HMS Victory is a 104-gun
first-rateFirst rate was the designation used by the Royal Navy for its largest ships of the line. While the size and establishment of guns and men changed over the 250 years that the rating system held sway, from the early years of the eighteenth century the first rates comprised those ships mounting 100...
ship of the lineA ship of the line was a type of naval warship constructed from the 17th through the mid-19th century to take part in the naval tactic known as the line of battle, in which two columns of opposing warships would manoeuvre to bring the greatest weight of broadside guns to bear...
of the
Royal NavyThe Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
, laid down in 1759 and launched in 1765. She is most famous as
Lord NelsonHoratio Nelson, 1st Viscount Nelson, 1st Duke of Bronté, KB was a flag officer famous for his service in the Royal Navy, particularly during the Napoleonic Wars. He was noted for his inspirational leadership and superb grasp of strategy and unconventional tactics, which resulted in a number of...
's
flagshipA flagship is a vessel used by the commanding officer of a group of naval ships, reflecting the custom of its commander, characteristically a flag officer, flying a distinguishing flag...
at the
Battle of TrafalgarThe Battle of Trafalgar was a sea battle fought between the British Royal Navy and the combined fleets of the French Navy and Spanish Navy, during the War of the Third Coalition of the Napoleonic Wars ....
in 1805.
She was also
KeppelAdmiral Augustus Keppel, 1st Viscount Keppel PC was an officer of the Royal Navy during the Seven Years' War and the War of American Independence...
's flagship at
UshantThe Battle of Ushant took place on 27 July 1778, during the American War of Independence, fought between French and British fleets 100 miles west of Ushant, a French island at the mouth of the English Channel off the north-westernmost point of France...
,
Howe'sAdmiral of the Fleet Richard Howe, 1st Earl Howe KG was a British naval officer, notable in particular for his service during the American War of Independence and French Revolutionary Wars. He was the brother of William Howe and George Howe.Howe joined the navy at the age of thirteen and served...
flagship at
Cape SpartelThe Battle of Cape Spartel was an indecisive naval battle between a Franco-Spanish fleet under Admiral Luis de Córdova y Córdova and a British fleet under Admiral Richard Howe...
and
JervisAdmiral of the Fleet John Jervis, 1st Earl of St Vincent GCB, PC was an admiral in the Royal Navy and Member of Parliament in the United Kingdom...
's flagship at
Cape St VincentIn the Battle of Cape St Vincent a British fleet under Admiral Sir John Jervis defeated a larger Spanish fleet under Admiral Don José de Córdoba near Cape St. Vincent, Portugal.-Origins:...
. After 1824 she served as a harbour ship.
In 1922 she was moved to a
dry dockA drydock is a narrow basin or vessel that can be flooded to allow a load to be floated in, then drained to allow that load to come to rest on a dry platform...
at
PortsmouthPortsmouth is the second largest city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire on the south coast of England. Portsmouth is notable for being the United Kingdom's only island city; it is located mainly on Portsea Island...
,
EnglandEngland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, and preserved as a
museum shipA museum ship, or sometimes memorial ship, is a ship that has been preserved and converted into a museum open to the public, for educational or memorial purposes...
. She continues to be flagship of the
Second Sea LordThe Second Sea Lord and Commander-in-Chief Naval Home Command , commonly just known as the Second Sea Lord , is one of the most senior admirals of the British Royal Navy , and is responsible for personnel and naval shore establishments.-History:In 1805, for the first time, specific functions were...
and is the oldest naval ship still in commission.
[Although 30 years younger, is the oldest commissioned warship still afloat.]
Construction
In December 1758, the commissioner of
Chatham DockyardChatham Dockyard, located on the River Medway and of which two-thirds is in Gillingham and one third in Chatham, Kent, England, came into existence at the time when, following the Reformation, relations with the Catholic countries of Europe had worsened, leading to a requirement for additional...
was instructed to prepare a
dry dockA drydock is a narrow basin or vessel that can be flooded to allow a load to be floated in, then drained to allow that load to come to rest on a dry platform...
for the construction of a new
first-rateFirst rate was the designation used by the Royal Navy for its largest ships of the line. While the size and establishment of guns and men changed over the 250 years that the rating system held sway, from the early years of the eighteenth century the first rates comprised those ships mounting 100...
ship. This was an unusual occurrence at the time as the Royal Navy preferred smaller and more manoeuvrable ships, and it was unusual for more than two to be in commission simultaneously; during the whole of the 18th century only ten were constructed.
The outline plans arrived in June 1759 and were based on
HMS Royal GeorgeHMS Royal George was a 100-gun first-rate ship of the line of the Royal Navy, built at Woolwich Dockyard and launched on 18 February 1756...
which had been launched at
Woolwich DockyardWoolwich Dockyard was an English naval dockyard founded by King Henry VIII in 1512 to build his flagship Henri Grâce à Dieu , the largest ship of its day....
in 1756. The naval architect chosen to design the ship was Sir Thomas Slade who, at the time, was the appointed
Surveyor of the NavyThe Surveyor to the Navy was a civilian officer in the Royal Navy. He was a member of the Navy Board from the inauguration of that body in 1546, and held overall responsibility for the design of British warships, although until 1745 the actual design work for warships built at each Royal Dockyard...
. She was designed to carry at least 100 guns and was established with that number of guns; in practice, her armament varied from 104 to 106 guns and
carronadeThe carronade was a short smoothbore, cast iron cannon, developed for the Royal Navy by the Carron Company, an ironworks in Falkirk, Scotland, UK. It was used from the 1770s to the 1850s. Its main function was to serve as a powerful, short-range anti-ship and anti-crew weapon...
s. In January 1808 the Victory was reduced to a 98-gun second rate, but was reclassed as a 104-gun first rate in February 1817.
The
keelIn boats and ships, keel can refer to either of two parts: a structural element, or a hydrodynamic element. These parts overlap. As the laying down of the keel is the initial step in construction of a ship, in British and American shipbuilding traditions the construction is dated from this event...
was laid on 23 July 1759 in the Old Single Dock (since renamed No. 2 Dock and now Victory Dock), and the name was finally chosen in October 1760. It was to commemorate the
Annus MirabilisThe Annus Mirabilis of 1759 took place in the context of the Seven Years' War and Great Britain's military success against French-led opponents on several continents...
, or Year of Victories, of 1759. In that year of the
Seven Years' WarThe Seven Years' War was a global military war between 1756 and 1763, involving most of the great powers of the time and affecting Europe, North America, Central America, the West African coast, India, and the Philippines...
, land victories had been won at Quebec and
MindenThe Battle of Minden—or Thonhausen—was fought on 1 August 1759, during the Seven Years' War. An army fielded by the Anglo-German alliance commanded by Field Marshal Ferdinand, Duke of Brunswick, defeated a French army commanded by Marshal of France Louis, Marquis de Contades...
and
naval battleA naval battle is a battle fought using boats, ships or other waterborne vessels. Most naval battles have occurred at sea, but a few have taken place on lakes or rivers. The earliest recorded naval battle took place in 1210 BC near Cyprus...
s had been won at Lagos and
Quiberon BayThe naval Battle of Quiberon Bay took place on 20 November 1759 during the Seven Years' War in Quiberon Bay, off the coast of France near St. Nazaire...
. There were some doubts whether this was a suitable name since the previous first-rate
VictoryHMS Victory was a 100-gun first-rate ship of the line of the Royal Navy, built to the dimensions of the 1733 proposals of the 1719 Establishment at Portsmouth Dockyard, and launched on 23 February 1737.-Construction:...
had been lost with all on board in 1744.
