HMS Hecla

HMS Hecla (1839)

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Name	Hecla (1839)	Explanation
Type	2nd class sloop
Launched	14 January 1839
Hull	Wooden
Propulsion	Paddle
Builders measure	817 tons
Displacement	1096 tons
Guns	4
Fate	1863
Class
Ships book
Note
Snippets concerning this vessels career
Date	Event
18 July 1839 - 31 March 1842	Commanded (from commissioning until paying off at Woolwich) by Lieutenant commander John Bettinson Cragg, West Indies
21 January 1843 - 3 July 1846	Commanded (from commissioning at Woolwich) by Commander John Duffill, Mediterranean
3 July 1846 - 18 January 1848	Commanded (until paying off at Sheerness) by Commander Charles Starmer, Mediterranean
5 September 1849 - 31 January 1852	Commanded (from commissioning at Plymouth until paying off at Portsmouth) by Commander Edward Halhead Beauchamp-Proctor, west coast of Africa
4 February 1854 - 18 March 1854	Commanded by Master commander Peter Wellington, taking the Masters of the 1854 Baltic Fleet reconnoitering the Baltic
16 March 1854 - 4 November 1854	Commanded by Captain William Hutcheon Hall, the Baltic during the Russian War
11 October 1855	Commanded by Master commander Philip C.D. Bean, Mediterranean
22 October 1855 - 16 February 1859	Commanded (from commissioning at Plymouth until paying off at Plymouth) by Commander Elphinstone D'Oyly D'Auvergne Aplin, west coast of Africa
8 November 1855 - 16 May 1855	Commanded (until paying off at Portsmouth) by Commander Henry Samuel Hawker, Mediterranean
*Extracts from the Times* newspaper**
Date	Extract
Ma 6 March 1843	The Modeste, 18, Captain Rundle B. Watson, which arrived from China on Thursday, is to bs paid off at Sheerness. It is a singular coincidence, that while Sir Henry Pottinger was in China so instrumental to the treaty with that empire, his brother, Major William Pottinger, at present in command of the 6th Regiment, stationed here, should be destined to receive the first payment of the ransom given under that treaty. The amount brought by the Modeste is about 800,000 dollars, which was despatched by railway to London on Friday, under the escort of a party of the 6th under the command of Lieutenant Finley. A number of seamen, gunners from the Excellent, will go round to Sheerness in the Modeste, for distribution in the Curaçoa, Hecla, and Camperdown.
Fr 9 July 1847	The following ships have served the usual period of commission (three years); many have exceeded that term, and are on their way home to be paid off or are ordered to return as soon as relieved:— EAST INDIA STATION. The Agincourt, 72, Captain Johnstone, flag of Rear-Admiral Sir Thomas Cochrane, Commander-in-Chief; having been relieved by the Vernon, 50, Captain Fitzgerald, Rear-Admiral Inglefield. The Fox, 42, Commodore Sir Henry Blackwood. The Castor, 36, Captain Graham. The Iris, 26, Captain Mundy. The Pilot, 16, Commander Wilson. The Wolf, 16, Commander Vansittart. The Spiteful steam sloop, Commander Sir W. Hoste, Bart. MEDITERRANEAN. The Albion, 90, Captain Fremantle. The America, 50, Captain Sir T. Maitland. The Flamer steam sloop, Lieutenant-Commander Lavie. The Hecla steam sloop, Commander Starmer. The Virago steam sloop, Commander Lunn. PACIFIC STATION. The Collingwood, 80, Captain Smart, flag of Rear-Admiral Sir George Seymour, Commander-in-Chief. The Fisgard, 42, Captain Duntze. The Modeste, 18, Captain Watkins. The Cormorant steam sloop, Commander Seymour. THE BRAZILS. The Curaçoa, 24, Captain Broughton. The Racer, 16, Commander Reed. The Satellite, 16, Commander Rowley. THE WEST INDIES. The Hermes steam sloop, Commander Carr. COAST OF AFRICA. The Prometheus steam sloop, Commander Hay. The Sealark, 6, Acting-Commander Whyte. COAST OF IRELAND. The Comet steam sloop, Lieutenant-Commander Johnstone. The Stromboli steam sloop, Commander Fisher.
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.
Th 9 March 1854	PORTSMOUTH, March 8. Signal was made by the Port-Admiral’s flagship Victory to-day, about 4 p.m., to Sir Charles Napier's fleet at Spithead and in harbour, "Prepare for sea." This was followed immediately afterwards by, "be prepared to sail at the shortest notice." By this it is expected a movement will be made sooner than has been anticipated. It is reported afloat that the fleet will rendezvous in Kiel Bay, which has been surveyed by the officers in Her Majesty's steamsloop Hecla, and found capable of harbouring a large naval armament. The screw two-decker Ajax, 60, Captain Warden, arrived to-day from Queenstown. The Neptune, 120, Captain Hutton, flag of Rear-Admiral Corry, bent sails this afternoon, and is ready to go to Spithead. Lieutenant John Clayton Cowell, of the Royal Engineers, is ordered to embark to-morrow in Sir Charles Napier's flagship, for service in the fleet. Rear-Admiral Chads has been exercising the respective crews again to-day in shot practice, beyond which we have not noticed any movement afloat. The wind is rising, and the barometer falling. PLYMOUTH, March 8. Her Majesty's paddle-wheel despatch steam-frigate Magicienne, 16, Captain T. Fisher, arrived at Queenstown on the 5th inst. from Spithead, having been sent to collect the remainder of the Coastguardmen selected for active service in the fleet. She was to leave on the 6th for Castletown, and to call at Valentia, Limerick, Galway, Clifden, West-port, Killala Bay, Sligo, Donegal, and Loch Swilly, returning to Plymouth about the 20th, and thence to Spithead. Mr. Aylen, Master of the Royal yacht, has been, appointed to the Magicienne for this service.

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