English ship Bristol (1653)

She was ordered by Parliament on 27 February 1652 to be built at Portsmouth Dockyard under the guidance of Master Shipwright John Tippetts. Her dimensions were gundeck with keel for tonnage with a breadth of and a depth of hold of . Her builder's measure tonnage was calculated as tons. Her draught was . Her gun armament in 1653 was 50 guns and by 1660 it was down to 40 guns. Under the 1666 Establishment her armament was nominally set at 50 guns consisting of twenty-six culverins, twenty-two demi-culverins, four sakers. She actually carried 48 guns consisting of twenty-four culverins, twenty-two demi-culverines and two sakers. The 1677 establishment set her guns at 48 wartime and 42 peacetime consisting of twenty-two culverins, twenty 8-pounder guns and six sakers. By 1685 her guns were set at 48 guns consisting of twenty-two 12-pounder guns, twenty-two 8-pounder guns and four 3-pounder guns. Her manning was 200 personnel in 1653, then down to 150 personnel in 1660 and back up to 200 in 1666. It was later established at 230/200/150 personnel based on the amount of weaponry carried. ==Commissioned service==

Service with the Commonwealth Navy Bristol was commissioned in 1653 under the command of Rodger Martin for service in the Western Approaches during the winter of 1653/54. In 1654 she was under Captain Robert Clarke. Captain Thomas Penrose took over in 1656 followed by Captain Henry Fenn until 1658. She was with Robert Blake's Fleet at the Battle of Santa Cruz on 20 April 1657. In 1659 Captain George Dawkins took command with Doakes Squadron in the Mediterranean. In 1660 she was under Captain Fenn once more. On 17 September 1665 Captain Philemon Bacon assumed command. She was, as a member of Red Squadron, Rear Division at the Four Days' Battle from 1 to 4 June 1666. Captain Bacon was killed on the second day plus she lost 12 killed and 58 wounded over the course of the action. On 7 June 1666 Captain Sir John Holmes took command until 17 October 1667. She partook in the St James Day Battle as a member of Red Squadron on 25 July 1666. On 24 March 1668 she was under Captain Daniel Healing (until 31 December 1669) with Sir Thomas Allin's Squadron in the Mediterranean. She was in action again off Heligoland on 22 July 1672. In 1673 she was the command of Captain Erik Sjoblad for the escort of a Mediterranean convoy. She participated in the Battle of Texel on 11 August 1673. She escorted a convoy to the Canary Islands in October 1673. Captain William Harman was her commander in 1674. He was followed by Captain Captain Sir John Berry for service at Newfoundland, then to the Straits of Gibraltar and finally to America. In 1677 Captain Henry Killigrew took over command. In March 1678 it was Captain Anthony Langston who had command for service in the English Channel followed by a stint in the Mediterranean. On 16 January 1679 Captain Sir John Strickland took command and sailed to the Mediterranean as a Rear-Admiral. Her gun armament in the 1695 survey was 38 guns. This consisted of eighteen culverins and twenty 8-pounder guns. The 1703 established armament was 54 wartime/46 peacetime guns consisting of twenty-two/twenty 12-pounder guns of 9-foot length on the lower deck (LD), twenty-two/eighteen 6-pounder guns of 8.5-foot length on the upper deck (UD), eight/six 6-pounder guns of 7 feet on the quarterdeck (QD) and two 6-pounder guns of 9.5 feet in length on the foc's'le (Fc). Her manning was established at 280/240/150 personnel. Service after Rebuild 1693 She was commissioned in August 1693 under the command of Captain Edward Gurney for service in the West Indies where Captain Gurney would die on 29 January 1695. In early 1696 Captain Edmund D'Oyley (alt spelling Doyley) took command at Barbados. In1697 Captain Stephen Elliot was her commander with Mee's Squadron in the West Indies. She sailed for Home Waters in 1698. She became the Guardship at Portsmouth until she was paid off into Ordinary. She was recommissioned in 1701 under Edward Acton to proceed to the West Indies at the end of 1701. She returned in early 1703 as her crew wat at the execution of Captains Kirby and Captain Wade at Plymouth on 16 April 1703. In 1704 Captain John Watkins took command, then Captain John Anderson, who was dismissed by court-martial both for the West Indies. In November 1705 she was under the command of Captain Thomas Mann. She sailed for Home Waters in July 1706 under the temporary command of a lieutenant. Captain Henry Gore was her commander sailing with Whetstone's Squadron in 1707. In 1708 she escorted a convoy to Virginia. ==Loss==

On 24 April 1709 she was captured by the French 66-gun ''L'Acille and the 40-gun La Gloire'' of Duguay-Trouin's Squadron off Plymouth. She was retaken the following day and foundered in the English Channel. ==Notes==