Once the
frameThe term structural system or structural frame in structural engineering refers to load-resisting sub-system of a structure. The structural system transfers loads through interconnected structural components or members.-High-rise buildings:...
had been constructed, it was normal to cover the ship up and leave it for several months to season. However, the end of the
Seven Years' WarThe Seven Years' War was a global military war between 1756 and 1763, involving most of the great powers of the time and affecting Europe, North America, Central America, the West African coast, India, and the Philippines...
meant that she remained in this condition for nearly three years, which helped her subsequent longevity. Work restarted in autumn 1763 and she was finally
launchedThe ceremonies involved in naming and launching naval ships are based in traditions thousands of years old.-Methods of launch:There are three principal methods of conveying a new ship from building site to water, only two of which are called "launching." The oldest, most familiar, and most widely...
on 7 May 1765, having cost £63,176 and 3
shillingThe shilling is a unit of currency used in some current and former British Commonwealth countries. The word shilling comes from scilling, an accounting term that dates back to Anglo-Saxon times where it was deemed to be the value of a cow in Kent or a sheep elsewhere. The word is thought to derive...
s (present day £) and used around 6000 trees, 90% of which were
oakAn oak is a tree or shrub in the genus Quercus , of which about 600 species exist. "Oak" may also appear in the names of species in related genera, notably Lithocarpus...
and the remainder
elmElms are deciduous and semi-deciduous trees comprising the genus Ulmus in the plant family Ulmaceae. The dozens of species are found in temperate and tropical-montane regions of North America and Eurasia, ranging southward into Indonesia. Elms are components of many kinds of natural forests...
,
pinePines are trees in the genus Pinus ,in the family Pinaceae. They make up the monotypic subfamily Pinoideae. There are about 115 species of pine, although different authorities accept between 105 and 125 species.-Etymology:...
and
firFirs are a genus of 48–55 species of evergreen conifers in the family Pinaceae. They are found through much of North and Central America, Europe, Asia, and North Africa, occurring in mountains over most of the range...
, as well as a small quantity of
Lignum VitaeLignum vitae is a trade wood, also called guayacan or guaiacum, and in parts of Europe known as pockenholz, from trees of the genus Guaiacum. This wood was once very important for applications requiring a material with its extraordinary combination of strength, toughness and density...
.
Because there was no immediate use for her, she was placed in ordinary—in reserve, roofed over, dismasted and placed under general maintenance—moored in the
River MedwayThe River Medway, which is almost entirely in Kent, England, flows for from just inside the West Sussex border to the point where it enters the Thames Estuary....
for 13 years until
FranceThe French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
joined the American War of Independence.
In March 1778,
John LindsayAdmiral Sir John Lindsay KB was a British naval officer of the 18th century, and the father of Dido Elizabeth Belle.-Family:...
was appointed her first captain, but he was transferred to captain in May 1778 when Admiral the Honourable
Augustus KeppelAdmiral Augustus Keppel, 1st Viscount Keppel PC was an officer of the Royal Navy during the Seven Years' War and the War of American Independence...
decided to raise his flag in Victory. She was
commissionedShip commissioning is the act or ceremony of placing a ship in active service, and may be regarded as a particular application of the general concepts and practices of project commissioning. The term is most commonly applied to the placing of a warship in active duty with its country's military...
in May 1778 under the command of Rear Admiral John Campbell (1st Captain) and Captain
Jonathan FaulknorCaptain Jonathan Faulknor was one of a five-generation dynasty of Northamptonshire-born men who became Royal Navy officers in the 18th century. He commanded HMS Victory at the battle of Ushant....
(2nd Captain), with the flag of Admiral Keppel.
The Victory was armed with smooth bore,
cast ironCast iron is derived from pig iron, and while it usually refers to gray iron, it also identifies a large group of ferrous alloys which solidify with a eutectic. The color of a fractured surface can be used to identify an alloy. White cast iron is named after its white surface when fractured, due...
cannonA cannon is any piece of artillery that uses gunpowder or other usually explosive-based propellents to launch a projectile. Cannon vary in caliber, range, mobility, rate of fire, angle of fire, and firepower; different forms of cannon combine and balance these attributes in varying degrees,...
. Initially she carried thirty 42-pounders (19 kg) on her lower deck, twenty-eight 24-pounders (11 kg) on her middle deck, and thirty 12-pounders (5 kg) on her upper deck, together with twelve 6-pounders on her
quarterdeckThe quarterdeck is that part of a warship designated by the commanding officer for official and ceremonial functions. In port, the quarterdeck is the most important place on the ship, and is the central control point for all its major activities. Underway, its importance diminishes as control of...
and
forecastleForecastle refers to the upper deck of a sailing ship forward of the foremast, or the forward part of a ship with the sailors' living quarters...
. In May 1778, the 42-pounders were replaced by 32-pounders (15 kg), but the 42-pounders were reinstated in April 1779; eventually, in 1803, the 42-pounders were permanently replaced by 32-pounders. In 1782, all the 6-pounders were replaced by 12-pounders. Later, she also carried two carronade guns, firing 68-lb (31 kg) round shot.
First battle of Ushant
Keppel put to sea from
SpitheadSpithead is an area of the Solent and a roadstead off Gilkicker Point in Hampshire, England. It is protected from all winds, except those from the southeast...
on 9 July 1778, with a force of thirty
ships of the lineA ship of the line was a type of naval warship constructed from the 17th through the mid-19th century to take part in the naval tactic known as the line of battle, in which two columns of opposing warships would manoeuvre to bring the greatest weight of broadside guns to bear...
and, on 23 July, sighted a
FrenchThe French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
fleet of twenty-nine ships 100 miles (160 km) west of
UshantUshant is an island at the south-western end of the English Channel which marks the north-westernmost point of metropolitan France. It belongs to Brittany and is in the traditional region of Bro-Leon. Administratively, Ushant is a commune in the Finistère department...
. The French Admiral,
Louis Guillouet, comte d'OrvilliersLouis Guillouet, comte d'Orvilliers was a French admiral.D'Orvilliers was born in Moulins, Allier, but spent most of his childhood in Cayenne, capital of the French colony French Guiana, where his father was governor. In 1723, aged fifteen, he joined the colony's infantry regiment and quickly rose...
, who had orders to avoid battle, was cut off from
BrestBrest is a city in the Finistère department in Brittany in northwestern France. Located in a sheltered position not far from the western tip of the Breton peninsula, and the western extremity of metropolitan France, Brest is an important harbour and the second French military port after Toulon...
but retained the
weather gageThe weather gage is a nautical term used to describe the advantageous position of a fighting sailing vessel, relative to another. The term is from the Age of Sail, and is now antiquated. A ship is said to possess the weather gage if it is in any position, at sea, upwind of the other vessel...
. Two of his ships escaped into port leaving him with twenty-seven. The two fleets manoeuvred during shifting winds and a heavy rain squall until a battle became inevitable with the British more or less in column and the French in some confusion. However, the French managed to pass along the British line with their most advanced ships. At about a quarter to twelve Victory opened fire on the
BretagneThe Bretagne was a large 110-gun three-decker French ship of the line, built at Brest, which became famous as the flagship of the Brest Fleet during the American War of Independence....
of 110 guns, which was being followed by the
Ville de ParisThe Ville de Paris was a large three-decker French ship of the line that became famous as the flagship of the Comte de Grasse during the American Revolutionary War....
of 90 guns. The British van escaped with little loss but Sir
Hugh PalliserAdmiral Sir Hugh Palliser, 1st Baronet was an officer of the British Royal Navy during the Seven Years' War and the American Revolutionary War...
's rear division suffered considerably. Keppel made the signal to follow the French but Palliser did not conform and the action was not resumed. Keppel was court martialled and cleared and Palliser criticised by an inquiry before the affair turned into a political argument.
Second battle of Ushant
In March 1780 Victorys hull was
sheathedCopper sheathing was the practice of protecting the under-water hull of a ship or boat through the use of copper plates affixed to the outside of the hull. It was pioneered and developed by the Royal Navy during the 18th century.-Development:...
with 3,923 sheets of copper below the waterline to protect it against
shipwormShipworms are not worms at all, but rather a group of unusual saltwater clams with very small shells, notorious for boring into wooden structures that are immersed in sea water, such as piers, docks and wooden ships...
. On 2 December 1781 the ship, now commanded by Captain Henry Cromwell and bearing the flag of Rear Admiral
Richard KempenfeltRichard Kempenfelt was a British rear-admiral who gained a reputation as a naval innovator. He is best known for his victory against the French at the Second Battle of Ushant and for his death when the HMS Royal George accidentally sank at Portsmouth the following year.He was born at Westminster...
, sailed with eleven other ships of the line, a 50-gun
fourth-rateIn the British Royal Navy, a fourth rate was, during the first half of the 18th century, a ship of the line mounting from 46 up to 60 guns. While the number of guns stayed subsequently in the same range up until 1817, after 1756 the ships of 50 guns and below were considered too weak to stand in...
