took over two hours to cover the two or three miles to reach the battle. By the time she arrived most of the enemy fleet were in British hands or had fled, leaving few targets for Prince's massive broadsides. She did fire on the Spanish flagship Principe de Asturias and Achille, but was not attacked and suffered no damage or casualties.

Whilst engaging Prince, Achille's fore top caught fire, and the next broadside against her brought her blazing main mast down, engulfing the ship in flames. At this point, knowing that Achille's fate was sealed and making the most of his unique position, Grindall ceased firing and wore round to clear her, before placing boats in the water to rescue French seamen from Achille and elsewhere. This proved hazardous: Achille's abandoned but loaded guns were set off by the intense heat now raging below decks, and she exploded at 5:45 pm, by which point only 100 men had been rescued from her. Nonetheless, Prince and nearby British ships were able to rescue hundreds of sailors from the water.


In the week of ferocious storms which followed the battle the sturdy Prince was invaluable, providing replacement stores to more battered ships, towing those that needed it, and saving many men from the heavily-damaged other ships. She and the other undamaged British ships saved many others that would otherwise have sunk and at one point saved 350 men from the sinking Santíssima Trinidad who would otherwise have drowned, taking them to Gibraltar. Upon arrival there, however, she was ready to sail again in a matter of hours.

Later life.

By 1813 she was fitted out as a guardship for service at Spithead. and in 1815 as a victualling vessel and Officer's accommodation at Portsmouth.

After the war she remained in Portsmouth until withdrawn from service, and was broken up in November 1837.

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HMS Queen (1769)


By Robert Strickland Thomas.

HMS Queen was a three-deck 90-gun the sole ship of her class, second-rateship of the line of the Navy, designed by William Batley. Built by M/shipwright Joseph Harris and completed by William Grey. She was thus the only ship built to her specification. She was launched on the 18th of September,1769 at Woolwich Dockyard. Her armament was increased to 98 guns in the 1780s.

History
GREAT BRITAIN
Name:	HMS Queen
Ordered:	10 November 1761
Builder:	Woolwich Dockyard
Launched:	18 September 1769
Honours and awards:	Participated in: First Battle of Ushant Second Battle of Ushant Battle of Cape Spartel Glorious First of June
Fate:	Broken up 1821
General characteristics
Class and type:	90-gun second rateship of the line
Tons burthen:	1876 (bm)
Length:	177 ft 6 in (54.1 m) (gundeck)
Beam:	49 ft 6 in (15.1 m)
Depth of hold:	21 ft 9 in (6.6 m)
Propulsion:	Sails
Sail plan:	Full rigged ship
Armament:	Gundeck: 28 × 32-pounder guns Middle gundeck: 30 × 18-pounder guns Upper gundeck: 30 × 12-pounder guns Forecastle: 2 × 9-pounder guns

HMS Queen at the King's Dock Woolwich in 1771, by Hendrik Kobell


Service.

In November of 1776 she commissioned under Captain John Robinson for Channel service.

HMS Queen fought at the First Battle of Ushant under Captain Alexander Innes in Admiral Augustus Keppel's Fleet in 1778, and the Second Battle of Ushant, Captain Frederic Maitland, under Kempenfelt in 1781. In 1794 she fought in the Glorious First of June under Howe,where she served as Rear-Admiral Alan Gardner's flagship. During the battle Queen sustained significant damage, and her commanding officer, Captain John Hutt, was amongst those killed.

From August she came under the command of Captain William Bedford and took part in the action off the Isle de Groix on the 23rd of June 1795.

Under Captain Mann Dobson as Flagship of Vice Admiral Sir Hyde Parker she sailed for the West Indies in the August of 1796. She spent the next four years on the Jamaica station. On her return to Portsmouth in 1800 she underwent huge repairs.


By the March of 1804, she was under the command of Captain Theophilus Jones, until May and then under Captain Manley Dixon for the Channel Fleet. Next, in 1805 under Captain Francis Pender as Flagship of Rear Admiral John Knight.

