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| Name | Iris (1840) | Explanation | |
| Type | Sixth rate | ||
| Launched | 14 July 1840 | ||
| Hull | Wooden | ||
| Propulsion | Sail | ||
| Builders measure | 906 tons | ||
| Displacement | |||
| Guns | 26 | ||
| Fate | 1869 | ||
| Class | Spartan | ||
| Ships book | |||
| Note | Sold as cable vessel | ||
| Snippets concerning this vessels career | |||
| Date | Event | ||
| 3 January 1840 - 21 October 1841 | Commanded (from commissioning at Plymouth) by Captain Hugh Nurse, west coast of Africa (until de died) | ||
| 1 November 1841 - August 1842 | Commanded by Captain William Tucker, senior officer, west coast of Africa | ||
| August 1842 - January 1843 | Commanded by Acting Captain Thomas Rodney Eden, west coast of Africa | ||
| 4 October 1842 - 15 August 1843 | Commanded (until paying off at Portsmouth) by Captain George Rodney Mundy, west coast of Africa | ||
| 18 October 1843 - August 1847 | Commanded (from commissioning at Portsmouth) by Captain George Rodney Mundy, India and China; in co-operation with 'Rajah' Brooke against the Borneo pirates | ||
| 24 December 1856 | Commanded by Captain William Loring, Australia | ||
| Extracts from the Times newspaper | |||
| Date | Extract | ||
| Fr 5 February 1841 | Portsmouth.— An augmentation of the Royal Marine Corps has been ordered, report says, to the extent of 3,000 men, which is strongly indicative of a further increase to the navy in the spring. Several splendid ships at the different ports are silently, but expeditiously, being completed for commission. The Vindictive, and Warspite, 50-gun ships, are ordered for commission at this port, as soon as ready. The former is said to be intended for the Lisbon command, with a Commodore's pendant. Rear-Admiral Sir Edward King, K.C.B., reached Rio de Janeiro in the Southampton frigate, from Plymouth on the 14th of November, and was to proceed to the Pacific in about ten days, to succeed Rear-Admiral Ross, C.B., who will return to England in the President frigate, and may be expected home about April next. The Inconstant, 36, Captain Pring, has received orders to proceed to the Mediterranean, it is reported to supply the place of the Pique, 36, ordered home to be docked, &c. She was to leave Plymouth on Tuesday for Malta, taking out between 300 and 400 volunteer seamen for disposal in the fleet. The Endymion frigate, Captain the Hon. F.W. Grey, is under orders for the East Indies, to join Rear-Admiral Elliott's squadron, for whom she will take despatches and supernumeraries for the squadron. The corvette Tweed, 20, Commander Douglas, has bent sails, and is waiting Admiralty orders. It is said she will proceed to the South American station. The corvette Iris, 26, Captain Nurse, has left Spithead for service on the coast of Africa. She took despatches for the senior officer there. It is reported that the Andromache, 26, Captain Baynes, is to go to the East Indies from the Cape of Good Hope. The steamer Lizard, Lieutenant Estcourt, will leave this harbour to-morrow, for the Mediterranean, taking despatches for Sir Robert Stopford. The brig Pelican, 16, Commander Napier, is waiting Admiralty orders at Spithead; she is in want of several petty officers to complete her crew. The Monarch, 84, Captain Chambers, will be at Spithead, according to a private letter, on the 8th instant, from Sheerness.— Brighton Gazette. | ||
| Sa 19 August 1843 | PORTSMOUTH, Friday, Aug. 18. The Iris, 26, Captain Mundy, has been paid off here, and will be brought forward far recommission immediately. She is a capital seaboat, and a very good sailer. When on the coast of Africa, in a trial between her and the Waterwitch, with the wind on the quarter, fresh breezes, she beat the Waterwitch considerably. On a wind, with light breezes, the Waterwitch had the advantage. | ||
| Fr 1 December 1843 | The Irish squadron consists of 1 line of battle ship, 2 frigates, 2 sloops, and 11 steamers, viz., the Caledonia, 120 (flag-ship of Rear-Admiral Bowles); Fox, 42; Iris, 46; Lynx, 3, and Snipe, 2 guns (sloops). Steamers, the Penelope, 22 ; Stromboli, 6; Flamer, 6; Tartarus, 2 ; Volcano, 2; Dee, 2; and Rhadamanthus steamer, 2 guns. | ||
| 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. | ||
| 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. | ||
| Tu 27 July 1847 | P0RTSM0UTH, Monday. The Iris, 26, Captain G.R. Mundy, arrived at Spithead this morning, from the East India and China station. Her dates are — Penang, April 8; the Cape of Good Hope, June 1; St. Helena, June 14; Ascension, June 19. At Simon's-bay she left the President, 50, Captain Stanley, flag of Rear-Admiral Dacres, Commander-in-Chief; and the Rosamond steam-sloop, Commander Foote, all well. She has brought a mail, but no news from the Cape. The island of St. Helena was healthy; there were no men-of-war there. Ascension also was healthy, but water very scarce. Turtle was plentiful. The Penelope steam-frigate, Captain Giffard, bearing the broad pendant of Commodore Sir Charles Hotham, K.C.B, Commander-in-Chief; the Tortoise store and guard ship, Captain Hutton; and the Mariner, 12, Commander Mathison, were lying there. The Iris reports that the Agincourt may be looked for in a fortnight. The Iris has been absent nearly four years, and is in admirable condition. Orders were awaiting her arrival to proceed to Chatham to be paid off, which have been so for countermanded that she is to remain at Spithead until Wednesday, and in the mean time Admiral Sir Charles Ogle is to muster her crew and inspect her. | ||
