HMS Vanguard entered service in 1678 as a 90-gun second rate and was rebuilt to the 1706 Establishment in 1710. A second rebuild in 1739, when she became HMS Duke, lengthened the gun deck from 160 to 174 feet, widened the beam from 44 to 50 feet, and increased burthen from 1,482 to 1,625 tons while retaining 90 guns. Larger masts and more canvas improved her sailing performance alongside the larger hull. Her service linked Edward Russell's fleet at Barfleur and La Hogue in 1692 with Edward Hawke's victory at Quiberon Bay in 1759. The 91-year nominal career shows how repeated reconstruction could carry a capital ship's identity across changing design standards and wars.
Notable Point · 2:04:17-2:10:41
HMS Vanguard and Duke across 91 years of rebuilding
HMS Vanguard, renamed HMS Duke after her second major rebuild, linked Barfleur and Quiberon Bay across a 91-year nominal career.