Naval Database

Majestic, 1785
Type: 3rd rate † ; Armament 74
Launched : 1785 ; Disposal date or year : 1816
BM: 1642 tons
Complement: 594
Notes:

14 Jul 1793 sailed with the Channel fleet from St. Helen's. On the 18th was in collision with the Bellerophon, causing the latter some damage. 23rd anchored off Torbay, sailing for off Plymouth Sound on the 25th.

31 Jul 1793 briefly sighted, but was unable to close the French fleet ; returned to Torbay on 10 Aug.

23 Aug 1793 the Channel Fleet sailed to escort the Newfoundland trade, West Indian convoys in home waters.

27 Oct 1793 sailed in search of the French fleet and squadrons. 18 Nov brief skirmish with a French squadron : by mid-December the fleet had returned to Spithead.

2 May - 1 Jun 1794 Departure of the Channel Fleet, Captain Charles Cotton, from St. Helen's, off the Isle of Wight. The lead up to and actions and manoeuvres with the French fleet on 29 May - 1 Jun., resulting in the capture of six sail of the line and one sunk.

29 May - 1 Jun 1794, review of the part performed by each British ship engaged.

13 June 1794, the major part of the fleet arrived at Spithead with the prizes, with 9 ships being sent to Plymouth.

14 Feb 1795 the Channel fleet sailed from Torbay for a brief cruise and to see various convoys safe out of the Channel.

24 Apr 1796 Marin bay, Martinique. Sir John Laforey handed over command of the Barbadoes station to Rear-admiral Christian and sailed to England in the Majestic.

24 May 1798 departed from off Cadiz with a squadron of 10 ships of the line to join Nelson's squadron in the Mediterranean, arriving 7 Jun.

7 Jun 1798 the search for the French fleet.

1 Aug 1798 the preparation for the Battle of the Nile.

1 Aug 1798 Battle of the Nile.

14 Aug 1798 the Orion, Bellerophon, Minotaur, Defence, Audacious, Theseus, and Majestic, accompanied by the prizes Franklin, Tonnant, Aquilon, Conquérant, Peuple-Souverain and Spartiate leave Aboukir Bay.

Mid Sep 1798 arrive Gibraltar with prizes and after making repairs sail for England leaving the Peuple-Souverain (re-named Guerrier) behind as a guard ship.

22 Feb 1799 was in sight when the crew of the Espoir boarded and captured the Spanish xebec Africa.

5 Apr 1799 Majestic and Transfer drove on shore and destroyed a French privateer, name unknown, in the Mediterranean.

3 May 1799 prepared for action on receipt of news that the French fleet had escaped from Brest and was heading towards Cadiz. The French were sighted the following day, but stood on for the Mediterranean.

10 May 1799 arrived with the fleet at Gibraltar, and having watered and victualled sailed for the Mediterranean.

20 May 1799 anchored in Port-Mahon : sailed on 22nd on a cruise.

30 May 1799 detached to reinforce Lord Nelson at Palermo.

7 Jun 1799 joined Nelson's squadron off Palermo.

13 Jun-mid Aug 1799 sailed from off Palermo for a cruise, arriving Naples 24th, where crews were involved in operations ashore.

Doubled and sheathed &c.from, main wales only and strengthened with diagonal braces.

May 1805 Yarmouth Roads.

Yarmouth 2 Jan 1807 Remains in the Roads.

30 Aug - 5 Sep 1807 treaty was signed with the governor of the Danish island of Heligoland.

Deal 18 Jan 1810 Arrived from the Baltic.

Sheerness 29 Jan 1810 Came into harbour.

† 1812-13 Majestic, Goliath, and Saturn were cut down, fore-and-aft, to the clamps of the quarterdeck and forecastle. Each ship was allowed to retain her first-deck battery of 28 long 32-pounders, and, in lieu of her 28 long 18-pounders on the second deck, she received an equal number of 42-pounder carronades, besides two long 12-pounders as chase-guns, making 58 guns on two flush decks, with a net complement of 495 men and boys.

Deal 23 Mar 1813 Passed through the Downs from Chatham, for the American station.

Portsmouth 29 May 1813 Arrived from Chatham, and will sail for the coast of America the moment the wind permits.

Portsmouth 2 Jun 1813 Sailed with large supplies of naval stores for Bermuda.

Falmouth 6 Jun 1813 This morning appeared off this port with 550 sail of merchant vessels under convoy for Spain, Portugal, Mediterranean, Brazils, North America, and West Indies, and were joined from hence by a number of merchantmen.

2-3 Feb 1814 discovered a strange vessel in lat. 36° 41' N., lon. 22° 11' W., and sailed in chase, which, as afterwards ascertained, was the American privateer Wasp.

3 Feb 1814 whilst in chase of the Wasp sighted two French 40-gun frigates Atalante and Terpsichore and following a chase captured the Terpsichore.

Madeira 8 Feb 1814 It is reported that on the 3 Feb after a long chase she captured the French frigate Terpsichore, 44.

Bermuda 15 Mar 1814 Arrived with the Terpsichore French frigate, her prize.

22 May 1814 captured a U.S. privateer, the 4 gun schooner Dominica, with 36 men.

Towards the close of the year 1814 Majestic, Endymion and the Pomone cruised off the port of New York.

14 Jan 1815 bad weather blew the squadron blockading New York out to sea, and it being surmised that the vessels blockaded in New York would have taken the opportunity to escape the squadron went in search.

15 Jan 1815 Majestic, Endymion, Pomone and Tenedos discovered the President 2 miles ahead and following a long chase she was eventually captured by the frigates, particularly the Endymion.

Portsmouth 30 May 1815 Arrived.