Built 1637 as SOVEREIGN OF THE SEAS/ROYAL SOVEREIGN, renamed SOVEREIGN during the Civil War, rebuilt 1659 and renamed 1660 as the ROYAL SOVEREIGN. Burnt by accident 1696. (2)

Date of loss expressed as 27-JAN-1696. (1)(3)

Ex. SOVEREIGN OF THE SEAS; ex.SOVEREIGN. (3)

Renamed in 1660 and rebuilt at Chatham, rebuilt again in 1685. (3)

Was lying at moorings near Chatham, awaiting her third rebuilding, when an old seaman named Thomas Couch left a lighted candle in a cabin near the entering port when going on watch at 4am. About an hour later, smoke was seen pouring from the cabin, and fire quickly spread to a new tarpaulin stored nearby. The small number of men on board were unable to contain the blaze, which totally destroyed the ship. At the subsequent court-martial, it was established that all the warrant officers were sleeping on shore at the time, with only a very reduced number of watch-keepers on board. Thomas Couch was ordered to be flogged '30 lashes on his bare back', then suffer life imprisonment. (3), paraphrased from (1).

'London, Jan. 29. On Monday last His Majesty's Ship the SOVERAIGN, which was lay'd up at Gillingham (having no-one on board) not being in a condition for the sea by reason of her defects, took fire between 5 and 6 in the morning, by some light, as we are informed, which was carelessly left upon her middle gun deck by one of the seamen belonging to her. The flames broke out with that violence, that 'twas impossible to prevent her being burnt, but by the care that was taken, there happened no damage to the other ships that lay near her.' (4)

NB: The date of loss indicated by source (4) may be Monday 28th January; this is the day before the date of the report, so this may indicate that Monday 21st January is meant instead.

ROYAL SOVEREIGN, ex. SOVEREIGN OF THE SEAS or SOVEREIGN, renamed 1660 and rebuilt at Chatham, 100 gun ship, rebuilt 1685. Burnt 29-JAN-1696 by accident at Chatham while preparing to rebuild. (5)

SOVEREIGN, of 100 guns, rebuilt 1660, and rebuilt again 1685. (6)

NB: At this period the the Julian Calendar ["Old Style"] was still in use in England. Prior to the adoption of the Gregorian "New Style" Calendar, the modern calendar now in use, in 1752, the New Year began in England on 25th March. Thus dates between 1st January and 24th March inclusive are dated in contemporary sources one year "behind" the modern "New Style" reckoning. All records with such dates are indexed by the modern reckoning, in this case 27-JAN-1696, not 27-JAN-1695.

Built: 1637 (2)(5)
Builder: Peter Pett (2)
Where Built: Woolwich Dockyard (2)(5)
Rebuilt: 1659 (2)(3); 1660 (1)(5)(6); 1685 (1)(5)
Builders for Rebuild: Captain Taylor, 1659 (2); Lee, 1685 (2)
Where Rebuilt: Chatham 1659/1660 (1)(3)(5)(6); 1685 (1)(5)
Construction: 3 decks (2)
Owner: Royal Navy [all sources]
Armament: 100 guns (1)(2)(3)(5)(6)

Date of Loss Qualifier: Actual date of loss

<1> British Warship losses in the Age of Sail 1650-1859 (Monograph). SKE6713.

<2> The Sailing Navy List: all the ships of the Royal Navy built, purchased and captured 1688-1860 (Monograph). SKE6712.

<3> Larn, Richard and Bridget, 1995, Shipwreck index of the British Isles, volume 2 : Hampshire, Isle of Wight, Sussex, Kent (Mainland), Kent (Downs), Goodwin Sands, Thames (Bibliographic reference). SKE31910.

<4> 1765-, London Gazette (Newspaper). SKE56185.

<5> Ships of the Royal Navy vol.1 (Monograph). SKE6711.

<6> Lists of Men of War 1650-1700 Part 1: English Sips 1649-1702 (Monograph). SKE6710.