HMS London (1766)
Designed by Sir Thomas Slade, the construction was started by M/shipwright John Locke and completed by Edward Allin. HMS London was a 90-gun second-rateship of the line of the Royal Navy, launched on 24 May 1766 at Chatham Dockyard. It would have three sister ships built some twenty years later.
Great Britain
Name: HMS London Ordered: 28 September 1759 Builder: Chatham Dockyard Launched: 24 May 1766 Fate: Broken up, 1811 Notes: ·Participated in:
·Battle of the Chesapeake
·Battle of Groix
·Battle of Copenhagen
Class and type: London-classship of the line Tons burthen: 1894 (bm) Length: 177 ft 6 in (54.10 m) (gundeck) Beam: 49 ft (15 m) Depth of hold: 21 ft (6.4 m) Sail plan: Full-rigged ship Armament: ·90 guns
o Gundeck: 28 × 32-pounder guns
o Middle gundeck: 30 × 18-pounder guns
o Upper gundeck: 30 × 12-pounder guns
o Fc: 2 × 9-pounder guns
·98 guns:
o Gundeck: 28 × 32-pounder guns
o Middle gundeck: 30 × 18-pounder guns
o Upper gundeck: 30 × 12-pounder guns
o QD: 8 × 12-pounder guns
o FC: 2 × 12-pounder guns
London was originally launched as a 90-gun ship, as was standard for second rates at the time. Not completed on time for the Seven years war she was delayed on the stocks and then retained in ordinary when she was increased to 98-guns by having a further eight 12 pounders installed on her quarterdeck.
Commissioned under Captain Samuel Cornish as Flagship for Sir Thomas Graves, she had her bottom coppered at Portsmouth in 1780.
In this role she served as Sir Thomas Graves' flagship at the Battle of the Chesapeake in 1781. In the Action of 18 October 1782, she was raked by Scipion and had to let her escape.
HMS London depicted during the Action of 18 October 1782
Credited to Auguste-Louis Rossel de Crecy (1736-1804) Photograph by Rama - Own work
In May of 1783 she was again paid off into Ordinary after war service, and again went under repairs.
French Revolutionary Wars.
Not recommissioned again until May 1790 under Captain George Westcott as Flagship of Rear Admiral Samual Goodall she paid off again 1n 1791.
In May of 1793 she became the Flagship of Rear Admiral His Royal Highness the Duke of Clarence, Captain Richard Keats joining Earl Howe's Squadron.
She participated in Bridport's action at the Battle of Groix in 1795,serving under the flag of Rear Admiral Sir John Colpoys, Captain Edward Griffiths.
Next, London participated in an abortive invasion of Ferrol. On 29 August 1800, in Vigo Bay, Admiral Sir Samuel Hood assembled a cutting-out party from the vessels under his command consisting of two boats each from Amethyst, Stag, Amelia, Brilliant and Cynthia, four boats from Courageaux, as well as the boats from Renown, London and Impetueux. The party went in and after a 15-minute fight captured the French privateer Guêpe, of Bordeaux and towed her out. She was of 300 tons burthen and had a flush deck. Pierced for 20 guns, she carried eighteen 9-pounders, and she and her crew of 161 men were under the command of Citizen Dupan. In the attack she lost 25 men killed, including Dupan, and 40 wounded. British casualties amounted to four killed, 23 wounded and one missing.
In 1847 the Admiralty awarded the Naval General Service Medal with clasp "29 Aug. Boat Service 1800" to all surviving claimants from the action.
She was present at the Battle of Copenhagen in 1801, as the Flagship of Sir Hyde Parker, Captained by William Dommett.
Napoleonic Wars.
The capture of the French ship Marengo by HMS London on 13 March 1806
Serving under the Captaincy of Sir Robert Barlow, at the Action of the 13th of March, 1806, London captured the French ship of the line Marengo and the 40 gun Frigate La Belle Poule.
In 1808, she aided in escorting the Portuguese Royal Family in its flight from Portugal to exile in Brazil.
Fate.
London was broken up at Chatham, in April.1811.
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