74 зеңбіректік "Беллерофон" кемесінің тарихы

74 gun Royal Navy ship of the line

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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. 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. 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. On 27 November 1793, the ships of Pasley's squadron captured the French corvette Blonde. At the time of her capture Blonde was armed with 28 guns and had a crew of 210 men under the command of Citizen Gueria. A subsequent prize money notice listed the vessels that shared in the proceeds as Bellerophon, , , , and
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.

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 broadsides. The heavy fire of the larger French ship caused considerable damage, particularly to Bellerophons 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. 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 and 31 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 pounder 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. Bellerophon had by then lost all three topmasts, and her mainsail and lower shrouds had been cut to pieces. Despite being under heavy fire during the battle, Bellerophons casualties were comparatively light, amounting to four men killed and between twenty seven and thirty wounded. Captain Hope was superseded in late November, and on 1 December 1794 Bellerophon received a new commander, Captain James Cranstoun, 8th Lord Cranstoun. 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.

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. 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.

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 Bellerophon, smashing her boats, dismounting guns and cutting rigging. French marines on the higher decks poured volleys of musket fire onto Bellerophons 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. 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. Several fires had broken out on both Bellerophon and Orient. According to Bellerophons logbook, at 9pm, when a further fire broke out on Orient, Cathcart was down below on duty, and the 13 year old Midshipman John Hindmarsh was briefly the senior officer on deck. He ordered the anchor cable cut and 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 Swiftsures 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 Bellerophons 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. Officers of Bellerophon at the Battle of the Nile. Position Name Fate Position Name Fate Captain Henry D'Esterre Darby wounded Master's Mates Thomas Ellison killed 1st Lieutenant Robert Savage Daniel killed James Vose 2nd Lieutenant Philip Watson Launder killed John Barton 3rd Lieutenant Robert Cathcart Midshipmen Ralph Hall 4th Lieutenant John Hadaway Alexander Sheppard 5th Lieutenant George Joliffe killed John Sadler Master Edward Kirby wounded James Maitland Surgeon George Bellamy James Walker Baker Purser James Heath John Hindmarsh Chaplain John Fresselique Leslie Boulderson Surgeon's 1st Mate John Jones Benjamin Hulke(promoted to be lieutenant of the Spartiate) Surgeon's 3rd Mate John Ryall Michael Smith Marine Captain John Hopkins died of wounds Stephen W Maybury Marine 2nd Lieutenant John Wright Nicholas Bettison wounded Gunner John Hindmarsh(father of midshipman John Hindmarsh) Volunteer James Mathews Boatswain James Chapman wounded Clerk Harry Farmer Carpenter Copernicus Thomas

After carrying out temporary repairs in Abu Qir Bay, Bellerophon hoisted jury masts 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. By the time of her arrival on 27 March, the Treaty of Amiens had been signed, so Britain and France were at peace. For the next eighteen months Bellerophon cruised in the Jamaica Passage and escorted merchant convoys between Jamaica and Halifax, Nova Scotia.

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. 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. 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. On 27 September four shipwrights working in the magazine by candle light set off some loose powder. The explosion killed all four. Bellerophon rejoined 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.

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.

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, Bellerophons 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 of it on the morning of 21 October. The officers 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 Bellerophons 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 HMS Tonnant 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 Aigles port quarter with her starboard bow, and entangling the two ships' yards. Bellerophon was now sustaining fire from Aigle and three other ships, the Spanish San Juan Nepomuceno and Bahama, and the French Swiftsure. Bellerophons 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. Bellerophons 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 Bellerophons spritsail yard, but a Bellerophon crewman released the brace holding the yard, causing them to fall into the sea. French sailors holding onto Bellerophons rails had their hands beaten until they were forced to let go. Bellerophons 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 riflemen 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 gunports, 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, Aigles 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. Bellerophons 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, Bellerophons guns ceased firing. At 5:30 pm Cumby sent a boat to take possession of 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 were her captain, the master, John Overton, and midshipman John Simmons.

For the next seven days, Bellerophons 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 1805, and underwent emergency repairs to allow her to return to England as an escort for , together with Cumby was superseded on 3 November, the day before beginning the voyage home, by Captain Richard Thomas. Thomas was himself superseded the next day by Captain Edward Rotheram, who had commanded Collingwood's flagship, , during the battle. Joining the Channel Fleet once more, Bellerophon resumed her usual duties, blockading and patrolling off Ushant and Brest.

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. The water was too shallow to allow them to approach the luggers, so a boat party was dispatched under Bellerophons 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. Bellerophon made several cruises during the rest of the year, visiting Åland and Karlskrona, before returning to Britain with a convoy in November 1809.

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. She spent the rest of the year patrolling off Cape Race. In need of further work in the docks she accompanied Sir Richard Goodwin Keats on his return to Britain with a convoy in November 1813. 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; on 2 July he arrived in Rochefort. Following the defeat of his armies, and expecting the imminent restoration of the Bourbon monarchy, Napoleon hoped to sail to exile in the United States. The British had no intention of allowing this. News reached Maitland in early July that Napoleon was in Rochefort. Two 20 gun ships, and , were sent to reinforce Bellerophon and patrol the other entrances to the port.

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, 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 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 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 Superb arrived, and that consequently Hotham would take over and receive Napoleon himself, Maitland sent Bellerophons barge to collect the former Emperor and transfer him to the ship. At some point between 6 and 7 a. m., 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 Bellerophons "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."

Maitland showed Napoleon the great cabin, which he had placed at his disposal, and gave him a tour of his ship. At 10:30 a. m., 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 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 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 p. m., followed by a formal dinner at 6 p. m. The sailors and officers removed their hats and kept their distance when Napoleon came on deck, talking with him only 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 guardships, 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 Bellerophon, where he had spent over three weeks without ever landing in England. He boarded Northumberland, which then sailed for Saint Helena. Captain Maitland's account of the time Napoleon spent on board his ship was published in 1826.

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 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. The Board of Admiralty announced that Captivity would be offered for sale on 21 January 1836; she was described as being 1613 tons and lying at Plymouth. The hulk was sold on that day for £4,030 It is now a Grade II listed building. 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.

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, and the novel Sharpe's Trafalgar by Bernard Cornwell. 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 deck, watching the French coastline recede as his retinue look on. Sir Charles Lock Eastlake painted a portrait of Napoleon in uniform, standing on Bellerophons 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. 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'Way aye yah!Aboard the Billy RuffianJohnny Franswor!