The numbers make the type feel less routine than the famous names suggest. An often-repeated count needs correction because it mixes eighteenth-century construction with older rebuilt ships and a captured Spanish vessel. The Royal Navy had six first rates on the books in 1794, five of them commissioned, and eleven on the books in 1814, eight operational. Captured ships such as San Josef and Ville de Paris publicly demonstrated that Britain had taken another navy's most prestigious fighting assets.
Notable Point · 28:26-33:03
The rarity and prestige of first rates
The Royal Navy carried few first rates, so their losses mattered and captured examples sent a conspicuous message about naval power.