HMS Bellerophon ( 1786 ) HMS " Bellerophon " was a 74 - gun third - rate ship of the line of the Royal Navy . Launched in 1786 , she served during the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars , mostly on blockades or convoy escort duties . Known to sailors as the " Billy Ruffian " , she fought in three fleet actions , the Glorious First of June , the Battle of the Nile and the Battle of Trafalgar , and was the ship aboard which Napoleon finally surrendered , ending nearly 22 years of nearly continuous war with France . Built at Frindsbury , " Bellerophon " was initially laid up in ordinary , briefly being commissioned during the Spanish and Russian Armament s . She entered service with the Channel Fleet on the outbreak of the French Revolutionary Wars , and took part in the Glorious First of June in 1793 , the first of several fleet actions of the wars . " Bellerophon " narrowly escaped being captured by the French in 1795 , when her squadron was nearly overrun by a powerful French fleet , but the bold actions of the squadron ' s commander , Vice - Admiral Sir William Cornwallis , caused the French to retreat . She played a minor role in efforts to intercept a French invasion force bound for Ireland in 1797 , and then joined the Mediterranean Fleet under Sir John Jervis . Detached to reinforce Rear - Admiral Sir Horatio Nelson ' s fleet in 1798 , she took part in the decisive defeat of a French fleet at the Battle of the Nile . She then returned to England and went out to the West Indies , where she spent the Peace of Amiens on cruises and convoy escort duty between the Caribbean and North America . " Bellerophon " returned to European waters with the resumption of the wars with France , joining a fleet under Vice - Admiral Cuthbert Collingwood blockading Cadiz . The reinforced fleet , by then commanded by Horatio Nelson , engaged the combined Franco - Spanish fleet when it emerged from port . At the Battle of Trafalgar on 21 October " Bellerophon " fought a bitter engagement against Spanish and French ships , sustaining heavy casualties including the death of her captain , John Cooke . After repairs " Bellerophon " was employed blockading the enemy fleets in the Channel and the North Sea . She went out to the Baltic in 1809 , making attacks on Russian shipping , and by 1810 was off the French coast again , blockading their ports . She went out to North America as a convoy escort between 1813 and 1814 , and in 1815 was assigned to blockade the French Atlantic port of Rochefort . In July 1815 , defeated at Waterloo and finding escape to America barred by the blockading " Bellerophon " , Napoleon came aboard " the ship that had dogged his steps for twenty years " to finally surrender to the British . It was " Bellerophon " s last seagoing service . She was paid off and converted to a prison ship in 1815 , and was renamed " Captivity " in 1824 to free the name for another ship . Moved to Plymouth in 1826 , she continued in service until 1834 , when the last convicts left . The Admiralty ordered her to be sold in 1836 , and she was broken up . " Bellerophon " s long and distinguished career has been recorded in literature and folk songs , commemorating the achievements of the " Billy Ruffian " . Construction and commissioning . " Bellerophon " was ordered from the commercial shipbuilder Edward Greaves and Company , of Frindsbury in Kent , on 11 January 1782 to a modified design originally developed by Surveyor of the Navy Sir Thomas Slade . She was one of ten ships built to the modified " Arrogant " - class design , originally developed by Slade in 1758 and used to build two ships , and . The design was resurrected and slightly altered in 1774 , and approved by the Admiralty on 25 August that year . The keel was laid down at Frindsbury in May 1782 . Measuring on the gundeck and on the keel , she had a beam of , measured 1 , 612 tons burthen and mounted 74 guns . This armament consisted of twenty - eight 32 - pounder guns on her lower gundeck , twenty - eight 18 - pounder guns on the upper gundeck , fourteen 9 - pounder guns on the quarterdeck and four 9 - pounder guns on the forecastle . The ship was named " Bellerophon " , a decision that had been arrived at by at least April 1782 , when it was entered into the minutes of the Surveyor ' s Office . The First Lord of the Admiralty at the time , John Montagu , 4th Earl of Sandwich , had apparently selected the name from Lemprière ' s Classical Dictionary , which he kept on his desk . The recently ordered 74 - gun ship was thereafter to be named after the Greek warrior Bellerophon who rode the winged horse Pegasus and slew the monster Chimera . The pronunciation proved difficult for the ordinary sailors of the period , and she was widely known by variants , most commonly " Billy Ruffian " or " Billy Ruff ' n " , although " Belly Ruff One " appears in a satirical 1810 print by Thomas Rowlandson , and " Bellyruffron " in the novel " Poor Jack " by Frederick Marryat . She was decorated with a figurehead of Bellerophon . By the time " Bellerophon " was launched , there was no pressing need for new warships . The signing of the Treaty of Paris in 1783 brought the American War of Independence to an end while " Bellerophon " was still under construction . Though Greaves had been contracted to have her ready for launching by April 1784 , she spent another two years on the slipway , probably because the Navy Board ordered construction work to be delayed to allow her timber to be seasoned , a luxury available now that there were no pressing military needs . When the launch came , it was delayed several times , finally taking place during a period of heavy autumn storms in October 1786 . She was launched with little ceremony on 7 October 1786 , by Commissioner Charles Proby , of Chatham Dockyard . She was then towed across the River Medway and anchored off Chatham Dockyard . She was taken into the dry dock there on 7 March 1787 , where her hull was fitted with copper sheathing , and she was fitted for the Ordinary . Her final costs came to £30 , 232 . 14 . 4d paid to Greaves for building her , and a further £8 , 376 . 15 . 