THE OCCUPATION OF NEWPORT, 9 DECEMBER 1776 By Robert Cleveley, 1777 (Highest resolution available 8165×5030) In 1775 the 13 British colonies in North America rebelled against British rule and formally proclaimed their independence as the United States of America. What started as a war for America soon became a war for global maritime predominance. It […]

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The hostilities of the Seven Years War were ended in 1763 by the Treaty of Paris. This involved a complex series of land exchanges but it was quite clear that Britain had won an astounding victory through her successful use of sea power: Canada and India were now British colonies. Much had been learned by […]

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A TRINITY HOUSE YACHT AND A REVENUE SERVICE CUTTER OFF RAMSGATE By Thomas Whitcombe, c.1810 (Highest resolution available 5914×4103) The decade of peace between the Seven Years War and the beginning of the War of American Independence saw a greater focus on domestic maritime problems, chief among which was smuggling. The long-established national taste for […]

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HARRISON’S H4 CHRONOMETER, 1760 (Highest resolution available 2010×2442) While concerns about repairing and supplying ships remained permanent for all navies, the end of the Seven Years War saw a technological breakthrough that freed mariners from shackles that had bound them since man first learnt to navigate: the problem of longitude was solved. Mariners had been […]

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THE IMPROVED CHAIN PUMP By John Bentinck (Highest resolution available 1824×2700) The withdrawal of the Cambridge, Marlborough and Dragon from their attack on the Morro Castle in Havana throws into sharp relief the difficulties of waging war far from significant dockyard resources and in the tropics where wood and iron decay quickly. The ships were […]

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BOMBARDMENT ON THE MORRO CASTLE, 1 JULY 1762 By Richard Paton, mid-18th century (Highest resolution available 4500×3340) In 1761 Spain entered the war, and Britain immediately planned operations against her colonies. An amphibious assault on Havana, the most significant Spanish settlement in the Americas, with a naval base, a dockyard producing quality ships made of […]

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FRENCH FIRE RAFTS ATTACKING THE ENGLISH FLEET OFF QUÉBEC, 28 JUNE 1759 By Samuel Scott, 1767 (Highest resolution available 6342×3048) Only two days after the British force arrived, the French launched a fireship attack in a concerted effort to drive the enemy ships away before they could land the army, but Admiral Saunders was forewarned […]

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JAMES COOK’S CHART OF THE ST LAWRENCE TO QUÉBEC BY ORDER OF VICE ADMIRAL CHARLES SAUNDERS 1759, fragment above, full chart below Published by Thomas Jefferys (Highest resolution available 5640×973) While the British were enjoying significant success in European waters, the war in Canada had also taken a significant turn. Assaults on French Montréal and […]

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THE CAPTURE OF THE FOUDROYANT BY HMS MONMOUTH, 28 FEBRUARY 1758 By Francis Swaine, mid-18th century (Highest resolution available 6480×5046) Hawke’s victory was all the more remarkable because he attacked as night fell. Night-time actions were exceptionally dangerous. It was difficult enough to maneuver fleets of ships without collision in daylight and in calm weather, […]

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THE BATTLE OF QUIBERON BAY, 21 NOVEMBER 1759: THE DAY AFTER By Richard Wright, 1760 (Highest resolution available 5397×4519) With considerable expense and effort the blockading British fleet commanded by Admiral Edward Hawke (1705-1781) remained healthy. The French had not left Brest for three full years. Their courageous commander Comte de Conflans could not bear […]

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