After the Battle of Trafalgar on 21 October 1805, HMS Queen continued in the blockade of Cadiz. On the 25th of November, Thunderer apprehended the Ragusan ship Nemesis, sailing from the Isle de France to Leghorn, Italy, with a cargo of spice, indigo dye, and various other goods. Queen shared the prize money with ten other British warships.

On the 25th day of October 1806, the Spanish privateer Generalísimo captured HM gunboat Hannah, which was serving as a tender to HMS Queen.

After Trafalgar, the demand for the larger three-decker first and second rate ships was in decline and consequently, in 1811 the Admiralty had HMS Queen cut down to a two-decker third rate 74. at Chatham.

In late 1811 she served in the Channel under Captain Lord John Colville and then in the North sea in 1813
.
Under Captain John Goode from the September of 1814 for Mediterranean service, she was eventually paid off in the August of 1816.



Fate.
Queen was eventually broken up at Chatham in 1821.

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HMS St George (1785)




St George and other vessels by Dominic Serres

- http://collections.rmg.co.uk/collections/objects/13700.html, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=28375804

HMS St George was a 98-gun Duke Class second rateship of the line,built at Portsmouth, M/shipwright Edward Hunt,then Nicholas Phillips, and completed by George White. She was launched on the 14th of October,1785.

History
Great Britain
Name:	HMS St George
Ordered:	16 July 1774
Builder:	Portsmouth
Laid down:	August 1774
Launched:	14 October 1785
Honours and awards:	· Participated in: · Naval Battle of Hyères Islands · Battle of Copenhagen
Fate:	Wrecked, 1811
General characteristics
Class and type:	Duke-classship of the line
Tons burthen:	1931 (bm)
Length:	177 ft 6 in (54.1 m) (gundeck)
Beam:	50 ft (15.2 m)
Depth of hold:	21 ft 2 in (6.5 m)
Propulsion:	Sails
Sail plan:	Full rigged ship
Complement:	850 officers and men
Armament:	· Gundeck: 28 × 32-pounder guns · Middle gundeck: 30 × 18-pounder guns · Upper gundeck: 30 × 12-pounder guns · QD: 8 × 12-pounder guns · Fc: 2 × 12-pounder guns

.


Service.



Commissioned in 1790 under Captain Sir George Collins for the Spanish Armament, she was paid off in the December of that year. Recommissioned in the March of 1791 under Captain John Samuel Smith as the Flagship of Rear Admiral Sir Richard King for the Russian Armament, she again paid off in the September of the same year.

Remaining Kings Flagship she was appointed Guardship at Plymouth under Captain Thomas Hicks. Then in 1792, under Captain Sir Thomas Byard,Then in February 1793, Captain Thomas Foley was appointed when Captain John Gell was appointed to be a Rear-Admiral of the Blue and raised his flag on the St George.

While in the Mediterranean with his division of the fleet, Gell was able to seize a French privateer and its Spanish-registered prize the St Jago. These ships were said to be one of the most valuable prizes ever brought to England. The ownership of the St Jago was a matter of some debate and was not settled until 4 February 1795, when the value of the cargo was put at £935,000 (equivalent to £94,890,000 in 2018). At this time all the crew, captains, officers and admirals could expect to share in this prize. Admiral Hood's share was £50,000 (equivalent to £5,070,000 in 2018). The ships that conveyed St Jago to Portsmouth were St George, Egmont, Edgar, Ganges, and Phaeton



In October 1793 Gell was able to obtain the surrender of the French frigate Modeste, which had abused the neutrality of the port of Genoa. After this Gell had to return to England for the last time due to ill health.



St George was present at the Naval Battle of Hyères Islands in 1795, and took part in the Battle of Copenhagen in 1801, flying Nelson's flag. However, Nelson transferred to Elephant before the battle, as Elephant was better suited for the shallow waters; St George remained in the background during the fighting. Her captain was Thomas Masterman Hardy, future captain of HMS Victory under Nelson at the Battle of Trafalgar. Captain Sir William Bolton earned his promotion to Commander after his service on the St George in this battle, on 2 April 1801. In 1847 the Admiralty authorized the issuance of the Naval General Service Medal with clasp "Copenhagen 1801" to all remaining survivors of the battle.


