Naval Database

Fantome, 1839
Type: Surveying Service ; Armament 16
Launched : 1839 ; Disposal date or year : 1864
Notes:

2 Nov 1839 has been commissioned at Chatham by Commander Edward H. Butterfield.

28 Dec 1839 arrived at Spithead : she is destined for the African station, and will take out supernumeraries for the squadron.

4 Jan 1840 Portsmouth Commander Deare takes a passage in the Fantome, to re-join the Lily; and Lieutenant Beddoes, to rejoin the Harlequin - on the coast of Africa.

25 Jan 1840 at Spithead.

28 May 1840 arrived at the Cape of Good Hope .

21 August 1840 during a 5 months' cruise off the coast she has captured five slavers, and the tenders four.

31 Dec 40 Captured slaver Adventureiro, Produce of Hull, &c., and Tonnage Bounty. Prize money due for payment 18 Apr. 44

8 Apr 1841, at St. Helena.

9 June 1841 Captured slaver Boa Nova. Slave and Tonnage Bounties. Prize money due for payment 26 Oct. 43.

19 Jun 1841, Assistant-Surgeon W. T. Rogers (from the Southampton) promoted to Surgeon; and appointed to the Fantome.

25 Jun 1841 Captured slaver Name unknown, supposed to be Espardarte. Slave and Tonnage Bounties. Prize money due for payment 21 Dec 1843.

4 Jul 1841 Captured slaver Triumfo, Bounty on Slaves. Prize money due for payment 18 Apr. 44

Circa 1-7 Oct 1841, arrived at St. Helena.

3 Oct 1841 Captured slaver Conceicao De Maria. Slave and Tonnage Bounties. Prize money due for payment 21 Dec. 43.

25 Dec 1841, Commander Philip G. Haymes, appointed in command, vice E. H. Butterfield, promoted to the rank of Captain.

4 Jan. 1842 Captured slaver, Name unknown (No. 6). Tonnage Bounty and Moiety of Hull, &c. Prize money due for payment 21 Dec. 43.

13 Feb. 1842 Captured slaver Diligente. Slave and Tonnage Bounties. Prize money due for payment 21 Dec. 43.

12 May 1846 action with Moorish pirates following their capture of the British brig Ruth - see p. 360 at at www.archive.org/details/royalnavyhistory06clow

20 Dec 1848 Portsmouth

12 Apr 1851 Commissioned by Commander J. K. Gennys to replace the Fly on the New Zealand Station. En route for N.Z. she will carry the mail to the West Coast of Africa for the Squadron based there.

2 Mar 1851 Sailed from Plymouth, calling at Madeira, Rio Janeiro, Cape of Good Hope

19 Jul 1851 Departed Hobart Town.

25 Jul 1851 Arrived Sydney for refit.

16 Aug 1851 Sailed for Auckland

22 Dec 1851 Arrived Hobart Town.

30 Apr 1852 Departed Hobart Town for the Auckland Islands.

3 Sep 1852 It is reported that the Fantome remained at the Heads, on account of the possible desertions of crew to the gold fields. She has recently been employed cruising the islands of the straits, in order to render assistance to the vessel "City of Melbourne", which has been wrecked on King's Island, but without avail. Argus. 3 Sept.

12 Sep 1852 Departed Port Phillip.

17 Sept 1852 Arrived Sydney from a cruise.

16 Oct 1852 Deserters John Barker, Uriah Marshall, and Edward Tregoning apprehended aboard the brig Esther Arthur appear in front of the Water Police Magistrates. The sailors offered no defence and were ordered to be placed aboard the Fantome. The master of the Esther Arthur was acquitted of harbouring the deserters.

2 Nov 1852 Departs Sydney for Wellington.

13 Nov 1852 Having taken the mail ashore to Porirua on the Tuesday last it was discovered that medical advice was required by one of the settlers. Thursday morning, still lying off the Island of Mana the captain, with the ship's surgeon, with a crew of 8 pulled for shore in a ship's boat, but on coming close to shore the surf upset the boat and all hands were thrown into the sea, at which time the surgeon and 4 men were drowned. Surviving members of the crew of the boat were badly bruised through being dashed against the rocks in the heavy surf. No bodies have been recovered to date. New Zealand Spectator.

13 Nov 1852 Captain Tinley of the William Alfred reports that 2 more seamen of the Fantome have also been drowned since those mentioned above.

The next edition of the New Zealand Spectator reports that the Master of the Fantome decided on the Sunday that since the first boat had failed to return he should go ashore to discover the cause of the delay and render any assistance necessary. Some time after 3 o'clock in the afternoon he went ashore in the whale boat with 4 men and pulled for Porirua harbour. Having crossed the bar safely and 100 yards from shore, the boat was struck by a number of rollers which firstly filled and then upset the boat. Whilst 2 men, including Mr Polkinghorne, the Master, clung to the boat 3 swam for shore, 2 of whom were drowned, the third being rescued by one of the crew of the Captain's boat, who rushed into the surf at the risk of his own life.

One of the settlers, a Mr. Tandy, on being informed of the accident, and at some risk to himself, put out in his own boat, a small dinghy, and rescued the master, by then almost insensible, and the other seaman.

The captain had attempted to avert the disaster by placing men appropriately, but due to the bad weather the crew the cries of the men went unheard. An officer and doctor from the 65th regiment visited Porirua on the Monday with a view to providing such assistance as may be necessary.

