Albion-class ship of the line (1763)

The Albion-class ships of the line were a class of five 74-gun third rates, designed for the Royal Navy by Sir Thomas Slade.

HMS Albion
Class overview
Name:	Albion
Operators:	Royal Navy
Preceded by:	Ramillies class
Succeeded by:	Elizabeth class
In service:	16 May 1763 - 1820
Completed:	5
Lost:	1
General characteristics
Type:	Ship of the line
Length:	168 ft (51.2 m) (gundeck) 139 ft ^3⁄4 in (42.4 m) (keel)
Propulsion:	Sails
Armament:	74 guns: Gundeck: 28 × 32-pounders Upper gundeck: 28 × 18-pounders Quarterdeck: 14 × 9-pounders Forecastle: 4 × 9-pounders

Design

Slade based the design of the Albion-class on the lines of the 90-gun ship Neptune.

Ships

• HMS Albion

Builder: Deptford Dockyard

Ordered: 1 December 1759

Launched: 16 May 1763

Fate: Wrecked, 1797

• HMS Grafton

Builder: Deptford Dockyard

Ordered: 22 October 1767

Launched: 26 September 1771

Fate: Broken up, 1816

• HMS Alcide

Builder: Deptford Dockyard

Ordered: 21 August 1774

Launched: 30 July 1779

Fate: Broken up, 1817

• HMS Fortitude

Builder: Randall, Rotherhithe

Ordered: 2 February 1778

Launched: 23 March 1780

Fate: Broken up, 1820

• HMS Irresistible

Builder: Barnard, Harwich

Ordered: 8 July 1778

Launched: 6 December 1782

Fate: Broken up, 1806

References

• Lavery, Brian (2003) The Ship of the Line - Volume 1: The development of the battlefleet 1650-1850. Conway Maritime Press. ISBN 0-85177-252-8.