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French ship Bordelois

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Watercolour portrait of sister-ship Flamand, by François Roux, commissioned by Willaumez
History
French Navy EnsignFrance
NameBordelois[notes 1]
NamesakeCity of Bordeaux
BuilderBordeaux[1]
Laid downJanuary 1762[1]
Launched26 April 1763[1]
In serviceJuly 1763[1]
Out of service19 June 1779[1]
RenamedÉtats d'Artois in 1779
Capturedby HMS Romney on 1 July 1780
Notes
Great Britain
NameHMS Artois
Acquiredcaptured by HMS Romney on 1 July 1780
FateSold February 1786
General characteristics
Displacement1,100 tonnes[1]
Length50.7 m (166 ft 4 in)[1]
Beam13.8 m (45 ft 3 in)[1]
Draught6.3 m (20 ft 8 in)[1]
PropulsionSail, full-rigged ship
Armament

Bordelois was a 56-gun ship of the line of the French Navy, lead ship of her class. She was funded by a don des vaisseaux donation from the city of Bordeaux, and built by engineer Léon Guignace on a design by Antoine Groignard.[1] Complete too late to serve in the Seven Years' War, she was razéed into a frigate and used as an East Indiaman. She was rebuilt into a frigate to serve in the War of American Independence. Captured by HMS Romney, she was brought into British service as HMS Artois.

Career

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Bordelois was commissioned in July 1763 under Captain Charles de Cornick-Duchène, arriving in Rochefort on 6 September after the end of the Seven Years' War.[1][2] In 1768, she was razéed to a large frigate, while her spare timber was used to rebuild Ferme.[1]

From 1776 to 1778, Bordelois was used as an East Indiaman, after which she became a hulk in Lorient.[1]

In 1779, on the background of the Franco-American alliance, Bordelois was sold and razéed into a 40-gun frigate; her refitting having been financed by the States of Artois, she was renamed to États d'Artois . She entered drydock in June 1779, to be launched in January 1780 and commissioned in May 1780.[1]

On 1 July 1780 Artois was captured by HMS Romney, and brought into British service as HMS Artois.[1]

Captain MacBride in Artois taking two Dutch privateers, Hercules and Mars, in 1781

She participated in the Battle of Dogger Bank. "Artois was the finest frigate then known; had 28 18-pounders on her main deck with in addition to her complement of guns, heavy carronades on the quarterdeck and forecastle; Manned by 300 men".[3]: 47 

Notes

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  1. ^ "Bordelois" is an ancient graphy of "Bordelais"

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p Roche, Jean-Michel (2005). Dictionnaire des bâtiments de la flotte de guerre française de Colbert à nos jours, 1671 - 1870. Group Retozel-Maury Millau. p. 79. ISBN 978-2-9525917-0-6. OCLC 165892922.
  2. ^ Levot, Prosper (1852). Biographie bretonne: recueil de notices sur tous les Bretons qui se sont fait un nom (in French). Vol. 1. Caudran. p. 456.
  3. ^ Ross, Sir John. Memoirs of Admiral de Saumarez Vol 1.
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