HMY Fubbs
Encyclopedia
HMY Fubbs was a Royal Yacht
of the Royal Navy
of Great Britain
. She was scrapped towards the end of the eighteenth century after having been in service for 99 years.
She was designed for King Charles II
by Phineas Pett
and built in 1682 at Greenwich. She was rigged as a ketch
. The yacht's name came from the King's pet name for one of his mistresses, Louise de Kérouaille, Duchess of Portsmouth
. At the time 'Fubbs' meant plump, or chubby, a fashionable type of the female form at the time. Apparently she was a fast vessel. After Charles II's death, she was used by King James II
as one of his fleet of nine personal yachts. She was in service until 1781.
under the supervision of Master Shipwright William Lee. Relaunched in 1701, she was commissioned around May that year under the command of Commander Richard Byron. Byron commanded Fubbs until 1707, during which time the yacht served as a bomb ketch
in Sir George Rooke's
fleet, going out to the Mediterranean in 1703. She was then part of George Byng's
squadron in the winter of 1706-1707. She passed to Commander Charles Desborough in 1708, and was back in the Mediterranean in 1714. Captain William Collier took over command in 1716, and he remained until 1734, during which time Fubbs was ordered to be rebuilt in 1724.
She was ordered to be rebuilt on 9 March 1724, and was taken in hand at Deptford Dockyard by Master Shipwright Richard Stacey.
The work having been completed, she was relaunched on 22 October 1724. William Collier continued as her captain until 1734, when Fubbs underwent a middling repair at Deptford, which lasted into 1735. One of her last services before the repair was to carry the Princess Royal
and her new husband, William IV, Prince of Orange
, from Greenwich to Holland after their marriage. A more comprehensive great repair was carried out at the same dockyard in 1737, and from that year until 1745, Fubbs was under the command of Captain Francis Dansays. Dansays was succeeded by Captain Thomas Limeburner from 1746, with Limeburner dying in command in 1750. Further alterations were carried out in late 1749, to 'raise her deck as much as may conveniently'. Fubbs then passed to Commander Edward Richards in 1751, and he remained her captain until 1756. Richards was succeeded the following year by Commander Henry Dubois.
In August 1761 she joined a flotilla led by Admiral of the Fleet
Lord Anson
aboard the primary royal yacht HMY Royal Caroline. Anson had orders to convey Duchess Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz
from Cuxhaven, Kiel
to marry King George III. Accompanying the yacht, renamed HMY Royal Charlotte in honour of the occasion, was a squadron of warships and three other royal yachts in addition to Fubbs, HMY Mary, Katherine and Augusta. During the return voyage the squadron was three times blown over to the Norwegian coast by westerly gales and took ten days to reach Harwich
, which it did on 6 September 1761.
Fubbs was recommissioned in December 1763 under Captain Richard Spry
, and underwent a small repair in 1765. Her final captain, between 1766 and 1781 was A. T. Percival. Fubbs was finally withdrawn from service and broken up in July 1781.
Royal Yacht
A royal yacht is a ship used by a monarch or a royal family. If the monarch is an emperor the proper term is imperial yacht. Most of them are financed by the government of the country of which the monarch is head...
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...
of Great Britain
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
. She was scrapped towards the end of the eighteenth century after having been in service for 99 years.
She was designed for King Charles II
Charles II of England
Charles II was monarch of the three kingdoms of England, Scotland, and Ireland.Charles II's father, King Charles I, was executed at Whitehall on 30 January 1649, at the climax of the English Civil War...
by Phineas Pett
Phineas Pett
Phineas Pett was a shipwright and a member of the Pett dynasty.-Family background:Born at "Deptford Strond", he was the second son of Peter Pett of Deptford, his elder brother being named Joseph....
and built in 1682 at Greenwich. She was rigged as a ketch
Ketch
A ketch is a sailing craft with two masts: a main mast, and a shorter mizzen mast abaft of the main mast, but forward of the rudder post. Both masts are rigged mainly fore-and-aft. From one to three jibs may be carried forward of the main mast when going to windward...
. The yacht's name came from the King's pet name for one of his mistresses, Louise de Kérouaille, Duchess of Portsmouth
Louise de Kérouaille, Duchess of Portsmouth
Louise Renée de Penancoët de Kérouaille, Duchess of Portsmouth was a mistress of Charles II of England. Through her son by Charles II, Charles Lennox, 1st Duke of Richmond, she is ancestress of both wives of The Prince of Wales: the late Diana, Princess of Wales, as well as The Duchess of...
. At the time 'Fubbs' meant plump, or chubby, a fashionable type of the female form at the time. Apparently she was a fast vessel. After Charles II's death, she was used by King James II
James II of England
James II & VII was King of England and King of Ireland as James II and King of Scotland as James VII, from 6 February 1685. He was the last Catholic monarch to reign over the Kingdoms of England, Scotland, and Ireland...
as one of his fleet of nine personal yachts. She was in service until 1781.
