HMS Cambridge (1755)

HMS ''Cambridge'' was an 80-gun third-rate ship of the line of the Royal Navy, designed by Sir Joseph Allin and built at Deptford Dockyard by Adam Hayes to the draught specified by the 1745 Establishment as amended in 1750, and launched on 21 October 1755.

Early career

''Cambridge''’s first captain was Sir Peircy Brett, who had previously been in command of HMY ''Royal Caroline''. He was moved to the ''Cambridge'' in expectation of the outbreak of hostilities with France. With the outbreak of the Seven Years' War, Brett left the command in November or December 1756. He was replaced by Captain William Gordon. Gordon also did not spend long aboard ''Cambridge'', leaving in April 1757 to take command of the newly launched HMS ''Princess Amelia''. His successor was Captain Thomas Burnet, who was promoted to Post-Captain on 5 May. ''Cambridge'' then became Commodore Sir John Moore's flagship on the West Indies Station.

''Cambridge'' remained on this station for several years. In January 1759 Sir John was reinforced with a fleet dispatched from England under the command of Commodore Robert Hughes, consisting of eight two-deckers, a frigate and four bomb ketches. They were also transporting a number of troops under the command of General Peregrine Hopson. They were instructed to make attacks on French settlements in the West Indies. The first of these was a British expedition against Guadeloupe, for which Moore transferred his flag to HMS ''Woolwich''. ''Cambridge'', in company with HMS ''Norfolk'' and HMS ''St George'', were ordered to attack the main citadel. The resulting attack lasted from nine in the morning until four in the afternoon, and succeeded in silencing the defences. After this success Commodore Hughes returned to Britain in June, taking Burnet and the ''Cambridge'' with him.

Later operations in the Caribbean

Both Burnet and ''Cambridge'' were back in the West Indies later in 1759, ''Cambridge'' again serving as Commodore John Moore's flagship on the Leeward Islands Station. In 1760 Burnet was replaced by Captain William Goostrey, and ''Cambridge'' became the flagship of Rear Admiral Charles Holmes, who had replaced Moore and was commanding out of Jamaica. ''Cambridge'' then formed part of Sir George Pocock's fleet at the taking of Havana from the Spanish in 1762. During that action she, HMS ''Dragon'' and HMS ''Marlborough'' were ordered on 1 July to bombard and capture the Moro Fort. ''Cambridges captain, William Goostrey, was killed by rifle fire from the fort and John Lindsay – then captain of HMS ''Trent'' – took over command whilst the battle was still in progress. ''Cambridge’s'' eventual casualties were 24 killed, including her captain, and 95 wounded.

Return to Britain

By 1779 ''Cambridge'' was under the command of Captain Broderick Hartwell, and was serving as a guardship at Plymouth. Hartwell left the ''Cambridge'' in 1781 when he was appointed to be lieutenant-governor of Greenwich Hospital. On 23 December 1781 she was in company with , , and at the capture of the Dutch ship ''De Vrow Esther''.

During the Spanish armament of 1790 ''Cambridge'' became the flagship of Vice-Admiral Thomas Graves, and was commanded by Captain William Locker. ''Cambridge'' was reduced to harbour service in 1793 and continued as the Plymouth guardship, being commanded by a Captain Boger.

''Cambridge'' was at Plymouth on 20 January 1795 and so shared in the proceeds of the detention of the Dutch naval vessels, East Indiamen, and other merchant vessels that were in port on the outbreak of war between Britain and the Netherlands.

From 1797 ''Cambridge'' served as the flagship of Vice-Admiral Richard King. She also transferred survivors from the wreck of in 1798 to from the brigs which had initially rescued them .ADM 51 1231 Captain’s log HMS ''Cambridge'' – Captain Richard Boyer, January 1790 – December 1798, as quoted in Camidge, HMS ''Colossus''. In 1800 ''Cambridge'' was the flagship of Vice-Admiral Sir Thomas Pasley. She was broken up at Plymouth in July 1808.

Notes

External links

Career of HMS ''Cambridge'' in Michael Phillips' ''Ships of the Old Navy''

Images of HMS ''Cambridge'' at the
National Maritime Museum

References

*
* Lavery, Brian (2003) ''The Ship of the Line – Volume 1: The development of the battlefleet 1650–1850''. Conway Maritime Press. .
* Winfield, Rif, ''British Warships of the Age of Sail 1714–1792: Design, Construction, Careers and Fates'', pub Seaforth, 2007,
* Kevin Camidg
HMS ''Colossus''; CISMAS Debris Field Survey 2005
. Retrieved 14 August 2008.

{{DEFAULTSORT:Cambridge (1755)
Ships of the line of the Royal Navy
1755 ships