HMS Conqueror (1801)

{{short description|Ship of the line of the Royal Navy}}

{{other ships|HMS Conqueror}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2018}}

{{Use British English|date=February 2018}}

{{Infobox ship begin}} {{Infobox ship image |Ship image=Conqueror (1801).jpg |Ship caption=Conqueror }} {{Infobox ship career |Hide header= |Ship country=United Kingdom |Ship flag=File:Naval Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg |Ship name=HMS Conqueror |Ship ordered=10 June 1795 |Ship builder=Graham, Harwich |Ship laid down=October 1795 |Ship launched=23 November 1801 |Ship acquired= |Ship commissioned= |Ship decommissioned= |Ship in service= |Ship out of service= |Ship renamed= |Ship struck= |Ship reinstated= |Ship notes=*Participated in: Battle of Trafalgar |Ship captured= |Ship fate=Broken up 1822 }} {{Infobox ship characteristics |Hide header= |Header caption=Lavery, Ships of the Line vol. 1, p. 184. |Ship class=74-gun third rate ship of the line |Ship tons burthen=1854 (bm) |Ship length={{convert|176|ft|m|abbr=on}} (gundeck) |Ship beam={{convert|49|ft|m|abbr=on}} |Ship draught= |Ship hold depth={{convert|20|ft|9|in|m|abbr=on}} |Ship sail plan=Full-rigged ship |Ship propulsion=Sails |Ship complement= |Ship armament=*GD: 28 × 32-pounder guns Upper GD: 30 × 18-pounder guns QD: 12 × 9-pounder guns Fc: 4 × 9-pounder guns |Ship notes= }}

File:The Battle of Trafalgar, 21 October 1805; 'Second Picture', the boarding of the 'San Augustino' by the 'Leviathan' RMG PU8781.jpg

HMS Conqueror was a 74-gun third-rate ship of the line of the Royal Navy, launched on 23 November 1801 at Harwich. She was designed by Sir John Henslow as part of the middling class of 74s, and was the only ship built to her draught. Whereas the common class carried 28 18-pounder guns on their upper gun decks, the middling class carried 30, and only ten 9-pounder guns on their quarterdecks instead of the 12 of the common class.

She fought at Trafalgar under the command of Captain Israel Pellew, brother of Sir Edward Pellew. Pellew's captain of marines took the surrender of the overall commander of the French-Spanish fleet, Admiral Villeneuve, aboard the French ship Bucentaure (80 guns). However, he was not able to deliver Villeneuve's sword to the Conqueror as she had passed on to engage another ship and it was received by the captain of Mars.

Villeneuve, who spoke English, is alleged to have asked to whom he was surrendering. On being told it was Captain Pellew of the Conqueror, he replied "I am glad to have struck to the fortunate Sir Edward Pellew." When he was informed that the Conqueror's captain was Sir Edward's brother, he said, "His brother? What, are there two of them? Hėlas!" {{cite book |title=The Line upon a Wind: the great war at sea, 1793-1815 |last=Mostert |first=Noel |year=2007 |publisher=W. W. Norton & Company |isbn=978-0-393-06653-1 |page=[https://archive.org/details/lineuponwindgrea00most/page/493 493] |url=https://archive.org/details/lineuponwindgrea00most/page/493 |url-access=registration }}

File:H.M.S. Conqueror towing H.M.S. Africa off the shoals at Trafalgar, three days after the battle - 2014 CSK 05317 0062 (013444).jpg off the shoals at Trafalgar, three days after the battle, painting by James Wilson Carmichael]]

On 2 February 1812, Conqueror was driven ashore on the coast of England between Sheerness and Chatham, Kent, during a storm.{{cite journal |url=https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=hvd.32044105232920;view=1up;seq=237 |title=Marine List |journal=Lloyd's List |issue=4636 |date=4 February 1812 |pages=78 v }}

Conqueror was broken up in 1822.