HMS Chatham (1812)
Encyclopedia
HMS Chatham was a 74-gun
third rate ship of the line
of the Royal Navy
. She had been planned as the Royal-Hollandais for the French Navy
, but was captured while under construction during the Walcheren Campaign
.
Royal-Hollandais had been planned as one of the smaller variants of the Téméraire-class
ships of the line, and was under construction at Flushing
when the town fell in 1809 to a British expeditionary force. The frames were discovered on the slipway, and were packaged up and shipped back to London, where the Admiralty
authorised her completion for the Royal Navy. She was duly launched in 1812, and spent a relatively short career in British waters, particularly the North Sea
, including some time as a flagship
. Poor quality timber used in her construction curtailed her career, and she was reduced to a hulk
towards the end of the Napoleonic Wars
, was laid up, and finally sold in 1817, five years after having been launched.
in the Kingdom of Holland
. She was to be a member of the Pluton type, a smaller variant of the Téméraire-class
ships of the line, and would have been named Royal-Hollandais on completion. She was still under construction on the stocks when the town fell to the British on 17 August 1809 during the Walcheren Campaign
. The frames were taken down, shipped to London
and were re-laid at Woolwich Dockyard
in June 1810. Also found under construction on the ways were a frigate and a brig, which were destroyed, and a newly built 38-gun Pallas-class frigate, the Fidèle, which had been launched in June but had not yet been completed. Fidèle was sailed to England and completed there as . Chatham was launched from Woolwich on 14 February 1812 and had been completed by 25 April 1812.
As completed Chatham was 1,860 25/94 tons burthen, 177 in 9 in (54.18 m) long on the gun deck
, and 146 in 8 in (44.7 m) at the keel
. She was 48 in 10 in (14.88 m) on the beam
, and 21 foot deep in the hold
. She was crewed by 590 men, and carried twenty-eight 32-pounder guns on her lower gundeck, twenty-eight 24-pounders on her upper and four 12-pounders and ten 32-pounder carronade
s on her quarterdeck
. On her forecastle
she mounted two 12-pounders and two 32-pounder carronades, with a further six 18-pounder carronades on her roundhouse.
, and his being promoted to rear-admiral, was succeeded by Captain Robert Maunsell in September that year. Chatham was serving at this time as the flagship
of Rear-Admiral Matthew Scott, in the North Sea
. She was reduced to a sheer hulk by July 1814, when she came under David Lloyd's command. She was finally laid up at Chatham Dockyard
in November 1815, after the end of the Napoleonic Wars
, and was sold for breaking up to Joshua Crystall on 10 September 1817 for the sum of £5,110.
Seventy-four (ship)
The "seventy-four" was a type of two-decked sailing ship of the line nominally carrying 74 guns. Originally developed by the French Navy in the mid-18th century, the design proved to be a good balance between firepower and sailing qualities, and was adopted by the British Royal Navy , as well as...
third rate ship of the line
Ship of the line
A ship of the line was a type of naval warship constructed from the 17th through the mid-19th century to take part in the naval tactic known as the line of battle, in which two columns of opposing warships would manoeuvre to bring the greatest weight of broadside guns to bear...
of the Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
. She had been planned as the Royal-Hollandais for the French Navy
French Navy
The French Navy, officially the Marine nationale and often called La Royale is the maritime arm of the French military. It includes a full range of fighting vessels, from patrol boats to a nuclear powered aircraft carrier and 10 nuclear-powered submarines, four of which are capable of launching...
, but was captured while under construction during the Walcheren Campaign
Walcheren Campaign
The Walcheren Campaign was an unsuccessful British expedition to the Netherlands in 1809 intended to open another front in the Austrian Empire's struggle with France during the War of the Fifth Coalition. Around 40,000 soldiers, 15,000 horses together with field artillery and two siege trains...
.
