HMS Foresight (1650)

Commodore Richard Beach and Dutch Admiral Van Ghent in a joint task force destroy six Barbary ships near Cape Spartel, Morocco, 17 August 1670, Jersey is the second left ship shown
History
Commonwealth Navy EnsignCommonwealth of England
NameForesight
Ordered24 December 1649
BuilderJonas Shish, Deptford Dockyard
Launched1650
Commissioned1650
Honours and
awards
  • Kentish Knock 1652
  • Dungeness 1652
  • Portland 1653
  • Gabbard 1653
  • Scheveningen 1653
  • Porto Farina 1655
  • Santa Cruz 1657
Royal Navy EnsignKingdom of England
NameForesight
Ordered24 December 1649
BuilderJonas Shish, Deptford Dockyard
Launched1650
Commissioned1650
Honours and
awards
  • Vagen 1665
  • Orfordness 1666
  • Schooneveld 1673
  • Texel 1673
FateWrecked, 4 July 1698
General characteristics
Class and type40-gun Fourth rate
Tons burthen513+2494 tons bm
Length
  • 121 ft 0 in (36.9 m) gundeck
  • 101 ft 6 in (30.9 m) keel for tonnage
Beam30 ft 10 in (9.4 m)
Draught14 ft 6 in (4.4 m)
Depth of hold15 ft 5 in (4.7 m)
Sail planship-rigged
Complement
  • 180 in 1653
  • 170 in 1666
Armament
  • 42 guns 1653
  • 46 guns 1666
  • 22 × culverins (LD)
  • 20 × demi-culverins (UD)
  • 4 × sakers (QD) (2 sakers added in 1677)
  • 52 guns in 1685
  • 22 × culverins (LD)
  • 22 × demi-culverins (UD)
  • 4 × sakers (QD)
  • 4 × minions

Foresight was a 40-gun fourth-rate of the Commonwealth of England, after the Restoration of the monarchy in 1660 she was incorporated into the Navy of the Kingdom of England. During her time in the Commonwealth Navy she partook in the First Anglo-Dutch war being present in the battles of Dungeness, Kentish Knock, Portland, The Gabbard and Scheveningen. She was also present at the Battle of Santa Cruz and the bombardment of Porto Farina, In the Second Anglo-Dutch War she was involved in the Battle of Vagen and the St James Day Fight. During the Third Anglo-Dutch War she participated in the battles of Schooneveld and Texel. For the remainder of her career she was in the West Indies, the Mediterranean and North American waters. She was wrecked south of Cuba in July 1698.[1]

Foresight was the second named vessel since it was used for a 36-gun ship built in 1570 and sold in 1604.[2]

  1. ^ Winfield
  2. ^ Colledge