HMS Queen (1839)

300px` Breaking up of the ship
Career (UK)
Name:	HMS Queen
Ordered:	29 October 1827
Builder:	Portsmouth Dockyard
Laid down:	November 1833
Launched:	15 May 1839
Fate:	Broken up, 1871
Notes:	Screw ship from 1859
General characteristics
Class and type:	110-gun first rate ship of the line
Tons burthen:	3104 bm
Length:	originally 204 ft 2½ in (62.2 m) (gundeck) 166 ft 5¼ in (50.7 m) (keel) as converted 216 ft 7½ in (66.0 m) (gundeck) 174 ft 1¾ in (53.1 m) (keel)
Beam:	60 ft ½ in (18.3 m)
Depth of hold:	23 ft 9 in (7.2 m)
Propulsion:	Sails (and screw later)
Armament:	(originally) 110 guns: Lower Gundeck: 28 × 32 pdrs, 2 × 68 pdr carronades Middle gundeck: 28 × 32 pdrs, 2 × 68 pdr carronades Upper gundeck: 32 × 32 pdrs Quarterdeck: 10 × 32 pdrs Forecastle: 2 × 32 pdrs, 2 × 68 pdr carronades Poop deck: 4 × 18 pdrs (as converted to screw propulsion) 86 guns: Lower gundeck: 30 x 8 inch shell guns Upper gundeck: 32 x 32 pdrs Quarterdeck and Forecastle: 22 x 32 pdrs, 2 x 68 pdrs

For other ships of the same name, see HMS Queen.

HMS Queen was a 110-gun first rate ship of the line of the Royal Navy, launched on 15 May 1839 at Portsmouth. She was initially ordered in 1827 under the name Royal Frederick, but was renamed on 12 April 1839 while still on the stocks in honour of the recently enthroned Queen Victoria. She was originally ordered as the final ship of the Broadened Caledonia class, but on 3 September 1833 she was re-ordered to a new design by Sir William Symonds.

This was the only ship completed to this Symonds draught, although three other sisters were originally ordered to the same design; of these a ship originally ordered at Portsmouth Dockyard on 12 September 1833 as the Royal Sovereign took over the name Royal Frederick on 12 April 1839, and was eventually completed as a screw battleship under the name of Frederick William. Of the remaining two intended sisterships, both ordered from Pembroke Dockyard on 3 October 1833, the Algiers was eventually completed as a 90-gun screw battleship, while the Victoria was eventually completed as a 90-gun screw battleship under the name of Windsor Castle.

In 1842 she was visited by Queen Victoria. In 1854, she participated in the bombardment of Sebastopol, Ukraine during the Crimean War. The famous Timothy the tortoise, who was about 160 years old when she died in 2004, was the ship's mascot during this time.^{[citation needed]}

Between August 1858 and April 1859 the Queen was converted at Sheerness Dockyard to steam propulsion, being at the same time cut down from three decks to two gundecks, and re-armed as a 86-gun ship. She was fitted with a Maudslay, Sons and Field 500 nhp engine and single screw propulsion.

The ship was broken up in 1871 at Surrey Canal Wharf in Rotherhithe, on the River Thames.

References

• Lavery, Brian (2003) The Ship of the Line - Volume 1: The development of the battlefleet 1650-1850. Conway Maritime Press. ISBN 0-85177-252-8.
• Lyon, David and Winfield, Rif (2004) The Sail and Steam Navy List, 1815-1889. Chatham Publishing. ISBN 1-86176-032-9.