HMS Trident was an iron paddle sloop

Sloop-of-war

In the 18th and most of the 19th centuries, a sloop-of-war was a warship with a single gun deck that carried up to eighteen guns. As the rating system covered all vessels with 20 guns and above, this meant that the term sloop-of-war actually encompassed all the unrated combat vessels including the...

 built for the Royal Navy

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...

 by Ditchburn & Mare

Thames Ironworks and Shipbuilding Company

The Thames Ironworks and Shipbuilding Company, Limited was a shipyard and iron works straddling the mouth of Bow Creek at its confluence with the River Thames, at Leamouth Wharf on the west side and at Canning Town on the east side...

 in 1845 at Leamouth

Leamouth

Leamouth is the area to the west of the mouth of the River Lea at the River Thames at . The northern part of the area lies within a meander of the Lea; the southern part is bounded in the west by the former East India Docks, on two sides by the Lea and by the River Thames to the south...

, London

London

London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...

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She was a third class iron paddle sloop, the only ship built to her design, making her a unique class. The builder’s design was approved on 22 August 1843 and Trident was launched on 16 December 1845. Her hull cost £17,000, and her machinery another £17,502. Fitting out was estimated to have cost a further £6,864. Her design was commissioned on 2 August 1842 for a steam yacht to replace HMS Black Eagle

HMS Black Eagle

HMS Black Eagle was an Admiralty steam yacht launched in 1831, initially named HMS Firebrand. She was rebuilt in 1834, and renamed HMS Black Eagle in 1843. She was broken up in 1876....

, previously HMS Firebrand. Trident was initially rated as a Steam Vessel (SV3) and re-rated as a second-class sloop on 31 May 1844. She was originally intended to be fitted with a Maudslay 200 nhp side lever engine.

Trident was broken up by Castle at Charlton in January 1866.