HMS Bellerophon was a third-rate ship of the line of 74 guns that saw extensive service during Britain’s wars against France between 1793 and 1815. She was involved in three major naval engagements, including Nelson’s victories at the Nile and Trafalgar. Thus, the “Billy Ruffian,” as she was commonly called by her crew, was closely intertwined with Lord Nelson’s success and, consequently, Britain’s fate to become the most powerful naval power in history.

Naval warfare in the age of sail was a ghastly business. As soon as the guns started roaring, the screaming of the wounded and the moaning of the dying would repeatably interrupt the deafening sound of the broadsides. As the battle developed and the smell of blood started mingling with the sharp stench of burning gunpowder, the unlucky stricken sailors were carried below-decks to be cared for by the surgeon. This article will succinctly discuss the perils of naval battles in the late 18th and early 19th century, as well as the efforts of the surgeon to help the victims of an engagement at sea. 

Some 821 men lived and worked aboard a first-rate ship of the line, such as HMS Victory. These ships needed to be kept in good condition at all times. Every sailor received a fixed amount of food rations daily. However, this is only part of the story. As we all know, after the intake of food comes the need to visit the toilet. How did this happen aboard a ship of the line in the 18th century? Where did the sailors go to do their business?

On 25 March 1807, the United Kingdom abolished the slave trade. More than two decades later, slavery was abolished altogether in the British Empire through the Slavery Abolition Act of 1833. More than 800,000 individuals were freed from slavery with immediate effect in Canada, South Africa, and the Caribbean. The United Kingdom used its most valuable instrument, the Royal Navy, to enforce the ban on the slave trade. Between 1807 and 1860, the West Africa Squadron intercepted around 1,600 slave ships and liberated over 150,000 Africans from the grim fate of slavery.

In this painting we see the illustrious commander Cochrane defeating the much larger 32-gun Spanish frigate El Gamo in his small brig HMS Speedy in 1801 of 14 guns. This David VS Goliath story needs no introduction. But what exactly was a brig, the classification of ship to which Speedy and countless other ships of the Royal Navy belonged? Everyone has heard of this name, but what does it exactly mean? 

The late Tudor and Stuart era was a transformative period for the Royal Navy, which evolved from an ad hoc maritime force into a permanent, professional navy. The organization, strategy, and equipment underwent drastic changes. Several individuals played significant roles in this naval revolution, among whom Phineas Pett deserves special mention. As the foremost shipwright of the early Stuart period, his career spanned the reigns of James I and Charles I. Through his numerous warship designs, he profoundly transformed the navy.

Deptford, often referred to as the "Cradle of the Navy" or simply the "King’s Yard," occupies a special place in the story of Britain’s maritime legacy.