Third Rate 64 gun ships of the Royal Navy.

[Bligh]

HMS Repulse (1780)

HMS Repulse was a John Williams designed, Intrepid Class, 64 gun third rate ship of the line, built by Robert Fabian at East Cowes. Ordered on the 5th of February 1777 and confirmed on the 16th of May in that year, she was laid down on the 12th of January 1778, and launched on the 28th of November 1780. Completion took place at Portsmouth between the 11th of December in that year and the15th of February 1781.

Repulse
History
GREAT BRITAIN
Name:	HMS Repulse
Ordered:	5 February 1777
Builder:	Fabian, East Cowes
Laid down:	12 January 1778
Launched:	28 November 1780
Fate:	Wrecked, 10 March 1800
General characteristics
Class and type:	Intrepid Class 64 gun ship of the line
Tons burthen:	1386 (bm)
Length:	159 ft 6 in (48.62 m) (gundeck)
Beam:	44 ft 7.5 in (13.51 m)
Depth of hold:	19 ft (5.8 m)
Propulsion:	Sails
Sail plan:	Full rigged ship
Armament:	64 guns: Gundeck: 26 × 24 pdrs Upper gundeck: 26 × 18 pdrs Quarterdeck: 10 × 4 pdrs Forecastle: 2 × 9 pdrs

Service.

HMS Repulse was commissioned in the November of 1780.
She saw her first action between the 9th and 12th of April, 1782 under the command of Captain Thomas Dumaresq, in Admiral Sir George Rodney’s centre Division of the Fleet at the Battle of the Saints. During the battle Repulse suffered only 14 casualties, three killed and eleven wounded. Her crew were described as "fine Guernsey lads".

In the following year she returned to England and was paid off in the July of 1783 after wartime service.
Refitted and with her defects made good at Portsmouth for £ 10.180.13.4d between the August of that year and the May of 1784, she was not fitted for sea again until the December of 1794 at Woolwich. The refit was completed in the June of 1795 at a cost of £ 16,722. During this time she was recommissioned for sea under Captain William Fairfax in the May of that year. On the 3rd of December whilst cruising off the coast of the Dutch coast, she fell in with, and took the 6 gun Privateer Le Petit Pearen.

In the November of 1796 she came under the command of Captain James Alms who was to hold this post until 1800.

The Mutiny at The Nore.

During the Mutiny at The Nore in 1797, on the 9th of June. Repulse made a 'miraculous' escape from the mutineers reaching shore despite receiving 'as was calculated two hundred shot'. Its First Lieutenant T. Frances Douglas, was presented with a commemorative sword with the inscription engraved upon it :

‘PRESENTED by the Committee of Merchants &c OF LONDON to LIEUT.T FRANCIS DOUGLAS for his Spirited and active conduct on board His Majesty’s Ship the REPULSE. Ja.s Alms Esq.r Commander during the MUTINY at the NORE in 1797. Marine Scociety Office, May 1o 1798 } Hugh Inglis Esq.r Chairman’

Repulse was refitted at Portsmouth between the October of 1798 and the February of 1799 for £11,062. On the 6th of May in that year she sailed for the Med.

Fate.

On the 10th of March, 1800, having been driven off course by heavy weather, Repulse struck a submerged rock off Ushant and began taking on water. The crew eventually abandoned the ship somewhere in the vicinity of the Cap Sizun, on the Pointe de Penharn from where the majority of the survivors were taken away as prisoners of war. Only three men were lost drowned. The first lieutenant escaped with a number of men in Repulse's large cutter, and headed for England. But, on the 16th of March, actually made landfall at Guernsey.