HMS Royal George (1827)
HMS Royal George (1827)


Royal NavyVessels

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NameRoyal George (1827)Explanation
TypeFirst rate TypeThree-decker
Launched (Sail)22 September 1827 Converted to screw22 June 1853
HullWooden Length206 feet
PropulsionSail Men950
Builders measure2616 tons Builders measure (as screw)2616 tons
Displacement  Displacement (as screw)4205 tons
Guns120 Guns (as screw)120
Fate1875 Last in commission1869
Class    
Ships bookADM 135/408   
Snippets concerning career prior to conversion
DateEvent
22 September 1827Launched as 1st rate sailing ship at Chatham Dockyard.
January 1840Out of commission at Sheerness
Career as unarmoured wooden screw vessel
DateEvent
22 June 1853Undocked as screw at Chatham Dockyard.
25 October 1853
- 13 February 1856
Commanded (from commissioning at Sheerness) by Captain Henry John Codrington, the Baltic during the Russian War
13 January 1856
- 24 August 1856
Commanded (until paying off at Sheerness) by Captain Robert Spencer Robinson, troop transport from the Crimea
1 March 1858
- 30 June 1858
Commanded (from commissioning at Sheerness) by Captain John Coghlan Fitzgerald, guard ship of Ordinary, Sheerness, and Captain-Superintendent of Sheerness Dockyard
1860Cut down to two-decker of 89 guns.
April 1864
- 3 April 1865
Commanded by Captain Michael De Courcy, Coast Guard, Kingstown (replacing Ajax)
7 April 1865
- 8 April 1868
Commanded by Captain Thomas Miller, Coast Guard, Kingstown (and in July 1867 to Spithead for Royal Review on the occasion of the visit of the Ottoman Sultan to Britain)
(January 1869)
- 31 December 1869
Commanded (until paying off at Plymouth) by Captain Robert Jenkins, flagship of Henry Keppel, Coast Guard, Kingstown (and May 1869, cruise of the Reserve Fleet) until replaced by Pallas
31 December 1869Paid off (replaced at Kingstown by Pallas)
23 January 1875Sold to Castle for breaking up at Charlton.
Extracts from the Times newspaper
DateExtract
Ma 6 March 1854

PORTSMOUTH, March 5.

