Ajax, 1798
Type: 3rd rate ; Armament 74
Launched : at Randall's Yard, Rotherhithe, 1798 ; Disposal date or year : 14 Feb 1807
Disposal Details : Burnt by accident off Cape Janizary, Dardanells, one of Sir John Duckworth's squadron : 250 of her crew perished. Captain Hon. Henry Blackwood
Notes:

Commanders : James Hawkins Whitshed, January, 1798; John Holloway, June, 1798 ; John Pakenham, July, 1798 ; John Oshorn, April, 1799 ; Hon. Alexander Forrester Cochrane, May, 1799 : John Bradby, March, 1802 ; Lord Garlies, June, 1804; Christopher Laroche (acting), March, 1805 ; William Brown, May, 1805 : Hon. Henry Blackwood, Jan. 1806 ; burnt Feb. 1807, by accident; see the Naval Chronicle, vol. xvii. p. 320; court martial, vol. xvii. p. 378 and for this paragraph the Naval Chronicle, Vol 38.

Ajax 19 Mar 1799 at Spithead.

25 Apr 1799 cruising off Brest.

4 Jun 1799 arrived off Basque road.

Ajax 12 Jul 1799 Plymouth arrived from off the Isle of Aix.

Ajax 1 Oct 1799 Plymouth arrived from Torbay, to refit.

9 Jan 1800 captured the French privateer Avantageux in the Channel.

Circa Feb 1800 Lieut. E. Man, of the Magnificent, is appointed third Lieutenant of the Ajax.

4 Mar 1800 Portsmouth, departed the Ajax, Achilles, and Saturn, for Torbay.

24 Apr 1800 Torbay, departed with the Channel Fleet.

30 May 1800 Plymouth, departed to join the fleet.

5 Aug 1800 Plymouth, arrived from the fleet.

12 Aug 1800 Plymouth, departed for the fleet.

31 Jan 1801 anchored Marmorice on the coast of Karamania. 2 Mar 1801 arrived in Aboukir bay. 7 Mar 1801 commenced opposed landing of troops, seamen, artillery and stores.

8 Mar 1801 of the personnel employed disembarking the army in Aboukir Bay two seaman were killed.

13 Mar 1801 of the seamen employed on shore in Aboukir Bay one was killed and two were wounded.

21 Mar 1801 of those employed on shore were killed and wounded in action in Aboukir Bay 2 seaman killed, and 2 seaman wounded.
7 Apr 1801 a letter from the Swiftsure off Alexandria commences : "We have, in our endeavours to keep off the shore, been obliged to carry sail to such a degree as nearly to tear our ships to pieces ; and we received further proof of the impossibility of forming an effectual blockade of any port, even in this fine country. On the night of our return from the offing we spoke the Pearl frigate, bringing us advice of the sailing of a French squadron of 7 sail of the line, a frigate, 2 sloops, and 2 store ships, for this place, having 7,000 troops, and 3 generals on board. Lord Keith has been busy preparing the Stately for the line, and our force now consists of the Foudroyant, 84 ; Tigre, 80 ; Ajax, Northumberland, Swiftsure, Kent, and Minotaur, 74 ; Stately, 64, and several small vessels.

29 Jun 1801 cruising off Alexandria, per UK newspapers of this date, reporting news received from off Egypt.

4 Sep 1801 letters received from the Ajax, dated Aboukir Bay, the 12 Jun., received by the Viper, state that the fleet and the army were in the highest spirits ; provisions of ail kinds excessively cheap and plenty, and the people well disposed to the British allies.

17-21 Aug 1801 officers and men from the ships blockading the port of Alexandria manned armed launches, with troop, to take a small fortified island protecting the entrance to the great harbour of Alexandria: on the western side, and distant from the town about seven or eight miles, which it was important to possess. The garrison of near 200 men, surrendered as prisoners of war on the evening of the 21st. Mr. Hull, Midshipman, and one seaman, of the Ajax, were killed on this service, and two seamen, of the Northumberland, wounded.

19 Aug 1801 at the attack of Marabout, near Alexandria, where he had the command of a gun-vessel as volunteer, by a cannon-shot, in the 17th year of his age, Mr. Charles Fairlie Hall, Midshipman of his Majesty's ship Ajax, youngest son of the late Edward Hall, Esq. of Henrietta-street.

