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TORBAY
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(74) |
3rd rate
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Built as NEPTUNE in 1683 at Deptford.
Rebuilt at Blackwall in 1710 and at Woolwich in 1730.
Renamed TORBAY on 23 Aug. 1750.
Sold in 1784. |
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- 1758 Commodore Augustus KEPPEL, he sailed from Cork on 11th. November as Commander in Chief of an expedition against the French settlement of Goree, on the coast of Africa. His squadron consisted of the following ships:- TORBAY (74), Thomas CROWE; NASSAU (70), James TAYLOR; FOUGUEUX (60), Joseph KNIGHT; DUNKIRK (60), Robert DIGBY; LITCHFIELD (50), Matthew BARTON; PRINCE EDWARD (40), William FORTESCUE; the SALTASH sloop, William STIRLING; two bomb-ketches, FIREDRAKE, James ORROCK, and FURNACE, Jonathan FAULKNOR; one fire-ship called the ROMAN EMPEROR, William HEWSOM, and a number of transports with two regiments of troops.
- The LITCHFIELD and a transport called the SOMERSET were wrecked on the 29th. November and the survivors taken prisoner by the Moors.
- Mr KEPPEL anchored off Goree on the 24th. December.
- Letter from the commodore to the Secretary of State
SIR, - I arrived here with the squadron under my command on the 28th. December past in the evening. The next morning, agreeable to his majesty's instructions, I attacked with the ships the fort and batteries on the island of Goree which were soon reduced to desire permission to capitulate. The governor's demands were to be allowed to march the French troops out of the garrison with the honours of war. His terms I absolutely rejected and began a fresh attack; it was however of very short duration, when the forts, garrison & c. surrendered at discretion to his majesty's squadron.
Lieutenant-colonel Worge had his troops embarked in the flat-bottomed boats, in good order and readiness, at a proper distance with the transports, to attempt a descent, when it should be found practicable or require.
Two days after the surrender of the island I ordered it to be delivered up, with the cannon, artillery, stores and provisions & c. found in it, to the officer and troops lieutenant-colonel Worge thought fit to garrison the place with; and the colonel is taking all imaginable pains settle and regulate the garrison in the best manner and as fast as circumstances will admit of.
The enclosed, Sir, is the state of the island, with the artillery, ammunition and provisions found in the place at the time of its surrender.
- French, made prisoners of war, three hundred.
- Blacks in arms. a great number; but I am not well enough informed as yet to say precisely.
- The loss the enemy sustained as to men, is so very differently stated to me, by those that have been asked, I must defer saying the number until another opportunity.
- Iron ordnance, of different bores, ninety-three; one brass twelve pounder; iron swivels, mounted on carriages, eleven; brass mortars, mounted on beds, two of thirteen inches, ditto; one of ten inches. In the magazine - powder, one hundred barrels; provisions of all species, for four hundred men, for four months.
AUGUSTUS KEPPEL - The SALTASH sloop was ordered into a bay between Point Barnabas and Point Goree to cover the landing of the troops when it should be deemed expedient. At four in the morning of the 28th. the flat-bottomed boats were ordered to receive the troops and were ready to go on shore by nine. Meanwhile the ships of war got ready to bombard the fort. The FIREDRAKE bomb, protected from enemy fire by the PRINCE EDWARD, was ordered to anchor abreast of a small lunette battery en barbet, a little below the citadel to the northward. Capt. SAYER in the NASSAU was ordered to lead the line of battle on the right, and anchor opposite St. Peter's battery of five guns; the DUNKIRK followed her, bringing up abreast of an unfinished battery to the northward; the TORPOINT took the west point battery of five guns, and the west corner of St. Francis's fort with four smaller guns; Capt. KNIGHT in the FOUGUEUX brought up the rear, covering the other bomb on his starboard quarter and firing on the mortar battery.
A lieutenant, ordered on shore to arrange terms of capitulation, was surprised to be asked "on what terms the surrender was expected?" He replied that the commodore would not listen to any terms other than surrender at discretion and was told "I am still prepared to defend myself, if the French troops are not permitted to march out with the honours of war." Commodore KEPPEL immediately ordered a broadside fired from TORBAY and from every gun in the squadron that was ready. The governor, finding that his soldiers refused to stand any longer to their guns, ordered the regimental colours to be hung over the walls as a signal of surrender.
The commodore took his prisoners on board, and, leaving a sufficient garrison to secure the conquest, sailed for Senegal on the 27th. January, and returned to England on the 1st. March. For the remainder of the year he served as a private captain in the Channel fleet, commanded by Sir Edward HAWKE. In November 1759 he took part in the defeat of the French armament under the Marquis de Conflans, when the THESEE (74), was sunk by TORBAY'S guns. - 1771 Capt. Samuel WALLIS, he was appointed at the beginning of the year as part of the naval precautions in consequence of a threatened rupture with Spain over the Falkland Islands. He continued in this ship until the following year.
- 1772 Capt. Francis Samuel DRAKE, a guardship at Plymouth.
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