2d spent on fitting her for service . Laid up at Chatham during the years of peace , " Bellerophon " was not commissioned until July 1790 , when the crisis known as the Spanish Armament broke out . As war with Spain threatened , warships lying in ordinary began to be commissioned and fitted for sea . " Bellerophon " s first commander , Captain Thomas Pasley , arrived on 19 July and began the process of preparing her for service . After a month spent fitting out the ship with guns , masts , stores and rigging , and recruiting a crew , Pasley gave the orders for his crew to slip the moorings on 16 August , and " Bellerophon " made her way down the Medway to the fleet anchorage at the Nore . From the Nore , " Bellerophon " proceeded to the Downs and joined the fleet stationed there . She spent three weeks in the roadstead , exercising her guns , before moving to Spithead . The diplomatic crisis with Spain had largely abated by October 1790 , and " Bellerophon " was sent to Sheerness in late November . She remained in commission , still under Pasley , during the Russian Armament in 1791 , but when this period of tension also passed without breaking into open war , " Bellerophon " was sent back to Chatham and paid off there on 9 September 1791 . French Revolutionary Wars . With the outbreak of the French Revolutionary Wars , " Bellerophon " was commissioned in March 1793 , under her former captain , Thomas Pasley . Pasley fitted her for sea and sailed to join the Channel Fleet under Admiral Lord Howe . The Channel Fleet sailed on 14 July , with orders to patrol off Brest in the hope of intercepting and destroying the French fleet based there . While south - west of the Scilly Isles on 18 July , " Bellerophon " collided with in gale force winds . " Bellerophon " lost her bowsprit , foremast and main topmast , and had her figurehead and cutwater smashed , which necessitated putting into Plymouth for repairs . After being repaired , " Bellerophon " rejoined the Channel Fleet , which by now was patrolling the Western Approaches . She developed a reputation for speed during these duties , and was given the nickname of " The Flying Bellerophon " . In September 1793 Howe assigned her to a flying squadron made up of the fastest ships of the line , and gave Pasley command of the squadron , with the temporary rank of commodore . With Pasley now responsible for a squadron , " Bellerophon " received a new commander in January 1794 , Captain William Johnstone Hope , with Commodore Pasley continuing to fly his broad pennant aboard her . For the next five months the Channel Fleet patrolled off Ushant and the Brittany coast . Glorious First of June . The Channel Fleet played an important role in the closing stages of the Atlantic campaign of May 1794 , when Howe moved out into the Atlantic in the hope of intercepting an approaching French convoy under Admiral Pierre Jean Van Stabel . The main French battlefleet was also known to be at sea , under Admiral Louis Thomas Villaret de Joyeuse . Howe sent Pasley , recently promoted to rear - admiral , and his flying squadron , consisting of " Bellerophon " and the 74 - gun ships , and , ahead to scout for French forces . At 6 am on 28 May the attached frigate signalled " Bellerophon " to report a sighting of a strange fleet . Pasley took the squadron south - east to investigate , coming in sight of a large fleet at 9 am , and counting thirty - three ships , of which at least twenty - three appeared to be ships of the line . They were confirmed as French by noon , and Pasley signalled this news back to Howe . Howe ordered a pursuit , and by evening the leading British ships , with Pasley ' s flying squadron forming the van , came in contact with the rear - most French . " Bellerophon " was the first ship to come into action , when the 110 - gun " Révolutionnaire " dropped back to block her approach . Pasley tacked to close the French ship and began exchanging broadside s . The heavy fire of the larger French ship caused considerable damage , particularly to " Bellerophon " s main topmast , and she fought alone until the remainder of the flying squadron and two ships from the main fleet , and , arrived to assist her . The damaged " Bellerophon " then drifted clear of the action , and as night fell Howe signalled for the fleet to reform in line ahead and wait for morning before resuming the engagement . The action resumed the following morning , with Howe closing on the French and then cutting through their line . " Bellerophon " followed Howe ' s flagship , the 100 - gun , and sustained some damage from French fire . Howe isolated several French ships in the rear and pounded them with broadsides , but Villaret de Joyeuse was able to bring his van about to rescue them , and the two fleets parted again at night to reform their battle lines and repair damage . Poor weather on 30 May prevented the fleets from making contact , but the following day , 1 June , Howe was able to bring about a decisive action , later known as the Glorious First of June . The British approached in line abreast , with " Bellerophon " at the end of the line . As they approached , the ships were heavily cannonaded by the French . Pasley was hit in the leg by a cannonball as he stood on the quarterdeck , with Midshipman Matthew Flinders reporting that " our brave admiral lost his leg by an 18 pound shot which came in through the barricadoes of the quarter - deck - it was in the heat of the action . " When two seamen expressed their sorrow , Pasley replied " Thank you , but never mind my leg : take care of my flag . " He was taken below where the shattered leg was amputated . Captain Hope kept the ship in the engagement , pounding the 74 - gun " Éole " until the French ship was forced out of the line . " Bellerophon " had by then lost all three topmasts , and her mainsail and lower shrouds had been cut to pieces . Hope then signalled the frigate to tow the " Bellerophon " clear of the action . Despite being under heavy fire during the battle , " Bellerophon " s casualties were comparatively light , amounting to four men killed and between twenty - seven and thirty wounded . " Bellerophon " returned with the fleet to England after the battle , where the wounded Pasley left the ship . " Bellerophon " was taken into Portsmouth Dockyard for repairs , and then resumed her patrols in the Western Approaches with the Channel Fleet . Captain Hope was superseded in late November , and on 1 December 1794 " Bellerophon " received a new commander , Captain James Cranstoun , 8th Lord Cranstoun . Cornwallis ' s Retreat . " Bellerophon " returned to sea in May 