, and five
frigateA frigate is any of several types of warship, the term having been used for ships of various sizes and roles over the last few centuries.In the 17th century, the term was used for any warship built for speed and maneuverability, the description often used being "frigate-built"...
s, to intercept a French
convoyA convoy is a group of vehicles, typically motor vehicles or ships, traveling together for mutual support and protection. Often, a convoy is organized with armed defensive support, though it may also be used in a non-military sense, for example when driving through remote areas.-Age of Sail:Naval...
that had sailed from Brest on 10 December. Not knowing that the convoy was protected by twenty-one ships of the line under the command of
Luc Urbain de Bouexic, comte de GuichenLuc Urbain de Bouëxic, comte de Guichen - French admiral; entered the navy in 1730 as "garde de la Marine," the first rank in the corps of royal officers.His promotion was not rapid...
, Kempenfelt ordered a chase when they were sighted on 12 December and began the battle. When he noted the French superiority he contented himself with capturing fifteen sail of the convoy. The French were dispersed in a gale and forced to return home.
Battle of Cape St. Vincent
In 1796 Captain
Robert CalderAdmiral Sir Robert Calder, 1st Baronet, KCB was a British naval officer who served in the Seven Years' War, the American Revolutionary War, the French Revolutionary Wars and the Napoleonic Wars.-Early life:...
(First Captain) and Capt.
Sir George Grey, 1st BaronetSir George Grey, 1st Baronet, KCB was a British Royal Navy officer. He was born at the family home of Fallodon, Northumberland on 10 October 1767, the third son of Charles Grey, 1st Earl Grey and Elizabeth Grey , and younger brother of Charles Grey, 2nd Earl Grey and General Sir Henry George Grey...
(Second Captain), commanded Victory under Admiral Sir
John JervisAdmiral of the Fleet John Jervis, 1st Earl of St Vincent GCB, PC was an admiral in the Royal Navy and Member of Parliament in the United Kingdom...
's flag. Sir John Jervis sailed from the
TagusThe Tagus is the longest river on the Iberian Peninsula. It is long, in Spain, along the border between Portugal and Spain and in Portugal, where it empties into the Atlantic Ocean at Lisbon. It drains an area of . The Tagus is highly utilized for most of its course...
on 18 January 1797; after being reinforced on 6 February by five ships from England his fleet consisted of fifteen sail of the line and six frigates. On 14 February the
PortuguesePortugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
frigate Carlotta, commanded by a Scotsman named Campbell with a Portuguese commission, brought news that a Spanish fleet was close. Jervis manoeuvred to intercept, and the battle was joined. Principe de Asturias, leading the Spanish leeward division, tried to break through the British line ahead or astern of Victory, but Victory poured such a tremendous fire into her, followed by several raking broadsides (that is, a ripple broadside delivered to the stern of the enemy axially), that the whole Spanish division wore round and bore up.
Horatio NelsonHoratio Nelson, 1st Viscount Nelson, 1st Duke of Bronté, KB was a flag officer famous for his service in the Royal Navy, particularly during the Napoleonic Wars. He was noted for his inspirational leadership and superb grasp of strategy and unconventional tactics, which resulted in a number of...
, in
HMS CaptainHMS Captain was a 74-gun third-rate ship of the line of the Royal Navy, launched on 26 November 1787 at Limehouse. She served during the French revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars before being placed in harbour service in 1799...
(primarily), also played a decisive role in this action.
Reconstruction
In February 1798 Victory was stationed at Chatham under the command of Lieutenant J. Rickman. On 8 December, unfit for service as a warship, she was ordered to be converted to a
hospital shipA hospital ship is a ship designated for primary function as a floating medical treatment facility or hospital; most are operated by the military forces of various countries, as they are intended to be used in or near war zones....
to hold wounded French and Spanish prisoners of war. In 1799, Rickman was relieved by Lieutenant J. Busbridge.
However, on 8 October 1799 was lost off
ChichesterChichester is a cathedral city in West Sussex, within the historic County of Sussex, South-East England. It has a long history as a settlement; its Roman past and its subsequent importance in Anglo-Saxon times are only its beginnings...
, having run aground on her way back to
PortsmouthPortsmouth is the second largest city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire on the south coast of England. Portsmouth is notable for being the United Kingdom's only island city; it is located mainly on Portsea Island...
after escorting a convoy to
LisbonLisbon is the capital city and largest city of Portugal with a population of 545,245 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Lisbon extends beyond the administrative city limits with a population of 3 million on an area of , making it the 9th most populous urban...
. She could not be refloated and so was stripped and dismantled. Now short of a first rate, the
AdmiraltyThe Admiralty was formerly the authority in the Kingdom of England, and later in the United Kingdom, responsible for the command of the Royal Navy...
decided to recondition Victory. Work started in 1800 but as it proceeded an increasing number of defects were found and the repairs developed into a very extensive reconstruction. The original estimate was £23,500 but the final cost was £70,933.
Extra gun ports were added, taking her from 100 guns to 104, and her
magazineMagazine is the name for an item or place within which ammunition is stored. It is taken from the Arabic word "makahazin" meaning "warehouse".-Ammunition storage areas:...
lined with copper. Her figurehead was replaced along with her
mastsThe mast of a sailing vessel is a tall, vertical, or near vertical, spar, or arrangement of spars, which supports the sails. Large ships have several masts, with the size and configuration depending on the style of ship...
and the paint scheme changed from red to the black and yellow seen today. Her gun ports were originally yellow to match the hull but later repainted black, giving a pattern later called the
"Nelson chequer"The Nelson Chequer was a specific colour-scheme adopted by vessels of the Royal Navy, modelled on that used by Admiral Horatio Nelson. It consisted of bands of black and yellow paint along the sides broken up by black gunports. Nelson, apparently, used the same style for all vessels under his...
, which was adopted by all Royal Navy ships after the Battle of Trafalgar. The work was completed on 11 April 1803 and the ship left for Portsmouth on 14 May under her new captain,
Samuel SuttonSamuel Sutton was an officer in the Royal Navy. He entered the service shortly after the start of the American War of Independence, and spent most of his early career serving with Captain and later Admiral Joshua Rowley. He saw action at several engagements with the French fleets in the West...
.
Nelson and Trafalgar
Vice-Admiral NelsonHoratio Nelson, 1st Viscount Nelson, 1st Duke of Bronté, KB was a flag officer famous for his service in the Royal Navy, particularly during the Napoleonic Wars. He was noted for his inspirational leadership and superb grasp of strategy and unconventional tactics, which resulted in a number of...
hoisted his flag in Victory on 16 May 1803 with Samuel Sutton as his
flag captainIn the Royal Navy, a flag captain was the captain of an admiral's flagship. During the 18th and 19th centuries, this ship might also have a "captain of the fleet", who would be ranked between the admiral and the "flag captain" as the ship's "First Captain", with the "flag captain" as the ship's...
and sailed to assume command in the Mediterranean on 20 May. Nelson transferred to the faster
frigateA frigate is any of several types of warship, the term having been used for ships of various sizes and roles over the last few centuries.In the 17th century, the term was used for any warship built for speed and maneuverability, the description often used being "frigate-built"...
AmphionHMS Amphion was a 32-gun fifth rate frigate of the Royal Navy. She served during the Napoleonic Wars.Amphion was built by Betts, of Mistleythorn, and was launched on 19 March 1798....
on 23 May.
On 28 May, Captain Sutton captured the French
EmbuscadeHMS Ambuscade was a 32-gun fifth-rate frigate of the Royal Navy, built at Depford in 1773.During the Revolutionary wars, as she blockaded Rochefort, she was captured in the Action of 14 December 1798 and brought in French service as Embuscade....
of 32 guns, bound for
RochefortRochefort is a commune in southwestern France, a port on the Charente estuary. It is a sub-prefecture of the Charente-Maritime department.-History:...
from San Domingo. Victory rejoined Lord Nelson off
ToulonToulon is a town in southern France and a large military harbor on the Mediterranean coast, with a major French naval base. Located in the Provence-Alpes-Côte-d'Azur region, Toulon is the capital of the Var department in the former province of Provence....
on 30 May when Captain Sutton exchanged commands with the captain of Amphion, Thomas Masterman Hardy.
