Ships of the Mid-Victorian Royal Navy: V-Z

The Mid-Victorian Royal Navy

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Mid-Victorian Royal Navy vessels

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A; B; C; D; E - F; G - H; I - L; M; N - P; Q - R; S; T - U; V - Z;??

Name: Follow links in this column for details of the career of unarmoured wooden screw vessels (or for snippets for other vessels).
Launched: "1800a" means acquired in 1800; "1800r" means renamed in 1800 to name shown in "Name" column; see "Note" column for original name, under which entry other details are given.
H(ull): C = composite, I = iron, S = steel, W = wood.
P(ropulsion): H = hydraulic, P = paddle, S = screw, W = sail.
B.M. = burthen, builders measure (tons).
Disp. = displacement (tons); during this period displacement was replacing burthen as a measure of the "size" of vessels.
Guns = initial number of guns (may have been different later in career). TT = torpedo tubes.
Fate: year of sale, breaking up or loss; if lost or sold for reuse see details in "Note" column.
SB = ships book in PRO London: ADM 135/xxx (giving the history of the maintenance of the ship - hull, machinery and armament - from construction to disposal).
Note: "1800 = Nnnnnn" means renamed to Nnnnnn in 1800; "1850 screw 1000 bm" means converted to a screw ship of 1000 tons burthen in 1850. c.h. = coal hulk; d.s. = depot ship.; h.s. = harbour service; r.s = receiving ship; t.s. = training ship; MV = mortar vessel; WV = watch vessel; YC = yard craft. Merchant ship names in italics. Data in red are alternate data when sources disagree.

The data are mainly derived from Colledge; Gardner; and Lyon and Winfield. For vessels not given here, try Paul Benyon's Index of 19th Century Naval Vessels. For earlier vessels, go to Mike Phillip's Ships of the Old Navy.

