HMS Shearwater

HMS Shearwater (1837)

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Name	Shearwater (1837)	Explanation
Type	Packet
Acquired	1837
Hull	Wooden
Propulsion	Paddle
Builders measure	343 tons
Displacement
Guns
Fate	1857
Class
Ships book
Note	Transferred from Post Office, ex-Dolphin
Snippets concerning this vessels career
Date	Event
(January 1840)	In commission at Liverpool
16 March 1841 - 15 March 1842	Commanded by Commander John Washington, Woolwich for surveying the east coast of England
16 March 1842 - 28 January 1843	Commanded (until paying off at Woolwich) by Captain John Washington, Woolwich for surveying the east coast of England
30 January 1843 - 8 November 1846	Commanded by Commander Charles Gepp Robinson, surveying the coast of Scotland
9 November 1846 - 28 October 1847	Commanded by Captain Charles Gepp Robinson, surveying the coast of Scotland
2 March 1848 - 5 March 1851	Commanded by Lieutenant Edmond Edward Turnour, particular service
9 August 1851 - 30 September 1854	Commanded by Lieutenant William Horton, Mediterranean
*Extracts from the Times* newspaper**
Date	Extract
We 19 January 1842	The Downs, Tuesday.—The Warspite and the Vindictive frigates got under weigh this day, at 12 o’clock, and proceeded in company to Ostend, there to await the embarkation of His Majesty the King of Prussia, which is to take place on Thursday next. The Formidable, it is understood, will not form one of the squadron, but will be at anchor in the Nore, ready to man the yards and salute His Majesty as he passes. The Firebrand and another steamer have already gone over to Ostend, where they will be joined by the Warspite and Vindictive. The Royal Visiters.—Woolwich, Jan. 18.— The Firebrand steam vessel, Commander John Neale Nott, was expected to leave her moorings at half-past 1 o’clock to-day, to proceed to Ostend, to be in waiting to receive the King of Prussia, but had not sailed at 4 o’clock, in consequence of some defect being discovered in her engines when she got her steam up and was ready to start. A numerous party went on board the Firebrand so late as 11 o’clock last night, several of whom were the guests of the Lord Mayor yesterday after being present at the laying of the foundation stone of the Royal Exchange. The Shearwater steam vessel, Captain Washington, has her steam up, and is ready to sail from her moorings opposite the dockyard, to form part of the squadron destined to accompany the King of Prussia to this country. The Lightning steam vessel, second master H.K. Bowen, having given satisfaction during her experimental trip yesterday, has been ordered to form part of the squadron, and has her steam up to-day in readiness to proceed with the Firebrand and Shearwater steam vessels to Ostend. The orders have not yet been issued defining the duties of the troops of the garrison of Woolwich on the day of the arrival of the King of Prussia in England, but the highest authorities in these matters state that the Guard of Honour of the Royal Marines will have to attend at Greenwich on Friday, the 21st inst., as the arrival of his Majesty is now expected to take place on that day, or early on the following morning, if no unforeseen circumstance retard the vessels in their voyage. It is now more generally the opinion in all quarters that the landing of the King of Prussia will take place at Greenwich. Their Majesties the Kings of Prussia and Belgium will land at the Royal Hospital, Greenwich, on Friday next, at 12 o’clock (weather permitting). They will be received by his Royal Highness Prince Albert, the Cabinet Ministers, Admiral Sir Robert Stopford, the Governor, the Foreign Ambassadors, and corps diplomatique. The Royal Marines, as a guard of honour, will be drawn up in the grand square. The pensioners, of which there are 2,710 within the hospital, under the command of Lieutenants Rivers and Bedford, will range round the quadrangle. The one-armed and one-legged college men who have fought under Nelson, Collingwood, and other naval heroes, will be placed at the royal landing-place, through these the distinguished visitors will pass. The boys of the upper and lower school of the Naval Asylum, under the command of Lieutenant Rouse, R.N., will be drawn up at the steps between the painted hall and the chapel. Lieutenants Tucker, Felton, De Montmorency, and Casey, will have charge of the gate. The east gate is for the admission only of those who have tickets; the west gate for ingress and egress of the carriages of the Royal family and the Cabinet Ministers and Ambassadors. All the naval and other officers are to appear in their full uniforms, and the pensioners and scholars in their best suits. The east side of the grand square will be appropriated to the officers’ families and the persons admitted by tickets of admission, which are from the Governor only. Their Majesties do not intend visiting any part of the institution, as the entire procession will proceed to Windsor Castle, via. Camberwell and Wandsworth, shortly after their landing. The landing-place will be covered with crimson carpeting, as well as the pathway leading to the Royal carriages. The splendid bands of the Royal Marines and Royal Artillery will be in attendance. Some strong detachments of cavalry will also attend, and a sufficient body of the metropolitan police, together with Mr. T. Fisher, high constable of the borough. and the local authorities.
Ma 16 August 1847	PLYMOUTH, Friday, 3 p.m. The City of Limerick Dublin steamer, Captain Moppett, which left Southampton yesterday and arrived here to-day, reported that on going through the Needles at 5 o'clock in the afternoon she met a large fleet of yachts, apparently returning from escorting Her Majesty from the Isle of Wight into the Channel. This morning, between 4 and 5 o'clock, the Limerick descried the Royal steam squadron to the eastward of Start Point. They appeared to have just come out of Dartmouth Harbour. A large ship with two funnels led the van. She was followed by the Royal yacht Victoria and Albert; behind the Royal yacht on the starboard quarter came the Garland, and on the larboard quarter the Black Eagle, The Undine was in the rear of the Garland, and the Fairy followed the Black Eagle. The City of Limerick, with the Company's flag at the main, Ensign aft, and Union Jack at her bow, duly honoured the Royal squadron as she passed under the stern of the Garland and Black Eagle, off Prawl Point, a little after 5 o'clock. There was very little wind. The squadron was at full speed — say, 11 to 12 knots, and steaming a course W. by N., which would bring them abreast of the Lizard. About 6 the Garland put on extra steam, detached herself from the squadron, and steered a more northerly course. Towards 7 o'clock the squadron was descried from the Breakwater Lighthouse several miles outside the Eddystone, steering for the Lizard. The Royal yacht was a-head, closely followed by the Fairy and Black Eagle. They had outrun the Shearwater and Undine, which were four or five miles astern. The probability is that Her Majesty will pass Falmouth and proceed direct for Milford Haven, and thus keep her engagements in the St. George's Channel.
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.

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