Victory was passing the island of
ToroThe Bocas del Toro Archipelago is a group of islands in the Caribbean Sea in northwest Panama. The archipelago separates Bahía Almirante and Laguna de Chiriquí from the open Caribbean Sea. The archipelago is located in the Bocas del Toro District of Bocas del Toro Province. The major city is Bocas...
on 4 April 1805, when
HMS PhoebeHMS Phoebe was a 36-gun fifth rate of the British Royal Navy. She had a career of almost twenty years and fought in the French Revolutionary Wars, the Napoleonic Wars and the War of 1812...
brought the news that the French fleet under
Pierre-Charles VilleneuvePierre-Charles-Jean-Baptiste-Silvestre de Villeneuve was a French naval officer during the Napoleonic Wars. He was in command of the French and Spanish fleets defeated by Nelson at the Battle of Trafalgar....
had escaped from
ToulonToulon is a town in southern France and a large military harbor on the Mediterranean coast, with a major French naval base. Located in the Provence-Alpes-Côte-d'Azur region, Toulon is the capital of the Var department in the former province of Provence....
. While Nelson made for
SicilySicily is a region of Italy, and is the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea. Along with the surrounding minor islands, it constitutes an autonomous region of Italy, the Regione Autonoma Siciliana Sicily has a rich and unique culture, especially with regard to the arts, music, literature,...
to see if the French were heading for
EgyptEgypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
, Villeneuve was entering
CádizCadiz is a city and port in southwestern Spain. It is the capital of the homonymous province, one of eight which make up the autonomous community of Andalusia....
to link up with the Spanish fleet. On 7 May Nelson reached
GibraltarGibraltar is a British overseas territory located on the southern end of the Iberian Peninsula at the entrance of the Mediterranean. A peninsula with an area of , it has a northern border with Andalusia, Spain. The Rock of Gibraltar is the major landmark of the region...
and received his first definite news. The British fleet completed their stores in Lagos Bay, Portugal on 10 May, and two days later sailed westward with ten ships and three frigates in pursuit of the combined Franco-Spanish fleet of 17 ships. They arrived in the West Indies to find that the enemy was sailing back to Europe where Napoleon Bonaparte was waiting for them with his invasion forces at
Boulogne-Road:* Metropolitan bus services are operated by the TCRB* Coach services to Calais and Dunkerque* A16 motorway-Rail:* The main railway station is Gare de Boulogne-Ville and located in the south of the city....
.
The Franco-Spanish fleet was involved in the indecisive
Battle of Cape FinisterreIn the Battle of Cape Finisterre off Galicia, Spain, the British fleet under Admiral Robert Calder fought an indecisive naval battle against the Combined Franco-Spanish fleet which was returning from the West Indies...
in fog off Ferrol with Admiral Sir
Robert CalderAdmiral Sir Robert Calder, 1st Baronet, KCB was a British naval officer who served in the Seven Years' War, the American Revolutionary War, the French Revolutionary Wars and the Napoleonic Wars.-Early life:...
's squadron on 22 July before taking refuge in
VigoVigo is a city and municipality in north-west Spain, in Galicia, situated on the ria of the same name on the Atlantic Ocean.-Population:...
and Ferrol to land wounded and abandon three damaged ships. Calder on 14 August and Nelson on 15 August joined
Admiral CornwallisAdmiral the Honourable Sir William Cornwallis GCB was a Royal Navy officer who fought in the Napoleonic Wars. He was the brother of Charles Cornwallis, the 1st Marquess Cornwallis, governor-general of India...
's Channel Fleet off Ushant. Nelson continued to England in Victory leaving his Mediterranean fleet with Cornwallis who detached twenty of his thirty-three ships of the line and sent them under Calder to find the combined fleet at Ferrol. On 19 August came the worrying news that the enemy had sailed from there, followed by relief when they arrived in
CádizCadiz is a city and port in southwestern Spain. It is the capital of the homonymous province, one of eight which make up the autonomous community of Andalusia....
two days later. On the evening of Saturday, 28 September, Lord Nelson joined
Lord Collingwood'sVice Admiral Cuthbert Collingwood, 1st Baron Collingwood was an admiral of the Royal Navy, notable as a partner with Lord Nelson in several of the British victories of the Napoleonic Wars, and frequently as Nelson's successor in commands.-Early years:Collingwood was born in Newcastle upon Tyne...
fleet off Cádiz, quietly, so that his presence would not be known.
When Admiral Villeneuve learned that he was to be removed from command he took his ships to sea on the morning of 19 October, first sailing south towards the Mediterranean but then turning north towards the British fleet, beginning the
Battle of TrafalgarThe Battle of Trafalgar was a sea battle fought between the British Royal Navy and the combined fleets of the French Navy and Spanish Navy, during the War of the Third Coalition of the Napoleonic Wars ....
. Nelson had already made his plans: to break the enemy line some two or three ships ahead of their Commander in Chief in the centre and achieve victory before the van could come to their aid. Fitful winds made it a slow business. For five hours after Nelson's last manoeuvring signal the two columns of British ships slowly approached the French line before
Royal SovereignHMS Royal Sovereign was a 100-gun first rate ship of the line of the Royal Navy, which served as the flagship of Admiral Collingwood at the Battle of Trafalgar. She was the third of seven Royal Navy ships to bear the name. Designed by Sir Edward Hunt, she was launched at Plymouth Dockyard on 11...
, leading the lee column, was able to open fire on Fougueux. Twenty five minutes later Victory broke the line between
BucentaureBucentaure was a 80-gun ship of the line of the French Navy, lead ship of her class. She was the flagship of Vice-Admiral Latouche Tréville, who died on board on 18 August 1804....
and
RedoutableThe Redoutable was a Téméraire class 74-gun ship of the line of the French Navy. She is known for her duel with HMS Victory during the Battle of Trafalgar and for killing Vice Admiral Horatio Nelson during the action.- Early career :...
firing a treble shotted broadside into the stern of the former from a range of a few yards. At 25 minutes past one Nelson was shot, the fatal musket ball entering his left shoulder and lodging in his spine. He died at half past four. Such killing had taken place on Victorys quarter deck that Redoutable attempted to board her, but they were thwarted by the arrival of
Eliab HarveyAdmiral Sir Eliab Harvey, GCB was an eccentric and hot-tempered officer of the Royal Navy during the French Revolutionary and the Napoleonic Wars who was as distinguished for his gambling and dueling as for his military record...
in the 98-gun
HMS TemeraireHMS Temeraire was a 98-gun second-rate ship of the line of the Royal Navy. Launched in 1798, she served during the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, mostly on blockades or convoy escort duties...
, whose broadside devastated the French ship. Nelson's last order was for the fleet to anchor, but this was countermanded by Vice Admiral Collingwood. Victory lost 57 killed and 102 wounded.
Final years afloat
Victory took Nelson's body to
EnglandEngland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
where, after lying in state at
GreenwichGreenwich is a district of south London, England, located in the London Borough of Greenwich.Greenwich is best known for its maritime history and for giving its name to the Greenwich Meridian and Greenwich Mean Time...
, he was buried in St. Paul's Cathedral on 6 January 1806.
Victory bore many Admirals' flags after Trafalgar, and sailed on numerous expeditions, including two
BalticThe Baltic Sea is a brackish mediterranean sea located in Northern Europe, from 53°N to 66°N latitude and from 20°E to 26°E longitude. It is bounded by the Scandinavian Peninsula, the mainland of Europe, and the Danish islands. It drains into the Kattegat by way of the Øresund, the Great Belt and...
campaigns under Admiral Sir
James SaumarezAdmiral James Saumarez, 1st Baron de Saumarez , GCB was an admiral of the British Royal Navy, notable for his victory at the Battle of Algeciras.-Early life:...
. Finally her active career ended on 7 November 1812, when she was moored in
PortsmouthPortsmouth is the second largest city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire on the south coast of England. Portsmouth is notable for being the United Kingdom's only island city; it is located mainly on Portsea Island...
Harbour off
GosportGosport is a town, district and borough situated on the south coast of England, within the county of Hampshire. It has approximately 80,000 permanent residents with a further 5,000-10,000 during the summer months...
and used as a depot ship.