Ship	Launch	H.	P.	Type	B.M.	Disp.	Guns	Fate	S.B.	Note
Valiant	1863.10.14	I	S	Broadside ironclad frigate		6710	18	1956	487	1888 h.s. 1897 d.s. 1904 = Indus IV. 1916 = Valiant (old). 1919 = Valiant III. 1924 oil hulk
Valiant (old)	1916r									See: Valiant 1863
Valiant III	1919r									See: Valiant 1863
Valorous	1851.04.30	W	P	2nd class frigate	1255	2300	16	1891
Vanguard	1835.08.25	W	W	3rd rate	2609		78	1875		1867 = Ajax
Vanguard	1870.01.03	I	S	Central battery ironclad	3774	6010	14	1875	488	1875.09.01 sunk in collision with Iron Duke off Wicklow, Ireland
Variable	1827.10.06	W	W	Brig-sloop	231		10	1847		1829 = Pigeon
Vengeance	1824.07.27	W	W	2nd rate	2284		84	1897		1861 r.s.
Vengeur	1810.06.19	W	W	3rd rate	1765		74	1843		1824.02 r.s.
Venus	1820.08.10	W	W	5th rate	1069		46	1864		1848-62 lent as t.s.
Vernon	1832.05.01	W	W	4th rate	1832	2388	50	1923		1876 torpedo school. 1886 = Actaeon
Vernon	1886r									See: Donegal 1858
Vernon II	1904r									See: Marlborough 1855
Vernon III	1904r									See: Warrior 1860
Vestal	1833.04.06	W	W	6th rate	913		26	1862
Vestal	1865.11.16	W	S	Sloop	1081	1597	4	1884	489
Vesuvius	1839.07.11	W	P	1st class sloop	970	1283	6	1866	490
Vesuvius	1874.03.24	I	S	Torpedo vessel		244		1923		4TT. Foundered after sale
Veteran	1839r									See: Prometheus 1807
Victor	1814.10.29	W	W	Sloop	382		18	1842	0	Sailed from Vera Cruz for Halifax; never seen again, presumed foundered with all hands (130)
Victor	1855.11.24	W	S	Gunvessel	868		6	1863	491	1863 sold as Scylla, then became Rappahannock (Confederate navy)
Victor Emanuel	1855.09.27	W	S	2nd rate	3087	4814	91	1899	493	Laid down as Repulse. 1873 r.s.
Victoria	1855r									See: Windsor Castle 1858
Victoria	1859.11.12	W	S	1st rate	4127	6959	121	1893
Victoria	1887.04.09	I	S	Turret battleship		10470	3	1893		Laid down as Renown. 1893.06.22 sunk in collision with Camperdown off Tripoli
Victoria and Albert	1843.04.26	W	P	Yacht	1034			1868	341	1854 = Osborne
Victoria and Albert	1855.01.16	W	P	Yacht	2345	2470		1904		Laid down as Windsor Castle. Ships book ADM 136/1
Victorious	1808.10.20	W	W	3rd rate	1724		74	1862		1826 r.s.
Victory	1765.05.07	W	W	1st rate	2142		100			1801 rebuilt 2164 bm.1824 h.s. 1922 drydocked. Still in commission.
Viga	1860.04a	W	-	Coal hulk	304			1863		Slaver brig, captured
Vigilant	1821.04.18	W	S	Cutter	161		6	1832		1826 ketch
Vigilant	1856.02.25	W	S	Gunvessel	680		4	1869	494
Vigilant	1871.02.17	W	P	Dispatch vessel	835	985	2	1886	495
Vigo	1810.02.21	W	W	3rd rate	1787		74	1865		1827 r.s.
Vigo	1865r									See: Agincourt 1817
Ville de Paris	1795.07.17	W	W	1st rate	2351		110	1845		1825 h.s.
Vindictive	1813.11.23	W	W	3rd rate	1758		74	1871		1832 reduced to 50 guns. 1862 storeship. 1871 foundered and wreck sold
Violet	1845.12.01	I	P	Packet	292			1854
Violet	1856.01.09	W	S	Gunboat	232		4	1864	496
Viper	1831.05.12	W	W	Schooner	183		6	1851
Viper	1854.07.22	W	S	Gunvessel	477		2	1862
Viper	1865.12.01	I	S	Armoured gunvessel	737	1230	4	1908	497	1890 h.s. 1901 tank vessel
Virago	1842.07.25	W	P	1st class sloop	1059	1669	6	1876	498
Virginia	1862.01a	W	-	Coal hulk	195			1866		ex-barque, purchased
Vivid	1848.02.07	W	P	Packet	352	350	2	1894
Vivid	1912r									See: Cuckoo 1873
Vivid (old)	1920r									See: Cuckoo 1873
Vixen	1841.02.04	W	P	1st class sloop	1054	1379	6	1862	499
Vixen	1865.11.18	C	S	Armoured gunboat	754	1230	4	1895	500
Volage	1825.02.19	W	W	6th rate	521		28	1874		1847 survey ship. 1855 floating powder depôt.
Volage	1869.02.27	I	S	Corvette		3080	10	1904	502	Ordered as Cerberus
Volcano	1836.06.29	W	P	Sloop	720	1006	2	1894	501	1854? 'floating factory' (repair ship)
Vulcan	1849.01.27	I	S	Frigate	1747			1867	503	1851 troopship. Sold as barque Jorawur
Vulture	1843.09.21	W	P	2nd class frigate	1190	1960	6	1866
Vulture	1869.11.06	W	S	Gunvessel	664	805	3	1885	504
Wallace	1855.07a	I	P	Vessel	128			1869		ex-Lyons, purchased
Wanderer	1835.07.10	W	W	Brig-sloop	428		16	1850
Wanderer	1855.11.22	W	S	Gunvessel	675		4	1866	505
Warrior	1781.10.18	W	W	3rd rate	1642		74	1857		1818 r.s. 1840 convict ship
Warrior	1860.12.29	I	S	Ironclad broadside frigate	6109	9136	37			Ships book ADM 136/2. 1902 d.s. 1904 = Vernon III. 1923 = Warrior, hulk. 1945 C77. 1987 restored. still extant.
Warrior	1923r									See: Warrior 1860
