AS completed by Master Shipwright William Lee at Woolwich, the Royal Anne was slightly enlarged in order to carry the same number of guns as the more recent First Rates. However, she and her near-sister London still carried two fewer demi-cannon on the lower deck than did the larger ships, and instead carried two extra 6-pounders on the poop or roundhouse deck. She was actually three feet longer and six inches broader than her planned dimensions. Unlike the other First Rates of this date, the Royal Anne’s ordnance comprised all brass guns. This Thomas Baston engraving is one of a series of carefully executed portraits of British warships published in 1721.
[NMM V1657]

THE ships of the 1690s are poorly represented visually. Without royal patronage, the Van de Veldes were less active – the Elder died in 1693 and although his son survived until 1707, there are few identifiable ship portraits from this era. Surviving official draughts from before 1700 are also very rare, so although this engraving is not a named ship, it is important evidence for the probable appearance of First Rates like Royal William or Queen. It is the work of Bernard Lens, one of a father, son and grandson dynasty, all of whom unfortunately bore the same name, but probably attributable to the second (1659–1725), who was active during the reign of William III. It is described as a ‘First Rate ship in the manner they are usually modelled’, and clearly represents a Navy Board model rather than a full-size ship. The figurehead of a winged cherub riding a lion does not suggest any particular First Rate, and is actually more likely on a Second.
[NMM PA15059]

THIS somewhat crude engraving by Jan Kip is after a portrait of the Victory by Isaac Sailmaker, and shows the ship from three angles. It is firmly identified in the caption as ‘The Victory a First Rate ship … built by Mr Lee of Chatham’ but the figurehead is a simple crowned lion, unlike the more elaborate creations normally carried by First Rates. The ship flies William Ill’s royal standard and there is a WR monogram on the stern of one of the boats.
[NMM PA16675]

THE Royal Sovereign, flying the royal standard from the main truck, is accompanied by a royal yacht as she gets under way in a light breeze in this 1703 portrayal by the younger Van de Velde. The decorative work of the stern is depicted in minute detail, right down to the unicorn on the royal arms, painted white and standing out from the surrounding gilding.
[NMM BHC3614]

THIS very early, and rather battered, draught is identified in a contemporary hand as the Royal Sovereign, but there is no further detail, date nor dimensions listed. By measurement, the sheer plan agrees with the proposed length for the ship eventually launched in 1701, and the unfinished look to various aspects of the draught suggests that it may have been an early working version of Harding’s proposed design.
[NMM J1898]

A drawing by the younger Van de Velde of the Royal Sovereign, probably at her launch in 1701. The ‘rebuilding’ of this ship at Woolwich between 1697 and 1701 was a legal fiction. In fact the older ship, dating in parts back to 1637, had been largely destroyed in an accidental fire at Chatham in January 1696, so the vessel that emerged was in effect a completely new ship. Master Shipwright Fisher Harding, generally perceived to be the most talented of the ship designers around the end of the century, was specifically moved to Woolwich and given virtually a free hand to design the ship. She proved such an outstanding success that, when in 1719 the new Hanoverian administration cast around for a suitable model for their new Establishment dimensions for First Rates, they unhesitatingly adopted the as-built dimensions of the Royal Sovereign as their standard for future construction.
[NMM PY1910]

DRAUGHT of the London. The increased firepower of this 100-gun ship – as rebuilt between 1702 and 1706 from its 1670 predecessor of 96 guns – is actually found simply by an increased number of smaller guns (6-pounders) along the quarterdeck and forecastle. Note, however, the chase port inside the cathead supporter at middle deck level. She saw no service in this reincarnation. She was commissioned briefly under Captain William Clevland in December 1706, but paid off a year later and remained at Chatham until she underwent a further reconstruction in 1718.
[NMM J1831]

A careful rendition by Baston of the Royal George from two angles, flying the Hanoverian royal standard from the main truck. An interesting feature of the rigging is the combination of the old-fashioned sprit topmast at the end of the bowsprit with a jibboom that would eventually supersede it when triangular jibs replaced the square sprit topsail. The ship has a double equestrian figurehead with a rider (presumably intended to represent the king) in the garb of a classical general. Although mounted figures were a common enough theme on the bow of First Rates, this one may have been inspired by the Hanoverian emblem, a white horse.
[NMM PAG2195]

THIS may be a working draught as it is drawn on the back of a piece of pre-printed dockyard stationery, but it represents the Royal William as she appeared following her rebuilding by Master Shipwright John Naish at Portsmouth between 1714 and 1719, at a cost of £30,794. After being relaunched, she was not to be brought into service again as a First Rate, but was laid up at Portsmouth until 1756. Consideration was given in 1746 to a complete razee, to reduce her to two-and-a-half decks, but this plan was turned down in 1748.
[NMM J1787]

THE Royal William as cut down fore and aft in 1756–57 to a Second Rate. By this date draughts generally carried far more detail, and the combined sheer and profile (with the internal works shown in red) was a common convention; unusually, this shows the stern decorative work in considerable detail. Although remaining a three-decker, the removal of her quarterdeck and forecastle meant the deletion of the six-pounders formerly located there, leaving her with just the three batteries of 28 guns each – 32-pounders on the lower deck, 18-pounders on the middle deck, and 9-pounders on the upper deck. In this form, she soldiered on through the Seven Years War and through the War of American Independence. By 1790 she functioned as a receiving ship, but still filled an additional role as the flagship of the Port Admiral at Portsmouth. She was finally broken up at Portsmouth in 1813, able to trace her origins back to the Prince of 1670.
[NMM J1786]

BY 1706 the Queen of 1692, in turn rebuilt from Deane’s Royal Charles of 1673, was in need of further rebuilding and was taken in hand at Woolwich by Jacob Acworth. While the ship was still building Queen Anne died and a shift in political power brought the Hanoverian dynasty to the throne. The Queen was diplomatically renamed Royal George to honour the new king just three weeks prior to being re-launched. This draught is annotated ‘Royal George in 1715’ and is laid out in the form that was to become standard for the rest of the century. Note the four levels of stern windows, although there were only two galleries. Although costing £28,707 to rebuild, the Royal George was left in reserve until 1741, when she was recommissioned as a flagship for Sir John Norris, still classed as a First Rate although her actual armament was reduced to 90 guns.
[NMM J1799]

THE old Britannia of 1682 was taken to pieces in 1715 and rebuilt at Woolwich between 1716 and 1719 by Master Shipwright John Hayward. Unlike the Royal William launched in the same year, the Britannia as rebuilt retained the traditional circular port wreaths on the quarterdeck gunports.
[NMM J1946]

A very detailed official model of the Britannia (1719) which splits at the waterline to reveal the internal structure. Presumably for reasons of strength, the model’s lower hull does not show the usual Navy Board open framing, but is carved from the solid. The model accords very closely with the draught.
[NMM 6300]

SAMUEL Scott’s portrait of the Britannia shortening sail is dated 1736, and reflects the ship at the only active phase of her life. She was not brought into service following her completion in 1719, but languished in Ordinary in the years of peace until September 1733, when she began a seven-month refit to turn her into a flagship. Commissioned in 1734 under Captain Tancred Robinson, she sailed to Portugal as the flagship of Admiral Sir John Norris. In March 1736 Captain Thomas Whitney took over as commander when Robinson became a Rear-Admiral. The Britannia was to see no further active service upon her return home from the Tagus, although she was briefly recommissioned as a hospital ship at Chatham between 1745 and 1748. At the end of 1749 she was ordered to be taken to pieces.
[NMM BHC1039]