► William Loney R.N. ► Documents ► Ships' logs Dauntless ◄► Glasgow
Extracts from the log of HMS Emerald for the period 4 July 1860 - 13 April 1861
Sources: ADM 53/7749 (16 January - 22 September 1860) & ADM 53/7750 (23 September 1860 - 28 April 1861).The wooden screw frigate Emerald was only commissioned once - from 14 May 1859 to 7 November 1863, by Captain Arthur Cumming. After a period with the Channel Squadron, she sailed on 16 January 1860 from Portsmouth to take Rear Admiral Alexander Milne out to the West Indies, where he replaced Vice Admiral Sir Houston Stewart as Commander-in-Chief on the North America & West Indies station from 13 January 1860 (until 7 January 1864). After visiting Bermuda, Barbados, Jamaica, Navy Bay (Panama), Greytown (Mosquito coast) and Havanna in Emerald, Milne transferred his flag to HMS Nile at Bermuda on 4 June, and Emerald returned to Plymouth on 4 July. Twelve days later Willian Loney joined the ship, replacing Surgeon John M'Swiney, who was superseded.
During the time William Loney served in Emerald, the ship made three cruises: (1) as a troop transport to Alderney, where the ship took the ground due to the incompetence of a Trinity House pilot, (2) to Antwerp, to help provide a British presence when Queen Victoria passed through that port to and from Coburg, where she made a private visit to her relatives there (shortly after Emerald arrived at Antwerp, William Loney was granted a passport to visit Germany; I have, unfortunately, no evidence that he was part of the Queen's entourage at Coburg), and (3) with the Port Division of the Channel Fleet to Lisbon.
The "Naval Intelligence" column of the "Times" newspaper gives some extra information on the activities of Emerald (links to individual entries in the day-of-week column) and of the Channel Fleet.
Here is a complete list of officers serving during the commission of 14 May 1859 - 7 Nov 1863 (from the ship's muster book). Here is William Loney's album with photographs of the principal officers in 1861.
| 1860 | ||
| 4 July | Wed | At single anchor in Plymouth Sound |
| 9 July | Mon | 7:30 a.m. Saluted on the arrival of H.R.H. the Prince of Wales on board the Victoria and Albert 8:30 a.m. Manned the yards and fired a Royal Salute on the Prince of Wales embarking on board HMS Hero [Albert Edward (Prince of Wales, the eldest son of Queen Victoria, and the future King Edward VII), was then 19 years of age, and en route to Newfoundland, Canada and the United States. He was the first member of the British royal family to visit North America] |
| 10 July | Tue | p.m. 1 Harbour Master came on board 1.30 Weighed & proceeded towards the harbour 2:15 Ship took the ground in Barnpool [on the western side of Plymouth Sound approaching the entrance to the Hamoaze]. Empld. laying out hawsers &c 4.30 Down T. Gallt yards 5 Two tugs lashed alongside 7:15 Ship went off into deep water. Made fast to mooring buoy in Barnpool. Up boats. Harbour Master left ship |
| 11 July | Wed | Turning over ships company to the "Vigo" hulk; employed preparing to go into dock |
| 13 July | Fri | Employed hauling ship into dry dock |
| 26 July | Thu | Employed hauling ship out of dry dock; employed lashing ship in basin and as requested |
| 30 July | Mon | Proceeded under steam out of lock - and took in mooring in the stream |
| 3 Aug | Fri | Employed turning ships company over from the hulk "Vigo" to the ship |
| 5 Aug | Sun | Employed cleaning the "Vigo" hulk |
| 7 Aug | Tue | At single anchor in the Sound |
| 8 Aug | Wed | Empld. receiving powder and stowing do. |
| 16 Aug | Thu | Gave ships company 48 hours leave (as pro signal) |