1795 after three months anchored in the Solent . She had been at Spithead on 1 May , when the 98 - gun caught fire and blew up , with " Bellerophon " rescuing twelve men . Still with the Channel Fleet , she joined a squadron commanded by Vice - Admiral Sir William Cornwallis which was patrolling off Ushant . The squadron had arrived on station on 7 June , and the following day captured a convoy of eight French merchants off Belle Île . The squadron remained in the area until 16 June , when a lookout on " Bellerophon " spotted a large fleet to the east - south - east . This was the Brest fleet , consisting of thirteen ships of the line , two frigates , two brig s and a cutter , under Admiral Villaret de Joyeuse . Heavily outnumbered , Cornwallis ordered a retreat , but the " Bellerophon " and sailed unusually slowly and he found himself being steadily overhauled by the French . Keeping his ships together , Cornwallis ordered " Bellerophon " to take up position at the head of his line , later explaining that " The Bellerophon I was glad to keep in some measure as a reserve , having reason at first to suppose there would be full occasion for the utmost exertions of us all . . . I considered that ship a treasure in store , having heard of her former accomplishments , and observing the spirit manifested by all on board when she passed me , joined to the zeal and activity shewed by Lord Cranstoun during the whole cruize . " After a full day of pursuit , the leading French ships made an attempt to cut off , trailing in the British rear . Cornwallis dropped back to support " Mars " , while Captain Robert Stopford of HMS " Phaeton " began making signals implying a British fleet was in sight . When French lookouts spotted distant topsails , Villaret de Joyeuse decided that Cornwallis ' s actions meant that a British fleet was approaching to support him , and called off the pursuit . There was no British fleet in the vicinity ; the topsails were those of a convoy of British merchantmen . Irish waters . " Bellerophon " returned to England in June , before departing to patrol the Western Approaches until September . She entered Portsmouth Dockyard again in October and underwent a refit costing £8 , 103 . She resumed patrol and blockade duty in the Western Approaches in January 1796 , at first under Cranstoun , but from April effectively under the acting - captaincy of Lieutenant John Loring . Cranstoun ' s replacement , Captain Henry D ' Esterre Darby , arrived to take command in September . Blockade duty continued until early January 1797 , when news reached the fleet that a French expedition had appeared off Ireland . Caught off guard , the Admiralty ordered " Bellerophon " and a number of other ships to patrol off Bantry Bay . By then the French expedition had been dispersed by bad weather , and after three weeks on patrol , " Bellerophon " put into Cork where she rendezvoused with the Irish squadron under Admiral Robert Kingsmill . Shortly after her return to Spithead in early March , " Bellerophon " was given new orders by the Admiralty . She sailed on 17 March , bound for Cadiz to join Sir John Jervis ' s Mediterranean Fleet blockading the port . Mediterranean duties . " Bellerophon " rendezvoused with Jervis ' s fleet in the Bay of Cadiz on 30 May 1797 . Three days later she was visited for the only time by Horatio Nelson , then a rear - admiral and in command of the inshore squadron of the blockading fleet . " Bellerophon " was with the fleet in the Bay of Cadiz until October , when Jervis took it to sea to patrol between Cape Trafalgar and Cape St . Vincent . These duties lasted until late May 1798 , when " Bellerophon " was assigned to a detached squadron under Captain Thomas Troubridge and ordered to rendezvous with and reinforce Nelson ' s squadron . Nelson was in the Mediterranean hunting for a large French fleet which had sailed from Toulon carrying troops . The French had embarked on a complex land and naval campaign in the Mediterranean , with the ultimate aim of launching an invasion and occupation of Egypt . The British were aware that the French had amassed a large army , led by General Napoleon Bonaparte , but their destination was unknown . Rendezvousing with Troubridge ' s squadron on 7 June , Nelson now had a sufficient force to engage the French , and began to comb the Mediterranean . The search lasted nearly two months , with the British force tracking westwards , and then back east , sometimes missing the French force by days . The French force , after invading and capturing Malta , arrived off Alexandria on 1 July and began landing troops . It was not until 25 July that news reached Nelson , by then at anchor off Sicily , that the French fleet had appeared off Egypt . He took his fleet to sea , and arrived off Alexandria on 1 August , but found the harbour empty . Heading east , he discovered the French fleet , consisting of thirteen ships of the line , four frigates and a number of gunboats , at anchor in Abu Qir Bay . Battle of the Nile . It was late on 1 August when the British fleet appeared in the bay , and the French were at anchor in a strong defensive position . The French commander , Vice - Admiral François - Paul Brueys d ' Aigalliers , did not expect a night attack , but Nelson ordered his ships to form up and attack the head of the French van , taking advantage of a favourable wind which allowed his ships to drift down the line , while preventing the French rear from reinforcing the van and centre . " Bellerophon " was the eighth ship in the British line , and as the battle began , Darby turned her towards the French centre , eventually coming to anchor at 7 pm . Possibly due to some error on the part of the crew or because the anchor had dragged , " Bellerophon " came to rest alongside the French flagship , the 120 - gun " Orient " . " Bellerophon " now found herself in a desperate position . The much more powerful three - decked " Orient " fired several broadsides into the " Bellerophon " , smashing her boats , dismounting guns and cutting rigging . French marines on the higher decks poured volleys of musket fire onto " Bellerophon " s exposed upper decks . Between 60 and 70 of her crew were killed or wounded in the first stages of the engagement , including Darby , who was rendered unconscious by a head wound . Command then devolved to the first lieutenant , Lieutenant Daniel . Daniel and the second lieutenant , Lieutenant Lander , were both wounded , but were able to direct the fighting until a shot took away Daniel ' s left leg . As he was carried below he was hit by grapeshot and killed outright . The fourth lieutenant , John Hadaway , was wounded and was taken below to the surgeon , while the fifth lieutenant , George Joliffe , was killed on the deck . After an hour fighting " Orient " alone , " Bellerophon " s mizzenmast collapsed , followed shortly afterwards by the mainmast . Lieutenant Lander was among those killed in the fall of the mainmast , and command devolved to the third lieutenant , the uninjured Lieutenant Robert Cathcart . Several fires had broken out on both " Bellerophon " and " Orient " , and with casualties mounting , Cathcart ordered the anchor cable cut and attempted to make a small amount of sail to bring the ship away from the " Orient " . The spritsail was hoisted , but put too great a strain on the foremast , which collapsed . Now totally dismasted , " Bellerophon " began to drift away from the action , her crew fighting fires . As she moved out of the line she received some long range shots from the French " Tonnant " . As " Bellerophon " slowly drifted away , she was sighted by the 74 - gun , approaching the centre . It was by now about 9 pm ; in the darkness " Swiftsure " s captain , Benjamin Hallowell , was unable to identify the dismasted ship and presumed that she was a damaged French ship attempting to escape . He debated firing into her , but decided to hold fire and press on to the French centre , where he eventually came to anchor astern of " Orient " , close to " Bellerophon " s original position . Darby had by this time recovered sufficiently to resume command , and at his order the battered " Bellerophon " came to anchor at the east end of the bay , and her crew began making repairs . The battle raged throughout the night , and eventually ended in a decisive victory for the British . The next five days were spent repairing the ship and burying the dead . 49 men were killed and 148 wounded on " Bellerophon " . Eight more died of their wounds in the following week . Britain and West Indies service . After carrying out temporary repairs in Abu Qir Bay , " Bellerophon " hoisted jury mast s and , towing the captured " Spartiate " with HMS " Majestic " , sailed to Gibraltar for a refit . When this was completed she returned to Britain , arriving at Spithead on 2 April 1800 , where she paid off and entered the dockyard for a more substantial refit in September . These works amounted to £32 , 608 and lasted until August 1801 . She recommissioned on 25 June 1801 under the command of Captain Lord Garlies and sailed in August to rejoin the Channel Fleet , which was blockading Brest . Lord Garlies was superseded by Captain John Loring on 25 November , and " Bellerophon " continued on the blockade until receiving new orders in early March 1802 . " Bellerophon " was among five ships ordered to join Admiral John Duckworth ' s squadron in the West Indies , and having stored , she sailed from Torbay on 2 March 1802 . By the time of her arrival on 27 March , the Treaty of Amiens had been signed , and Britain and France were at peace . For the next eighteen months " Bellerophon " took part in cruises in the Jamaica Passage and escorted merchant convoys between Jamaica and Halifax . Napoleonic Wars . West Indies and return to Britain . " Bellerophon " was in the West Indies when the Napoleonic Wars broke out in May 1803 . Her captain , John Loring , was appointed commodore of the British squadron , which quickly went on the offensive against French shipping in the Blockade of Saint - Domingue . In mid - 1803 , the squadron under Captain Henry William Bayntun , consisting of HMS " Bellerophon " , , , , and captured the French privateers " Poisson Volant " and . The Royal Navy took both into service . The corvette " Mignonne " and a brig were captured in late June , after which the British patrolled off Cap - François . On 24 July the squadron , made up of " Bellerophon " and the 74 - gun ships HMS " Elephant " , and HMS " Vanguard " , came across two French 74 - gun ships , " Duquesne " and " Duguay - Trouin " , and the frigate " Guerrière " , attempting to escape from Cap - François . The squadron gave chase , and on 25 July overhauled and captured " Duquesne " after a few shots were fired , while " Duguay - Trouin " and " Guerrière " managed to evade their pursuers and escape to France . One man was killed aboard " Bellerophon " during the pursuit . She remained blockading Cap - François until November , when the French commander of the garrison there , General Rochambeau , approached Loring and requested to be allowed to evacuate his men , which were being besieged by a native Haitian force led by Jean - Jacques Dessalines . The French were allowed to evacuate on three frigates , " Surveillante " , " Clorinde " and " Vertu " , and a number of smaller ships , and were escorted to Jamaica by the squadron . A particularly severe outbreak of malaria struck the ship in early February 1804 ; 212 members of " Bellerophon " s crew fell ill . 17 died aboard the ship , while 100 had to be transferred to a shore - based hospital , where a further 40 died . She was ordered back to Britain in June , escorting a large convoy , and arrived in the Downs on 11 August . She briefly paid off and was taken into Portsmouth Dockyard for a refit , before rejoining the Channel Fleet , still off Brest , and under the command of Admiral Sir William Cornwallis . These duties lasted until early 1805 , with Loring being superseded by Captain John Cooke on 24 April . Approach to Trafalgar . In May 1805 a large French fleet under the command of Vice - Admiral Pierre - Charles Villeneuve escaped from Toulon . " Bellerophon " was dispatched with a squadron under Vice - Admiral Cuthbert Collingwood to patrol the Straits of Gibraltar . Before they could arrive , Villeneuve had collected Spanish reinforcements under Admiral Federico Gravina , and had sailed into the Atlantic , pursued by Nelson ' s Mediterranean Fleet . While Nelson chased Villeneuve around the West Indies without making contact , Collingwood mounted a blockade of Cadiz . His squadron was still there in mid - August when Villeneuve appeared off the port with his fleet . Possessing too few ships to intercept the combined