NORTHUMBERLAND (74).

  Built in 1798, Deptford.  Hulk in 1827.  Capt.ain E. W.C. Rowen, 07/1798.

  Captain George Martin, 08/1798. (Vice Admiral Colpoy) Mediterranean.

  On 15 October 1799 NORTHUMBERLND she arrived in Port Mahon, from Livorno, with five hundred thousand pieces of gold.

  In the summer of 1800 NORTHUMBERLAND , together with GENEREUX (74), STATELY (64), CHARON (44), PRINCESS CHARLOTTE (38), PALLAS (32), PENELOPE (36), SANTA TERESA (42), SUCCESS (32), NIGER (33), CHAMPION (24), BONNE CITOYENNE (20), PORT MAHON (18), VINCEJO (16), MINORCA (17¡6) and STROMBOLO (8), took part in the blockade of Malta.

  On the night of 14 August two French frigates, JUSTICE (40) and DIANE (40), sailed from Valetta and were immediately pursued by the ships off the port. After a running fight with SUCCESS, the DIANE, struck to that ship, GENEREUX and NORTHUMBERLAND. She had only 114 men on board having left the rest to assist the garrison. JUSTICE escaped in the darkness.  The French garrison at Valetta surrendered on 4 September 1800 and Captain Martin sent the news to Lord Keith at Port Mahon. NORTHUMBERLAND took part in the landings at Aboukir Bay on 8 March during which she lost three seamen killed and four wounded. The army ashore was assisted by a naval brigade under Captain Sir William Sidney Smith and during an action on the 13 March Mr Wright, midshipman, and four seamen of NORTHUMBERLAND were wounded. Three more seamen were wounded on 21 March when between 11 or 12,000 of the enemy attacked the British position about four miles from Alexandria.

  1805 Captain George Tobin, Leeward Is.

  At the end of 1805 Sir John Duckworth was detached by Lord Collingwood in search of a French squadron known to be at sea. He lost them near the Cape Verde Islands and crossed to the West Indies where he was joined by Rear Admiral Cochane in NORTHUMBERLAND and Captain Pym in ATLAS (98). As the British squadron moved south through the Mona Channel on 5 February 1806, Magienne, confirmed that the French ships were off San Domingo and the following day they were sighted off Cape Nisao. The eight French vessels were attacked by the British squadron in two divisions: SUPERB (74), NORTHUMBERLAND, SPENCER (74) and AGAMEMNON (64) on the weather side and CANOPUS (80), DONEGAL (80) and ATLAS on the lee. The ALEXANDER (74), JUPITER (80) and BRAVE (74) were taken and IMPERIAL (130) and DIOMEDE (74) driven ashore and wrecked.  NORTUMBERLAND lost David Ridgeway, midshipman, 18 seamen, one marine and the Admiral's cook, killed. Nine officers were wounded, Forty-eight seamen and 18 marines were wounded.

  1811 Capt. Henry Hotham.

  On 22 November 1811 NORTHUMBERLAND and ARMADA (74) captured the French privateer ketch GLANUESE (14), 85 crew men, and prevented her taking a post-office packet. Commanded by a Dutchman, Andre Haste, she had been at sea for six weeks on her first cruise out of St. Malo without making any captures.

  On 7 January 1811, A court martial was held on board the SALVADOR DEL MUNDO, in the Hamoaze, to try Mr Christie, captain's clerk of NORTHUMBERLAND, and his assistant writer, William Walker. They were charged with forging seamen's certificates of leave and absence for which they charged between one and seven pounds. Twenty-five of these spurious documents were found in possession of seamen. They were both found guilty and, in spite of producing excellent certificates of good conduct, Mr Christie was sentenced to receive 500 lashes around the fleet and Mr Walker 50 lashes.

  On 19 May 1812, Capain. Hotham was ordered by Rear Admiral Neale, to intercept two French frigates and a brig which had been sighted leaving L'ORIENT (118). In company with the gunbrig GROWLER (12) he attempted to cut them off to the windward of the island of Grouais (Ile de Groix) but, when this could not be effected, he moved inshore where the enemy were attempting to run along under cover of shore batteries. The Master, Mr Hugh Stewart, managed to place NORTHUMBERLAND close to the seaward side of a rock, Le Graul, which forced the French to pass within it and they all went aground on the rocks off Port Louis. For nearly an hour and a half Northumberland kept up a careful fire on them which pierced their bottoms and forced their crews ashore. GROWLER continued the bombardment until both frigates caught fire and blew up. There was a third fire and an explosion as the brig was destroyed. Four seamen and a marine were killed, Lieut, William Fletcher, 3 petty officers, 19 seamen and 5 marines were wounded.  The enemy vessels were the ARIENNE and ANDROMAQUE of 44 guns and 450 men each and the MAMELUKE brig of 18 guns and 150 men.  They had sailed from the Loire in January and had destroyed 36 vessels while cruising in the Atlantic.

  1814 Under repair at Chatham.

  May 1815 Captain Charles B. Ross, fitting out for flag of Sir George Cockburn.

  On 6 August 1815, NORTHUMBERLAND, CEYLON (38) and BUCEPHALUS (32), which had sailed from the Nore, fell in with TONNANT (80), BELLEROPHON (74) and EUROTAS (38), nine miles south of Start Point. They anchored off Berry Head and the following afternoon the TONNANT’s barge carried Buonaparte and his suite to NORTHUMBERLAND. On 16 October 1816, he was landed on St. Helena where he remained under the watchful eye of the Royal Navy until his death on 6 May 1821.

  1818 Captain James Walker, 08/1816, Channel.

  1822 Captain Thomas James Maling, 07/1821, Sheerness.

  1827 Lazaretto in Standgate Creek.

Taken from  Michael Philip's Ships of the Old Navy.