French ship Sceptre (1691)

Last updated
History
Flag of France (1814-1830).svg Kingdom of France
NameSceptre
Ordered30 April 1691
Builder François Coulomb, Toulon Dockyard
Laid down3 May 1691
Launched10 November 1691
CompletedMarch 1692
Out of service18 December 1717
FateTaken to pieces by order of 12 January 1718
General characteristics
Tonnage1,800
Length153 French feet [lower-alpha 1]
Beam44 French feet
Draught23 French feet
Depth of hold20¼ French feet
Decks3 gun decks
Complement650 (500 in peacetime), + 12 officers
Armament84 guns

The Sceptre was a First Rank ship of the line of the French Royal Navy, the lead vessel in the two-ship Sceptre Class (her sister being the Lys).

This ship was ordered in April 1691 to be built at Toulon Dockyard, and on 13 May she was allotted the name Sceptre. The designer and builder of both ships was François Coulomb. They were three-decker ships without forecastles. The Sceptre was launched on 10 November 1691 and completed in March of the next year.

She was initially armed with 84 guns, comprising twenty-six 36-pounders on the lower deck, twenty-eight 18-pounders on the middle deck, twenty-four 8-pounders on the upper deck, and six 4-pounders on the quarterdeck. The 4-pounders were replaced by six 6-pounders by 1699; a thirteenth pair of 8-pounders (on the upper deck) and a fourth pair of 6-pounders (on the quarterdeck) were added in 1704, raising her to 88 guns.

The Sceptre took part in the capture of Cartagena de Indias in May 1697, and later in the Battle of Vélez-Málaga on 24 August 1703. She was scuttled at Toulon in July 1707 during the siege of that port, but was subsequently refloated. She was condemned at Toulon on 18 December 1717, and on 12 January 1718 she was ordered to be taken to pieces.

Notes

  1. The French foot (pre-metric) was 6.575% longer than the equivalent English foot.

Related Research Articles

French ship <i>Royal Louis</i> (1668) Ship of the line of the French Navy

The Royal Louis was a ship of the line of the French Royal Navy. She was constructed at Toulon between 1666 and 1669 under the direction of Rodolphe Gédéon and served as flagship of the French fleet in the Mediterranean.

Triomphant was a First Rank three-decker ship of the line of the French Royal Navy. She was armed with 94 guns, comprising twenty-eight 36-pounder guns on the lower deck, thirty 18-pounder guns on the middle deck, and twenty-eight 8-pounder guns on the upper deck, with eight 6-pounder guns on the quarterdeck. In 1699 the 8-pounders on the upper deck were replaced by twenty-six 12-pounders, and one pair of 6-pounders was removed from the quarterdeck.

Fier was a first-rate three-decker ship of the line of the French Royal Navy. She was armed on completion with 90 guns, comprising twenty-six 36-pounder guns on the lower deck, twenty-eight 18-pounder guns on the middle deck, and twenty-six 8-pounder guns on the upper deck, with ten 6-pounder guns on the quarterdeck. In 1706 an extra pair of 36-pounders was added on the lower deck, and an extra pair of 8-pounders on the upper deck, giving her 94 guns in total,

The Foudroyant was a First Rank ship of the line of the French Royal Navy.

The Foudroyant was a First Rank ship of the line of the French Royal Navy, the lead vessel in the two-ship Foudroyant Class.

The Merveilleux was a First Rank ship of the line of the French Royal Navy, the second vessel in the two-ship Foudroyant Class.

The Terrible was a First Rank ship of the line of the French Royal Navy.

The Lys was a First Rank ship of the line of the French Royal Navy, the second vessel in the two-ship Sceptre Class.

The Tonnant was a First Rank ship of the line of the French Royal Navy, the lead vessel in the two-ship Tonnant Class.

Saint Philippe was a First Rank ship of the line of the French Royal Navy, the second vessel in the two-ship Tonnant Class.

