French ship Franklin (1797)
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| Career (France) |  |
|---|---|
| Name: | Franklin |
| Laid down: | 1794 |
| Launched: | 1797 |
| Captured: | By Royal Navy, 2 August 1798, Battle of the Nile |
| Career (UK) |  |
| Name: | HMS Canopus |
| Fate: | Broken up, October 1887 |
| General Characteristics | |
| Tons burthen: | 2,016 tons |
| Length: | 183 ft 9 in |
| Beam: | 45 ft 11 in |
| Propulsion: | Sails |
| Armament: | 80 guns:
|
| Honours and awards: | Participated in:
|
The Franklin was a French 80-gun ship of the line designed by engineer Jacques-Noël Sané, and named after the American scientist and politician Benjamin Franklin.
Captain M. Gilet commanded the Franklin on the French side in the Battle of the Nile (1798), carrying rear admiral Armand Blanquet du Chayla, second-in-command of the French fleet. During the battle, the opposing British fleet led by rear admiral Horatio Nelson captured the Franklin as a prize, and the British admiralty recommissioned her in the Royal Navy as HMS Canopus.
While under the command of Francis Austen, brother to novelist Jane Austen, the Canopus was temporarily absent from the fleet in October 1805 on convoy duty in the Mediterranean, and missed participating in the Battle of Trafalgar. However, in 1806, still under Austen's command, Canopus led the British lee line in the Battle of San Domingo, where her crew suffered 8 dead and 22 wounded.
From 1863 she was used for harbour duty, and was sold for scrap in October 1887.
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