| 1828 |
Laid down at Chatham Royal Naval Dockyard London.
She was a sixth rate man of war of 652 tons, with 26 guns, a Jackass Frigate. She was designed by Sir Robert Seppings.
Her full complement was 175 men and boys. |
| 1832 |
Launched.
Under Command (from commissioning until paying off on 31 Oct 1835) by
Captain Henry Eden, North Sea, Lisbon, and South America. |
| 11 May 1832 |
Departed on her first voyage to Plymouth, Port Royal, Jamaica and back. |
| 1832/33 |
Ship's log shows that bewteen 20 Sep 1832 and 26 Jul 1833 Conway was in harbour in Lisbon. Log also kept by Edward Harenc |
| 1835 |
From
23 Jul to 13 October the log of Edward Harenc records the travels of
the Conway around the South pacific. (logs for sale in 2001 from US
$4,000!) |
| Late June 1835 |
HMS Conway departed Valparaiso Chile for England. Charles Darwin wrote to J S Henslow on 12 July 1835:
"To J. S. Henslow 12 [August] 1835
Lima
July6 12th . 1835
My dear Henslow
This is the last letter which I shall ever write to you from the shores
of America. -- and for this reason I send it -- In a few days time the
Beagle will sail for the Galapagos Isds -- I look forward with joy
interest to this, both as being somewhat nearer to England,
for the sake of having a good look at an active Volcano. --
Although we have seen Lava in abundance, I have never yet beheld the
Crater -- I sent by H.M.S. Conway two large boxes of Specimens. The
Con-way sailed the latter end of June. -- With them were letters for
you. -- Since that time I have travelled by land from Valparaiso to
Copiapo seen something more of the Cordilleras. -- Some of my
Geological views have been subsequently to the last letter altered. --
I believe the upper mass of strata are, not so very modern as I
supposed. -- This last journey has explained to me much of the ancient
history of the Cordilleras. -- I feel sure they formerly consisted of a
chain of Volcanoes from which enormous streams of Lava were poured
forth at the bottom of the sea. -- These alternate with sedimentary
beds to a vast thickness: at a subsequent period these Volcanoes must
have formed Islands, from which have been produced strata several
thousand feet thick of coarse Conglomerate. -- These Islands were
covered with fine trees; in the Conglomerate I found one 15 feet in
circumference, per-fectly silicified to the very centre. -- The
alternations of compact crystalline rocks (I cannot doubt subaqueous
Lavas) sedimentary beds, now upheaved, fractured
indurated from the main range of the Andes. The formation was produced
at the time, when Ammonites, several Terebratulae, Gryphites, Oysters,
Pectens, Mytili c c lived. -
In the central parts of Chili, the structure of the lower beds are
rendered very obscure by the Metamorphic action, which has rendered
even the coarsest Conglomerates, porphyritic. -- The Cordilleras of the
Andes so worthy of admiration from the grandeur of their dimensions, to
rise in dignity when it is considered that since the period of
Ammonites, they have formed a marked feature in the Geography of the
Globe. -- The geology of these Mountains pleased me in one respect;
when reading Lyell, it had always struck me that if the crust of the
world goes on changing in a Circle, there ought to be somewhere found
formations which having the age of the great European secondary beds,
should possess the structure of Tertiary rocks, or those formed amidst
Islands in limited Basins. Now the alterations of Lava
coarse sediment, which form the upper parts of the Andes, correspond
exactly to what would accumulate under such circumstances. In
consequence of this I can only very roughly separate into three
divisions the varying strata (perhaps 8ooo ft thick) which compose
these mountains. I am afraid you will tell me to learn my A.B.C.-to
know quartz from Feldspar before I indulge in such speculations. -- I
lately got hold of ( ) report on M. Dessalines D'Orbigny's labors in S.
America. I experienced rather a debasing degree of vexation to find he
has described the geology of the Pampas, that I have had some
hard riding for nothing; it was however gratifying that my conclusions
are the same, as far as I can collect, with his results. -- It is also
capital, that the whole of Bolivia will be described. I hope to be able
to connect his Geology of that country, with mine of Chili. -- After
leaving Copiapo, we touched at Iquique. I visited, but do not quite
understand the position of the Nitrate of Soda beds. -- Here in Peru,
from the state of Anarchy, I can make no expedition....
