HMS Warspite was an Imperieuse-class

Imperieuse class cruiser

The Imperieuse class cruiser was a class of two armoured cruisers launched between 1883 and 1884 for the Royal Navy.-History:In an 1886 magazine article, Sir Edward Reed complained that these ships did not deserve to be called "armoured", as they were not armoured at bow or stern, only along the...

 first-class armoured cruiser, launched on 29 January 1884 and commissioned in 1886. Warspite was the flagship

Flagship

A flagship is a vessel used by the commanding officer of a group of naval ships, reflecting the custom of its commander, characteristically a flag officer, flying a distinguishing flag...

 on the Pacific Station

Pacific Station

The Pacific Station, often referred to as the Pacific Squadron, was one of the geographical divisions into which the Royal Navy divided its worldwide responsibilities...

 between 1890 and 1893, then a port guard ship at Queenstown until 1896. From 1896 to 1899 she again served as the flagship of the Pacific Station.

Morris states that Warspite had her sailing rig removed while building. The illustration of her with masts therefore shows her on trials, or is conjectural.
She was sold on 4 April 1904 to Ward of Preston. She arrived on the River Mersey

River Mersey

The River Mersey is a river in North West England. It is around long, stretching from Stockport, Greater Manchester, and ending at Liverpool Bay, Merseyside. For centuries, it formed part of the ancient county divide between Lancashire and Cheshire....

on 3 October 1905 and then travelled on to Preston for breaking up.

External links

• http://www.battleships-cruisers.co.uk/hms_warspite.htm