HMS Pembroke (1812)
HMS Pembroke (1812)

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NamePembroke (1812)Explanation
TypeThird rate TypeBlockship
Launched (Sail)23 June 1812 Converted to screw3 February 1855
HullWooden Length176 feet
PropulsionSail Men600
Builders measure1758 tons Builders measure (as screw)1758 tons
Displacement  Displacement (as screw)2842 tons
Guns74 Guns (as screw)60
Fate1905 Last in commission1869
ClassArmada Class (as screw)Cornwallis
Ships book   
Snippets concerning career prior to conversion
DateEvent
27 June 1812Launched as 3rd rate sailing ship at Wigram, Wells and Green, Blackwall
25 March 1836Commanded by Captain Thomas Fellowes
23 January 1837
- 14 July 1840		Commanded (until paying off at Portsmouth) by Captain Fairfax Moresby, Mediterranean
January 1843Out of commission at Portsmouth
Career as unarmoured wooden screw vessel
DateEvent
3 February 1855Undocked as screw at Portsmouth Dockyard
5 February 1855
- 5 August 1861		Commanded (from commissioning at Portsmouth until paying off at Portsmouth) by Captain George Henry Seymour, the Baltic during the Russian War, then North America and West Indies
3 December 1856
- 28 February 1858		Commanded (from commissioning at Portsmouth) by Captain John Fraser, Coast Guard, Leith (replaced by Edinburgh)
1 March 1858
- January 1861		Commanded by Captain Edward Philips Charlewood, Coast Guard, Harwich, tender: Dolphin
1 January 1861
- 31 March 1861		Commanded by Captain George Edwin Patey, Coast Guard, Harwich
5 April 1861
- 1 May 1863		Commanded by Captain Thomas Fisher, Coast Guard, Harwich (frm 6 february 1863, flag of Commodore Swynfen Carnegie)
28 April 1863
- 27 April 1866		Commanded by Captain John Ormsby Johnson, Coast Guard, Harwick
2 May 1866
- 10 May 1869		Commanded by Captain Hon. John Welbore Sunderland Spencer, Coast Guard, Harwich
11 May 1869
- 11 June 1869		Commanded by Captain William John Samuel Pullen, Coast Guard, Harwich (replaced by Penelope)
12 June 1869
- 30 June 1870		Commanded by Captain Thomas Miller, flagship of Richard Laird Warren, Sheerness
1 July 1870
- 31 December 1871		Commanded by Captain John Crawford Wilson, flagship of Vice-Admiral Charles Gilbert John Brydone Elliot, Sheerness
1 January 1872
- 31 March 1873		Commanded by Captain George Willes Watson, flagship of Vice-Admiral Charles Gilbert John Brydone Elliot, Sheerness
1 April 1873
- 31 December 1874		Commanded by Captain Charles Murray-Aynsley, Reserve ship, Chatham
1 January 1875
- 2 January 1878		Commanded by Captain John Clark Soady, Captain Superintendent of the Medway steam reserve
1 January 1878
- October 1878		Commanded by Captain Frederick William Richards, flagship of Rear-Admiral Charles Fellowes, Admiral Superintendant of the Steam Reserve, Chatham
(21 November 1878)
- 2 January 1882		Commanded by Captain Walter James Hunt-Grubbe, harbour service (in command of the Medway steam reserve)
(1879)Flag Ship of the Admiral Superintendent, Chatham; includes officers borne for duties in Chatham Dockyard, for the Reserve, Melville Hospital, Sheerness Yard, Torpedo Boats and for Tenders.
17 December 1881
- 31 March 1885		Commanded by Captain Lord Walter Talbot Kerr, harbour service (in command of the Medway steam reserve)
28 March 1885
- 31 December 1886		Commanded by Captain Alexander BullerFlag Ship of the George Willes Watson , Admiral Superintendent, Chatham
(1890)Guard ship of Reserve; includes officers borne for supervisory duties for ships building in private yards on the Clyde, Tyne and Mersey, and ashore at Chatham Dockyard etc.
1890Renamed Forte, receiving ship
1905Sold
Extracts from the Times newspaper
DateExtract
Ma 26 February 1855As far as can be ascertained at present, the fleet about to be despatched to the Baltic will be thus composed:—
Commander-in-Chief.— Rear-Admiral of the Blue, the Hon. Richard Saundars Dundas, C.B.
Second in Command.— Rear-Admiralof the Blue, Michael Seymour.
Third in Command.— Rear-Admiral of the Blue, Robert Lambert Baynes, C.B.
Captain of the Fleet.— The Hon. F.T. Pelham.