Royal-Hollandais had been planned as one of the smaller variants of the Téméraire-class
Téméraire class ship of the line
The Téméraire class ships of the line was a class of 107 74-gun ships of the line built between 1782 and 1813 for the French navy. The type was and remains the most numerous class of capital ship ever built....
ships of the line, and was under construction at Flushing
Flushing, Netherlands
Vlissingen is a municipality and a city in the southwestern Netherlands on the former island of Walcheren. With its strategic location between the Scheldt river and the North Sea, Vlissingen has been an important harbour for centuries. It was granted city rights in 1315. In the 17th century...
when the town fell in 1809 to a British expeditionary force. The frames were discovered on the slipway, and were packaged up and shipped back to London, where the Admiralty
Admiralty
The Admiralty was formerly the authority in the Kingdom of England, and later in the United Kingdom, responsible for the command of the Royal Navy...
authorised her completion for the Royal Navy. She was duly launched in 1812, and spent a relatively short career in British waters, particularly the North Sea
North Sea
In the southwest, beyond the Straits of Dover, the North Sea becomes the English Channel connecting to the Atlantic Ocean. In the east, it connects to the Baltic Sea via the Skagerrak and Kattegat, narrow straits that separate Denmark from Norway and Sweden respectively...
, including some time as a flagship
Flagship
A flagship is a vessel used by the commanding officer of a group of naval ships, reflecting the custom of its commander, characteristically a flag officer, flying a distinguishing flag...
. Poor quality timber used in her construction curtailed her career, and she was reduced to a hulk
Hulk (ship)
A hulk is a ship that is afloat, but incapable of going to sea. Although sometimes used to describe a ship that has been launched but not completed, the term most often refers to an old ship that has had its rigging or internal equipment removed, retaining only its flotational qualities...
towards the end of the Napoleonic Wars
Napoleonic Wars
The Napoleonic Wars were a series of wars declared against Napoleon's French Empire by opposing coalitions that ran from 1803 to 1815. As a continuation of the wars sparked by the French Revolution of 1789, they revolutionised European armies and played out on an unprecedented scale, mainly due to...
, was laid up, and finally sold in 1817, five years after having been launched.
Construction and capture
The ship was first laid down for the French Navy at FlushingFlushing, Netherlands
Vlissingen is a municipality and a city in the southwestern Netherlands on the former island of Walcheren. With its strategic location between the Scheldt river and the North Sea, Vlissingen has been an important harbour for centuries. It was granted city rights in 1315. In the 17th century...
in the Kingdom of Holland
Kingdom of Holland
The Kingdom of Holland 1806–1810 was set up by Napoleon Bonaparte as a puppet kingdom for his third brother, Louis Bonaparte, in order to better control the Netherlands. The name of the leading province, Holland, was now taken for the whole country...
. She was to be a member of the Pluton type, a smaller variant of the Téméraire-class
Téméraire class ship of the line
The Téméraire class ships of the line was a class of 107 74-gun ships of the line built between 1782 and 1813 for the French navy. The type was and remains the most numerous class of capital ship ever built....
ships of the line, and would have been named Royal-Hollandais on completion. She was still under construction on the stocks when the town fell to the British on 17 August 1809 during the Walcheren Campaign
Walcheren Campaign
The Walcheren Campaign was an unsuccessful British expedition to the Netherlands in 1809 intended to open another front in the Austrian Empire's struggle with France during the War of the Fifth Coalition. Around 40,000 soldiers, 15,000 horses together with field artillery and two siege trains...
. The frames were taken down, shipped to London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
and were re-laid at Woolwich Dockyard
Woolwich Dockyard
Woolwich Dockyard was an English naval dockyard founded by King Henry VIII in 1512 to build his flagship Henri Grâce à Dieu , the largest ship of its day....
in June 1810. Also found under construction on the ways were a frigate and a brig, which were destroyed, and a newly built 38-gun Pallas-class frigate, the Fidèle, which had been launched in June but had not yet been completed. Fidèle was sailed to England and completed there as . Chatham was launched from Woolwich on 14 February 1812 and had been completed by 25 April 1812.
