HMS Gorgon was a wooden steam paddle frigate of 6 guns, launched in 1837. In 1840 she took part in the bombardment of Acre, and in 1843 was part of the Royal Navy squadron stationed in the River Plate during the Uruguayan Civil War. She was converted to a troopship and in 1858 assisted HMS Agamemnon in the laying of the first transatlantic telegraph cable. She was sold for breaking in 1864.

Design and construction

Gorgon was designed by Sir William Symonds

William Symonds

Sir William Symonds FRS was "Surveyor of the Navy" in the Royal Navy from 9 June 1832 to October 1847, and took part in the naval reforms instituted by the Whig First Lord of the Admiralty Sir James Robert George Graham in 1832.-Early life:He was the second son...

 and was the first vessel to be fitted with direct-acting engines (in which the engine's cylinders are placed under the crankshaft), the engines being built by Seaward and Company

John Seaward

John Seaward was a British civil engineer and mechanical engineer. His brother was Samuel Seaward, FRS .-Early life:...

. In addition to saving space over previous side-lever engines, they weighed 60 tons less. She was teak

Teak

Teak is the common name for the tropical hardwood tree species Tectona grandis and its wood products. Tectona grandis is native to south and southeast Asia, mainly India, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Burma, but is naturalized and cultivated in many countries, including those in Africa and the...

 built with oak

Oak

An oak is a tree or shrub in the genus Quercus , of which about 600 species exist. "Oak" may also appear in the names of species in related genera, notably Lithocarpus...

 main beams, had a displacement of 1610 long tons (1,635.8 t), and her paddle wheels were 27 feet (8.2 m) in diameter. She was laid down at Pembroke Royal Dockyard in July 1836 and launched on 31 August 1837.

Service

In 1840 Gorgon saw action with three other paddle sloops, , and , in the bombardment of the city of Acre under the command of Admiral Robert Stopford.

In 1843, during the Uruguayan Civil War

Uruguayan Civil War

The Uruguayan Civil War, also known as "Guerra Grande", was a series of armed conflicts that took place between the Colorado Party and the National Party in Uruguay from 1839 to 1851...

, Gorgon arrived in the River Plate

Río de la Plata

The Río de la Plata —sometimes rendered River Plate in British English and the Commonwealth, and occasionally rendered [La] Plata River in other English-speaking countries—is the river and estuary formed by the confluence of the Uruguay River and the Paraná River on the border between Argentina and...

 to join the Royal Navy squadron commanded by Commodore John Purvis. She anchored in the bay as a deterrent to potential attackers. She ran aground on 10 May 1844 but was subsequently refloated.

From 23 February 1854 to 8 May 1854 Gorgon was commanded by Commander (and Captain) Arthur Cumming

Arthur Cumming (Royal Navy officer)

Admiral Sir Arthur Cumming KCB was an officer of the Royal Navy. He was born in Nancy, France to Sir Henry Cumming, a general in the British Army and received naval education at the Royal Naval College in Portsmouth...

.

In 1858 Gorgon assisted in the laying of the first transatlantic telegraph cable

Transatlantic telegraph cable

The transatlantic telegraph cable was the first cable used for telegraph communications laid across the floor of the Atlantic Ocean. It crossed from , Foilhommerum Bay, Valentia Island, in western Ireland to Heart's Content in eastern Newfoundland. The transatlantic cable connected North America...

 by taking soundings for the former warship HMS Agamemnon

HMS Agamemnon (1852)

HMS Agamemnon was a Royal Navy 91-gun battleship ordered by the Admiralty in 1849 in response to the perceived threat from France by their possession of ships of the Napoléon class...

, which had been converted into a cable ship. When the cable link was completed to New York

New York

New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...

, the crew of the Gorgon and the other ships were feted by civic receptions and processions through the city.

Gorgon was despatched to Madagascar

Madagascar

The Republic of Madagascar is an island country located in the Indian Ocean off the southeastern coast of Africa...

 in 1863 to keep the peace on the death of King Radama II

Radama II of Madagascar

Radama II was the son and heir of Queen Ranavalona I and ruled from 1861 to 1863 over the Kingdom of Madagascar, which controlled virtually the entire island. Radama's rule, although brief, was a pivotal period in the history of the Kingdom of Madagascar...

. She returned via the Cape of Good Hope

Cape of Good Hope

The Cape of Good Hope is a rocky headland on the Atlantic coast of the Cape Peninsula, South Africa.There is a misconception that the Cape of Good Hope is the southern tip of Africa, because it was once believed to be the dividing point between the Atlantic and Indian Oceans. In fact, the...

, arriving at Spithead

Spithead

Spithead is an area of the Solent and a roadstead off Gilkicker Point in Hampshire, England. It is protected from all winds, except those from the southeast...

 on 29 January 1864. She discharged her ammunition and guns at the Royal Arsenal

Royal Arsenal

The Royal Arsenal, Woolwich, originally known as the Woolwich Warren, carried out armaments manufacture, ammunition proofing and explosives research for the British armed forces. It was sited on the south bank of the River Thames in Woolwich in south-east London, England.-Early history:The Warren...

, was paid out of commission on 11 February.

Despite being decommissioned, Gorgon had one last mission. The vessel was towed to Greenhithe

Greenhithe

Greenhithe is a town in Dartford District of Kent, England. It forms part of the civil parish of Swanscombe and Greenhithe.Greenhithe, as it is spelled today, is located where it was possible to build wharves for transshipping corn, wood and other commodities; its largest cargoes were of chalk and...

 on 6 May 1864 to act as a receiving hulk for the crew of HMS Osborne

HMY Victoria and Albert

HMY Victoria and Albert was a twin paddle steamer launched 25 April 1843. It functioned as a Royal Yacht of the Sovereign of the United Kingdom, owned and operated by the Royal Navy. She laid down in 1842 at Pembroke Dock and was designed by Symonds...

, seven of whom had acquired smallpox

Smallpox

Smallpox was an infectious disease unique to humans, caused by either of two virus variants, Variola major and Variola minor. The disease is also known by the Latin names Variola or Variola vera, which is a derivative of the Latin varius, meaning "spotted", or varus, meaning "pimple"...

. The ship was ultimately dismantled at Woolwich

Woolwich

Woolwich is a district in south London, England, located in the London Borough of Greenwich. The area is identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London.Woolwich formed part of Kent until 1889 when the County of London was created...

. She was sold to Charlton for breaking on 17 October 1864.