Last voyage and loss.








After the bombardment of Copenhagen in September 1807 and the capture of the Royal Danish Fleet, followed the Gunboat War between Denmark/Norway and the United Kingdom. As a consequence of the war, convoys of merchant ships were escorted through Danish waters by British navy ships in order to protect the merchant ships from attacks by Danish and Norwegian privateers. St. George took part in the convoys and was therefore in the Baltic Sea in autumn 1811, where her last voyage started.



After several storms and running aground then re-floated, she was wrecked off Ringkobing Jutland with the loss of almost all her crew including Captain Guion and Rear Admiral Reynolds..





Model of St George with broken foremast.

aufgearbeitet, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=32274465

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HMS Union (1756)




HMS Union at the Battle of Quiberon Bay by Nicholas Pocock painted in 1812.

HMS Union was a 90-gun second rateship of the line of the Royal Navy, built by M/shipwright John Ward, Thomas Slade, Adam Hayes and completed John Locke by at Chatham Dockyard to the draught specified by the 1745 Establishment as amended in 1750, and launched on 25 September 1756.

History
United Kingdom
Name:	HMS Union
Ordered:	12 July 1750
Builder:	Chatham Dockyard
Launched:	25 September 1756
Fate:	Broken up, 1816
General characteristics
Class and type:	1750 amendments 90-gun second rateship of the line
Tons burthen:	1781
Length:	171 ft (52.1 m) (gundeck)
Beam:	48 ft 6 in (14.8 m)
Depth of hold:	20 ft 6 in (6.2 m)
Propulsion:	Sails
Sail plan:	Full rigged ship
Armament:	90 guns: Gundeck: 26 × 32 pdrs Middle gundeck: 26 × 18 pdrs Upper gundeck: 26 × 12 pdrs Quarterdeck: 10 × 6 pdrs Forecastle: 2 × 6 pdrs

Commissioned in November 1756, she served throughout the Seven Years' War.When the ship joined the Channel Fleet, she became flagship to Vice-Admiral Thomas Smith.

One of the midshipmen on the Union was John Hunter, later to become an admiral and the second Governor of New South Wales.

Paid off in 1762, she was never recommissioned for sea duty. After repairs in 1776 she went into ordinary in 1777. In 1778 she was Commissioned under Captain John Dalrymple as a Hospital Hulk at Chatham in 1790, and in June of that year the administration of her in that role was taken over by Lieutenant William Quarm at Sheerness. From the November of 1799 she was under Lieutenant William Richards, and then in May of 1800 Lieutenant John Dixon, then in the September of1801 under Lieutenant John Rickman.

On the 6th 0f February 1802 she became a receiving ship renamed Sussex. In May 1807 Rickman was superseded by Lieutenant William Cockraft until she was paid off in Ordinary in the March of 1816. In October of that year she was broken up at Chatham.


Footnote.

The results (published in 1796) of an experiment made at the desire of the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty, on board the Union hospital ship, to determine the effect of the nitrous acid in destroying contagion, and the safety with which it may be employed were given in a letter addressed to the Right Hon. Earl Spencer, by James Carmichael Smyth, M. D. F.R.S., Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians, and Physician Extraordinary to His Majesty, published with the approbation of the lords commissioners of the Admiralty.

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HMS Windsor Castle (1790)



HMS Windsor Castle was another revived London class 98-gun second rateship of the line. Begun by M/shipwright Adam Hayes,then Henry Peake and completed by Martin Ware. She was launched on the 3rd of May, 1790 at Deptford Dockyard.