The victualling of the ships at Spithead for six months foreign service was completed yesterday. There are now at this rendezvous to-day the following ships, the complements of which we give, as nearly as we can arrive at them without consulting the ships' books:—
 Guns.Tons.Crew.Horse-
power.
Princess Royal, Captain Lord Clarence Paget, flag of Vice-Admiral Sir Charles Napier, K.C.B., &c.913,129880400
Prince Regent, Captain Hutton, flag of Rear-Admiral Corry.902,513821
Edinburgh, Captain Hewlett, flag of Rear-Admiral Chads. C.B.561,772660450
Royal George, Captain Codrington, C.B.1212,6161,100400
St. Jean d'Acre, Captain the Hon. Henry Keppel.1013,600900650
Boscawen, Captain Glanville.702,212620
Hogue, Captain W. Ramsay.601.750660450
Imperieuse, Captain Watson, C.B.512,347530360
Arrogant, Captain Yelverton.471,872450360
Amphion. Captain A.C. Key.341.474320300
Tribune, Captain the Hon. S.T. Carnegie.301,570200300
Dauntless, Captain Ryder.331,490300580
Leopard, Captain Giffard.181,412280550
Valorous, Captain C.H.M. Buckle.161,255220400
Dragon, Captain Willcox.61,270200500
Bulldog, Captain W.C. Hall.61,123160500
Frolic, Commander Nolloth.16511120
They have each been ordered (this day) to draw charts for the Baltic.
Every day will add to this force, which will eventually include the three-deckers, Duke of Wellington, 131; St. George, 120; Waterloo, 120; Neptune, 120; Caesar, 91; Nile, 91; James Watt, 91; Algiers, 91; Monarch, 84; Ganges, 84; Cressy, 81; Majestic, 81; Blenheim, 60; Ajax, 60; Euryalus, 51 ; Fox, 42; Pique, 40; and numerous others. Sir Charles Napier will, we believe, command personally 20 sail of the line, and 10 sail of French. There will be about 50 sail of smaller ships, which will be apportioned to the English and French Rear-Admirals and Commodore Martin, and it is reported a squadron of sailing-sloops or brigs is to be commissioned to cruise off the Scotch coast to prevent privateering. Rear-Admiral Corry will shift his flag to-morrow from the Prince Regent, 90, to the Neptune, 120, an order having been received yesterday, appointing Captain Hutton to the Neptune, and Captain Smith, C.B., from the Neptune, to the Prince Regent. Captain Hutton takes with him Commander Bunce, Lieutenant Brandreth, and 50 of the Prince Regent's crew. When the change of officers and ships was made known on board the Prince Regent yesterday, the whole ship's company, who really love their admiral and captain, and are devotedly attached to their matchless ship, wanted to follow the admiral, as one man, into the Neptune, and when told that only 50 would be allowed to be draughted by the Admiralty, their countenances betokened the sincerest dejection. Subsequently all the petty officers went aft on the quarter deck and respectfully requested that the Admiralty might be memorialised for their removal with their admiral and captain. The Neptune will be some time getting ready. She has lower yards and topmasts up and topgallant masts pointed, but has only 150 men on her books besides her draught of Royal Marines. We expect, therefore, that Rear-Admiral Chads will be the first despatched with a "flying squadron" of frigates towards the Baltic, that Sir Charles Napier will follow, and that Rear-Admiral Corry will bring up the rear. Captain Hay, of the Victory, has declined the flag-captaincy to Sir Charles Napier. The Prince Regent, the St. Jean d’Acre, the Amphion and the Odin were paid wages down to the 31st of January yesterday. The Imperieuse, Tribune, and Valorous will be paid to-morrow, leaving only the Arrogant (whose pay books have not yet been landed) of Admiral Corry's division to be paid. The Blenheim, 60, Captain the Hon, F.J. Pelham, has readjusted her compasses and will be ready to join the fleet to morrow. The Caesar, 91, Captain Robb, is rattling down her rigging. The Odin, 16, Captain F. Scott, is repairing boilers in the steam-basin. The fleet are daily exercised in .gunnery, reefing, furling, &c. Mr. Parratt, of the Treasury, brought down last night from London a small tubular collapsing boat, upon the principle of his admirable liferaft, which he has this day taken off to the St. Jean d'Acre, for the Hon. H. Keppell. The 23d, 42d, and 79th Regiments are preparing for active service. The two latter corps will be augmented by volunteers from the 72d and 79th depots, 31 volunteers from the 11th Foot, 32 from the 65th, and 62 from the 35th embarked from this dockyard at 6 o'clock this morning, in the Foyle, British and Irish Steam-pocket Company's vessel, to join the 1st battalion of the Royals, at Plymouth. The Foyle embarks the 93d depôt at Plymouth, to-morrow, for the Isle of Wight. The depôt of the 2d battalion of the Rifle Brigade will be conveyed to the Isle of Wight to-morrow in Her Majesty's steam-tender Sprightly.
The Cruiser, 14, Commander G.H. Douglas, will join the Baltic fleet.
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.
Ma 10 May 1858All the artificers at Sheerness are to be henceforth, until further orders, put on what is termed job and task work on unlimited earnings, and all labourers now employed, whether on the establishment or temporarily hired, whose weekly wages do not amount to 14s. Per week, are to have their pay raised to that sum. All extra time to be paid for. Provisions and stores of every description are ordered to be forthwith taken on board the screw steam guard-ship of ordinary Royal George, 102 guns, Captain Superintendent John C. Fitzgerald, and the screw steam guardship of steam reserve Cressy, 80 guns, Captain Edward P. Halsted, &c. If required for immediate service they are ordered to be manned from the different Coastguard stations attached to their district. The ships now under fitment at Sheerness, in the fitting basin and in dry dock, are the Majestic screw steamship, 80 guns; the Colossus screw steamship, 80 guns; the new screw steamship Hero, 91 guns; the Terrible paddle-wheel steam frigate, 21 guns; the new screw steam frigate Emerald, 51 guns, and sundry gunboats.
We 8 September 1858The Commander-in-Chief at Sheerness, on the 6th inst. inspected the Colossus, 80 guns, the Royal George, 102 guns, the Emerald, 51 guns, and the Scout, 21 guns, all advanced screw steamships, an Admiralty order having been received to report what time wonld be required to get them ready for foreign service.
Ma 17 May 1869Mr. Chiders, First Lord of the Admiralty, Vice-Admiral Sir Sidney Colpoys Dacres, K.C.B., and other gentlemen connected with the Admiralty, arrived at Portland by rail from London yesterday afternoon, and at once proceeded to the armour-plated ship Agincourt, bearing the flag of Rear-Admiral Astley Cooper Key, C.B. Their lordships were received with the customary salute, and on their arrival on board the Agincourt the Admiralty flag was hoisted at the main. The whole of the vessels composing the Naval Reserve Squadron, consisting of the Agincourt, 26; Black Prince, 41; Hector, 20; Valiant, 24; Duncan, 81; Trafalgar, 60; Royal George, 72; Donegal, 81; St. George, 72 ; Mersey, 36; Cadmus, 21; Scylla, 21; and the paddle-wheel despatch boat Helicon, put to sea this morning shortly after 5 o?clock. The wind at the time of their departure was blowing strongly from the eastward, but so great is the harbour accommodation that the ships had no difficulty whatever in taking up their assigned berths between the end of the great breakwater and the north shore. The iron-clad vessels formed the starboard division, and the wooden two-deckers, frigates, and corvettes the port division.
The spectacle presented on the squadron leaving the harbour was fine in the extreme, The atmosphere, unfortunately, became rather hazy shortly after they left, and the vessels were soon out of sight from the shore. The great capabilities of the harbour at Portland were, perhaps, never better exemplified than on this occasion, for, in addition to these large ships, forming the Reserve Squadron, there were upwards of 60 vessels belonging to the mercantile marine at anchor, yet there were ample space and shelter under cover of the breakwater to accommodate at least an equal number of vessels in addition.


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