1826 Oct
|
Laid
down coronation at HM Dockyard, Plymouth as a two deck second rate
sailing line of battle ship. LOA 205 feet, depth 54 feet, weight 4,375
tons. A 92 gun vessel with ten 8 inch guns, eighty two 30 pounders.
Built entirely of wood her construction costs were £86,197. Sister
ships were Rodney and London. Her full complement of men was 850. |
Click image to enlarge
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1839 Jun 28 Sat
|
Launched
at 6pm on the anniversary of Queen Victoria's coronation. A very large
crowd, estimated at around 50,000 had gathered to watch. She was
launched by Miss Warren the daughter of the Dockyard Admiral. |
Click image to enlarge
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| 1839 - 1854 |
Held in Reserve at Devonport. |
1852 Dec 14
|
During
this period the French had launched steam sailing ships and the
Admiralty began to debate the need for similar vessels in the Royal
Navy. Docked in Devonport to be converted to a screw ship with a
engine, propeller and funnel. This took a long time and cost £63,837.
The 500 hp engine was made by Sewards. |
1854 Jan 30
|
On completion of the conversion she was finally commissioned. |
1854 Feb 25 to 1854 Jul 17
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Commanded by Commodore Henry Byam Martin, Western (Channel) squadron with complement of 830 men and boys. |
1854 Apr 16-18
|
Underwent steam trials in Stokes Bay. |
1854 May 3
|
Commanded
by Captain George Rodney Mundy. Sailed for the Gulf of Finland to join
the Baltic Squadron - war had been declared on Russia on March 27th. |
1854 Jul 17 to 1857 Apr 20
|
Commanded (until paying off at Plymouth) by Captain George Rodney Mundy. |
1854 Oct 19
|
Left Gulf of Finland. |
1854 Dec 7
|
Departed Kiel for Devonport. |
1854 Dec 23
|
Dry-docked in Devonport (after a minor collision). |
855 Apr
|
Departed for the Baltic. |
1855 Apr 13
|
Arrived Kiel. |
1855 May
|
Led
the inshore squadron into the Gulf to an anchorage in Biorko Sound.
Engaged the Russians on several occasions capturing or destroying large
numbers of vessels and supplies. |
1855 Jun17
|
HMS Nile was off Seskar on the Baltic |
Click image to enlarge
|
|
near Cronstadt that guards the approaches to St Petersburg. The Captain was John Wilson Carmichael.
http://www.west.net/~pamass/htmfiles/russ06.htm |
1855 Sep 18
|
Nile's
boats boarded and burnt some Russian vessels, reportedly near
Hammeliski (possibly Humaliski on the island of Björkö, now called
Primorsk, Leningrad Oblast).
|
1855 Oct 26
|
Left for Kiel and Devonport |
1856 Apr 23
|
Part of the Spithead Review to mark the end of the Crimean War. |
1856 Jun 17
|
Sailed
for Halifax, Nova Scotia to patrol the North American and West Indies
stations. She was the flagship of Rear Admirtal Arthur
Flagshawe. |
1856 Jun-Dec
|
Visited Halifax, Bermuda, San Domingo and various Caribbean ports. |
|
|
| 1857 |
Visited San Domingo, Port Royal and Havana |
1857 Mar 12
|
Departed for Spithead and Plymouth. Paid off. |
1858 Feb 28th
|
Carpenter 1st Class Thomas Barnard was
appointed. he left the ship on 1st Oct 1859. He had previously served in Conway.
|
1858 Mar 1 to Dec 7
|
Commanded by Captain Henry Ducie Chads, later promoted Rear-Admiral and she became his flagship at Queenstown, Ireland.
|
1858 May 13
|
Spent 7 weeks in Greenock (River Clyde) as a show ship open to visitors. |
1859 Jul 3
|
Arrived
on the Mersey for a similar visit, mooring very near the first HMS
Conway then awaiting her first New Chums and official opening. |
1858 Summer
|
Exercised with the Channel Fleet.
|
1858 Oct
|
Departed
for the West Indies but was caught in a hurricane and returned to Cork
for repairs some 40 days later. Moved to Plymouth for further repairs.
|
1858 Dec 7
|
Commanded by Captain Arthur Parry Eardley-Wilmot, flagship of Rear-Admiral Charles Talbot, Queenstown |
1859 Apr
|
Departed
for Bermuda under the command of Captain Edward King Barnard and
carrying the flag of Rear Admiral Alexander Milne, the
Commander-in-Chief, North America and West Indies Station.
