HMS Driver (1840)

HMS "Driver" was a "Driver" class wood paddle sloop of the Royal Navy. She is credited with the first global circumnavigation by a steamship when she arrived back in England on 14 May 1847. [http://www.thehistorychannel.co.uk/site/this_day_in_history/this_day_May_14.php History Channel: This day in history - May 14] ]

Construction and commissioning

"Driver" was ordered on 12 March 1840 from Portsmouth Dockyard to a design by Sir William Symonds. She was laid down in June 1840 and launched on 24 December 1840, with her machinery being supplied by Seaward & Capel. Her hull cost £19,433, with the machinery costing another £13,866. After she had completed fitting out she was commissioned on 5 November 1841.

Career

During her circumnavigation "Driver" became the first steamship to visit New Zealand, arriving on 20 January 1846 [http://www.nzmaritime.org/site/sectionc.html New Zealand Maritime Museum] ] and was involved in the New Zealand Wars. At the time of her visit she is described as a brig-rigged 6-gun warship displacing 1,058 tons with engines rated 280 horsepower. [http://www.nzetc.org/tm/scholarly/tei-Cow01NewZ-c10.html New Zealand Electronic Text Centre] ] Elsewhere she is described as a 12-gun paddle sloop. She was wrecked on 3 August 1861 on Mayaguana Island in the West Indies.

References

*Colledge
* cite book | title= The Sail & Steam Navy List: All the Ships of the Royal Navy 1815-1889 | author =David Lyon & Rif Winfield | location= London | year= 2004 | id= ISBN 1-86176-032-9