HMS ''Stirling Castle'' was a 70-gun
third rate
In the rating system of the Royal Navy, a third rate was a ship of the line which from the 1720s mounted between 64 and 80 guns, typically built with two gun decks (thus the related term two-decker). Years of experience proved that the third ...
ship of the line of the
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy (RN) is the United Kingdom's naval warfare force. Although warships were used by English and Scottish kings from the early medieval period, the first major maritime engagements were fought in the Hundred Years' War against ...
, built at
Chatham Dockyard
Chatham Dockyard was a Royal Navy Dockyard located on the River Medway in Kent. Established in Chatham in the mid-16th century, the dockyard subsequently expanded into neighbouring Gillingham (at its most extensive, in the early 20th century ...
to the
1733 proposals of the
1719 Establishment
The 1719 Establishment was a set of mandatory requirements governing the construction of all Royal Navy warships capable of carrying more than 20 naval long guns. It was designed to bring economies of scale through uniform vessel design, and en ...
, and launched on 24 April 1742.
Whilst under the command of Captain Thomas Cooper, ''Stirling Castle'' took part in the
Battle of Toulon on 11 February 1744. ''Stirling Castle'' was the lead ship in Rear-Admiral
William Rowley
William Rowley (c. 1585 – February 1626) was an English Jacobean dramatist, best known for works written in collaboration with more successful writers. His date of birth is estimated to have been c. 1585; he was buried on 11 February 1626 in ...
's van division of Admiral
Thomas Mathews
Thomas Mathews (October 16762 October 1751) 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 ...
' 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
A port is a maritime facility comprising one or more wharves or loading areas, where ships load and discharge cargo and passengers. Although usually situated on a sea coast or estuary, ports can also be found far inland, such as Ham ...
, where he was dismissed the service. He was immediately restored 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.
[Ships of the Old Navy, ''Stirling Castle''.]
On 15 April 1746, ''Stirling Castle'' captured the 24-gun frigate
''Volage''. However,
''Oriflamme'' recaptured her the day after.
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 (; Spanish: ''La Habana'' ) is the capital and largest city of Cuba. The heart of the La Habana Province, Havana is the country's main port and commercial center. harbour on 14 September 1762, on the orders of Admiral
George Pocock
Admiral Sir George Pocock or Pococke, KB (6 March 1706 – 3 April 1792) was a British officer of the Royal Navy.
Family
Pocock was born in Thames Ditton in Surrey, the son of Thomas Pocock, a chaplain in the Royal Navy. His great grandfa ...
.
Notes
References
*Lavery, Brian (2003) ''The Ship of the Line - Volume 1: The development of the battlefleet 1650-1850.'' Conway Maritime Press. .
*Michael Phillips
''Stirling Castle'' (70) (1742) Michael Phillips' Ships of the Old Navy. Retrieved 9 August 2008.
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Stirling Castle (1742)
Ships of the line of the Royal Navy
1742 ships
Maritime incidents in 1762