Wednesday, July 27, 2011

The Sail & Steam Navy List - All The Ships of the Royal Navy 1815-1889 part1


A decade ago, David Lyon produced his ground-breaking study of the sailing vessels of the Royal Navy from the Glorious Revolution of 1688 until the close of the end of sail (all reference hereinafter to 'the previous volume' is understood to identify this Sailing Navy List). Among many other involvements, he subsequently began work in preparation for the current volume. While much has been written upon the nature of changes in the nineteenth-century navy, no systematic guide to the entire and ever-changing composition has been attempted. The nature of the revolutionary changes themselves were a barrier. Most studies concentrated upon one aspect of change, or upon one period of change among the several which took place during these 75 years. David Lyon tragically died in 2000, leaving the work partially complete. Having contributed to the previous volume, and been in possession of the results of many years extensive research through official records - my own as well as that of David and of other colleagues - it fell to me to complete and bring to fruition the work which hopefully serves as a testament to David's passion for historic detail as well as a definitive record of the approximately 4,000 vessels which served in the British Navy between 1815 and 1889.