St Albans-class ship of the line

The St Albans-class ships of the line were a class of three 64-gun third rates, designed for the Royal Navy by Sir Thomas Slade.

Class overview
Name	St Albans
Operators	Royal Navy
Preceded by	Essex class
Succeeded by	Exeter class
In service	12 September 1764 – 1814
Completed	3
Lost	1
General characteristics
Type	Ship of the line
Length	159 ft (48 m) (gundeck) 131 ft 7+3⁄4 in (40.126 m) (keel)
Beam	44 ft 4 in (13.51 m)
Propulsion	Sails
Armament	64 guns: Gundeck: 26 × 24 pdrs Upper gundeck: 26 × 18 pdrs Quarterdeck: 10 × 4 pdrs Forecastle: 2 × 9 pdrs

Design

Slade based the St Albans draught on that of his earlier 74-gun Bellona class.

Ships

• HMS St Albans

Builder: Perry, Blackwall Yard, London

Ordered: 13 January 1761

Launched: 12 September 1764

Fate: Broken up, 1814

• HMS Augusta

Builder: Wells and Stanton, Rotherhithe

Ordered: 13 January 1761

Launched: 24 October 1763

Fate: Burned, 1777

• HMS Director

Builder: Clevely, Gravesend

Ordered: 2 August 1780

Launched: 9 March 1784

Fate: Broken up, 1801

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.