HMS Bideford (1756)

For other ships with the same name, see HMS Bideford.

History
Great Britain
Name	HMS Bideford
Ordered	30 October 1754
Builder	Adam Hayes, Deptford Dockyard
Laid down	9 January 1755
Launched	6 July 1758 at Buckler's Hard
Completed	2 March 1756 at Deptford Dockyard
Commissioned	February 1756
In service	1756–1761
Fate	Wrecked off North Norfolk, December 1761
General characteristics
Class & type	20-gun Bideford-class sixth-rate frigate
Tons burthen	402 85⁄94 bm
Length	105 ft 0 in (32.0 m) (gun deck) 85 ft 7 in (26.1 m) (keel)
Beam	29 ft 9 in (9.1 m)
Depth of hold	9 ft 2 in (2.8 m)
Sail plan	Full-rigged ship
Complement	160
Armament	20 × 9-pounder guns

HMS Bideford was a 20-gun sixth-rate frigate of the Royal navy that saw service during the early part of the Seven Years' War between Britain and France. Built to a design copied from Le Tygre, a French vessel captured in 1747, she was launched in 1757 as a privateer-hunter in the English Channel and Bay of Biscay. Active for four years, she secured seven victories at sea over French vessels. She was wrecked on Haisborough Sands off North Norfolk on 31 December 1761.

Service history

HMS Bideford was designed by Sir Thomas Slade and built by Adam Hayes at Deptford Dockyard with Captain Robert Digby as Commander, with a crew of 160 men. The ship was based on the south English coast. In November 1756 command passed to Francis Samuel Drake. ^[1]

In June 1757 command passed to Captain Samuel Hood (father of the infamous Captain Samuel Hood) and she joined the fleet of Admiral Hawke and began a period of intense action.

• 30 July 1757 - attacked and captured the French schooner "La Victoire".
• 30 September 1757 - attacked and captured the French privateer "Romieu"

In February 1758 command passed from Hood to Captain Lancelot Skynner.

• 26 August 1758 - attacked and captured the French privateer "Le Printemps"
• 4 April 1760 - with HMS Flamborough attacked two superior French ships, each of 32-guns: "La Malicieuse" and "L'Opale", unfortunately at the loss of Skynner's life. Lt Knollis then took command but was also killed. In total 10 men were killed and 24 wounded on Bideford. The British ships were forced to retreat. ^[2]

After repairs Bideford was put under command of Captain William Howe in July 1760.

• 14 March 1761 - attacked and captured the French sloop "Le Chamillard"
• 14 April 1761 - attacked and captured the French privateer "L'Augustine"
• 3 May 1761 - attacked and captured the French privateer "Le Marquise de Beringhen"

In September 1761 command passed from Howe to Captain Thomas Gordon]

The ship was wrecked on the notorious Haisborough Sands off the Norfolk coast on December 31, 1761. ^{[3] [4]} The captain and much of the crew were drowned. ^[5]

References

1. "British Sixth Rate ship 'Bideford' (1756)".
2. "Action of 4 April 1760, 4th April 1760".
3. The Times (newspaper) 2 January 1762
4. "(untitled)". Lloyd's List (2711). 5 January 1762. Retrieved 15 December 2024.
5. "Thomas Gordon (D.1761)".