HMS Meeanee (1848)
HMS Meeanee (1848)


Royal NavyVessels

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NameMeeanee (1848)Explanation
TypeSecond rate TypeTwo-decker
Launched (Sail)11 November 1848 Converted to screw31 October 1857
HullWooden Length190 feet
PropulsionSail Men750
Builders measure2591 tons Builders measure (as screw)2591 tons
Displacement  Displacement (as screw)3482 tons
Guns80 Guns (as screw)80
Fate1906 Last in commission1866
Class  Class (as screw)Majestic
Ships bookADM 135/303   
Snippets concerning career prior to conversion
DateEvent
11 November 1848Launched as 2nd rate sailing ship at Bombay Dockyard of East India Co.
24 March 1849
- 23 August 1849
Commanded (from commissioning at Bombay until paying off at Chatham) by Commander Edward Augustus Inglefield, for voyage to England
Career as unarmoured wooden screw vessel
DateEvent
31 October 1857Undocked as screw at Sheerness Dockyard.
18 November 1862
- 1 March 1866
Commanded (until paying off at Sheerness) by Captain George Wodehouse, Mediterranean
5 March 1867Lent to War Department as hospital ship, Hong Kong.
30 March 1868
- 28 October 1868
Commissioned for towing to Hong Kong
1906Sold for breaking up.
Extracts from the Times newspaper
DateExtract
We 31 December 1856The following ships and vessels are now in port at Sheerness, in harbour, fitting-basin, and in docks, viz.:- The Edinburgh, 60 guns, Captain Edward P. Halsted; the Waterloo, 120 guns, Captain Lord Frederick Kerr, flagship; the Formidable, 84 guns, Captain-Superintendent John Jervis Tucker; the Royal George, 102 guns; the Terrible, 21 guns; the new screw steam corvette Scylla. 21 guns; the Argus, 6 guns; the Eurotas, 12 guns, screw mortar-ship; the Hydra, 6 guns; the Terror, 14 guns, floating battery; the Horatio, 12 guns; the Russell, 60 guns; the Hawke, 60 guns, Captain James Willcox, C.B., &c.; the Phoenix, 6 guns.; the Renard, 6 guns; the Foxhound, 6 guns; the Pylades, 21 guns; the Trusty, 14 guns, floating battery; the new screw steam frigate Emerald, 51 guns; the Hermes, 6 guns, Commander William E.A. Gordon; the Lizard steamvessel, Lieutenant-Commander Thomas B. Christopher; the Myrtle steamvessel, Master-Commander William S. Bourchier; the African steamvessel, Second Master-Commander R. Harvey; the Fearless steamvessel; the Wildfire steam tender to Waterloo, Master-Commander George Brockman; the Melampus, 42 guns, Captain L. Heath, C. B., &c. The gunboats Louisa, Magnet, Erne, Mayflower, Ruby, Sandfly, Carnation, Spanker, Pelter, Fly, Hasty, Cochin, Julia, Dwarf, Fidget, Griper, Mastiff, Mistletoe, Traveller, Spey, Surly, Herring, Sepoy, Bullfrog, Tickler, Manly, Thistle, and the new screw steam despatch gunboat Nimrod. The new ship Meeanee, 80 guns, is in No. 2 dry dock, being altered to receive screw steam machinery.
