The Fleets
The following are lists of ships and their commanders that were part of the British and Spanish fleets for the Battle of Cape St. Vincent.
The British, Admiral
Sir John Jervis
| Ship (guns) | Commander |
| Victory (100) - Flagship |
Admiral Sir John Jervis 1st Captain Robert Calder 2nd Captain George Grey |
| Prince George (98) - Van division |
Rear-Admiral Sir William Parker Captain John Irwin. |
| Britannia (100) - Rear division |
Vice-Admiral Sir Charles Thompson Captain Thomas Foley |
| Ship (guns) | Commanders |
| Barfleur (98) |
Vice-Admiral William Waldegrave Captain James Richard Dacres |
| Captain (74) |
Commodore Horatio Nelson Captain Ralph Willett Miller |
| Namur (90) | Captain James Hawkins Whitshed |
| Diadem (64) | Captain George Henry Towry |
| Excellent (74) | Captain Cuthbert Collingwood |
| Goliath (74) | Captain Sir Charles H. Knowles |
| Egmont (74) | Captain John Sutton |
| Irresistible (74) | Captain George Martin |
| Colossus (74) | Captain George Murray |
| Orion (74) | Captain Sir James Saumarez |
| Blenheim (98) | Captain Thomas Lenox Frederick |
| Culloden (74) | Captain Thomas Troubridge |
| Ships (guns) | Commanders |
| Minerve (38) | Captain George Cockburn |
| Lively (32) | Captain Lord Garlies |
| Niger (32) | Captain Edward James Foote |
| Southampton (32) | Captain James Macnamara |
| Bonne-Citoyenne (sloop) | Captain Charles Lindsay |
| Raven (sloop) | Captain William Prowse |
| Fox (cutter) | Lieutenant John Gibson |
Sources:
'The Dispatches and Letters of Lord Nelson - vol. II', Nicolas
'The Pursuit of Victory: The Life and Achievement of Horatio Nelson', Roger Knight
The Spanish,
Admiral Don José de Córdova
| Ship (guns) | Commander |
| Santissima Trinidad (130) - Flagship |
Admiral Don José de Córdova Captain Rafael Orozco |
| Mexicano (112) |
Admiral Pedro de Cárdenas Captain Francisco de Herrera y Cruzat |
| Concepción (112) |
Admiral Conde Morales de los Rios Captain José Escaño |
| Principe de Asturias (112) |
Admiral Juan Moreno Captain Antonio Escaño |
| San José (112) |
Admiral Francisco Winthuysen Captain Pedro Pineda |
| Conde de Regla (112) |
Admiral Conde de Ambliment Captain Gironimo Brabo |
| Bahama (74) |
Admiral Domingo de Nava Captain José Aramburu |
| Ship (guns) | Commander |
| Soberano (74) | Captain Juan Yáñez |
| Salvador del Mundo (112) | Captain Antonio Yepes |
| Neptuno (74) | Captain José Lorenzo Goicocchea |
| San Nicolas (84) | Captain Tomás Geraldino |
| San Pablo (74) | Captain Baltasar Cisneros |
| Pelayo (74) | Captain Cayetano Valdés |
| Santo Domingo (74) | Captain Manuel Torres Valdivia |
| Conquistador (74) | Captain José Butler |
| San Juan Nepomuceno (74) | Captain José Boneo |
| San Genaro (74) | Captain Felipe Villavicencio |
| Terrible (74) | Captain Francisco Uriarte |
| Oriente (74) | Captain Juan Suárez |
| San Isidro (74) | Captain Teodoro Argumosa |
| San Ildefonso (74) | Captain Rafael Maestre |
| San Fermin (74) | Captain José de Torres Campo |
| Firme (74) | Captain Bruno Ayala |
| San Antonio (74) | Captain Salvador de Medina |
| Glorioso (74) | Captain Juan de Aguirre |
| Atlante (74) | Captain Gonzalo Vallexo |
| San Francisco de Paula (74) | Captain José Guimbarda |
| Ship | Commander |
| Santa Paula | Captain José Eléxaga |
| Santa Balbina | Captain Diego Ochando |
| Anunciación | Captain José Herrara |
| Santa Justa | Captain Francisco Escals |
| Bergantin Vigilante | Captain Francisco de Córdova |
| Ship | Commander |
| Casilda | Captain Ramón Herrera |
| Perla | Captain Francisco Moyua |
| Mercedes | Captain José Vasco y Vargas |
| Paz | Captain Santiago Irizarri |
| Dorotea | Captain Manuel Guerrero |
| Guadalupe | Captain José de la Encina |
| Teresa | Captain Pablo Pérez |
| Matilde | Captain Manuel Victoria |
| Diana | Captain Juan José Verela |
| Atocha | Captain Francisco Parexa |
| Ceres | Captain Ignacio Olaeta |
| Flora | Captain Joaquin Rodriguez de Rivera |
| Brigida | Captain José Gonzálaz |
NOTE ON THE SPANISH FLEET: This list is of Admiral Córdova's fleet on the 1st February. It includes four ships-of-the-line which did not participate in the battle. These are the Neptuno and Bahama, which were sent into Algeciras, and the San Pablo and Pelayo, which had been detached in the wrong direction to scout for the British in the morning on the day of the battle, and did not make it back in time to participate.
Source: Historia General de Espana
So the Spanish outnumbered the British in numbers, guns and men. But the training, discipline and experience of the British officers and crew far outweighed that of the Spanish.
Copyright Vicki Singleton 2013.