HMS Gloucester was a fourth-rate ship of the line constructed for the Royal Navy in the 1740s, featuring a 50-gun armament. She measured 140 feet 8.5 inches (42.9 meters) in length at the gundeck and 114 feet 7.5 inches (34.9 meters) along the keel. The vessel had a beam of 40 feet 2.5 inches (12.3 meters) and a depth of hold of approximately 17 feet 2.5 inches (5.2 meters), with a tonnage of 89 5/94 tons burthen. Her armament comprised twenty-two 24-pounder cannons on the main gundeck, twenty-two 12-pounder cannons on the upper gundeck, four 6-pounders on the quarterdeck, and two on the forecastle, providing her with considerable firepower for her class. Laid down at Whetstone & Grenville's Rotherhithe dockyard, she was ordered on 15 June 1743, launched on 23 March 1745, and completed by 10 May of the same year. The construction cost was £13,019, with an additional £6,149 spent on outfitting. Commissioned in March 1745 under Captain Charles Saunders, HMS Gloucester initially served in the English Channel. During her service, she captured four French privateers—two in July 1745 and another two in 1747. Notably, she participated in the Second Battle of Cape Finisterre on 25 October 1747, a significant engagement during the War of the Austrian Succession. In 1749, Gloucester sailed to Jamaica, returning to England in 1753. She also served as a hospital ship for sick soldiers in 1758 and was subsequently transferred to Sheerness as a receiving ship in 1759. Her operational life concluded when she was ordered to be broken up on 21 October 1763, a process completed by 13 February 1764. Her service record reflects her role in naval warfare and maritime operations during mid-18th century conflicts, marking her as a notable example of the Royal Navy's fourth-rate ships of that period.

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