Rhadamanthus was the only named vessel in the Royal Navy.[2]
Her keel was laid in September 1831 at Plymouth Dockyard and launched on 16 April 1832.[3] Her gun deck was 164feet with her keel length reported for tonnage calculation was 143feet. Her maximum breadth was 32feet with 32feet being reported for tonnage. Her depth of hold was 17feet. Her light draught was 11feet forward and 13feet aft. Her builder's measure tonnage was 813 tons though her displacement was 1,086 tons.[4] Upon launch she was sailed to Woolwich to have her machinery fitted.[5]
Her machinery was supplied by Maudslay, Son & Field of Lambeth. She was fitted with two fire-tube rectangular boilers. Her steam engine was a two-cylinder vertical single expansion (VSE) engine rated at 220 nominal horsepower (NHP). During her steam trials the engine generated 385ihp for a speed of 10kn.[6] She originally was to have a schooner sail plan, however, this was changed to a barque or barquentine sail rig.[7]
Her armament would initially consist of one Miller's Original 10-inch 84 hundredweight (cwt)[8] muzzle-loading smoothbore (MLSB) shell gun on a pivot mount and two Bloomfield's 32-pounder[9] 25 cwt MLSB guns and two 6-pounder brass MLSB guns on broadside trucks.[10] The brass guns were later removed and one 32-pounder 42 cwt MLSB was fitted on a pivot mount.[11]
She was completed on 2 November 1832 at an initial cost of £31,919[12] (building - £18,534, fitting - £2,197 and machinery - £11,188[13]).[14]
She was first commissioned on 4 October 1832 for the blockade of the Dutch Coast during the Belgian war of Independence. At the end of the blockade duties she was assigned to the North America and West Indies Station. She returned to Home Water, paying off at Woolwich on 21 April 1835. During 1836 she underwent a major refit at Woolwich Dockyard.[15]
She was recommissioned on 23 October 1836 under Commander John Duffill, RN, as a packet vessel for the coast of Spain.[16] On 13 July 1837 Commander Arthur Wakefield took command and assigned to the Mediterranean.[17] She returned to Home Waters to pay off on 20 October 1840. She was refitted as a transport at Sheerness before returning to Woolwich.[18]
She commissioned on 28 April 1841 under Thomas Laen, Master at Woolwich. On 29 June she was under Jonathan Aylen, Master. She paid off at Woolwich on 13 February 1849. She was fitted as a troopship in March 1851. She recommissioned under John Belam, Master for Particular Service. John E. Perry, master (temporary) took over on 17 November 1855, then on 25 January 1856 Edmund P. Cole, Master was in command, following with Frederick R. Strudee, Master on 29 October 1857 and finally George Raymond, Master on 8 December 1862.[19]
She paid off for the last time on 11 June 1863 at Sheerness. Her breaking was completed on 8 February 1864.[20]