HMS Emerald - log extracts 
HMS Emerald - log extracts 


William Loney R.N.DocumentsShips' logs Dauntless ◄► Glasgow

Extracts from the log of HMS Emerald for the period 4 July 1860 - 13 April 1861
Sources: ADM 53/7749 (16 January - 22 September 1860) & ADM 53/7750 (23 September 1860 - 28 April 1861).

The wooden screw frigate Emerald was only commissioned once - from 14 May 1859 to 7 November 1863, by Captain Arthur Cumming. After a period with the Channel Squadron, she sailed on 16 January 1860 from Portsmouth to take Rear Admiral Alexander Milne out to the West Indies, where he replaced Vice Admiral Sir Houston Stewart as Commander-in-Chief on the North America & West Indies station from 13 January 1860 (until 7 January 1864). After visiting Bermuda, Barbados, Jamaica, Navy Bay (Panama), Greytown (Mosquito coast) and Havanna in Emerald, Milne transferred his flag to HMS Nile at Bermuda on 4 June, and Emerald returned to Plymouth on 4 July. Twelve days later Willian Loney joined the ship, replacing Surgeon John M'Swiney, who was superseded.

During the time William Loney served in Emerald, the ship made three cruises: (1) as a troop transport to Alderney, where the ship took the ground due to the incompetence of a Trinity House pilot, (2) to Antwerp, to help provide a British presence when Queen Victoria passed through that port to and from Coburg, where she made a private visit to her relatives there (shortly after Emerald arrived at Antwerp, William Loney was granted a passport to visit Germany; I have, unfortunately, no evidence that he was part of the Queen's entourage at Coburg), and (3) with the Port Division of the Channel Fleet to Lisbon.

The "Naval Intelligence" column of the "Times" newspaper gives some extra information on the activities of Emerald (links to individual entries in the day-of-week column) and of the Channel Fleet.

Here is a complete list of officers serving during the commission of 14 May 1859 - 7 Nov 1863 (from the ship's muster book). Here is William Loney's album with photographs of the principal officers in 1861.

