HMS Bedford (1775)
| Career (UK) |  |
|---|---|
| Name: | HMS Bedford |
| Ordered: | 12 October 1768 |
| Builder: | Woolwich Dockyard |
| Laid down: | October 1769 |
| Launched: | 27 October 1775 |
| Honours and awards: |
Participated in: |
| Fate: | Broken up, 1817 |
| General characteristics [1] | |
| Class and type: | Royal Oak-class ship of the line |
| Tons burthen: | 1606 tons (1631.8 tonnes) |
| Length: | 168 ft 6 in (51.36 m) (gundeck) |
| Beam: | 46 ft 9 in (14.25 m) |
| Depth of hold: | 20 ft (6.1 m) |
| Propulsion: | Sails |
| Sail plan: | Full rigged ship |
| Armament: |
74 guns:
|
HMS Bedford was a Royal Navy 74-gun third rate. This ship of the line was launched on 27 October 1775 at Woolwich.[1]
Contents
Early service
In 1780, Bedford fought at the Battle of Cape St Vincent. Later, she was part of the squadron under Vice-Admiral Mariot Arbuthnot.
American Revolutionary War
During the American Revolutionary War, Bedford, under the command of under Captain Sir Edmund Affleck, fought in two engagements against the Comte de Grasse; at the Battle of St. Kitts (25–26 January 1782) under Admiral Samuel Hood, and the Battle of the Saintes (9–12 April 1782) under Admiral Rodney. She paid off at Portsmouth in the summer of 1783.
French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars
In 1795 she was in the Mediterranean under Captain Davidge Gould. She was with Vice-Admiral Hotham's squadron off Genoa on 14 March when it captured Ca Ira and Censeur. In the action Bedford had 7 men killed and 18 wounded. She was also involved in the skirmish with the Toulon fleet on 13 July. On 7 October, along with Censeur, Fortitude and several frigates, she failed to defend a merchant convoy against a French squadron off cape St Vincent with the result that the French captured Censeur and thirty merchantmen.
In 1797 she saw action at the Battle of Camperdown under the command of Captain Sir Thomas Byard.
By 1799 she was out of commission at Plymouth. The next year she was fitted out as a prison ship. Then in 1805 she became a receiving ship.
In 1807 she was fitted out for sea duty at Plymouth and in October she was commissioned by Captain James Walker. To man her she received the petty officers and crew of Bellerophon. Bedford then joined Rear-Admiral Sir Sidney Smith in escorting the Portuguese royal family in its flight from Lisbon to Rio de Janeiro. Marlborough, London, Monarch and Bedford, with eight Portuguese ships of the line, four frigates, two brigs and a schooner, accompanied by a large fleet of merchant vessels, reached Rio on 7 March 1808 after a passage of 14 weeks. While she was in Brazil Bedford was commanded for a short time in 1808-9 by Captain Adam Mackenzie of President.
In 1811 Bedford was with the squadron off Flushing and the next year she was off the Texel.
War of 1812
In September 1814 Captain Walker took command of a squadron that embarked the advance guard of Major General Keane's army being sent against New Orleans. Between 12-14 December Bedford's boats participated in the Battle of Lake Borgne, in which she lost one man killed and three wounded.
Bedford arrived off Chandeleur Island on 8 February 1815 and the troops started to disembark on the 16th. Sir Alexander Cochrane and Rear-Admirals Pulteney Malcolm and Edward Codrington went ashore with the army, as did most of Bedford''s officers and 150 of her men. Walker then found himself senior officer with the line-of-battle ships which, because of the shallow water, were 100 miles from the scene of the action.
Post-war and fate
After the peace Bedford and Iphegenia sailed to Jamaica to collect a home-bound convoy. In 1816 Bedford was out of commission at Portsmouth. She was broken up in 1817.[1]
Citations and notes
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.
External links
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