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EXPERIMENT (24) 6th rate Built in 1740, Rotherhithe.
Sold in 1763.

  • 1741 Capt. RENTON, Jamaica.
  • 1746 Capt. Henry HUISH, appointed 12 July
  • 1746 Capt. Hon. William FERMOR, appointed t the end of the year and stationed as a cruiser on the coast of Scotland.
  • 1755 Capt. James GILCHRIST, 25th. July. Mediterranean.
  • 1756 Capt. William GOUGH. He was a lieutenant in in RAMILLIES, Ad. BYNG's flagship, and was promoted to command EXPERIMENT by the admiral at Gibraltar after the encounter with the French off Minorca, his commission was afterwards confirmed by the Admiralty. He was one of the officers sent home to give evidence in the admiral's trial.(1756 Capt. John STRACHAN. A lieutenant in the ST. GEORGE, he had been sent out to Gibraltar in the ANTELOPE to be promoted to a sloop whose commander had been sent home for Adm. BYNG's trial. On 9th. September following he was promoted to post captain in EXPERIMENT. He was employed as a cruiser in the Mediterranean and distinguished himself in an encounter with a large French privateer, the TELEMARQUE. His official letter to Adm OSBORN was mislaid and not forwarded to the Admiralty.
  • Copy of Capt. STRACHAN's Official Letter.
  • "On the 9th. ultimo, about noon, we came up with and engaged the Telemarchus, commanded by captain Beaupett de Counterpont, mounting twenty guns, twelve and nine pounders, which ship, by the quarter-bill had on board a crew of 460 men. The enemy clapped us on board on the starboard chess-tree, but could enter the men only from the forecastle; we killed most of those who boarded, but some were left wounded on our decks. Seeing the French were confused, and their officers not being able to rally them, we entered our men, which being brisker than theirs they struck about three leagues from Port Morero. [The people in the tops of the French ship kept firing on the decks for some time afterwards, nor would they desist till their captain, who was wounded, was brought up and commanded them to surrender.] As the wind at that time was N. E. and the enemy ship on board us,& c. we were under the necessity of coming to an anchor near a Spanish fort, between Mount Carpi and Cape de Lanau. A shot being fired at us from the fort, I sent my boat in there, when the governor, after demanding who we were, and from whence we came, said that if in the morning we would send our boat on shore with an account of the prize, he would come on board and give us practick; but in the morning he desired to see my commission, and that I would wait upon him on shore. To save trouble, I sent my master with a letter to a person who who calls himself the English consul there, to acquaint him, that if he or the governor would come off I would give them all the satisfaction, or to anyone he would be pleased to appoint, but he immediately imprisoned my master. [He was kept close confined in the tower at Segovia for two years, and as prisoner on parole, having the liberty of waking in the town, a considerable time longer.] I then sent my purser to enquire the reason of such proceedings. The governor, or bailiff of the castle, told him that he had received an order, from the governor of Denia, to detain me, or any officer belonging to the English frigate that should come on shore there, that he had sent an account to the governor of his having detained the master; and farther that some of his people believed we were within gun-shot at the time the French ship struck, while others denied it. The purser was likewise imprisoned, but, on the solicitation of our consul, was set at liberty, and brought me off word that there would be an order sent to stop our ship, as well as our prize, if we put into any Spanish port, therefore the consul advised me to make for Gibraltar.
  • By the French captain's instructions, I find four other privateers, of which he was commodore, were ordered to cruise between Carthagena and Oran. My lieutenant and master behaved so bravely on this occasion that I cannot omit making particular mention of it, and indeed all my people in general behaved extremely well.
  • P. S. We had fourteen men killed and forty wounded, two of which are since dead; the French one hundred and ten killed, the number wounded not ascertained."
  • The EXPERIMENT mounted twenty guns, fourteen nine-pounders, two six and four four-pounders, and had on board when the action commenced, a crew of one hundred and forty-two men.
  • Capt. STRACHAN was soon promoted to the SAPPHIRE (32).
  • 1758 Capt. John ALLEN, promoted to post-captain in EXPERIMENT on 21st. March. He did not remain in her long, being removed to REPULSE on the Halifax station.


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