HMS ''Wellesley'' was a 74-gun
third rate
In the rating system of the Royal Navy, a third rate was a ship of the line which from the 1720s mounted between 64 and 80 guns, typically built with two gun decks (thus the related term two-decker). Years of experience proved that the third r ...
, named after the
Duke of Wellington
Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington, (1 May 1769 – 14 September 1852) was an Anglo-Irish soldier and Tory statesman who was one of the leading military and political figures of 19th-century Britain, serving twice as prime minister of ...
, and launched in 1815. She captured
Karachi
Karachi (; ur, ; ; ) is the most populous city in Pakistan and 12th most populous city in the world, with a population of over 20 million. It is situated at the southern tip of the country along the Arabian Sea coast. It is the former cap ...
for the British, and participated in the
First Opium War
The First Opium War (), also known as the Opium War or the Anglo-Sino War was a series of military engagements fought between Britain and the Qing dynasty of China between 1839 and 1842. The immediate issue was the Chinese enforcement of the ...
, which resulted in Britain gaining control of Hong Kong. Thereafter she served primarily as a training ship before gaining the almost surely unwanted distinction of being the last British
ship of the line
A ship of the line was a type of naval warship constructed during the Age of Sail from the 17th century to the mid-19th century. The ship of the line was designed for the naval tactic known as the line of battle, which depended on the two colu ...
to be sunk by enemy action and the only one to have been sunk by an air-raid.
Construction and class
Although ''Wellesley'' was ordered as a , plans meant for her construction were lost in December 1812 when
USS ''Constitution'' captured . She was therefore built to the lines of , a which had just been launched at Bombay. The
East India Company
The East India Company (EIC) was an English, and later British, joint-stock company founded in 1600 and dissolved in 1874. It was formed to trade in the Indian Ocean region, initially with the East Indies (the Indian subcontinent and Southea ...
built her of teak, at a cost of £55,147, for 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 ...
and launched her on 24 February 1815 at
Bombay Dockyard
Bombay Dockyard, also known as Naval Dockyard, is an Indian shipbuilding yard at Mumbai. The superintendent of the dockyard is a Naval Officer of the rank Rear Admiral, known as the Admiral Superintendent.
Background
Shipbuilding was an establ ...
.
Active duty
In 1823 ''Wellesley'' carried Sir
Charles Stuart de Rothesay on a mission to Portugal and Brazil to negotiate a commercial treaty with
Pedro I of Brazil
Don (honorific), Dom Pedro I (English: Peter I; 12 October 1798 – 24 September 1834), nicknamed "the Liberator", was the founder and List of monarchs of Brazil, first ruler of the Empire of Brazil. As King Dom Pedro IV, he List of ...
. The artist
Charles Landseer
Charles Landseer (12 August 1799 – 22 July 1879) was an English painter, mostly of historical subjects.
Life
He was born in London on 12 August 1799, the second son of the engraver John Landseer, and the elder brother of the animal painter, ...
, brother of the famed artist
Edwin Henry Landseer
Sir Edwin Henry Landseer (7 March 1802 – 1 October 1873) was an English painter and sculptor, well known for his paintings of animals – particularly horses, dogs, and stags. However, his best-known works are the lion sculptures at the bas ...
, accompanied the mission.
On 23 November 1824, ''Wellesley'' was driven ashore at
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 ...
during a
gale
A gale is a strong wind; the word is typically used as a descriptor in nautical contexts. The U.S. National Weather Service defines a gale as sustained surface winds moving at a speed of between 34 and 47 knots (, or ).[flagship
A flagship is a vessel used by the commanding officer of a group of naval ships, characteristically a flag officer entitled by custom to fly a distinguishing flag. Used more loosely, it is the lead ship in a fleet of vessels, typically the fi ...]
of
Rear Admiral Sir Frederick Lewis Maitland in the Mediterranean between 1827 and 1830.
Karachi
On 19 June 1837 Captain
Thomas Maitland took command of ''Wellesley'', which became the flagship of Rear-Admiral Frederick Lewis Maitland.