fleet , Collingwood allowed them to enter Cadiz , and then remounted the blockade . He was reinforced with a number of ships over the next few months , with Nelson taking over command on 28 September . Battle of Trafalgar . Nelson mounted a loose blockade of the combined fleet , keeping most of his fleet out of sight , but with a line of frigates and larger ships stationed at intervals between himself and Cadiz . On 19 October the combined fleet was observed to be putting to sea , and the signal was passed down the line of ships . William Pryce Cumby , " Bellerophon " s first lieutenant , was first in the main fleet to spot the signal , flying from the last ship in the communication link , HMS " Mars " . The British began to pursue the combined fleet as it made its way towards the Straits of Gibraltar , and came in sight with it on the morning of 21 October . The officer and sailors of " Bellerophon " prepared for battle , some of the gun crews chalking the words " Victory or Death " on their gun barrels . At 11 am " Bellerophon " s signal midshipman , John Franklin , noted that Nelson had hoisted the signal " England expects that every man will do his duty " , and an hour and a half later " Bellerophon " entered the battle as the fifth ship in Collingwood ' s lee column . She was astern of the 80 - gun and ahead of the 74 - gun , with the 74 - gun close by her port side . At 12 : 30 pm , " Bellerophon " cut through the enemy line , slipping under the stern of the Spanish 74 - gun " Monarca " and firing two broadsides into her . Moving past the Spanish ship , " Bellerophon " collided with the French 74 - gun " Aigle " , hitting " Aigle " s port quarter with her starboard bow , and entangling the two ships ' yards . Locked together , they exchanged broadsides at close range , with soldiers aboard " Aigle " sweeping " Bellerophon " s decks with musket fire and grenade s . Cumby noticed that the officers were being targeted , and that Cooke ' s distinctive epaulette s marked him out . Cumby urged him to take them off , only for Cooke to reply " It is too late now to take them off . I see my situation but I will die like a man . " " Bellerophon " was now sustaining fire from " Aigle " and three other ships , the Spanish " San Juan Nepomuceno " and " Bahama " , and the French " Swiftsure " . " Bellerophon " s main and mizzenmasts were shot away at 1 pm , and at 1 : 11 pm , Captain Cooke was hit and killed . An eyewitness recorded that He had discharged his pistols very frequently at the enemy , who as often attempted to board , and he had killed a French officer on his own quarterdeck . He was in the act of reloading his pistols . . . when he received two musket - balls in the breast . He immediately fell , and upon the quartermaster going up and asking him if he should take him down below , his answer was " No , let me lie quietly one minute . Tell Lieutenant Cumby never to strike . " With Cooke dead , Cumby assumed command . " Bellerophon " s decks had largely been cleared by French fire , and boarding parties began to make their way onto the ship . Several French sailors climbed out onto " Bellerophon " s spritsail yard , but a " Bellerophon " crewman released the brace holding the yard , causing them to fall into the sea . French sailors holding onto " Bellerophon " s rails had their hands beaten until they were forced to let go . " Bellerophon " s ensign had been shot away three times , so infuriating her yeoman of signals , Christopher Beaty , that he took the largest Union Jack he could find and climbed up into the mizzen rigging and hoisted it across the shrouds . The French rifleman on " Aigle " reportedly held their fire as he did this , in admiration of his bravery . The two ships were so close together that gun crews on their lower decks were fighting hand to hand at the gunport s , while grenades lobbed through the ports caused heavy casualties . One grenade thrown into " Bellerophon " exploded in the gunner ' s storeroom , blowing open the door but fortunately blowing closed the door of the magazine . The resulting fire was quickly extinguished , preventing a catastrophic explosion . By 1 : 40 pm , having been under heavy fire for over an hour , " Aigle " s crew lowered her gunports and slowly moved away . When the smoke cleared , Cumby noticed that the Spanish " Monarca " , which " Bellerophon " had first engaged , had struck her colours . Cumby sent an officer in a boat to take possession of her . " Bellerophon " s crew now worked to make repairs and clear away wreckage . She briefly fired her guns again when the van of the combined fleet , led by Rear - Admiral Pierre Dumanoir le Pelley , made a belated attempt to come to the assistance of the centre and rear . The attack was beaten off , and at 5 pm , " Bellerophon " s guns ceased firing . At 5 : 30 pm Cumby sent a boat to take possession of the " Bahama " , which had also struck her colours . By the end of the battle " Bellerophon " had sustained casualties of 27 men killed and 123 wounded . Among the dead was her captain , the master , John Overton , and Midshipman John Simmons . Storm and return . For the next seven days , " Bellerophon " s crew were occupied in repairing damage , rigging jury masts , and trying to ride out the storm that struck the area immediately after the battle . She put into Gibraltar on 28 October , and underwent emergency repairs to allow her to return to England as an escort for , together with . Both " Belleisle " and " Bellerophon " required urgent attention , but it was deemed appropriate that they should have the honour of accompanying Nelson ' s body back to Britain aboard " Victory " . Cumby was superseded on 3 November , the day before beginning the voyage home , by Captain Richard Thomas . Thomas was himself superseded the next day however , by Captain Edward Rotheram , who had commanded Collingwood ' s flagship , , during the battle . The three ships sailed together as far as Start Point , where on 2 December " Victory " separated to head to Portsmouth , while " Bellerophon " and " Belleisle " put into Cawsand Bay . " Bellerophon " was then taken into Plymouth Dockyard to be repaired , returning to active duty on 26 February , still under Rotheram ' s command . Joining the Channel Fleet once more , " Bellerophon " resumed her usual duties , blockading and patrolling off Ushant and Brest . Baltic Sea . Rotheram ' s command lasted for two and half years , until he was superseded on 8 June 1808 by Captain Samuel Warren . Warren was ordered to take " Bellerophon " and join the fleet in the North Sea , blockading the Dutch ports . She formed part of Rear - Admiral Alan Gardner ' s squadron . By 1809 the strategic situation in the Baltic had deteriorated after Russia signed the Treaties of Tilsit and began to support France . " Bellerophon " was ordered to join the fleet stationed in the Baltic under Admiral Sir James Saumarez . Saumarez dispatched " Bellerophon " and north to the Gulf of Finland in June , and on 19 June the two ships came across three suspicious looking luggers , anchored off Hango . The water was too shallow to allow them to approach the luggers , so a boat party was dispatched under " Bellerophon " s Lieutenant Robert Pilch . The British boarded the luggers , but found themselves in a trap , when numerous Russian shore batteries and several gunboats opened fire on them . Pilch promptly ordered the luggers to be burnt , reboarded his men and landed them next to the nearest Russian shore battery . The battery , defended by 100 sailors , was stormed and carried , the British spiked the guns and destroyed the magazine , before returning to the ships with only five men wounded . By July " Bellerophon " was part of a squadron commanded by Captain Thomas Byam Martin of . They were off Percola Point on 7 July when a flotilla of eight Russian gunboats was sighted . A boat party led by Lieutenant Hawkey of " Implacable " made an attempt to cut - out the vessels that evening . Hawkey was killed in the attempt , but " Bellerophon " s Lieutenant Charles Allen took over command , and six of the gunboats were captured , and a seventh destroyed , with 12 craft containing stores for the Russian Army also being taken . " Bellerophon " made several cruises during the rest of the year , visiting the Åland Islands and Karlskrona , before returning to Britain with a convoy in November 1809 . Blockade duty . " Bellerophon " was briefly refitted in January 1810 , after which she was anchored at the Nore . She then resumed her blockade duties in the North Sea , serving under a succession of commanders . Warren was succeeded by Captain John Halsted on 23 August , and he by Captain Augustus Brine on 5 November . Brine ' s command lasted until February 1813 , during which time " Bellerophon " remained with the North Sea blockading squadron . Captain Edward Hawker arrived to take over command on 11 February 1813 , and preparations were made for " Bellerophon " to become the flagship of Vice - Admiral Sir Richard Goodwin Keats , the newly appointed Governor of Newfoundland . " Bellerophon " transported Keats to St . John ' s , and then sailed south to Bermuda as a convoy escort . Returning to St John ' s in the summer , she captured several American ships , including the 16 - gun privateer " Genie " . She spent the rest of the year patrolling off Cape Race , before returning to Britain with a convoy in November . 1814 was spent on similar duties , " Bellerophon " escorted a convoy to St John ' s between April and June , and then patrolled off Cape Race until December . She then moved to the Nore , and on 9 April 1815 Hawker was superseded by Captain Frederick Lewis Maitland . In May " Bellerophon " sailed to Plymouth and joined a squadron under Rear - Admiral Sir Henry Hotham , with orders to join the blockade of the French Atlantic ports . Hotham , flying his flag in , sent Maitland in " Bellerophon " to watch Rochefort , where two frigates , a brig and a corvette were lying in the harbour . " Bellerophon " spent over a month on this station , patrolling the approaches to the port and intercepting coastal vessels . Meanwhile Napoleon had been defeated at the Battle of Waterloo on 18 June and on 2 July he arrived in Rochefort . Following the defeat of his armies , and with the restoration of the Bourbon monarchy imminent , Napoleon hoped to be allowed to sail to the United States . News reached Maitland in early July that Napoleon was in Rochefort , and two 20 - gun ships , and , were sent to reinforce " Bellerophon " and patrol the other entrances to the port . Napoleon ' s surrender . Napoleon was being pressured to leave French soil by the interim French government in Paris . If he delayed , he risked becoming a prisoner of the Bourbons , or the Prussians or Austrians . The alternative was to surrender to the British and request political asylum . On 10 July Napoleon sent two emissaries , General Anne Jean Marie René Savary and the Comte de Las Cases , out to " Bellerophon " to meet Maitland and discuss the possibility of allowing Napoleon to travel to the United States . Maitland was under orders to prevent this , and instead offered to take Napoleon on board his ship and transport him and his retinue to Britain . Further discussions and negotiations took place over the next few days , but with his options running out , Napoleon had decided by 13 July to surrender to the British . On 14 July Maitland was given a letter informing him that Napoleon would come out to the " Bellerophon " the following morning to surrender . Napoleon embarked aboard the brig " Épervier " early in the morning of 15 July , and made his way out to the " Bellerophon " . As he approached , the 74 - gun " Superb " , flying Vice - Admiral Hotham ' s flag , was sighted approaching . Concerned that the brig might not reach " Bellerophon " before the " Superb " arrived , and that consequently Hotham would take over and receive Napoleon himself , Maitland sent " Bellerophon " s barge to collect the former Emperor and transfer him to the ship . At some point between 6 and 7 am , the barge pulled alongside " Bellerophon " and General Henri Gatien Bertrand climbed aboard , followed by Napoleon . The marines came to attention , and Napoleon walked to the quarterdeck , took his hat off to Maitland and in French announced " I am come to throw myself on the protection of your Prince and your laws . " Maitland bowed in response . With the former emperor in custody aboard a British warship , the Napoleonic Wars were finally over . To maritime historian David Cordingly , this moment was " Bellerophon " s " crowning glory [ when ] six weeks after the battle of Waterloo , . . . Napoleon , trapped in Rochefort , surrendered to the captain of the ship that had