| 23 Aug | Thu | Weighed and proceeded under steam out of West Channel |
| 24 Aug | Fri | At single anchor at Spithead |
| 26 Aug | Sun | Fired a Royal Salute in honor of the anniversary of the Prince Consort [Prince Albert (Franz Albrecht August Karl Emanuel, Prinz von Saxe-Coburg-Gota), born 26 August 1819, at Schloss Rosenau, near Coburg] |
| 27 Aug | Mon | a.m. 8 Steam vessel came alongside with troops. Recd on board 7 officers, 198 non comd officers and gunners, 26 women, 29 children 8:45 Weighed and proceeded to the westward p.m. Stopped and shackled on port bower cable to mooring buoy - inside breakwater in Braye Bay, Alderney. Steam tug came alongside. Empld disembarking troops. |
| 28 Aug | Tue | a.m 5:30 Up T Galet masts. Crossed T Galet yards.Pilot came on board Empd receiving troops &c Recd on board 7 officers, 226 non Commd officers and gunners R.A., 23 women & 39 children 8 Slipped from mooring buoy and hauled on stern hawser to swing ship Up jib 8:15 Found the ship to have taken the ground on a rock (unknown to the pilot). 5 fms of water all round the ship. Ship touching under the funnel. Down T Galet yrds and masts. Tried to back ship off but without effect. Run all the foremost guns aft. Out all boats. Laid out a hawser on starb[oard] quarter to a buoy astern and one on starb bow to the Halftide Rock. Hove both taut. Got a hawser from a buoy on starb beam to main mast head to prevent ship falling over on her beam ends. Tide falling 11 Low water. Ship healing 4½ ° to port. Water round the ship not less than 4 fms. Bearing when ship was on shore: - Tower of St Annes's Church - S 40 W - Flag staff at Fort Touraille - S 65.30 E Ships head - east Water had left the ship 2ft 8in in aft and 2 ft 0 in forward p.m. 1:30 In all boats 2 Hove on hawsers 2:15 Ship went off into deep water. Slipped stbd, bow hawser - and left them behind, 9 in[ch] hawser, 1 in no., 11 inch, 1 in no. 3:10 Up jib 3:15 Pilot left the ship [subsequent report of Commander Sidney of the Surveying Service on this event; the grounding was also depicted on a Channel Island postage stamp in 2001] |
| 29 Aug | Wed | 8:20 a.m. Shortened sail and came to [at Spithead] with S.B. in 9 fthm, veered to 74 fthm. Furled sails. Employed disembarking troops |
| 2 Sep | Sun | Pilot came on board. Weighed and proceeded under steam into Portsmouth harbour. Made fast to the Bellerophon hulk |
| 3 Sep | Mon | Employed turning over to hulk Bellerophon |
| 6 Sep | Thu | Warping ship into basin |
| 14 Sep | Fri | Employed getting ship out of basin |
| 20 Sep | Thu | Employed turning crew over to ship |
| 21 Sep | Fri | 2:10 p.m. Cast off from hulk and proceeded out of harbour. Proceeded out to the Warner Light Vessel to try engine 3:40 Stopped and came to at Spithead in 7½ fthm, veered to 36 fthm. Dressed ship 4 Manned yards on Her Majesty the Queen passing through Spithead. Employed getting in powder and shell and stowing do 9:30 Weighed and proceeded out thro' the East channel |
| 22 Sep | Sat | a.m Steering for the Downs 8:45 Received on board a Pilot from Deal. Proceeded through the Gull Stream 11 Hove to and received on board a Dutch Pilot 3:30 Obsd. HMS St George at anchor off Flushing 5:15 Came to off Flushing with SB [Small Bower] in 13 fthm, veered to 70 fthm. Saluted the Dutch flag with 21 guns, which was returned with the same number |
| 23 Sep | Sun | 7:30 Arrived HMS Black Prince. Do. proceeded up the river 8:40 Arrived HMS Firebrand. Do. proceeded up the river 10:30 Shortened in cable to 30 fthm. Received on board a Pilot for the river 12:45 Stopped and came to in 14 fthm off [gap not filled in] , veered to 50 fthm. Found the Fairy and Firebrand at anchor 1 Obsd the Royal yacht enter the river. Dressed ship 2:15 manned yards & fired a Royal salute on Her Majesty passing the ship. HMS Firebrand & Fairy weighed and proceeded in Co. with the Royal yacht Performed divine service 4 HMS Osborne proceeded up the river Sunset Undressed ship |