Sa 19 September 1863The following is the letter of our Malta Correspondent, dated Valetta, Sept.14 -,
"Her Majesty's iron screw troopship Orontes, 2, Capt. W. Hire, arrived last night from England and Gibraltar, having on board from the latter place the 2d battalion 7th Regiment, consisting of 25 officers, 832 men. 73 women, 6 ladies, and 97 children under the command of Major R. Hibbert. She also had on board Assist.-Adjt.-Gen. Maude, Capt. Clarke, R.A., Dr. Clarke, R.A., Capt. Durnford, R.E., and 10 naval officers supernumeraries for the fleet. The regiment will disembark today and relieve the 4th battalion Rifle Brigade, which is to embark in the Orontes on Tuesday or Wednesday for Gibraltar. Her Majesty's iron paddlewheel sloop Trident, 3, Commander C.J. Balfour, arrived to-day from Gibraltar to be employed in victualling the fleet. Her Majesty's screw corvette Cossack, 20, W.R. Rolland, arrived at the Piraeus, from Malta, on the 26th ult., and was to leave on the 1st inst. for Beyrout, to relieve the Chanticleer, 17, Commander C. Stirling. Her Majesty's ship Marlborough, 121 (bearing the flag of Vice-Admiral R. Smart, K.H.), Capt. the Hon. F. Egerton; the Trafalgar, 70, Capt. T. Mason; the Meeanee, 60, Capt. G. Wodehouse; and the Icarus, 11, Commander N. Salmon, V.C., which last arrived on the 29th ult., were anchored in Phalerum Bay. The Cossack remained in Phalerum Bay till the 29th, when she went into the Piraeus, and took up her berth alongside the Orlando, 46. Capt. G.G. Randolph, the only other English ship there. The French ship Magicienne, and two other French war vessels, one Turk, one Greek, and one Italian, were also lying in the Piraeus. The Austrian frigate Novara and another Austrian vessel left early in the morning of the 1st. inst., soon after the arrival of the mail. The English frigate Magicienne, 16, Capt. W. Armytage, called in at Phalerum Bay, on the 28th ult., to communicate with the Admiral, and the Surprise, 4, Commander C.M. Seymour, left for Patras the same day. A court-martial was held on board the Cossack on the 1st, to try a private of Marines for striking a sergeant. The prisoner was found guilty, and sentenced to penal servitude for five years. Her Majesty's ship Queen, 74, Capt. C.F. Hillyar, leaves after the arrival of the mail from Marseilles. due to-night, for Athens, with stores and provisions, and 20,000l. in specie, for the use of the fleet.
Fr 16 October 1863We have received the following letter from our Malta correspondent, dated Valetta, October 10:-
"Letters from the fleet in Greek waters give the following news:- The latest date is the 3d inst. The country continues in a tranquil state, the arrival of the new King being looked forward to with feelings of pleasing expectation and deep interest. Her Majesty's ship Revenge, 73 (bearing the flag of Rear-Admiral Yelverton, C.B.), which is to escort the young King from a port in France to his new dominions, does not leave Malta for Toulon until Monday next, the 12th inst. Her orders are to be at Toulon by the 15th, and the King is not expected there till the 22d or 23d. It is reported that the Orlando, 46, Capt. G.G. Randolph, which left the Piraeus on the 25th ult. for Corfu, and the West Coast of Greece, will form part of the escort squadron. The following ships of war are at present at the Piraeus:- English.- Marlborough, 121, Capt. C. Fellowes (bearing the flag of Vice-Admiral Smart, K.H.); Trafalgar, 70, Capt. T. Mason; the Queen, 74, Capt. F. Hillyar; the St. George, 84, Capt. the Hon. F. Egerton (in Salamis Bay); and the Boxer, 2, gunboat, Lieut.-Commander F.S.D. Broughton, tender to the Marlborough. French.- The Magicienne, 23, screw frigate, bearing the flag of the Rear-Admiral commanding; the Tangier, 4, and the Mouette, 4, paddlewheel steamers. Austrian.- The Dandolo, 22, screw corvette; and the Wall, 4, screw gunboat. Italian.- The Tancrede, 4, paddlewheel steamer. Turkish.- The Broussa, 22, screw corvette. Greek.