HMS Thunderer (1783)

HMS ''Thunderer'' was a ship of the line of the Royal Navy, built in 1783. She carried 74-guns, being classified as a third rate. During her service she took part in several prominent naval battles of the French Revolutionary Wars and the Napoleonic Wars; including the Glorious First of June, the Battle of Cape Finisterre and the Battle of Trafalgar.

History

''Thunderer'' was built by the Wells brother's shipyard in Rotherhithe and launched on 13 November 1783. After completion, she was laid up until 1792, when she underwent a 'Middling Repair' to bring her into service in 1793.

In 1794 she fought at the Glorious First of June under Captain Albemarle Bertie, and from 1796 to 1801 served in the West Indies, under a succession of captains. During this period, under Captain Pierre Flasse, ''Thunderer'' fought at the Battle of Jean-Rabel in which she and forced the crew of the French frigate ''Harmonie'' to scuttle their vessel to prevent her capture.

On 15 October, and , and later and , and later still and ''Concorde'', chased two French frigates, ''Tartu'' and ''Néréide'', 50-gun frigate ''Forte'', and the brig-aviso (or corvette) '' Éveillé''. The British ships had to give up on the frigates due to the closeness of the shore. However, ''Pomone'' and ''Thunderer'', which had joined the chase, were able to take ''Eveillé'', of 18 guns, and 100 men. The French force had been out for 60 days and had captured 12 West Indiamen, two of which, ''Kent'' and ''Albion'', the British had already recaptured. ''Pomone'' and her squadron had recaptured ''Kent'' on 9 October. ''Orion'' recaptured ''Albion''. Warren's squadron returned to England in December with the remnants of the expedition to Quiberon Bay.

In mid-1799 ''Thunderer'' was part of a British squadron that detained the schooner ''Pegasus''. ''Pegasus'' had been flying an American flag and was carrying 68 slaves from Jamaica to Havana. Her captors sent ''Pegasus'' into the Bahamas where they were sold in late June and early July. The advertisements for the sales gave the origins of the slaves as Martinique, suggesting that ''Pegasus'' had been carrying false papers.

On 10 October 1800, ''Thunderer'' rescued the crew of which had struck a reef off the north coast of Cuba. The British set fire to ''Diligence'' as they left. It turned out that she had hit an uncharted shoal near Rio Puercos.

''Thunderer'' was recommissioned in 1803 under the command of Captain William Bedford.

On 14 June 1803 ''Rosamond'' arrived at Torbay. She had been sailing to France from San Domingue when ''Thunderer'' captured her. ''Rosamond'' was carrying a cargo of coffee, cotton, and sugar with an estimated value of £30,000.

On 26 July 1803 ''Thunderer'' captured the French privateer brig ''Venus''. ''Venus'', of 358 tons (bm), was pierced for 28 cannons but carried 18, sixteen 6-pounder guns and two 8-pounder carronades. She had a crew of 150 men, under the command of M. Lemperierre. She had sailed from Bordeaux five days earlier, in company with four other privateers. In his letter describing the capture, Captain Bedford described her as quite new, coppered, and well suited for the Royal Navy.

In 1805 ''Thunderer'' fought in Admiral Calder's fleet at the Battle of Cape Finisterre. Her captain, William Lechmere, returned to England to attend a court-martial as a witness to the events of Admiral Calder's action off Cape Finisterre at the time of the battle. Later that year she fought at the Battle of Trafalgar under the command of her First Lieutenant, John Stockham.Ships of the Old Navy, ''Thunderer''. The surgeon on board was Scotsman James Marr Brydone, who was the first of the main British battle fleet to sight the Franco-Spanish fleet. ''Thunderer'' signalled the ''Victory'' and three minutes later battle orders were signalled to the British fleet beginning the Battle of Trafalgar. On 25 November, ''Thunderer'' detained the Ragusan ship ''Nemesis'', of 350 tons (bm), four guns and 18 men, Poulovich, master. ''Nemesis'' was sailing from Isle de France to Leghorn, Italy, with a cargo of spice, indigo dye, and other goods. ''Thunderer'' shared the prize money with ten other British warships.

In 1807, ''Thunderer'' served in the Dardanelles Operation as part of a squadron under Admiral Sir John Duckworth and was badly damaged when the squadron withdrew from the area. However, she accompanied Duckworth on the Alexandria expedition of 1807, and in May left Alexandria for Malta, where she was provisioned and repaired over a period of 30 days.John Lace.

She was decommissioned in November 1808 and broken up in March 1814.

It is reputed that some of her timbers were re-used to build Christ Church, Totland on the Isle of Wight, whilst others were used in the construction of the lych gate at St. Nicolas' Church at North Stoneham near Eastleigh.

Notes

Citations

References

Chambers, Douglas B. (February 2014), ''Runaway Slaves in the Bahama Islands, 1784–1819''

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*Michael Phillips
''Thunderer'' (74) (1783)
Michael Phillips' Ships of the Old Navy. Retrieved 11 August 2008.


Jim Smith's Genealogy Page. Retrieved 2 September 2008.
* Lavery, Brian (1983) ''The Ship of the Line - Volume 1: The development of the battlefleet 1650-1850.'' Conway Maritime Press. .
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External links

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Thunderer (1783)
Ships of the line of the Royal Navy
Culloden-class ships of the line
Ships built in Rotherhithe
1783 ships