HMS Romney (1694) facts for kids
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Sir Cloudesly Shovel in the Association with the Eagle, Rumney and the Firebrand, lost on the rocks of Scilly
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Quick facts for kids History |
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.svg){kind=small} Great Britain |
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| Name | HMS Romney |
| Builder | Johnson, Blackwall Yard |
| Launched | 23 October 1694 |
| Fate | Wrecked, 26 October 1707 |
| General characteristics | |
| Class and type | 50-gun fourth rate ship of the line |
| Tons burthen | 683 bm |
| Length | 130 ft 0.5 in (39.6 m) (gundeck) |
| Beam | 34 ft 4 in (10.5 m) |
| Depth of hold | 13 ft 7 in (4.1 m) |
| Propulsion | Sails |
| Sail plan | Full-rigged ship |
| Armament | 50 guns of various weights of shot |
HMS Romney was a powerful British warship from a long time ago. It was built in 1694 and had 50 guns! This ship was part of the Royal Navy, which protects the seas for Great Britain. Sadly, the Romney was lost in a terrible accident near the Scilly Isles in 1707, along with many other ships and sailors.
What Was HMS Romney?
HMS Romney was a special type of warship called a "ship of the line." This meant it was big enough and strong enough to fight in the main battle line of a navy fleet. It was known as a "fourth-rate" ship, carrying 50 guns. These guns were used to defend the ship and attack enemy vessels.
The ship was built at a place called Blackwall Yard in England. It was officially launched on October 23, 1694. This was a big event, marking the ship's first time in the water.
The Big Disaster
In 1707, HMS Romney was sailing with a large fleet of British ships. They were led by a famous admiral named Sir Cloudesley Shovell. The fleet was on its way back to England from Gibraltar. On October 26, 1707, a terrible mistake happened with navigation. The ships sailed into dangerous rocky areas near the Isles of Scilly.
This led to one of the worst maritime disasters in British history. Four ships were lost that day: HMS Romney, HMS Association, HMS Firebrand, and HMS Eagle. Nearly 2,000 sailors lost their lives.
The Fate of Romney
HMS Romney hit a very dangerous rock called Bishop Rock. The ship quickly sank. Almost everyone on board was lost.
The Sole Survivor
Amazingly, there was one survivor from HMS Romney. His name was George Lawrence. Before joining the navy, George worked as a butcher. He was serving as a quartermaster on the Romney when the disaster happened. He was the only person to survive from the entire crew.
A New Discovery
The terrible Scilly naval disaster showed how important it was to know exactly where ships were at sea. Because of this accident, the Board of the Admiralty (the group in charge of the navy) started a special competition. They offered a big prize, called the Longitude Prize, to anyone who could invent a better way to figure out a ship's longitude. Longitude is a way to measure how far east or west a ship is. This competition eventually led to new inventions that made sea travel much safer.