- The Athens, 6, paddlewheel steamer, and a screw gunboat. The English paddlewheel frigate Magicienne, 16, Capt. W. Armytage, sailed from the Piraeus on the 1st inst. for Nauplia and Patras. The Pelican, 17, screw corvette, Acting-Commander Bogle, was expected at Athens about the 10th inst. from Beyrout. She was to return and winter on the coast of Syria. The Liffey, 35, screw frigate, Capt. G. Parker, was also to winter on some part of that station. The Cossack, 22, Capt. W.R. Rolland, and the Icarus, 11, Commander N. Salmon, V. C.. are at present there. Report says that the Marlborough will shortly return to Malta. The Admiral intends, however, to remain at the Piraeus, and hoist his flag on board the Queen. The three men who perpetrated the cowardly murder of a marine belonging to Her Majesty's gunboat Foxhound some months since are about to be brought to trial before the Criminal Court of Athens, the decision of which will be final. The Trident, 3, iron paddlewheel sloop, Commander C.J. Balfour, arrived at the Piraeus on the 25th ult. from Malta with a mail and despatches, and returned on the 6th inst., bringing despatches and letters from the squadron; also three naval cadets and an assistant-clerk for the Meeanee, and two naval cadets for the Phoebe. She steamed from the Piraeus to Kalamata, where she communicated with the Wanderer, 4, gunboat, Commander M.C. Seymour, and performed the remaining portion of the voyage to Malta, with the exception of the last 12 hours, under sail, acquitting herself better than was expected. The Liffey was expected at Kalamata on the 11th inst. The Foxhound, 4, gunboat, Commander W.H. Anderson, left Malta on the 1st inst. for the Piraeus, and the Meeanee, 60, Capt. G. Wodehouse, quitted port on the 8th for the same destination, both taking mails and despatches for the squadron. The following mail will probably be conveyed by the Trident. The Caradoc, despatch-vessel, Lieut.-Commander E. Wilkinson, is at Constantinople; the Weser, 6, Commander A.H.J. Johnstone, and the Cockatrice, 2, Lieut.- Commander Gillson, are on the Danube station; and the Procris, gunboat. Lieut.-Commander the Hon. J.B. Vivian, is at Gibraltar. There are at present in Malta harbour the receiving ship Hibernia (bearing the flag of Rear-Admiral H.T. Austen, C.B.), Commander R.B. Harvey; the Revenge, 73 (bearing the flag of Rear-Admiral H. R. Yelverton, C.B). Capt. the Hon. F.A. Foley; the Chanticleer, 17, Commander C. Sterling (lately arrived from Syria); the Medina, surveying vessel, Capt. T.A.B. Spratt, C.B. (awaiting her relief the Hydra, 6, paddle-sloop, from England); the Trident, 3, Commander C.J. Balfour; the Psyche, despatch-vessel, Lieut.-Commander Sterne, and the Growler, tender to the Medina (arrived on the 2d inst. from Sicily). The Revenge, having got ashore on the mud at Navarino, was on arrival here admitted into dock for examination. No damage was discovered but what a few sheets of copper will make good. The Phoebe has also been into dock to have her bottom cleaned and examined. Her broken engine is being repaired here, and it will he necessary to cast a new cylinder. It is not expected she will be ready for sea again in much less than three months. Her Majesty's iron screw transport Orontes, 2, Capt. W.H. Hire, which brought here on Wednesday evening, the 30th ult., the 2d Battalion 8th Regiment, under the command of Lieut.-Colonel Woods, from Gibraltar, left on return to Gibraltar on Monday, the 5th inst., with the 2d battalion 15th Regiment, under the command of Major Fulton, from this garrison, to replace the former regiment at Gibraltar. She will return with the 100th (Royal Canadian) Regiment, and take away from this the 23d (Royal Welsh) Fusiliers. which have been for some time under order to proceed to Gibraltar in exchange for the 100th. The 8th Regiment is now quartered in Verdala Barracks, on the other aide of the harbour. ... A Prussian steam corvette, the Preussischer Adler, Commodore G. Klatt, and two gunboats, the Basilisk, Lieut. H. Schan, and the Blitz, Lieut. M'Lean, have lately arrived in the Mediterranean from the Baltic, and touched here on their way to the Levant. They left on Sunday and Monday last for Athens, where the Blitz is to remain until further orders. The Preussischer Adler and the Basilisk will go on, the former to be stationed at Constantinople, and the latter on the Danube. They are likely to remain in these waters for two or three years. The Malacca, 17, screw corvette, Capt. G J. Napier, came in this morning in five days from Missolonghi. She is on her way home, having been ordered to England in consequence of legal proceedings having been taken by one of her former officers (Lieut. Armitage) who was dismissed the service by court-martial, and who has brought a charge of conspiracy against certain persons belonging to this ship, who gave evidence in the case. Deputy-Commissary-General Horne arrived to-night by the Euxine from China on his way home. He remains a week at Malta."


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