 GunsHorse-power
Duke of Wellington (flag)131700
Royal George, Captain Codrington, C.B. 102400
Exmouth (flag)91400
James Watt, Captain Georce Elliot91600
Orion, Captain Erskine91600
Caesar, Captain Robb91400
Nile, Captain Mundy91500
Majestic, Captain J. Hope, C.B.81400
Cressy, Captain Warren81400
Colossus, Captain Robinson81400
Sanspareil, Captain Heath70350
Blenheim, Captain W.H. Hall60450
Hogue, Captain Ramsay60450
Ajax, Captain Warden60450
Edinburgh, Captain Hewlett60450
Russell, Captain Scott60200
Hawke, Captain Erasmus Ommanney60200
Cornwallis, Captain Wellesley60200
Pembroke, Captain G.H. Seymour60200
Hastings, Captain Caffin60200
Imperieuse, Captain Watson, C.B.51360
Euryalus, Captain Ramsay51400
Arrogant, Cantain Yelverton47360
Amphion, Captain A.C. Key34300
Horatio, Captain Cochrane24250
Cossack, Captain Fanshawe212ö0
Pylades, Captain D'Eyncourt21250
Esk, Captain T.F. Birch21250
Tartar, Captain Dunlop21250
Archer, Captain Heathcote17200
Retribution, Captain Fisher28400
Magicienne, Captain Tatham16400
Odin, Captain Willcox16560
Sampson, Captain Brock6467
Dragon, Captain Stewart6560
Bulldog, Captain W.K. Hall6500
Penelope, Captain Sir W. Wiseman18650
Lightning, Captain B.J. Sulivan3100
Vulture, Captain Glasse 6470
Desperate, Commander White8400
Conflict, Commander Cumming 8400
Cruizer Commander the Hon. G. Douglas1460
Harier, Commander Story14160
Ariel, Commander Luce960
Falcon, Commander Pullen17100
Basilisk, Commander the Hon. F. Egerton6400
Rosamond, Commander Crofton6286
Driver, Commander Rice6280
Janus, Lieutenaut Kane4220
Locust, Lieutenant -3180
Otter, Lientenant W.A.J. Heath3120
Porcupine, Lieutenant Jackson3132
Zephyr, Lieutenant Bond3100
Recruit, Lientenant J.F. Day4160
Weser, Lieatenant Commerell4160
Vulture, Captain Glasse 6470
Floating Batteries
Ætna16Thunder16
Glatton16Trusty16
Meteor16 
Mortar Vessels
Blazer1Manly1
Firm1Mastiff1
Hardy1Porcupine 1
Havock1Surly1
Steam Gunboats
Gleaner3Hind2
Pelter3Jackdaw2
Pincher3Jasper2
Ruby3Jack2
Teazer3Magpie2
Badger3Redwing2
Snapper3Skylark2
Biter2Snap2
Boxer2Starling2
Clinker2Stork2
Cracker2Swinger2
Dapper2Thistle2
Fancy2Weasel2
Grinder2Pigmy2
The Belleisle, 24, Commander Hosken, hospital ship.
The Æolus, 42, ammunition magazine.
The Perseverance, storeship.
The Volcano, floating engineers' factory, Master-Commander Dyer.
Rear-Admiral Michael Seymour has hoisted his flag (pro tem.) as second in command of the Baltic Fleet on board the Nile, 91, Captain Mundy, at Plymouth. Mr. Dyer, secretary at the Devonport dockyard, goes to sea with Admiral Seymour as secretary.
Th 1 March 1855The Hastings, 60, Captain Caffin; the Pembroke, 60, Captain Seymour; and the Hogue, 60, Captain Ramsay, screw blockships, fitting at Portsmouth, are hourly approaching completion, and abundance of labour is put upon them to turn them out of hand. The new high-pressure blockships will be more efficient, although of 230-horse power lees than the old ones, and will form (it is confidently expected) the most important and efficacious division of the Baltic fleet. The Blenheim, 60, Captain W.H. Hall, received her mainmast yesterday, and is completing her refit in the old basin at Portsmouth. The Edinburgh, 58, Captain Hewlett, is under repair and refit with the utmost expedition to rejoin the fleet; thus there are five of these screw blockships now at Portsmouth made highly serviceable and powerful war steam two-deckers out of useless old sailing 74’s —the Hastings, Pembroke, Blenheim, Hogue, and Ajax. The Britannia, 120, Captain Carter, will go into Portsmouth harbour today if the fog (yesterday and on Tuesday too dense) will permit, when she will be dismantled and put out of commission, and her crew paid wages, granted leave, and made available for the steam fleet. The Retribution, 28, paddle-wheel frigate, Captain Fisher, is yet under the shipwrights’ hands at Portsmouth, and great progress is making towards refitting her. The Centaur, 6, paddle-frigate, Captain Clifford, is very well advanced in her equipment, and is nearly rigged, with the assistance of the dockyard riggers; all her masts are up, and the rigging nearly fitted. The James Watt, 91, Captain George Elliot, is shipping her spare spars, and will leave the dock for the basin to complete the readjustment of her machinery in a day or two. The Esk, 20, screw corvette, Captain Birch, which has been on a few days’ cruise to prove her capabilities, &c., returned to Spithead on Tuesday, and remains awaiting further orders. The Calcutta, Peninsular and Oriental Steam-Navigation Company’s transport, has not been able to get into Portsmouth harbour with safety to embark the Lancashire Militia, owing to dense fogs. The Æolus, 42-gun frigate, fitted up to serve as a shell and powder depot for the Baltic fleet, will move out of the basin at Portsmouth this day. The Himalaya, Commander Priest, R.N., will embark the remount of cavalry horses she is destined to convey to the seat of war this day at Portsmouth dockyard. By the end of next week there will be at Spithead such an "armada" as that anchorage never before berthed, if the weather should be propitious.