Believe me, dear Henslow, Yours affectionately obliged
Charles Darwin" |
| 31 Oct 1835 |
Paid off at Portsmouth. |
| 9 Sept 1836 |
Commissioned
under command of Captain Charles Ramsay Drinkwater-Bethune, until
paying off on 15 Jan 1842. East Indies (including the first
Anglo-Chinese war) |
| From Sep 1836 |
Surveying role on the Australasian and Chinese stations. |
| 1837 |
In the Pacific. |
| 19/21 Oct 1837 |
Off Kapiti Island, New Zealand (for a detailed description see Bibliography - The Old Whaling Days) |
| 21/25 Oct 1837 |
Moved to Cloudy Bay, New Zealand |
| 1838 |
RN
vessels visiting New Zealand were encouraged to chart harbours to
assist in the development of the colony. HMS Conway produced a chart of
Port Underwood, a whaling port in the South Island. After completing
this charting Conway sailed to the Rewa River (near Suva), Fiji,
calling at Tonga en route. Whilst there she charted the Conway Reef (21
44 S 174 38 E) - today more often known by its Fijian name Ceva-I-Ra. |
| 1838 |
Captain
Bethune was in command and he visited Samoa to negotiate a commercial
treaties -- between Samoan chiefs and the UK. This set the pattern for
European relations with Samoa. As a result Great Britain appointed the
first foreign consul in 1847 and European settlers and commercial
agents began to concentrate around Apia. Visit the Samoan web site just
to listen to their national Anthem - beautiful tune, fellow Welshmen
will love it!
http://www.apcc.com.tw/Samoa.html |
| 7/8 Apr 1838 |
Sydney, Australia |
| 16/23 Apr 1838 |
Port Phillip, Victoria, Australia
Subsequently sailed for Hobart, Tasmania carrying the Lord Bishop of Australia |
| 7 Jul 1838 |
Newspaper reports "HMS Pelorus in company with HMS Conway running out of Sydney, Port Jackson." |
| August 1838 |
Called
at Lakeba, from Tonga and later visited the port of Rewa, from where a
boat was sent to explore the Rewa river. the party reached an elbow of
the river just below the town of Viti. |
| 4 Oct 1838 |
The Sydney Morning Herald, on 5th October reported:
"The Royal Navy ship HMS Conway arrived in Sydney on the 4th October
1838 after sailing around the South Seas area. When she arrived, she
brought with her a number of rescued American and British seamen, and
several runaway convicts, one of whom had been missing for a number of
years and was involved with the taking of the schooner Culedonia."
http://www.blaxland.com/ozships/plist.htm |
| 1840 |
In
this year she made the first examination of the River Yangtze as far up
river as Fushan, in company with her surveying tender HMS Algerine a
235 ton sloop. During the year Conway was involved in many engagements
in the Chinese War including a small boats action on the River Yangtze. |
| 5 June 1840 |
Involved in the capture of Tinghai Chusan. |
| 1841 |
13 March: Captured the Macao Fort between Gough and Hunam Islands. This opened the passage to Canton.
18 March: Attacked last forts on approaches to Canton.
22 May: Destroyed junks and fire radfts on approaches to Canton.
25 May: Finally captured last forts on approaches to Canton.
30 May: Captured Canton (see Second Ship 29 Oct 1856) |
| 1842 |
Returned
from China to the UK. She departed the Pearl River (before other ships)
carrying that part of the indemnity money $ 6,000,000 paid by Canton as
was destined for UK. The balance of the Indemnity was carried by
Calliope to Calcutta, presumably for the Hon. East India Company. |
| 15 Jan 1842 |
Paid off at Portsmouth. |
| 18 May 1843 |
Commissioned
under command of Captain Captain Robert Fair, moved to Cape of Good
Hope where he died in March) At some point in 1843 she was Flagship
Portsmouth. |
| 5 Apr 1844 |
Captain William Kelly assumed command at the Cape. |
| 1845 |
landing parties form HMS Conway and two French ships repulsed attack on Tamatave, Madagascar. |
| 15 July 1847 |
Paid off at Portsmouth. |
| 23 Feb1854 |
Commissioned under command of Captain ohn Fulford, flagship of Rear-Admiral William Fairbrother Carroll, Queenstown |
6 Apr 1857
to 20 May 1857 |
Commanded by Captain Henry Chads, Queenstown |
| 20 May 1857 |
Commanded by Captain John NcNeill Boyd, Coast Guard, Queenstown |
| 31 Jan 1858 |
Paid off at Plymouth. |
| date not known |
Awarded battle honours for service in China. |
| 1858 |
Coastguard vessel Devonport. Then offered up for School Ship service. |
| 1860-61 |
Harbour service Chatham |
| Nov 1861 |
The
first ship was replaced by HMS Winchester and the two vessels exchanged
names. The original HMS Conway, now HMS Winchester moved to Aberdeen
where she became the UK's first RNR Drillship. |
| 1 Jul 1862 |
Commanded by Commander Charles John Balfour, Aberdeen, RNR drill ship |
| After 1862 |
She was eventually scrapped. but the date/circumstances are unknown.
18
October 1867, George Macintosh Balfour was her Commander (I found
details of a life insurance policy issued to him in that capacity!)
By
1876 she had been replaced by HMS Clyde. Searches in Aberdeen Maritime
Museum, newspaper records and Harbour Board records have turned up no
more precise information. |