HMS Dido

HMS Dido (1836)

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Name	Dido (1836)	Explanation
Type	Corvette
Launched	13 June 1836
Hull	Wooden
Propulsion	Sail
Builders measure	734 tons
Displacement
Guns	18
Fate	1903
Class
Ships book
Note	1860 c.h.
Snippets concerning this vessels career
Date	Event
25 October 1836	Commanded by Captain Lewis Davies, Mediterranean (including operations on the coast of Syria in 1840)
30 August 1841 - 12 February 1845	Commanded by Captain Henry Keppel, East Indies (including the first Anglo-Chinese war and Sir James Brooke's campaign for the suppression of Borneo piracy)
9 May 1846	Commanded by Captain John Balfour Maxwell, East Indies
28 August 1851	Commanded by Captain William Henry Anderson Morshead, Pacific, including Russian coast during the Russian war
*Extracts from the Times* newspaper**
Date	Extract
Sa 12 February 1842	The total number of vessels that have already sailed, or are about to sail, to join the squadron in the Chinese seas is 15, being 1 line of battle-ship, the Implacable, 74, fitting for the flag of Sir T. Cochrane; 4 frigates, the Cambrian, 36, Captain H.D. Chads, C.B., the Thalia, 44, Captain C. Hope, the North Star, 28, Captain Sir J.E. Home, and the Vindictive, 50, Captain J. Toup Nicholas; 6 sloops of war, the Dido, 20, Captain the Hon. H. Keppel, the Hazard, 18, Commander C. Bell, the Syren, 16, Commander W. Smith, the Harlequin, 10, Commander G.F. Hastings, the Wolverine, 16, Commander J.W.S. Johnson, and the Serpent, 16, Commander W. Nevill; 3 troop ships, the Belleisle, Captain J. Kingcome, the Apollo, Commander C, Frederick, and the Sapphire, Master Commander G.H. Cole; and 1 hospital-ship, the Minden, Captain M. Quin. The ships of war carry altogether 334 guns. The majority of them have already sailed; the Implacable, Vindictive, Wolverine, and Minden (hospital-ship) being the only vessels not yet ready. The Wolverene and Minden will sail in a day or two, and the Vindictive in about three weeks; the Implacable will take some time longer, as she has only recently been put in commission. It is now understood that the Carysfort frigate, 26, Captain Lord G. Paulett, which has lately been commissioned at this port, is to proceed to China. This will make the number of vessels ordered to reinforce the squadron already there 16, and the total number of guns 360, exclusive of these on board the troopships, which are armed en flute.
Ma 11 January 1847	The squadron in the River Plate was distributed as follows, on the 29th of October:- the Vernon, 50, Captain Fitzgerald, flag of Rear-Admiral Inglefield: the Raleigh, 50, Commodore Sir Thomas Herbert; the Eagle, 50, Captain G.B. Martin; the Melampus, 42, Captain Campbell, and the Comus, 16, Commander D?Eyncourt, were at Montevideo. The Cura?oa, 24, Captain Broughton, and the Dolphin 3, Lieutenant-Commander Miller, were at Rio on the 18th of November, the latter having arrived from Montevideo five days prior. The Grecian, 16, Commander Tindal, was at Busca. The Racer, 18, Commander Reed, was at Colonia. The Satellite, 18, Commander Rowley, was at Maldonado. The Firebrand steam frigate, Captain Hope, and the Harpy steam vessel, Lieutenant Tomlinson, was at Buenos Ayres. The Acorn, 18, Commander Bingham, was at Paraguay. The Alecto steam sloop, Commander Massingberd, had proceeded up the Urugay to relieve the iron steam vessel Lizard, Lieutenant-Commander Tylden. The Dido, 20, Captain Maxwell, sailed from Monte Video for the East Indies on the 29th of October. The Carysfort, 26, Captain G.H. Seymour, arrived at Valparaiso on the 19th of October, from Sydney and New Zealand (where sho had landed the new Governor and specie), and remained there on the 24th refitting. The Salamander steam sloop, Captain Hamond, left Valparaiso for Rio and England on the 1st of October. Tho Sampson steam frigate, Captain T. Henderson, left Valparaiso on the 25th of October for Talcahuano, and on an experimental sailing cruize. The Nereus store ship, Master Commander Bateman, was under orders, at the above date, to proceed from Valparaiso to Callao.
Ma 31 May 1847	PENANG, April 3. On Monday forenoon the Vernon, 50, Captain Fitzgerald, flag of Rear-Admiral Inglefield, Commander-in-Chief on the East India and China station, and the Acorn, 16, Commander Bingham, were signalled from the Great-hill, coming in to the northward. The Vernon turned the Pulo Tricoose point just at sunset, and saluted the Agincourt, 72, flag of Rear-Admiral Sir T. Cochrane, whose term of service has expired, which the latter returned next morning. On Tuesday morning Admiral Inglefield proceeded to the Government bungalow, on the Great Hill, where Admiral Cochrane is at present residing. The Iris, 26, Captain Munday, is reported to sail for England on Tuesday next. The Vernon, and Dido, 20, Captain Maxwell, were at Penang on the 11 th of April, the latter about proceeding to New Zeeland; the Agincourt, 72, Captain Johnstone, for England; the Daedalus, 20, Captain Quhae, for Hongkong; the Wolf, 18, acting Commander Vansittart, for Lebuan; and the Acorn, 16, Commander Bingham, together with the Hon. Company's steam-sloops Nemesis and Ganges, were in port also at Penang, on the 11th of April. The Vestal, 26, Captain C. Talbot, sailed from China for England on the 4th of March, leaving the Vulture steam-frigate, Captain M'Dougal, senior officer's ship, at Hongkong, until the arrival of Admiral lnglefield, when she will be stationed at Whampoa. The Espiegle, 12, Commander Harris, by the latest advices, was to proceed from Hongkong to Ningpo, after undergoing certain repairs [according to his service record, and his entry in O'Byrnes 1849 'Naval Biographical Dictionary' Thomas Pickering Thompson was in command of this vessel at this time]; the Childers, 16, Commander Pitman, was to proceed to Shanghae; the Ringdove, 16, Commander Clifford, to Amoy; and the Scout, 16, Commander Loring, to Foochowfoo; the last named vessel has captured 39 of the pirates who had been committing so many cruel murders and depredations, the boldness with which they perpetrate which may be judged of from the fact that they do not scruple to openly attack a men of war. The surveying schoonor Young Hebe (ordered to be sold out of Her Majesty's service), whilst at Hongkong under repair and opposite the moorings of the Vestal, 26, was boarded by a pirate boat's crow of nearly 30 men, and was completely gutted. It is said the Scout is to be sent to track the pirates.
We 24 January 1849	Portsmouth, Jan. 23. The Dido, 18, Captain J.B. Maxwell, arrived at Spithead this morning, as noticed else where, and is ordered to Sheerness to be paid off. This ship has made an astonishingly quick passage home — the quickest, we believe, yet known. She has run over 13,438 miles in 77 days, and has averaged 174 miles per day since she left New Zealand, from which station she ran to Cape Horn (5,017 miles) in 25 days. The Havannah, 22, Captain Erskine, was at Auckland when the Dido sailed. The Rattlesnake surveying ship, Captain Owen Stanley, and her tender the Bramble, were surveying in Torres Straits. The Fly, 18, Captain Oliver, was at Wellington. The Acheron surveying steam sloop. Captain Stokes, was at Newcastle, a small place near Sydney, coaling, on her way to New Zealand. All who went out in the Dido have come home in her — a rare occurrence.

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