Tho screw steamship Duke of Wellington, 131, Captain George T. Gordon, was taken out of dock at Keyham, Plymouth, on Tuesday.
The paddle-wheel steam-frigate Dragon, 6, Captain James Wilcox, was towed by the steam-vessel Confiance to the Jupiter coal depôt, in Hamoaze, on Monday.
The screw steam corvette Tartar, 20, Captain Hugh Dunlop, is undergoing repair alongside the jetty at Devonport dockyard.
The screw steamship Conflict, 8, Captain Arihur Cumming, was placed in dock at Keyham on Tuesday.
The screw steamship Nile, 91, Captain George R. Mundy, was appointed to go from Hamoaze into Plymouth Sound yesterday, and to sail to-morrow for Spithead.
The crew of the troopship Resistance, 10, Master-Commander Mauser Bradshaw, in Hamoaze, bent sails on Monday. They were paid wages by Admiral Plumridge on Tuesday.
...
Rear-Admiral Michael Seymour shifted his flag at Plymouth on Tuesday from the Nile to the Exmouth.
Sa 10 March 1855Har Majesty is expected at Portsmouth en route to Osborne on the 15th inst., and, it is supposed, will inspect the Baltic fleet prior to its sailing from Spithead. An advanced squadron of steam-frigates, denominated the "flying squadron," was ordered to proceed to Kiel, but whether this intention of the late First Lord of the Admiralty will be carried out by Sir C. Wood is not known. Captain Rundle Watson, C. B., of the Imperieuse, was intended to be the senior officer in command of this advanced flying division of the Baltic Fleet.
The Royal George, 102, screw ship, Captain Codrington, C.B., arrived at Spithead yesterday, from the Nore, and joined the fleet.
The Hogue, 60, Captain Ramsay, was taken out of the steam-basin yesterday, and Her Majesty’s steamyacht Osborne taken in, supposed for the purpose of clearing out her cabin furniture, prior to being turned over to special service.
The Falcon, 17, Commander Pullen, was taken into dock yesterday to have the well of her propeller altered, the same as the Ariel, 9, Commander Luce, which was taken out at Portsmouth yesterday.
The Centaur, 6, paddle frigate, Captain Clifford, bent sails yesterday in the basin at Portsmouth, and is ready to go out. She was reported complete in her outfit last evening.
The Pembroke and Hastings, screw blockships, Captains Seymour and Caffin, were reported out of the hands of the dockyard artificers at Portsmouth last evening, and will leave the steam-basin next week.
Fr 16 March 1855Rear-Admiral Baynes struck his flag on board the Centaur yesterday at Portsmouth, and went on Leave, it is presumed, until his proper flagship is ready. The Esk, 21, Captain Birch, whose leakage was reported yesterday, is ordered into harbour to be docked. The Blenheim, 60, Captain Hall, adjusted her compasses in Portsmouth harbour yesterday, and will be ready to join the fleet at Spithead this day. The Cressy, 81, will have to be docked to remedy her defects. The Falcon, 17, Commander Pullen, returned to Spithead yesterday. The Ruby and Pelter, new screw gunboats, were tested yesterday off Spithead to prove their machinery, &c. Mr. Miller, the chief assistant to the Superintendent Engineer of Portsmouth dockyard, went out on board one of them to make the experiments, after which they returned into harbour. The principal attention of the dockyard departments now seem centred on the James Watt, 91, Hastings, 60, Pembroke, 60, and Retribution, 23. These are being progressed with as fast as possible. The Gorgon, 6, paddlewheel sloop, Commander Crawford, steamed into harbour yesterday to be docked. The Dee steam transport arrived at Portsmouth yesterday with machinery for the new Royal yacht. The Walter Maurice, hired transport, arrived at Spithead yesterday, and will go into Portsmouth harbour to-day to receive a detachment of about 150 men of the 26th Regiment for conveyance to Bermuda. These troops will not embark, in all probability, until early next week, the vessel having sustained some damage on her passage from the Thames, which will require repair. The Cruiser, 15, Commander the Hon. G. Douglas, arrived at Spithead yesterday and joined the fleet.
