HMS Lenox was a 70-gun third rate built at Deptford Dockyard in 1677/78. She was in active commission for the Nine Years War, fighting in the Battles of Beachy Head and Barfleur. She was rebuilt in 1699. Again in active commission for the War of Spanish Succession fighting in the Capture of Gibraltar and the Battle of Velez Malaga. She followed this with the Battle off Passero. She was rebuilt again in 1721. She was active in the War with Spain, capturing the Princesa then serving in Home Waters, the Mediterranean and finally the West Indies. She was in action off Havana in 1745. She returned home and was placed in Ordinary. She was finally sunk as a breakwater at Sheerness in 1756.
She was named in honour of Charles II illegitimate son, Charles Lennox, his son with Louise de Keroualle (Duchess of Portsmouth). Charles Lennox was made the Duke of Lennox in 1675 . This was the first vessel to bear the name Lenox (also spelt Lennox) in the English and Royal Navy.Colledge (2020)
HMS Lenox/Lennox was awarded the Battle Honour Barfleur 1692,Thomas (1998, Battle and Campaign Honours, Section B, Barfleur Gibraltar 1704,Thomas (1998), Battle and Campaign Honours, Section G, Gibraltar Velez-Malaga 1704,Thomas (1998), Battle and Campaign Honours, Section V, Velez Malaga and Passero 1718.Thomas (1998), Battle and Campaign Honours, Section P, Passero
Construction and specifications She was ordered in April 1677 as an early ship in the "thirty ship" program that was authorised by parliament on 23 February 1677. She was designed and built at Deptford Dockyard by Master Shipwright John Shish, perhaps based on the design of , the last ship built by John's father, Jonas Shish. Her keel was laid on 25 June 1677 and launched on 18 April 1678. Her dimensions were a gundeck of with a keel of for tonnage calculation with a breadth of and a depth of hold of . Her builder's measure tonnage was calculated as 1,012 tons (burthen). Her Draught was .Winfield (2009), Ch 3, Vessels Acquired from 2 May 1660, 1677 Programme, First Batch (1677 Orders), LenoxLavery, Ships of the Line, vol. 1, p. 162
Her initial gun armament was in accordance with the 1677 Establishment with 72/60 guns consisting of twenty-six demi-cannons (54 cwt, 9.5 ft) on the lower deck, twenty-four 12-pounder guns (32 cwt, 9 ft) on the upper deck, ten sakers (16 cwt, 7 ft) on the quarterdeck and four sakers (16 cwt, 7 ft) on the foc's'le with four 3-pounder guns (5 cwt, 5 ft) on the poop deck or roundhouse. Their initial manning establishment would be for a crew of 460/380/300 personnel . By 1688 she would carry 70 guns as per the 1685 Establishment, however, the demi-culverins replaced the 12-pounders on the upper deck. In 1690 she would still carry 70 guns consisting of twenty-two demi-cannons, four culverins, twenty-six demi-culverins, twelve demi-culverin cutts, and six 3-pounder guns.
Commissioned service Service 1678 to 1699 HMS Lenox was commissioned on 9 May 1678 under the command of Captain John Kirke until 17 May 1678 for transport to Chatham. In 1690 she was commissioned for the War of the English Succession under command of Captain John Granvill for the Battle of Beachy Head in Centre (Red) Squadron on 30 June 1690.Winfield 2009, Fleet Actions 6.2 Battle of Beachy HeadThomas (1998), Battles No Honour Awarded, Section B, Beachy Head In 1692 she was under Captain John Munden for the Battle of Barfleur in Red Squadron, Rear Division from 19 to 22 May 1692.Winfield 2009, Fleet Actions 6.3 Battle of Barfleur In 1693 she was under Captain William Kerr. During 1694/95 she was under Captain Christopher Myngs sailing with the Fleet. In 1697 she was under Captain James Greenaway on convoy service. She would be rebuilt at Deptford in 1701.
