HMS London

About

London was a 76-gun second-rate ship of the line in the Navy of the Commonwealth of England, originally built at Chatham Dockyard by Master Shipwright Captain John Taylor, and launched in June 1656. She gained fame as one of the ships that escorted Charles II from Holland back to England during the English Restoration, carrying Charles' younger brother James Duke of York, and commanded by Captain John Lawson. London was accidentally blown up in 1665 and sank in the Thames Estuary. According to Samuel Pepys 300 of her crew were killed, 24 were blown clear and survived, including one woman. Lawson was not aboard at the time of the explosion but many of his relatives were killed. The wreck is a Protected Wreck managed by Historic England.

Active service: The London was one of four Second rates ordered by the Council of State on 3 July 1654 as part of the 1654 Construction Programme; she was launched from Chatham Dockyard in June 1656 (by Order of 19 June). She had 13 pairs of gunports on the lower deck (one pair unused), 12 pairs on the middle deck, and 10 pairs on the upper deck (3 pairs forward and 7 pairs aft of the waist, where she lacked gunports). She was first fitted with 64...