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BEDFORD
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(64) |
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Built in 1741, Portsmouth.
Sold in 1781. |
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- 1741 Capt. James CORNWALL. Appointed in March. With the Channel fleet under Sir John NORRIS. He was shortly after ordered to the Mediterranean under Commodore LESTOCK. On the resignation of Capt. GRAVES he was appointed to the command of MARLBOROUGH and Capt. George TOWNSHEND was appointed to BEDFORD. V. Ad. MATTHEWS chased a Spanish squadron of 12 ships into Toulon at the end of 1742 where they joined a French flotilla. The combined fleet came out on 19 February 1743 and were chased by English ships waiting outside. MATTHEWS came up with them after three days, signalled for line of battle, but then bore down on the enemy rear with just the ships of his own division. BEDFORD was with LESTOCK, who, with a personal hatred of MATTHEWS, stuck to the strict letter of the Fighting Instructions and declined to join in the action.
- In October 1745 Capt. TOWNSHEND was detached by Ad. ROWLEY as senior officer of a small squadron to bombard Bastia in Corsica. The Genoese governor was obliged to abandon the garrison, which soon surrendered to the local populace.
- Leghorn, November 22nd 1745.
- Last week Cap. Townshend came in her with several of his majesty's ships and bomb vessels under his command, from Bastia, to take in provisions and stores, which they were in want of. We learned by them, the town had greatly suffered by the fire from the men of war, and the number of shells the bombs had thrown into it, which had destroyed many houses and set the town on fire in three or four places; which had such an effect, that three days ago we received advice from thence, by one of the chiefs of the Corsicans, (who came on purpose from Bastia, to bring Capt. Townshend an account of it) that the garrison, which was Genoese, had surrendered to them, which put them in possession of the capital. Marquis Mari, who was the governor, with a lieutenant colonel, major and about 150 soldiers for his escort, found means to make their escape the night before the place surrendered, which was on the 11th. instant. The rest of the garrison were made prisoners of war. M. Mari is gone to Calvi, which, it is said, will be invested, as soon as ever his majesty's ships get upon the coast again; which Captain Townshend is endeavouring to do with utmost dispatch. His majesty's ships have some of them suffered in their rigging, without any other damage, or the loss of one man.
- Leghorn, December 6th. 1745.
- Capt. Townshend sailed from this place on the 3rd. Inst. with part of the squadron of his Britannic majesty's ships under his command, for Corsica. The day before his departure he received advice from thence, that the Corsicans had taken the town of San Fioranno., and it was expected they would soon make themselves masters of the castle, being a place if not much strength. A body of 5000 men was marched to blockade Calvi, and two other strong detachments were gone with the same design to Ajaccio and Bonifaccio. Capt. Townshend has left behind him the bomb-vessels to be repaired, which is doing with the utmost dispatch.
- On 29 March 1746 BEDFORD, with ESSEX (70), and two bombs, sighted three French warships, ORIFLAMME (53), DIANE (30), and VOLAGE (30), which had been hired to a M. de Lage, who fitted them out at his own expense. TOWNSHEND, pleading that he was facing superior force, declined the engagement and, as a result, faced a court martial in February 1747.
- He returned to England during the course of 1746.
- 1755 Capt. James DOUGLASS, who was appointed about the month of June. In August she was ordered to Gibraltar with a convoy. He arrived with his charge on 4 September having, on his passage, captured three French vessels laden with merchandise.
- 1761 Capt. James GAMBIER, with the Channel Fleet under Sir Edward HAWKE, stationed in Quiberon Bay blockading the French ships of war in the river Vilaine. During the darkness of the night on 2 January, and assisted by a strong westerly breeze, they escaped, closely pursued by BEDFORD, PRINCE FREDERICK, EDGAR and ST. FLORENTINE, and reached safe haven in Brest. Sir Edward returned to port leaving some ships to watch the enemy's movements.
- 1762 Capt. William MARTIN. Taking advantage of a thick fog M. DE TERNAY slipped out Brest with ROBUSTE (74), EVEILLE (64), GARONNE (44), LICORNE (32), and a bomb ketch with 1,500 troops bound for Newfoundland. On 11 May they fell in with N. America and East and West Indies convoys, escorted by SUPERB (74), GOSPORT (44), and DANAE (38). The convoy were ordered to maintain their course while the warships formed a line of battle behind them; but the French hauled their wind and made off. Sir Edward HAWKE was ordered in pursuit but DE TERNAY had too great a start so he continued on the coasts of Spain and Portugal until the end of August when he returned to England. BEDFORD was then sent with a squadron under Capt, Hugh PALLISER in SHREWSBURY (74), the others being SUPERB (74), and MINERVE (32), to reinforce Lord COLVILLE in America.
- Hulk 1767
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