Serpent, 1832
Type: Brig-sloop ; Armament 16
Launched : 14 Jul 1832 ; Disposal date or year : 1861
BM: 434 tons
Notes:

Portsmouth 10 Dec 1832 Arrived from Woolwich.

Downs 24 Jan 1833 Reported to be cruising in the North Sea.

Portsmouth 2 Feb 1833 At Spithead.

Portsmouth 12 Feb 1833 Arrived from a cruise.

Portsmouth 16 Feb 1833 Cruising off the Isle of Wight.

Portsmouth 25 Feb 1833 Arrived from a cruise.

Falmouth 17 May 1833 Arrived from Lisbon (6) and Oporto (8).

Deal 26 May 1833 Went ashore in thick fog on the South Foreland, yesterday, but having thrown her guns overboard &c., and received assistance from the Donegal was soon floated again, and passed through the Downs for Sheerness today with no serious damage. However, this resulted in Mr. Newman, the Master, being reprimanded and admonished to be more careful in the future, and Commander Symonds being admonished at the Court Martial that was held on 31 May-1 Jun 1833 on board the Ocean to inquire into the accident.

Deal 15 Jul 1833 Arrived from Sheerness, and sailed for Portsmouth.

Portsmouth 18 Jul 1833 Tried her rate of sailing with the Vestal.

Portsmouth 18 Jul 1833 Arrived from Chatham, and sailed Saturday for the West Indies.

Portsmouth 21 Jul 1833 Sailed for Plymouth, and the West Indies.

Halifax 18 Aug 1833 Arrived from Spithead, and would sail shortly for Bermuda and Jamaica.

Trinidad 21 Sep 1833 Arrived from Halifax and Bermuda and sailed to Jamaica.

Barbadoes 5 Feb 1834 Is reported to be at Port Royal, under orders for the Leeward Islands.

Jamaica 28 Apr 1835 reported to be at Port Royal.

29 Jun 1835 captured slave vessel Tita ; an account respecting bounty-money received for the Tita, will be deposited at the High Court of Admiralty circa April 1836. Will be available to pay 18 May 1836.

Havannah 13 Jul 1835 is reported that whilst on passage from Jamaica to Nasau, she captured the Spanish slave schooner Sila, with 394 slaves onboard and took her into Havannah.

19 Jul 1835 reported to be at Nassau.

Rio de Janeiro 30 Aug 1835 sailed a cruise.

Portsmouth 5 Dec 1835 is reported that 28 of her crew were ill from fever of which 2 died, having been to Havannah to have a slave ship condemned. On 11 Oct she sailed from Halifax for Newfoundland, for a brief recuperation before returning to Jamaica.

Havannah 30 Dec 1835 is reported to have arrived from Nassau.

Portsmouth 27 Feb 1836 arrived from the West Indies.

Portsmouth 5 Nov 1836 is expected shortly from Sheerness, en route for the West Indies.

Spithead 28 Mov 1836 whilst striking her topmasts was dismasted in a severe gale. The men aloft jumped into the sea, all but 2, who were drowned, reached the boat astern of the Serpent ; 2 men on deck suffered broken limbs from the falling masts, spars and rigging.

25 Jan 1837, off Carthagena, with the West Indian and North American Squadron, then blockading the port, Capt. Belcher, trying to get to Panama, joined temporarily from the Madagascar, to carry out survey duties in the bay and passage to Passo Cavallos, in order that supplies for Carthagena via that means could be intercepted, but before this could be achieved there was a cessation of hostilities, during which the Commodore's Barge, with Captain Belcher, cut through the Pass whilst returning, before joining the Nimrod.

Jamaica 1 Mar 1837 at Port Royal ; ships on the station are reported to be generally healthy

Jamaica 1 Mar 1837 is reported to have arrived from Carthagena, having gone aground on the Pedro Shoal on the 19 Feb., and suffered damage to her keel.

1 Jan 1839 sailed from Jamaica to join Commodore Douglas's squadron.

17 Jan 1839 departed Jamaica for Mexico.

30 Apr 1839 arrived Jamaica from Barbadoes;

4 May 1839 sailed Jamaica for the Havannah

10 Jul 1839 arrived Halifax.

23 Nov 1839 the Winchester, Cleopatra, Pilot, Serpent, and Buzzard were reported to be at Bermuda.

10 Jul 1840 arrived at Barbadoes from Jamaica, and sailed for Bermuda on the 27th;

30 Oct 1840 sailed from Halifax for England, and is expected shortly.

1 Dec 1840 arrived Spithead from Halifax following a passage of 32 days against easterly gales during which she had to throw two guns overboard.

