''Magnifique'' was the lead ship of the 3-ship ''Magnifique'' class

74-gun The "seventy-four" was a type of two- decked sailing ship of the line, which nominally carried 74 guns. It was developed by the French navy in the 1740s, replacing earlier classes of 60- and 62-gun ships, as a larger complement to the recently-de ...

ship of the line of the

French Navy The French Navy (french: Marine nationale, lit=National Navy), informally , is the maritime arm of the French Armed Forces and one of the five military service branches of France. It is among the largest and most powerful naval forces in t ...

Career

In 1760, ''Magnifique'' was under Duchaffault, and patrolled off

Martinique Martinique ( , ; gcf, label=Martinican Creole, Matinik or ; Kalinago: or ) is an island and an overseas department/region and single territorial collectivity of France. An integral part of the French Republic, Martinique is located in ...

, along with ''Hébé'', under La Touche Beauregard. Captain Brach captained ''Magnifique'' at the Battle of Ushant on 27 July 1778, at the

Battle of Grenada The Battle of Grenada took place on 6 July 1779 during the American Revolutionary War in the West Indies between the British Royal Navy and the French Navy, just off the coast of Grenada. The British fleet of Admiral John Byron (the grandfath ...

on 6 July 1779, and at the Battle of Martinique on 17 April 1780.

Fate

On 15 August 1782, ''Magnifique'' was wrecked along the rocky shore of

Lovells Island Lovells Island, or Lovell's Island, is a island in the Boston Harbor Islands National Recreation Area, in Massachusetts. The island is across The Narrows from Georges Island and some offshore of downtown Boston. It is named after Captain Wil ...

, in Boston Harbor, MA, USA. She was rumoured to have been carrying "long-lost treasure." According to a US National Park Service Guide, the submerged vessel is still visible from N 42° 19.902’ W 070° 55.818’ during periods of calm.Boston Harbor Islands Island Cache Program, Site 6: The Outer Islands
nps.gov On 3 September 1782 the Continental Congress decided to present the ship of the line to King Louis XVI of France to replace ''Magnifique''. The gift was to symbolize the new nation's "appreciation for France's service to and sacrifices in behalf of the cause of the American patriots".

Sources and references

Notes Citations References * * * External links * Ships of the line of the French Navy Magnifique-class ships of the line 1750 ships Shipwrecks in the Atlantic Ocean Maritime incidents in 1782 {{France-line-ship-stub