HMS Prince (1670) Royal William from (1692)
Interesting as one of the oldest vessels serving during an at the end of the 18th Century.
HMS Prince (also referred to as Royal Prince) was a 100-gun first rate ship of the line, built by Phineas Pett the Younger at Deptford Dockyard and launched in 1670. She was rebuilt in 1715 by Richard Stacy and completed by John Nash in 1719.
History GREAT BRITAIN. Name: Prince Ordered: June 1667 Builder: Phineas Pett the Younger, Deptford Dockyard Launched: 3 December 1670 Commissioned: 15 January 1672 Renamed: HMS Royal William, 1692 Fate: Broken up, 1813 General characteristics Class and type: 100-gun first rate ship of the line Tons burthen: 1403 (bm) Length: 131 ft (40 m) (keel) Beam: 44 ft 10 in (13.67 m) Depth of hold: 19 ft (5.8 m) Propulsion: Sails Sail plan: Full rigged ship Armament: 100 guns of various weights of shot General characteristics (1692) Class and type: 100-gun first rate ship of the line Tons burthen: 1463 73⁄94 (bm) Length: 167 ft 3 in (50.98 m) (gundeck) Beam: 47 ft 2 in (14.38 m) Depth of hold: 18 ft (5.5 m) Propulsion: Sails Sail plan: Full rigged ship Armament: 100 guns of various weights of shot General characteristics (1719) Class and type: 100-gun first rate ship of the line Tons burthen: 1918 23⁄94 (bm) Length: 175 ft 4 in (53.44 m) (gundeck) Beam: 50 ft (15 m) Depth of hold: 20 ft 1 in (6.12 m) Propulsion: Sails Sail plan: Full rigged ship Armament: 100 guns of various weights of shot
During the Third Anglo-Dutch War of 1672 t0 1674 she served as a flagship of the Lord High Admiral the Duke of York (later James II & VII.) During the Battle of Solebay (1672) she was in the centre of the English fleet that was attacked by the Dutch centre led by Admiral Michiel de Ruyter. Prince was heavily damaged by De Ruyter's flagship De Zeven Provinciën in a two hours' duel and Captain of the Fleet Sir John Cox was killed on board. The Duke of York was forced to shift his flag to HMS St Michael. Prince's second captain, John Narborough, however conducted himself with such conspicuous valour that he won special approbation and was knighted shortly afterwards.
HMS Prince was rebuilt by Robert Lee at Chatham Dockyard in 1692, and renamed at the same time as HMS Royal William.
During the War of the Grand Alliance the ship saw action at the Battle of Barfleur of 19 May 1692. Prince belonged to the red squadron and carried the flag of Rear Admiral of the Red Sir Cloudesley Shovell. She was the first ship to break the French line during the battle.
Figurehead of HMS Royal William
Later she was rebuilt for a second time by John Naish at Portsmouth Dockyard from 1714, relaunching on 3 September 1719. She was laid up after her re-launch and saw no service at all until she was reduced to an 84-gun Second rate ship in 1756. One year later, she was part of an unsuccessful expedition against Rochefort led by Admiral Sir Edward Hawke. Her squadron, under Vice-Admiral Charles Knowles, attacked the Île-d'Aix and forced her garrison to surrender. In 1758 she participated in Boscawen's and Wolfe's attack on the French Fortress of Louisbourg (Nova Scotia) and an indecisive skirmish with a French squadron. The following year Royal William returned to Canada under the command of Captain Hugh Pigot to join the attack on Quebec. After the Battle of the Plains of Abraham and the capture of Quebec she sailed back to England with the body of General Wolfe.
In 1760 Royal William was Boscawen's flagship when he took command of the fleet in Quiberon Bay. However, after a severe gale he was forced to return and shift his flag to HMS Namur. During the expedition against Belle Île of 1761 she was detached with several other ships to cruise off Brest and prevent a French counter-attack from there. .
Following this period in the May of 1782 she was recommissioned to serve in Lord Howe's relief of Gibraltar. She was paid off in 1783.
In the May of 1790, she was recommissioned as a receiving ship under Captain George Gayton as the Flagship of Vice Admiral Robert Roddam at Portsmouth.
Paid off in 1791, but in 1792 still under Gayton she became Flagship to Admiral Sir Peter Parker until 1799.
By 1805 she was still in the same role but now under Captain John Wainwright as the Flagship of Admiral George Montague.
Finally from 1809 to 1810 she served as Flagship to Sir Roger Curtis, and of Admiral Sir Richard Bickerton in 1812.
She was finally broken up at Portsmouth in the August of 1813.
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