HMS Narcissus
Encyclopedia
Six ships of the Royal Navy
have been named HMS Narcissus after the Narcissus
of mythology, or after the Narcissi flowers.
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
have been named HMS Narcissus after the Narcissus
Narcissus (mythology)
Narcissus or Narkissos , possibly derived from ναρκη meaning "sleep, numbness," in Greek mythology was a hunter from the territory of Thespiae in Boeotia who was renowned for his beauty. He was exceptionally proud, in that he disdained those who loved him...
of mythology, or after the Narcissi flowers.
- The first NarcissusHMS Narcissus (1781)HMS Narcissus was a Sphinx-class 20-gun sixth-rate post ship of the Royal Navy launched in 1781. Most notably in 1782, under the command of Captain Edward Edwards, a mutiny occurred aboard the vessel which resulted in the hanging of six men, and the flogging of an additional fourteen...
was a 20-gun sixth-rateSixth-rateSixth rate was the designation used by the Royal Navy for small warships mounting between 20 and 24 nine-pounder guns on a single deck, sometimes with guns on the upper works and sometimes without.-Rating:...
launched in 1781 and wrecked in 1796. - The second Narcissus was a 32-gun fifth-rateFifth-rateIn Britain's Royal Navy during the classic age of fighting sail, a fifth rate was the penultimate class of warships in a hierarchal system of six "ratings" based on size and firepower.-Rating:...
launched in 1801, a convict shipConvict shipThe term convict ship is a colloquial term used to describe any ship engaged on a voyage to carry convicted felons under sentence of penal transportation from their place of conviction to their place of exile.-Colonial practice:...
after 1823, and sold 1837. - A 28-gun sixth-rateSixth-rateSixth rate was the designation used by the Royal Navy for small warships mounting between 20 and 24 nine-pounder guns on a single deck, sometimes with guns on the upper works and sometimes without.-Rating:...
Narcissus of 601 tons was ordered in 1846 but cancelled in 1848. - A 50-gun fourth-rateFourth-rateIn the British Royal Navy, a fourth rate was, during the first half of the 18th century, a ship of the line mounting from 46 up to 60 guns. While the number of guns stayed subsequently in the same range up until 1817, after 1756 the ships of 50 guns and below were considered too weak to stand in...
Narcissus of 1,996 tons was ordered in 1849 and cancelled in 1857. - The third Narcissus was a wooden-hulled screw frigateScrew frigateSteam frigates and the smaller steam corvettes were steam-powered warships.The first vessel that can be considered a steam frigate was the Demologos which was launched in 1815 for the United States Navy....
in service from 1859 to 1883. - The fourth NarcissusHMS Narcissus (1886)HMS Narcissus was a ship of the Orlando-class of first-class cruisers built in the yards of Earle of Hull and launched on December 15, 1886. Future Admiral Ernest Gaunt served aboard her in 1896 as First Lieutenant. She was sold for scrapping on September 11, 1906.-References:* Roger Chesneau and...
was an armoured cruiser launched in 1886 and sold in 1906. - The fifth Narcissus was a Acacia-class sloopSloopA sloop is a sail boat with a fore-and-aft rig and a single mast farther forward than the mast of a cutter....
in use from 1915 to 1922. - The sixth Narcissus was a Flower-classFlower class corvetteThe Flower-class corvette was a class of 267 corvettes used during World War II, specifically with the Allied navies as anti-submarine convoy escorts during the Battle of the Atlantic...
corvetteCorvetteA corvette is a small, maneuverable, lightly armed warship, originally smaller than a frigate and larger than a coastal patrol craft or fast attack craft , although many recent designs resemble frigates in size and role...
launched in 1941 and sold 1946.