French ship Orient (1756)
Orient was an 74-gun ship of the line of the French Navy, built by Antoine Groignard. Career Orient was built in Lorient for the French East India Company by Antoine Groignard, from April 1756 to August 1759. The French Royal Navy purchased her in May 1759. Originally intended as a 80-gun, she was reduced to a 74-gun in early 1766. On 14 November 1759, under Captain Guébriant, Orient was part of a 20-ship fleet under Hubert de Brienne attempting invasion of Cornwall. She took part in the subsequent Battle of Quiberon Bay. Orient underwent a refit in Brest in 1766, and again from 1777 to April 1778. The same year, with the outbreak of the Anglo-French War, she took part in the Battle of Ushant. On 28 December 1778, under Thomas d'Estienne d'Orves, she sailed from Brest to reinforce the French colony of Isle de France (Mauritius) arriving in September 1779, her crew suffering from scurvy. In 1779, she captured the British privateer Vigilant of Bristol, Marshall, master, and brought her to Lorient. By April 1781, Estienne d'Orves's health had deteriorated to the point where First Officer Bolle was in effective command. After Estienne d'Orves died on 9 February 1782,