Centurion, 60 Guns
| Details | ||
|---|---|---|
| Nationality | British |  |
| Ordered | 1729/02/17 | B057 |
| Laid Down | 1729/09/09 | B057 |
| Launched | 1733/01/06 | B057 |
| Shipyard | Portsmouth DY | B057 |
| Designer | Joseph Allin | B057 |
| Master Shipbuilder | Joseph Allin | B057 |
| Rate | Fourth Rate | |
| Type | Ship of the Line | |
| Out Service | 1769/12/18 | B057 |
| Fate | Broken Up | B057 |
| Dimensions | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| B057 | Type | Metric | |
| Length of Gundeck | 144' 1" | Imperial Feet | 43.92 |
| Length of Keel | 117' 5" | Imperial Feet | 35.79 |
| Breadth | 40' 11/2" | Imperial Feet | 12.22 |
| Depth in Hold | 16' 5" | Imperial Feet | 5 |
| Burthen | 1,00550/94 | Tons BM | |
| Armament | ||
|---|---|---|
| 1733 | B057 | Broadside Weight = 435 |
| Lower Gun Deck | 24 | British 24-Pounder |
| Upper Gun Deck | 26 | British 9-Pounder |
| Quarterdeck | 10 | British 6-Pounder |
| Crew Complement | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date | Men | Notes | Source |
| 1734 | 365 | Establishment | B057 |
| Commanders | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Date From | Date to | Rank/Position | Name | Source |
| 1734/05 | 1735 | Post Captain | Francis Dansays | B051 |
| 1735 | 1736 | Post Captain | George Proctor | B057 |
| 1736 | Unknown | Post Captain | John Durrell | B051 |
| 1737/12 | 1744/07/15 | Post Captain | George Anson | B051 |
| 1747 | 1748 | Post Captain | Peter Denis | B051 |
| 1749 | 1753/08 | Commodore | Augustus Keppel | B051 |
| 1754/10 | 1758 | Post Captain | William Mantell | B051 |
| 1760 | 1762/09 | Post Captain | James Galbraith | B051 |
| Commissioned Officers | ||||
| Date From | Date to | Rank/Position | Name | Source |
| 1737/12 | 1744/07/15 | First Lieutenant | Piercy Brett | B051 |
| 1739/11/12 | 1740/11 | Lieutenant | Peter Denis | B051 |
| 1740/11 | 1745/02/09 | Third Lieutenant | Peter Denis | B051 |
| Service Record | ||
|---|---|---|
| Date | Notes | Source |
| 1738 | Sailed on a voyage to the west coast of Africa and the West Indies | B051 |
| 1739 | Returned to England | B051 |
| 1740/06 | Commissioned as Flagship of a squadron consisting in addition of the Severn (50), Gloucester (50), Pearl (40), Wager storeship (20), Trial snow (8) and two small victuallers, Anna Pink and Industry | B051 |
| 1740/08/10 | Moved with the squadron to St Helens | B051 |
| 1740/08/25 | Arrived in Madiera | B051 |
| 1740/09/08 | The squadron left St Helens | B051 |
| 1740/11/03 | Left Madiera | B051 |
| 1740/12/21 | Anchored at the island of St Catherine's | B051 |
| 1741/01/18 | Left St Catherine's sailing south along the coast of America | B051 |
| 1741/02/18 | Arrived at the island of St Julian | B051 |
| 1741/02/27 | Left the island of St Julian | B051 |
| 1741/03/07 | Passed the straights of Le Maire into the Pacific and became seperated form the rest of the squadron | B051 |
| 1741/06/09 | Arrived at Juan Fernandez | B051 |
| 1741/07 | Took the Carmelo a Spanish ship and fitted her as a cruiser | B051 |
| 1741/09 | Rejoined by Trial and a prize, the Trial was so badly damaged she was scuttled | B051 |
| 1741/09 | Boats under lieutenant Piercy Brett landed at and took Piata | B051 |
| 1741/11/16 | Left Piata | B051 |
| 1741/11/18 | Rejoined by Gloucester with two prizes | B051 |
| 1741/12 | Arrived at the island of Quibo | B051 |
| 1741/12 | Left Quibo for the coast of Mexico | B051 |
| 1742/01/29 | Off the pacific coast of Mexico | B051 |
| 1742/04/07 | Arrived in Acapulco in company with the Gloucester , and three prize ships | B051 |
| 1742/05/08 | Left the American coast in company with the Gloucester , the prizes having been scuttled | B051 |
| 1742/08/16 | The Gloucester was scuttled | B051 |
| 1742/08/28 | Arrived at Tinian | B051 |
| 1742/10/21 | Left Tinian | B051 |
| 1742/11/12 | Anchored in Macao Roads | B051 |
| 1743/04/17 | Left Macao | B051 |
| 1743/05/01 | Arrived off Formosa | B051 |
| 1743/05/20 | Arrived off Espiritu Santo | B051 |
| 1743/06/20 | Took the Nuestra Sennora de Covadonga, spanish galleon worth £500,000 | B051 |
| 1743/07/14 | Entered Canton where he sold the prize ship for $6,000 | B051 |
| 1743/12/07 | Left Canton | B051 |
| 1744/03/11 | Arrived at the Cape | B051 |
| 1744/07/15 | Arrived at Spithead | B051 |
| 1744/12/15 | Renamed Eagle | B057 |
| 1745/11/15 | Renamed Centurion | B057 |
| 1746 | Repaired and reduced to a 50 gun Fourth Rate | B051 |
| 1751 | In the Mediterranean | B051 |
| 1754 | Escorting troops to North America | B051 |
| 1759 | In North America | B051 |
| 1762/05 | In the English fleet to Havana commanded by Admiral Sir George Pocock | B051 |
| 1762/06/06 | Arrived off Havana | B051 |
| 1769 | Broken up at Chatham | B051 |
| Fleets | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fleet Title | Commander | Date From | Date To | Source |
| No Fleets Listed | ||||
| Actions & Battles | ||
|---|---|---|
| Date | Source | |
| 1747/05/14 | 1st Battle of Cape Finisterre | |
| Notes on Ship | |
|---|---|
| Spanish Gold | |
|
The cargo which Centurion brought home amounted to 2,600,000 Pieces of Eight, 150,000 Ounces of Plate, 10 Bars of Gold and a large quantity of Gold and Silver Dust, totalling £1,250,000 Sterling. Commodore George Anson arrived in London on the 17th June and on Tuesday 19th a wagon laden with silver from Centurion arrived at the Bank of England under a strong guard. On 4th July 32 more waggons laden with treasure from Portsmouth passed through St. James's Street, the Strand and Cheapside, in their way to the Tower. They were guarded by the ship's crew and preceded by the Officers with drawn swords. With "Musick playing and Colours flying, particularly that of the Aquapulca Prize." On 31st October 1744 the crew of the Centurion received £300 1s each, as part of their prize money; after which about forty of them, attended by fiddlers, bag-pipers etc. with cockades in their hats, went to Stratford to regale themselves. |
|
| Sources | ||
|---|---|---|
| Id | Link or Description | Author |
| B057 | British Warships in the Age of Sail 1714 - 1792 | Rif Winfield |
| B051 | Biographia Navalis - Volume IV | John Charnock |
| B051 | Biographia Navalis - Volume V | John Charnock |
| B051 | Biographia Navalis - Volume VI | John Charnock |
Last Updated :2009/02/13 at 09:16:40 by Cy