HMS Bristol was a Portland-class fourth-rate ship of the line, constructed for the Royal Navy in the 1770s. She measured 146 feet (44.5 meters) in length at the gundeck, with a keel length of 119 feet 9 inches (36.5 meters). The vessel had a beam of 40 feet 7 inches (12.4 meters), a deep load draught of 15 feet 7 inches (4.7 meters), and a depth of hold of 17 feet 6 inches (5.3 meters). Her tonnage was approximately 1,049 tons burthen. The ship was armed with a complement of twenty-two 24-pounder cannons on her main gundeck, twenty-two 12-pounder guns on the upper gundeck, and four 6-pounder cannons on the quarterdeck, with an additional pair on the forecastle. Her crew comprised around 350 officers and ratings. Laid down at Sheerness Dockyard after being ordered in October 1768, HMS Bristol was launched on 25 October 1775. The construction cost about £23,440, with an additional £3,574 spent on outfitting. Designed by John Williams, she was commissioned shortly after launch to serve during the American Revolutionary War. HMS Bristol played a notable role as a flagship during the Battle of Sullivan’s Island in 1776, where she sustained heavy damage. She also participated in the Battle of Cuddalore in 1783 during the Anglo-French War. During her service in the Caribbean, she recaptured several vessels, including the Isabella and Swift off Cuba and the schooner William and sloop Aurora near Bahia de Bueno Vista. In December 1782, while escorting East Indiamen, she stopped at Trindade, where she rescued survivors of the wrecked HMS Rattlesnake. Later in her career, HMS Bristol was repurposed as a prison ship in 1794, stationed in Gillingham Reach, Kent. She was subsequently used as a hospital ship before being broken up in June 1810 at Sheerness. Her service history highlights her as a versatile vessel that participated actively in wartime engagements and maritime rescue operations, reflecting her maritime significance during the late 18th and early 19th centuries.

This description has been generated using GPT-4.1-NANO based on the Vessel's wikidata information and then modified by ShipIndex.org staff.