HMS ''Orlando'' was the lead ship of the of first-class cruisers built in the yards of

Palmers Shipbuilding and Iron Company Palmers Shipbuilding and Iron Company Limited, often referred to simply as "Palmers", was a British shipbuilding company. The Company was based in Jarrow, County Durham, in north-eastern England, and also had operations in Hebburn and Willingto ...

, Jarrow and launched on 3 August 1886.

Service history

She was commanded by

Charles Ramsay Arbuthnot Admiral Charles Ramsay Arbuthnot (5 February 1850 – 30 September 1913) was an officer of the British Royal Navy. Biography Arbuthnot was born in Liverpool, England, the son of George Clerk Arbuthnot (1803–1876) of Marisbank, Midlothian, (the ...

on the

Australia Station The Australia Station was the British, and later Australian, naval command responsible for the waters around the Australian continent.Dennis et al. 2008, p.53. Australia Station was under the command of the Commander-in-Chief, Australia Station, ...

from 1892 to 1895. In 1899 she was assigned to the

China Station The Commander-in-Chief, China was the admiral in command of what was usually known as the China Station, at once both a British Royal Navy naval formation and its admiral in command. It was created in 1865 and deactivated in 1941. From 1831 to 18 ...

,Bastock, pp.98–99. Captain James Henry Thomas Burke in command. During the Boxer Rebellion in 1900, sailors from HMS ''Orlando'' formed part of the force led by Vice-Admiral Sir Edward Seymour attempting to relieve the British Legation in Beijing. A replica of a bell captured from the

Taku Forts The Taku Forts or Dagu Forts, also called the Peiho Forts are forts located by the Hai River (Peiho River) estuary in the Binhai New Area, Tianjin, in northeastern China. They are located southeast of the Tianjin urban center. History The ...

forms part of a memorial to HMS ''Orlando'' in

Victoria Park Victoria Park may refer to: Places Australia * Victoria Park Nature Reserve, a protected area in Northern Rivers region, New South Wales * Victoria Park, Adelaide, a park and racecourse * Victoria Park, Brisbane, a public park and former golf ...

Portsmouth Portsmouth ( ) is a port and city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire in southern England. The city of Portsmouth has been a unitary authority since 1 April 1997 and is administered by Portsmouth City Council. Portsmouth is the most dens ...

. In late March 1902 she left

Hong Kong Hong Kong ( (US) or (UK); , ), officially the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China (abbr. Hong Kong SAR or HKSAR), is a city and special administrative region of China on the eastern Pearl River Delta i ...

for

Singapore Singapore (), officially the Republic of Singapore, is a sovereign island country and city-state in maritime Southeast Asia. It lies about one degree of latitude () north of the equator, off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, bor ...

, arriving there on 6 April. After three weeks, she left Penang in late April, homebound, stopping at

Colombo Colombo ( ; si, කොළඹ, translit=Koḷam̆ba, ; ta, கொழும்பு, translit=Koḻumpu, ) is the executive and judicial capital and largest city of Sri Lanka by population. According to the Brookings Institution, Colombo m ...

on 5 May, Aden on 14 May,

Malta Malta ( , , ), officially the Republic of Malta ( mt, Repubblika ta' Malta ), is an island country in the Mediterranean Sea. It consists of an archipelago, between Italy and Libya, and is often considered a part of Southern Europe. It lies ...

on 28 May, and

Gibraltar ) , anthem = " God Save the King" , song = " Gibraltar Anthem" , image_map = Gibraltar location in Europe.svg , map_alt = Location of Gibraltar in Europe , map_caption = United Kingdom shown in pale green , mapsize = , image_map2 = Gib ...

on 2 June, before arriving at

four days later. Captain Burke died at sea on 12 May 1902, during the journey, and was buried at Aden. Commander Philip Howard Colomb was in charge for the remainder of the journey. She paid off at Portsmouth on 25 July, and was placed in the B Division of the Fleet Reserve. HMS ''Orlando'' was sold for scrapping on 11 July 1905 to

Thos. W. Ward Thos. W. Ward Ltd was a Sheffield, Yorkshire, steel, engineering and cement business, which began as coal and coke merchants. It expanded into recycling metal for Sheffield's steel industry, and then the supply and manufacture of machinery. I ...

of Morecambe for £10,000.

Notes

References

*Bastock, John (1988), ''Ships on the Australia Station'', Child & Associates Publishing Pty Ltd; Frenchs Forest, Australia. * * *

External links

* https://web.archive.org/web/20071016215141/http://memorials.inportsmouth.co.uk/city-centre/orlando.htm * http://www.battleships-cruisers.co.uk/hms_orlando.htm {{DEFAULTSORT:Orlando Orlando-class cruisers Ships built on the River Tyne 1886 ships