HMS Portland (1770)

HMS Portland was a 50-gun fourth-rate ship of the line of the Royal Navy. Designed by Sir John Williams, it was first launched on 11 April 1770.

Service

In 1773, the ship called at Sheerness in Kent. The ship joined a convoy of merchant ships and headed for the Americas via Madeira. The ship patrolled waters around the Leeward Islands, the Windward Islands and Jamaica. During this time, the ship spent nearly a month at Port Royal, Jamaica. Cuthbert Collingwood served as midshipman on the ship during 1773.
The ship served during the American Revolutionary War: On 13 February, 1778 she captured sloop "Swallow" 108 Leagues south west of Anguilla.

Issue with privateers

During the American Revolution, the Portland captured the privateer ship known as the Hammond. This would result in the ship's captain, Thomas Dumaresq and flag officer Admiral James Young getting arrested by the Court of Vice-Admiralty at Antigua due to the tribunal of declaring the privateers as legal even without the proper paperwork. This resulted in a high-profile case surrounding Captain Thomas Dumaresq of the Portland that had the First Lord of the Admiralty, John Montagu, 4th Earl of Sandwich and King George III involved. Eventually after a deal between the British government and Antigua, charges were dropped.