HMS Victory Ship's Bell - Portsmouth, Hampshire, UK - Bells on Waymarking.com

"Belfry and Ship's Bell

The ship's bell was used to indicate ship's time
and was permanently manned by a seaman
or marine who struck the bell at half-hourly
intervals throughout the day starting at 12
o'clock noon. Noon was established by taking
sightings of the sun at its highest point using
a sextant.

Time was measured using a 1/2 hour sand
glass which was checked against a 1 hour glass
both glasses being kept nearby on the deck
below by the end of the bell rope. The ships
daily routine was divided into 4-hour periods
of duty called watches. At the end of each
watch the bell was struck 8 times as a signal to
change the men on duty.

The current bronze bell, made in 1795 is
the same size and design as the original.
The original belfry and bell were shot to
pieces by enemy gunfire during early stages
of the Battle of Trafalgar. This fact is recorded
in the Victory's carpenter's expense book for
October 1805."
Source: table on board the ship
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"HMS Victory is a 104-gun first-rate ship of the line of the Royal Navy, ordered in 1758, laid down in 1759 and launched in 1765. She is best known for her role as Lord Nelson's flagship at the Battle of Trafalgar on 21 October 1805.

She additionally served as Keppel's flagship at Ushant, Howe's flagship at Cape Spartel and Jervis's flagship at Cape St Vincent. After 1824, she was relegated to the role of harbour ship.

In 1922, she was moved to a dry dock at Portsmouth, England, and preserved as a museum ship. She has been the flagship of the First Sea Lord since October 2012 and is the world's oldest naval ship still in commission, with 243 years' service as of 2021."
Source: (visit link)

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