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Foremost English ship of the line, the Victory was built between 1759 and 1765 in the shipyards of Chatham to the plans of Sir Thomas Slade, She was a well armed ship of 2,162 tons and carried 104 cannons and 850 crew. She was launched on the 7th May 1765. Victory remained for 13 years lacking orders, on the banks of the Medway. In 1795 Victory fought many battles at Cap Saint Vincent and in the Mediterranean under the orders of Admiral Hotam. Under the orders of Admiral Jervis she fought a naval battle from which she emerged victorious. In 1799 she was disarmed at Chatham.
In 1801 Victory was modified and repaired. On the 21st October 1805, of the cape of Trafalgar one of the most famous sea battles in modern history was fought. Opposing the French and Spanish fleets blocked in the port of Cadiz ,the English fleet under the command of Admiral Nelson on the Victory clashed with the French ships Bucentaure and Redoutaible, commanded by the Admiral Villeneuve.. At the moment that the Franco - Spanish defeat was certain, Nelson was wounded by a shot fired from the Redoutaible. Before dying Nelson learned of his victory, and that the thirty three enemy ships were either captured or in flight. This battle decided the future of Napoleon's Europe. France had no fleet and England was the master of the seas. The Victory returned in poor condition and was repaired at Chatham. She again put to sea in 1808. From 1922 she has been docked at Portsmouth where she can be visited.