HMS Illustrious (1789)

HMS Illustrious was a 74-gun third rate ship of the line of the Royal Navy, launched on 7 July 1789 at Bucklers Hard. She participated in the Battle of Genoa after which she was wrecked.

Service
In 1793, Illustrious was involved in the Siege of Toulon. In 1795, she earned a Battle Honour in the Battle of Genoa, during which Captain Nelson aboard HMS Agamemnon (1781) captured Ça Ira. Illustrious was badly damaged in the engagement with the van of the French fleet.

Loss
After the battle, HMS Meleager (1785) was towing Illustrious when she broke free of her tow. Then the accidental firing of a lower deck gun damaged the ship so that she took on water. She attempted to anchor in Valence Bay (between Spezia and Leghorn) to ride out the bad weather that had descended upon her. Her cables broke, however, and she struck on rocks and had to be abandoned. Lowestoffe and HMS Tarleton (1782) took off her stores, and all her crew were saved. Her hull was then set on fire.