HMS Francis was built by Anthony Deane during his tenure as the Master Shipwright at Harwich Dockyard under the 1665 Programme.

She was commissioned in July 1666, she was Allin's squadron in the Mediterranean and participated in the blockade of Salé (a North African port for the Barbary pirates) in October 1668, she was guardship at Sheerness between 1671 and 1674 and had service in the Channel.

[3] Her initial armament was listed as fourteen to sixteen 6-pounder muzzle-loading smoothbore guns mounted on trucks.

A minion cannon was a muzzle-loading smoothbore 1,000-pound gun with a 3+1⁄2-inch bore firing a 4-inch shot with a 4-pound powder charge.

She was with Allin's squadron at the blockade of Salé with HMS Garland from 25 September to 5 October 1668.She returned to Home Waters in 1670 as Captain Burstow's commission ended on 24 January 1670 as guardship at Sheerness.