It is said that when Thomas Hardy was
First Sea LordThe First Sea Lord is the professional head of the Royal Navy and the whole Naval Service; it was formerly known as First Naval Lord. He also holds the title of Chief of Naval Staff, and is known by the abbreviations 1SL/CNS...
he told his wife, on returning home, that he had just signed an order for Victory to be broken up she burst into tears and sent him straight back to his office to rescind the order. Though this story may be apocryphal, the page of the duty log containing the orders for that day has been torn out.
In 1889, Victory was fitted up as a Naval School of
TelegraphyTelegraphy is the long-distance transmission of messages via some form of signalling technology. Telegraphy requires messages to be converted to a code which is known to both sender and receiver...
. She soon became a proper Signal School, and signal ratings from ships paying off were sent to Victory, instead of the barracks, for a two-month training course. The School remained on Victory until 1904, when training was transferred temporarily to
HMS HerculesHMS Hercules was a central-battery ironclad of the Royal Navy in the Victorian era, and was the first warship to mount a main armament of calibre guns....
, and in 1906 the whole School was moved to a permanent establishment at the Chatham Royal Naval Barracks.
As the years passed by Victory slowly deteriorated at her moorings. By 1921 she was in very poor condition, and a campaign to save her was started with the Save the Victory Fund under the aegis of the
Society for Nautical ResearchThe Society for Nautical Research was founded in 1910 to promote the academic field of maritime history in the United Kingdom.The aims of the society are to:* support and encourage research in maritime history and underwater archaeology....
. The outcome of the campaign was that the British Government agreed to restore and preserve her to commemorate Nelson, the Battle of Trafalgar and the Royal Navy's supremacy before, during, and after the Napoleonic period.
In dry dock
On 12 January 1922 she was moved into No. 2 dock, the oldest drydock in world, at
PortsmouthPortsmouth is the second largest city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire on the south coast of England. Portsmouth is notable for being the United Kingdom's only island city; it is located mainly on Portsea Island...
for restoration - her condition having deteriorated to the extent that she could no longer safely remain afloat. During the initial restoration period from 1922 to 1929, a considerable amount of structural repair work was carried out above the waterline and, mainly, above the middle deck. In 1928
King George VGeorge V was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Emperor of India, from 6 May 1910 through the First World War until his death in 1936....
was able to unveil a tablet celebrating the completion of the work, although restoration and maintenance still continued under the supervision of the Society for Nautical Research.
In 1941, Victory sustained some damage from a bomb dropped by the
LuftwaffeLuftwaffe is a generic German term for an air force. It is also the official name for two of the four historic German air forces, the Wehrmacht air arm founded in 1935 and disbanded in 1946; and the current Bundeswehr air arm founded in 1956....
into her dry dock, causing damage to the hull. On one occasion German radio
propagandaPropaganda is a form of communication that is aimed at influencing the attitude of a community toward some cause or position so as to benefit oneself or one's group....
claimed that the ship had been destroyed by a bomb, and the
AdmiraltyThe Admiralty was formerly the authority in the Kingdom of England, and later in the United Kingdom, responsible for the command of the Royal Navy...
had to issue a denial. Very few structural repairs were carried out in the period between 1929 and 1950. In the early 1950s, a detailed structural survey was completed. From that survey, it was apparent that the lower structure in the vicinity of the keel and extending up both port and starboard to beyond the turn of the bilge, was in very poor condition. Repairs were put in hand and completed in 1964. The wood used to carry out some of the restoration was teak in the case of the timbers internal and external planking, and oak for the keelson, riders in the hold, beams and pillars. After 1964, some repair of a belt extending around the ship which contained a fair proportion of decayed wood was carried out using Iroko hardwood.
Listed as part of the
National Historic Fleet, Core CollectionThe National Historic Fleet, Core Collection is a list of museum ships located in the United Kingdom, under the National Historic Ships register.The vessels on the National Historic Fleet are distinguished by:...
, in the early 21st century the ship underwent another very extensive restoration for the
bicentenaryAn anniversary is a day that commemorates or celebrates a past event that occurred on the same day of the year as the initial event. For example, the first event is the initial occurrence or, if planned, the inaugural of the event. One year later would be the first anniversary of that event...
of the battle in October 2005 to bring her appearance as close as possible to that which she had at Trafalgar. Replicas of items including mess bowls, beakers and tankards in the 'Marines' Mess', and a toothbrush, shaving brush and wash bowl in 'Hardy's Cabin' are on display.
Victorys foretopsail was severely damaged during the battle of Trafalgar, perforated by upwards of 90 cannonballs and other projectiles. It was replaced after the battle but was preserved, and eventually came to be displayed in the
Royal Naval MuseumThe Royal Naval Museum is the museum of the history of the Royal Navy in the Portsmouth Historic Dockyard section of HMNB Portsmouth, Portsmouth, Hampshire, England. The museum is a non-departmental public body sponsored by the Ministry of Defence. Its current Acting Director is Graham Dobbin....
. The sail is laid out across a large chamber, illuminated by alternating lowlight projectors.
Current status
HMS Victory is still in commission as the flagship of the
Second Sea LordThe Second Sea Lord and Commander-in-Chief Naval Home Command , commonly just known as the Second Sea Lord , is one of the most senior admirals of the British Royal Navy , and is responsible for personnel and naval shore establishments.-History:In 1805, for the first time, specific functions were...
in his role as Commander in Chief of the
Royal NavyThe Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
's Home Command (CINCNAVHOME). She is the oldest commissioned warship in the world, although the
USS ConstitutionUSS Constitution is a wooden-hulled, three-masted heavy frigate of the United States Navy. Named by President George Washington after the Constitution of the United States of America, she is the world's oldest floating commissioned naval vessel...
, launched 30 years later, is the oldest commissioned warship still afloat. Victory attracts around 350,000 visitors per year in her role as a museum ship.
The westernmost entrance to the Royal Navy's facility in
PortsmouthPortsmouth is the second largest city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire on the south coast of England. Portsmouth is notable for being the United Kingdom's only island city; it is located mainly on Portsea Island...
,
HMS NelsonHer Majesty's Naval Base Portsmouth is one of three operating bases in the United Kingdom for the British Royal Navy...
, is known as Victory Gate.
The current and 99th commanding officer is Lt-Cdr DJ 'Oscar' Whild
Royal NavyThe Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
, who assumed command on 1 September 2008.
Future support arrangements
In June 2009 Defence Equipment & Support, DE&S issued a request for Expressions of Interest to private industry for the future support arrangements for HMS Victory. DE&S aims to award a single 9-year project management contract in time for planned works to commence in April 2010 through to April 2019. The sum total value of the contract award is indicated to be worth between £15 million and £30 million spread over the life of the contract. The contract is to be funded from the British
defence budgetA military budget of an entity, most often a nation or a state, is the budget and financial resources dedicated to raising and maintaining armed forces for that entity. Military budgets reflect how much an entity perceives the likelihood of threats against it, or the amount of aggression it wishes...
.
However due to restructuring within DE&S (responsibility for HMS Victory transferring from Minehunter Patrol & Hydrographic IPT to Surface Combat Directorate), the contract competition was subsequently placed on hold.
In June 2010, DE&S Surface Combat Directorate re-issued the Expression of Interest to private industry. The terms remain unchanged although DE&S now aims to award the contract in time for works to commence in April 2011.
After some 40 years, significant repairs to the hull are now required, the deterioration being worse on the Starboard side than the Port. It is anticipated that the majority of manufactured hull planking will be issued as Ministry Supplied Material (MSM) to the successful contractor. Whilst the contractor will not, for the most part, be expected to employ authentic methods and skills, whenever it is practical authentic materials will be used.
