Canopus-class ship of the line

For the class of pre-dreadnought battleships, see Canopus-class battleship.

The Canopus-class ships of the line were a class of nine 84-gun two-deck second rates of the Royal Navy. Their design was based on an enlarged version of the lines of the captured French ship Franklin, since commissioned in the Royal Navy as HMS Canopus, although this ship herself was not included as a member of the class. The earlier ships were initially ordered as 80-gun third rates, but this classification was altered by changes in the rating system in February 1817. This class of ships is sometimes referred to as the Formidable class.

HMS Vengeance, a Canopus-class ship of the line
Class overview
Name	Canopus-class ship of the line
Operators	Royal Navy
Preceded by	None
Succeeded by	Vanguard class
In service	10 November 1821 - 1929
Completed	9
General characteristics
Type	Ship of the line
Length	193 ft 10 in (59.08 m) (gundeck) 160 ft 2+5⁄8 in (48.835 m) (keel)
Beam	52 ft 4+1⁄2 in (15.964 m)
Propulsion	Sails
Armament	84 guns: Gundeck: 28 × 32-pounders, 2 × 68-pounder carronades Upper gundeck: 32 × 24-pounders Quarterdeck: 6 × 24-pounders, 10 × 32-pounder carronades Forecastle: 2 × 24-pounders, 4 × 32-pounder carronades
Notes	Ships in class include: Ganges, Asia, Vengeance, Formidable, Powerful, Clarence, Bombay, Thunderer, Monarch

Ships

• HMS Formidable

Builder: Chatham Dockyard

Ordered: 8 May 1815

Launched: 19 May 1825

Fate: Sold, 1906

• HMS Ganges

Builder: Bombay Dockyard

Ordered: 4 June 1816

Launched: 10 November 1821

Fate: Sold, 1929

• HMS Asia

Builder: Bombay Dockyard

Ordered: 22 April 1819

Launched: 19 January 1824

Fate: Sold, 1908

• HMS Vengeance

Builder: Pembroke Dockyard

Ordered: 23 January 1817

Launched: 27 July 1824

Fate: Sold, 1897

• HMS Powerful

Builder: Chatham Dockyard

Ordered: 23 January 1817

Launched: 21 June 1826

Fate: Broken up, 1864

• HMS Clarence

Builder: Pembroke Dockyard

Ordered: 27 May 1819

Launched: 25 July 1827

Fate: Burnt, 1884

• HMS Bombay

Builder: Bombay Dockyard

Ordered: 26 January 1825

Launched: 17 February 1828

Fate: Burnt, 1864

• HMS Thunderer

Builder: Woolwich Dockyard

Ordered: 23 January 1817

Launched: 22 September 1831

Fate: Sold, 1901

• HMS Monarch

Builder: Chatham Dockyard

Ordered: 23 July 1817

Launched: 18 December 1832

Fate: Broken up, 1866

References

• Lavery, Brian (1984). The Ship of the Line: The development of the battlefleet 1650-1850. Conway Maritime Press. ISBN 0-85177-252-8.
• Lyon, David; Winfield, Rif (2004). The Sail & Steam Navy List: All the Ships of the Royal Navy, 1815-1889. Chatham Pub. ISBN 978-1-86176-032-6.