HMS Cleopatra (1835)
| History | |
|---|---|
 UK
|
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| Name: | HMS Cleopatra |
| Ordered: | 28 March 1832 |
| Builder: | Pembroke Dockyard |
| Laid down: | June 1832 |
| Launched: | 28 April 1835 |
| Completed: | By 13 September 1835 |
| Reclassified: | Accommodation ship between 1857-58 |
| Fate: | Ordered to be sold for breaking up on 17 February 1862 |
| General characteristics | |
| Class and type: | 26-gun Vestal-class sixth rate frigate |
| Tons burthen: | 911 75/94 bm |
| Length: |
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| Beam: | 40 ft 6 in (12.3 m) |
| Depth of hold: | 10 ft 6 in (3.20 m) |
| Sail plan: | Full rigged ship |
| Complement: | 240 |
| Armament: |
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HMS Cleopatra was a 26-gun Vestal-class sixth rate frigate of the Royal Navy. She was built at Pembroke Dock and launched on 28 April 1835. She was to have been launched in July 1834 and fitted thereafter. Her complement was 152 officers and men, 33 boys, and 25 marines. She was broken up in February 1862.
The Cleopatra was the second of three Vestal-class ships built between 1833 and 1836. The first was HMS Vestal and the third HMS Carysfort. She was acknowledged as a good handling fast boat during her early voyages.
Captain George Grey, the fourth son of Earl Charles Grey, took command of the vessel on 12 August 1835 first sailing to Saint Petersburg, Russia with his sister Lady Louisa, the wife of John Lambton, 1st Earl of Durham and British Ambassador to Russia at the time. On 19 September, while sailing to St Petersburg, the Cleopatra ran aground for several hours on a point of land near Læsø in the Baltic. In order to refloat the ship chains, several cannons, and other objects were offloaded onto the Dutch ship Ypres. She called into Elsinore to check for damage on the 22nd before proceeding on to St Petersburg. A subsequent court-martial into the grounding cleared the captain and crew of any negligence.
The Cleopatra set sail for England from St Petersburg on 15 October 1835 arriving at Flamborough Head on 25th. The following day at 5pm, in a South Westerly gale, she came across the brig Fisher which had been demasted and was sinking. The brig was about 82 miles South East of Flamborough Head. There were several men on the deck but despite all the efforts of the Cleopatra's crew they could not either get a line to her or a boat. The sea was extremely rough and the boat they tried to launch was swamped. Those on board were injured, several severely. By 6:40pm all they could do was hoist a light and wait. To the distress of the Cleopatra the brig sank shortly afterwards and none of the sailors on board were saved. She then sailed to Sheerness for repairs.
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Wikipedia