AN EXCEPTIONAL 1:72 SCALE MODEL OF THE 50 GUN SALISBURY CLASS SHIP CENTURION [1774]

the 24in. planked hull copper sheathed below the waterline, ebonised main and secondary wales, open gunports, guns and rings, finely carved full-length Roman Centurion figurehead, glazed stern with balcony and quarter galleries, metal anchors with bound wooden stocks, chainplates and deadeyes, planked decks with fittings including gratings, bitts, stovepipe, belfry, well deck with capstan and three fully fitted ships’ boats over, hammock nets, companionways, binnacle box with chimney, rigged double helm, deck light, shot racks, bound masts with bracing, yards with stuns’l booms and furled stitched linen sails, fighting tops, standing and running rigging with blocks and tackle and much other fine detailing. Mounted on 2 turned brass columns within wooden plexiglass case, overall measurements -- 36½ x 45½ x 16½in. (90 x 115.5 x 42cm.)

During the late 1760s, increasing colonial unrest prompted the Admiralty to expand the Royal Navy’s capabilities, most notably with the building of numerous 3rd and 4th Rate ships-of-the-line. The 4th Rate H.M.S. Centurion was one such vessel and, having been ordered on Christmas Day 1770, she was laid down in Barnard’s yard at Harwich in May 1771. Constructed to a well-tried design by Surveyor Thomas Slade, she was measured at 1,044 tons and mounted 50 guns of varying calibre, principally a volley of 24-pounders on her main gundeck. With an overall length of 146 feet and a 40½ foot beam, her dimensions were fairly standard for her tonnage and, after three years on the stocks, she was launched on 27th May, 1774. Fitted out and completed for sea just as the American War of Independence was gathering momentum, she was hastily commissioned with a crew of 350 officers and men and sent to join the fleet standing off the eastern seaboard of the United States. Joining Sir Peter Parker’s squadron of five 50-gun ships, Centurion’s first taste of action came on 8th December, 1776 when she assisted with the assault and capture of Rhode Island and Narragansett Bay, both places seen as vital to British interests. By July 1778 she was under Lord Howe’s command in the operations off the same stretch of coast and was part of the large fleet which narrowly missed clashing with a French fleet on 11th August and several succeeding days.

Once France had joined the war in support of the colonists’ cause, much of the seaborne activity shifted to the immensely rich sugar islands of the West Indies, the scene of so many Anglo-French naval engagements during the second half of the 18th century. Beginning with the encounter between Rear-Admiral Barrington’s fleet and a French squadron off St. Lucia on 15th December, 1778, which resulted in the capture of that island 15 days later, Centurion thereafter played major roles in several actions and was even on hand to witness one of the last naval encounters of the war when H.M.S. Hussar engaged and captured the French frigate Sibylle off Cape Henry, Virginia, on 22nd January, 1783.

Laid up for most of the following decade, Centurion was sent to the Indian Ocean early in 1794 after the outbreak of war with Revolutionary France and participated in several significant engagements across Eastern Waters during the final years of the old century, one of which brought her captain £15,000 in prize money. Her final action was undoubtedly her most spirited when, on 18th September, 1804, she was attacked by the French ‘74’ Marengo, together with two frigates mounting 76 guns between them, whilst lying in the Vizagapatam Roads [off the east coast of India] waiting to escort a merchant convoy to Madras. Despite the 3-to-1 odds stacked against her, Centurion put up a magnificent fight and, after a furious engagement lasting six hours, the French withdrew to lick their wounds leaving the convoy scattered but safe. Centurion herself was seriously damaged, however, which might explain the decision to hulk her for harbour duties in 1808, thus bringing what appeared to be a somewhat premature end to her seagoing career. Eventually finishing up at Halifax, Nova Scotia, she served as a hospital ship until she sank at her moorings on 21st February, 1824, after which she was raised and broken up.

Condition Report

Fine overall condition.

We are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of this property. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Charles Miller Ltd is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue. NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD “AS IS” IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE.