HMS Trafalgar (1841)

HMS Trafalgar was a 120-gun, three-deck, first rate, broadened Caledonia-class ship of the line built for the Royal Navy during the 1830s. Completed in 1842, the ship remained in ordinary until 1845. She was participated in the Crimean War of 1854–1855. Trafalgar was razeed and converted into a steam-powered, 89-gun, second rate, two decker in 1858–1859.

The Caledonia class was an improved version of HMS Hibernia with additional freeboard to allow them to fight all their guns in heavy weather. Trafalgar measured 205 feet 6 inches (62.6 m) on the gundeck and 170 feet 5 inches (51.9 m) on the keel. She had a beam of 55 feet 8 inches (17.0 m), a depth of hold of 23 feet 2 inches (7.1 m), a deep draught of 18 feet 3 inches (5.56 m) and had a tonnage of 272132⁄94 tons burthen. Her crew numbered 820 officers and ratings in peacetime and 900 in wartime. The ship was armed with 120 muzzle-loading, smoothbore guns that consisted of thirty 32-pounder (56 cwt) guns^{[Note 1]} and two 68-pounder carronades on her lower gundeck, thirty-two 32-pounder 55 cwt guns and two 68-pounder carronades on her middle gundeck and thirty-two 32-pounders and two 68-pounder carrondaes on her upper gundeck. Her forecastle mounted a pair of 32-pounder 49 cwt guns and two 32-pounder carronades. On her quarterdeck she carried sixteen 32-pounder carronades. Trafalgar's armament was later modified with four 8 in (203 mm) shell guns that replaced her 68-pounder carronades on the lower and middle gundecks. The 68-pounder carronades on the upper gundeck were replaced by a pair of 32-pounders. All of the guns on the forecastle and quarterdeck were replaced by six 32-pounders and fourteen short 32-pounder guns.^[1] The ship's figurehead was a bust of Lord Nelson, and is now on display at Portsmouth Historic Dockyard.^[2]

Trafalgar was ordered on 22 February 1825, laid down at Woolwich Dockyard in December 1829, launched on 21 June 1841 and completed on 6 June 1842.^[3] The ship was named by Nelson's niece Lady Bridport at the request of Queen Victoria, who with Prince Albert also attended the launch. The wine used was some kept from HMS Victory after returning from Trafalgar. Five hundred people were on board the ship at the time of its launch, of whom 100 had been at Trafalgar. It was estimated 500,000 people came to watch the event and the Thames was covered for miles with all manner of boats.^[4] The ship's first commission was not until 30 January 1845 under Captain William Martin when she became the flagship of Vice-Admiral John Chambers White, Commander-in-Chief, The Nore.^[3]

Trafalgar participated in the Bombardment of Sevastopol on 17 October 1854 during the Crimean War.^[5]

The ship was fitted with screw propulsion in 1858–1859. As a training ship in Portland Harbour, she was renamed Boscawen in 1873, and finally sold out of the service in 1906.^[6] Commander Lawrence de Wahl Satow was appointed in command 15 April 1902.^[7]

It took several years for a figurehead design to be agreed upon for HMS Trafalgar, most likely due to the long delays in the shop's construction.

James Edward Hellyer Snr of Hellyer & Sons and Browning of Rotherhithe submitted a design together in 1836, featuring Vice Admiral Lord Horatio Nelson, at a cost of £31 10s 0d (approximately £3,020 today), alongside another design in the form of a full-length figurehead of Pheme or Fama (Fame) of Greek and Roman mythology, with an estimate attached of £42 0s 0d (around £4,090). Robert Hall of Rotherhithe, frequently in competition for contracts with the Hellyers and Dickerson family of Devonport, Plymouth, forwarded a simply bust design in loose robes at £45 0s 0d (£4,380 today).

It was not until James Edward Hellyer submitted another design in 1840, with an estimate of £45 (then worth approximately £3,905 today) based on a bust of Nelson that the Surveyor of the Navy had purchased in London that the figurehead was agreed upon.

Then, in 1843, Hellyer & Sons were called upon to alter the 'Figure Head in consequence of the Bowsprit touching the hat' and charged the Royal Navy £5 15s 0d for the work (approximately £545 today.) ^[8]

The figurehead formed part of the HMS Ganges (shore establishment) collection when the ship was sold for breaking up, until it was transferred to Portsmouth in 1796. Accessioned into the then Royal Naval Museum collection in 1984, it was restored by Phil Hudson of Dartmouth working in conjunction with Richard Hunter (a noted figurehead historian) in 2011.

The figurehead can be seen at the National Museum of the Royal Navy, Portsmouth, on site outside.^[9]

• Media related to HMS Trafalgar (1841) at Wikimedia Commons
• Colledge, J. J.; Warlow, Ben & Bush, Steve (2020). Ships of the Royal Navy: The Complete Record of all Fighting Ships of the Royal Navy from the 15th Century to the Present (5th revised and updated ed.). Seaforth Publishing. ISBN 978-1-5267-9327-0.
• Duckers, Peter (2011) The Crimean War at Sea: The Naval Campaigns against Russia, 1854-56. Pen & Sword Maritime. ISBN 1-84884-267-8.
• Lambert, Andrew D. (1984). Battleships in Transition: The Creation of the Steam Battlefleet 1815-1860. Conway Maritime Press. ISBN 0-85177-315-X.
• Winfield, Rif (2014). British Warships in the Age of Sail 1817–1863: Design, Construction, Careers and Fates. Seaforth Publishing. ISBN 978-1-84832-169-4.