|
1859 Aug 1
|
Ship's band attends opening of HMS Conway. |
1859 Aug 11
|
Departed for Holyhead. A few days later called at Queenstown. |
1859 Aug 24
|
At half-past 6 o'clock on Saturday evening Nile steamed out of Cork harbour to join the Channel squadron at Spithead. |
1859 Sep 2-16
|
Exercised with the fleet in Torbay |
1859 Sep 8
|
The Times reported she was commanded by Capt. A.P.E. Wilmot; |
1859 Sep 16
|
Returned to Plymouth. |
1859 Oct 3
|
The
Times reported that "It is expected that the Nile will return to
Queenstown, where her crew will probably be reduced to 350." |
1859 Oct 15
|
Sailed into the Atlantic for the West Indies. |
1859 Nov 4-5
|
Caught in hurricane in North Atlantic, suffered considerable damage and loss. |
1859 Nov 26
|
Arrived in Cork for urgent repairs. |
1859 Dec 17
|
Towed to Plymouth for further repairs. |
1859 Dec 31 to 1864 Apr 23
|
Captain
Edward King Barnard, appointed Captain at Devonport. Nile becomes
flagship of Rear-Admiral Alexander Milne, North America and West Indies |
1860 Apr 18
|
Sailed for Bermuda. |
1860 Jun 2
|
Arrived Bermuda. |
1860 Jun19
|
Arrived Halifax as flagship North American Squadron. Halifax Museum Negative 14902 is a photo of HMS Nile in Halifax Harbour. |
|
|
| 1860 |
Entertained the Prince Of Wales onboard. Visited Halifax, Bermuda and Ireland Island. |
1861 May 6
|
In Grassy Bay, Bermuda |
| 1861 |
Visited Antigua, Barbados, Trinidad, Jamaica and Bermuda. |
1862 Jan 29
|
With the Admiral's flag, she was at Bermuda. |
1862 Feb 4
|
According
to the Bermuda Royal Gazette, she was at Bermuda, commanded by Capt.
Barnard, flag of Rear-Admiral Sir Alexander Milne, K.C.B. |
1862 Feb 7
|
With other vessels engaged in recovering the stores from the Conqueror a total wreck on Rum Cay. |
1862 Mar 29
|
Still at Bermuda |
1862 Jun 5
|
Replaced as Queenstown guardship by the newly commisioned Sans Pareil.
|
| 1862 | Visited Bermuda, Halifax, Charlottetown, Nassau and Newfoundland. |
| 1863 |
Visited Jamaica, Havana, Bermuda, Barbados, Antigua, Martinique. |
|
Some of Nile's crew circa 1865
|
| 1863 |
Intervention
In The American Civil War?
The
battle of Gettysburg in July 1863 marked the highpoint of the
Confederacy who hoped for international recognition, especially
from Britain and France. There were rumours that Britain
would support the Confederacy and on Sept 15 th the Union's
Foreign Secretary Seward issued a notice to all consulates
decrying Britain and France's belief that the Union could
not win and that secession was likely.
Nile
was flagship of the North American Squadron, Rear Admiral Milne
was CinC. Public Records Office records show there was steady
communication between Milne, the Admiralty and the Duke Of Somerset
- the First Lord Of The Admiralty from 1861 discussing the
capacity, readiness and potential response of the North American
Squadron to any interference with British merchant shipping. On
29 September 1863 Milne visited New York with what is described
as the Russian Fleet (see New York Times archives). They remained
for at least 4 weeks during which they were very well received
by the people of New York and were entertained to balls and other
events – the local businessmen (Roosevelts, Astors and Browns)
forming a special committee for the purpose. There was a formal
visit of New Yorkers to Nile. On October 12-15 Milne and Secretary
Seward visited a number of fortifications together. Even
at the time of the visit the Confederate side was still strong
was still strong
There
are suggestions that this visit was a cover for high level negotiations
with the Union which would decide finally whether or not Britain
remained neutral in the American Civil War. I can find no direct
evidence to support this but would be interested to hear from anyone
who can shed light on the matter. |
| 1864 |
Visited Port Royal, Jamaica, Havana, Bermuda and returned to Spithead by 18 April. |
1864 Apr 23
|
Placed in Reserve at Devonport where she first started. |
1875 Mar 20 to May 13
|
Engines, boilers, underwater fittings and funnel removed. |
| 1876 |
The
Admiralty carried out many renovations to the ship and a fitted a new
foremast (the old main mast of HMS Satellite), main mast, mizzen mast
and bowsprit from HMS Jason. Many spars were transferred from the
second Conway. |
1876 Jul 24
|
Moved to Birkenhead and moored in The Soyne off Rock Ferry pier. Renamed HMS Conway. |
1941 Mar 31
| Suffered
amny near misses form German mines during the Liverpool blitz. Order
given to Abandon Ship when one mine was swept close to her stern.
|
1941 May 22
| Moved to the Menai Strait to avoid further danger from the blitz and moored at Glyn Garth off Bangor pier.
|
1949 Apr 13
|
Moved to a new mooring near Plas Newydd
|
1953 Apr 14
|
The
ship slipped her moorings and was taken in tow by the Dongarth (again!)
and the Minegarth - the same pair that had brought her from Glyn Garth.
During the difficult passage of the Swellies she ran aground on the
Platters Rocks below the Menai Suspension Bridge. She settled as the
tide fell and broke her back and she became a total loss. The wreck was
returned to the Admiralty for disposal. Removal of the wreck became the
responsibility of the Caernafon Harbour Board. Details of the removal
are in the Gwynedd County Archives. |
1956 Oct 30
|
Burnt to the waterline whilst being dismantled. |
Click image to enlarge
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