HMS Mary Galley (1744)

For other ships with the same name, see HMS Mary Galley.

Mary Galley
History
Great Britain
Name	HMS Mary Galley
Ordered	26 April 1743
Builder	Henry Bird, Globe Stairs, Rotherhithe
Laid down	18 May 1743
Launched	16 June 1744
Commissioned	13 September 1744 at Deptford dockyard
Fate	Sunk as breakwater, Plymouth 20 April 1764
General characteristics
Class and type	44-gun fifth-rate ship of the line
Tons burthen	712 13⁄94 (bm)
Length	126 ft 0 in (38.4 m) (overall) 102 ft 4 in (31.2 m) (keel)
Beam	36 ft 2 in (11.0 m)
Draught	15 ft 5 in (4.7 m)
Propulsion	Sails
Sail plan	ship rigged
Complement	250
Armament	Lower deck: 20 x 18pdrs Upper deck: 20 x 9pdrs Quarterdeck: 4 x 6pdrs

HMS Mary Galley was a 44-gun fifth rate ship of the line, built and launched in 1744 in Rotherhithe, and sunk as a breakwater in 1764.

Naval service

Mary Galley was initially commissioned under Captain Piercy Brett, but command was transferred to Captain William Dandridge before the ship was put to sea. Dandridge died on 27 August, and command passed to Robert Swanton. Under Swanton, Mary Galley undertook an extensive voyage of patrol along the Bristol Channel, the Downs and into the North Sea. In March 1746 she underwent minor repairs at Sheerness docks at a cost of £984.

The ship returned to sea in April 1746 and was assigned to Atlantic service off west Africa, and then to the Leeward Islands from 1747 to 1748. She was surveyed for hull damage in January 1749, but no repairs were made. She was sunk as part of a breakwater at Plymouth, on 20 April 1764.