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| Name | Hastings (1819) | Explanation | |
| Type | Third rate | Type | Blockship |
| Acquired (Sail) | June 1819 | Converted to screw | 5 February 1855 |
| Hull | Wooden | Length | 177 feet |
| Propulsion | Sail | Men | 600 |
| Builders measure | 1763 tons | Builders measure (as screw) | 1763 tons |
| Displacement | Displacement (as screw) | 2948 tons | |
| Guns | 74 | Guns (as screw) | 60 |
| Fate | 1886 | Last in commission | 1866 |
| Class | Class (as screw) | Cornwallis | |
| Ships book | |||
| Snippets concerning career prior to conversion | |||
| Date | Event | ||
| 22 June 1819 | Purchased upon arrival in Britain (as 3rd rate sailing ship; built by East India Company at Calcutta as a speculation). | ||
| 7 April 1834 | Commanded by Commanded by Captain Henry Shiffner, flagship of Rear-Admiral Sir William Hall Gage, Lisbon | ||
| 31 January 1838 - 4 June 1839 | Commanded by Captain Francis Erskine Loch, Mediterranean | ||
| 4 June 1839 - 3 February 1842 | Commanded (until paying off at Portsmouth) by Captain John Lawrence, Mediterranean (including operations on the coast of Syria in 1840) | ||
| 9 April 1848 - 21 June 1850 | Commanded (from commissioning at Portsmouth) by Captain James William Morgan, flagship of Rear-Admiral Francis Augustus Collier, East Indies | ||
| 21 January 1850 - 6 May 1853 | Commanded (until paying off at Portsmouth) by Captain Francis William Austen, flagship of Rear-Admiral Charles John Austen, East Indies | ||
| Career as unarmoured wooden screw vessel | |||
| Date | Event | ||
| 5 February 1855 | Undocked as screw at Portsmouth Dockyard. | ||
| 6 February 1855 - 28 August 1855 | Commanded by Captain James Crawford Caffin, the Baltic during the Russian War | ||
| 29 August 1855 - 14 May 1856 | Commanded (until paying off at Portsmouth) by Captain Edward Gennys Fanshawe, the Baltic during the Russian War, then Queenstown | ||
| 3 April 1857 - 1 February 1860 | Commanded (from commissioning at Portsmouth until paying off at Liverpool) by Captain William Robert Mends, Coast Guard, Liverpool (replaced by Majestic) | ||
| 4 February 1860 | Commanded by Commander Charles Maxwell Luckraft, Royal Naval Reserve drill ship, Liverpool | ||
| 1 April 1862 - 30 June 1862 | Commanded by Commander John William Whyte, Royal Naval Reserve drill ship, Liverpool | ||
| 16 October 1862 - 7 July 1864 | Commanded (from commissioning) by Captain Charles Frederick Alexander Shadwell, flagship of Rear-Admiral Lewis Tobias Jones, Queenstown | ||
| 2 July 1864 - 18 May 1866 | Commanded (until paying off) by Captain John Corbett, flagship of Rear-Admiral Lewis Tobias Jones then Rear-Admiral Frederick Warden, Queenstown | ||
| 1870 | Coal hulk, Devonport. | ||
| September 1885 | Sold. | ||
| Extracts from the Times newspaper | |||
| Date | Extract | ||
| Fr 23 April 1841 | Portsmouth.— There is a report that the Warspite, 50, is to be forthwith commissioned here, for the broad pendant of Commodore Sir Charles Napier, who is to have the command in the Pacific. The line-of-battle ships, Edinburgh, 72, Captain Henderson, and Bellerophon, 78, Captain C.J. Austen, are ordered home from the Mediterranean to be paid off, and may shortly be expected to arrive. The Hastings, 72, Captain Lawrence, will leave Malta for England, for the same purpose, in May next. The transport Belle Alliance, in command of Lieutenant Densten, has put into Plymouth from Deptford, with naval and ordnance stores for the squadron in the China seas. The Fair Rosamond schooner has been commissioned at this port by Lieutenant Bulman, for service on the coast of Africa. The Bonetta brigantine, Lieutenant Austen, fitting out at Chatham, is to go to the same station, and to be at Spithead by the 23th inst. The Stag, 46, Commodore Thomas Sullivan, recently from the Brazils, will haul down the pendant on Friday at Plymouth, and be hauled into dock to be surveyed as to her fitness for re-commissioning. The surveying vessel Thunder, Commander G. Barnett, according to private letters, will be in England in July next, to be paid on, from the Bahamas. The brig Acorn, 16, Commander Adams, has reached Plymouth from the Cape station, and is ordered to be refitted there without delay. She left Simon's-bay on the 28th of January, at which date Rear-Admiral Elliot had not arrived from China on his homeward voyage. Rear-Admiral Sir Edward King, K.C.B., was daily expected to arrive at the Cape from the Rio Plata in the Southampton frigate. The Acorn brought no news. The steam frigate Salamander, Commander Henry, returned to Sheerness on Monday, being ordered for some special service forthwith. The Asia, 84, recently from the Mediterranean, is to be forthwith reported upon, for recommissioning at Sheerness. Several large frigates and steamships are in active progress of completion for commission, should any emergency arise. — Brighton Gazette. | ||
