HMS Miranda was a 14-gun wooden screw sloop of the Royal Navy. As part of the 1847 Program, she was designed by John Fincham, Master Shipwright of Portsmouth and is considered an improved Rattler with the design approved on 3 November 1847. She was ordered on the 25th of April 1847 with the name Grinder from Royal Dockyard, Sheerness. On the 3rd of November 1847 she was reordered as the Miranda from Sheerness Dockyard. Launched in 1851, she was completed to see action in the Russian War of 1854 - 55. In 1854 she was in the White Sea and participated in the bombardment of the Port of Kola. She then participated in the Sea of Azov during 1855. Two of her crew were awarded the Victoria Cross for their bravery. Towards the end of her career she transported troops during the New Zealand war. She was reclassified as a corvette by 1862, She was sold for breaking in December 1869.
HMS Superb was a 80-gun second rate Vanguard-class ship of the line built for the Royal Navy in the 1840s. She was broken up in 1869.
HMS Centurion was a 80-gun second rate Vanguard-class ship of the line built for the Royal Navy in the 1840s.
HMS Lion was a 80-gun second rate Vanguard-class ship of the line built for the Royal Navy in the 1840s. She was fitted with steam propulsion in 1858–1859. In 1871 Lion was converted into a training ship at HM Dockyard, Devonport. The ship was sold for scrap in 1905.
HMS Colossus was a 80-gun second rate Vanguard-class ship of the line built for the Royal Navy in the 1840s. The ship was fitted with steam propulsion in 1854–1855, and was sold for scrap in 1867.
HMS Niger was originally slated to be built as a Sampson designed sloop; however, she was ordered as a First-Class sloop with screw propulsion on 20 February 1845 to be built at Woolwich Dockyard, along the design developed by Oliver Lang and with a hull like the Basilisk designed paddle sloops. Her armament and engine were to be like the Encounter Design building at Pembroke. A second vessel (Florentia) was ordered on 26 March 1846 but after her keel was laid at Pembroke Dockyard, her construction was suspended on 6 October 1846 then cancelled three years later, on 22 May 1849. Niger She conducted important propulsion trials, finally proving the superiority of screw propulsion and served in West Africa, the Crimea, China, the East Indies and Australia. She took part in the New Zealand wars in 1860 and was sold for breaking in 1869.
HMS Brisk was a 14-gun wooden-hulled screw sloop designed by the Committee of Reference as part of the 1847 program. She is considered an enlarged Rattler with the design approved in 1847. She was ordered on 25 April 1847 from Woolwich Dockyard as a 10-gun sloop, but the guns were later increased due to the Russian War, to 14 guns by increasing the number of 32-pounder guns. She was launched on 2 June 1851 from Woolwich Dockyard. She served in the Russian War of 1854- 55 and as part of the West African anti-slavery patrol, with a final commission on the Australian Station. She was sold in 1870 into mercantile service.
HMS Salamander was one of the initial steam powered vessels built for the Royal Navy. On 10 January 1831 the First Sea Lord gave orders that four paddle vessels be built to competitive designs. The vessels were to be powered by Maudslay, Son & Field steam engines, carry a schooner rig and mount one or two 10-inch shell guns. Initially classed simply as a steam vessel (SV), she was re-classed as a second-class steam sloop when that categorization was introduced on 31 May 1844. Designed by Joseph Seaton, the Master Shipwright of Sheerness, she was initially slated to be built in Portsmouth, and was changed to Sheerness Dockyard. She was launched and completed in 1832, took part in the Second Anglo-Burmese War and was broken up in 1883.
HMS Encounter was ordered as a First-Class Sloop with screw propulsion on 5 February 1845 to be built at Pembroke, in accordance with the design developed by John Fincham, Master Shipwright at Portsmouth. Her armament was to consist of 8 guns. She was to have a more powerful steam engine rated at 360 nominal horsepower. In 1848 she would be altered abaft and lengthened at Deptford prior to completion. A second vessel (Harrier) was ordered on 26 March 1846 but after her keel was laid at Pembroke Dockyard, her construction was suspended on 9 September 1846 then cancelled five years later, on 4 April 1851. Encounter had her armament radically altered in 1850 and she was broken up at Devonport in 1866.
This group of vessels were originally slated to be built to the Sampson designed steam vessel; however, the Admiralty on 9 May 1845, ordered the first pair as First-Class screw sloops to be built from a design of Sir William Symonds,Surveyor of the Navy. This design would become known as the Conflict-class sloop. These would be 10-gun vessels with 400 NHP engines. The second pair of vessels were ordered on 26 March 1846 but after their keels were laid at Pembroke Dockyard, their construction was suspended in September 1846 then cancelled five years later, on 4 April 1851. Both completed ships served in the Baltic during the Crimean war, and Desperate briefly served as a store ship to Edward Augustus Inglefield's Arctic expedition. They had both been broken up by 1865.
HMS Reynard was part of the 1847 Program, she was ordered on 25 April as a steam schooner from Deptford Dockyard with the name ‘Plumper’. However, the reference Ships of the Royal Navy, by J.J. College, © 2020, there is no entry that associates the name Plumper to this build. The vessel was reordered on August 12th as an 8-gun sloop as designed by John Edye. She was launched in 1848, conducted anti-piracy work in Chinese waters and was wrecked near Pratas Island in the South China Sea on 31 May 1851.
