Cherokee-class brig-sloop

Last updated

HMS Beagle 1832 longitudinal section.jpg
Longitudinal section of HMS Beagle (Cherokee class) as of 1832, by then converted to a barque by addition of a mizzen-mast.
Class overview
NameCherokee-class brig-sloop
OperatorsNaval Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  Royal Navy
Planned115
Completed
  • 36 in first batch
  • 34 in second batch (with another 1 being cancelled)
  • 34 in third batch (with another 4 cancelled and 6 orders replaced by orders for equivalent steam-assisted paddle vessels)
Cancelled11
General characteristics
Type Brig-sloop
Tons burthen238 bm
Length
  • Overall: 90 ft 0 in (27.43 m)
  • Keel: 73 ft 7+58 in (22.4 m)
Beam24 ft 6 in (7.47 m)
Draught12 ft 6 in (3.8 m)
Depth of hold11 ft 0 in (3.4 m)
PropulsionSails
Complement
Armament

The Cherokee class was a class of brig-sloops of the Royal Navy, mounting ten guns. Brig-sloops were sloops-of-war with two masts (a fore mast and a taller main mast) rather than the three masts of ship sloops . Orders for 115 vessels were placed, including five which were cancelled and six for which the orders were replaced by ones for equivalent steam-powered paddle vessels. [1]

Contents

Many of these sailing vessels served as mail packet ships, and more than eight assisted with exploration and surveys. The best known of the class was HMS Beagle, then considerably modified for Beagle's second survey voyage under Robert FitzRoy, with the gentleman naturalist Charles Darwin on board as a self-funded supernumerary. [2] [3]

Design

The carronade, nicknamed the "smasher" or "devil gun", was significantly smaller and lighter than conventional cannon. It was also found to have a more destructive broadside at close range, so that a smaller (and cheaper) ship could be more effective in naval actions than a much larger man-of-war. Sir Henry Peake designed a small ship to operate in both shallow and deep waters, carrying eight 16-pounder or 18-pounder carronades plus two long 6-pounder cannon as forward-mounted chase guns. [2]

He completed the design for the Cherokee class in 1807, which was approved on 26 November 1807, with the first four vessels having been ordered in March 1807 but not laid down until December; by the end of 1808 another thirty vessels had been ordered to this design. After these 34, another two were ordered in 1812 which were built of teak at Bombay. The design was revived after the end of the Napoleonic Wars, and another 78 were ordered in two batches between 1817 and 1827. The first batch of these later vessels consisted of 35 orders (of which one was cancelled) whilst the second amounted to 44 new vessels of which four were cancelled and six replaced by orders for paddle vessels.

The class was much criticised, being popularly known as 'coffin brigs', following the loss by wrecking or foundering of a number of them. [4] Almost a quarter of them were lost, and they were also nicknamed "Half Tide Rock" as they had low freeboard so the deck was frequently awash with water, and solid bulwarks preventing the water from being shed quickly. These open flush-decked ships lacked a forecastle to deflect heavy seas crashing over the bow: one was added to Beagle in 1825 before its first voyage, together with a mizzen mast which improved the handling. Despite these modifications to the design, Captain Pringle Stokes protested that "our decks were constantly flooded". [5]

Further extensive modifications were made for the second voyage of HMS Beagle. Darwin noted in his journal in April 1833 that "It blew half a gale of wind; but it was fair & we scudded before it. — Our decks fully deserved their nickname of a "half tide rock"; so constantly did the water flow over them", [5] [6] but John Lort Stokes who was on all three survey expeditions praised Beagle: "The reader will be surprised to learn that she belongs to that much-abused class, the '10-gun brigs'—coffins, as they are not infrequently designated in the service; notwithstanding which, she has proved herself, under every possible variety of trial, in all kinds of weather, an excellent sea boat." [7]

William James, in his Naval History written before May 1827, dismissed the supposed design faults, and said that it would be "surprising indeed that the navy board would continue adding new individuals by dozens at a time" to "this worthless class".[ citation needed ] A more recent naval historian, Robert Gardiner, concurs, stating that there seems to have been no particular fault in their design, but they were considered to be somewhat too small for the global duties they took on. [4] According to one experienced commander, they were not easy to sail but, "...if we put an officer who has always been accustomed to a line-of-battle-ship in to one of them, and he proves headstrong and self-sufficient, ten to one he upsets her, but in the hands of a good brig sailor, they are as safe as any other vessel". [8] Lieutenant William Bowers, who spent 12 years in HMS Helicon and Leveret, felt that the class had been unduly criticised, he thought Helicon was a crack sailer once her hold had been restowed. [4] [9] Bowers however, complained that they were wet and cramped, and he particularly bemoaned their lack of warlike capabilities, claiming they had been vastly overrated. [4] Despite these faults, the Cherokee brigs were quick when changing tack and extremely manoeuvrable, and with a crew of only 75, economical to run. [8]

