HMS Royal Sovereign (1701)

For other ships with the same name, see HMS Royal Sovereign.

History
Great Britain
Name	HMS Royal Sovereign
Builder	Fisher Harding, Woolwich Dockyard
Launched	July 1701
Fate	Broken up, 1768
General characteristics as built
Class and type	100-gun first rate ship of the line
Tons burthen	1882+71⁄94 bm
Length	174 ft 6 in (53.2 m) (gundeck) 141 ft 7 in (43.2 m) (keel)
Beam	50 ft 3.5 in (15.3 m)
Depth of hold	19 ft 1 in (5.8 m)
Propulsion	Sails
Sail plan	Full rigged ship
Armament	100 guns of various weights of shot
General characteristics after 1728 rebuild
Class and type	1719 Establishment 100-gun first rate ship of the line
Tons burthen	1883+46⁄94 bm
Length	174 ft (53.0 m) (gundeck)
Beam	50 ft (15.2 m)
Depth of hold	20 ft (6.1 m)
Propulsion	Sails
Sail plan	Full rigged ship
Armament	100 guns: Gundeck: 28 × 42 or 32 pdrs Middle gundeck: 28 × 24 pdrs Upper gundeck: 28 × 12 pdrs Quarterdeck: 12 × 6 pdrs Forecastle: 4 × 6 pdrs

HMS Royal Sovereign was a 100-gun first rate ship of the line of the Royal Navy, built at Woolwich Dockyard and launched in July 1701. She had been built using some of the salvageable timbers from the previous Royal Sovereign, which had been destroyed by fire in 1697.

She was Admiral George Rooke's flagship in the War of the Spanish Succession.

Royal Sovereign formed the basis for the dimensions for 100-gun ships in the 1719 Establishment, being a generally well-regarded vessel. In practice, only Royal Sovereign herself was affected by this Establishment, being the only first rate ship either built or rebuilt to the Establishment in its original form, but the Royal William and Britannia had been rebuilt to the same dimensions (approximately) when both were re-launched in 1719. She underwent her rebuild to the 1719 Establishment at Chatham after an order of 18 February 1724, being relaunched on 28 September 1728.

The rebuilt Royal Sovereign remained in service until she was broken up in 1768, ending her career with a total of 67 years' service in the Royal Navy.

In Popular Culture

In the 2013 video game Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag, HMS Royal Sovereign, partnered with HMS Fearless, appears as one of the legendary ships which the protagonist Edward Kenway could encounter and sink in Caribbean sea. As the two ships sail and fight together, either Royal Sovereign and Fearless are both sunk in battle with the Jackdaw, or neither of them are.

References

• Lavery, Brian (2003) The Ship of the Line - Volume 1: The development of the battlefleet 1650-1850. Conway Maritime Press. ISBN 0-85177-252-8.