HMS Stately (1784)

HMS Stately (1784) was a 64-gun third-rate ship of the line in the Royal Navy. She was built by Barnard at Deptford Dockyard and launched on 8 January 1784, near the end of the American Revolutionary War. As such, she did not see active service in that conflict.

Service History:

• Peacetime Service (1784-1793): Stately spent the period after her launch primarily in ordinary or on guard ship duties. Information regarding her specific activities during this time is limited, but typically ships of her class would have rotated between periods of active deployment and reserve status.

• French Revolutionary Wars (1793-1802): With the outbreak of the French Revolutionary Wars, Stately was recommissioned and saw active service. She participated in various fleet actions and patrols, primarily in the Channel and off the French coast. Further specific details of her engagements during this period require additional research for detailed descriptions of her activities.

• Napoleonic Wars (1803-1815): The Stately continued to serve throughout the Napoleonic Wars. One of her more notable actions was the capture of the Danish ship Prindsesse Louise off the coast of Norway in 1808. She also participated in operations supporting British forces in the Iberian Peninsula. The specific details of her service in blockades, convoy escorts, and other fleet actions would require more specific records.

Fate:

• HMS Stately was broken up in 1814.

Class:

• HMS Stately was built to a design by Sir Edward Hunt. She was the sole ship built to this specific design, making her a unique vessel within the Royal Navy's fleet of 64-gun ships.

Note: While this entry provides a general overview of HMS Stately (1784), further research into contemporary records, logbooks, and historical accounts would be necessary to provide a more detailed and comprehensive history of her service.