On the 26th of March 1846, two vessels were ordered from Deptford Dockyard as Rifleman designed gunvessels named Archer and Parthian. However, on 9 September 1846 the orders for both vessels were suspended prior to the vessels being laid down. On the 25th of April 1847 two vessels were ordered to the improved Rattler type screw sloops as designed by John Edye of the Surveyor's Department from Deptford Dockyard. The first vessel, Archer may have been the change of the build from the Rifleman type to the sloop design. The second vessel, Wasp, appears to be a new vessel as the build for the Parthian remained on the books at Deptford until June 1849 when it was cancelled. Archer received the machinery from the gunvessel Rifleman which resulted in an increase of speed over Wasp. Wasp’s hull was sheathed in Muntz metal to retard marine growth. Their armament would increase from 12 to 15 guns over their careers. Both vessels would participate in the Russian War of 1854 - 1855. Both would be broken by 1869.
The Hermes class were a group of four vessels designed by John Edye of the Surveyor's Department to specifications outlined by Captain William Symonds, the Surveyor of the Navy. The design was approved in 1834. The vessels would be powered by a 140 nominal horsepower engine and carry an armament of two brass 9-pounder guns. The ships would be built in three Royal Dockyards, however, the Chatham vessel was transferred to Sheerness in 1837 prior to being laid down. Hermes was re-engined and lengthen in 1842, Megaera was wrecked in Jamaica in 1843. the remaining vessels served on many different stations of the Empire. Acheron was sold in 1855, Hermes went to the Breakers in 1864 and Volcano lasted until 1894.
The Merlin-class packet boat of 1838 was a Sir William Symonds design that was approved on 2 April 1838. The vessels were to be built for steam mail packet service on the Liverpool to Dublin route. The initial two ships were ordered in the fall of 1838 from Pembroke Dockyard. The third vessel (Medina) was ordered in 1839, also from Pembroke. When completed all vessels were used on the Liverpool station. In 1848 all three were in the Mediterranean on mail packet service. Merlin went to the Baltic during the Russian Was as a survey ship. Medusa went to the Black Sea. Medina remained in the Mediterranean being converted to a survey ship for Mediterranean service. Merlin served on the West Coast of Africa and was sold for commercial use in 1863. Medina was sold at Malta in April 1864. Medusa was converted to a tugboat in 1861 and remained in that service until sold in 1872.
HMS Dee was the first paddle steamer ordered for the Royal Navy, designed to carry a significant armament. She was ordered on 4 April 1827 from Woolwich Dockyard. She was designed by Sir Robert Seppings, Surveyor of the Navy and modified by Oliver Lang. This vessel was considered as new construction as a previous vessel ordered as a flush deck Cherokee-class brig in 1824, had been renamed African in May 1825. She was initially classed as a steam vessel (SV), and in 1837 reclassified as a steam vessel class 2 (SV2). She was converted to a troopship in May 1842 and as a second class sloop in 1846. She was converted into a storeship in 1868. She was broken at Sheerness in 1871.
HMS Rhadamanthus was one of the initial steam powered vessels built for the Royal Navy. On 10 January 1831 the First Sea Lord gave orders that four paddle vessels be built to competitive designs. The vessels were to be powered by Maudslay, Son & Field steam engines, carry a schooner rig and mount one or two 10-inch shell guns. Initially classed simply as a steam vessel (SV), she was re-classed as a second-class steam sloop in 1846. Designed by Thomas Roberts, the Master Shipwright of Plymouth. She was launched and completed in 1832, She was converted into a transport in 1841 then in 1851 she was a troopship and by the 1860s she was a transport again. Her breaking was completed in February 1864.
HMS Medea was one of the initial steam powered vessels built for the Royal Navy. On 10 January 1831 the new First Lord Sir James Graham gave orders that four paddle vessels be built to competitive designs. The vessels were to be powered by Maudslay, Son & Field steam engines, carry a schooner rig and mount one or two 10-inch shell guns. Initially classed simply as a steam vessel (SV), she was re-classed as a second-class steam sloop when that categorization was introduced on 31 May 1844. Designed by Oliver Lang, the Master Shipwright of Woolwich. She was launched and completed in 1834, took part in the Syrian Coast Campaign and was broken up in 1867.
The Alecto-class steam vessels (SV3) later reclassed as Third Class Sloops, were designed by Sir William Symonds, the Surveyor of the Navy. The design was approved on 12 April 1839. Initially four vessels were ordered and completed. A fifth unit was ordered (Rattler), but was reordered as a screw propelled vessel. And a sixth unit had been ordered but was requested to be reordered to a different design. The screw driven Rattler participated in the first of three 'tug o- wars with the Alecto. The vessels all participated during the Russian War. All had gone to the breakers by the mid-1860s.
The Bulldog-class steam vessels (SV2) later reclassed as First Class Sloops, were designed by Sir William Symonds, the Surveyor of the Navy. Designed from the Driver class by Admiralty Order of 26 December 1843, the design was approved in 1844. The changes included lengthening the bow by 10 feet to provide 6 feet of extra space in the engine room. Three vessels would have a single funnel whereas Scourge would have two and be completed as a bomb vessel. In July 1844 it was queried if Fury was to be completed as a screw vessel, however, since her construction was well along she would be completed as a paddle steamer. Four vessels were ordered and completed.
The Gibraltar Group of sixth rates were basically repeats of the Maidstone Group. Ten ships were ordered with one of a slightly different design and another added in 1711, for a total of twelve vessels. Their armament was similar as were the dimensions of the vessels. They were constructed between 1710 and 1716.
Royal Navy