HMS Calliope (1837)

For other ships with the same name, see HMS Calliope.

Calliope at Garden Reach, Calcutta in 1841, by Lieutenant Francis Meynell R.N.
History
United Kingdom
NameHMS Calliope
Ordered29 October 1830[1]
BuilderSheerness Dockyard[1]
Cost£17,882 including fitting
Laid downJanuary 1831[1]
Launched5 October 1837[1]
Commissioned10 October 1837[1]
FateBroken up at Plymouth in November 1883[1]
General characteristics
Class and typeAndromache-class sixth-rate frigate (later "corvette")
Tons burthen720 34/94 bm[1]
Length
  • 130 ft 2 in (39.7 m) (gundeck)
  • 109 ft 3 in (33.3 m) (keel)[1]
Beam35 ft 5.5 in (10.8 m)[1]
Depth of hold10 ft 7 in (3.2 m)[1]
Sail planFull-rigged ship
Complement175[1]
Armament
  • Upperdeck: 20 × 32-pdr gunnades
  • Quarterdeck: 6 × 32-pdr gunnades
  • Foc's'le: 2 × 32-pdr gunnades[1]

HMS Calliope was a 28-gun sixth rate launched in October 1837 and broken up in November 1883.

Career

EIC ship Nemesis, with boats from the Sulphur, Calliope, Larne and Starling, destroying Chinese war junks in Anson's Bay, on 7 January 1841.

During the period 1841-42 she served at Canton with Sir William Parker's ships in the First Anglo-Chinese War (1839–42), known popularly as the First Opium War.[2]

Calliope under Captain Edward Stanley, left Plymouth, England on 18 August 1845, sailing for Hobart, Australia, via Madeira and the Cape of Good Hope. Upon arrival at Hobart the ship was sent to New Zealand, where she was stationed for 2+1⁄2 years. The ship's Royal Marines saw action in the Flagstaff War in the north of New Zealand. A Royal Marine was killed at the siege of Ruapekapeka Pā and two seamen were killed in the Hutt Valley campaign. From late February 1846 until October 1847 Calliope operated mainly between Wellington, Whanganui and Nelson.[3] The ship continues to be memorialised through the name of the Calliope Dock that was constructed in 1888 at Calliope Point, Devonport, New Zealand.

Sir James Everard Home was appointed captain of Calliope on 28 November 1850 and died in Sydney on 2 November 1853.[4] A memorial to him was placed in St James' Church.[5] Captain Gennys of HMS Fantome took command as acting captain.[5] Captain Fitzgerald was appointed to take over command.[6]

The ship was converted to a floating chapel in 1855 and was broken up in 1883.

Memorial in St James' Church, Sydney to Sir James Everard Home, one of Calliope's captains

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Winfield (2004) p.114
  2. ^ "HMS CALLIOPE (Anglo-Chinese war 1842)". Archived from the original on 13 April 2013. Retrieved 23 December 2012.
  3. ^ "HMS Calliope NZ Wars memorial". NZ History Online. Ministry for Culture and Heritage. Retrieved 28 October 2013.
  4. ^ Career details of Captain James Everard Home
  5. ^ a b "Death of Sir Everard Home". Empire. No. 878. New South Wales, Australia. 3 November 1853. p. 2. Retrieved 26 November 2016.
  6. ^ "Assistance: from British Navy". Empire. No. 1070. New South Wales, Australia. 16 June 1854. p. 1 (Supplement to The Empire). Retrieved 26 November 2016.

Further reading

  • Winfield, R.; Lyon, D. (2004). The Sail and Steam Navy List: All the Ships of the Royal Navy 1815–1889. London: Chatham Publishing. ISBN 978-1-86176-032-6. OCLC 52620555.