Service

Few of the Cherokee-class ships took part in sea battles of any importance. HMS Lyra and Redpole were at the Battle of Basque Roads in 1809, guiding fireships to their target in the initial attack, and the latter also participated in the Walcheren Expedition later in the same year. [10] [11] Large numbers of them went on to serve as passenger and mail carrying packet ships, running from the UK to the US and Canada. [12]

Several assisted with exploration and survey expeditions, including HMS Barracouta, which served with William Fitzwilliam Owen's survey of the African and Arabian coasts between 1821 and 1826 before being converted to a barque-rigged packet in 1829 and then being sold in 1836. [12]

The first voyage of Beagle set out in 1826 under Captain Pringle Stokes as part of Phillip Parker King's survey of South American coasts, which returned late in 1830 with Beagle by then commanded by Robert FitzRoy. Captain Henry Foster commanded HMS Chanticleer on his survey around the South Atlantic, known as his "pendulum expedition", from 1827 to 1831. Chanticleer was then intended to be used for FitzRoy's next survey expedition, but was found to be in poor condition. Instead, the Beagle was repaired and modified for its famed second survey voyage from 1831 to 1836, which took along the naturalist Charles Darwin as a self-funded supernumerary. The Beagle subsequently carried out a survey of coasts of Australia from 1837 to 1843 under John Clements Wickham and John Lort Stokes. [13]

From 1838 to around 1841 HMS Britomart, commanded by Owen Stanley, carried out survey work and other duties around Australia and New Zealand. [14] Other survey ships of this class included HMS Fairy from about 1832 to 1840, Scorpion from 1848 to 1858 and Saracen from 1854 to 1860. [12]

1808–1816 vessels

The first four vessels listed below were ordered on 30 March 1807, two more on 26 November 1807 and the next twenty vessels on 31 December 1807. Eight more orders were placed during 1808. All 34 were built by commercial contractors.

NameBuilt by
contract by
OrderedLaid downLaunchedDisposition
Rolla Thomas Pitcher, Northfleet 30 March 1807December 180713 February 1808Sold 18 April 1822
Cherokee Perry, Wells & Green, Blackwall 30 March 1807December 180724 February 1808Sold 26 March 1828
Leveret Perry, Wells & Green, Blackwall30 March 1807December 180724 February 1808Sold 18 April 1822
Cadmus John Dudman & Co., Deptford 30 March 1807December 180726 February 1808Coast Guard Watch Vessel in February 1835.
Sold 12 March 1864
Achates Samuel & Daniel Brent, Rotherhithe 26 November 1807December 18071 February 1808Wrecked 7 February 1810
Parthian William Barnard, Deptford26 November 1807December 180713 February 1808Wrecked 15 May 1828
Briseis John King, Upnor 31 December 1807February 180819 May 1808Wrecked 5 November 1818
Jasper Jabez Bailey, Ipswich 31 December 1807February 180827 May 1808Wrecked 20 January 1817
Ephira John King, Upnor31 December 1807February 180828 May 1808Wrecked 26 December 1811
Onyx Jabez Bailey, Ipswich31 December 1807February 18088 July 1808Sold 3 February 1819
Badger Joseph & Thomas Brindley, Frindsbury 31 December 1807February 180823 July 1808Mooring ship 1834.
Broken up 1864.
Opossum Muddle, Gillingham 31 December 1807March 18089 July 1808Sold 3 February 1819
Wild Boar John Pelham, Frindsbury31 December 1807March 18089 July 1808Wrecked 15 February 1810
Rinaldo John Dudman & Co., Deptford31 December 1807March 180813 July 1808Sold 6 August 1835
Chanticleer Daniel List, East Cowes 31 December 1807March 180826 July 1808Coast Guard Watch Vessel in January 1833.
Broken up, completed 3 June 1871
Goldfinch John Warwick, Eling 31 December 1807March 18088 August 1808Sold 8 November 1838
Woodlark William Rowe, Newcastle 31 December 1807March 180817 November 1808Sold 29 January 1818
Shearwater William Rowe, Newcastle31 December 1807March 180821 November 1808Sold November 1832
Calliope John Dudman & Co., Deptford31 December 1807April 18088 July 1808Broken up, completed 13 August 1829
Hope Jabez Bailey, Ipswich31 December 1807April 180822 July 1808Sold 3 February 1819
Britomart John Dudman & Co., Deptford31 December 1807April 180828 July 1808Sold 3 February 1819
Prince Arthur John Dudman & Co., Deptford31 December 1807April 180828 July 1808Sold 1808 to Sultan of Morocco
(prior to completion)
Cordelia John King, Upnor31 December 1807May 180826 July 1808Sold 12 December 1833
Redpole Robert Guillaume, Northam 31 December 1807May 180829 July 1808Sunk in action August 1828
against pirate vessel Congress
Helicon John King, Upnor31 December 1807May 18088 August 1808Broken up July 1829
Lyra John Dudman & Co., Deptford31 December 1807May 180822 August 1808Sold 11 July 1818
Beaver Jabez Bailey, IpswichApril 1808October 180816 February 1809Sold 24 June 1829
Drake Jabez Bailey, Ipswich27 June 1808August 18083 November 1808Wrecked 22 June 1822
Rosario Jabez Bailey, Ipswich27 June 1808August 18087 December 1808Sold November 1832
Renard John King, Upnor9 July 1808August 18085 December 1808Sold 29 June 1818
Tyrian Robert Guillaume, Northam18 July 1808August 180816 December 1808Sold 22 July 1819
Bermuda John Pelham, Frindsbury18 July 1808August 180820 December 1808Wrecked 16 November 1816
Rhodian Robert Guillaume, Northam18 July 1808August 18083 January 1809Wrecked 21 February 1813
Sarpedon John Warwick, Eling30 September 1808September 18081 February 1809Wrecked 1 January 1813

