HMS Ruby

HMS Ruby (1878)

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Name	Ruby (1878)	Explanation
Type	Corvette
Launched	9 August 1878
Hull	Composite
Propulsion	Screw
Builders measure	1864 tons
Displacement	2120 tons
Guns	12
Fate	1921
Class	Emerald
Ships book
Note	1904 c.h.
Snippets concerning this vessels career
Date	Event
12 May 1880 - 16 December 1882	Commanded by Captain Charles Edward Foot, East Indies
*Extracts from the Times* newspaper**
Date	Extract
Ma 24 May 1880	The Himalaya will be put out of Keyham Dockyard today, and will leave for Bombay on Wednesday, She conveys Capt. C.E. Foot and 378 officers and men to re-commission the Ruby for another three years' service upon the East Indies stations. About 200 supernumeraries will also take passage by the Himalaya for disposal upon the stations. Time expired men, invalids, the relieved crew of the Ruby, as well as Lord Lytton, family, and suite, will return in her, arriving in England about the 25th of August.
Ma 12 July 1880	It is proposed to pay off and lay up, after repair, at Devonport, during the present year the Achilles and Agincourt, now with the Channel Squadron, the Condor and Flamingo, now in the Mediterranean, but commissioned for special service in the Black Sea, the Wild Swan, from the East Indies, and the Modeste, Swinger, Sylvia, Hornet, and Midge from the China station. The two latter will pay off at Hongkong and be navigated home by a supernumerary crew is consequence of the majority of their officers and men having volunteered for other service upon the station. The Wivern will also pay off at Hongkong, but will remain as reserve drill ship upon that station. The Devonport reserve contingent will also be strengthened by the return of the Forward from the south-east coast of America, the Griffon from North America and the West Indies, and the Pelican, Penguin, and Shannon from the Pacific. Portsmouth will receive the Minotaur from the Mediterranean, and will be intrusted with her alteration and repair, for which ?100,000 will be required, the Swallow and the Elk from the south-east coast of America, the Plover from North America, and the Hector, now Coastguard ship at Southampton. The Fawn, surveying vessel in the Sea of Marmora, having made a fairly accurate sketch of the bed of that sea during the three years she has been engaged on that duty, will return to Chatham to pay off and lay up, as also will the T?m?raire from the Mediterranean, and the Tourmaline from the North American coast. Sheerness will have the repairing and charge of the Helicon from the Mediterranean, the Blanche from North America and the West Indies, the Osprey from the Pacific, and the Ruby, Spartan, and Vulture from the East Indies. During the year the Enchantress, the Orontes, the Jackal, the Orwell, and the Foxhound are to be re-commissioned, the latter at Hongkong.
Ma 9 August 1880	The Himalaya, Captain Brent, which arrived at Portsmouth on Friday from India and the Mediterranean, disembarked on Saturday the troops which she brought from Malta and the old crew of the Ruby, which was paid off and re-commissioned at Bombay. The troops consisted of 110 invalids, time-expired men, and insane for Netley, four men for Woolwich, five Royal Engineers for Chatham and Aldershot, and three others, besides a number of women and children. There were no military officers passengers. The Himalaya was to have proceeded to Devonport on Saturday afternoon to have her defects made good and to be got ready for immediate transport service, but her departure, in consequence of the gale, was delayed until yesterday morning. The repairs to be made to her hull and machinery are very slight indeed, and she is ordered to return to Portsmouth on the evening of the 13th to embark reinforcements for India on the 17th — the day after the date fixed for the sailing of the Malabar. It is not known what troops she will embark, but Surgeons-Major Macbeth and Alexander, of the Army Medical Department, have been warned that they will have to take passage out in her.
Ma 15 November 1880	The following information respecting the movements of Her Majesty's ships is supplied by the Admiralty: — From Malta letters have been received from the Rear-Admiral Superintendent up to the 8th inst.; the Téméraire will be ready for sea the 27th inst.; and the Cygnet on the 20th inst.; the Invincible and Hecla are in port. Her Majesty's troopship Orontes left Port Said for England on the 12th inst. From the West Coast of Africa letters hive been received from the Senior Officer in the Dido, at Fernando Po, up to the 2d of October; had arrived from Bonny on the 1st of October, with the Firebrand in company, and would proceed to Ambas Bay, Batanga, and Cape Lopez, returning to Quitta via St Thomas. The Firebrand would relieve the Firefly at St. Paul de Loando. From the Cape of Good Hope intelligence has been received that the Commodore, in the Boadicea, was at Simon's Bay on the 14th inst. From the East Indies, letters have been received from the Commander-in-Chief, Rear-Admiral Gore Jones, C.B., in the Euryalus, was at Trincomalee up to the 12th of October. Was about to sail for Rangoon, and would be met there by the Eclipse and the Dryad. The Beacon was at Bussorah, the Ready was at Muscat, the Woodlark was at Karachi on the 6th October. The Ruby, the Dragon, and the Wild Swan, were on East Coast of Africa. The Seagull was at Aden, and would visit Jeddah shortly. The Philomel, coming to Aden from Seychelles, arrived there on the 20th October. Her Majesty's Indian troopship Serapis left Bombay for England on Saturday, the 13th inst.

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