Admirals who have hoisted their flag on the Victory
Over the two centuries since Victorys launch, numerous admirals have hoisted their flag in her:
| List of Admirals |
| Admiral | From | Until |
Admiral The Hon. Augustus KeppelAdmiral Augustus Keppel, 1st Viscount Keppel PC was an officer of the Royal Navy during the Seven Years' War and the War of American Independence...
|
16 May 1778 |
28 October 1778 |
Admiral Sir Charles HardyAdmiral of the Fleet Sir Charles Hardy was a Royal Navy officer and colonial governor of New York.-Early career:Born at Portsmouth, the son of a vice admiral, Charles Hardy joined the Royal Navy as a volunteer in 1731....
|
19 March 1779 |
14 May 1780 |
Admiral Francis GearySir Francis Geary was an officer of the Royal Navy. He served during the War of the Austrian Succession, the Seven Years' War, and the American War of Independence, eventually rising to the rank of Admiral.-Family and early life:...
|
24 May 1780 |
28 August 1780 |
| Rear Admiral Francis Samuel Drake |
26 September 1780 |
29 December 1780 |
| Vice Admiral Sir Hyde Parker Vice-Admiral Sir Hyde Parker, 5th Baronet was a British naval commander.Parker was born at Tredington, Gloucestershire. His father, a clergyman, was a son of Sir Henry Parker. His paternal grandfather had married a daughter of Alexander Hyde, Bishop of Salisbury. He began his career at sea in the...
|
20 March 1781 |
31 May 1781 |
| Commodore John Elliott |
June 1781 |
August 1781 |
Rear Admiral Richard KempenfeltRichard Kempenfelt was a British rear-admiral who gained a reputation as a naval innovator. He is best known for his victory against the French at the Second Battle of Ushant and for his death when the HMS Royal George accidentally sank at Portsmouth the following year.He was born at Westminster...
|
10 September 1781 |
11 March 1782 |
Admiral The Earl HoweAdmiral of the Fleet Richard Howe, 1st Earl Howe KG was a British naval officer, notable in particular for his service during the American War of Independence and French Revolutionary Wars. He was the brother of William Howe and George Howe.Howe joined the navy at the age of thirteen and served...
|
20 April 1782 |
14 November 1782 |
Admiral The Earl HoweAdmiral of the Fleet Richard Howe, 1st Earl Howe KG was a British naval officer, notable in particular for his service during the American War of Independence and French Revolutionary Wars. He was the brother of William Howe and George Howe.Howe joined the navy at the age of thirteen and served...
|
July 1790 |
August 1790 |
Admiral The Lord HoodSamuel Hood, 1st Viscount Hood was a British Admiral known particularly for his service in the American War of Independence and French Revolutionary Wars...
|
August 1790 |
August 1791 |
| Rear Admiral Sir Hyde Parker |
6 February 1793 |
May 1793 |
Admiral The Lord HoodSamuel Hood, 1st Viscount Hood was a British Admiral known particularly for his service in the American War of Independence and French Revolutionary Wars...
|
6 May 1793 |
15 December 1794 |
| Rear Admiral John Man John Man was an English churchman, college head, and diplomat.-Life:He was born at Laycock or Winterbourne Stoke, in Wiltshire. He was educated at Winchester College from 1523, and New College, Oxford, where he graduated B.A. in 1533, and M.A. in 1537, and became a Fellow...
|
8 July 1795 |
27 September 1795 |
| Vice Admiral Robert Linzee Robert Linzee was an officer of the Royal Navy who served during the American Revolutionary War, the French Revolutionary War, and the Napoleonic War....
|
October 1795 |
November 1795 |
Admiral Sir John JervisAdmiral of the Fleet John Jervis, 1st Earl of St Vincent GCB, PC was an admiral in the Royal Navy and Member of Parliament in the United Kingdom...
|
3 December 1795 |
30 March 1797 |
Vice Admiral The Viscount NelsonHoratio Nelson, 1st Viscount Nelson, 1st Duke of Bronté, KB was a flag officer famous for his service in the Royal Navy, particularly during the Napoleonic Wars. He was noted for his inspirational leadership and superb grasp of strategy and unconventional tactics, which resulted in a number of...
|
8 May 1803 |
21 October 1805 |
Admiral Sir James SaumarezAdmiral James Saumarez, 1st Baron de Saumarez , GCB was an admiral of the British Royal Navy, notable for his victory at the Battle of Algeciras.-Early life:...
|
18 March 1808 |
9 December 1808 |
| Admiral Sir Graham Moore Admiral Sir Graham Moore, GCB, GCMG was a British sailor and a career officer in the Royal Navy. He was the younger brother of General Sir John Moore.-Naval career:...
|
December 1808 |
23 January 1809 |
Admiral Sir James SaumarezAdmiral James Saumarez, 1st Baron de Saumarez , GCB was an admiral of the British Royal Navy, notable for his victory at the Battle of Algeciras.-Early life:...
|
8 April 1809 |
December 1809 |
Admiral Sir James SaumarezAdmiral James Saumarez, 1st Baron de Saumarez , GCB was an admiral of the British Royal Navy, notable for his victory at the Battle of Algeciras.-Early life:...
|
11 March 1810 |
3 December 1810 |
Rear Admiral Sir Joseph YorkeSir Joseph Sydney Yorke KCB was an officer of the Royal Navy. He served during the American Revolutionary, the French Revolutionary and the Napoleonic Wars, eventually rising to the rank of Admiral.-Family and early life:...
|
December 1810 |
March 1811 |
Admiral Sir James SaumarezAdmiral James Saumarez, 1st Baron de Saumarez , GCB was an admiral of the British Royal Navy, notable for his victory at the Battle of Algeciras.-Early life:...
|
2 April 1811 |
25 December 1811, |
Admiral Sir James SaumarezAdmiral James Saumarez, 1st Baron de Saumarez , GCB was an admiral of the British Royal Navy, notable for his victory at the Battle of Algeciras.-Early life:...
|
14 April 1812 |
15 October 1812 |
| In Ordinary |
18 December 1812 |
31 January 1824 |
Commissioner Sir Michael Seymour, 1st BaronetSir Michael Seymour, 1st Baronet KCB was an officer of the Royal Navy. He served during the French Revolutionary and the Napoleonic Wars, eventually rising to the rank of Rear-Admiral.-Family and early life:...
|
1824 |
| Paid off |
30 April 1827 |
21 October 1831 |
| became Flagship of Port Admiral |
| Rear Admiral Sir Frederick Lewis Maitland |
1832 |
| Rear Admiral Duncombe Pleydell-Bouverie Admiral The Honourable Duncombe Pleydell-Bouverie , was a British naval commander and Whig politician.Pleydell-Bouverie was the second son of Jacob Pleydell-Bouverie, 2nd Earl of Radnor of Coleshill House in Berkshire , and the Honourable Anne, daughter of Anthony Duncombe, 1st Baron Feversham...
|
1837 |
Rear Admiral Hyde ParkerVice-Admiral Hyde Parker CB was a senior British naval officer who started to serve during the Napoleonic Wars and who was appointed First Naval Lord of the Admiralty in 1852...
|
1842 |
| Rear Admiral W H Shiffeff |
1847 |
| Admiral Sir Charles Ogle Admiral of the Fleet Sir Charles Ogle, 2nd Baronet was an officer in the Royal Navy.-Naval career:Born the eldest son of Admiral Sir Chaloner Ogle, 1st Baronet, Ogle joined the Royal Navy in 1787....
|
20 March 1848 |
19 December 1848 |
| Admiral Sir Thomas Capel Admiral Sir Thomas Bladen Capel GCB RN was an officer in the British Royal Navy whose distinguished service in the French Revolutionary War, the Napoleonic Wars and the War of 1812 earned him rapid promotion and great acclaim both in and out of the Navy...
|
20 December 1848 |
19 December 1851 |
| Admiral Sir Thomas Briggs Admiral Sir Thomas Briggs GCMG was a Royal Navy officer who went on to be Commander-in-Chief, Portsmouth.-Naval career:Briggs served as Captain of HMS Agincourt in the early years of the nineteenth century....
|
20 December 1851 |
19 March 1853 |
| Vice Admiral Sir Thomas Cochrane Admiral of the Fleet Sir Thomas John Cochrane GCB was an English naval officer and colonial governor.-Naval career:...
|
20 March 1854 |
19 March 1856 |
| Vice Admiral Sir George Seymour |
20 March 1856 |
19 March 1859 |
| Admiral William Bowles |
20 March 1859 |
19 March 1860 |
| Vice Admiral Henry Bruce Admiral Sir Henry William Bruce KCB was a Royal Navy officer who went on to be Commander-in-Chief, Portsmouth.-Military career:...
|
20 March 1860 |
19 December 1864 |
| Vice Admiral Sir Michael Seymour |
20 December 1864 |
19 March 1866 |
Vice Admiral Sir Thomas PasleyAdmiral Sir Thomas Sabine Pasley, 2nd Baronet KCB was an officer of the British Royal Navy during the nineteenth century who never saw action but served across the globe in numerous positions...
|
20 March 1866 |
20 March 1869 |
TenderA ship's tender, usually referred to as a tender, is a boat, or a larger ship used to service a ship, generally by transporting people and/or supplies to and from shore or another ship...
to HMS Duke of Wellington |
20 December 1869 |
1 September 1891 |
| Admiral The Earl of Clanwilliam Admiral of the Fleet Richard James Meade, 4th Earl of Clanwilliam, GCB, KCMG , styled Lord Gillford until 1879, was a British Royal Navy officer and peer.-Background:...
|
1 August 1891 |
17 September 1894 |
Admiral Sir Nowell SalmonAdmiral of the Fleet Sir Nowell Salmon VC, GCB was an English recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces.-Naval career:Salmon was the son of Reverend H...
