HMS St Andrew (1670)

HMS St Andrew was a 96-gun first-rate ship of the line of the Royal Navy, built at Woolwich Dockyard under the supervision of Christopher Pett until his death in March 1668, completed by Jonas Shish, and launched in 1670.[1] Commanded by George Churchill, she took part in the 1692 victory over the French navy at Barfleur & La Hogue.[3]

'HMS St Andrew at Sea in a Moderate Breeze', oil on canvas, by Willem van de Velde the Younger
History
Great Britain
Name:	HMS St Andrew
Builder:	Christopher Pett, Woolwich Dockyard
Launched:	4 October 1670
Renamed:	HMS Royal Anne
Fate:	Broken up, 1727
General characteristics as built[1]
Class and type:	96-gun first-rate ship of the line
Tons burthen:	1298 bm
Length:	129 ft (39 m) (keel)
Beam:	43 ft 6 in (13.26 m)
Depth of hold:	18 ft 8 in (5.69 m)
Sail plan:	Full-rigged ship
Armament:	96 guns of various weights of shot
General characteristics after 1703 rebuild[2]
Class and type:	100-gun first-rate ship of the line
Tons burthen:	1722 tons (1749.6 tonnes)
Length:	170 ft (52 m) (gundeck) 140 ft 6 in (42.82 m) (keel)
Beam:	48 ft (15 m)
Depth of hold:	19 ft 4 in (5.89 m)
Sail plan:	Full-rigged ship
Armament:	100 guns of various weights of shot

In 1703, she was renamed HMS Royal Anne, and rebuilt at Woolwich as a first rate of 100 guns.[2] In 1707, she served as flagship of Vice-Admiral of the Blue Sir George Byng and belonged to Admiral Sir Cloudesley Shovell's fleet. She saw action during the unsuccessful Battle of Toulon and was present during the great naval disaster off the Isles of Scilly when Shovell and four of his ships (Association, Firebrand, Romney and Eagle) were lost, claiming the lives of nearly 2,000[4] sailors. Royal Anne suffered little to no damage and finally managed to reach Portsmouth.

The Royal Anne was broken up in 1727.[2]

Notes

1. Lavery, Ships of the Line vol.1, p161.
2. Lavery, Ships of the Line vol.1, p165.
3. Hattendorf, John B (2004). Churchill, George (bap. 1654, d. 1710) (Online ed.). Oxford DNB. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/5399.
4. Sobel, Dava, Longitude: The True Story of a Lone Genius Who Solved the Greatest Scientific Problem of His Time, Fourth Estate Ltd., London 1998, p. 6, ISBN 1-85702-571-7

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.
• Winfield, Rif (2009) British Warships in the Age of Sail 1603-1714: Design, Construction, Careers and Fates. Seaforth Publishing. ISBN 978-1-84832-040-6.