On 2 and 3 February 1839 ''Wellesley'', and troops captured Kurrachee (modern
Karachi
Karachi (; ur, ; ; ) is the most populous city in Pakistan and 12th most populous city in the world, with a population of over 20 million. It is situated at the southern tip of the country along the Arabian Sea coast. It is the former cap ...
). ''Wellesley'' sailed into the harbour and proceeded to fire at the mud fort on
Manora Manora may refer to:
* Manora, Karachi, in Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan
* Manora, Washim, a taluka in Washim district of Maharashtra, India
* Manora Cantonment, in Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan
* Manora Fort, Karachi, Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan
* Manora For ...
Island, quickly pulverising it. The purpose of the unprovoked attack was to induce the local rulers to sign a new treaty with the
East India Company
The East India Company (EIC) was an English, and later British, joint-stock company founded in 1600 and dissolved in 1874. It was formed to trade in the Indian Ocean region, initially with the East Indies (the Indian subcontinent and Southea ...
.
Anglo-Persian Treaty
In March 1839 relations between
Persia
Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran, and also called Persia, is a country located in Western Asia. It is bordered by Iraq and Turkey to the west, by Azerbaijan and Armenia to the northwest, by the Caspian Sea and Turkmeni ...
and Britain came to a confrontation over a number of British demands, including that the Shah permit the British a permanent base on
Kharg Island
Kharg or Khark Island ( fa, جزیره خارک) is a continental island in the Persian Gulf belonging to Iran. The island is located off the coast of Iran and northwest of the Strait of Hormuz. Its total area is . Administered by the adjacent ...
, which they had occupied. Attacks on the British Residency in
Bushire
Bushehr, Booshehr or Bushire ( fa, بوشهر ; also romanised as ''Būshehr'', ''Bouchehr'', ''Buschir'' and ''Busehr''), also known as Bandar Bushehr ( fa, ; also romanised as ''Bandar Būshehr'' and ''Bandar-e Būshehr''), previously Antioc ...
led to the dispatch of ''Wellesley'' and ''Algerine'' to Bushire. The outcome was the Anglo-Persian Treaty, signed 28 October 1841, which recognised a mutual freedom to trade in the territory of the other and for the British to establish consulates in
Tehran
Tehran (; fa, تهران ) is the largest city in Tehran Province and the capital of Iran. With a population of around 9 million in the city and around 16 million in the larger metropolitan area of Greater Tehran, Tehran is the most popul ...
and
Tabriz
Tabriz ( fa, تبریز ; ) is a city in northwestern Iran, serving as the capital of East Azerbaijan Province. It is the List of largest cities of Iran, sixth-most-populous city in Iran. In the Quri Chay, Quru River valley in Iran's historic Aze ...
.
Admiral Maitland died on 30 November whilst at sea on board ''Wellesley'', off Bombay; Commodore Sir
James Bremer
Sir James John Gordon Bremer (26 September 1786 – 14 February 1850) was a Royal Navy officer. He served in the Napoleonic Wars, First Anglo-Burmese War, and First Anglo-Chinese War. In China, he served twice as commander-in-chief of British ...
replaced him.
First Opium War
''Wellesley'' saw active service in the Far East during the
First Opium War
The First Opium War (), also known as the Opium War or the Anglo-Sino War was a series of military engagements fought between Britain and the Qing dynasty of China between 1839 and 1842. The immediate issue was the Chinese enforcement of the ...
. Led by Commodore
James Bremer
Sir James John Gordon Bremer (26 September 1786 – 14 February 1850) was a Royal Navy officer. He served in the Napoleonic Wars, First Anglo-Burmese War, and First Anglo-Chinese War. In China, he served twice as commander-in-chief of British ...
in ''Wellesley'', a British expedition
captured Chusan in July 1840 after an exchange of gunfire with shore batteries that caused only minor casualties to the British. When she returned from this service, some 27 cannonballs were found embedded in her sides.
