HMS Enterprise (1705)

History
France
Name	L'Entreprise
Commissioned	1705
Captured	By Royal Navy, 7 May 1705
Great Britain
Name	HMS Enterprise
Acquired	1 June 1705
Commissioned	1705
In service	1705–1707
Fate	Wrecked off Thornton, Lancashire, 12 October 1707
General characteristics
Class and type	24-gun sixth rate
Tons burthen	320 75⁄94 (bm)
Length	93 ft 0 in (28.3 m) gundeck 79 ft 9 in (24.3 m) keel for tonnage
Beam	27 ft 6 in (8.4 m) for tonnage
Depth of hold	11 ft 5 in (3.5 m)
Sail plan	Full-rigged ship
Complement	115
Armament	20 × 6-pdr guns on wooden trucks 4 × 4-pdr guns on wooden trucks

HMS Enterprise (sometimes spelled Enterprize) was a 24-gun sixth-rate (named Enterprise^[1] or L'Entreprenante^[2]) of the French Navy captured by HMS Triton (also spelt as Tryton^[3]) on 7 May 1705.^[4] She was registered as a Royal Navy ship on 1 June 1705 and commissioned shortly afterwards. She served in the Mediterranean and with Admiral Byng's squadron at the Downs. She was wrecked in 1707 with the loss of all hands.^[5]

She was the first vessel in the Royal Navy to be named Enterprise.^[6]

She was captured on 2 May and registered as a Royal Naval vessel on 1 June 1705. Her gundeck was 93 feet 0 inches (28.3 metres) with her keel for tonnage calculation of 79 feet 9 inches (24.3 metres). Her breadth for tonnage was 27 feet 6 inches (8.4 metres). Her tonnage calculation was 320+75⁄94 tons. Her armament was twenty 6-pounders on the upper deck and four 4-pounders on the quarterdeck, all on wooden trucks.^[7]

She was commissioned in 1705 under the command of Commander John Paul, RN for service in the Mediterranean then was assigned to Admiral Byng's squadron for the winter of 1706/07 in the Downs. On 17 May 1707 Commander William Davenport assumed command.^[8][9]

She was wrecked off Thornton, Lancashire, (near Blackpool) with the loss of all hands on 12 October 1707.^[10]

• Winfield, British Warships in the Age of Sail (1603–1714), by Rif Winfield, published by Seaforth Publishing, England © 2009, EPUB ISBN 9781783469246, Chapter 6, The Sixth Rates, Vessels acquired from 18 December 1688, Sixth Rates of 20 guns and up to 26 guns, Ex-French Prizes (1704–09), Enterprise
• Colledge, Ships of the Royal Navy, by J.J. Colledge, revised and updated by Lt Cdr Ben Warlow and Steve Bush, published by Seaforth Publishing, Barnsley, Great Britain, © 2020, e ISBN 978-1-5267-9328-7 (EPUB), Section E (Enterprise)
• Lyon, The Sailing Navy List: All the Ships of the Royal Navy, Built, Purchased and Captured, 1688–1860, by David Lyon, published by Conway Maritime Press, 1993, ISBN 978-0-85177-617-0, Enterprise, page 192