HMS ''Philomel'' was an eight-gun ''Alert''-class packet

brig A brig is a type of sailing vessel defined by its rig: two masts which are both square rig, square-rigged. Brigs originated in the second half of the 18th century and were a common type of smaller merchant vessel or warship from then until the l ...

of the

Royal Navy The Royal Navy (RN) is the naval warfare force of the United Kingdom. It is a component of His Majesty's Naval Service, and its officers hold their commissions from the King of the United Kingdom, King. Although warships were used by Kingdom ...

, built between 1840 and 1842. Ships of this class were designed by

William Symonds Sir William Symonds CB FRS (24 September 1782 – 30 March 1856, aboard the French steamship ''Nil'', Strait of Bonifacio, Sardinia)Plymouth Plymouth ( ) is a port city status in the United Kingdom, city and unitary authority in Devon, South West England. It is located on Devon's south coast between the rivers River Plym, Plym and River Tamar, Tamar, about southwest of Exeter and ...

. The vessel launched in 1842 as a surveying vessel, and by 1857 was given over to the

coastguard A coast guard or coastguard is a maritime security organization of a particular country. The term embraces wide range of responsibilities in different countries, from being a heavily armed military force with customs and security duties to ...

and renamed ''CGWV.23''. It foundered in

The Swale The Swale is a tidal channel of the Thames estuary that separates the Isle of Sheppey from the rest of Kent. On its banks is a biological Site of Special Scientific Interest which stretches from Sittingbourne to Whitstable in Kent. It is also ...

in 1869, and the wreck was sold to Hayhurst & Clasper as salvage. It was finally broken up on 26 February 1870. The Falkland Islands issued a set of stamps in 1985 for "Early Cartographers maps", the ship is featured on the fourth in set, 54p stamp along with Admiral Sir B. J. Sulivan K.C.B.

Citations

References

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Philomel (1842), Hms 1842 ships Ships built in Plymouth, Devon