Two vessels were ordered 2 October 1812. These were built in India at the Bombay Dockyard under a contract from the British East India Company. They were built of teak, but were otherwise identical to their predecessors.

NameBuilt byOrderedLaunchedDisposition
Sphinx Bombay Dockyard2 October 181225 January 1815Sold 6 August 1835
Cameleon Bombay Dockyard,2 October 181215 January 1816Broken up in April 1849

1818–1821 orders

Unlike the wartime batch, all the post-war batches were built in the Royal Dockyards rather than by contractors. Note that several names of vessels from the 1808–1816 batch were re-used for vessels in the second or third batches (as indicated below).

Thirty-five vessels were ordered in 1817–1821 – twelve on 13 June 1817, twelve on 2 November 1818, two on 8 December 1818, six on 23 May 1820, one on 6 January 1821 and two on 19 April 1821.

NameBuilt by
HM Dockyard
OrderedLaid downLaunched
Alacrity Deptford 13 June 1817October 181729 December 1818
Ariel Deptford13 June 1817February 181928 July 1820
Barracouta Woolwich 13 June 1817June 181813 May 1820
Beagle
("Darwin's Beagle")
Woolwich13 June 1817June 181811 May 1820
Bustard Chatham 13 June 1817November 181712 December 1818
Brisk Chatham13 June 1817November 181710 February 1819
Delight Portsmouth 13 June 1817November 181710 May 1819
Cygnet Portsmouth13 June 1817November 181711 May 1819
Eclipse Plymouth 13 June 1817March 181823 July 1819
Emulous (2nd of name)Plymouth13 June 1817June 181816 December 1819
Falcon Pembroke 13 June 1817May 181810 June 1820
Frolic Pembroke13 June 1817August 181810 June 1820
Lyra (2nd of name)Plymouth2 November 1818March 18191 June 1821
Jasper (2nd of name)Portsmouth2 November 1818May 181926 July 1820
Britomart (2nd of name)Portsmouth2 November 1818June 181924 August 1820
Partridge Plymouth2 November 1818December 181922 March 1822
Reynard (2nd of name)Pembroke2 November 1818May 182026 October 1821
Weazle Chatham2 November 1818May 182026 March 1822
Kingfisher Woolwich2 November 1818December 182011 March 1823
Procris Chatham2 November 1818March 182121 June 1822
Algerine Deptford2 November 1818April 182110 June 1823
Magnet Woolwich2 November 1818June 182113 March 1823
HalcyonWoolwich2 November 1818unknownCancelled
21 February 1831
Zephyr Pembroke2 November 1818November 18211 November 1823
Opossum (2nd of name) Sheerness 2 November 1818November 181911 December 1821
Onyx (2nd of name)Sheerness2 November 1818November 181924 January 1822
Plover Portsmouth23 May 1820August 182030 June 1821
Ferret Portsmouth23 May 1820August 182012 October 1821
Hope (2nd of name)Plymouth23 May 1820March 18228 December 1824
Mutine Plymouth23 May 1820April 182219 May 1825
ForesterDeptford23 May 1820unknownRe-ordered at Chatham
23 May 1826
GriffonDeptford23 May 1820unknownRe-ordered at Chatham
23 May 1826
Tyrian (2nd of name)Woolwich6 January 1821April 182316 September 1826
Philomel Portsmouth19 April 1821June 182128 April 1823
Royalist Portsmouth19 April 1821August 182112 May 1823

1823–1826 orders

Forty-four vessels were ordered in 1823–1826, thirty on 25 March 1823, two on 23 November 1824, two on 7 December 1824, four on 23 May 1826 and six on 28 October 1826. Of these only thirty-four were built as sailing brigs; four were cancelled outright, and the orders for six more were replaced (before any work had commenced) by orders for paddle vessels, using the same names.