Service
Fubbs underwent several rebuilds during her long career, the first taking place in 1701, when she was rebuilt at Woolwich DockyardWoolwich 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....
under the supervision of Master Shipwright William Lee. Relaunched in 1701, she was commissioned around May that year under the command of Commander Richard Byron. Byron commanded Fubbs until 1707, during which time the yacht served as a bomb ketch
Bomb vessel
A bomb vessel, bomb ship, bomb ketch, or simply bomb was a type of wooden sailing naval ship. Its primary armament was not cannon —although bomb vessels carried a few cannon for self-defence—but rather mortars mounted forward near the bow and elevated to a high angle, and projecting their fire in a...
in Sir George Rooke's
George Rooke
Admiral of the Fleet Sir George Rooke was an English naval commander. He is known for his service in the wars against France and particularly remembered today for his victory at Vigo Bay and for capturing Gibraltar for the British in 1704.-Early life:Rooke was born at St Lawrence, near Canterbury...
fleet, going out to the Mediterranean in 1703. She was then part of George Byng's
George Byng, 1st Viscount Torrington
Admiral of the Fleet George Byng, 1st Viscount Torrington, KB PC was a British naval officer and statesman of the late 17th and early 18th centuries. His career included service as First Lord of the Admiralty during the reign of King George II.-Naval career:Byng was born at Wrotham, Kent, England...
squadron in the winter of 1706-1707. She passed to Commander Charles Desborough in 1708, and was back in the Mediterranean in 1714. Captain William Collier took over command in 1716, and he remained until 1734, during which time Fubbs was ordered to be rebuilt in 1724.
She was ordered to be rebuilt on 9 March 1724, and was taken in hand at Deptford Dockyard by Master Shipwright Richard Stacey.
The work having been completed, she was relaunched on 22 October 1724. William Collier continued as her captain until 1734, when Fubbs underwent a middling repair at Deptford, which lasted into 1735. One of her last services before the repair was to carry the Princess Royal
Anne, Princess Royal and Princess of Orange
Anne, Princess Royal and Princess of Orange was the second child and eldest daughter of King George II of Great Britain and his consort, Caroline of Ansbach. She was the spouse of William IV, Prince of Orange, the first hereditary stadtholder of the Netherlands...
and her new husband, William IV, Prince of Orange
William IV, Prince of Orange
William IV, Prince of Orange-Nassau , born Willem Karel Hendrik Friso, was the first hereditary stadtholder of the Netherlands.-Early life:...
, from Greenwich to Holland after their marriage. A more comprehensive great repair was carried out at the same dockyard in 1737, and from that year until 1745, Fubbs was under the command of Captain Francis Dansays. Dansays was succeeded by Captain Thomas Limeburner from 1746, with Limeburner dying in command in 1750. Further alterations were carried out in late 1749, to 'raise her deck as much as may conveniently'. Fubbs then passed to Commander Edward Richards in 1751, and he remained her captain until 1756. Richards was succeeded the following year by Commander Henry Dubois.
In August 1761 she joined a flotilla led by Admiral of the Fleet
Admiral of the Fleet (Royal Navy)
Admiral of the fleet is the highest rank of the British Royal Navy and other navies, which equates to the NATO rank code OF-10. The rank still exists in the Royal Navy but routine appointments ceased in 1996....
Lord Anson
George Anson, 1st Baron Anson
Admiral of the Fleet George Anson, 1st Baron Anson PC, FRS, RN was a British admiral and a wealthy aristocrat, noted for his circumnavigation of the globe and his role overseeing the Royal Navy during the Seven Years' War...
aboard the primary royal yacht HMY Royal Caroline. Anson had orders to convey Duchess Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz
Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz
Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz was the Queen consort of the United Kingdom as the wife of King George III...
from Cuxhaven, Kiel
Kiel
Kiel is the capital and most populous city in the northern German state of Schleswig-Holstein, with a population of 238,049 .Kiel is approximately north of Hamburg. Due to its geographic location in the north of Germany, the southeast of the Jutland peninsula, and the southwestern shore of the...
to marry King George III. Accompanying the yacht, renamed HMY Royal Charlotte in honour of the occasion, was a squadron of warships and three other royal yachts in addition to Fubbs, HMY Mary, Katherine and Augusta. During the return voyage the squadron was three times blown over to the Norwegian coast by westerly gales and took ten days to reach Harwich
Harwich
Harwich is a town in Essex, England and one of the Haven ports, located on the coast with the North Sea to the east. It is in the Tendring district. Nearby places include Felixstowe to the northeast, Ipswich to the northwest, Colchester to the southwest and Clacton-on-Sea to the south...
, which it did on 6 September 1761.
Fubbs was recommissioned in December 1763 under Captain Richard Spry
Richard Spry
Admiral Sir Richard Spry was a Royal Navy officer who served as Commander-in-Chief, North American Station.-Naval career:Spry joined the Royal Navy as a volunteer in 1733. Following the sinking of his ship by the Spanish Navy he was taken prisoner in 1745 but released two months later...
, and underwent a small repair in 1765. Her final captain, between 1766 and 1781 was A. T. Percival. Fubbs was finally withdrawn from service and broken up in July 1781.