HMS Furious

HMS Furious (1850)

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Name	Furious (1850)	Explanation
Type	2nd class frigate
Launched	26 August 1850
Hull	Wooden
Propulsion	Paddle
Builders measure	1287 tons
Displacement
Guns	14
Fate	1884
Class
Ships book	ADM 135/189
Note	1867 c.h.
Snippets concerning this vessels career
Date	Event
25 November 1852	Commanded by Captain William Loring, Mediterranean, and (1854) the the Black Sea during the Russian War
11 March 1857 - 13 June 1859	Commanded by Captain Sherard Osborn, East Indies and China (escorting a fleet of fifteen gunboats out for the attack on Canton during the 2nd Anglo-Chinese War)
15 March 1859 - 30 August 1861	Commanded (until paying off at Portsmouth) by Captain Oliver John Jones, East Indies and China
*Extracts from the Times* newspaper**
Date	Extract
Sa 8 December 1849	Portsmouth, Dec. 6. In Port and Fitting In the Harbour. - The Victory and Illustrious flag-ships, the Excellent gunnery ship; the Blenheim steam-guard-ship; the Eurydice, stripping to pay off; the Contest, fitting out; the Rolla apprentices' brig, laying up for the winter; the Fairy and Elfin, and Portsmouth yachts; the Flamer packet from Holyhead, and the Echo tug. In Dock. - The Britannia, 120; the Dauntless, 24; the Fantome, 16; the Lily, 16; the Fox, 42; the Devastation, and the Birkenhead steam frigates. In the Basin. - The Princess Charlotte, 104; the Actaeon, 26; and the Sprightly and the Bee steam-vessels. In the Steam Basin, - The Ajax, 60; the Penelope, 22; the Sidon, 26; the Victoria and Albert royal yacht; the Urgent , the Pike, the Asp, and the Blazer. Building. - The Royal Frederick, 120 [subsequently cancelled and later completed as Frederick William]; the Prince of Wales, 120; the Princess Royal, 90; the Argus, and the Furious steam sloops.
We 5 January 1853	The steam squadron of reserve, under the superintendence of Captain W.H. Henderson, C.B., of the Blenheim, 60, since the commissioning of the Sidon, Odin, Furious, and Medea, has been reduced to four vessels — viz., the Leopard, 12, 560-horse power; Vesuvius, 6, 280-horse power; Bulldog, 6, 500 horse-power; and the Stromboli, 6, 280-horse power; all paddle vessels. The Hecla, 6, will shortly join them, having been masted ready for rigging.
Sa 31 August 1861	The Furious, 16, paddle, Capt. O.J. Jones, after an official inspection by Capt. H. Broadhead, commanding Her Majesty's ship Asia and the Reserve at Portsmouth, was paid off yesterday alongside the dockyard, under the superintendence of Capt. R. Cook, of Her Majesty's ship Victory. Medals and gratuities for good conduct were given to Sergeant Stephen Palmer, Royal Marine Artillery; John Furlong, chief petty officer, and Charles Murphy, quartermaster. The Furious, although many of her crew have been at times invalided, has had but four deaths on board during her commission; and while in the China seas generally showed a lighter sick-list than other vessels on the station. She was commissioned in March, 1857, by Capt. Sherard Osborn, C.B., now commanding the Donegal, and sailed from Plymouth Sound on the 4th of May following for Hongkong, with a convoy of 13 gunboats, two despatch boats, and the Hesper screw store-ship. The Furious arrived at Hongkong on the 4th of November. Her after career in Chinese and Japanese waters with Lord Elgin on board is familiar to all who recall the events of the mission to China and Japan in the years 1857, '58, and '59. On Lord Elgin finally leaving the Furious at Suez, she proceeded to the Abyssynian coast, and afterwards to the wreck of the Peninsular and Oriental Company's steamer Alma, recovering a great portion of the Alma's cargo, and conveying it to Aden, where Capt. Sherard Osborn left the