HMS Captain: technological triumph to tragedy

Explore the story of HMS Captain (1869) alongside historians, descendants of its designer and crew, and other VIPs.

The Captain was a revolutionary warship, embodying Victorian Britain's technological innovation with her rotating armoured turrets, wrought-iron armour, and steam propulsion as well as sails. At first appearance the ship was formidable but, only five months after her commissioning, on 7 September 1870, HMS Captain capsized off Cape Finisterre in a severe gale. Only 18 of her crew of nearly 500 officers and men survived.

Since 2021, the University of Wolverhampton’s ‘Find the Captain’ project has led an international effort to find the wreck of this largely forgotten ironclad man-o-war. Exploration of the Captain's remains will support further investigation into what happened between design, execution and launch that resulted in the ship being so overweight and unstable, ending in such tragedy.

Join us for a lecture from broadcaster Dan Snow and historians Professor Andrew Lambert and Dr Howard Fuller, and a chance to hear more about this revolutionary ship. The newly restored remains of the lost flag of HMS Captain, along with other extraordinary historical artefacts, will also be on display for the first time.

Booking information

To book tickets, please visit the Royal Museums Greenwich website.

This event has not been organised by the Society. If you have any questions or require assistance with your booking please contact the event organiser via bookings@rmg.co.uk

Accessibility at our events

We want everyone to feel welcome at our events. Key accessibility features of this event include:

• Step-free access to the event
• Accessible toilets
• Assistance dogs are welcome
• Hearing loop

For full details, please visit our accessibility page. If you have any questions or specific access requirements, feel free to get in touch with us on access@rgs.org