The HMS Foudroyant, which had been used by Nelson as his flagship from 6 June 1799 until the end of June 1801, was wrecked on 16 June 1897, during a fund-raising voyage around the coast of Great Britain. The Foudroyant came to Blackpool from Southport on 4 June and anchored two miles out to sea between Central and North piers. Just before 6am on 16 June the ship was caught up in a hurricane-force storm and broke anchor.
She drifted toward land, and just missed the jetty at North pier before hitting the shore slightly to the north at Cocker Square. She damaged part of the North Pier during the process. The ship was then bought by a local syndicate who made souvenirs from the wood. Most of the ship though was broken up in a storm in November 1897.
The twenty eight people aboard were rescued by the lifeboat Samuel Fletcher of Manchester in very heavy seas.
The Foudroyant had been in Blackpool as part of a floating exhibition to raise £20,000 towards her own restoration costs.