High Quality Content by WIKIPEDIA articles! HMS Bulwark was a 74-gun third rate ship of the line of the Royal Navy, launched on 23 April 1807 at Portsmouth. She was designed by Sir William Rule as one of the large class 74s, and was the only ship built to her draught. As a large 74, she carried 24 pdrs on her upper gun deck instead of the 18 pdrs found on the middling and common class 74s.