VCThe Victoria Cross is the highest military decoration awarded for valour "in the face of the enemy" to members of the armed forces of various Commonwealth countries, and previous British Empire territories....
|
18 September 1894 |
31 August 1897 |
Admiral Sir Michael Culme-SeymourAdmiral Sir Michael Culme-Seymour, 3rd Baronet was a senior Royal Navy officer. On 17 September 1880 he became 3rd Baronet, on the death of his father...
|
1 September 1897 |
17 November 1900 |
| Admiral Sir Charles Hotham Admiral of the Fleet Sir Charles Frederick Hotham, GCB GCVO was a Royal Navy officer who went on to be Commander-in-Chief, Portsmouth.-Naval career:...
|
18 November 1900 |
30 September 1903 |
| Admiral Sir John Fisher |
1 October 1903 |
18 March 1904 |
The Port Admiral's flag moved to HerculesHMS Hercules was a central-battery ironclad of the Royal Navy in the Victorian era, and was the first warship to mount a main armament of calibre guns....
and on 1 February 1905, to Firequeen |
| Admiral Sir Archibald Douglas Admiral Sir Archibald Lucius Douglas, GCB, GCVO was a Royal Navy officer of the 19th century.-Naval career:Douglas was born in Quebec City in pre-Confederation Canada in 1842...
|
18 March 1905 |
1 March 1907 |
Admiral Sir Day BosanquetAdmiral Sir Day Hort Bosanquet GCVO, KCB was the Governor of South Australia from 18 February 1909 until 22 March 1914.-Naval career:Born in Alnwick in Northumberland, Bosanquet joined the Royal Navy in 1857...
|
2 March 1907 |
17 March 1908 |
| Admiral Sir Arthur Fanshawe Admiral of the Fleet Sir Arthur Dalrymple Fanshawe GCB GCVO was a Royal Navy officer who went on to be Commander-in-Chief, Portsmouth.-Naval career:...
|
18 March 1908 |
30 April 1910 |
| Admiral Sir Assheton Curzon-Howe Admiral Sir Assheton Gore Curzon-Howe KCB CVO CMG was a British naval officer who served as Commander-in-Chief, Mediterranean Fleet from 1908 to 1910.-Early life:...
|
1 May 1910 |
17 March 1911 |
| Admiral Sir Arthur Moore |-|-|-...
|
18 March 1911 |
31 July 1912 |
| Admiral of the Fleet Sir Hedworth Meux Admiral of the Fleet The Hon Sir Hedworth Meux GCB KCVO , formerly The Hon Hedworth Lambton was an English naval officer famous for bringing help to the British forces in the Siege of Ladysmith....
|
1 August 1912 |
17 February 1916 |
| Admiral The Hon Sir Stanley Colville Admiral Sir Stanley Cecil James Colville GCB GCMG GCVO was a British Royal Navy officer.Colville was born in Eaton Place, London, the second son of Charles Colville, 10th Lord Colville of Culross, entitling him to the style "The Honourable". His mother, Cecile, was the daughter of Robert...
|
18 February 1916 |
17 April 1919 |
| Admiral Sir Cecil Burney Admiral of the Fleet Sir Cecil Burney, 1st Baronet GCB GCMG was a British Royal Navy admiral.-Early life and service before flag rank:...
|
18 April 1919 |
17 June 1920 |
| Admiral Hon Sir Somerset Gough-Calthorpe |
18 June 1920 |
31 May 1923 |
| Admiral Sir Sydney Fremantle Admiral Sir Sydney Robert Fremantle GCB, MVO was an officer of the Royal Navy, who served during the Victorian era and had risen to the rank of rear-admiral by the outbreak of the First World War...
|
1 June 1923 |
1 April 1926 |
| Admiral Sir Osmond Brock Admiral of the Fleet Sir Osmond de Beauvoir Brock KCB, KCMG, KCVO was a Royal Navy officer.-Naval career:Brock was the eldest son of Commander Osmond de Beauvoir Brock of Guernsey and he joined the Navy in 1882. Appointed midshipman in 1886, he passed for Lieutenant with first classes in every...
|
18 May 1926 |
30 April 1929 |
| Admiral of the Fleet Sir Roger Keyes |
1 May 1929 |
17 June 1931 |
| Admiral Sir Arthur Waistell Admiral Sir Arthur Kipling Waistell KCB was a Royal Navy officer who went on to be Commander-in-Chief, Portsmouth.-Naval career:Waistell joined the Royal Navy in 1892...
|
18 June 1931 |
17 February 1934 |
| Admiral of the Fleet Sir John Kelly |
18 February 1931 |
31 August 1936 |
Admiral of the Fleet The Earl of Cork and OrreryAdmiral of the Fleet William Henry Dudley Boyle, 12th Earl of Cork, 12th Earl of Orrery GCB GCVO RN was a career Royal Navy officer who had achieved the rank of full Admiral before succeeding a cousin in 1934 to the family titles, chief of which is Earl of Cork...
|
18 August 1937 |
30 June 1939 |
Admiral Sir William JamesAdmiral Sir William Milbourne James GCB was a British Naval commander, politician and author, perhaps most notable for his activities in the Naval Intelligence Division in the First World War.-Family:...
|
1 July 1939 |
30 September 1942 |
| Admiral Sir Charles Little Admiral Sir Charles James Colebrooke Little GCB GBE was a senior Royal Navy officer who went on to be Second Sea Lord and Chief of Naval Personnel.-Naval career:...
|
1 October 1942 |
28 September 1945 |
Admiral Sir Geoffrey LaytonAdmiral Sir Geoffrey Layton GBE, KCB, KCMG, DSO , was a British Royal Navy officer.-Early life and career:...
|
29 September 1945 |
29 June 1947 |
Admiral The Lord Fraser of North CapeAdmiral of the Fleet Bruce Austin Fraser, 1st Baron Fraser of North Cape GCB, KBE was a senior British admiral during World War II.-Early naval career:Fraser joined the Royal Navy as a Cadet on 15 January 1904...
|
30 June 1947 |
18 April 1949 |
| Admiral of the Fleet Sir Algernon Willis Admiral of the Fleet Sir Algernon Usborne Willis KCB DSO was a British Royal Navy officer.-Naval career:Willis joined the Royal Navy as a cadet in 1904 and went on to serve in World War I and then actions against the Bolsheviks in the Baltic from 1918 to 1919.In the Second World War he was...
|
19 April 1949 |
17 October 1950 |
| Admiral of the Fleet Sir Arthur Power Admiral of the Fleet Sir Arthur John Power GCB, GBE, CVO was an officer of the Royal Navy, who saw service in World War I and World War II.-Naval career:Power joined the Royal Navy in 1909 and served in World War I...
|
18 October 1950 |
17 October 1952 |
| Admiral Sir John Edelsten Admiral Sir John Hereward Edelsten GCB GCVO CBE was a senior Royal Navy officer who went on to be Commander-in-Chief, Portsmouth.-Naval career:Edelsten joined the Royal Navy in 1908...
|
18 October 1952 |
17 October 1954 |
| Admiral of the Fleet Sir George Creasy Admiral of the Fleet Sir George Elvey Creasy GCB CBE DSO MVO was a senior Royal Navy officer who went on to be Commander-in-Chief, Portsmouth.-Naval career:...
|
18 October 1954 |
17 July 1957 |
| Admiral Sir Guy Grantham Admiral Sir Guy Grantham GCB CBE DSO was a senior Royal Navy officer who went on to be Commander-in-Chief, Portsmouth.-Naval career:Educated at Rugby School, Grantham joined the Royal Navy in 1918....
