Confiance, 1827
Type: Steam tug ; late Gunvessel ; Armament 2
Launched : 28 Mar 1827 ; Disposal date or year : 1873
BM: 295 tons
Propulsion: Paddle
Machinery notes: 100
Notes:

16 Mar 1829 arrived Portsmouth.

21 Oct 1829 it is reported that some newly invented paddles fitted for trials have not worked properly and they have now been replaced by another set of paddles, also for trial purposes.

Jul 1830 at Woolwich

9 Sep 1830 carried out trials on the Morgan paddle wheels, (late Galloway wheels until Galloway sold the patent to Morgan), with Commodore Warren and Mr. Lang of Woolwich dockyard present, and it is understood that the trials were sufficiently successful for the wheels to be used on other RN steamers.

Humanity of a British Naval Officer. While the Confiance steamer, Lieut. Belson, R.N. was on her passage out to the Mediterranean, with the mails, in the month of November last [1830], off Cape Finisterre, in the middle of the night she fell in with a large ship partly dismasted. "On coming within hail of the Confiance, her captain acquainted Lieut. Belson that she was the Loire, French transport, having five hundred troops on board, from the island of Guadaloupe, bound to Brest. That they were in the greatest possible distress, as, in addition to the loss of her mainmast, rigging, &c. the ship was very leaky, and the crew nearly exhausted from fatigue at the pumps; and that unless the Confiance would afford them assistance, she must go down before they could reach any port. With the characteristic humanity of a British seaman, and notwithstanding his having the mails on board, Lieut. Belson determined to take her in tow, but as it was then blowing a gale of wind, with a heavy sea running, he lay by her till morning, when he succeeded in getting a hawser on board of her. The gale, however, increasing, and the ship's crew being much exhausted, and but indifferent seamen, considerable fears were entertained of her running foul of the little bark, so that for the three following nights Lieut. Belson never quitted the deck. One hawser was carried away in towing, and he was subsequently obliged to make use of the ship's own cable, the getting of which on board in such tempestuous weather, with so small a number of men, was an undertaking of the greatest difficulty. After having kept her in tow for five days, he succeeded in carrying her into Lisbon. The French Consul at that port, gratefully sensible of the services Lieut. Belson had rendered, after returning him public thanks, reported the circumstance to his Government. The King of France, duly appreciating such an act of humanity, would have granted him the order of the Legion of Honour, but, having ascertained that he would not be permitted by his own Court to wear it, unless it had been, obtained in action, ordered a handsome gold medal to be struck, and presented to him by the French Ambassador, Prince Talleyrand, through the Secretary of the English Board of Admiralty, accompanied by a suitable letter on the occasion. The inscription on the medal is as follows. On one side a likeness of the King of France ; round it, "Louise-Philippe 1st. Roi des Frangais." On the reverse---"Ministere de la Marine." , "Henri F. Belson, Lieutenant de la Marine Royale Anglaise." ; " Pour avoir secouru un batiment Francais demat�, et en danger de perir. 1831."

30 Nov 1830, arrived Plymouth, Lieut. Belson, in command.

11 Dec 1830, departed Falmouth for the Mediterranean, Lieut. J. Potbury, in command.

21 Dec 1830 arrived Gibraltar, from Falmouth and Lisbon, and departed the 23rd for Malta and Corfu.

29 Dec 1830 arrived at Malta, from Falmouth.

3 Feb 1831 arrived Falmouth from Corfu (5th ult.), Malta (9th), Gibraltar (19th), and Cadiz (26th).

8 Feb 1831 departed Plymouth for Woolwich.

12 May 1831 arrived the Hyperion, 42, late Sussex Coast Guard, Capt. Mingaye, from Newhaven, in tow of the Confiance and Columbia steam-vessels, to be paid off.

4 Jun 1831 arrived Portsmouth and then departed for Plymouth.

6 Jun 1831 arrived Plymouth from Portsmouth.

25 Jul 1831 arrived Falmouth from Corfu (4th), Malta (8th), Gib. (15th), and Cadiz (17th).

26 Nov 1931 in Portsmouth Harbour.

Jan 1832 it is reported that the steam ship Flamer was nearing completion at Woolwich using Mr. Morgan's high pressure principle, with his patent wheels, which were recently trialled in the steam ship Confiance, when she got off a lee shore, which was well received.

29 Feb 1832 arrived Spithead from Sheerness, Lt Belson in command.

9 May 1832 arrived Portsmouth from the Eastward.

11 May 1832 the tugs Echo and Confiance towed the Atholl round to the River [Thames], in order that it may be ascertained how the wood of which she was built ie Larch, might answer for future ship building.

20 Jul 1832 departed Woolwich for Falmouth, with Specie for the West Indies to assist with the relief of those Islands hit by a hurricane, Sir Robt. and Lady Seppings took passage as far as Bridport.

