1706 Establishment facts for kids

A model of the hull of a 90-gun ship following the dimensions of the 1706 Establishment.
Quick facts for kids Class overview
Operators:	Royal Navy  French Navy
Succeeded by:	1719 Establishment

The 1706 Establishment was a really important set of rules for building ships in the Royal Navy. Before this, there were only temporary rules for specific shipbuilding projects. But the 1706 Establishment was meant to be a permanent guide for how to build different types of warships.

Why the 1706 Establishment Was Created

Before 1706, the Royal Navy had some guidelines for ship sizes. For example, there were rules for the "Thirty Ships" program in 1677. These rules were used until 1695 because the ships built with them worked well.

Later, in 1691, new rules were made for the "Twenty-seven Ships" program. This program was to build 17 large 80-gun ships and 10 smaller 60-gun ships. However, these rules were changed even before all the ships were finished. The last four 80-gun ships ended up being built with three gun-decks instead of two.

The idea for the official 1706 Establishment started in February 1705. Prince George of Denmark, who was in charge of the Navy at the time, asked the Navy Board to create standard sizes for "second-rate" ships. These were large, powerful warships. The Board was also asked to think about sizes for other types of ships. This included "third-rate" ships (80 and 70 guns), "fourth-rate" ships (60 and 50 guns), and "fifth-rate" ships (40 and 30 guns).

The very largest ships, called "first-rate" ships, were not included. They were so rare and special that each one was designed individually. Smaller ships were also not included because they cost less. This meant designers could try out new ideas more easily. The Navy Board looked at the best existing ships in each group to help them decide on the new standard sizes.

How the Rules Were Used

The Navy Board created detailed size rules for ships with 40, 50, 60, 70, 80, and 90 guns. They decided not to make rules for 30-gun ships. After a small change suggested by Admiral George Churchill, the new rules were sent to all the shipyards.

The shipyards were told to follow these rules very carefully. The rules applied to both brand-new ships and older ships that were being rebuilt. This was the first time such strict rules were put in place. It started a time when the Navy was very traditional in how it built ships. Even though there weren't big new technologies for a while, the designs from the 1706 Establishment slowly became a bit old-fashioned as the 1700s went on.

Different Types of Ships

The 1706 Establishment set specific sizes and gun layouts for various ship types.

90-gun Second-Rate Ships

Seven existing 90-gun ships were rebuilt using the 1706 rules. Three of these were ordered for rebuilding in 1704-1705. They were the Marlborough (1706), Blenheim (1709), and Vanguard (1710). The other four ships rebuilt were the Neptune (1710), Ossory (1711), Sandwich (1715), and Barfleur (1716).

These ships originally carried 96 guns. Later, in 1716, their guns were changed to a 90-gun setup. They got heavier guns on some decks, and some smaller guns were removed from the upper decks.

80-gun Third-Rate Ships

Eight older 80-gun ships were rebuilt with three gun-decks under the 1706 rules. These included Boyne and Humber (1708), Russell (1709), Dorsetshire (1712), Newark and Shrewsbury (1713), Cambridge (1715), and Torbay (1719).

Also, two new 80-gun ships were built to replace ships lost in 1707. These were the Devonshire and Cumberland, both launched in 1710. The gun setup for these ships was also updated in 1716, giving them heavier guns on the lower deck and slightly changing the number of guns on the upper decks.

70-gun Third-Rate Ships

After four 70-gun ships were lost in the Great Storm of 1703, four replacements were ordered. These were Northumberland, Resolution, and Stirling Castle (1705), and Nassau (1707).

Another four were ordered in 1705-1706: Elizabeth and Restoration (1706), and another Resolution and Captain (1708). Later, two more new ships were built: Grafton and Hampton Court (1709). Three existing ships were rebuilt: Edgar and Yarmouth (1709), and Orford (1713). Five more were rebuilt in the shipyards.

The 70-gun ships also had their gun setups changed in 1716. They received more and heavier guns on the lower and upper decks, while some smaller guns were removed to keep the total at 70.

60-gun Fourth-Rate Ships

Four new 60-gun ships were built to the 1706 Establishment: the Plymouth (1708), the Lion and Gloucester (1709), and the Rippon (1712). Four existing 60-gun ships were rebuilt from 1714 onwards: the Lyme, Medway, Kingston, and Nottingham.

These ships originally had 64 guns. In 1716, their lower deck guns were upgraded to heavier ones. They were then reduced to 60 guns by removing some smaller guns from the quarter deck and forecastle.

50-gun Fourth-Rate Ships

Eleven new 50-gun ships were built using the 1706 rules. These ships replaced others lost in wars from 1703 onwards. They included the Salisbury (1707), Falmouth, Ruby, Chester, and Romney (1708), Pembroke (1710), Bristol, Gloucester, and Ormonde (1711), Advice (1712), and Strafford (1715).

Eight more existing ships were rebuilt to these same rules. These were the Dragon (1707), Warwick and Bonaventure (1711), Assistance (1713), Worcester (1714), and the Rochester, Panther, and Dartmouth (1716). These ships started with 54 guns. In 1716, they were re-classed as 50-gun ships with heavier guns on the lower and upper decks, and fewer guns on the quarter deck.

40-gun Fifth-Rate Ships

Fifteen 42-gun ships were newly built according to the 1706 Establishment sizes. These included the Ludlow Castle, Gosport, Portsmouth, and Hastings (1707), Pearl, Mary Galley, Sapphire, and Southsea Castle (1708), Enterprise, Adventure, and Fowey (1709), Charles Galley (1710), Launceston (1711), Faversham (1712), and Lynn (1715).

Two similar ships, Looe (1707) and Diamond (1708), were built by a private company and then bought by the Navy. Another 40-gun ship, the Royal Anne Galley (1709), was also built to these rules, but she ended up being longer and thinner than the others. These ships started with 42 guns. In 1716, they became 40-gun ships with heavier guns on the lower deck and no guns on the quarter deck or forecastle.

30-gun Fifth-Rate Ships

The Navy Board didn't create official rules for 30-gun ships in the 1706 Establishment. However, a common set of sizes was used anyway. These sizes were used for two new 32-gun ships: Sweepstakes (1708) and Scarborough (1711). The Bedford Galley was also rebuilt in 1709 to slightly smaller dimensions.

Their original 32-gun setup was changed to 30 guns in 1716. They received more 9-pounder guns on the lower deck, and fewer 4-pounder guns on the quarter deck.

• Tons burthen: 416 ¹⁷⁄₉₄ bm
• Length: 108 ft 0 in (32.9 m) (gundeck)
  90 ft 0 in (27.4 m) (keel)
• Beam: 29 ft 6 in (9.0 m)
• Hold depth: 12 ft 0 in (3.7 m)
• Complement: 145 officers and men (110 in peacetime)
• Armament: 32 guns (1703 Establishment)
  • Lower deck: 4 9-lb
  • Upper deck: 22 6-lb
  • Quarter deck: 6 4-lb
  • Forecastle: nil

The 1716 Establishment of Guns altered their armament to 30 guns:

• Lower deck: 8 9-lb
• Upper deck: 20 6-lb
• Quarter deck: 2 4-lb
• Forecastle: nil