HMS Lichfield (1695)

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

HMS Lichfield was a 50-gun fourth-rate ship of the line of the Royal Navy, one of five such ships authorised on 16 November 1693 (three to be built in different Royal Dockyards and two to be built by commercial contract. The Lichfield was built by Master Shipwright William Stigant at Portsmouth Dockyard and launched on 4 February 1695. She was first commissioned in that year under Captain Lord Archibald Hamilton, for service in Home Waters.

Lichfield, plan of the 1730 rebuild
History
Great Britain
Name	HMS Lichfield
Ordered	16 November 1693
Builder	William Stignant, Portsmouth Dockyard
Launched	4 February 1695
Out of service	February 1715
Fate	Broken up, 1744
General characteristics as built
Class and type	50-gun fourth-rate ship of the line
Tons burthen	686 6⁄94
Length	130 ft 3 in (39.7 m) (gundeck) 107 ft 7 in (32.8 m) (keel)
Beam	34 ft 7.5 in (10.6 m)
Depth of hold	13 ft 6 in (4.1 m)
Sail plan	Full-rigged ship
Armament	50 guns of various weights of shot
General characteristics after 1730 rebuild
Class and type	1719 Establishment 50-gun fourth-rate ship of the line
Tons burthen	755 89⁄94 bm
Length	134 ft 2 in (40.9 m) (gundeck) 109 ft 8 in (33.4 m) (keel)
Beam	36 ft (11.0 m)
Depth of hold	15 ft 2 in (4.6 m)
Sail plan	Full-rigged ship
Armament	50 guns: Gundeck: 22 × 18 pdrs Upper gundeck: 22 × 9 pdrs Quarterdeck: 4 × 6 pdrs Forecastle: 2 × 6 pdrs

She was paid off in February 1715 at Plymouth, and ordered to be rebuilt on 5 December 1718, but the work did not commence until November 1727 (although the ship was taken to pieces for that purpose on 28 May 1720), and she underwent a rebuild according to the 1719 Establishment by Master Shipwright Peirson Lock at Plymouth Dockyard for a cost of £11,342-3-2d, and she was re-launched on 25 March 1730. The Lichfield continued in service until 1744, when she was first nominally reduced to a 44-gun Fifth Rate (on 1 June), but then ordered to be taken to pieces instead ten days later (with a new ship ordered to be built in her stead at Harwich), which breaking-uo was completed in July.

References

• Lavery, Brian (2003) The Ship of the Line – Volume 1: The development of the battlefleet 1650-1850. Conway Maritime Press. ISBN 0-85177-252-8.
• Winfield, Rif (1997), The 50-Gun Ship: A Complete History. Chatham Publishing (1st edition); Mercury Books (2nd edition 2005). ISBN 1-845600-09-6.
• Winfield, Rif (2009) British Warships in the Age of Sail: 1603-1714: Design, Construction, Careers and Fates. Seaforth Publishing. ISBN 978-1-84832-040-6.
• Winfield, Rif (2007) British Warships in the Age of Sail: 1714-1792: Design, Construction, Careers and Fates. Seaforth Publishing. ISBN 978-1-84415-700-6.
• Colledge, J. J.; Warlow, Ben (2006) [1969]. Ships of the Royal Navy: The Complete Record of all Fighting Ships of the Royal Navy (Rev. ed.). London: Chatham Publishing. ISBN 978-1-86176-281-8.