3 Feb 1853 Sailed from Queen Charlotte's Sound for Sydney.

14 Feb 1853 Arrived Sydney from a cruise,

7 Mar 1853 Sailed on a cruise to New Zealand and the Bay of Islands.

22 Mar 1853 arrives Auckland from Sydney

5 Apr 1853 Departs Auckland for Wellington

13 Jun 1853 Arrived Auckland from Wellington.

18 Jul 1853 Arrived ???? from Auckland

17 Aug 1853 Departed Mana.

26 Aug 1853 Cdr Gennys, arrived Sydney with passengers: Capt Murray and Lt Ward. She is about to refit and will not leave for some time.

11 Oct 1853 Acheron, assisted by men of the Fantome got the "Walter Hood" afloat after she'd gone ashore close to Bradley's Head.

11 Oct 1853 Seamen and Marines of this ship assisted R. A. A. Morehead of Spring Street, Sydney, in putting out a fire at his premises, for which a £10 donation was received to be divided amongst those who gave help.

30 Oct 1853 Acheron, with men from the Fantome attended wreck of the "Exchange," off Camp Cove, to give assistance and help in recovering stores, merchandise and fittings etc.

10 Nov 1853 Sailed for Auckland.

6 Dec 1853 The New Zealander reports the ship having sailed for Wellington and the Southern Settlements.

25 Feb 1854 Circa. Sailed for Wellington.

29 Apr 1854 Sailed for Hobart Town.

31 May 1854 Departed Hobart Town.

5 Jun 1854 Cdr Fitzroy, arrived Sydney from Hobart Town - passenger: Lord Arthur Churchill.

10 Jun 1854 Departs Sydney for Melbourne

24 Jul 1854 Assisted "Hilton" put out fire on Saturday night.

3 Aug 1854 Departs Melbourne on a cruise

28 Aug 1854 Fantome fired warning guns for the "Lightning" as the master had failed to pay-off 6 members of the crew who had volunteered for service in the RN. An arrangement was made and the vessel allowed to continue on her voyage. See also Anonyma.

23 Sep 1854 Sails from Melbourne for Adelaide

16 Oct 1854 News has been received that the Fantome will remain in our harbour [Sydney] till an early day in next week, when she will leave for King George's Sound, with about £20,000 in specie for the Commissariat Department in Western Australia.

23 Oct 1854 It is reported that the ship's company exercised gunnery, small arms and cutlass practice and also carried out fire and damage control exercises

11 Nov 1854 Leaves Swan River for the Eastern colonies.

25 Dec 1854 Following an inquiry held on board two pilots have been discharged from the service for negligence following the loss of the "Maria" and "Ontario" which both went ashore at the Heads. Full report on Page 251 (1854).

23 Feb 1855 Leaves Melbourne for Auckland.

19 Mar 1855 Arrives Auckland from Melbourne after a stormy passage. Lieut. Percy Sherwell dies en route. The reason for the visit is to defend against an unknown threat - possibly native uprising - about which the local population live in happy ignorance!

10 Apr 1855 Arrived from Auckland (28th ultimo.) and Kawau (31st ultimo.) and made a good run.

28 Apr 1855 Sailed from Sydney for Hobart Town

8 May 1855 Launceston - went on shore early yesterday morning, in a fog, on this side of Half-Moon Bay. One of the officers proceeded to Hobart Town and returned with the Government launch and 2 boat's crews, to get her off, and it was expected that she would arrive in port in the afternoon. We hear that she was on her broadside on the hard sandy beach. Launceston Examiner of 10 May reports that she was got off and was to be put on the patent slip

9 May 1855 Arrives at Hobart Town from Sydney, but see previous report.

25 Jun 1855 Sent to scene of loss of "Catherine Sharer" barque, by explosion, in D'Entrecasteaux's Channel

22 July 1855 Arrived Sydney from Hobart which she left of 17th inst. HMS Fantome has had a good passage of 4 days from Hobart Town. Captain Gennys reports the steamer Tasmania hence, as having arrived on the 17th and would sail again for this port (Sydney) on the 19th inst.

Sep 1855 Electra about to leave for Sydney for duty and that her place here (Melbourne) will be filled by HMS Fantome, now lying at Port Jackson

Following an inspection it was discovered that a major repair was required to replace dry rot - a repair not usually perform away from HM Dockyards - an interesting report - see page 227 (1855)

4 Oct 1855 Departs Sydney, on a cruise

10 Oct 1855 Entered Port Phillip at 6 pm.

11 Oct 1855 Arrived Melbourne from Sydney

12 Nov 1855 It is reported that the Fantome's crew are engaged onboard the troopship Windsor, dismantling her preparatory to fitting the vessel for sea. She will probably be ready for sailing from Melbourne to Hobart Town on the 1st approx., for the purpose of conveying the 99th regiment to England. On Monday morning the main yard fell from the slings and cut the gunwale down to the deck, causing one of the boys working over the side to fall into the water. He was instantly picked up by one of the crew of the Fantome, named Barnes, who jumped overboard and rescued the lad who was uninjured.

HMS Fantome left the Bay (Port Phillip, yesterday on a cruise in search of the dismasted ship. Captain Matthews, Lloyds agent, has gone down in the steamer Black Eagle to endeavour to find the vessel, but he was unable to get through the Heads yesterday.

Fantome 16 Nov 1855 distribution of award for salvage services rendered to the American merchant ship Flying Arrow, [per London Gazette of 30 Dec 1856].

19 Nov 1855 Reported that now accompanied by the steamer "Marion" in search of dismasted ship near King's Island.

17 Dec 1855 Fired a royal salute yesterday afternoon in honour of the success of the allied forces in the downfall of Sebastopol. The tri-colour was hoisted at the fore and the ensign at the main of the man-of-war