HMS Kent was a 70-gun third rate ship of the line built by Sir Henry Johnson of Blackwall in 1677/79.

She partook in the Battle of Passaro then served during the short war with Spain, December 1718 to February 1720.

[1] HMS Kent was awarded the Battle Honours "Barfleur 1692",[2] "Vigo 1702",[3] "Velez-Malaga 1704",[4] and "Passero 1718".

[5] She was ordered on 20 February 1678 to be built under contract by Sir Henry Johnson of Blackwall on the River Thames.

[8][7] HMS Kent was commissioned on 25 September 1679 under the command of Captain John Perryman for delivery to Chatham.

Under Captain Good she was the Flagship of Vice-Admiral Sir Henry Killigrew commander of the Channel Squadron patrolling off Dunkirk.

With the outbreak of the War of Spanish Succession in May 1702, she sailed with Admiral Sir George Rooke's Fleet on 19 July for operations at Cadiz, Spain.

At Lagos, Portugal they learned that the Spanish Treasure Fleet and its French escort was at Vigo Bay.

She was at the destruction of a convoy off Avranches on 26 July 1703 and in Cancale Bay on the 28th near St Malo, France.

She served as the Flagship of Rear-Admiral Sir Thomas Hardy in 1712 in the Soundings near the Isles of Scilly.

With the end of the Wars of Spanish Succession, she underwent a great repair at Portsmouth between August 1714 and March 1715 at a cost of 4,689.11.1½d.

Off Corfu (on the west coast of Greece) in February 1718, she captured the Spanish 64-gun Santa Rosalia.

[16][5] She remained in commission during the short war with Spain (December 1718 to February 1720),[17] then was placed in Ordinary.

[11] HMS Kent was ordered to be rebuilt at Woolwich Dockyard under the guidance of Master Shipwright John Hayward on 16 February 1722.

[18] HMS Kent was commissioned in 1726 under the command of Captain Charles Hardy for service with Jenning's Fleet.

In 1729 she was under Captain Christopher O’Brien and was being prepared for service in the Mediterranean; however, she remained as guard ship at Portsmouth in 1730.

[18] She was commissioned in 1734 under Captain William Davies for service with Norris's Fleet at the Tagus, Portugal.

[Note 4] In 1738 she was under the command of Captain Robert Coleman, then reduced to a guard ship at Portsmouth on 28 November 1738.

Lenox, Kent, Oxford, St Albans, and Ripon had been detached to watch for the Spanish Treasure Fleet.

Upon her return she was paid off and broken at Chatham by Admiralty Order (AO) 17 November 1744 with breaking completed in December 1744.