HMS Pembroke (1757)

For other ships with the same name, see HMS Pembroke.

History
Great Britain
Name:	HMS Pembroke
Ordered:	8 November 1752
Builder:	Plymouth Dockyard
Launched:	2 June 1757
Fate:	Broken up, 1793
General characteristics
Class & type:	1752 amendments 60-gun fourth rate ship of the line
Length:	156 ft (47.5 m) (gundeck)
Beam:	42 ft (12.8 m)
Depth of hold:	18 ft (5.5 m)
Propulsion:	Sails
Sail plan:	Full rigged ship
Armament:	60 guns: Gundeck: 24 × 24 pdrs Upper gundeck: 26 × 12 pdrs Quarterdeck: 8 × 6 pdrs Forecastle: 2 × 6 pdrs

HMS Pembroke was a 60-gun fourth rate ship of the line of the Royal Navy, built at Plymouth Dockyard to the draught specified in the 1745 Establishment as amended in 1752, and launched on 2 June 1757.

Pembroke was converted to serve as a hulk in 1776, and was eventually broken up in 1793.

Crew

For her first two years Pembroke was captained by John Simcoe, the father of John Graves Simcoe who became the first Lieutenant Governor of Upper Canada. When the elder Simcoe died in 1759 he was replaced by John Wheelock who served as captain for the remaining seventeen years of Pembroke's active service. Thomas Bisset served as ships master during her commissioning, then responsibility passed to James Cook, who would later become the first European to reach the eastern Australian coastline. Cook served as master until 1759 with duties then devolving to John Cleader.

Service

Pembroke saw service in the North American theatre of the Seven Years' War, including the Siege of Louisbourg under Captain Simcoe, and the Capture of Québec under Captain Wheelock, both with James Cook as master. In advance of the latter battle, the ship played an important role charting the approaches to Québec up the St. Lawrence River, so that the main fleet could follow.

References

• Lavery, Brian (2003) The Ship of the Line - Volume 1: The development of the battlefleet 1650-1850. Conway Maritime Press. ISBN 0-85177-252-8.