HMS ''Recruit'' was a 12-gun iron-hulled sailing

brig A brig is a type of sailing vessel defined by its rig: two masts which are both square rig, square-rigged. Brigs originated in the second half of the 18th century and were a common type of smaller merchant vessel or warship from then until the ...

of the

Royal Navy The Royal Navy (RN) is the United Kingdom's naval warfare force. Although warships were used by English and Scottish kings from the early medieval period, the first major maritime engagements were fought in the Hundred Years' War against F ...

, constructed by the

Thames Ironworks and Shipbuilding Company The Thames Ironworks and Shipbuilding Company, Limited was a shipyard and iron works straddling the mouth of Bow Creek at its confluence with the River Thames, at Leamouth Wharf (often referred to as Blackwall) on the west side and at Cannin ...

and launched in 1846. ''Recruit'' was the first iron-hulled vessel to be built for the

Admiralty Admiralty most often refers to: *Admiralty, Hong Kong *Admiralty (United Kingdom), military department in command of the Royal Navy from 1707 to 1964 *The rank of admiral *Admiralty law Admiralty can also refer to: Buildings * Admiralty, Traf ...

, and the Royal Navy's only iron-hulled sailing ship. She was sold back to her builders, Ditchburn and Mare on 28 August 1849, and was resold in 1852 to the General Screw Steam Shipping Company and converted into a screw steamer for the East Indian and Cape mail service, and renamed SS ''Harbinger''.

References

Sources

* * Lyon, David & Winfield, Rif (2004), ''The Sail and Steam Navy List: All the Ships of the Royal Navy 1815-1889''. . * {{DEFAULTSORT:Recruit Brigs of the Royal Navy Victorian-era naval ships of the United Kingdom Ships built in Leamouth 1846 ships Corvettes of the Royal Navy