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

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

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

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 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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