HMS Prince of Orange (1734)

A General View of Quebec, from Point Levy in 1759, by Richard Short
History
Great Britain
NameHMS Prince of Orange
Ordered5 May 1729
BuilderDeptford Dockyard
Launched5 September 1734
FateSold, 1810
General characteristics [1]
Class and type1719 Establishment 70-gun third rate ship of the line
Tons burthen1128
Length151 ft (46 m) (gundeck)
Beam41 ft 6 in (12.65 m)
Depth of hold17 ft 4 in (5.28 m)
PropulsionSails
Sail planFull-rigged ship
Armament
  • 70 guns:
  • Gundeck: 26 × 24-pdrs
  • Upper gundeck: 26 × 12-pdrs
  • Quarterdeck: 14 × 6-pdrs
  • Forecastle: 4 × 6-pdrs

HMS Prince of Orange was a 70-gun third rate ship of the line of the Royal Navy, built by Richard Stacey to the 1719 Establishment at Deptford Dockyard, and launched on 5 September 1734.[1]

In 1748, Prince of Orange was cut down to a 60-gun ship, a role in which it remained until being converted into a sheer hulk in 1772.[1] The Prince of Orange was part of the British Fleet at the capture of Louisbourg in 1758.

David Ramsay, fur trader, revolutionary War soldier, and Indian-killer was a crew member of Prince of Orange at both the Battle of Louisbourg in 1758 and the battle of Quebec in 1759. She brought Richard Short, the military artist to Quebec in 1759, where he drew pictures of the fleet, unfortunately not naming any vessel in particular.[2] He served as purser on her from 1759 to 1761,[3] within that period the ship was in Halifax, Nova Scotia, and Quebec City.

After nearly 40 years service as a hulk, she was finally sold out of the navy in 1810.[1]

  1. ^ a b c d Lavery, Ships of the Line vol.1, p169.
  2. ^ Cite error: The named reference DictionaryShort was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ Cite error: The named reference Tuck 2004 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).