HMS Northumberland (1679)

History
Royal Navy EnsignEngland
NameHMS Northumberland
NamesakeGeorge Fitzroy, Duke of Northumberland
OrderedMay 1677
BuilderBaylie, Bristol
LaunchedJune 1679
Commissioned20 June 1679
Honours and
awards
  • Barfleur 1693
  • Vigo 1702
FateWrecked, 26/27 November 1703, on the Goodwin Sands
General characteristics as built
Class and type70-gun third-rate ship of the line
Tons burthen10412394 tons (bm)
Length
  • 151 ft 11.75 in (46.32 m) gundeck
  • 121 ft 4 in (36.98 m) keel for tonnage
Beam40 ft 2 in (12.24 m)
Draught18 ft (5.49 m)
Depth of hold17 ft (5.18 m)
PropulsionSails
Sail planFull-rigged ship
Armament
  • 1677 Establishment 72/60 guns
  • 26 × demi-cannons (54 cwt – 9.5 ft (LD)
  • 26 × 12-pdr guns 32 cwt – 9 ft (UD)
  • 10 × sakers 16 cwt – 7 ft (QD)
  • 4 × sakers 16 cwt – 7 ft (Fc)
  • 5 × 5 3-pdr guns 5 cwt – 5 ft (RH)
Notesher armament was unchanged by 1688, except she had demi-culverins in place of 12-pdr guns
General characteristics after 1702 rebuild
Class and type70-gun third-rate ship of the line
Tons burthen1096594 tons (bm)
Length
  • 152 ft 0 in (46.33 m) gundeck
  • 126 ft 8 in (38.61 m) keel for tonnage
Beam40 ft 4 in (12.29 m)
Depth of hold17 ft 3 in (5.26 m)
PropulsionSails
Sail planFull-rigged ship
Armament72/60 guns unchanged from 1688

HMS Northumberland was a 70-gun third-rate ship of the line of the Royal Navy, built by Francis Bayley of Bristol in 1677/79.[1][2] She partook in the last great battle of the War of English Succession and the first battle of the War of Spanish Succession. She was lost in the Great Storm of November 1703.

She was named in honour of Charles II illegitimate son, George Fitzroy, his son with Barbara Palmer (Duchess of Cleveland). George Fitzroy was made the Duke of Northumberland in 1678.[3] This was the first vessel to bear the name Northumberland in the English and Royal Navy.[4]

HMS Northumberland was awarded the Battle Honours Barfleur 1692, and Vigo 1702.

  1. ^ Cite error: The named reference Lavery, SoLv1 p162 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ "British Third Rate ship of the line 'Northumberland' (1679)". Threedecks. Retrieved 27 August 2019.
  3. ^ Winfield (2009), Chapter 3, Vessels acquired from 2 May 1660, 1677 Construction Programme, First Batch (1677 Orders)
  4. ^ Colledge (2020)