1860
4 July Wed At single anchor in Plymouth Sound
9 July Mon 7:30 a.m. Saluted on the arrival of H.R.H. the Prince of Wales on board the Victoria and Albert
8:30 a.m. Manned the yards and fired a Royal Salute on the Prince of Wales embarking on board HMS Hero
[Albert Edward (Prince of Wales, the eldest son of Queen Victoria, and the future King Edward VII), was then 19 years of age, and en route to Newfoundland, Canada and the United States. He was the first member of the British royal family to visit North America]
10 July Tue p.m.
1 Harbour Master came on board
1.30 Weighed & proceeded towards the harbour
2:15 Ship took the ground in Barnpool
[on the western side of Plymouth Sound approaching the entrance to the Hamoaze]. Empld. laying out hawsers &c
4.30 Down T. Gallt yards
5 Two tugs lashed alongside
7:15 Ship went off into deep water. Made fast to mooring buoy in Barnpool. Up boats. Harbour Master left ship
11 July Wed Turning over ships company to the "Vigo" hulk; employed preparing to go into dock
13 July Fri Employed hauling ship into dry dock
26 July Thu Employed hauling ship out of dry dock; employed lashing ship in basin and as requested
30 July Mon Proceeded under steam out of lock - and took in mooring in the stream
3 Aug Fri Employed turning ships company over from the hulk "Vigo" to the ship
5 Aug Sun Employed cleaning the "Vigo" hulk
7 Aug Tue At single anchor in the Sound
8 Aug Wed Empld. receiving powder and stowing do.
16 Aug Thu Gave ships company 48 hours leave (as pro signal)
23 Aug Thu Weighed and proceeded under steam out of West Channel
24 Aug Fri At single anchor at Spithead
26 Aug Sun Fired a Royal Salute in honor of the anniversary of the Prince Consort [Prince Albert (Franz Albrecht August Karl Emanuel, Prinz von Saxe-Coburg-Gota), born 26 August 1819, at Schloss Rosenau, near Coburg]
27 Aug Mon a.m.
8 Steam vessel came alongside with troops. Recd on board 7 officers, 198 non comd officers and gunners, 26 women, 29 children
8:45 Weighed and proceeded to the westward
p.m.
Stopped and shackled on port bower cable to mooring buoy - inside breakwater in Braye Bay, Alderney. Steam tug came alongside. Empld disembarking troops.
28 Aug Tue a.m
5:30 Up T Galet masts. Crossed T Galet yards.Pilot came on board
Empd receiving troops &c
Recd on board 7 officers, 226 non Commd officers and gunners R.A., 23 women & 39 children
8 Slipped from mooring buoy and hauled on stern hawser to swing ship
Up jib
8:15 Found the ship to have taken the ground on a rock (unknown to the pilot). 5 fms of water all round the ship. Ship touching under the funnel. Down T Galet yrds and masts. Tried to back ship off but without effect. Run all the foremost guns aft. Out all boats. Laid out a hawser on starb
[oard] quarter to a buoy astern and one on starb bow to the Halftide Rock. Hove both taut. Got a hawser from a buoy on starb beam to main mast head to prevent ship falling over on her beam ends. Tide falling
11 Low water. Ship healing 4½ ° to port. Water round the ship not less than 4 fms.
Bearing when ship was on shore:
- Tower of St Annes's Church - S 40 W
- Flag staff at Fort Touraille - S 65.30 E
Ships head - east
Water had left the ship 2ft 8in in aft and 2 ft 0 in forward
p.m.
1:30 In all boats
2 Hove on hawsers
2:15 Ship went off into deep water. Slipped stbd, bow hawser - and left them behind, 9 in
[ch] hawser, 1 in no., 11 inch, 1 in no.
3:10 Up jib
3:15 Pilot left the ship
[subsequent report of Commander Sidney of the Surveying Service on this event; the grounding was also depicted on a Channel Island postage stamp in 2001]
29 Aug Wed 8:20 a.m. Shortened sail and came to [at Spithead] with S.B. in 9 fthm, veered to 74 fthm. Furled sails. Employed disembarking troops
2 Sep Sun Pilot came on board. Weighed and proceeded under steam into Portsmouth harbour. Made fast to the Bellerophon hulk
3 Sep Mon Employed turning over to hulk Bellerophon
6 Sep Thu Warping ship into basin
14 Sep Fri Employed getting ship out of basin
20 Sep Thu Employed turning crew over to ship
21 Sep Fri 2:10 p.m. Cast off from hulk and proceeded out of harbour. Proceeded out to the Warner Light Vessel to try engine
3:40 Stopped and came to at Spithead in 7½ fthm, veered to 36 fthm. Dressed ship
