HMS Constance (1880)
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Sister ship HMS Cordelia
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| History | |
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 United Kingdom
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| Name: | HMS Constance |
| Builder: |
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| Way number: | No. 4 Slip |
| Laid down: | 14 September 1878 |
| Launched: | 9 June 1880 |
| Completed: | 3 October 1882 |
| Fate: | Sold on 15 December 1899 |
| General characteristics | |
| Class and type: | Comus-class corvette |
| Displacement: | 2,380 long tons (2,420 t) |
| Length: | 225 ft (68.6 m) |
| Beam: | 44.6 ft (13.6 m) |
| Draught: |
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| Installed power: | 2,590 ihp (1,930 kW) |
| Propulsion: | 1 shaft, 1 Horizontal compound steam engine |
| Sail plan: | Barque-rigged |
| Speed: | 13.72 knots (25.41 km/h; 15.79 mph) |
| Complement: | 250 |
| Armament: |
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HMS Constance was a Comus-class steel corvette of the Royal Navy. She was launched from Chatham Dockyard on 9 June 1880.
Constance was one of nine ship class of steel corvettes built in the late 1870s and early 1880s to an 1876 design by Nathaniel Barnaby. They were later designated as 'third class cruisers'. Six ships of the class were built at the commercial yards of J. Elder & Co., at Glasgow, while the remaining three were built by the Royal Dockyards, with Constance being laid down at Chatham Dockyard on 14 September 1878. The three built by these dockyards differed from their sisters in having been barque-rigged, rather than a full ship rig, and had 4-cylinder engines rather than 3-cylinder. Constance's engines were supplied by John Penn & Son.Constance further differed from her sisters in having feathering rather than hoisting screws, a feature she shared only with HMS Carysfort. These two ships were also the only two not to be rearmed with 6in breech-loading guns of Mk. III or IV. The Comus-class ships had steel hulls clad with two layers of teak, while their bottoms were sheathed with copper. They marked a dramatic step forward in basic habitability, with improved below-decks ventilation, a sick bay, bathroom for ratings and even a ship’s library.
Constance was laid down at Chatham Dockyard on 14 September 1878. She was built on No. 4 Slip, alongside HMS Polyphemus, which was built on No. 5 Slip. Originally scheduled for launch on 26 May 1880, she was launched on 9 June 1880. The christening of the ship was performed by Miss Macdonald, daughter of Vice-Admiral Sir Reginald Macdonald, KCSI, Commander-in-Chief at the Nore. The launch did not go smoothly, as the ship hung due to a malfunction in the launch system. The ship was eventually launched to loud cheering from the thousands of spectators. On 17 May 1881, Constance was being undocked in a gale when a rope snapped, setting her adrift. She collided with another vessel and the dockyard wall before a tug could take her in tow. Damage was slight. Work on her had been completed by 3 October 1882.
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