Vanguard, 1787
Type: 3rd rate ; Armament 74 (28 � 32pdr ; 30 � 24pdr ; 16 � 9pdr)
Launched : 1787 ; Disposal date or year : 1821
BM: 1609 tons
Complement: 589
Notes:

27 Oct 1793, joined the Channel Fleet and departed in search of the French fleet and squadrons. 18 Nov brief skirmish with a French squadron : by mid-December the fleet had returned to Spithead.

5 Jun - 3 Jul 1794 the arrival of a French squadron in the resulted in a number of movements and operations by the ships Boyne, Veteran, Winchelsea, Nautilus, Vanguard, Vengeance, Solebay and Winchelsea.

2 May 1798 Nelson in the Vanguard departed from off Cadiz for Gibraltar, departing that place on the 9th for the east, accompanied by the Alexander, Orion, Emerald, Terpsichore, and Bonne-Citoyenne.

5 Jun 1798 Mutine joined Nelson with news that 10 sail of the line was on its way to join his squadron. They arrived on the 7 Jun.

7 Jun 1798 the search for the French fleet.

1 Aug 1798 the preparation for the Battle of the Nile.

1 Aug 1798 Battle of the Nile.

13 Aug 1798 Captain Thomas Masterman Hardy appointed in command.

19 Aug 1798 R.-adm Nelson, in the Vanguard, accompanied by the Culloden and Alexander, leave Aboukir Bay for Naples.

24 Oct 1798 Nelson, with the Vanguard and Minotaur joined the combined squadron of Portuguese and British ships under the Marquess de Niza and Captain Ball of the Alexander in the blockade of Malta.

28 Nov 1798 Vanguard, Culloden, Minotaur, Terpsichore, and hired cutter Flora captured the Genoese corvettes Le Tigre and L'Eguaglianza, near Leghorn. Prize money paid 17 Jun 1802.

21 Dec 1798 Nelson, with the Vanguard, departed from Rome with the royal family for Palermo in Sicily.

31 Jan 1799 off Palermo, per a letter from Lord Nelson.

12 May 1799 at Palermo.

13 Jun-mid Aug 1799 departed from off Palermo for a cruise, arriving Naples 24th, where crews were involved in operations ashore.

2 Aug - 4 Sep 1799 Zebec (No. 25) bound from Tarragona to Barcelona, with 400O reams of paper, on account of the King of Spain; a latteen sail vessel (No. 19), bound from Tarragona bound to Barcelona, laden with paper, wine, and corn ; a latteen sail vessel, bound from Tortola to Barcelona, with pine timber for ships or building ; taken by the boats of the Vanguard and Zealous.

2 Aug - 4 Sep 1799 Single latteen sail boat, laden with wheat : taken by the Vanguard; boat being old, let go with the passengers and old men.

2 Aug - 4 Sep 1799 brig laden with salt ; taken by the Powerful, Majestic, and Vanguard ; master and crew deserted.

25 Jan 1800 Portsmouth, came into harbour to refit.

25 Jan 1801 at Portsmouth. Sir A. S. Hamond and Sir William Rule arrived here on the 19th, and went off for London on the 22d, after surveying, in company with Commissioner Sir Charles Saxton, the whole of the ships in ordinary ; and ordered the following to be repaired and ready for commission in six weeks at farthest the Brunswick, Bellerophon, Goliath, Vengeance, Vanguard, and Hannibal.

9 Feb 1801 taken into dock at Portsmouth.

5 Apr 1801 went out of Portsmouth harbour to Spithead.

20 Apr 1801 departed Spithead to join the Baltic Fleet.

26 Apr 1801 remains in the Downs, winds NNE.

10 May 1801 departed the Princess of Orange, with a squadron from Adm. Dickson's North Sea Fleet including the Monmouth, Vanguard, Madras, Texel, Ariadne, Assistance, Agincourt, Phoenix, and Speculator luggers, Ranger, and Squirrel, and the Narcissus brig, to cruise off Goree.

10 Aug 1801 arrived Spithead from the Baltic as a part of a Fleet under the command of Vice-Admiral Pole.

19 Aug 1801 departed Spithead as a part of a squadron under the command of Vice-Admiral Pole for a cruise off Cadiz, including the St George, Dreadnought, Zealous, Ramillies, Vanguard, and Powerful.

21 Aug 1801 last evening hove in sight off Plymouth Sound, at 8 P.M. the Dreadnought, with 5 sail of the line, and lay to till dark.

21 Aug 1801 last evening stood in off Plymouth Sound the Zealous, hoisted a Dutch ensign, reversed, and fired three guns to leeward, as a signal for the Goliath to join the squadron from Cawsand Bay ; she immediately warped out to the bite of the bay, and this morning at day-break, the whole squadron made sail to the westward, with a fine wind at E.S.E. blowing fresh.

31 Aug 1801 arrived off Cadiz, to join Sir James Saumarez's squadron, Adm Pole in the St George, with the Dreadnought, Ramilies, Vanguard, Powerful and Zealous.

