Figurehead from the Battleship HMS Illustrious photographed in Portsmouth on 7 April 2015.
The figure head is of King George III.
HMS Illustrious was a 74 gun Fame Class battleship ship of the line, she was ordered on 4 February 1800 and built and launched by Randall & Brent at Rotherhithe on the River Thames in September 1803, as a third rate vessel she was one of the most common battleships in the Royal Navy and saw service all over the world.
She had a length of 53m with a 14.48m beam.
Armament consisted of 28 No. 32 pounders on the main gun deck with 28 No. 18 pounders on the upper gun deck, 14 No. 9 pounders were also located on the quarter deck with a further 4 No. 9 pounders on the focasle.
In 1803 she was commanded by a Captain William Shield and in 1804 under the command of Captain Sir Charles Hamilton sailed from Deal with HMS Imperieuse and HMS Squirrel together with a number of sloops and gunbrigs to cruise off Boulogne. In April 1804 she sailed again with HMS Immortalite, HMS Squirrel and HMS Seine and a number of small vessels to escort block ships filled with stone to sink at the entrance to Boulogne harbour. In September 1804 she recaptured the vessel Mary of Greenock which was trying to get to a port in Spain after being captured by the French privateer Uncle Tom during her outward bound passage to the West Indies.
In 1805 together with HMS Ajax she detained the Spanish ship Santa Maria which had sailed from Havana with a valuable cargo consisting of 10,000 dollars, several hundred ounces of gold in dust and ingots, 140 bales of cotton, 150 bales of wool, hides, hogsheads of beef, cocoa and sheets of copper. Later in 1805 she was with Vice Admiral Collingwoods squadron of six 74's off the coast of Spain and on 7 July 1805 she and HMS Ramillies captured the French privateer schooner Josephine of 2 guns and 35 men.
In the autumn she escorted home a large convoy from the Leeward Is.
During 1806 and 1807 she was involved in the blockage of Cadiz.
In 1809 she was involved in the attack on the French fleet in the Basque Roads and in 1811 assisted in the taking of the fortified camp of Meester Cornelis which after bombardment was captured following an assault by troops and marines, during this action the Illustrious had one sailor killed a second sailor missing ashore and three marines were wounded.
In 1810 she was part of the fleet that captured the Ile de France and in 1811 took part in the Invasion of Java. Following a refit in Portsmouth she was laid up in reserve until 1832 when she was recommissioned. Laid up again in 1845 she was later used as a guard ship, a hospital ship and a gunnery training ship before being broken up in Portsmouth in 1868.
The figure head is of King George III.
HMS Illustrious was a 74 gun Fame Class battleship ship of the line, she was ordered on 4 February 1800 and built and launched by Randall & Brent at Rotherhithe on the River Thames in September 1803, as a third rate vessel she was one of the most common battleships in the Royal Navy and saw service all over the world.
She had a length of 53m with a 14.48m beam.
Armament consisted of 28 No. 32 pounders on the main gun deck with 28 No. 18 pounders on the upper gun deck, 14 No. 9 pounders were also located on the quarter deck with a further 4 No. 9 pounders on the focasle.
In 1803 she was commanded by a Captain William Shield and in 1804 under the command of Captain Sir Charles Hamilton sailed from Deal with HMS Imperieuse and HMS Squirrel together with a number of sloops and gunbrigs to cruise off Boulogne. In April 1804 she sailed again with HMS Immortalite, HMS Squirrel and HMS Seine and a number of small vessels to escort block ships filled with stone to sink at the entrance to Boulogne harbour. In September 1804 she recaptured the vessel Mary of Greenock which was trying to get to a port in Spain after being captured by the French privateer Uncle Tom during her outward bound passage to the West Indies.
In 1805 together with HMS Ajax she detained the Spanish ship Santa Maria which had sailed from Havana with a valuable cargo consisting of 10,000 dollars, several hundred ounces of gold in dust and ingots, 140 bales of cotton, 150 bales of wool, hides, hogsheads of beef, cocoa and sheets of copper. Later in 1805 she was with Vice Admiral Collingwoods squadron of six 74's off the coast of Spain and on 7 July 1805 she and HMS Ramillies captured the French privateer schooner Josephine of 2 guns and 35 men.
In the autumn she escorted home a large convoy from the Leeward Is.
During 1806 and 1807 she was involved in the blockage of Cadiz.
In 1809 she was involved in the attack on the French fleet in the Basque Roads and in 1811 assisted in the taking of the fortified camp of Meester Cornelis which after bombardment was captured following an assault by troops and marines, during this action the Illustrious had one sailor killed a second sailor missing ashore and three marines were wounded.
In 1810 she was part of the fleet that captured the Ile de France and in 1811 took part in the Invasion of Java. Following a refit in Portsmouth she was laid up in reserve until 1832 when she was recommissioned. Laid up again in 1845 she was later used as a guard ship, a hospital ship and a gunnery training ship before being broken up in Portsmouth in 1868.
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