HMS Lenox (1678)

She was ordered in April 1677 as an early ship in the "thirty ship" program that was authorised by parliament on 23 February 1677. She was designed and built at Deptford Dockyard by Master Shipwright John Shish, perhaps based on the design of , the last ship built by John's father, Jonas Shish. Her keel was laid on 25 June 1677 and launched on 18 April 1678. Her dimensions were a gundeck of with a keel of for tonnage calculation with a breadth of and a depth of hold of . Her builder's measure tonnage was calculated as 1,012 tons (burthen). Her Draught was . Her initial gun armament was in accordance with the 1677 Establishment with 72/60 guns consisting of twenty-six demi-cannons (54 cwt, 9.5 ft) on the lower deck, twenty-four 12-pounder guns (32 cwt, 9 ft) on the upper deck, ten sakers (16 cwt, 7 ft) on the quarterdeck and four sakers (16 cwt, 7 ft) on the foc's'le with four 3-pounder guns (5 cwt, 5 ft) on the poop deck or roundhouse. Their initial manning establishment would be for a crew of 460/380/300 personnel . By 1688 she would carry 70 guns as per the 1685 Establishment, however, the demi-culverins replaced the 12-pounders on the upper deck. In 1690 she would still carry 70 guns consisting of twenty-two demi-cannons, four culverins, twenty-six demi-culverins, twelve demi-culverin cutts, and six 3-pounder guns. ==Commissioned service==