Rebuild at Deptford 1699 to 1701 She was ordered rebuilt on 14 September 1699, under contract by Edward Popely of Deptford. She was completed/launched in February 1701. Her dimensions were a gundeck of with a keel of for tonnage calculation with a breadth of and a depth of hold of . Her builder's measure tonnage was calculated as 1,089 tons (burthen).Winfield 2009, Chapter 3, Vessels Acquired from 18 December 1688, Rebuildings of 1697-1704, 70-gins, Group 3 (all by contract), LenoxLavery, Ships of the Line, vol. 1, p. 167.
Her armament was under the 1703 Establishment as 70 guns wartime/62 guns peacetime consisting of twenty-four/twenty-two 24-pounder guns of 9.5 feet in length on the lower deck, twenty-six/twenty-four demi-culverins of 9-foot length on the upper deck, twelve/ten 6-pounder guns of 8.5-foot length on the quarterdeck, and four/two 6-pounder guns of (2/2) 9-foot length and (2/0) of 7.5-foot length, with four 5.5 foot 3-pounder guns on the poop deck or roundhouse. She may have carried her demi-cannons on the lower deck for a few years more. Her 1716-gun establishment was changed to twenty-six 24-pounder guns of 9.5-foot and 64 hundredweight (cwt) on the lower deck, twenty-six 12-pounder guns of 9-foot length and 32 cwt on the upper deck, fourteen 6-pounder guns of 8-foot length and 20 cwt on the quarterdeck, and a further four 6-pounder guns on the foc's'le. These guns were used as chasers and were (2) 9-foot guns of 24 cwt and two as on the quarterdeck.
Service from 1702 to 1721 HMS Lenox was commissioned in 1702 under the command of Captain William Jumper to sail with Sir George Rooke's Fleet for operations at Cadiz, Spain. The sailed from Spithead to St Helens (in the Scilly Islands) on 19 July 1702. The arrived at the Bay of Bulls (six miles north of Cadiz) on 12 August. She provided covering fire for the landing of troops at Rota on 15 August, driving the defenders from their batteries. Rota surrendered on the 16th. After many conferences and negotiations, the stores that had been seized were destroyed and the troops were re-embarked on 15 September. On 19 September it was decided to return to England.Clowes 1898, Chapter XXIII, Major Operations 1688-1714, pages 378 to 380 On 21 September it was learned that a French Fleet and Spanish treasure ships were in the vicinity of Vigo Bay. On the 11th a council of war was held to determine the ships that would initially enter the bay. HMS Lenox was not chosen and remained off the entrance of the Bay of Vigo.Clowes 1898, Chapter XXIII, Major Operations 1688-1714, page 382
After the arrival of Sir Cloudisley Shovel on the 16th of August, she remained with his Fleet moving to the Mediterranean in September 1703. She partook in the capture of Gibraltar on 23 July 1704.Winfield (2009), Fleet Actions, 7.3 Capture of Gibraltar She was part of the force that was to attack the New Mole. Gibraltar surrendered on the 24th.Clowes (1898), Chapter XXIII, pages 392-396 Captain Jumper was honoured by having Jumper's Bastion in Gibraltar named after him.Clowes (1898, Chapter XXIII, page 395 On August 13, 1704, she fought in the Battle of Velez MalagaWinfield (2009), Fleet Actions, 7.4 Velez Malaga as a member of the Van Squadron, suffering 23 killed and 78 wounded. In 1707 she was back in the Mediterranean with Admiral Sir Cloudesley Shovell’s Fleet. On the Fleets return to England in October 1707, a substantial part was wrecked off the Scilly Isles. Lenox herself was undamaged and was able to return to Portsmouth after the disaster.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,
In 1708 she was under Captain Richard Culliford sailing with Sir Christopher Byng's Fleet in the North Sea and the English Channel. She was on the Irish Station in July 1708 then sailed to Lisbon in October, then on to the Mediterranean in 1709. In 1710 she was at Chatham for a survey of her condition. 1712 under Captain John Bennet she sailed to St Helena then on to the Cape. On her return she underwent a small repair at Chatham for a cost of 1,177.10.8d between March and May 1718. She was recommissioned in 1718 in response to the Spanish invasion of Sicily, under Captain Charles Strickland for service in the Mediterranean with Sir George Byng's Fleet. The Fleet departed from Spithead on 15 June 1718, arriving at Naples on 1 August. She fought at the Battle of Passero on 11 August 1718.Winfield 2007, Chronology and Fleet Actions, 1. Battle of Passero Most Spanish ships were either captured or destroyed. She remained in the Mediterranean for the duration of the War for Sicily. She was docked at Portsmouth on 2 May 1721 for dismantling in preparation for rebuilding.
