The 1719 Establishment was a set of mandatory requirements governing the construction of all Royal Navy warships capable of carrying more than 20 naval long guns.

The Establishments were intended to create standardisation throughout the fleet, in part to reduce the cost of maintaining Britain's large navy.

While the Admiralty became a much more political body, the Navy Board became populated by men who had learnt their trade during the formative years of the Establishment system.

The Navy Board highlighted the fact that there were still several ships in service that were physically incapable of carrying the prescribed armament, either due to the number and disposition of gunports, or to sturdiness of build.

Essentially, however, the Navy Board resolved to undertake the task of having all ships rebuilt to common designs to facilitate the new gun establishment.

The final first-rate Establishment drew heavily on the structure and dimensions of Royal Sovereign, which was laid up for repairs at Chatham Dockyard.

Final plans for the all rates of vessel were presented to Admiralty on 13 November and approved five days later for implementation in all new ships and those undergoing major repair.

[4] Over time, as British shipbuilding remained stagnant, Britain's foreign maritime rivals, most notably France, continued developing their own ships so that eventually the Navy Board was forced to take note.

With heavier guns came the need for larger ships to carry them, and so Sir Jacob made a new set of proposals for increased dimensions—slightly less conservative this time around.

In some cases, ships would be dismantled years before they actually underwent the rebuilding process, but remained on the active list for the entire time.

Five Second Rates were rebuilt from existing ships to this Establishment specification – the Prince George in 1719–1723, the Union in 1718–1726, the Namur in 1723–1729, the Neptune in 1725–1730, and the Marlborough in 1725–1732.

The 1719 Establishment revised the dimensions of these ships (the smallest class of three-decker warships) as shown in the adjacent table.

Eight 70-gun ships were rebuilt in 1717–1730 to these specifications – the Edinburgh, Northumberland, Captain, Stirling Castle, Lenox, Kent, Grafton and Ipswich – while four more were newbuilt, all at Deptford Dockyard – Burford, Berwick, Buckingham, Prince of Orange (the last originally to have been named Bredah).

These were the Weymouth, Worcester, Strafford, Superb, Jersey, Augusta, Dragon, Lion, Kingston, Rupert and Princess Mary.

The 1741 revision further increased the dimensions to: Six ships were ordered to this specification – the Canterbury, Sunderland, Tilbury, Princess Louisa, Defiance and Eagle.

Fourteen vessels were rebuilt to this specification between 1718 and 1732 – the Falkland, Chatham, Colchester, Leopard, Portland, Lichfield, Argyll, Assistance, Romney, Oxford, Greenwich, Falmouth, Salisbury and Newcastle.

The 1733 revision increased the dimensions as follows: Eight ships were rebuilt to this specification in the Royal Dockyards – the Gloucester, Severn, Saint Albans, Woolwich, Dartmouth, Guernsey, Antelope and Preston.

The 1741 revision further increased the dimensions to: Fourteen vessels were newbuilt by contract to a common design by the Surveyor's Office – the Harwich, Colchester, Falkland, Chester, Winchester, Portland, Maidstone, Gloucester, Norwich, Ruby, Advice, Salisbury.

Thirteen more ships were ordered from commercial contractors from 1739 onwards – the Dover, Folkestone, Faversham, Lynn, Gosport, Sapphire, Hastings, Liverpool, Kinsale, Adventure, Diamond, Launceston and Looe.

By the late 1730s it was evident to Admiralty that the 44-gun fifth rates were inferior vessels; too small to stand in the line of battle but too large and slow for general cruising.

Three further ships followed a slightly amended design, with the depth in hold increased by a further 5 inches – the Prince Edward, another Anglesea and Thetis.

Three sixth rates were newbuilt – the Greyhound and Blandford as replacements in 1720 for lost vessels, and the Rye as replacement in 1727 for a discarded ship – and seventeen others were rebuilt from existing ships to this Establishment specification – the Lyme and Shoreham in 1720, Scarborough in 1722, Lowestoffe in 1723, Garland, Seaford and Rose in 1724, Deal Castle, Fox, Gibraltar, Bideford, Seahorse, Squirrel, Aldborough, Flamborough and Experiment in 1727, and Phoenix in 1728.

In 1739–1740 another fourteen were ordered to be newbuilt by commercial contractors to a common design – the Fox, Winchelsea, Lyme, Rye, Experiment, Lively, Port Mahon, Scarborough, Success, Rose, Bideford, Bridgewater, Seaford and Solebay.

The 1741 revision further increased the dimensions to: Fifteen ships were built, all by contract, to a common design and to these specifications – the Lowestoffe, Aldborough, Alderney, Phoenix, Sheerness, Wager, Shoreham, Bridgewater, Glasgow, Triton, Mercury, Surprise, Siren, Fox and Rye.