HMS Vulcan

HMS Vulcan (1849)

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Name	Vulcan (1849)	Explanation
Type	Frigate
Launched	27 January 1849
Hull	Iron
Propulsion	Screw
Builders measure	1747 tons
Displacement
Guns
Fate	1867
Class
Ships book	ADM 135/503
Note	1851 troopship. Sold as barque Jorawur
Snippets concerning this vessels career
Date	Event
17 April 1852	Commanded by Commander Edward Pelham Brenton Von Donop, particular service, then Mediterranean
2 October 1855	Commanded by Commander George Le Geyt Bowyear
10 May 1856	Commanded by Commander James Holmes Furneaux, particular service
15 July 1857 - 20 July 1858	Commanded by Commander John Seccombe, Portsmouth
28 June 1859 - 8 May 1863	Commanded by Commander Augustus Chetham-Strode, East Indies and China (including British involvement in Taiping rebellion)
9 May 1863 - 3 November 1864	Commanded (until paying off at Portsmouth) by Captain Augustus Chetham-Strode
*Extracts from the Times* newspaper**
Date	Extract
Sa 16 August 1851	Portsmouth, Friday. The Vulcan screw steam-ship, Master Commander Penn, arrived at Spithead this evening from the Cape of Good Hope, whither she conveyed the 74th Regiment. She left Simon's Bay on Sunday, June 1, taking in tow Her Majesty's brig Pandora to give her an offing for New Zealand, leaving the Commodore's frigate, Castor, 36, and the Dee steam-troop-ship in the bay.
We 21 November 1855	SOUTHAMPTON, Nov. 20. By the Peninsular and Oriental Company's steamship Indus, Captain Soy, with the India and Mediterranean mails, we have dates from Alexandria to November 6, Malta 10, and Gibraltar 15. The Indus brings 52 passengers, and on freight one package of specie, value 100l., and a cargo, consisting of 84 boxes of almonds, 230 boxes of raisins, 47 barrels and six boxes of dates, 10 cases of musk, one case of pictures, two cases of cigars, 718 bales of silk, eight bales of wool, two hogsheads of wine, 50 cases of silk, 30 packages of samples, 21 cases of shawls, 17 packages of effects, nine packages of elephants' teeth, one case of tortoiseshell, and 80 packages of general merchandise. Her Majesty's ships Hibernia, London, Rodney, Wasp, Niger, Vulcan, Shearwater, and Ceylon, were at Malta.
We 22 August 1860	Her Majesty’s sloop Elk, 12, Commander H. Campion, which was paid off at Chatham yesterday, has been in commission upwards of four years, during which period she has seen a great deal of active service both in China and in other distant parts of the world. She was commissioned at Chatham on the 6th of May, 1856, by Commander J. Hamilton, who was succeeded in August, 1858, by Commander Campion, formerly of the Vulcan, 6, [should be: Falcon] on being promoted. The Elk, on leaving England, proceeded to China, and formed one of the squadron engaged in the Chinese waters until the termination of hostilities. The whole of the crew who could be spared formed a portion of the naval brigade under Commodore Stevens [should be Stewart], of the Nankin, 50, and were present at the capture of Canton, and other places. After the discontinuance of operations in the China seas, the Elk sailed from Hongkong for Australia in the month of April, 1858, and after arriving was employed for several months in making a minute search along the coast and through every part of Bass's Straits for Her Majesty's missing ship Sappho, but without success. The Elk left Sydney on the 1st of March for Auckland, which was reached on the 12th of March, just at the time the insurrection was raging in New Zealand. A portion of the crew and several of the ship's guns were landed to form a part of the naval brigade, and the men volunteering for this service were left behind. On the 26th of April the Elk left Auckland for England, at which time the following vessels of Her Majesty were at New Zealand — viz., the Iris, 26, Commodore W. Loring, C.B.; the Pelorus, 21, screw corvette, Commodore F.B.P. Seymour; the Niger, 13, screw steamer, Capt. P. Cracroft; and the Cordelia, 11, screw steamer, Commander C.E.H. Vernon. During the voyage home, and when near the entrance to the river Plate, the ship was caught in a tremendous typhoon, which raged for 48 hours, during which the vessel suffered severely, and it was only by the very best seamanship that vessel and crew were not lost. The Elk, since she has been in commission, has been constantly employed on service, and has sailed over upwards of 132,000 miles. Upwards of 20 of her crew have died from cholera, dysentery, and other causes, exclusive of a number invalided home. The crew have been exceedingly well-behaved, and the infliction of corporal punishment has been very rare. On the crew being paid off yesterday a silver medal, together with a gratuity of 10l., was awarded by the Admiralty to John Turner, captain of the after-guard, for good conduct and long service. The Elk, which is in very good condition, is to be attached to the reserve ordinary at Chatham. Second Lieut. O'Grady and the boatswain of the ship are under arrest, awaiting their trial by court-martial.
Fr 4 November 1864	The Vulcan, screw troopship, Capt. A. Strode, was paid out of commission yesterday at Portsmouth, after a commission of five years and four months. She had a very good ship's company, and has done very excellent service under Capt. Strode's command.

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