| Fr 28 January 1842 | PERILOUS SITUATION OF HER MAJESTY’S SHIP VINDICTIVE. The Vindictive, 50, Captain Toup Nicholas, C.B., left the Downs in company with the Warspite, for Spithead; she has not yet arrived. It is supposed the Vindictive will take out Rear-Admiral Sir Thomas Cochrane recently appointed to the East India command. The Hastings, 74, at present preparing to pay off at this port, will, next week, be recommissioned by Captain H.W. Bruce, as the permanent flag-ship of Sir T. Cochrane. The Spy, 10, Lieutenant Potbury, sailed yesterday for Plymouth. The Queen, 110, Captain Rich, flag-ship of Vice-Admiral Sir Edward Owen (red at the fore), Commander-in-Chief in the Mediterranean, will be ready for sea next week, having a complement of upwards of 1,000 men. The Formidable, 80, Captain Sir C. Sullivan, with the Alfred, 50, Commodore J.B. Purvis, are ordered to this port from the eastward. The former ship proceeds to the Mediterranean, and the latter for South America. The Revenge, 78, Captain the Hon. W. Waldegrave, is daily expected at Spithead from the Mediterranean, to be paid off; as also the Winchester, 52, Captain Carter, from North America, to be recommissioned by Captain C. Eden, for the flag of Rear-Admiral Sir J. Percy, ordered to the Cape of Good Hope as Commander-in-Chief, vice King. Noon. Since writing the above, Her Majesty's ship Vindictive has been discovered in a perilous situation, at anchor near the dangerous sand or shoal called "the Dean," off St. Helen's. It is at present blowing a gale of wind from W. by S.. and should it not moderate, great fears are entertained that this splendid frigate will ground on the edge of the shoal.4 p.m. The Vindictive has unfortunately grounded on "the Dean," with her mizenmast cut away, and a heavy sea breaking over her, owing to the violence of the wind, now blowing a strong gale about W.S.W., with every appearance of the wind increasing. She has fired several guns, and made signate of distress. Unfortunately there is only one small steamer belonging to Government now here; two dockyard lighters are gone to her assistance with anchors and cables. It is feared little or no good can be rendered this ill-fated ship, owing to the lateness of the day; and, from her alarming position, white the present gale continues, it would be attended with danger getting boats on board her. The Vindictive is a new frigate, built at this dockyard, on Mr. Blake's plan. This is the first time of her going to sea. The greatest anxiety and suspense will naturally prevail during the night as to the fate of this noble ship, with her gallant crew, near 400 in number.(FROM ANOTHER CORRESPONDENT.) PORTSMOUTH, Wednesday, 9 o’clock, p.m. I regret to inform you that the fine ship Vindictive, 50. Captain T. Nicholas, C.B., K.H., is now aground on "the Dean," having taken the ground this day at noon, and remained there, with the sea beating over her, till night hid her from our view. The last glimpse we had of her, her mizen had gone over the side — most probably cut away. At it will not be high-water till midnight, and the ship would of course be much strained, it is feared she will drive on the iron coast of Selsy Bill; if so, the most serious consequences may be dreaded.LATER INTELLIGENCE. PORTSMOUTH, Thursday. The Vindictive, 50,Captain J.T. Nicholas, took the ground on the "Dean" Bank, near Spithead, yesterday morning and was, last night, considered to be in imminent peril; am happy, however, to inform you she got off this morning with the loss only of her mizen mast, the wind fortunately having shifted from S.W. to N.W. | ||
| Sa 29 January 1842 | PORTSMOUTH, Jan. 28. The Vindictive will go into harbour at high water to-day, and will be taken into dock to be examined, in order to ascertain to what extent she has been injured by her late disaster. It was intended that she should proceed to China with the flag of Rear-Admiral Sir T. Cochrane; but whether such intention will now be carried out will depend entirely upon the state she is found to be in upon examination, and how long it will take to repair the damage she bas sustained.The Warspite returned to Spithead on Tuesday evening last. Her powers of sailing are found to surpass even the most sanguine expectations of those who knew her of old, when as a 74 on the South American station, with the flag of Admiral Sir T. Baker, she was noted as a fast sailer, and made one of the quickest passages from Rio to this country on record. On Monday night, at 11 o'clock, she was in company with the Vindictive, off the South Foreland, and on the Tuesday morning she anchored at Spithead, while the Vindictive did not reach the offing until Tuesday afternoon, and was obliged to bring up there, the tide being against her and the wind having dropped. It was in removing from the anchorage to endeavour to reach Spithead on the following morning that she unfortunately got on shore. The Warspite sails admirably, even in a moderate breeze, but it is when the wind is fresh that she displays her speed to the greatest advantage. It is considered by competent judges that few, if any, ships in our own, or any other service, can equal her. She is now having her bulk heads fitted up to make the additional cabins necessary for the accommodation of Lord Ashburton and suite. The Hastings, 74, is nearly unrigged, and will be paid off to-morrow. The Queen, 110, is likely to remain at Spithead for three or four weeks longer, as she is still considerably short of her complement of hands, and it is expected it will take that time before she obtains the whole of them. | ||
| 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. | ||
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