HMS Sandwich (1679)

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

HMS Sandwich was a 90-gun second rate ship of the line of the Royal Navy, launched in May 1679 at Harwich Dockyard.^[1][4]

History
England
Name	HMS Sandwich
Ordered	8 September 1677
Builder	Isaac Betts, Harwich Dockyard
Launched	May 1679
Honours & awards	BEACHY HEAD 1690, BARFLEUR 1692
Fate	Broken up to rebuild, 1709
General characteristics as built (1679)[1]
Class & type	1677 Construction Programme 90-gun second rate ship of the line
Tons burthen	1,395 bm
Length	161 ft 6 in (49.2 m) (gundeck)
Beam	44 ft 6 in (13.6 m)
Depth of hold	18 ft 3 in (5.6 m)
Propulsion	Sails
Sail plan	Full-rigged ship
Armament	90 guns of various weights
Great Britain
Ordered	20 July 1709
Builder	Benjamin Rosewell, Chatham Dockyard
Cost	£24,607.02 (rebuild) + £4,057.52 (fitting January–February 1720)
Launched	21 April 1715
Commissioned	11 January 1719/1720
Recommissioned	January 1741
Stricken	22 January 1755
Fate	Converted to lazarette, 1752; broken up, 24 March 1770
General characteristics after rebuild (1715)[2][3]
Class & type	1706 Establishment 90-gun second rate ship of the line
Tons burthen	1,573+7⁄94  bm
Length	162 ft 6 in (49.5 m) (gundeck)
Beam	47 ft 4 in (14.4 m)
Depth of hold	18 ft 6 in (5.6 m)
Propulsion	Sails
Sail plan	Full-rigged ship
Armament	90 guns: Gundeck: 26 × 32 lb (15 kg) Middle gundeck: 26 × 18 lb (8.2 kg) Upper gundeck: 26 × 9 lb (4.1 kg) Quarterdeck: 10 × 6 lb (2.7 kg) Forecastle: 2 × 6 lb (2.7 kg)

Career

Sandwich took part in the Battle of Beachy Head in 1690 during the Nine Years' War.^[5]

At the Battle of Barfleur in 1692, she failed to anchor during the flood tide at evening and was swept through the French fleet, taking several raking shots. Her captain, Antony Hastings, was killed.^[6]

She underwent a rebuild at Chatham Dockyard, from where she was relaunched on 21 April 1715 as a 90-gun second-rate built to the 1706 Establishment.^[2]

She was commissioned in 1720 under Captain William Faulkner for service in the Baltic as flagship of Admiral Sir John Norris. From March 1720 to November 1721, William Smellie, later a pioneer of obstetrics, served as the ship's surgeon.^[7] In 1723, she was fitted as a guard ship and served until 1725 under Captain Salmon Morrice at Blackstakes. Between October 1729 and October 1733, she underwent a great repair at Chatham, costing £27,460.30.^[5]

In the spring of 1741, she was fitted as a flagship at Chatham and recommissioned in January under Captain Samuel Mead for the Channel. In June 1741, she was under Captain Charles Brown, and from October under Captain Samuel Atkins, again serving in Norris's fleet. She was commanded in 1742–43 by Captain Sir William Hewitt in home waters.^[5]

In 1744, she was commanded by Captain Roger Martin as flagship of Rear-Admiral William Martin in Norris's fleet, including convoy duty to Lisbon between April and May. In April 1745, she was at Portsmouth under Captain Harry Powlett, in July briefly under Captain Philip Saumarez, and from October under Captain John Hume.^[5]

Fate

Sandwich underwent a survey in March 1748, and in October 1749 was made a church ship at Chatham in place of Union. By Admiralty Order of January 1752, she was cut down and fitted as a lazarette for Stangate Creek under a contract with Mr Temple, completed later that year. She was conveyed to Stangate Creek in November 1754, and deleted from the Navy List in January 1755.^[3]

She was finally broken up at Chatham, the work completed on 24 March 1770.^[8]