HMS Romney (1762)

The Loss of the Romney Man of War, by Richard Corbould
History
Great Britain
Name	Romney
Ordered	20 July 1759
Builder	Woolwich Dockyard
Laid down	1 October 1759
Launched	8 July 1762
Completed	By 4 September 1762
Honours and awards	Naval General Service Medal with clasps: "Romney 17 June 1794"[1] "Egypt"[2]
Fate	Lost on 19 November 1804
General characteristics
Class and type	50-gun fourth rate
Tons burthen	1,02834⁄94 bm
Length	146 ft (44.5 m) (overall) 120 ft 10 in (36.8 m) (keel)
Beam	40 ft (12.2 m)
Depth of hold	17 ft 2 in (5.2 m)
Propulsion	Sails
Sail plan	Full-rigged ship
Complement	350
Armament	Upper deck: 22 × 12-pounder guns Lower deck: 22 × 24-pounder guns QD: 4 × 6-pounder guns Fc: 2 × 6-pounder guns

HMS Romney was a 50-gun fourth rate of the Royal Navy. She served during the American War of Independence, and the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars in a career that spanned forty years. Five ships of the Royal Navy have been named HMS Romney. The origins of the name are from the town of New Romney, although it may be that the name entered the Royal Navy in honour of Henry Sydney, 1st Earl of Romney.

Launched in 1762, Romney spent most of her early career in North American waters, serving on the Newfoundland station, often as the flagship of the commander-in-chief. The ship was involved in the tensions leading up to the American Revolution when she was sent to support the Boston commissioners enforcing the Townshend Acts in 1768. Her actions involved impressing local sailors, confiscating a vessel belonging to John Hancock and providing a refuge for the unpopular commissioners when rioting broke out. She remained in American waters for part of the ensuing war, but towards the end operated in European waters after the French entry to the conflict.

Romney was laid up in ordinary or under repair for most of the subsequent years of peace, but returned to active service on the outbreak of war with Revolutionary France. She was in the Mediterranean supporting Lord Hood's occupation of Toulon in 1793, and remained there for several years. During this time she captured the 44-gun French Sibylle. Romney briefly returned to North America and then served in the Red Sea. Assigned to blockade the Dutch coast, Romney ran aground in November 1804 while sailing to join the fleet off Den Helder. She broke up after attempts to float her off failed.