|
18 July 1957 |
17 July 1959 |
| Admiral Sir Manley Power |
18 July 1959 |
17 January 1962 |
| Admiral Sir Alexander Bingley Admiral Sir Alexander Noel Campbell Bingley GCB OBE was a Royal Navy officer who went on to be Commander-in-Chief, Portsmouth.-Naval career:Bingley joined the Royal Navy as a cadet in 1918....
|
18 January 1962 |
17 January 1963 |
| Admiral Sir Wilfrid Woods Admiral Sir Wilfrid John Wentworth Woods, GBE, KCB, DSO and bar, DL was a Royal Navy officer who served in the Submarine Service in the Mediterranean.-Family:...
|
18 January 1963 |
9 September 1965 |
Admiral Sir Varyl BeggAdmiral of the Fleet Sir Varyl Cargill Begg GCB, DSO, DSC was First Sea Lord, the professional head of the Royal Navy, from 1966 to 1968.-Early life:...
|
10 September 1965 |
9 June 1966 |
| Admiral Sir Frank Hopkins Admiral Sir Frank Henry Edward Hopkins KCB, DSO, DSC, , was a naval officer with the Royal Navy.-Naval career:Educated at the Nautical College at Pangbourne in Berkshire, Hopkins joined the Royal Navy in 1927....
|
10 June 1966 |
30 October 1967 |
| Admiral Sir John Frewen Admiral Sir John Byng Frewen GCB was Commander-in-Chief Naval Home Command.-Naval career:Frewen joined the Royal Navy in 1924. He served in World War II in the Russian Convoys and as Squadron Navigating Officer for Aircraft Carriers in the Pacific...
|
31 October 1967 |
27 February 1970 |
| Admiral Sir Horace Law Admiral Sir Horace Law GCB OBE DSC was Commander-in-Chief Naval Home Command.-Naval career:...
|
28 February 1970 |
28 February 1972 |
| Admiral Sir Andrew Lewis Admiral Sir Andrew Mackenzie Lewis KCB JP was Commander-in-Chief Naval Home Command.-Naval career:Lewis joined the Royal Navy and fought in World War II being mentioned in despatches for his service in HMS Ashanti....
|
29 February 1972 |
29 June 1974 |
| Admiral Sir Derek Empson Admiral Sir Derek Empson GBE KCB was Commander-in-Chief Naval Home Command.-Naval career:Educated at Eastbourne College, Empson joined the Royal Navy as a pilot 1940. He served in the Fleet Air Arm during World War II....
|
30 June 1974 |
30 October 1975 |
Admiral Sir Terence LewinAdmiral of the Fleet Terence Thornton Lewin, Baron Lewin, KG, GCB, LVO, DSC was a former First Sea Lord of the Royal Navy, and Chief of the Defence Staff.-Naval career:...
|
31 October 1975 |
30 October 1976 |
Admiral Sir David WilliamsAdmiral Sir David Williams GCB was a senior officer in the British Royal Navy.-Naval career:Williams was appointed Second Sea Lord and Chief of Naval Personnel in 1974; he was then Commander-in-Chief Naval Home Command from 1976 to 1979 when he retired.Between 1980 and 1982 he was Chairman of the...
|
31 October 1976 |
30 October 1978 |
| Admiral Sir Richard Clayton Admiral Sir Richard Pilkington Clayton GCB was Commander-in-Chief Naval Home Command.-Naval career:Clayton joined the Royal Navy in 1942 and served as a midshipman on HMS Cumberland until 1943 when he was on various destroyers of the Home Fleet...
|
31 October 1978 |
30 June 1981 |
| Admiral Sir James Eberle Admiral Sir James Henry Fuller Eberle GCB was Commander-in-Chief Fleet.-Naval career:Educated at Clifton College and the Royal Naval College, Dartmouth, Eberle was commissioned into the Royal Navy in 1941. He served in World War II....
|
1 July 1981 |
31 December 1983 |
| Admiral Sir Desmond Cassidi |
1 January 1983 |
30 October 1984 |
| Admiral Sir Peter Stanford Admiral Sir Peter Maxwell Stanford GCB LVO was Commander-in-Chief Naval Home Command.-Naval career:Stanford was commissioned into the Royal Navy in 1948. He was appointed Commanding Officer of HMY Britannia in 1969 and of HMS Hermione in 1974...
|
31 October 1984 |
30 October 1987 |
| Admiral Sir John "Sandy" Woodward Admiral Sir John Forster "Sandy" Woodward GBE, KCB is a British Admiral who commanded the British Naval Force in the South Atlantic during the Falklands War.-Naval career:...
|
31 October 1987 |
30 October 1989 |
| Admiral Sir Jeremy Black |
31 October 1989 |
30 March 1991 |
| Admiral Sir John Kerr Admiral Sir John Beverley Kerr GCB, DL, is a retired admiral in the Royal Navy.-Career:During his naval career Kerr commanded a frigate, a guided missile destroyer and an aircraft carrier — HMS Illustrious. He was appointed Chief of Defence Intelligence in 1988...
|
31 March 1991 |
30 March 1993 |
| Admiral Sir Michael Layard Admiral Sir Michael Henry Gordon Layard KCB CBE is a senior Royal Navy officer who went on to be Second Sea Lord.-Naval career:...
|
31 March 1993 |
30 March 1994 |
Admiral Sir Michael BoyceAdmiral Michael Cecil Boyce, Baron Boyce, KG, GCB, OBE, DL , is a cross bench member of the British House of Lords. Lord Boyce is a former First Sea Lord of the Royal Navy and Chief of the Defence Staff. He was born in Cape Town, South Africa.-Naval career:Educated at Hurstpierpoint College, Boyce...
|
31 March 1994 |
30 March 1997 |
| Admiral Sir John Brigstocke Admiral Sir John Richard Brigstocke KCB is a Royal Navy officer who went on to be Second Sea Lord.-Naval career:Educated at West Downs School, Marlborough College and the Britannia Royal Naval College, Brigstocke joined the Royal Navy in 1962....
|
31 March 1997 |
18 January 2000 |
| Vice Admiral Sir Peter Spencer Vice Admiral Sir Peter Spencer KCB is a Royal Navy officer who went on to be Second Sea Lord.-Naval career:Born in Brighton and educated at both Cambridge University and Southampton University, Spencer was commissioned into the Royal Navy in 1965.In 1992 he was appointed Director of Operational...
|
19 January 2000 |
28 January 2003 |
Vice-Admiral Sir James Burnell-NugentAdmiral Sir James Michael Burnell-Nugent KCB, CBE, ADC was the Commander-in-Chief Fleet of the Royal Navy.-Early life:He attended Stowe School in Buckinghamshire then went to Corpus Christi College, Cambridge.-Naval career:...
|
29 January 2003 |
25 October 2005 |
Vice-Admiral Sir Adrian JohnsVice Admiral Sir Adrian James Johns KCB, CBE, KStJ, ADC is the current Governor of Gibraltar and a former senior officer in the Royal Navy. His most senior naval posting was as Second Sea Lord from 2005 to 2008.-Career:...
|
25 October 2005 |
15 July 2008 |
| Vice-Admiral Sir Alan Massey Vice Admiral Sir Alan Michael Massey, KCB, CBE is a former senior officer in the Royal Navy who served as the Second Sea Lord.-Naval career:...
|
15 July 2008 |
19 July 2010 |
| Vice-Admiral Charles Montgomery Vice Admiral Charles Montgomery CBE is a Royal Navy officer who currently serves as Second Sea Lord.-Naval career:Educated at Uppingham School and the Royal Naval College, Dartmouth, Montgomery joined the Royal Navy in 1973. After spending his first three years of service at Sheffield University he...
|
19 July 2010 |
present |
See also
- Tenants Harbor Light
Tenants Harbor Light, also known as Southern Island Light, is a lighthouse at the mouth of Tenants Harbor, St. George, Maine. It appears in paintings by Andrew Wyeth and his son Jamie Wyeth, who have owned the light house since 1978.-History:...
, which contains a replica commissioned by Andrew WyethAndrew Newell Wyeth was a visual artist, primarily a realist painter, working predominantly in a regionalist style. He was one of the best-known U.S. artists of the middle 20th century....
of Lord Nelson's cabin
External links