| 24 Sep | Mon | 5:40 p.m. Weighed and proceeded under steam up the river. Steering as requisite under charge of Pilot 9:15 Obsd. the Royal yacht at anchor off Antwerp. Hoisted masthead flags 10 came to off Antwerp in 5½ fthm, veered to 60 fthm. Saluted the Belgian flag with 21 guns, which was returned with the same number. Found lying here the Victoria & Albert, Fairy, Black Prince, Vivid and Firebrand Sunset Undressed ship [the Royal yacht Victoria and Albert was bearing Queen Victoria, en route to Coburg in Germany; two days later William Loney received a passport from the British embassy in Brussels to travel to Germany (as a member of the Queen's entourage?)] |
| 30 Sep | Sun | Sailed HMS Fairy |
| 8 Oct | Mon | Manned yards on the English Ambassador coming on board |
| 15 Oct | Mon | Arrived HMS Fairy |
| 16 Oct | Tue | 2:15 p.m. Hoisted masthead flags 2:45 Manned yards and fired two Royal salutes on Her Majesty the Queen and the King of the Belgans embarking on board the Royal yacht 2:35 [sic] Fired a Royal salute on His Majesty the King of the Belgians leaving the Royal yacht 3:15 Manned yards on Her Majesty passing the ship in the Royal yacht. Sailed the Royal squadron Sunset Up boats. Undressed ship. Down T. Galt yards & masts |
| 17 Oct | Wed | Weighed B[est] Bower and passed down the river under steam. HMS Firebrand in company |
| 18 Oct | Thu | At single anchor off Flushing |
| 21 Oct | Sun | 6 Weighed and proceeded under steam to sea, Firebrand in co. 11:15 Firebrand parted co. |
| 22 Oct | Mon | At single anchor at Spithead |
| 3 Nov | Sat | Steaming out through the East Channel |
| 4 Nov | Sun | Moored in Plymouth Sound |
| 6 Nov | Tue | Sailed HMS Conqueror, Centurion, Donegal, Aboukir, Royal Albert through the West Channel |
| 7 Nov | Wed | Received 84 supernumeraries for the Channel fleet |
| 9 Nov | Fri | Received supernumeraries for the fleet. Weighed and proceeded out of the Sound |
| 10 Nov | Sat | 47.10 °N 6.26 °W |
| 11 Nov | Sun | 43.57 °N 9.22 °W |
| 12 Nov | Mon | 42.46 °N 10.4 °W |
| 13 Nov | Tue | 42.2 °N 10.10 °W |
| 14 Nov | Wed | Moored in the Tagus |
| 15 Nov | Thu | 9 a.m. Saluted the flag of Rear Admiral Stopford [in command of the port division of the Channel squadron] with 13 guns. Royal Albert [Stopford's flagship] returned salute with 7 guns |
| 16 Nov | Fri | Hoisted the Portuguese flag half mast in honour of the anniversary of the Queen of Portugal's death [Maria II ]Noon: Saluted with 21 guns [presumably to commemorate the anniversary of the ascension of Pedro V ] |
| 26 Nov | Mon | Moored in the Tagus; at single anchor off Paco de Arcos [in the mouth of the Tagus] |
| 29 Nov | Thu | Moored in the Tagus |
| 10 Dec | Mon | At single anchor in the Tagus |
| 11 Dec | Tue | 38.48 °N 10.3 °W |
| 12 Dec | Wed | 38.49 °N 10.43 °W |
| 13 Dec | Thu | 40.42 °N 11.14 °W |
| 14 Dec | Fri | 42.2 °N 12.37 °W |
| 15 Dec | Sat | 43.40 °N 14.32 °W |
| 16 Dec | Sun | 44.32 °N 14.58 °W |
| 17 Dec | Mon | 46.14 °N 12.39 °W |
| 18 Dec | Tue | 47.29 °N 9.37 °W |
| 19 Dec | Wed | 48.39 °N 6.22 °W |
| 20 Dec | Thu | Moored in Plymouth Sound |
| 22 Dec | Sat | Moored in Plymouth Sound; Moored in Hamoaze |
| 1861 | ||
| 13 Apr | Sat | Plymouth; Moored in Hamoaze |
| Oct | J. Tuckers drawing of Emerald caught in a north Atlantic gale | |
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