4 Manned yards on Her Majesty the Queen passing through Spithead. Employed getting in powder and shell and stowing do
9:30 Weighed and proceeded out thro' the East channel
22 Sep Sat a.m Steering for the Downs
8:45 Received on board a Pilot from Deal. Proceeded through the Gull Stream
11 Hove to and received on board a Dutch Pilot
3:30 Obsd. HMS St George at anchor off Flushing
5:15 Came to off Flushing with SB
[Small Bower] in 13 fthm, veered to 70 fthm. Saluted the Dutch flag with 21 guns, which was returned with the same number
23 Sep Sun 7:30 Arrived HMS Black Prince. Do. proceeded up the river
8:40 Arrived HMS Firebrand. Do. proceeded up the river
10:30 Shortened in cable to 30 fthm. Received on board a Pilot for the river
12:45 Stopped and came to in 14 fthm off
[gap not filled in] , veered to 50 fthm. Found the Fairy and Firebrand at anchor
1 Obsd the Royal yacht enter the river. Dressed ship
2:15 manned yards & fired a Royal salute on Her Majesty passing the ship. HMS Firebrand & Fairy weighed and proceeded in Co. with the Royal yacht
Performed divine service
4 HMS Osborne proceeded up the river
Sunset Undressed ship
24 Sep Mon 5:40 p.m. Weighed and proceeded under steam up the river. Steering as requisite under charge of Pilot
9:15 Obsd. the Royal yacht at anchor off Antwerp. Hoisted masthead flags
10 came to off Antwerp in 5½ fthm, veered to 60 fthm. Saluted the Belgian flag with 21 guns, which was returned with the same number. Found lying here the Victoria & Albert, Fairy, Black Prince, Vivid and Firebrand
Sunset Undressed ship
[the Royal yacht Victoria and Albert was bearing Queen Victoria, en route to Coburg in Germany; two days later William Loney received a passport from the British embassy in Brussels to travel to Germany (as a member of the Queen's entourage?)]
30 Sep Sun Sailed HMS Fairy
8 Oct Mon Manned yards on the English Ambassador coming on board
15 Oct Mon Arrived HMS Fairy
16 Oct Tue 2:15 p.m. Hoisted masthead flags
2:45 Manned yards and fired two Royal salutes on Her Majesty the Queen and the King of the Belgans embarking on board the Royal yacht
2:35
[sic] Fired a Royal salute on His Majesty the King of the Belgians leaving the Royal yacht
3:15 Manned yards on Her Majesty passing the ship in the Royal yacht. Sailed the Royal squadron
Sunset Up boats. Undressed ship. Down T. Galt yards & masts
17 Oct Wed Weighed B[est] Bower and passed down the river under steam. HMS Firebrand in company
18 Oct Thu At single anchor off Flushing
21 Oct Sun 6 Weighed and proceeded under steam to sea, Firebrand in co.
11:15 Firebrand parted co.
22 Oct Mon At single anchor at Spithead
3 Nov Sat Steaming out through the East Channel
4 Nov Sun Moored in Plymouth Sound
6 Nov Tue Sailed HMS Conqueror, Centurion, Donegal, Aboukir, Royal Albert through the West Channel
7 Nov Wed Received 84 supernumeraries for the Channel fleet
9 Nov Fri Received supernumeraries for the fleet. Weighed and proceeded out of the Sound
10 Nov Sat 47.10 °N 6.26 °W
11 Nov Sun 43.57 °N 9.22 °W
12 Nov Mon 42.46 °N 10.4 °W
13 Nov Tue 42.2 °N 10.10 °W
14 Nov Wed Moored in the Tagus
15 Nov Thu 9 a.m. Saluted the flag of Rear Admiral Stopford [in command of the port division of the Channel squadron] with 13 guns. Royal Albert [Stopford's flagship] returned salute with 7 guns
16 Nov Fri Hoisted the Portuguese flag half mast in honour of the anniversary of the Queen of Portugal's death [Maria IIExternal link]
Noon: Saluted with 21 guns [presumably to commemorate the anniversary of the ascension of Pedro VExternal link]
26 Nov Mon Moored in the Tagus; at single anchor off Paco de Arcos [in the mouth of the Tagus]
29 Nov Thu Moored in the Tagus
10 Dec Mon At single anchor in the Tagus
11 Dec Tue 38.48 °N 10.3 °W
12 Dec Wed 38.49 °N 10.43 °W
13 Dec Thu 40.42 °N 11.14 °W
14 Dec Fri 42.2 °N 12.37 °W
15 Dec Sat 43.40 °N 14.32 °W
16 Dec Sun 44.32 °N 14.58 °W
17 Dec Mon 46.14 °N 12.39 °W
18 Dec Tue 47.29 °N 9.37 °W
19 Dec Wed 48.39 °N 6.22 °W
20 Dec Thu Moored in Plymouth Sound
22 Dec Sat Moored in Plymouth Sound; Moored in Hamoaze
1861
13 Apr Sat Plymouth; Moored in Hamoaze
Oct   J. Tuckers drawing of Emerald caught in a north Atlantic gale


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