Torrington was a 52-gun third-rate

Third-rate

In the British Royal Navy, a third rate was a ship of the line which from the 1720s mounted between 64 and 80 guns, typically built with two gun decks . Years of experience proved that the third rate ships embodied the best compromise between sailing ability , firepower, and cost...

 ship of the line, built under the 1652 Programme for the navy of the Commonwealth of England

Commonwealth of England

The Commonwealth of England was the republic which ruled first England, and then Ireland and Scotland from 1649 to 1660. Between 1653–1659 it was known as the Commonwealth of England, Scotland and Ireland...

 by Henry Johnson at Blackwall Yard

Blackwall Yard

Blackwall Yard was a shipyard on the Thames at Blackwall, London, engaged in ship building and later ship repairs for over 350 years. The yard closed in 1987...

, London

London

London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...

, and launched in 1654. She was named for the Parliamentarian victory at the Battle of Torrington

Battle of Torrington

The Battle of Torrington was a battle of the south-western campaign of the First English Civil War, marking the end of Royalist resistance in the west country.-Prelude:...

 in 1646. After the Restoration in 1660, she was renamed Dreadnought. By 1677 her armament had been increased to 62 guns.

After an active career in both the Second Dutch War and Third Dutch War, Dreadnought foundered at sea in October 1690.