The fourth Centurion built and in 1740
she was the flagship of Commodore George Anson in a squadron of 7 ships
who were brought up to complement by 500 superannuated and Chelsea
out-pensioners, who all died during the voyage. They sailed on Anson's
famous circumnavigation of the world in September 1740. They touched at
Madeira and Port St Julian, and off Cape Horn in March 1741 the squadron
were dispersed by a succession of gales. Scurvy broke out and the
Centurion buried 43 men. She reached Juan Fernandez in June 1741 with 130
men on the sick list, besides having buried 200 men on the passage. Here a
prize was captured, and the squadron set sail for the South American
coast, capturing another prize on the way. They arrived in Payta Bay in
November and surprised the town. Plunder to the value of £32,000 and
other stores were taken; the town was set on fire and six vessels in the
bay were sunk. In May 1742 the Commodore sailed for China. In August the
Centurion anchored off one of the Ladrone Islands and landed 128 sick men,
many of whom died. In November the ship arrived off Macao and wintered. In
April 1743 Anson put to sea in an attempt to capture the large Spanish
galleon trading between Acapulco and Manilla. On June 20th she was sighted
off the Island of Samar, and proved to be the long-sought ship Nuestra
Senora de Cavadonga. An action followed and lasted nearly two hours, at
the end of which the Spaniard struck with a loss of 67 killed and 84
wounded. The Centurion lost only 2 killed and 17 wounded. The cargo of the
prize included nearly one and a half million dollars, besides 36,000
ounces of silver and other merchandise. On July 10th the squadron reached
Canton, and in December sold the prize at Macao. Numerous difficulties
with the Chinese were experienced. In December 1743 the Centurion turned
homewards, and reached Spithead on June 15th 1744. Thus ended Commodore
George Anson's circumnavigation of the globe, a great naval exploring
expedition with war-like objects, carried out with the greatest skill,
patience and perseverance.
As the Admiralty declined to confirm Anson's first Lieutenant as
captain, Anson returned his own commission as Rear-Admiral of the Blue,
and went on half pay as a captain for six months. There is not a doubt
that Anson was in the wrong. A change of Government taking place some ten
months afterwards, Anson became a Lord of the Admiralty, and being
promoted to Rear-Admiral of the White received two steps at once.
The figurehead of this centurion was a big lion some sixteen feet
high. It was presented to the Duke of Richmond by King George III when the
Centurion was broken up. While serving as an inn sign at Goodwood it was
much admired by King William IV, who begged it from the Duke, and used it
as a staircase ornament at Windsor Castle. The King later on presented it
to Greenwich Hospital, with directions to place it in one of the wards,
which he desired should be called the Anson Ward. It remained there until
1871 when it was removed to the playground of the Naval School, where
owing to the action of the weather it unfortunately crumbled to pieces. At
one time the following lines were inscribed beneath it:-
Stay,
traveller, a while, and view
One who
has travelled more than you;
Quite
round the globe, thro' each degree,
Anson
and I have ploughed the sea.
Torrid
and frigid zones have pass'd
And-safe
ashore arrived at last-
In ease
with dignity appear,
He in
the House of Lords-I here.
In 1746 the Centurion was cut down to a 50 gun ship. In 1747 the
Centurion commanded by Captain Peter Denis, was in an English fleet of 17
ships under the command of Vice-Admiral George Anson, who flew his flag in
Prince George. The French fleet, under Admiral de la Jonquiere, consisted
of 14 men-of-war and a convoy of 24 ships, and was sighted on May 23rd
about 70 miles from Cape Finisterre. The French made off and Anson chased.
A running fight of 3 hours followed, in which 13 French ships were
captured, while a small detached squadron captured six of the French
convoy. Night saved the rest. A topical song of the time expresses in the
following verses the part played by the Centurion:
The
Centurion first led the van, (bis)
And
held 'em till we came up;
Then we
their hides did sorely bang,
Our
broadsides we on them did pour, (bis)
We gave
the French a sower drench,
And
soon their topsails made them lower.
And
when they saw our fleet come up, (bis)
They
for quarters call'd without delay,
And
their colours they that moment struck
O! how
we did rejoice and sing, (bis)
To see
such prizes we had took,
For
ourselves and for George our King.
The French lost 700 killed and wounded, and the English 520,
including one captain killed. Specie to the value of £300,000 was taken
from the prizes. This victory was valuable if not brilliant. Vie-Admiral
Anson was created a Peer and the captured men-of-war were all added to the
British Navy.
In June 1751 the Centurion, flying the broad pennant of Commodore
the Hon. Augustus Keppel, proceeded to Algiers, and smoothed over some
difficulties with the Dey. The story goes that the Dey angrily expressed
surprise that the King of Great Britain should have sent a beardless boy
to treat with him. Keppel replied: "Had my master supposed that
wisdom was measured by the length of the beard, he would have sent your
Deyship a he-goat." After threatening Keppel with death, the Dey
consented to treat.
In 1754, the Centurion, Captain the Hon. Augustus Keppel, in company
with the Norwich, escorted to North America a large number of troops,
destined to assist the colonials in the suppression of the Indians, who
with France behind them as moral support, were rising against the English
whites.
In 1759 the Centurion, commanded by Captain William Mantell, was in
a fleet of 49 ships besides transports under Vice-Admiral Charles Saunders
with his flag in Neptune. They left Spithead on February 17th and, having
secured pilots by a ruse, they anchored a few miles below Quebec on June
26th with nearly 10,000 troops. On June 28th the French sent down seven
fireships and two firerafts, but these were grappled and towed clear by
the activity of the seamen. On September 13th under cover of the guns of
the Centurion, the troops were landed and attacked Quebec. The seamen
assisted with guns. On this day both General Wolfe and the Marquis of
Montcalm, the English and French Commanders-in-Chief of the troops were
mortally wounded. After some fighting the French retired. Additional ships
were brought up to bombard, and on the 17th the enemy offered to
surrender. On the 18th Vice-Admiral Saunders was one of the signatories to
the surrender.
In May 1762 the Centurion, commanded by Captain James Galbraith, was
in the English fleet proceeding to Havana against the Spaniards, which
consisted of 53 ships, besides storeships, hospital ships and transports,
with 15,000 troops. Admiral Sir George Pocock, with his flag in Namur, and
George, Earl of Albemarle, were the naval and military
Commanders-in-Chief. On May 27th the fleet of 200 sail in all stood away
for the Old Strait of Bahama, which was safely navigated by marking the
dangerous shoals and reefs with boats. During the passage two Spanish
ships were captured. On June 6th the fleet arrived off Havana, and while a
feint was made elsewhere the troops were landed under cover of the guns of
the fleet. Moro was bombarded, although the Spaniards made a most gallant
defence, Havana fell, and the British took complete possession on August
14th 1762. Specie and stores to the value of three million pounds were
captured; thirteen Spanish men-of-war were destroyed, three were sunk, and
two on the stocks were burned. While on the passage to Havana some ships
were detached and captured two ships in the harbour of Mariel. The British
lost 1790 killed and wounded. The division of the prize money caused some
heartburning. It worked out as follows: Admiral £123,000, captain £1600,
petty officer £17, seaman or marine £4.
In 1769 the Centurion was broken up at Chatham.
