''Constitution'' was a 74-gun of the French Navy launched as ''Viala'' (or ''Vialla'') in 1795. The Royal Navy captured her in 1806 and sold her in 1814.

French service

Between 1794 and 1795, the French successively named her ''Viala'' (in honour of

Joseph Agricol Viala Joseph Agricol Viala (22 February 1778 – 6 July 1793) was a child hero in the French Revolutionary Army. He was killed at age 15, though he is most often portrayed as a younger child of 11–13. Life Viala was living in Avignon when, in 1793, a ...

), ''Voltaire'' (in honour of

François-Marie Arouet François-Marie Arouet (; 21 November 169430 May 1778) was a French Enlightenment writer, historian, and philosopher. Known by his ''nom de plume'' M. de Voltaire (; also ; ), he was famous for his wit, and his criticism of Christianity—es ...

), and ''Constitution'' (after the Constitution of the National Convention). In the winter of 1796-1797, she took part in the Expédition d'Irlande. She managed to reach Bantry Bay, where on 22 December 1797 she was damaged in a collision with ''Révolution''. Between 29 September 1800 and 18 June 1802, she underwent fitting at Toulon. In 1802, she was recommissioned in Toulon, under Captain Faure. On 5 February 1803, she was renamed again to ''Jupiter''. On 13 December 1805 she joined Vice-Admiral Corentin Urbain Leissègues's squadron bound for Santo Domingo, under Captain Laignel. On 27 December she separated from the squadron in a gale. She rejoined the squadron on 24 January 1806 at Saint Domingue. , while serving in a Royal Navy squadron under the command of Vice Admiral Duckworth, captured her at the Battle of San Domingo (6 February 1806). In the battle, ''Jupiter'' lost some 200 men killed and wounded; ''Donegal'' had 12 men killed and 33 wounded.

British service

''Jupiter'' arrived in Portsmouth on 6 May 1806. The Royal Navy then commissioned her as ''Maida'', in honour of the Battle of Maida, the name ''Jupiter'' being already used for the 50-gun fourth rate . She was commissioned in February 1807 under Captain

Samuel Hood Linzee Vice-Admiral Samuel Hood Linzee (27 December 1773 – 1 September 1820) was an admiral of the British Royal Navy who served during the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars. Biography Linzee was born in Plymouth, Devon, the son of John Linzee ...

''Maida'' was one of the vessels at the

Second Battle of Copenhagen The Second Battle of Copenhagen (or the Bombardment of Copenhagen) (16 August – 7 September 1807) was a British bombardment of the Danish capital, Copenhagen, in order to capture or destroy the Dano-Norwegian fleet during the Napoleonic War ...

. There she landed a party of seamen who manned the breaching battery before the city. Because she was one of the vessels present at the seizure of the Danish fleet on 7 September, her officers and crew were entitled to share in the prize money. By the end of the year she was back in Portsmouth. On 26 October 1807, Tsar Alexander I of Russia declared war on Great Britain. The official news did not arrive there until 2 December, at which time the British declared an embargo on all Russian vessels in British ports. ''Maida'' was one of some 70 vessels that shared in the proceeds of the seizure of the 44-gun Russian frigate ''Speshnoy'' (''Speshnyy''), and the Russian storeship ''Wilhelmina'' (or ''Vilghemina'') then in Portsmouth harbour. The Russian vessels were carrying the payroll for Vice-Admiral

Dmitry Senyavin Dmitry Nikolayevich Senyavin or Seniavin (russian: Дми́трий Никола́евич Сеня́вин; – ) was a Russian admiral during the Napoleonic Wars. Service under Ushakov Senyavin belonged to a notable noble family of sea ...

’s squadron in the Mediterranean. ''Maida'' was paid off at Portsmouth on 9 March 1808 and placed into

ordinary Ordinary or The Ordinary often refer to: Music * ''Ordinary'' (EP) (2015), by South Korean group Beast * ''Ordinary'' (Every Little Thing album) (2011) * "Ordinary" (Two Door Cinema Club song) (2016) * "Ordinary" (Wayne Brady song) (2008) * ...

. In 1813 she came under the command of Captain John Hayes. She remained in ordinary, i.e., she was not recommissioned, but served as flagship at Portsmouth to Rear-Admiral

Edward Griffith Colpoys Vice Admiral Sir Edward Griffith Colpoys KCB (c. 1767 – 9 October 1832) was a senior officer of the British Royal Navy during the early nineteenth century. The nephew of a prominent admiral, John Colpoys, Edward Griffith was able to rapidly a ...

Fate

On 25 July 1814 the Principal Officers and Commissioners of His Majesty's Navy put her up for sale. The conditions of sale included that the purchaser was to give a bond, with two sureties for £3000, that they would not sell or otherwise dispose of the ship but that they would break her up within twelve months from the date of sale. She was sold on 11 August 1814 for £4,700.

Notes

Citations

References

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External links

Naval Database
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Constitution (1795) Ships of the line of the French Navy Ships of the line of the Royal Navy Téméraire-class ships of the line 1795 ships Captured ships