Valorous had a length at the gundeck of 121feet and 100feet at the keel. She had a beam of 30feet and a depth of hold of 8feet. The ship's tonnage was 513 tons burthen. Valorous was initially armed with eighteen 32-pounder carronades on her gundeck and a pair of 9-pounder cannon as chase guns. The ship had a crew of 135 officers and ratings.[1]
Valorous, the second ship of her name to serve in the Royal Navy,[2] was ordered on 28 November 1812, laid down in March 1815 in Pater Dockyard, Wales, and launched, together with her sister ship,, on 10 February 1813. She was completed on 26 March 1816 at Plymouth Dockyard at the cost of £11,726 and placed in ordinary.[1]
She was converted into a 26-gun post ship at Plymouth Dockyard in March 1820 – 4 July 1821. The ship's first commission began in February 1821 under the command of Captain James Murray for service on the Newfoundland Station. Murray was forced to resign his command the following year and Valorous recommissioned in August 1824 with Captain Hans Francis Hastings, 12th Earl of Huntingdon, in command for service in the Caribbean. He grew seriously ill in 1825 and was also forced to resign.[3] The ship was placed in ordinary again at Chatham Dockyard in 1826–1829 and was broken up by 13 August 1829.[1]