HMS St George (1840)

For other ships with the same name, see HMS St George.

HMS St George was a 120-gun, three-deck, first rate, broadened Caledonia-class ship of the line built for the Royal Navy during the 1830s. Completed in 1840, the ship remained in ordinary until 1850 and served as a guard ship. St George was razeed and converted into a steam-powered, 89-gun, second rate, two decker in 1858–1859.

St George and Arethusa on the Hamoaze near Bull Point, by Edward Snell (engineer)
History
United Kingdom
Name	St George
Ordered	27 May 1819
Builder	Plymouth Dockyard
Laid down	May 1827
Launched	27 August 1840
Fate	Sold, 1883
General characteristics (as built)
Class & type	Broadened Caledonia-class ship of the line
Tons burthen	271926⁄94 bm
Length	205 ft 6 in (62.6 m) (gundeck)
Beam	55 ft 3 in (16.8 m)
Draught	18 ft 1 in (5.5 m)
Depth of hold	23 ft 3 in (7.09 m)
Propulsion	Sails
Sail plan	Full-rigged ship
Armament	120 guns: Gundeck: 30 × 32 pdrs, 2 × 68 pdr carronades Middle gundeck: 32 × 32 pdrs, 2 × 68 pdr carronades Upper gundeck: 32 × 32 pdrs, 2 × 68 pdr carronades Quarterdeck: 16 × 32 pdr carronades Forecastle: 2 × 32 pdrs, 2 × 32 pdr carronades

Description

The Caledonia class was an improved version of HMS Hibernia with additional freeboard to allow them to fight all their guns in heavy weather. St George measured 205 feet 6 inches (62.6 m) on the gundeck and 170 feet 5 inches (51.9 m) on the keel. She had a beam of 54 feet 9 inches (16.7 m), a depth of hold of 23 feet 3 inches (7.1 m), a deep draught of 18 feet 1 inch (5.51 m) and had a tonnage of 271926⁄94 tons burthen. Her crew numbered 820 officers and ratings in peacetime and 900 in wartime. The ship was armed with 120 muzzle-loading, smoothbore guns that consisted of thirty 32-pounder (56 cwt) guns and two 68-pounder carronades on her lower gundeck, thirty-two 32-pounder 55 cwt guns and two 68-pounder carronades on her middle gundeck and thirty-two 32-pounders and two 68-pounder carrondaes on her upper gundeck. Her forecastle mounted a pair of 32-pounder 49 cwt guns and two 32-pounder carronades. On her quarterdeck she carried sixteen 32-pounder carronades. St George's armament was later modified with four 8 in (203 mm) shell guns that replaced her 68-pounder carronades on the lower and middle gundecks. The 68-pounder carronades on the upper gundeck were replaced by a pair of 32-pounders. All of the guns on the forecastle and quarterdeck were replaced by six 32-pounders and fourteen short 32-pounder guns.

Construction and career

The Fire on the morning of 27 September 1840, which threatened to destroy the dockyard. St George pictured was far enough away from the blazing Talavera to escape destruction.

St George was ordered on 2 June 1819, laid down at Plymouth Dockyard in May 1827, launched on 27 August 1840 and completed in July 1850 as a guard ship. While in the dockyard and before being put to sea she was at risk of destruction. The dockyard suffered severe damage in a large scale fire on 25 September 1840; it started in the North Dock on HMS Talavera and Imogene were completely gutted, threatened HMS Minden, and spread to nearby buildings and equipment. Estimates for the damage were put at £150,000 in the values of the day, and would have totalled £500,000 had the fire not been contained by demolishing several surrounding buildings. The ship's first commission was on 31 August under Captain Joseph Nias when she became the flagship of Commodore Lord John Hay, guard ship at Devonport.

She was fitted with screw propulsion in 1858–1859, and was sold out of the service in 1883.

References

• Media related to HMS St George (ship, 1840) at Wikimedia Commons
• Colledge, J. J.; Warlow, Ben & Bush, Steve (2020). Ships of the Royal Navy: The Complete Record of all Fighting Ships of the Royal Navy from the 15th Century to the Present (5th revised and updated ed.). Seaforth Publishing. ISBN 978-1-5267-9327-0.
• Lambert, Andrew D. (1984). Battleships in Transition: The Creation of the Steam Battlefleet 1815-1860. Conway Maritime Press. ISBN 0-85177-315-X.
• Winfield, Rif (2014). British Warships in the Age of Sail 1817–1863: Design, Construction, Careers and Fates. Seaforth Publishing. ISBN 978-1-84832-169-4.