The HMS Agamemnon in the harbour of Deptford already partly dismantled. Left of here is HMS Dreadnought visible. Drawn by Sir Francis Seymout-Haden, 1870.
Collection Rijksmuseum Amsterdam, Netherlands. Original url
Her building was ordered on 3 July 1849, designed by Edye and Watts using Edye’s design dated 15 December 1847 for the James Watt, laid down at the Woolwich dockyard in November 1849, launched on 22 May 1852, completed in 1852, building costs 141.299 pound sterling, sea trial in Stokes Bay on 3 May 1853, fitted out as a cable layer in 1857, paid off in 1862 and finally sold to W.H. Moore to be broken up on 12 May 1870. Two-decker. With a builders measurement of 3.074 45/94 ton, a displacement of 4.614 tons were her dimensions 58,90 (keel)-70,18 (over all) x 16,87 (extreme) x 6,91 (fore)-7,29 (aft) x 7,47 metres or 193’3”-230’3” x55’4”x 22’8”-23’11” x 24’6”. The John Penn and Sons engine delivered 600 nhp/2.268 ihp allowing a speed of 11,243 knots while under steam on the measured mile during her sea trial. Her crew numbered 860 men. The armament consisted of 34-8”guns, 56-32pds and 1-68pdr.
