French ship Alcide (1743)

Alcide was a 64-gun ship of the line of the French Navy, launched in 1742. The captain of the vessel was Toussaint Hocquart, for the re-enforcement campaign that was sent to Canada in May 1755.

Capture of Alcide near Louisbourg
History
French Royal Navy EnsignFrance
NameAlcide
OrderedOctober 1741
BuilderBrest Naval Dockyard
Laid downMarch 1742
Launched6 December 1743
Commissioned1744
Captured8 June 1755, by Royal Navy
Royal Navy EnsignGreat Britain
NameAlcide
Acquired8 June 1755
FateSold, 1772
General characteristics [1]
Class and type64-gun third-rate ship of the line
Tons burthen1373.8 tons
Length
  • 159 ft (48 m) (gundeck);
  • 128 ft 4.5 in (39.129 m) (gundeck)
Beam44 ft 10.25 in (13.6716 m)
Depth of hold18 ft 2.375 in (5.54673 m)
PropulsionSails
Sail planFull-rigged ship
Armament64 guns of various weights of shot

On 8 June 1755, Alcide was captured by HMS Dunkirk and HMS Torbay of Vice-Admiral Edward Boscawen's squadron, and commissioned into the Royal Navy in 1757 as the third-rate HMS Alcide.

HMS Alcide was sold out of the navy in May 1772. However, it perhaps remained in service in some form because on 10 July 1772 according to the UK, Register of Duties Paid for Apprentices' Indentures, 1710–1811, Robert Mellefent was apprenticed as a carpenter to Ebenezer Holland to serve on the ship.[2]

Shown here as a member Sir George Pocock's Blue Squadron, circa 1762
Plan of Alcide
Another plan of Alcide

See also

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Citations

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  1. ^ Lavery, Ships of the Line, vol. 1, p. 178.
  2. ^ Pichon's Lettres et Memories sure Cap Breton, p. 248

References

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  • Lavery, Brian, The Ship of the Line – Volume 1: The development of the battlefleet 1650–1850. Conway Maritime Press, 2003. ISBN 0-85177-252-8.
  • Winfield, Rif, British Warships in the Age of Sail, 1714–1792: Design, Construction, Careers and Fates. Seaforth Publishing, 2007. ISBN 978-1-84415-700-6.