HMS Endymion (1865) facts for kids
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HMS Endymion rounding the Cape of Good Hope.
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Quick facts for kids History |
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 United Kingdom |
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| Name | HMS Endymion |
| Builder | Deptford Dockyard |
| Laid down | 20 October 1860 |
| Launched | 18 November 1865 |
| Completed | September 1866 |
| Commissioned | 27 September 1866 |
| Decommissioned | 31 July 1879 |
| Fate | Loaned out 1881, sold in 1885 |
 United Kingdom |
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| Name | Endymion |
| Owner | Metropolitan Asylums Board |
| Acquired |
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| In service | 1881 |
| Out of service | 1904 |
| Fate | Scrapped 1905 |
| General characteristics | |
| Class and type |
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| Displacement | 3,197 long tons (3,248 t) |
| Tons burthen |
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| Length | 240 ft (73.2 m) |
| Beam | 47 ft 11 in (14.6 m) |
| Draught | 18 ft 8 in (5.69 m) |
| Installed power |
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| Propulsion | Sails, 1 × 500 nhp steam engine, 1 shaft |
| Sail plan | Full-rigged ship |
| Speed | 12.5 knots (23.2 km/h; 14.4 mph) |
| Complement | 450 |
| Armament |
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HMS Endymion was a cool wooden warship called a screw frigate. She was the third ship named Endymion in the Royal Navy. This ship was special because she was the very last wooden frigate built at Deptford Dockyard.
Endymion started her service in 1866. She spent a lot of time based in Malta. From 1869 to 1870, she sailed all the way around the world as part of a special group of ships called the Flying Squadron. She was a front-line warship until 1874.
After her warship days, Endymion became a guard ship in Hull, Yorkshire, until 1879. During this time, her engines weren't working well. Her crew even helped local police fight fires in buildings and timber yards!
Later, in 1881, Endymion was loaned to the Metropolitan Asylums Board. She was used as a ship for managing things and as a hospital ship. First, she was in Greenwich, Kent, and then later in Dartford. She was officially sold in 1885 but continued to serve as an administration ship until 1904. Endymion was sold for scrap in December 1904 and taken apart in 1905.
Contents
Ship's Design and Features
Endymion was about 240 feet (73.2 m) long. She was 47 feet 11 inches (14.6 m) wide and sat 18 feet 8 inches (5.69 m) deep in the water. She weighed about 3,197 tons.
The ship was powered by both sails and a steam engine. The steam engine had 500 horsepower and turned a single propeller. This propeller was 18 feet (5.49 m) wide! Even with her engine, she was also rigged as a full-rigged ship, meaning she had lots of sails.
Endymion was designed to carry 36 guns, but she ended up with a slightly different setup. She had:
- Four 100-pounder guns.
- Fourteen 8-inch guns.
- Three 110-pounder guns.
How Endymion Was Built
Endymion was the very last wooden frigate made at Deptford Dockyard. Her building started on October 20, 1860. Her construction was paused for a while in 1862 but then restarted in 1864.
Her big engines and boilers were moved to Sheerness in October 1865. She was finally launched into the water on November 18, 1865. After her launch, other steamships towed her to Woolwich and then to Sheerness to be finished.
A young lady named Miss Ffrench launched Endymion. A huge crowd of 40,000 people came to watch this important event!
Endymion in Service
Early Years and Sea Trials
Endymion officially started her service on September 27, 1866, at Sheerness. Her first captain was Charles Wake. She had her sea trials on October 19 and 20. During these tests, she reached a speed of about 12.5 knots (23.2 km/h).
On October 28, she left for the Mediterranean Sea, arriving in Gibraltar on November 10. She then sailed to Valletta, Malta, arriving on November 19.
Adventures in the Mediterranean
In January 1867, Endymion sailed to Beyrout, Syria, to deliver supplies. She returned to Malta in July. In August, she joined other ships in the Mediterranean Squadron.
On October 9, 1867, during a strong storm, Endymion helped HMS Cruiser, which was in trouble. During the rescue, one of Endymion's guns broke loose! A sailor was also washed overboard but was saved.
Later that month, she went to Livorno, Italy, to pick up a 16-year-old Japanese prince. Her engines broke down on the way to Marseilles, so she had to return to Malta for repairs.