2 Sep 1801 the St George, Dreadnought, Ramilies, Vanguard, Powerful and Zealous, in company with Sir James Saumarez's squadron, consisting of the Defence, Warrior, Spencer, Superb, Audacious, ships of the line ; and Caroline, Thames, frigates ; and sloop Peterell, began cruising before Cadiz. The Bellona was reported to be at Gibraltar fishing her main-mast.

10 Oct 1801 arrived in the Tagus at Lisbon from a cruise.

20 Jan 1802 letters received Plymouth from the Caesar, 84, R.-Adm. Sir J. Saumarez, dated the 29th ult. state, that the following men of war were victualled and stored for five months, and had sailed for Jamaica, viz. St George, 98, Captain Thompson (acting) ; Vanguard, 74, Capt. ; Spencer, 74, Capt. Darby ; Powerful, 74, Capt. Sir F. Laforey.

Circa 25 May 1802 Captain Inglis, of the Vanguard, apptd to the Tartar.

Circa 25 May 1802 Captain Walker, of the Tartar, apptd to the Vanguard.

13 Jan 1803 when the Falmouth packet Leicester arrived at Port Royal, Jamaica, she found lying there the Leviathan, 74 ; Bellerophon, 74 ; Vanguard, 74 ; Elephant, 74 ; Desiree, 40 ; and sloops Shark, Pelican and Racoon ; the De Ruyter arriving on the 17 Jan, with the 87th Regt., from Curacoa, and on the 21st the Theseus, 74 ; Cumberland, 74 ; Goliath, 74 ; and Ganges, 74, from a cruise.

14 May 1803 letters are received at Plymouth, reporting the arrival of the Hercule, Capt Ferris, at Guadaloupe on 5 Apr, from Plymouth, and expects to depart shortly for Jamaica. The letters also advise that the Blenheim has recently been ashore and had to throw 18 guns overboard to get off, and has gone to Martinique. The Elephant, Vanguard, and Bellerophon, 74s, and the frigate Desiree, were reported to be at Jamaica. The Goliath, Cumberland and Theseus were on a cruise, as were the Tartar, Shark and Echo, off the North of Jamaica, and the Calypso off Cape Tiberon.

30 Jun 1803, captured the French 40-gun frigate Cr�ole, which was purchased into the Service, however, she foundered on her passage to England.

24 Jul - 2 Sep 1803 chase and capture of the French 74 Duquesne, and the escape of the Duguay-Trouin, 74 and the 40-gun frigate Guerri�re.

24 Jan 1804 the Cumberland, Capt Sorrell, arrived at Spithead from Jamaica with dispatches and news regarding the surrender and evacuation of St Domingo. The frigates Cloriade, Servillante, and Jerneas, and 17 sail of merchantmen, laden with merchandise were captured in the harbour and taken to Jamaica ; along with Gen Rochambeau and 5-6,000 prisoners ; 100,000 gold dollars. The French officers were landed at Portchester, along with 250 Frenchmen from an accompanying transport. The Creole, French frigate accompanied the small squadron, but became so leaky she was emptied of anything of value and allowed to sink. The Cumberland lost most of her convoy in the recent gales, and some of them have been observed at Portsmouth passing up the Channel for the River. In addition to the Cumberland the French also surrendered to the Bellerophon, Capt Loring ; the Vanguard, Capt Walker ; Hercule ; Capt Dunn ; and the frigate Blanche, Capt Mudge.

11 Mar 1804 the Elephant, Theseus, Hercule, and Desiree, were at Port Royal Jamaica ; the Bellerophon and Vanguard, with the Tartar and Eolus, were off the West end of St Domingo ; the Port Mahon, and Papillon brigs, off Port Morant ; the Hunter and Mignonne, off Montego Bay ; and the Flying Fish, and Gipsey, were off the coast of Cuba ; the Fairy had sailed for Honduras, and the Camel for Halifax.

May 1805 Jamaica Station.

26 Jul 1807 departed as a part of a fleet of 38 vessels for Copenhagen and was present from 15 Aug - 20 Oct for the siege and bombardment of Copenhagen and capture of Danish Fleet by Adm. Gambier. 1 Aug employed in the Great Belt, preventing Danish troops crossing to Zealand. The winter was not, however, the period for active operations ; and the Vanguard 74, with a few frigates and smaller vessels, was all the British force left cruising in the Belt.

8 Dec 1807 Vanguard, Cyane, and Hired Armed Cutter Resolution, captured the Danish Ketch Jeltzomine den Rofke, the Tigress gun brig in company.

May - Oct 1808 in the Baltic with a fleet under V.-adm Sir J Saumarez.

8 April 1809 prize money due to the Vanguard, Cyane, Tigress and Hired Armed Cutter Resolution, for the captured Danish Ketch Jeltzomine den Rofke and cargo, will be paid on Thursday the 13th instant.

Deal 26 Feb 1811 departed for Sheerness.

Deal 12 Sep 1811 arrived, from the Baltic.

Deal 23 Sep 1811 departed for Plymouth.

Deal 27 Sep 1811 arrived from the westward.

Deal 29 Sep 1811 departed for Portsmouth.

Portsmouth 1 Oct 1811 arrived from the Downs.

Plymouth Dock 9 Oct 1811 Came in from Cawsand Bay to Hamoaze.