| Ma 17 January 1859 | From Australian, letters and papers which have just been received at Chatham by the friends of officers belonging to Her Majesty's missing ship Sappho, 12, Commander Fairfax Moresby, some intelligence has been obtained relative to the supposed loss of that vessel. A few days previously to the departure of the mail for England a letter had been received at Melbourne by his Excellency the Governor, from Commodore W. Loring, C.B., of Her Majesty's ship Iris, 26, dated Sydney, Oct. 16, 1858, in which the Commodore reports that he had just learnt from a merchant at Sydney that Her Majesty's sloop Sappho, 12, was spoken on the 18th of February last, 20 miles south of Cape Nelson. Further information was promised, but had not been received at the date of the departure of the mail. Commodore Loring states that he believed the information to be correct, and that the inference was that the Sappho had either foundered at sea, or that she had been wrecked in the vicinity of King's Island, which lies immediately in her track from the Cape of Good Hope to Bass's Straits. The first supposition — that the vessel had foundered at sea — was not entertained by nautical men in Australia, as none of Her Majesty's ships are ever allowed to go to sea in a sinking state, and from the fact that the missing ship was spoken so near the Australian coast there is little doubt that she has been wrecked on one of the islands, probably the one mentioned. King's Island lies about 90 miles from Port Phillip Head, off Cape Ottway; it has no lighthouse upon it, and is not believed to be inhabited. Hopes are entertained that she might have gone ashore at the spot indicated, and that some of her officers and crew, which numbered 140, were saved. The Governor had given direction for the despatch of a sloop-of-war from Melbourne to search along the shore of King's Island and the adjacent coast for any fragments of the missing ship, and also with the hope of rescuing any of the crew who might be found alive. | ||
| We 22 August 1860 | Her Majesty’s sloop Elk, 12, Commander H. Campion, which was paid off at Chatham yesterday, has been in commission upwards of four years, during which period she has seen a great deal of active service both in China and in other distant parts of the world. She was commissioned at Chatham on the 6th of May, 1856, by Commander J. Hamilton, who was succeeded in August, 1858, by Commander Campion, formerly of the Vulcan, 6, [should be: Falcon] on being promoted. The Elk, on leaving England, proceeded to China, and formed one of the squadron engaged in the Chinese waters until the termination of hostilities. The whole of the crew who could be spared formed a portion of the naval brigade under Commodore Stevens [should be Stewart], of the Nankin, 50, and were present at the capture of Canton, and other places. After the discontinuance of operations in the China seas, the Elk sailed from Hongkong for Australia in the month of April, 1858, and after arriving was employed for several months in making a minute search along the coast and through every part of Bass's Straits for Her Majesty's missing ship Sappho, but without success. The Elk left Sydney on the 1st of March for Auckland, which was reached on the 12th of March, just at the time the insurrection was raging in New Zealand. A portion of the crew and several of the ship's guns were landed to form a part of the naval brigade, and the men volunteering for this service were left behind. On the 26th of April the Elk left Auckland for England, at which time the following vessels of Her Majesty were at New Zealand — viz., the Iris, 26, Commodore W. Loring, C.B.; the Pelorus, 21, screw corvette, Commodore F.B.P. Seymour; the Niger, 13, screw steamer, Capt. P. Cracroft; and the Cordelia, 11, screw steamer, Commander C.E.H. Vernon. During the voyage home, and when near the entrance to the river Plate, the ship was caught in a tremendous typhoon, which raged for 48 hours, during which the vessel suffered severely, and it was only by the very best seamanship that vessel and crew were not lost. The Elk, since she has been in commission, has been constantly employed on service, and has sailed over upwards of 132,000 miles. Upwards of 20 of her crew have died from cholera, dysentery, and other causes, exclusive of a number invalided home. The crew have been exceedingly well-behaved, and the infliction of corporal punishment has been very rare. On the crew being paid off yesterday a silver medal, together with a gratuity of 10l., was awarded by the Admiralty to John Turner, captain of the after-guard, for good conduct and long service. The Elk, which is in very good condition, is to be attached to the reserve ordinary at Chatham. Second Lieut. O'Grady and the boatswain of the ship are under arrest, awaiting their trial by court-martial. | ||
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