NameBuilt by
HM Dockyard
OrderedLaid downLaunched
Leveret (2nd of name)Portsmouth25 March 1823May 182319 February 1825
Musquito Portsmouth25 March 1823May 182319 February 1825
Hearty Chatham25 March 1823July 182322 October 1824
Myrtle Portsmouth25 March 1823July 182314 September 1825
Lapwing Chatham25 March 1823September 182320 February 1825
Sheldrake Pembroke25 March 1823November 182319 May 1825
Harpy Chatham25 March 1823March 182416 July 1825
Fairy Chatham25 March 1823July 182425 April 1826
Skylark Pembroke25 March 1823May 18256 May 1826
Espoir Chatham25 March 1823January 18259 May 1826
Calypso (2nd of name)
(ex Hyaena)
Chatham25 March 1823March 182519 August 1826
Spey Pembroke25 March 1823July 18256 October 1827
Variable Pembroke25 March 1823May 18266 October 1827
Briseis (2nd of name)Deptford25 March 1823August 18273 July 1829
Rapid Portsmouth25 March 1823January 182417 August 1829
Recruit Portsmouth25 March 1823February 182517 August 1829
Reindeer Plymouth25 March 1823December 182429 September 1829
Thais Pembroke25 March 1823July 182812 October 1829
Rolla (2nd of name)Plymouth25 March 1823June 182510 December 1829
Savage Plymouth25 March 1823October 182929 December 1830
Saracen Plymouth25 March 1823December 182930 January 1831
Scorpion Plymouth25 March 1823June 183028 July 1832
SealarkPlymouth25 March 1823November 1830Cancelled
10 January 1831
Hyaena
(ex Calypso)
Deptford25 March 1823unknownCancelled
21 February 1831
Termagent Portsmouth23 November 1824October 182926 March 1838
Lynx Portsmouth23 November 1824February 18302 September 1833
Nautilus Woolwich7 December 1824April 182911 March 1830
Curlew Woolwich7 December 1824November 182925 February 1830
Delight (2nd of name)Chatham23 May 1826August 182727 November 1829
Algerine (2nd of name)Chatham23 May 1826October 18271 August 1829
Griffon (2nd of name)Chatham23 May 1826July 183011 September 1832
Forester (2nd of name)Chatham23 May 1826September 183028 August 1832
Partridge (2nd of name)Pembroke28 October 1826August 182812 October 1829
Wizard Pembroke28 October 1826October 182924 May 1830
Charybdis Portsmouth28 October 1826December 182927 February 1831
Buzzard Portsmouth28 October 1826December 182923 March 1834
FoxhoundPlymouth28 October 1826unknownCancelled
21 February 1831
HelenaPlymouth28 October 1826unknownCancelled
21 February 1831

Six of the vessels originally ordered 25 March 1823 were swiftly re-ordered as paddle steamers in May 1824 – Alban and Carron (both at Deptford), Columbia, Confiance, Dee and Echo (all four at Woolwich).

Citations

  1. "HMS Beagle – Port of science and discovery – Port Cities" . Retrieved 30 January 2009.
  2. 1 2 Taylor 2008 , pp. 36–38
  3. FitzRoy 1839 , pp.  17–22
  4. 1 2 3 4 Gardiner, Robert (Ed.) (1998) The Naval War of 1812, Chatham Publishing, London, p. 90.
  5. 1 2 Taylor 2008 , pp. 33–35
  6. Keynes, Richard (2001), Charles Darwin's Beagle Diary, Cambridge University Press, p.  152
  7. Stokes 1846 , Volume 1, Chapter 1
  8. 1 2 Knight 2022 , p. 60
  9. Blake and Lawrence (1999) p. 42
  10. James pp. 105-106
  11. "No. 16650". The London Gazette . 26 September 1812. p. 1971.
  12. 1 2 3 Taylor 2008 , p. 37
  13. Taylor 2008 , pp. 36–37, 183–185
  14. Francis West (1967). "Stanley, Owen (1811–1850)". Biography – Owen Stanley. Australian Dictionary of Biography. National Centre of Biography, Australian National University. Retrieved 1 December 2014.

References