As completed Chatham was 1,860 25/94 tons burthen, 177 in 9 in (54.18 m) long on the gun deck
Gun deck
The term gun deck originally referred to a deck aboard a ship that was primarily used for the mounting of cannon to be fired in broadsides. However, on many smaller vessels such as frigates and unrated vessels the upper deck, forecastle and quarterdeck bore all of the cannons but were not referred...
, and 146 in 8 in (44.7 m) at the keel
Keel
In boats and ships, keel can refer to either of two parts: a structural element, or a hydrodynamic element. These parts overlap. As the laying down of the keel is the initial step in construction of a ship, in British and American shipbuilding traditions the construction is dated from this event...
. She was 48 in 10 in (14.88 m) on the beam
Beam (nautical)
The beam of a ship is its width at the widest point. Generally speaking, the wider the beam of a ship , the more initial stability it has, at expense of reserve stability in the event of a capsize, where more energy is required to right the vessel from its inverted position...
, and 21 foot deep in the hold
Hold (ship)
thumb|right|120px|View of the hold of a container shipA ship's hold is a space for carrying cargo. Cargo in holds may be either packaged in crates, bales, etc., or unpackaged . Access to holds is by a large hatch at the top...
. She was crewed by 590 men, and carried twenty-eight 32-pounder guns on her lower gundeck, twenty-eight 24-pounders on her upper and four 12-pounders and ten 32-pounder carronade
Carronade
The carronade was a short smoothbore, cast iron cannon, developed for the Royal Navy by the Carron Company, an ironworks in Falkirk, Scotland, UK. It was used from the 1770s to the 1850s. Its main function was to serve as a powerful, short-range anti-ship and anti-crew weapon...
s on her quarterdeck
Quarterdeck
The quarterdeck is that part of a warship designated by the commanding officer for official and ceremonial functions. In port, the quarterdeck is the most important place on the ship, and is the central control point for all its major activities. Underway, its importance diminishes as control of...
. On her forecastle
Forecastle
Forecastle refers to the upper deck of a sailing ship forward of the foremast, or the forward part of a ship with the sailors' living quarters...
she mounted two 12-pounders and two 32-pounder carronades, with a further six 18-pounder carronades on her roundhouse.
Career
The poor quality timber used in her construction meant that her service life was short. She was commissioned in March 1812 under the command of Captain Graham MooreGraham Moore
Admiral Sir Graham Moore, GCB, GCMG was a British sailor and a career officer in the Royal Navy. He was the younger brother of General Sir John Moore.-Naval career:...
, and his being promoted to rear-admiral, was succeeded by Captain Robert Maunsell in September that year. Chatham was serving at this time as the flagship
Flagship
A flagship is a vessel used by the commanding officer of a group of naval ships, reflecting the custom of its commander, characteristically a flag officer, flying a distinguishing flag...
of Rear-Admiral Matthew Scott, in the North Sea
North Sea
In the southwest, beyond the Straits of Dover, the North Sea becomes the English Channel connecting to the Atlantic Ocean. In the east, it connects to the Baltic Sea via the Skagerrak and Kattegat, narrow straits that separate Denmark from Norway and Sweden respectively...
. She was reduced to a sheer hulk by July 1814, when she came under David Lloyd's command. She was finally laid up at Chatham Dockyard
Chatham Dockyard
Chatham Dockyard, located on the River Medway and of which two-thirds is in Gillingham and one third in Chatham, Kent, England, came into existence at the time when, following the Reformation, relations with the Catholic countries of Europe had worsened, leading to a requirement for additional...
in November 1815, after the end of the Napoleonic Wars
Napoleonic Wars
The Napoleonic Wars were a series of wars declared against Napoleon's French Empire by opposing coalitions that ran from 1803 to 1815. As a continuation of the wars sparked by the French Revolution of 1789, they revolutionised European armies and played out on an unprecedented scale, mainly due to...
, and was sold for breaking up to Joshua Crystall on 10 September 1817 for the sum of £5,110.