 In 1777, a Scotsman James Aitken, widely known as John the Painter, was hanged from her mizzenmast for burning the Rope House at Portsmouth Royal Dockyard on 7 December 1776, to aid the cause of American independence
.The mast was struck from the ship and re-erected at the dockyard entrance so as many people as possible could watch the execution.This was the only execution for arson in royal dockyards.