![Attack on Chusan 1841](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/2f/Attack_on_Chusan_1841.jpg)
On 7 January 1841 she participated in the
Second Battle of Chuenpi
The Second Battle of Chuenpi () was fought between British and Chinese forces in the Pearl River Delta, Guangdong province, China, on 7January 1841 during the First Opium War. The British launched an amphibious attack at the Humen strait (Bogu ...
and the bombardment of fortifications at Tycocktow; both Chuenpi and Tycocktow guarded the seaward approaches to
Canton on the
Bocca Tigris
The Humen, also Bocca Tigris or Bogue, is a narrow strait in the Pearl River Delta that separates Shiziyang in the north and Lingdingyang in the south near Humen Town in China's Guangdong Province. It is the site of the Pearl River's discharge ...
(Bogue). This campaign resulted in the British taking possession of
Hong Kong Island
Hong Kong Island is an Islands and peninsulas of Hong Kong, island in the southern part of Hong Kong. Known colloquially and on road signs simply as Hong Kong, the island has a population of 1,289,500 and its population density is 16,390/km ...
on 26 February 1841.
That same day ''Wellesley'' participated in the
Battle of the Bogue, which involved bombardments, landings, capture and destruction of nearly all the Chinese forts and fortifications on both sides of the Bocca Tigris up to Canton. Next day, seamen and
Royal Marines
The Corps of Royal Marines (RM), also known as the Royal Marines Commandos, are the UK's special operations capable commando force, amphibious light infantry and also one of the five fighting arms of the Royal Navy. The Corps of Royal Marine ...
of the naval squadron attacked and captured the fort, camp and guns at a Chinese position during the
Battle of First Bar
The Battle of First Bar was fought between British and Chinese forces at First Bar Island and its surrounding area in the Pearl River, Guangdong province, China, on 27 February 1841 during the First Opium War.
Background
On 21 February 1841, ...
. The squadron also destroyed the Chinese Admiral's vessel ''Cambridge'', formerly a 34-gun
East Indiaman
East Indiaman was a general name for any sailing ship operating under charter or licence to any of the East India trading companies of the major European trading powers of the 17th through the 19th centuries. The term is used to refer to vesse ...
.
Between 23 and 30 May, she participated in joint operations that led to the
capture of Canton, and subsequent payment by the Chinese of a six million dollar reparations payment imposed on them. Rear-Admiral Sir
William Parker replaced Commodore Sir James Bremer as commander-in-chief of the squadron in China on 10 August.
On 26 August ''Wellesley'' participated in the destruction of batteries and defences surrounding
Amoy
Xiamen ( , ; ), also known as Amoy (, from Hokkien pronunciation ), is a sub-provincial city in southeastern Fujian, People's Republic of China, beside the Taiwan Strait. It is divided into six districts: Huli, Siming, Jimei, Tong'an, ...
. At one point Captain Maitland placed the ''Wellesley'' within 400 yards of the principal battery. This action included the temporary occupation of that town and island, along with its key defensive positions on the Island of Koo-Lang-Soo, which were garrisoned. Lastly, on 1 October the British, who had withdrawn in February,
reoccupied Chusan and the city of
Tinghae. The British proceeded to
capture Amoy,
Ningpo
Ningbo (; Ningbonese: ''gnin² poq⁷'' , Standard Mandarin pronunciation: ), formerly romanized as Ningpo, is a major sub-provincial city in northeast Zhejiang province, People's Republic of China. It comprises 6 urban districts, 2 sa ...
,
Woosung and Shanghai, ending with the
seizure of Chinkiang and closing the entrance to the
Grand Canal on 21 July 1842.
For his services during the war, Captain Maitland was nominated a
Companion of the Bath
The Most Honourable Order of the Bath is a British order of chivalry founded by George I on 18 May 1725. The name derives from the elaborate medieval ceremony for appointing a knight, which involved bathing (as a symbol of purification) as on ...
. He was knighted in 1843. Some 609 officers, men and marines of ''Wellesley'' qualified for the China Medal. In all, 18 crew and 17 marines died, though not all did so in combat.
