HMS Chatham (1691)

HMS Chatham was a 50-gun fourth rate ship of the line of the Royal Navy, launched on 20 October 1691 at Chatham Dockyard.[1]

For other ships with the same name, see HMS Chatham.

History
Great Britain
Name:	HMS Chatham
Builder:	Lee, Chatham Dockyard
Launched:	20 October 1691
Fate:	Sunk as breakwater, 1749
General characteristics as built[1]
Class and type:	50-gun fourth rate ship of the line
Tons burthen:	686 (bm)
Length:	126 ft (38.4 m) (gundeck)
Beam:	34 ft 4 in (10.5 m)
Depth of hold:	13 ft 4 in (4.1 m)
Propulsion:	Sails
Sail plan:	Full rigged ship
Armament:	50 guns of various weights of shot
General characteristics after 1721 rebuild[2]
Class and type:	1719 Establishment 50-gun fourth rate ship of the line
Tons burthen:	756 (bm)
Length:	134 ft (40.8 m) (gundeck)
Beam:	36 ft (11.0 m)
Depth of hold:	15 ft 2 in (4.6 m)
Propulsion:	Sails
Sail plan:	Full rigged ship
Armament:	Gundeck: 22 × 18-pounder guns Upper gundeck: 22 × 9-pounder guns QD: 4 × 6-pounder guns Fc: 2 × 6-pounder guns

In 1705 she captured the French 60-gun Auguste, built in Brest in 1704, which the British took into service as HMS Auguste.

Captain Robert Harland, circa 1680–1751. In 1714 he commanded the Chatham (seen here in the background) in the Baltic under Sir John Norris, but retired soon after

She underwent a rebuild according to the 1719 Establishment at Deptford in 1721.

Chatham was one of the British ships-of-the-line at the Battle of Toulon (1744).

Fate

Chatham served until 1749, when she was sunk as a breakwater.[2]

Citations and references

Citations

1. Lavery, Ships of the Line, vol.1, p. 164.
2. Lavery, Ships of the Line, vol.1, p. 170.

References

• Lavery, Brian (2003) The Ship of the Line - Volume 1: The development of the battlefleet 1650-1850. Conway Maritime Press. ISBN 0-85177-252-8.