Service history
From May until October 1769 she was under command of Captain Basil Keith. From January 1774 until April 1776 she was under command of Captain John Robinson with a crew of 350 men. Cuthbert Collingwood, 1st Baron Collingwood, Cuthbert Collingwood was a midshipman on the ship during this period. She took part in the Naval operations in the American Revolutionary War under William Hotham, 1st Baron Hotham, William Hotham. On 13 August 1778, cut off from her squadron by a storm, she encountered the French 74-gun French ship Vengeur du Peuple, ''Marseillois'', which she fought indecisively. Taking part in the Battle of Dogger Bank (1781) where she was disabled, with her commander, Captain Alexander Graeme losing an arm, she was sailed back to the Thames by James Saumarez, 1st Baron de Saumarez, Lieutenant Saumarez From March 1783 until April 1784 she was under command of George Martin (Royal Navy officer), Captain George Martin. In 1785, ''Preston'' was converted to serve as a sheer hulk, and she was eventually broken up at Woolwich in January 1815.Notes
References
*Lavery, Brian (1983) ''The Ship of the Line – Volume 1: The development of the battlefleet 1650–1850''. Conway Maritime Press. . Ships of the line of the Royal Navy 1757 ships {{UK-line-ship-stub