Transcriber's Note
The original front cover of the book has been enhanced by the transcriberfor the convenience of the reader. The enhanced cover is released into the publicdomain. The original cover may be found at the end of the book.
A SHORT HISTORY
OF
H.M.S. ‘VICTORY.’
GATHERED FROM VARIOUS SOURCES,
AND COMPILED BY
CAPTAIN W. J. L. WHARTON, R.N.
“Whose life was England’s Glory.”
Shakespeare.
SOLD FOR THE BENEFIT OF THE SEAMEN AND MARINES’ ORPHAN SCHOOL
AND FEMALE ORPHAN HOME.
Portsmouth:
GRIFFIN & CO., 2, The Hard,
(Publishers by Appointment to H.R.H. Duke of Edinburgh).
——
1884.
[All rights reserved.]
PRINTED AT THE OFFICE OF THE PUBLISHERS.
History of H.M.S. “Victory.”
The “Salvador del Mundo” striking to the “Victory” at St. Vincent.
EVERY Englishman, we imagine, knows that the“Victory” was the ship which bore Lord Nelson’sflag, and on board of which he received his death wound inthe moment of triumph over the combined fleets of Franceand Spain, off Cape Trafalgar; but as very few are aware ofher numerous and distinguished services, extending overmany years, and preceding that sad yet glorious climax, thismemoir of her career has been drawn up, with the hope ofmaking her history from her launch to the present timebetter known; and that the hundreds who yearly visit hermay carry away a record of their visit, to remind them ofthe classic ground they have been treading, and recall totheir recollections some of the splendid deeds of the past,which gained for England the proud title of “Mistress ofthe Seas.”
There have been “Victory’s” in the English navy eversince the year 1570, and as each successive ship, from oldage or misfortune, has disappeared from the list, another hassoon after appeared to take her place.
The ship immediately preceding the existing “Victory,”was, like her, a first-rate three-decker, carrying 110 guns,and was accounted the finest ship in the service. In 1744[Pg 4]she was the flagship of Admiral Sir J. Balchen, a venerableofficer of 75 years of age, who had been called from thehonourable retirement of Greenwich Hospital to command afleet destined to relieve Sir Charles Hardy, then blockadedin Lisbon by a superior French force, under the Count deRochambault. On returning from the successful performanceof this service, the fleet was dispersed in the chopsof the Channel by a