HMS Cornwall was a 74-gun third-rate ship of the line built for the Royal Navy, launched on 19 May 1761 at Deptford. As a third-rate ship, it was a formidable vessel designed for line-of-battle tactics, carrying a significant armament suitable for fleet engagements of the period. The ship was named in honor of James Cornewall, who was killed at the Battle of Toulon in 1744, and was initially commanded by his cousin, Frederick Cornewall, who had lost an arm in the same engagement. Constructed during the mid-18th century, HMS Cornwall served primarily in the English Channel until the conclusion of the Seven Years' War in 1763. Following this, she was employed as a guard ship at Plymouth, a role that involved maintaining maritime security and readiness. Her service extended into the American Revolutionary War, with records indicating her presence in North America by May 1778 under the command of Captain Timothy Edwards. She arrived in New York on 30 July 1779, shortly before engaging in combat with the French Navy, reflecting her active participation in the conflict. HMS Cornwall was later deployed to the West Indies, where she saw action off Grenada and Martinique in 1780. During these engagements, she sustained extensive damage, which led to her being sent to St. Lucia for repairs. However, the damage proved too severe to repair, and her condition rendered her unserviceable. Consequently, she was destroyed by burning on 30 June 1780 to prevent her from falling into enemy hands. Overall, HMS Cornwall exemplifies the typical design and operational history of a mid-18th-century Royal Navy ship of the line, serving in major conflicts of her era and demonstrating the strategic importance of such vessels in maintaining British naval dominance.

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