Rebuild at Chatham1721-1723 She was ordered rebuilt to the 1719 Establishment on 2 May 1721, at Chatham Dockyard under the guidance of Master Shipwright Benjamin Rosewell. She was launched on 19 September 1723. Her dimensions were a gundeck of with a keel of for tonnage calculation with a breadth of and a depth of hold of . Her builder's measure tonnage was calculated as 1,128 tons (burthen).Winfield 2007, Chapter 3, Third Rates, 66 to 70 guns, Vessels Acquired from 1 August 1714, 1719 Establishment Group, LenoxLavery, Ships of the Line, vol. 1, p. 169.
Her armament was under the 1719 Establishment as 70 guns consisting of twenty-six 24-pounder guns on the lower deck (LD), twenty-six 12-pounder guns on the upper deck (UD), fourteen 6-pounder guns on the quarterdeck (QD), and four 6-pounder guns on the foc's'le (Fc). By 1746 she was reduced to 64 guns with the upper and lower decks remaining the same, ten 6-pounder guns on the quarterdeck (QD), and two 6-pounder guns on the foc's'le (Fc). Her crew would be 440 personnel.
The work was completed in the spring of 1726, at a cost of £14,917.12.6dA total cost accounting for inflation of approximately £ in today's money for the rebuild and £1,057.11.0dA total cost accounting for inflation of approximately £ in today's money for fitting out.
Service 1726-1756 She was commissioned in 1726 under the command of Captain Hercules Baker for service with Admiral Sir John Jenning's Fleet to check the hostile designs of Spain. She sailed with Admiral Jenning's Fleet of nine ships of the line from St Helens in the Scilly Islands on 30 July to the Straits of Gibraltar and returning in October 1726.Clowes (1898), Chapter XXVII, pages 30 - 39 She underwent a fitting at Portsmouth in December. She was readied for sea under the command of Captain Digby Dent to join Vice-Admiral Sir Charles Wager's Fleet. The Fleet sailed for the Straits of Gibraltar on 19 January 1727.Clowes (1898), Chapter XXVII, pages 42-43 She in concert with Berwick was detached to join Vice-Admiral Francis Hosier in the West Indies on 13 February.Clowes (1898), Chapter XXVII, page 46, Note 3 The Fleet of sixteen ships harried the Spaniards to the point that the annual treasure fleet did not sail for Spain while the Fleet was on station. After much death due to disease and the loss of three Fleet commanders (Vice-Admirals Hosier and Hopsonn plus Captain E. St Loe (SNO)) Lenox returned to Home Waters 1729 to pay off.Clowes (1898), Chapter XXVII, pages 43-45 She underwent a small repair at Portsmouth costing £5,253.5.9dA total cost accounting for inflation of approximately £ in today's money during August to October 1730. She was fitted as a guard ship at Portsmouth in the Spring of 1734. She was recommissioned under the command of Captain Joseph Winder then later under Captain Tyrwitt Cayley operating with Philip Cavendish's Fleet in Home Waters. She was paid off in November 1735. After a small repair she was fitted at Portsmouth for £2,088.7.9dA total cost accounting for inflation of approximately £ in today's money between June and August 1738 then reduced to a guard ship in December 1738.