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NAMUR
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(90) |
2nd rate
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Built in 1729, Deptford.
Wrecked in 1749. |
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- 1731 Capt. Edward FALKINGHAM 1732 Capt. Henry George CLINTON, flagship of Adm. Sir Charles WAGER. Put into commission on Thursday 15th. June with a squadron of 12 ships of the line, including Rear. Adm. Sir George SAUNDERS in EDINBURGH.
- In August Lieuts. POCOCK and HOBOURN appointed. Her 1st. lieutenant, Sir Roger BUTLER was promoted to be captain of the BONETTA.
- 1734 Capt. John BARNSLEY, appointed by Rear Adm. HADDOCK to be his flag captain when he became third in command of the fleet collected in the Downs by Sir John NORRIS. Capt. CLINTON removed to BERWICK.
- Capt. Samuel FAULKNER.
- 1746 Capt. Edward BOSCAWEN, appointed in January. On 24th. November 1746 NAMUR chased into Vice Adm. ANSON's squadron the MERCURY, formerly a French ship of war, but then serving as a hospital ship to the squadron lately commanded by the Duc d'Anville; she left Arcadia on 23rd. October with the remnants of that squadron, consisting of six ships of the line, several frigates and 30 or 40 merchant ships. The MERCURY, being a good sailor, had got ahead of the fleet and was steering directly for Brest.
- NAMUR at Sea.
- SIR.
- We left Plymouth on the 9th. April, under the command of Adm. Anson and Adm. Warren, and cruised Ushant and Brest till the 20th., and the stood to the S. W. in order to make Cape Finisterre; the 25th. the Falkland join'd us, and brought an account that two days since they saw about 40 sail of ships in St. Martin's, with their topsails loose; hereupon our very diligent admiral made the signal for line of battle a-head, at two miles distant, which spread the sea, and gave us great hopes of seeing something within 20 leagues; having in company 18 ships of the line, besides fireships and frigates as spouts for intelligence.
- One of these came into the fleet at 7 in the morning (Sunday 3rd. May) with a signal to speak with the admiral, having been chased by part of the above-mentioned 40 ships, the evening before; here our admiral made the signal for the line as usual.
- I now come to the French fleet, and it happened to be the Namur's lot; for, as our line was formed on the starboard tack, and we being the oldest captain, lead on it, so of consequence, was the headmost ship of our squadron; which was now reduced to 12 sail of the line, 1 frigate, 1 sloop and 1 fireship. At half an hour after 8 we made a signal for seeing a strange fleet to leeward, immediately the admiral hawled down the signal for the line of battle, and made the signal for the whole fleet to chase. At noon we saw the enemy being in a line of battle ahead. At two the French hawled down their signal for the line, and began to run for it (as there convoy was now well ahead) upon which our admiral hawled down the signal for line of battle, and made the signal for the whole fleet to chase; and at about half an hour past two made the signal to engage. At three we came within gun shot of the sternmost of the enemy, they fired their stern-chace at us; but not regarding that, we stood on, and soon came near four or five of them, where we were very warmly engaged on both sides, and had no ship to our assistance but the Centurion and the Defiance, the former lost her main-top-mast, and of consequence dropped astern, tho' the captain behaved like a brave experienc'd officer, in using all possible dispatch to come into action again; and the brave Capt. Grenville of the Defiance, observing how desperate the Namur was before, got on our starboard bow, and took most of the fire of one ship from us.
- After about an hour's engagement with five ships, we shot the Invincible's main-top-mast away, who of consequence dropped astern. Then we made sail ahead and engaged the French Admiral within pistol shot, for about an hour and a half; at which time he struck to us; as did anther on the larboard bow, and one on the starboard bow; but I believe the latter as much to the Defiance as to us.
- The French being by this time pretty well reduced, our admiral made the Yarmouth, Monmouth, Nottingham and Ambuscade, the signal to chase the convoy. We had 13 men killed in the engagement, and 63 wounded; among the latter was the captain in the right shoulder with a musket-ball, the third lieutenant much wounded in the right groin, the master in the right knee, and a marine officer thro' the body with a musket ball, and died in half an hour after. Our main mast has five shot thro' it, the fore-mast three and the mizzen-mast one. I think you are well able to judge the condition of the ship, which is very bad, and makes two feet six inches of water every hour.
- I am Yours,& c.
- Papers received from Adm. BOSCAWEN dated 20th. April 1749 say that the NAMUR was lost in a storm off the St. David's road on the 14th. April 1749. His Majesty's Ship NAMUR foundered in nine fathoms of water. She went out of Fort St. David's road, after having taken in much water the 13th., at 7pm Capt. MARSHAL, her third lieut. Mr GILCHRIST, Capt. of Marines, Surgeon, Purser, Chaplain, Boatswain, and 40 other people were saved; an about 70 sick on shore in hospital; the first, second, and fourth lieutenants, Master, Gunner and two Lieutenants of Marines, in all 520 were drowned.
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