Built as an armoured frigate, later re-classed as a battleship by the yard of Mare & Co. at Millwall for the Royal Navy.
10 October 1861 keel laid down.
17 April 1866 launched under the name HMS NORTHUMBERLAND. She was the fifth ship under that name by the Royal Navy, one of the Minotaur class.
Displacement 10.784 tons, dim. 124.00 x 18.14 x 8.46m.
Powered by one Penn 2 cyl. horizontal trunk engine, 6.545 ihp, one screw, speed 14.1 knots. Steam was supplied by 10 boilers.
Full rigged on the three foremasts, schooner rigged with a gaff on the two aft masts, could carry a total of 32.377 square feet of sail
Her sides did have an armour of 5½ inch thick.
Armament when built, 4 – 9 inch, 22 – 8 inch and 2 – 7 inch MLR guns. (MLR means muzzle loader with a rifled barrel.)
08 October 1868 delivered. Crew 800.
When launched she stuck on the slipway for a month, her fitting out took very long, her builders went into liquidation, and that is I think the reason that you can find in the sources Millwall Iron Works, at Millwall also as her builder, Mare & Co. after going bust, were renamed Millwall Iron Works.
She was the first warship of 10.000+ tons propelled by a single screw, and also the first warship fitted out with a steam driven steering gear.
Under sail she was very slow, she could barely make 7 knots in the best conditions.
Commissioned under command of Captain Roderick Dew. And under his command she took part in the tow of the Bermuda Floating Dock to Madeira.
1872 Her cables failed and she drifted across the bow of the HMS HERCULES and was impaled on the latter’s ram, before drifting clear.
Between 1875 and 1879 she got a extensive re-fit, was rearmed with 7 – 9 inch, 20 – 8 inch MLR guns, 2 – 20 pdrs, and four torpedo launchers. Re rigged in a barque.
After re-commissioned in 1879 she was based in the English Channel Squadron, and had a minor part in the Egyptian campaign of 1882.
Between 1885 and 1887 refitted, 7 – 9 inch RML, 18 – 8 inch RML, 1 – 6 inch BL, 1 – 5 inch BL 2 – 20 pdrs. BL. Four torpedo launchers.
Later her torpedo launchers removed, and 6 – 4.7 inch guns added.
1890 Transferred to reserve, and a year later used in harbour service at Devonport
March 1904 she became a depot ship and training school for stokers at Chatham, renamed ACHERON.
1909 Converted in a coal hulk under C8 at Invergordon. Being renumbered in 1927 in C68.
The same year sold to Ward for further service as a hulk at Dakar, renamed STEDMOUND.
1935 Sold for breaking up.
Mali 1996 1000fr sgMS? , scott833.
http://web.ukonline.co.uk/aj.cashmore/b ... rland.html http://www.royal-navy.mod.uk/static/pages/2314.html http://www.users.dircon.co.uk/~warden/c ... sc2003.htm
Ships of the Victorian Navy by Conrad Dixon. Watercraft Philately Vol. 44 page 42.