In January 1868, Endymion had a small accident in Valletta Harbour. She bumped into a Turkish warship and then into HMS Lord Warden. Luckily, Endymion was not damaged.
She continued to sail around the Mediterranean, visiting places like Naples, Italy, and Piraeus, Greece. In September, she helped lay a new underwater cable between Malta and Alexandria, Egypt.
Sailing Around the World
In 1869, Endymion was ordered to England to join a special group of ships called the Flying Squadron. This squadron was going to sail all the way around the world!
The squadron included ships like HMS Bristol, HMS Liffey, and HMS Liverpool. Endymion was the slowest ship in the group.
They left England in June 1869 and sailed to places like Madeira, Bahia, Brazil, and Rio de Janeiro, Argentina. They rounded the Cape of Good Hope in October.
The squadron then sailed across the ocean to Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, arriving in November. The people of Melbourne gave them a very warm welcome! They continued to Sydney and Hobart, Tasmania.
In January 1870, they visited Auckland, New Zealand, before heading to Japan. They arrived in Yokohama in April. From Japan, they sailed across the Pacific Ocean to Vancouver, Canada, then to Valparaiso, Chile, stopping in Honolulu, Hawaii.
They rounded Cape Horn in September, completing their trip around the world! This was a big achievement, and the crew celebrated. Endymion returned to Plymouth, England, in November 1870. After this amazing journey, she was taken out of service for a short time to be prepared for new duties.
More Service and Refits
In 1871, Endymion had more trials. In April 1872, Edward Madden took command, and she was used as a training ship for young cadets. She went on a short cruise in the English Channel and then sailed to Gibraltar.
She joined the Mediterranean Squadron again, visiting places like Lisbon, Portugal, and Vigo, Spain. She returned to Portsmouth, England, in November 1872 for repairs and new masts.
In January 1873, Endymion was caught in a storm during trials. A sailor was lost overboard, and the ship was damaged. After repairs, she sailed to Vigo and then to the Caribbean, visiting Martinique and Guadeloupe.
She returned to Gibraltar by August. In September, she was sent to Valencia, Spain, where there was some unrest. She also visited Barcelona and Málaga, Spain.
In 1874, Endymion sailed to Malta and then to Corfu, Greece. In May, she and another ship, Narcissus, accidentally ran aground in Palermo Bay. Both ships were damaged but were repaired.
Endymion returned to England in July and was taken out of active service. She was then sent to the Humber for coast guard duties.
Guard Ship Duties
By October 1874, Endymion was stationed at Hull, Yorkshire, as a guard ship. Her job was to protect the coast.
In 1875, her boilers were found to be unfit for service, meaning she couldn't use her steam engine. She had to be towed by other ships. She sailed to Hull again, this time under sail power, to continue her guard duties.
During her time as a guard ship, Endymion's crew often helped the local community.
- In March 1876, her Royal Marines helped fight a big fire at a shipbuilding yard in Hull.
- In August, her crew helped the Hull police fight two more fires at timber yards.
- In September 1877, her men helped put out a fire at a fish shop and then a fire at Holy Trinity Church.
- In April 1878, marines from Endymion helped fight a fire at shops in Hull's Market Place.
In March 1879, Endymion left Hull and was towed to Chatham. Her crew transferred to another ship, and Endymion was officially taken out of service on July 31, 1879.
A New Role: Hospital and Admin Ship
In June 1881, the Admiralty decided to loan Endymion and another ship, HMS Atlas, to the Metropolitan Asylums Board. This was because there was a smallpox outbreak in London.
Endymion was going to be used as an administration ship, meaning she would help manage things. She was towed to Greenwich, Kent, and later to Dartford. While Atlas was the main hospital ship, Endymion provided living space for the staff, kitchens, and laundry facilities. She even provided heating for both ships!
The location of the ships caused some problems for local shipbuilders, so in 1883, the ships were moved further downstream to Long Reach, near Dartford.
In 1884, a third hospital ship joined Atlas and Endymion. In 1885, the Metropolitan Asylums Board decided to buy Endymion and Atlas from the Royal Navy.
Endymion continued in this important role until 1904. That year, a new hospital on land, Joyce Green Hospital, opened in Dartford. Endymion was then sold at an auction in December 1904 for £3,200 to be broken up.
Images for kids
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Atlas and Endymion in Deptford Creek, Kent, 1881.
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The galley on board Endymion