23 Jul 1832 arrived Plymouth, from Woolwich, and departed the same day for Falmouth.

27 Aug 1832 is ready for sea and awaiting to take our Ambassador for Vienna, Lord Minto and his suite, to Hamburgh.

19 Sep 1832 arrived Plymouth, from Milford, and having towed the Britannia into Hamoaze, departed for Falmouth.

4 Oct 1832 arrived Falmouth from Oporto (30 Sep).

23 Oct 1832 departed Gibraltar for Malta.

3 Nov 1832 departed Malta for Plymouth, England.

3 Dec 1832 arrived at Plymouth, from the Mediterranean, last from Falmouth, with the African.

9 Feb 1833 arrived the Downs from the westward.

11 Mar 1833 arrived Falmouth from Woolwich.

16 Mar 1833 departed Falmouth for Oporto and Lisbon.

11 May 1833 departed Falmouth for Oporto and Lisbon.

28 May 1833 Towed the Columbia into Falmouth harbour.

2 Aug 1833 arrived Plymouth from Lisbon (25 Jul) and off Oporto (27).

5 Sep 1833 in Hamoaze.

14 Sep 1833 in Hamoaze.

1 Jan 1834 Employed on various home port services.

28 Jan 1834 departed Falmouth for Portugal.

6 Mar 1834 arrived Plymouth from the Mediterranean, Lisbon and Falmouth and departed to Woolwich, for repairs.

26 Jan 1835 is reported to have arrived Gibraltar from Falmouth.

3 Feb 1835 arrived Malta from Falmouth (21 Jan) and Gibraltar (30), and is to be employed conveying mails between Alexandria and Malta under the new scheme being brought in by the Post Office, whereby mails for India will not only be carried round the Cape, but will be taken via Alexandria across the Isthmus and thence by sea to India.

1 Jul 1835 at Malta.

26 Oct 1835 arrived Alexandria from Malta.

21 Oct 1835 departed Malta for Alexandria with the mail. On arrival she is understood to have got on shore and her return to Malta was delayed whilst she was repaired.

5 Dec 1835 arrived back at Malta.

7 Jan 1837 arrived Portsmouth en route for Falmouth, Malta and Corfu.

26 May 1837 in Valetta harbour.

20 Aug 1837 arrived Malta from Barcelona.

16 Mar 1839 at Malta.

27 Jul 1839 at the anchorage of Bashika, near the Dardanelles.

13 Oct 1839 Malta has arrived from Beshika Bay, with despatches from Constantinople.

26 Oct 1839 Mate Thomas Woodgate, late of Confiance, promoted to the rank of lieutenant.

14 Mar 1840 Midshipmen Mr. Wilbraham, appointed from Vanguard to Confiance

4 Mar 1840 is expected to sail shortly from Malta with mail from London for the Ionian Islands and Greece.

31 Mar 1840, arrived at Malta from the Ionian islands.

21 June 1840 Malta, departed with dispatches for the admiral at Naples.

11 Jul 1840 Mr. Conquer, clerk-in-charge of the Confiance, has exchanged ships with Mr. Cole clerk-in-charge of the Alecto.

25 Jul 1840 Clerk --- Cole, (in-charge) appointed to the Confiance.

16 Aug 1840 Malta, Implacable, Benbow, Hazard, Zebra, Confiance and Hydra had departed for the Levant

13 Aug 1840 Smyrna, arrived from Malta and departed to join the Admiral, and returned to Smyrna during the night with despatches and departed for Malta on the 17th.

10 Oct 1840 arrived at Beyrout, where sickness has spread amongst the squadron.

20 Jan 1841 Portsmouth, The Locust steamer, Lieutenant Lunn, is to relieve the Confiance steamer. The former arrived at Malta on Christmas-day.

12 Feb 1841 at Malta.

29 Mar 1841 Malta, departed for Palermo.

19 May 1841 departed Malta for Cagliari, Gibraltar and England.

7 Jun 1841 arrived at Lisbon, on her way to Woolwich, to be paid off.

23 Jun 1841 arrived Portsmouth, and departed 24th for Woolwich to be paid off.

3 Jul 1841 Woolwich, just returned from the Mediterranean, was paid off and, after undergoing repairs, will be recommissioned. The crew have been sent on leave.

29 Oct 1841 Woolwich, in the basin.

10 Apr 1842 proceeded from Woolwich to Devonport, via Sheerness, with Marines for the Ganges and Talbot.

17 Apr 1842 arrived Plymouth from Woolwich.

16 Jun 1842 in Plymouth Harbour.

6 Oct 1842 in Hamoaze.

20 Dec 1848 In commission at Devonport. Master William Martin.

30 Aug 1851 Particular Service

24 Feb 1856 Devonport. Towed hospital ship Belleisle out to the Sound

1860 Devonport, Tug, under Act/Master

1861-62 classified in the Naval Budget as a Yard Craft [Tug] at Devonport.