Glory was ordered during the Seven Years' War, but completed too late for that conflict. She was placed in Ordinary and was not commissioned until May 1769 under Captain John Hollwall, for the Duke of Cumberland's squadron in the English Channel. She was paid off Jan 1773 and was renamed HMS Apollo on 30 August 1774. Afterwards she underwent a large repair at Plymouth from 1776 to 1777. She was recommissioned in January 1777 under Capt. Philemon Pownall and sailed for North America.[1] On 17 January, 1778 she captured merchant sloop Friendship on the southern end of the Georges Bank and burned the prize. [2] On 27 January she and captured Massachusetts privateer schooner True Blue on the Georges Bank.[3] On 28 January she recaptured merchant brig Betsy on the southern end of the Georges Bank.[4] On 9 March 1778, the frigate captured the sloop Sally off southern end of Georges Bank, and the schooner Polly the next day.[5]
Apollos opponent was the 26-gun French privateer Stanislaus, and after nearly an hour of intense cannonading Pownall was hit by a cannonball and killed.[6] [7] Command of Apollo devolved to Edward Pellew as the first lieutenant, who continued the fight, eventually driving the Stanislaus on shore. Apart from her captain, Apollo lost five men killed and had twenty wounded.[7] The Stanislaus was later recovered and brought into the navy as .[7]
She was broken up at Woolwich Dockyard 30 January 1786.[1]