Warspite	1807.11.16	W	W	3rd rate	1890		76	1876		1840 reduced to 50 guns. 1862 lent as t.s. 1876.01.03 burn by accident at Woolwich
Warspite	1876r									See: Waterloo 1833
Warspite	1884.01.29	S	S	Armoured cruiser		8500	4	1905
Wasp	1812.07.09	W	W	Brig-sloop	387		18	1847
Wasp	1850.05.28	W	S	Sloop	973	1337	14	1869	506
Watchful	1856.06.04			Gunboat	233		2	1871	507
Waterloo	1818.10.16	W	W	2nd rate	2056		80	1892		1824 = Bellerophon. 1856 h.s.
Waterloo	1833.06.10	W	W	1st rate	2694		120	1918		1859 screw. 1862 = Conqueror. 1876 = Warspite t.s. 1918.01.20 burnt in Thames
Waterwitch	1837.11a	W	W	Brig-sloop	319		10	1861		ex-yacht, purchased
Waterwitch	1866.06.28	I	H	Armoured gunboat		1205	4	1890	508
Wave	1856.06.25	W	S	Gunboat	232		4	1891		1879 hulked, 1882 = Clinker
Weasel	1855.03.19	W	S	Gunboat	232		3	1869	509
Weasel	1873.09.04	I	S	Gunboat	254		1	19??		1904 = C118, oil fuel lighter
Weazle	1822.03.26	W	W	Brig-sloop	237		10	1844
Wellesley	1815.02.24	W	W	3rd rate	1746		74	1940		1854 guard ship. 1868 = Cornwall, t.s. 1940.09.24 sunk in Thames by air attack
Wellesley	1869r									See: Cornwall 1812
Wellesley	1874r									See: Boscawen 1844
Wellington	1816r									See: Hero 1816
Weser	1855a	I	P	Gunboat	540	468	4	1873		Launched 1851 as Salamander (Prussian). Exchanged. 1866 h.s.
Weymouth	1804a	W	W	5th rate	826		36	1863		ex-Indiaman Wellesley, purchased. 1811 storeship 11 guns. 1828 convict ship
Whiting	1856.01.09	W	S	Gunboat	232		4	1881	510
Widgeon	1837.09.12	W	P	Packet	164	200		1883	511
Wilberforce	1840.10	I	P	Exploration vessel	457	340	3	1850		Purchased on stocks
Wildfire	1838.01a	W	P	Packet	186			1888		Transferred from Post Office, ex-Watersprite
Wildfire	1888.01a		P	Yacht		453		1912		Purchased as Hiawatha. 1889 base ship at Sheerness. 1907.01 = Undine
Wildfire	1916r									See: Cornwallis 1813
William and Mary	1807.11.14	W	W	Royal yacht	199		8	1849
Winchester	1822.06.21	W	W	4th rate	1487		52	1921		1861 = Conway, t.s. 1876 = Mount Edgcombe
Winchester	1861r									See: Conway 1832
Windsor Castle	1790.05.03	W	S	2nd rate	1874		98	1839		1814 74 gun 3rd rate
Windsor Castle	1852.09.14	W	S	1st rate	3771	5829	131	1909	142	1852.10.01 = Duke of Wellington. 1863 h.s.
Windsor Castle	1858.08.26	W	S	1st rate	3101	4971	116	1908	75	Laid down as sailing Victoria. Converted to screw on stocks. 1869 = Cambridge gunnery ship
Wivern	1863.10a	I	S	Masted turret ship	1899	2751	4	1922	512	1863.08.29 launched as El Monassir (Turkish) but intended for US Confederate navy. Siezed and purchased. 1898 h.s.
Wizard	1830.05.24	W	W	Brig-sloop	231		10	1859		1859.02.08 wrecked at Berehaven
Wizard	1860.08.03	W	S	Gunboat	268	330	2	1879
Wolf	1826.12.01	W	W	Sloop	454		18	1878		1848 hulk. 1859 c.h.
Wolf	1856.07.05	W	S	Gunboat	232		4	1864	513
Wolfe	1813.05.05	W	W	Sloop	426		20	1832		1814 = Montreal
Wolverene	1836.10.13	W	W	Brig-sloop	428		16	1855		1855.08.11 wrecked on Courtown Bank
Wolverene	1863.08.29	W	S	Corvette	1703	2431	21	1923		1881 t.s. in Australia. 1923 sold as sheer hulk
Wolverine	1805.03.01	W	W	Brig-sloop	387		18	1816
Woodcock	1856.06.06	W	S	Gunboat	233		2	1871	514
Woodlark	1821.07.31	W	S	schooner tender	81		4	1863		1829 survey ship
Woodlark	1871.03.09	W	S	Gunvessel	663	805	3	1887	515
Worcester	1843.10.10	W	W	4th rate	1468		52	1885		1862 lent as t.s.
Worcester	1876r									See: Frederick William 1860
Wrangler	1854.06.19	W	S	Gunvessel	477		2	1866	516
Wye	1814.08.17	W	W	4th rate	447		24	1852		1828 convict ship
Wye	1855r									See: Hecla 1855
Wye	1873	I	S	Storeship	1370			1904
York	1807.07.07	W	W	3rd rate	1743		74	1854		1819 convict ship
Young Hebe	1843a	W	W	Schooner	45			1847
Young Queen	1862.09a	W	W	Survey brig	75			1870		Purchased. 1862.12 = Saracen
Zealous	1864.03.07	W	S	Central battery ironclad	3176	6096	20	1886	517	Laid down as 2nd rate 90 guns. 1873 guard ship
Zebra	1815.11.18	W	W	Brig-sloop	385		18	1840		1840.12.02 wrecked off Mount Carmel, Palestine. Launched 1815.12.18
Zebra	1860.11.13	W	S	Sloop (1862: Corvette)	951	1336	17	1873	520
Zephyr	1837.04a	W	P	Packet	237			1865	518	Launched 1827. Transferred from Post Office, ex-Dragon
Zephyr	1873.02.11	C	S	Gunboat		438	4	1889	519	1889 sold as salvage vessel. 1929 broken up

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