Temple-class ship of the line

The Temple class ships were two 68-gun third rates designed for the Royal Navy to the lines of the Vanguard of 1748, i.e. to the outdated 1745 Establishment. The Temple class ships were the last 68-gun ships to be built - both by commercial contract - to the draught specified by that specification.Winfield, p. 76

Design and development The Temple class were the final 68-gun ships built to the 1745 Establishment. They measured on the gundeck and on the keel. They had a beam of and a depth of hold of . The ship had a tonnage of 1,422 tons burthen.Lavery, p. 177 The armament of the ships consisted of twenty six 32-pounder guns on the main gun deck and eighteen 18-pounder guns on the gun deck above that. On their forecastle, they mounted two 9-pounder guns, with twelve more mounted on the quarterdeck. Their crew numbered 520 officers and ratings. They were equipped with a full ship rig.

Ships + Construction dataShipBuilderOrderedLaid downLaunchedCompletedFate Hugh Blaydes, Hull9 September 175617 November 17553 November 175811 March 1759Foundered off Cape Clear, 18 December 1762John Barnard & John Turner, Harwich11 January 17579 February 175724 May 17583 February 1759 at Harwich, then 15 March 1759 at PortsmouthWrecked in Plymouth Sound, 26 October 1760

Citations

References Lavery, Brian (1983) The Ship of the Line - Volume 1: The development of the battlefleet 1650-1850. Conway Maritime Press. . Lyon, David (1993) The Sailing Navy List. Conway Maritime Press. Winfield, Rif (2007) British Warships in the Age of Sail: 1714 - 1792. Seaforth Publishing.