5 Dec 1840 Lieutenant Henry Harvey (of the Winchester), promoted to be Acting Commander of the Serpent, vice the Hon. R. Gore, invalided.

4 Dec 1840 sailed from Spithead for Sheerness to be paid off.

11 Dec 1840 arrived at Chatham on Tuesday, from the West Indies, via Portsmouth, to be paid off.

12 Dec 1840 Mr. F. D. Rich, midshipman of the Serpent, has passed his examination in seamanship.

22 Dec 1840 Mr. R. W. Dalton, from the Serpent, to be assistant-surgeon, appointed to the Lizard.

3 Apr 1841 Second Master W. Jefferey (late Serpent), appointed to the Pilot (vice W. Langdon, deceased), and promoted to the rank of master ;

14 Jun 1841 Chatham, was commissioned.

2 Oct 1841 Lieutenants James C. Robinson and Edward M. Noble ; Master J. B. Hilliard ; Surgeon James Lambert ; Assistant Surgeon R. A. Godson, appointed to the Serpent.

2 Oct 1841 Commander C. H. Seale, appointed to the Serpent.

4 Dec 1841 Commander William Nevill ; Lieutenant Seymour Brown appointed to the Serpent.

11 Dec 1841 Lieutenant Seymour Brown appointed to the Serpent.

14 Dec 1841 Spithead, sailed for Plymouth.

18 Dec 1841 arrived Plymouth, from Spithead.

24 Dec 1841 Plymouth, In the Sound.

23 Dec 1841 Mate W. J. Turner, appointed to the Serpent ;

5 Jun 1842 Hong Kong, sailed with the Dido for Chusan with a convoy of transports.

29 Jan 1844 detained the slave vessel Eliza Stewart.

1846 China and India.

Jan 1848 Portsmouth, in Ordinary (reserve)

20 Dec 1848 Portsmouth.

16 Apr 1851 It is reported at Portsmouth that the vessel was at Amoy, but was under orders to proceed to the river Min, which is said to be swarming with pirates. The captain of an opium vessel has been attacked, and he and five of his men have been murdered. The Serpent has lately rescued an opium ship belonging to Jardine, Matheson, and Co. and Commander Luard refused, very handsomely to demand salvage of her. [We live and we learn !]

Nov 1851 sailed from Calcutta, with the HEIC's steamer Tenasserim, to inquire into the situation in Burma where reports were suggesting the situation was deteriorating. Were joined off Bangoon on 25 Nov by the Serpent and the HEIC's steamer Proserpine - see p. 371-> at www.archive.org/details/royalnavyhistory06clow

1 Apr 1852 anchored off the mouth of the Rangoon river, with the Fox, Hermes, Salamander, Serpent, and a gunboat, in addition to a number of vessels of the Indian marine - see p. 374-> at www.archive.org/details/royalnavyhistory06clow

4 Apr 1852 softening-up the defences and preparation for attack on Rangoon - see p. 375-> at www.archive.org/details/royalnavyhistory06clow

5 Apr – 20 Dec 1852, ship's company involved in 2nd Burma War, and annexation of Pegu (now known as Bago, Myanmar), for which they were due prize money for capture of booty.

9 Nov 1852, departed Hong Kong, with the Governor, for Sydney.

20 Jun 1853, arrived Sydney - see page 187 of the on-line Shipping Gazette and Sydney General Trade List for Report of Proceedings (RoP).

26 Jul 1853, departed Sydney for England via Auckland and Valparaiso

7 Aug 1853, arrived Auckland, departing the same day for England.

26 Sep 1853, arrived Valparaiso.

13 Oct 1853, departed Valparaiso.

31 Oct 1853, arrived at Port Stanley, at the Falkland Isles for water.

6 Nov 1853, departed Port Stanley.

10 Jan 1854, arrived Spithead.

RoP of passage from Hong Kong to Sydney 9 Nov 52 - 30 Jun 1853 from the Nautical Magazine - See page 224 - as above (1854).

1857 Target

1861-62 target ship, Portsmouth. Taken to pieces in 1861, per Parliamentary estimates etc.

26 Jul 1861 Portsmouth. Completed breaking up, per Parliamentary estimates etc. 1861-62.