21 Aug 1801 in the afternoon R.-Adm. ordered the Cynthia, Port Mahon, Victorieuse, and Bon Citoyenne, with three Turkish corvettes to proceed into the harbour under the direction of the Hon. Captain Cochrane, of the Ajax, a channel having been previously surveyed by Lieutenant Withers, of the Kent. The troops and seamen on board sloops, gun boats, and other armed vessels, reinforced by the Diane, approached the town, along with troops advancing from the East and West and on the 26th the French, despite having sunk many vessels in the harbour, realised they were now unable to defend their lines and sent out proposals for an armistice of three days to arrange terms of capitulation.

29 Dec 1801 arrived at Gibraltar, and once refitted will sail for England. Capt Cochrane has apparently reported details the massacre of the Beys of Egypt.

21 Jan 1802 arrived in the Downs from the Mediterranean and put under quarantine.

28 Jan 1802 remains in the Downs with the St Albans, etc.

8 Feb 1802 arrived Spithead the Ajax, 80, Hon. Captain Cochrane, from Egypt, last from the Downs.

Circa 24 Feb 1802 Captain Bradley, pro tempore, to the Ajax.

7 Apr 1802 is ordered to be paid off at Portsmouth, and to transfer her flag to the Cambrian.

8 Apr 1802 came into Portsmouth harbour to be paid off.

Circa 1 Jan 1803 was taken out of the new bason (sic) at Portsmouth having been repaired.

23 Feb 1804 a case was tried by the King's Bench, brought by Sir A Snape Hamond, and others, commissioners of the Navy, against Messrs Brent, ship builders, for supposed insufficiency in the building of HM ship Ajax, 74. Upon the suggestion of the Lord Chief Justice, a general verdict for damages was taken, the quantum to be awarded under the direction of Mr Holroyd. Several persons from the Dockyard attended and gave evidence upon the above trial.

Circa 23 Jun 1804 Lord Garlies is apptd to the Ajax, which has been taken out of dock.

30 Jun 1804 Lord Garlies commissioned the Ajax at Portsmouth.

Circa 4 Aug 1804 the Gibraltar has been paid off and her ship's company drafted to the Ajax and Glory.

11 Aug 1804 departed Portsmouth harbour for Spithead.

27 Aug 1804 departed Spithead for Plymouth.

Circa 9 Sep 1804 the Ajax, Defiance, Majestic, and Queen are reported at Portsmouth to have departed Plymouth to join the Channel Fleet.

15 Jul 1805 with the blockading squadron off Ferrol, under Sir Robert Calder : departed 30 to 40 leagues off Finisterre to intercept Franco-Spanish fleet from the West Indies. 22nd sighted each other. Signal made to engage the enemy - the engagement. The damage ; subsequent manoeuvres by the two fleets ; the wash-up ; 26 Jul 1805 movements of the fleet following the battle.

15 Aug 1805 Victory, with Nelson onboard, departed from Portsmouth ; was joined off Plymouth by the Ajax and Thunderer on 18th ; and arrived off Cadiz 28 Sep.

10 Oct 1805 off Cadiz - the tactical preparations etc. for the forthcoming battle. 20 Oct combined fleet departed Cadiz, fleet manoeuvres.

21 Oct 1805 England expects�.. &c. signalled, the first shots of the Battle of Trafalgar are fired. Nelson shot. Resum� of what had taken place. Individual ship actions and losses : Ajax. The post-mortem commences ; Summary of British casualties ; Death of Nelson ;

22-30 Oct 1805 losses amongst the prizes due to bad weather etc: Redoutable, Rayo, Monarca (sank) ; Fougueux, Bucentaure, Indomptable, San-Francisco-de-Asis, Aigle, Berwick (wrecked) ; Alg�siras (taken into Cadiz) ; Santa-Ana, Neptuno (recaptured) ; Santisima-Trinidad (scuttled) ; Achille, Intr�pide, San-Augustin (burnt) ; the washup ; burial of Nelson ;

1 Feb 1807 joined Sir John Duckworth's squadron at Malta. 14-15 Feb 1807 caught fire and exploded when at anchor off Cape Janizary, Dardanells.