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BURFORD (70) 3rd Rate Built in 1679, Woolwich Dy.
Wrecked in 1719.

  • 1702 Capt. Hovenden WALKER. In September he was detached from the Mediterranean with a squadron and some land forces for the Leeward Is. They arrived at Barbados in January 1703 and Capt. WALKER sent home six richly-laden East India ships under convoy of Capt. KNAPP in EXPEDITION. Capt. WALKER and his squadron then joined General Coddrington at Antigua and together they sailed with an expedition against Guadeloupe at the end of February. On 12 March the greater part of the troops landed but they were pinned down by the French until CHICHESTER was sent in to drive the enemy from their batteries. The next day the remaining troops and 400 seamen were landed and furiously attacked the north part of the town, forcing the enemy to retreat into the castle and the fort. The French held out until the 3 April when they blew both up and escaped to the mountains. The English forces burnt the town and razed the fortifications; the best of the artillery was taken on board and the rest destroyed. They re-embarked with considerable booty without losing a single man.
  • 1703 Capt. Thomas MEADE,appointed 3 January by Commodore WALKER to be his captain in the West Indies.
  • 1703 Capt. William FAIRBORNE, appointed 10 March 1703, but did not continue in the ship for very long.
  • 1704 Capt. ROSSY. With the fleet in the Mediterranean under Sir George ROOKE. On 17 July in the road of Teuan Sir George called a council of war, and it was decided to make an attempt on Gibraltar. The fleet entered the Bay of Gibraltar on 21 July and 1800 English and Dutch marines were landed on the isthmus under the command of the Duke of Hesse, breaking communication between the town and the mainland. An attempt to cannonade the town and the mole-head on the 22nd was frustrated by a contrary wind, but on the 23rd. over 15,000 shot were fired in five hours which drove the enemy from the south mole-head. Capts. WHITAKER, HICKS and JUMPER, of DORSETSHIRE, YARMOUTH and LENOX, pushed for shore with their boats and seized the fortifications, in spite of the Spaniards detonating a mine which killed two lieutenants and 40 men and wounded about 60 more. The seamen under Capt. WHITAKER were soon masters of the redoubt between the mole and the town and the Admiral sent a letter summoning the Governor. He capitulated on the 24th. and the Prince of Hesse took possession. The place had 100 guns mounted but only had a garrison of 150. The attack was carried out entirely by seamen with the loss of 60 killed including 2 lieutenants and one master, and 216 wounded, including one captain and 7 lieutenants.
  • 1715 Capt. Thomas HOPSON.
  • 1717 Capt. Thomas SCOTT, one of the fleet put under Sir John NORRIS for the Baltic.
  • 1718 Capt. C. VANBURGH with the fleet of 20 ships of the line under Sir George BYNG which sailed from England for the Mediterranean on 15 June. At Cadiz Sir George sent a letter to the Spanish court acquainting the king with his instructions to prevent further violations of Italian neutrality. However, when the fleet arrived in the Bay of Naples on 1 August he found that Spanish troops were making rapid progress though Sicily. He requested an armistice, which was refused. So the fleet sailed again on the 6th. for Messina with 2000 German infantry to relieve the citadel and the fort of San Salvador. When Messina was sighted on the 9th. he learnt that the Spanish fleet had sailed the previous day and, going in search found, about midday, the whole fleet of 27 men of war drawn up in line of battle under Admiral Don Antonio de Castaneta.
  • The Spaniards stood away in order of battle and Sir George followed them until the 11th. when six men of war, with gallies, bomb vessels and store ships under Rear Ad. de Mari detached and stood for the Sicilian shore. CANTERBURY, Capt. WALTON, with five other ships was sent in pursuit and an engagement soon started. Meanwhile ORFORD, Capt. FALKINGHAM, and GRAFTON, Capt. HADDOCK, came up with the Spanish fleet about 10 o'clock The following ships were captured:-
  • SANTA ROSA (64), by ORFORD; SAN CARLOS (60), by KENT; PRINCE of ASTURIAS greatly damaged by GRAFTON, left for BREDA and CAPTAIN to take; JUNO (36), by ESSEX; VOLANTE (44), by MONTAGUE and RUPERT; ISABELLA (60), by DORSETSHIRE. The following letter was received by Sir George.
  • CANTERBURY off Syracuse
  • August 16 1718
  • SIR, We have taken and destroyed all the Spanish ships and vessels which were upon the coast, the numbers as per margin.
  • I am & c.
  • G. WALTON, Captain.
  • Taken - Four Spanish men of war, one of 60 guns, one of 54, two of 40, a bomb vessel and a ship laden with arms. Burnt - Four men of war, one of 54 guns, two of 40, and one of 30, together with a fireship and a bomb vessel
  • BURFORD was wrecked on the coast of Italy on 14 February 1719.


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