HMS Edgar was a 60-gun fourth-rate ship of the line of the Royal Navy, launched on 16 November 1758 at Rotherhithe. As a member of the Edgar class, she was constructed to serve as a versatile warship capable of engaging in fleet actions. Her construction was completed at Deptford Dockyard, with a final cost of £27,627. The ship’s dimensions and detailed specifications are not provided in the source, but as a 60-gun fourth rate, she would have been armed with a mix of cannons suitable for both ship-to-ship combat and supporting fleet tactics. Commissioned in December 1758 under Captain Francis William Drake, HMS Edgar quickly joined the Mediterranean Fleet, participating in significant battles such as the Battle of Lagos on 19 August 1759, which was a notable British victory during the Seven Years’ War. She also contributed to the capture of Belle Île in June 1761 and was later stationed in the Caribbean, where she took part in the Siege of Havana from June to August 1762, during the ongoing conflict with Spain. After the war, she returned to Britain and was paid off in 1763. Recommissioned in December 1763, HMS Edgar served primarily as a guardship at Plymouth, a role she maintained with brief forays to the coast of Africa. Her captains included George Collier, Robert Carpenter, and the Honourable Henry St. John. In 1774, after nearly two decades of service, she was deemed no longer suitable for active duty and was converted into a breakwater for Sheerness Dockyard. The conversion was completed at Chatham Dockyard, and she was sunk in place at Sheerness in August 1774. Her remains were subsequently broken up in 1775. HMS Edgar’s service record reflects her role as a versatile warship during the mid-18th century, participating in key battles and later serving in a stationary defensive capacity before being repurposed as a breakwater, marking her as a vessel of maritime strategic importance during her era.

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