HMS Northumberland (1705)

For other ships with the same name, see HMS Northumberland, French ship Northumberland, and French ship Atlas.

HMS Northumberland was a 70-gun third-rate ship of the line of the Royal Navy, built at Deptford Dockyard and launched in 1705.^[1]

Capture of Northumberland by the Mars, by Ambroise Louis Garneray
History
Great Britain
Name	HMS Northumberland
Builder	Harding, Deptford Dockyard
Launched	29 March 1705
Captured	8 May 1744, by the French
France
Name	Atlas
Acquired	8 May 1744
Fate	Sank 1781
General characteristics as built[1]
Class & type	70-gun third-rate ship of the line
Tons burthen	104123⁄94 (bm)
Length	150 ft 8 in (45.9 m) (gundeck)
Beam	41 ft (12.5 m)
Depth of hold	17 ft 6 in (5.3 m)
Propulsion	Sails
Sail plan	Full-rigged ship
Armament	70 guns of various weights of shot
General characteristics after 1721 rebuild[2]
Class & type	1719 Establishment 70-gun third-rate ship of the line
Tons burthen	10965⁄94 (bm)
Length	151 ft (46.0 m) (gundeck)
Beam	41 ft 6 in (12.6 m)
Depth of hold	17 ft 4 in (5.3 m)
Propulsion	Sails
Sail plan	Full-rigged ship
Armament	70 guns: Gundeck: 26 × 24-pdrs Upper gundeck: 26 × 12-pdrs Quarterdeck: 14 × 6-pdrs Forecastle: 4 × 6-pdrs
General characteristics after 1743 rebuild[3]
Class & type	1741 proposals 64-gun third-rate ship of the line
Tons burthen	1299 bm
Length	154 ft (46.9 m) (gundeck)
Beam	44 ft (13.4 m)
Depth of hold	18 ft 11 in (5.8 m)
Propulsion	Sails
Sail plan	Full-rigged ship
Armament	64 guns: Gundeck: 26 × 32-pdrs Upper gundeck: 26 × 18-pdrs Quarterdeck: 10 × 9-pdrs Forecastle: 2 × 9-pdrs

British service

She was rebuilt twice during her career, firstly at Woolwich Dockyard, where she was reconstructed according to the 1719 Establishment and relaunched on 13 July 1721.^[2] Her second rebuild was also carried out at Woolwich Dockyard, where she was reconstructed as a 64-gun third rate according to the 1741 proposals of the 1719 Establishment, and relaunched on 17 October 1743.^[3]

Northumberland was captured during the action of 8 May 1744^[a] by the French ships Mars commanded by Étienne Perier and Content commanded by the Comte de Conflans.^[4] She was subsequently taken into the French navy as Northumberland, before being renamed Atlas in 1766.

French service

Fate

She sank in February 1781 off the coast of Ushant.

Notes

1. Because England still used the Julian calendar at the time, British sources date the engagement to 8 May; French sources, using the Gregorian calendar date the same engagement to 19 May.