HMS Mercury

HMS Mercury (1837)

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Name	Mercury (1837)	Explanation
Type	Cutter tender
Launched	7 February 1837
Hull	Wooden
Propulsion	Sail
Builders measure	70 tons
Displacement
Guns
Fate	1904
Class
Ships book
Note	1866 = YC.6. 1876 = Plymouth
Snippets concerning this vessels career
Date	Event
(January 1840)	Tender at Portsmouth
1866	Renamed YC.6
8 February 1876	Renamed Plymouth
*Extracts from the Times* newspaper**
Date	Extract
Ma 12 April 1841	(From the Hampshire Telegraph of Saturday.) The St. Vincent, Madagascar, and Fair Rosamond, were put out of the basin on Monday, and the Vindictive and Warspite on Tuesday, in order that the basin might be run dry, to repair the works of the wood-mills. The Mercury sailed to-day for Sheerness, with a lieutenant of the Indus on board, to volunteer men from the Asia for that ship. The Emerald sailed yesterday for Devonport, with seamen gunners for the Cornwallis. The keel of a second class steamer, to be called the Thunderbolt, was laid down in this dockyard on Wednesday last.
Fr 4 February 1842	The Rapid, 10, Lieutenant-Commander E.C. Earle, went out of harbour yesterday afternoon. She has her full complement of men, and will be paid in advance to-morrow, previous to her sailing for the coast of Africa, where she is to be stationed. It is understood that she will touch at Plymouth. Several officers are going out in her as passengers, to join the various ships on the station to which they have been recently appointed. The Hastings, 74, Captain J. Lawrence, C.B., was paid off yesterday. Many of her hands have volunteered into the Queen and other ships fitting out here. The Warspite, 50, Captain the Right Hon. Lord John Hay, C.B., after proceeding to New York with Lord Ashburton, will join the squadron stationed at the West Indies and North America, under the command of Vice-Admiral Sir Charles Adams, K.C.B. It is expected that Lord Ashburton and suite will embark on Monday or Tuesday next, and that the Warspite will sail on the same or the following day. The Queen, 110, Captain G.F. Rich, is now quite ready for sea, with the exception of not having yet completed her complement of men. These, however, she is now procuring very fast. She obtained yesterday a number of volunteers from the Hastings when that ship was paid off, and she is continually receiving men who have been brought from various seaports in the kingdom to join her. 22 volunteers for her are expected daily from Bristol, under the charge of Mr Molesworth, on board the Mercury cutter, which was disabled in the Bristol Channel during the late severe gales. Vice-Admiral Sir Edward Owen will re-hoist his flag on board of her in a few days. She will be at least three weeks before she leaves for the Mediterranean. The Vindictive, 50, Captain J. Toup Nicholas, has had all her masts, guns and stores, taken out, and was docked yesterday morning. The shipwrights are at work upon her, and she is to be got ready for sea again with all possible despatch. The Geyser, Commander E.J. Carpenter, and the Growler, Commander C.H.M. Buckle, steam-frigates, will come round here from the eastward to complete their stores and complement of men, preparatory to proceeding to a foreign station. The Alfred, 50, Commodore J.B. Purvis, is expected daily from Sheerness. She is the same class vessel as the Vindictive, Several of the Hastings' ship’s company have volunteered into her, and will join her when she comes round to Spithead. The President, 50, Captain Broughton, is expected home from the South American station every day, the Dublin, 50, Captain T. Tucker, having arrived there some months since to relieve her.
Ma 18 October 1847	PORTSMOUTH, Oct 17. The officers and crew of the Comet have at last returned to that vessel from the Fire Queen, and the latter has been laid up alongside the Britannia, 120, in charge of her engineers and stokers for the present. Rumour states that there is to be a complete change in regard to the tenders, which are in future to be steamers instead of sailing vessels, Undine and Fire Queen superseding Fanny, Emerald, and Mercury, at this port.

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