dogged his steps for more than twenty years . " Napoleon on the " Bellerophon " . Maitland showed Napoleon the great cabin , which he had placed at his disposal , and gave him a tour of his ship . At 10 : 30 am the " Superb " anchored in the roadstead and Maitland went to make his report . Hotham approved of his arrangements , and agreed that Napoleon should be transported to England aboard the " Bellerophon " . He came aboard himself to meet the former Emperor , and a grand dinner was held in the great cabin , attended by Napoleon ' s retinue and British officers . The following day Napoleon visited Hotham on the " Superb " , and after his return , Maitland began the voyage to England in company with HMS " Myrmidon " . A routine was soon developed , with Napoleon usually taking a walk on deck around 5 pm , followed by a formal dinner at 6 pm . The sailors and officers removed their hats and kept their distance when Napoleon came on deck , only talking with him if he invited them to . The routine was broken slightly early in the morning of 23 July , when Napoleon appeared at dawn , as " Bellerophon " came in sight of Ushant , the last piece of French land visible for the remainder of the journey . He climbed up to the poop deck , attended by a midshipman , and spent the morning watching the coastline slowly recede from view . He was joined by members of his retinue , though he did not speak to any of them . " Bellerophon " anchored off Brixham on the morning of 24 July , and there Maitland received orders from Admiral Lord Keith to " prevent every person whatever from coming on board the ship you command , except the officers and men who compose her crew . " Despite turning away the shore boats which approached the anchored warship bringing fresh bread and fruit to sell , word eventually leaked out that Napoleon was aboard the ship . The news created a sensation , and large numbers of boats filled with sightseers soon surrounded the ship . Occasionally Napoleon would come out to look at them , but despite entreaties from some people to be allowed on board , Maitland refused to allow any contact between ship and shore . On 26 July " Bellerophon " received orders to proceed to Plymouth harbour where Lord Keith was anchored aboard his flagship . Napoleon remained on board " Bellerophon " and the ship was kept isolated from the throngs of curious sightseers by two guardship s , and , anchored close at hand . " Bellerophon " spent two weeks in Plymouth harbour while the authorities came to a decision about what to do with Napoleon . On 31 July they communicated their decision to the former emperor . Napoleon was to be exiled to the remote island of Saint Helena . He would be allowed to take three officers , his surgeon , and twelve servants . Napoleon , who had hoped to be allowed to settle quietly in Britain , was bitterly disappointed by the news . " Bellerophon " was not to take him into exile . The Admiralty was concerned that the ageing ship was unsuitable for the long voyage to the South Atlantic , and the 74 - gun was selected for the task . On 4 August , Lord Keith ordered " Bellerophon " to go to sea and await the arrival of HMS " Northumberland " . On 7 August Napoleon thanked Maitland and his crew for their kindness and hospitality , and left the " Bellerophon " where he had spent over three weeks without ever landing in England . He boarded " Northumberland " , which then sailed for Saint Helena . Prison hulk and disposal . Having discharged Napoleon , " Bellerophon " sailed to Sheerness , and anchored there on 2 September . There she was paid off for the last time , and stripped of her guns and masts . With no further need for many ships following the end of the Napoleonic Wars , " Bellerophon " joined a number of ships laid up in this manner . A report on 16 October 1815 advised moving a number of convicts previously housed aboard the former into more suitable accommodation . The report suggested that " The class of ship , which I take the liberty of observing as most suitable for this service , would be a seventy - four , of about the same dimensions as the Bellerophon in the river Medway , being of easy draft of water and lofty between decks . " The report was approved and the suggestion acted upon . " Bellerophon " was taken into Sheerness Dockyard in December 1815 and spent nine months fitting out as a prison ship . The work was completed at a cost of £12 , 081 and the prisoners were transferred in January 1817 . " Bellerophon " generally held around 435 prisoners during her time in this role , although in 1823 changes in legislation resulted in the adult prisoners being transferred out of " Bellerophon " and the ship instead being used to house boy prisoners , with 320 arriving in early 1824 . In 1824 the decision was taken to rename , an 80 - gun ship launched in 1818 , HMS " Bellerophon " . To free the name , the former HMS " Bellerophon " was renamed " Captivity " on 5 October 1824 . She continued as a prison ship for boys until early 1826 , when it was decided that the arrangement of the internal spaces made her unsuitable for workshops . The boys were transferred to another hulk , the former , and it was decided to move " Captivity " to Plymouth . The ship was taken into Sheerness Dockyard in April 1826 , and was fitted out for the journey to Plymouth . She arrived there in June and spent the last eight years of her working existence as a convict hulk in Plymouth . By 1834 the rate of penal transportation had been drastically increased to clear out the old hulks . When the last convicts had left " Captivity " , she was handed back to the Navy Department , who put her up for sale . She was sold at Plymouth for £4 , 030 on 21 January 1836 . Advertisements in the local " Plymouth , Devonport and Stonehouse News " in September 1836 announced the auctioning off of her timber . Legacy . Some of " Bellerophon " s timber was bought at auction by George Bellamy , who had been " Bellerophon " s surgeon at the Nile . Bellamy incorporated them into a cottage he was building at Plymstock . Captain Maitland bought part of her figurehead and some of her stern ornaments , later depositing them in the collections of what eventually became the Royal Naval Museum . The National Maritime Museum holds several relics relating to " Bellerophon " and the people connected with her , including Captain John Cooke ' s dirk , sword and pistol , and a trophy presented to Admiral Pasley by Lloyd ' s of London . Their collections also contain artefacts relating to her connection with Napoleon , including the couch from Maitland ' s cabin , and the skull of a goat which supplied milk for Napoleon and his suite . " Bellerophon " in art , music and literature . The ship and her crew feature or are mentioned in several historical novels set during the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars , including several of the Aubrey – Maturin series of novels by Patrick O ' Brian . " Bellerophon " appears in a number of artworks , including several depicting the ship ' s role in Napoleon ' s surrender . Sir William Quiller Orchardson painted " Napoleon on the Bellerophon " , depicting the former emperor standing on the poop , watching the French coastline recede as his retinue look on . Sir Charles Lock Eastlake painted a portrait of Napoleon in uniform , standing on " Bellerophon " s deck , while John James Chalon produced " Scene in Plymouth Sound in August 1815 " , a seascape , with " Bellerophon " surrounded by crowds of people in small boats . Thomas Luny painted a similar scene , showing " Bellerophon " putting into Torbay to rendezvous with HMS " Northumberland " . Numerous popular prints and engravings were also produced , depicting moments from Napoleon ' s arrival on " Bellerophon " to surrender , to his final transfer to " Northumberland " for his voyage into exile . The ship also appears in prints and paintings of the battles she had fought in . She is depicted on the Cadiz blockade with the rest of the inshore squadron in a work by Thomas Buttersworth , and is visible at the Glorious First of June in works by Nicholas Pocock , Cornwallis ' s Retreat by William Anderson , and the Battles of the Nile and Trafalgar by Thomas Whitcombe . " Bellerophon " is mentioned in several verses in a song commemorating Cornwallis ' s Retreat in 1795 , which celebrate both Cornwallis ( referred to by sailors ' popular nickname for him , " Billy Blue " ) , and " Bellerophon " s fighting record at the Glorious First of June . The folk song " Boney was a Warrior " , about the life of Napoleon , includes a verse celebrating the ship ' s links with his ultimate surrender . Boney went a - cruisin ' < br > " Way - aye - yah ! " < br > Aboard the Billy Ruffian < br > " Johnny Franswor ! " Notes . a . This revived design is sometimes referred to as the " Edgar " class . b . Greaves had originally approached the Navy Board in December 1781 with a proposal to build a 64 - gun ship at his yard at Limehouse , and a 74 - gun ship and a frigate at Frindsbury . The Board turned him down , feeling that the Limehouse yard was unsuitable for building anything larger than a 44 - gun ship , and that the Frindsbury yard was too close to the Navy ' s own shipbuilding facilities at Chatham . Commercial yards paid higher wages than the Navy ' s yards and the Board was concerned skilled workmen would be poached from Chatham . Greaves promised not to employ men from the Chatham yard , and the Board decided to offer him the contract for a 74 - gun ship on 8 January 1782 . Greaves signed the contract on 19 February 1782 . c . To build and fit " Bellerophon " for service required 2 , 000 trees ( amounting to 50 acres ) , 100 tons of iron bolts , 30 tons of copper bolts , 30 , 000 treenail s , 4 , 000 copper sheets , 12 tons of tar , 400 gallons of linseed oil , 5 tons of paint , 10 , 000 square yards of canvas , 80 tons of shot , 20 tons of gunpowder , 200 tons of provisions and 260 tons of fresh water . d . Sources agree that four men were killed , but while Winfield and Goodwin report twenty - seven wounded , Cordingly has the slightly higher figure of thirty wounded . e . Darby may have intended to anchor alongside the 80 - gun " Franklin " , the ship immediately ahead of " Orient " , or to have tacked alongside the gap between " Franklin " and " Orient " , so as to be able to rake " Orient " s bows . Cordingly considers that the reason for the ultimate positioning was never explained . Adkin prefers the explanation that Darby intended to rake " Orient " s bows , but the anchor had dragged . f . This was among the highest casualty figures of any of the British ships . Only the 50 dead and 143 wounded of was comparable . " Bellerophon " s total casualty list of 197 was slightly higher than " Majestic " s 193 , and amounted to nearly a quarter of the total British casualties in the battle . Robert Cathcart , as the senior surviving lieutenant , was recommended for promotion by Earl St Vincent , a recommendation the Admiralty accepted , advancing him to commander . g . Cumby shared in the rewards after Trafalgar . He was promoted twice in rapid succession , to commander on 24 December 1805 , and to post - captain on 1 January 1806 . h . Napoleon wrote a letter in the evening of 13 July , addressed to the Prince of Wales , Prince Regent during the illness of his father , King George III , Your Royal Highness , < br > A victim to the factions which distract my country , and to the enmity of the greatest powers of Europe , I have terminated my political career , and I come , like Themistocles , to throw myself upon the hospitality of the British people . I put myself under the protection of their laws ; which I claim from your Royal Highness , as the most powerful , the most constant , and the most generous of my enemies . < br > Rochefort 13 July 1815 < br > Napoleon i . A partial excerpt is We ' d the " Triumph " and the " Mars " , < br > And the " Sov ' ren " - pride of tars , < br > " Billy Ruff ' n " , and the " Brunswick " , known to fame < br > . . . < br > No I don ' t care a rap , < br > For any Frenchy chap , < br > When they come they ' ll get the dressing they deserve ; < br > I ' ve the best four in the fleet , < br > That the French well could meet , < br > With the Fightin ' Billy Ruff ' n in reserve . < br > Billy Blue - < br > Here ' s to you , Billy Blue , here ' s to you ! < br > < br > As she broke the line with Howe , < br > So she ' s game to do it now , < br > And repeat her ' First o ' June ' here in these seas ; < br > With their name for dauntless pluck , < br > and the Billy Ruff ' n ' s luck , < br > I will fight as many Frenchmen as you please ! < br > Billy Blue - < br > Here ' s to you , Billy Blue , here ' s to you !