Harbour service and training
![HMS Wellesley, Royal Naval Burying Ground, Halifax, Nova Scotia](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/6b/HMS_Wellesley%2C_Royal_Naval_Burying_Ground%2C_Halifax%2C_Nova_Scotia.jpg)
In 1854 ''Wellesley'' was a
guard ship
A guard ship is a warship assigned as a stationary guard in a port or harbour, as opposed to a coastal patrol boat, which serves its protective role at sea.
Royal Navy
In the Royal Navy of the eighteenth century, peacetime guard ships were usual ...
at
Chatham
Chatham may refer to:
Places and jurisdictions Canada
* Chatham Islands (British Columbia)
* Chatham Sound, British Columbia
* Chatham, New Brunswick, a former town, now a neighbourhood of Miramichi
* Chatham (electoral district), New Brunswic ...
. That same year she became a harbour flagship and
receiving ship
A hulk is a ship that is afloat, but incapable of going to sea. Hulk may be used to describe a ship that has been launched but not completed, an abandoned wreck or shell, or to refer to an old ship that has had its rigging or internal equipmen ...
at Chatham.
In 1868 the Admiralty loaned her to the London School Ship Society, which refitted her as a
Reformatory School
A reformatory or reformatory school is a youth detention center or an adult correctional facility popular during the late 19th and early 20th centuries in Western countries. In the United Kingdom and United States, they came out of social concerns ...
. She was renamed ''Cornwall'' and was moored off
Purfleet
Purfleet-on-Thames is a town in the Thurrock unitary authority, Essex, England. It is bordered by the A13 road to the north and the River Thames to the south and is within the easternmost part of the M25 motorway but just outside the Greater Lond ...
in April. Later, ''Cornwall'', renamed ''Wellesey'', was moved to the Tyne and served as The Tyne Industrial Training Ship of
Wellesley Nautical School. The actress and theatrical manager
Lena Ashwell
Lena Margaret Ashwell, Lady Simson ( Pocock; 28 September 1872 – 13 March 1957) was a British actress and theatre manager and producer, known as the first to organise large-scale entertainment for troops at the front, which she did during Wo ...
was born aboard her in 1872.
On 10 August 1887, she was run into by the steamship ''Aviemore'' and was severely damaged at the stern.
In 1928, due to industrial development at that location, she was moved to Denton, below
Gravesend
Gravesend is a town in northwest Kent, England, situated 21 miles (35 km) east-southeast of Charing Cross (central London) on the Bank (geography), south bank of the River Thames and opposite Tilbury in Essex. Located in the diocese of Ro ...
.
Loss
![Figurehead from HMS Wellesley - geograph](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/3e/Figurehead_from_HMS_Wellesley_-_geograph.org.uk_-_580271.jpg)
On 24 September 1940 a
German
German(s) may refer to:
* Germany (of or related to)
** Germania (historical use)
* Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language
** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law
**Ge ...
air-raid severely damaged ''Wellesley'' and she subsequently sank.
She was raised in 1948 and beached at
Tilbury
Tilbury is a port town in the borough of Thurrock, Essex, England. The present town was established as separate settlement in the late 19th century, on land that was mainly part of Chadwell St Mary. It contains a 16th century fort and an ancie ...
, where she was broken up. Some of her timbers found a home in the rebuilding of the
Royal Courts of Justice
The Royal Courts of Justice, commonly called the Law Courts, is a court building in Westminster which houses the High Court and Court of Appeal of England and Wales. The High Court also sits on circuit and in other major cities. Designed by Ge ...
in London, while her figurehead now resides just inside the main gates of
Chatham Dockyard
Chatham Dockyard was a Royal Navy Dockyard located on the River Medway in Kent. Established in Chatham in the mid-16th century, the dockyard subsequently expanded into neighbouring Gillingham (at its most extensive, in the early 20th century, ...
.
Notes
Citations
References
*
*
*
*
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Wellesley (1815)
1815 ships
Black Prince-class ships of the line
First Opium War ships of the United Kingdom
History of Thurrock
Maritime incidents in November 1824
Maritime incidents in August 1887
Maritime incidents in September 1940
Ships of the line of the Royal Navy
Ships sunk by German aircraft
World War II shipwrecks in the North Sea