HMS Foudroyant (1798)

HMS Foudroyant (1798)

HMS Foudroyant, on her side on a beach in Blackpool done in by a summer storm, 1897: the end of one era and the start of another. Launched 99 years before to fight in the French Revolutionary Wars, the old 80 gunner was beached as the era of the Dreadnought was coming into existence.

Wreck of HMS ‘Foudroyant’, Blackpool, 1897.

The Foudroyant, launched in 1798, was the flagship of Admiral Nelson after the Battle of the Nile, from June 1799 to June 1800. In 1892 she was about to be broken up but was saved and restored to her original state. To offset the restoration cost of £20,000 she was put on display at seaside resorts.

On 16 June 1897, she dragged her moorings during a violent storm and ran ashore on the pleasure beach at Blackpool, near the North Pier. There was no loss of life but she was badly damaged, and in November she was dashed to pieces by winter gales. She continued to be a major attraction to visitors, however, and all salvageable timber and metal was used to produce pieces of memorabilia and furniture

HMS Foudroyant

HMS Foudroyant, was wrecked on the beach by North Pier in 1897. Her story includes action and almost destruction at Valletta, Malta, whilst she was the Flagship of Admiral Horatio Nelson.

The French had captured Malta with a relatively small Expeditionary force in 1798, as a prelude to the capture of Egypt. Malta was of strategic importance as a staging post for Napoleon Bonapart’s aspirations of a threat to Britain’s presence in North Africa and ultimately in India.  The French sent a large force to capture Egypt and were pursued by a small British Naval force that included Foudroyant. Thus started what became known as the ‘Mediterranean Campaign’. The ‘Battle of the Nile’ proved decisive for Nelson and following it he was able to release ships to eliminate the French from Malta.  Foudroyant was one of a force of seven British ships sent to Blockade the Island in February 1799.

The French attempted to break the Blockade in 1800 with a significant convoy of supplies and warships. The British squadron intercepted them and eventually the French surrendered, although the French Garrison on the island survived another few months, Malta surrendered in September 1800.

During the battle to destroy the French convoy, Foudroyant was badly damaged, so much so that she was put under tow for repairs to Syracuse, Sicily. She would be back in service by February 1801. Nelson was not on board during the Battle, he had been taken to Palermo in Sicily with heart problems.  As a measure of her involvement during the action, 

The French attempted to break the Blockade in 1800 with a significant convoy of supplies and warships. The British squadron intercepted them and eventually the French surrendered, although the French Garrison on the island survived another few months, Malta surrendered in September 1800.

During the battle to destroy the French convoy, Foudroyant was badly damaged, so much so that she was put under tow for repairs to Syracuse, Sicily. She would be back in service by February 1801. Nelson was not on board during the Battle, he had been taken to Palermo in Sicily with heart problems.  As a measure of her involvement during the action