ship. On his return to England he was succeeded in command by Capt. O.J. Jones. The ship next proceeded to Trincomalee. After refitting, the next port of destination was Hongkong, which was reached after encountering a gale and typhoon, in which one of the heavy guns had to be thrown overboard, and the mizenmast cut away. After refitting at Hongkong the ship conveyed Marines to Shanghai, where she remained for some time as senior officer's ship. She afterwards proceeded to Talianwhan Bay, where she joined the allied fleets bound to the Peiho, off which river she remained during the subsequent operations. After the capture of Pekin, the Furious returned to Shanghai, and conveyed Mr. Bruce to the Peiho. This service performed, the Furious, in company with the Watchful gunboat, was frozen up in the Pee-chee-lee Gulf, some 30 miles from the land, but got into rather close proximity to the Sha-lin-tien bank, steam was got up and a passage made through the ice after three days spent in charging the ice ahead at full speed, and backing astern alternately. On the Furious's arrival at Shanghai, after her escape from the ice off the Peiho, she received her final orders for England, calling in at Hongkong to refit for the voyage, and taking in a number of large cases containing valuable presents from the Emperor of Japan to Her Majesty the Queen, which were landed from the ship at Portsmouth and forwarded to Buckingham Palace unopened, under a special Treasury order to that effect. The boilers and coal-bunkers of the Furious, as a natural result of her long service under steam, are completely worn out, while her engines require a thorough overhaul and repair.
Sa 12 November 1864	The following is the list of the vessels of the Royal navy which will be armed, and are now being armed, with the new description of 300-pounder and other guns in course of issue. The figures after each vessel specify the number of guns of the description mentioned she will carry. To mount the 12-ton 300-pounders:- Bellerophon, 10; Royal Sovereign, 5; Minotaur, 4; Scorpion, 4; Wiveren, 4; Prince Albert, 4; Agincourt, 4; and Northumberland, 4. To be armed with the 6½-ton guns:- The Achilles, 20; Black Prince, 20; Warrior, 20; Lord Warden, 20; Lord Clyde, 20; Royal Oak, 20; Prince Consort, 20; Royal Alfred, 20; Caledonia, 20; Ocean, 20; Minotaur, 18 ; Agincourt, 18; Valiant, 16; Zealous, 16; Hector, 16; Defence, 10; Resistance, 10; Endymion, 6; Mersey, 4; Orlando, 4, Pallas, 4; Favourite, 4; Research, 4; Enterprise, 4; Amazon, 2; Viper, 2; and Vixen, 2. To mount the 64-pounder muzzle-loader:- The Bristol, 12; Melpomene, 12; Liverpool, 12; Severn, 12; Arethusa, 12; Phoebe, 12;. Shannon, 12; Octavia, 12; Constance, 12; Sutlej, 12; Undaunted, 12; Impérieuse, 12; Aurora, 12; Leander, 12; Bacchante, 12; Emerald, 12; Phaeton, 12: Narcissus, 12; Forte, 12; Euryalus, 12; Topaz, 12; Newcastle, 12; Liffey, 12; Immortalité, 12; Glasgow, 12; Clio, 8, North Star, 8 [laid down 1860, cancelled 1865]; Racoon, 8; Challenge[r], 8; and Menai, 8 [laid down 1860, cancelled 1864]. The following will be supplied with the 64-pounder breech-loaders:- The Scout, 8; Rattlesnake, 8; Cadmus, 8; Scylla, 8; Barossa, 8; Jason, 8; Charybdis, 8; Wolverine, 8; Pylades, 8; Orestes, 8; Pearl, 8; Pelorus, 8; Satellite, 8; Acheron, 4 [laid down 1861, cancelled 1863]; Shearwater, 4; Valorous, 4; Furious, 4; Bittern, 4 [laid down 1861, cancelled 1863]; Magicienne, 4; and Columbine, 4. A supply of the 6½-ton smooth-bore 100-pounder wrought iron guns has already been received at Chatham, and it is understood that the first supply of the 300-pounder rifled 12-ton Armstrong gun may shortly be expected at the Ordnance wharf.

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