The screw steamship Exmouth, 90, Captain the Hon. M. [=F.T.] Pelham, and the steam frigate Magicienne, 16, Captain Fisher, left Plymouth Sound yesterday for Portsmouth.
Fr 23 March 1855The fleet at Spithead was augmented yesterday by the joining of the Edinburgh, 58, Captain Hewlett, and the Driver, 6, Captain Rice. The Caesar, 91, Captain Robb, was also reported standing in from Plymouth, but the fog was too thick to enable the report to be confirmed. There were no movements in the fleet worthy of note. The Basilisk, 6, Commander Jenner, which went to Spithead on Monday, returned into Portsmouth harbour yesterday to be docked, having, it is reported, sprang a leak. The James Watt, 91, Captain Elliot, and the Hastings, 60, Captain Caffin, had their steam up yesterday in the factory basin for trial of their engines; after which the latter steamed into the harbour to ship her armament, sea stores, and swing for the adjustment of her compasses. The James Watt will leave the basin on Saturday. The Pembroke, 60, Captain G.H. Seymour, will also be ready to leave the basin by to-morrow. The Centaur, 6, paddle-frigate, Captain Clifford, is expected to join the fleet this day. The Retribution, 23, paddle-frigate, Captain Fisher, fitting for the flag of Rear-Admiral Baynes, is ready to leave the dock for the steam-basin, where her new boilers are ready to be put on board her.
Ma 26 March 1855The fleet at Portsmonth yesterday consisted of the
Duke of Wellington131Retribution28
Neptune120Magicienne16
St. George120Odin16
Royal George102Cruiser16
Caesar91Falcon16
Nile91Ariel9
Exmouth91Vulture6
James Watt91Bulldog6
Calcutta84Dragon6
Cressy 81Geyser6
Majestic81Driver6
Hogue60Centaur6
Ajax60Basilisk6
Blenheim60 Gorgon6
Edinburgh58Lightning4
Pembroke60Pelter3
Hastings60Ruby3

The Hastings, 60, Captain Caffin, got up her steam again on Saturday, and proceeded out of harbour to test her engines, returning aftre the trial. The Pembroke, 60, Captain Seymour, also got up steam for a similar test, bul did not go out. The Hogue, 60, Captain Ramsay, steamed out of harbour, and joined the fleet, which has been supplied with an enormous quantity of Congreve rockets for boat service, and shot, shell, and powder, at the discretion of each Captain, and not regulated by any before regulated "establishment." Saturday, the 7th proximo, is the day rumoured as that of the departure of this fleet for the Baltic. The Driver, 6, steam sloop left Spithead on Friday night with supernumeraries for the squadron in the Downs, and returned to Spithead yesterday.
Tu 3 June 1856Her Majesty's steam-sloop Medea, Commander Edward Peirse, arrived at Spithead yesterday morning, from the West India station, to be paid off. She left Bermuda May the 13th, and experienced on the voyage a heavy gale from the S.W. The West India station was very unhealthy when she left. Her Majesty’s steam-sloop Malacca had lost nine men and two engineers. At Bermuda when she left were Her Majesty’s ships Boscawen, 72, Rear-Admiral Fanshawe; Powerful, 84, Captain Massie; Pembroke, 60, Captain G.H. Seymour, C.B.; Cornwallis, 6O, Captain Wellesley; and the Arab, 12, Captain Ogle. By the Medea, which left St. Thomas’s on the Thursday before the 13th ult., we learn that the English mail of the 17th ult. reached St. Thomas’s on the morning of the 2d of May. The Royal Mail steamer Parana left St. Thomas’s on the 1st ult. Yellow fever was raging at St. Thomas’s, particularly among the shipping, to an alarming extent; there had been several deaths in the Marine Hospital. Common remittent fever and ague were also prevalent among the inhabitants. It was generally apprehended that the coming summer would be a very unhealthy one throughout the West Indies. Her Majesty’s steam-sloop Buzzard left St. Thomas’s for Antigua on the 1st ult.

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