HMS Stirling Castle was a 70-gun 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...

, built 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...

 to the 1733 proposals of the 1719 Establishment

1719 Establishment

The 1719 Establishment was the first formal 'Establishment' laid down to govern the construction of all ships built or rebuilt down to those of 20 carriage guns, whether in the Royal Dockyards or by commercial contractors...

, and launched on 24 April 1742.

Whilst under the command of Captain Thomas Cooper

Thomas Cooper

Thomas Cooper may refer to:*Thomas Buchecker Cooper U.S. congressman from Pennsylvania*Thomas Cooper, 1st Baron Cooper of Culross , Scottish politician, judge and historian...

, Stirling Castle took part in the Battle of Toulon

Battle of Toulon (1744)

The naval Battle of Toulon or Battle of Cape Sicié took place on 22 February 1744 in the Mediterranean Sea off the coast of Toulon, France. A combined Franco-Spanish fleet fought off Britain's Mediterranean fleet...

 on 11 February 1744. Stirling Castle was the lead ship in Rear-Admiral William Rowley

William Rowley (Royal Navy officer)

Admiral of the Fleet Sir William Rowley KB was a British naval commander who distinguished himself during the War of the Austrian Succession and also became a Member of Parliament.-Naval career:...

's van division of Admiral Thomas Mathews

Thomas Mathews

Thomas Mathews was a British officer of the Royal Navy, who rose to the rank of admiral.Mathews joined the navy in 1690 and saw service on a number of ships, including during the Nine Years' War and the War of the Spanish Succession. He interspersed periods spent commanding ships with time at home...

' fleet that engaged the France-Spanish fleet. After the battle several officers were court-martialed, including Captain Cooper who appeared on 12 May at Port Mahon

Mahon

Mahón is a municipality and the capital city of the Balearic Island of Minorca , located in the eastern part of the island. Mahon has the second deepest natural harbor in the world: 5 km long and up to 900m. wide...

, where he was dismissed the service. He was immediately resorted to his former rank and command however, as the charges against him were not deemed detrimental to either his professional honour or his ability as a sea officer.

She took part in the Battle of Havana in 1762. Shortly afterwards Stirling Castle was declared unserviceable and was stripped and scuttled in the upper reaches of Havana

Havana

Havana is the capital city, province, major port, and leading commercial centre of Cuba. The city proper has a population of 2.1 million inhabitants, and it spans a total of — making it the largest city in the Caribbean region, and the most populous...

 harbour on 14 September 1762, on the orders of Admiral George Pocock

George Pocock

Sir George Pocock, KB was a British officer of the Royal Navy. He rose to the rank of admiral.Pocock was from Chieveley in Berkshire, the son of Thomas Pocock, a chaplain in the navy. George Pocock entered the navy in 1718, serving aboard under the patronage of his maternal uncle, Captain...

.