HMS Venerable (1784)

HMS Venerable was a 74-gun third-rate ship of the line of the Royal Navy, launched on 19 April 1784 at Blackwall Yard.[1]

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

The Battle of Camperdown, 11 October 1797 by Thomas Whitcombe, painted 1798, showing the British flagship Venerable (flying the Blue Ensign from her stern) engaged with the Dutch flagship Vrijheid.
History
UK
Name: HMS Venerable
Ordered: 9 August 1781
Builder: Perry, Wells & Green, Blackwall Yard
Laid down: April 1782
Launched: 19 April 1784
Fate: Wrecked 24 November 1804
Notes:
General characteristics [1]
Class and type: Culloden-class ship of the line
Tons burthen: 1669 (bm)
Length: 170 ft (51.8 m) (gundeck)
Beam: 47 ft 2 in (14.4 m)
Depth of hold: 19 ft 11 in (6.1 m)
Propulsion: Sails
Sail plan: Full rigged ship
Armament:
  • Gundeck: 28 × 32-pounder guns
  • Upper gundeck: 28 × 18-pounder guns
  • QD: 14 × 9-pounder guns
  • Fc: 4 × 9-pounder guns

Service history

In 1795, Veneraable is known to have been under the command of Captain James Bissett.[2]

Jack Crawford - the Hero of Camperdown, nailing the flag to the main top gallant mast head, on board the Venerable during the battle

In 1797, Venerable served as Admiral Duncan's flagship at the Battle of Camperdown.[3]

In 1801, Venerable took part in the First Battle of Algeciras on 6 July and the First Battle of Algeciras on 12–13 July. During the latter engagement, she was driven ashore on the coast of Spain in Algeciras Bay, but she was refloated, repaired, and returned to service.

Loss of His Majesty's Ship Venerable... Shipwreck on the Night of 24 November 1804 on the Rocks in Torbay, by Robert Dodd

Fate

Venerable was wrecked on 24 November 1804, off Roundham Head near Torbay.[3] Three of her crew were lost.[4]

Newspapers reported a dispatch dated 28 November: The Venerable had gone to pieces in a tremendous gale, the number of men drowned is said to be 13 — they are supposed to have been intoxicated when the ship struck. The commander of the Venerable was captain Hunter a brave and skilful officer and a gentleman of considerable literary and scientific acquirements who was for some time governor of New South Wales and has favoured the public with an interesting account of that colony.[5]

Two days later, on 26 November, the hired armed ship Lady Warren sailed from Plymouth to Torbay with Growler, six gun-vessels and yard-lighters, and other craft, to save the stores, guns, etc. from the wreck of Venerable.[6]

Citations and notes
  1. Lavery, Ships of the Line vol.1, p180.
  2. Commissioned Sea Officers of the Royal Navy, David Bonner Smith
  3. Ships of the Old Navy, Venerable.
  4. "The Marine List". Lloyd's List (4509). 27 November 1804.
  5. "Africaine damaged in a gale". Aurora General Advertiser (Philadelphia). 6 February 1805. p. 2. Retrieved 13 April 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
  6. Naval Chronicle, Vol. 12, p.504.

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.
  • Michael Phillips. Venerable (74) (1784). Michael Phillips' Ships of the Old Navy. Retrieved 8 August 2007.
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