Service 1678 to 1699 HMS Lenox was commissioned on 9 May 1678 under the command of Captain John Kirke until 17 May 1678 for transport to Chatham. In 1690 she was commissioned for the War of the English Succession under command of Captain John Granvill for the Battle of Beachy Head in Centre (Red) Squadron on 30 June 1690. In 1692 she was under Captain John Munden for the Battle of Barfleur in Red Squadron, Rear Division from 19 to 22 May 1692. Her armament was under the 1703 Establishment as 70 guns wartime/62 guns peacetime consisting of twenty-four/twenty-two 24-pounder guns of 9.5 feet in length on the lower deck, twenty-six/twenty-four demi-culverins of 9-foot length on the upper deck, twelve/ten 6-pounder guns of 8.5-foot length on the quarterdeck, and four/two 6-pounder guns of (2/2) 9-foot length and (2/0) of 7.5-foot length, with four 5.5 foot 3-pounder guns on the poop deck or roundhouse. She may have carried her demi-cannons on the lower deck for a few years more. Her 1716-gun establishment was changed to twenty-six 24-pounder guns of 9.5-foot and 64 hundredweight (cwt) on the lower deck, twenty-six 12-pounder guns of 9-foot length and 32 cwt on the upper deck, fourteen 6-pounder guns of 8-foot length and 20 cwt on the quarterdeck, and a further four 6-pounder guns on the foc's'le. These guns were used as chasers and were (2) 9-foot guns of 24 cwt and two as on the quarterdeck. On 21 September it was learned that a French Fleet and Spanish treasure ships were in the vicinity of Vigo Bay. On the 11th a council of war was held to determine the ships that would initially enter the bay. HMS Lenox was not chosen and remained off the entrance of the Bay of Vigo. She was part of the force that was to attack the New Mole. Gibraltar surrendered on the 24th. Captain Jumper was honoured by having Jumper's Bastion in Gibraltar named after him. On August 13, 1704, she fought in the Battle of Velez Malaga In 1708 she was under Captain Richard Culliford sailing with Sir Christopher Byng's Fleet in the North Sea and the English Channel. She was on the Irish Station in July 1708 then sailed to Lisbon in October, then on to the Mediterranean in 1709. In 1710 she was at Chatham for a survey of her condition. 1712 under Captain John Bennet she sailed to St Helena then on to the Cape. On her return she underwent a small repair at Chatham for a cost of 1,177.10.8d between March and May 1718. She was recommissioned in 1718 in response to the Spanish invasion of Sicily, under Captain Charles Strickland for service in the Mediterranean with Sir George Byng's Fleet. The Fleet departed from Spithead on 15 June 1718, arriving at Naples on 1 August. She fought at the Battle of Passero on 11 August 1718. Most Spanish ships were either captured or destroyed. She remained in the Mediterranean for the duration of the War for Sicily. She was docked at Portsmouth on 2 May 1721 for dismantling in preparation for rebuilding. Her armament was under the 1719 Establishment as 70 guns consisting of twenty-six 24-pounder guns on the lower deck (LD), twenty-six 12-pounder guns on the upper deck (UD), fourteen 6-pounder guns on the quarterdeck (QD), and four 6-pounder guns on the foc's'le (Fc). By 1746 she was reduced to 64 guns with the upper and lower decks remaining the same, ten 6-pounder guns on the quarterdeck (QD), and two 6-pounder guns on the foc's'le (Fc). Her crew would be 440 personnel. for the rebuild and £1,057.11.0d for fitting out. She underwent a fitting at Portsmouth in December. She was readied for sea under the command of Captain Digby Dent to join Vice-Admiral Sir Charles Wager's Fleet. The Fleet sailed for the Straits of Gibraltar on 19 January 1727. She in concert with Berwick was detached to join Vice-Admiral Francis Hosier in the West Indies on 13 February. The Fleet of sixteen ships harried the Spaniards to the point that the annual treasure fleet did not sail for Spain while the Fleet was on station. After much death due to disease and the loss of three Fleet commanders (Vice-Admirals Hosier and Hopsonn plus Captain E. St Loe (SNO)) Lenox returned to Home Waters 1729 to pay off. She underwent a small repair at Portsmouth costing £5,253.5.9d during August to October 1730. She was fitted as a guard ship at Portsmouth in the Spring of 1734. She was recommissioned under the command of Captain Joseph Winder then later under Captain Tyrwitt Cayley operating with Philip Cavendish's Fleet in Home Waters. She was paid off in November 1735. After a small repair she was fitted at Portsmouth for £2,088.7.9d between June and August 1738 then reduced to a guard ship in December 1738. she was commissioned under Captain Covill Mayne in 1739 then selected for service with Vice-Admiral Edward Vernon's squadron on 23 July. She was detached along with Elizabeth and Kent, to cruise off Cape Ortegal for a month, then to return to England. In 1740 she was at sea as part of Vice-Admiral John Balchen's squadron. Lenox, Kent, Oxford, St Albans, and Ripon had been detached to watch for the Spanish Treasure Fleet. The fleet was not found. However, the Spanish 64-gun ship Princesa was sighted at 9am on the 8th of August. In concert with Kent and Orford, she took the Spanish ship off Cape Finisterre on 8 April 1740. She then joined Sir John Norris's Fleet off Ferrol during July and September. In 1741 she was under the command of Captain James Compton sailing with Admiral Norris's Fleet in July 1741. Admiral Norris attempted to sail three times from St Helens in the Scilly Islands but was driven back on all three attempts due to bad weather. He finally made it to sea in October then cruised of the North Coast of Spain returning to Spithead on 6 November. She was in the Mediterranean in 1742, firstly in Rear-Admiral Richard Lestock's Fleet then Vice-Admiral Thomas Mathews. She underwent a great repair at Portsmouth for £15,066.10.4d during March 1743 and June 1744. War with France started on 31 March 1744 (The War of Austrian Succession 1744–1749), she was recommissioned in April 1744 under the command of Captain Charles Wyndham for service with Vice-Admiral Henry Medley's Squadron during the winter of 1744/45. In October 1744 she was under Captain Peter Lawrence sailing with Rear-Admiral William Martin's Western Squadron. In 1747 she was under Captain Peter Lawrence once more. She was involved in the encounter with Marquis de Dubois de La Motte's squadron off Cape Nicholas on 25 March 1747. In October 1747 she was under Captain Charles Holmes and sailed to join Rear-Admiral Charles Knowles at Port Royal, Jamaica. In August she was detached to escort a convoy destined for England departing on 25 August 1748. On 29 September a Spanish fleet of seven men-of-war were sighted. Captain Holmes dispersed the convoy and led the Spanish to Admiral Knowles's Fleet. After locating Admiral Knowles, the Admiral went in search of the Spaniards. The Spanish vessels were found on 1 October 1748. The Spanish lost one ship captured and another burnt later to avoid capture. She returned Home and was surveyed on 2 February 1749 with no repair required and placed in Ordinary. ==Disposition==

She was reported unfit for further service on 15 November 1755. Under Admiralty Order (AO) 2 April 1756 she was moved to Sheerness and sunk as a breakwater in April 1756. ==Proposed sailing replica==

In 2013 the Lenox Project (based in Deptford, London, UK) put forward a formal proposal to build a full-size sailing replica of the Lenox, to be constructed at a purpose-built museum on part of the site of the old Deptford Dockyard where the original Lenox was built. By late 2015 the project had gained momentum, with more detailed plans fitting the building of the Lenox into the overall development of Convoys Wharf, as the old Dockyard site is now known. If and when completed, the Lenox dock and museum would be within walking distance of the Cutty Sark museum in Greenwich. ==Notes==