The Admirable was a First Rank three-decker ship of the line of the French Royal Navy. She was initially armed with 96 guns, comprising twenty-eight 36-pounder guns on the lower deck, thirty 18-pounder guns on the middle deck, and twenty-eight 8-pounder guns on the upper deck, with ten 6-pounder guns on the quarterdeck. In 1699 the 8-pounders on the upper deck were replaced by twenty-six 12-pounders, and two pairs of 6-pounders was removed from the quarterdeck, reducing the ship to 90 guns; one pair of 12-pounders was removed in 1704.

The Intrépide was a First Rank three-decker ship of the line of the French Royal Navy. She was intended to be armed with 68 guns as a Second Rank ship including a partially armed upper deck, but was modified during construction and completed as a First Rank with 82 guns, comprising twenty-eight 36-pounder guns on the lower deck, twenty-six 18-pounder guns on the middle deck, and twenty-four 8-pounder guns on the upper deck, with four 4-pounder guns on the quarterdeck.

The Orgueilleux was a First Rank three-decker ship of the line of the French Royal Navy. She was initially armed with 88 guns, comprising twenty-eight 36-pounder guns on the lower deck, thirty 18-pounder guns on the middle deck, and twenty-four 8-pounder guns on the upper deck, with six 6-pounder guns on the quarterdeck, but an extra pair of 8-pounders was added soon after completion. By 1706 one pair of 36-pounders had been removed and an extra pair of 6-pounders added on the quarterdeck to maintain the 90-gun rating.

The Ambitieux was a First Rank three-decker ship of the line of the French Royal Navy. She was initially armed with 92 guns, comprising twenty-eight 36-pounder guns on the lower deck, twenty-eight 18-pounder guns on the middle deck, and twenty-six 8-pounder guns on the upper deck, with ten 6-pounder guns on the quarterdeck. By 1706 an additional pair of 8-pounders were added on the upper deck, and an extra pair of 6-pounders was added on the quarterdeck, raising the ship to 96 guns; she briefly received four 100-pounders to replace four 36-pounders, but the latter were restored soon after.

The Ambitieux was a First Rank three-decker ship of the line of the French Royal Navy. She was armed with 92 guns, comprising twenty-eight 36-pounder guns on the lower deck, twenty-eight 18-pounder guns on the middle deck, and twenty-six 8-pounder guns on the upper deck, with ten 6-pounder guns on the quarterdeck.

Bourbon was a second rank two-decker ship of the line of the French Royal Navy. She was armed with 68 guns, comprising twenty-six 24-pounder guns on the lower deck and twenty-eight 12-pounder guns on the upper deck, with eight 6-pounder guns on the quarterdeck and six 6-pounder guns on the forecastle.

Saint Louis was a second rank two-decker ship of the line of the French Royal Navy. She was armed with 64 guns, comprising twenty-four 24-pounder guns on the lower deck and twenty-six 12-pounder guns on the upper deck, with eight 6-pounder guns on the quarterdeck and six 6-pounder guns on the forecastle.

Éole was a second rank two-decker ship of the line of the French Royal Navy. She was armed with 64 guns, comprising twenty-four 24-pounder guns on the lower deck and twenty-six 12-pounder guns on the upper deck, with eight 6-pounder guns on the quarterdeck and six 6-pounder guns on the forecastle.

Prompt was a second rank two-decker ship of the line of the French Royal Navy. She was armed with 70 guns, comprising twenty-eight 24-pounder guns on the lower deck and thirty 12-pounder guns on the upper deck, with twelve 6-pounder guns on the quarterdeck and the forecastle.

The Bizarre was a second rank two-decker ship of the line of the French Royal Navy. She was armed with 68 guns, comprising twenty-six 24-pounder guns on the lower deck and twenty-eight 12-pounder guns on the upper deck, with eight 6-pounder guns on the quarterdeck and six 6-pounder guns on the forecastle.

References