HMS Winchelsea (1740)

HMS Winchelsea was a 44-gun fifth-rate frigate of the Royal Navy, launched in 1740. She was built at Deptford Dockyard according to the 1733 proposals of the 1719 Establishment, and named for the town of Winchelsea in East Sussex.

Winchelsea saw extensive service throughout the War of the Austrian Succession and the Seven Years' War. During these conflicts, she was primarily employed in convoy escort duties and patrolling the English Channel and Atlantic, tasked with intercepting enemy privateers and warships.

Notable actions involving HMS Winchelsea included the capture of several French privateers. She also participated in some larger fleet actions, though her exact role in these engagements is often difficult to ascertain from historical records.

By the latter part of the Seven Years' War, Winchelsea was showing her age. She was eventually deemed unfit for further service and was sold out of the Navy in 1769. Her career spanned nearly three decades, typical for a vessel of her type and era.