HMS Conway (1832)

For other ships with the same name, see HMS Conway.

The school frigate Conway ca. 1832, by John R. Isaac of Liverpool, after Capt. Digby B. Morton R.N.
History
United Kingdom
Name	HMS Conway
Ordered	9 June 1825
Builder	Chatham Dockyard
Laid down	December 1829
Launched	2 February 1832
Commissioned	11 May 1832
Fate	Lent as training ship in February 1859 Aberdeen Royal Naval Reserve on 28 August 1861 (as Winchester) Broken up at Sheerness in 1871
General characteristics
Class and type	Conway-class corvette (initially classed as a sixth rate)
Tons burthen	651 74/94 bm
Length	125 ft (38 m) (gundeck) 106 ft (32 m) (keel)
Beam	34 ft 5 in (10.49 m)
Sail plan	Full-rigged ship
Complement	175
Armament	Upper deck: 20 × 32-pounder carronades Quarterdeck: 6 × 18-pounder carronades Focsle: 2 × 9-pounder cannon[1]

HMS Conway was a Conway-class sixth rate of the Royal Navy, built by Chatham Dockyard and launched on 2 February 1832.^[1] She was lent to the Mercantile Marine Association of Liverpool in February 1859 to act as a training ship for boys, and gave her name to HMS Conway, ultimately a series of three ships and then from 1964 to 1974 a shore-based school. When Winchester took her place as the training ship in 1861, the two ships swapped names. Under her new name of Winchester she became the Aberdeen Royal Naval Reserve ship on 28 August 1861.

Design and construction

Designed by Sir Robert Seppings in 1828, the Conway class were a broader version of HMS Tyne of 1826. They were intended as sixth rates, which placed them in a category of ships with more than 24 but less than 36 guns, and commanded by an officer of the rank of captain.^[1]

These ships were constructed of wood in traditional shipbuilding fashion, although iron braces and trussed were used for increased longitudinal strength. They were armed with a traditional arrangement of broadside, smoothbore muzzle-loading guns, and in common with contemporary Royal Navy practice for small ships, these guns were carronades (with the exception of a pair of small long guns on the focsle as chasers). Twenty 32-pounder carronades were mounted on the upper deck and a further six 18-pounder carronades were placed on the quarterdeck. The sail plan was an entirely conventional ship rig, and they were complemented with 175 men and boys.^[1]

Fate

She was broken up at Sheerness in 1871, a process that was completed on 3 June 1871.^[1]

Citations

1. Winfield (2004) p.114

References

• Winfield, R.; Lyon, D. (2004). The Sail and Steam Navy List: All the Ships of the Royal Navy 1815–1889. London: Chatham Publishing. ISBN 978-1-86176-032-6. OCLC 52620555.