HMS ''Orestes'' was a 18-gun sloop built and launched at

Portsmouth Dockyard His Majesty's Naval Base, Portsmouth (HMNB Portsmouth) is one of three operating bases in the United Kingdom for the Royal Navy (the others being HMNB Clyde and HMNB Devonport). Portsmouth Naval Base is part of the city of Portsmouth; it is loc ...

in May 1824. The vessel became the fifth ship to carry the name ''Orestes'', named after the Greek mythological figure who was the son of

Agamemnon In Greek mythology, Agamemnon (; ''Agamémnōn'') was a king of Mycenae who commanded the Achaeans (Homer), Achaeans during the Trojan War. He was the son (or grandson) of King Atreus and Queen Aerope, the brother of Menelaus, the husband of C ...

and

Clytemnestra Clytemnestra (, ; , ), in Greek mythology, was the wife of Agamemnon, king of Mycenae, and the half-sister of Helen of Sparta. In Aeschylus' ''Oresteia'', she murders Agamemnon – said by Euripides to be her second husband – and the Trojan p ...

. Ordered on 21 May 1821 and laid down in April 1823, the sloop was designed by shipbuilder, James Inman.

Career

Halifax, Nova Scotia, 1826-1830

HMS ''Orestes'' did not encounter any conflict whilst at

Halifax, Nova Scotia Halifax is the capital and most populous municipality of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Nova Scotia, and the most populous municipality in Atlantic Canada. As of 2024, it is estimated that the population of the H ...

, spending most of its stationing delivering supplies to

Miramichi The name "Miramichi" was first applied to a region in the northeast of New Brunswick, Canada, and has since been applied to other places in Canada and the United States. Although other interpretations have been suggested, it is believed that "Mirami ...

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its Provinces and territories of Canada, ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, making it the world's List of coun ...

and mail to

Bermuda Bermuda is a British Overseas Territories, British Overseas Territory in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean. The closest land outside the territory is in the American state of North Carolina, about to the west-northwest. Bermuda is an ...

Portuguese Civil War, 1832

HMS ''Orestes'' was part of a naval squadron sent to

Portugal Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic, is a country on the Iberian Peninsula in Southwestern Europe. Featuring Cabo da Roca, the westernmost point in continental Europe, Portugal borders Spain to its north and east, with which it share ...

to protect British trade interests and its citizens, following the beginnings of conflict between Dom Pedro and his brother, Dom Miguel in what became known as the

Portuguese Civil War The Liberal Wars (), also known as the Portuguese Civil War () and the War of the Two Brothers () was a civil war in Portugal that lasted from May 1828 to May 1834, fought between liberal progressive constitutionalists (led by former King Pe ...

(Liberal Wars). Under the command of Captain William Nugent Glascock, HMS ''Orestes'' and the rest of the naval squadron were stationed on the

Douro The Douro (, , , ; ; ) is the largest river of the Iberian Peninsula by discharge. It rises near Duruelo de la Sierra in the Spanish Soria Province, province of Soria, meanders briefly south, then flows generally west through the northern par ...

, an area key to the conflict. The positioning of the squadron meant naval vessels faced dangers both sides, leaving them vulnerable to being caught in the cross fire of the conflict.

Cape of Good Hope Station, 1848-1852

HMS ''Orestes'' spent a short time on the

Cape of Good Hope Station The Commander-in-Chief, Africa was the last title of a Royal Navy's formation commander located in South Africa from 1795 to 1939. Under varying titles, it was one of the longest-lived formations of the Royal Navy. It was also often known as the C ...

South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the Southern Africa, southernmost country in Africa. Its Provinces of South Africa, nine provinces are bounded to the south by of coastline that stretches along the Atlantic O ...

, protecting British colonial interests with

India India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...

Figurehead

The figurehead of ''Orestes'' is a simple male bust wearing a helmet, tunic and classical armour to represent the Greek figure of the same name. It was most likely carved by either James Edward Hellyer, or his son James, both of whom were resident carvers at Portsmouth Dockyard at the time of the sloop's build. However, no design or cost records survive that reveal who the carver was. The myth of Orestes has no connection to the ocean or water of any kind and is instead one of murder and revenge against his mother and her lover who took the life of his father, Agamemnon. One possible motive for choosing the name ''Orestes'' was that the Royal Navy already possessed an HMS ''Apol''lo, built in 1805. In the

Greek mythology Greek mythology is the body of myths originally told by the Ancient Greece, ancient Greeks, and a genre of ancient Greek folklore, today absorbed alongside Roman mythology into the broader designation of classical mythology. These stories conc ...

, Apollo is the patron of Orestes, purifying him after he commits matricide. HMS ''Orestes'' can be seen on display as party of a larger collection at the

National Museum of the Royal Navy, Portsmouth The National Museum of the Royal Navy, Portsmouth, formerly known as the Royal Naval Museum, is a museum of the history of the Royal Navy, history of the Royal Navy located in the Portsmouth Historic Dockyard section of HMNB Portsmouth, Portsmo ...

. It can also be viewed alongside other figureheads within the collection on the Bloomberg Connects website and app.

Conversion

In 1852, the sloop was converted from sail to steam, becoming a coal depot and losing the name ‘Orestes’ to become C28. The ship was later sold in 1911 for commercial use.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Orestes (1824) 1824 ships Ships built in Portsmouth