History
GREAT BRITAIN
Name:	HMS Windsor Castle
Ordered:	10 December 1782
Builder:	Deptford Dockyard
Laid down:	19 August 1784
Launched:	3 May 1790
Honours and awards:	Participated in: Naval Battle of Genoa (1795) Battle of Cape Finisterre (1805)
Fate:	Broken up, 1839
General characteristics
Class and type:	London-classship of the line
Tons burthen:	1871 (bm)
Length:	177 ft 6 in (54.10 m) (gundeck)
Beam:	49 ft (15 m)
Depth of hold:	21 ft (6.4 m)
Propulsion:	Sails
Sail plan:	Full rigged ship
Armament:	98 guns: Gundeck: 28 × 32-pounder guns Middle gundeck: 30 × 18-pounder guns Upper gundeck: 30 × 12-pounder guns Quarterdeck: 8 × 12-pounder guns Forecastle: 2 × 12-pounder guns

Commissioned in the July of 1790 under Captain Sir James Barclay for the Spanish Armament, as the Flagship of Rear Admiral Herbert Sawyer. Then paid off. She was recommissioned in The December of 1792 under Captain Sir Thomas Baird as the Flagship of Vice Admiral Phillips Cosbey, and on the 22nd of April 1793 she sailed for the Med.

In 1794 she became the Flagship of Rear Admiral Robert Linzee under several successive captains,culminating with John Gore after the Mutiny of November 1794.

She took part in actions off Genoa on the 13th of March 1795 and off Hyeres on the 31th of July in that year. From December she was dispatched as Flagship of Rear Admiral Robert Mann in pursuit of French Admiral De Richery.

After repairs in Plymouth she was recommissioned in the August of 1799 under Captain John Manley. In 1800 she became the Flagship of Vice Admiral Sir Andrew Mitchell in the Channel with Captain Peter Bover in temporary command. Recommissioned again in 1803 as Flagship of Admiral James Montague under Captain Albemarle Bertie, she had a series of captains again until May 1804. She then came under the Captaincy of Charles Boyle until 1808.

Dardanelles.

Windsor Castle was part of Robert Calder's fleet at the Battle of Cape Finisterre on the 22nd of July,1805. She shared in the prize and head money for the San Rafael and Firme captured on that day.
During September 1806, a French squadron of five frigates and two corvettes under Commodore Eleonore-Jean-Nicolas Soleil was escorting a convoy ferrying supplies and troops to the French West Indies. A British squadron intercepted the convoy, which led to the Action of the 25th of September, where the British captured four of the frigates: Armeide, Minerva, Indefatigable, and Gloire. The frigate Thétis and the corvette Sylphe escaped, with the Lynx managing to outrun Windsor Castle.


Duckworth's squadron forcing the Dardanelles
By Thomas Whitcombe.
- Collections of the National Maritime Museum, Public Domain.

While in the Mediterranean she served during Vice Admiral Sir John Duckworth's unsuccessful 1807 Dardanelles Operation. On 19 February, Windsor Castle suffered seven men wounded while forcing the Dardanelles. Near a redoubt on Point Pesquies the British encountered a Turkish squadron of one ship of 64 guns, four frigates and eight other vessels, most of which they ran aground. Marines from Pompee spiked the 31 guns on the redoubt. On 27 February Windsor Castle had one man killed assisting a Royal Marine landing party on the island of Prota.

On the way out, the Turkish castle at Abydos fired on the British squadron. Granite cannonballs weighing 7-800 pounds and measuring 6'6" in circumference hit Windsor Castle, Standard and Active. Windsor Castle was badly damaged when an 800-pound stone shot from a Turkish cannon sheared off her main mast. Windsor Castle had four men killed and 20 wounded in the withdrawal. In all, the British lost 29 killed and 138 wounded. No ship was lost.

Windsor Castle accompanied Duckworth on the Alexandria expedition of 1807, and in May left Alexandria and sailed to Malta.
Paid off in 1808, she was cut down into a 74 at Plymouth in 1814. Following that she was used as a guard ship until 1825, when she briefly served in the Med under Captain Dunscombe Bouverie. She was paid off and fitted as a Divisional ship in August 1833, and became a Depot ship at Deal in 1834.

Fate.

She was eventually broken up in 1839.