| Description | Steam Boat Engines (32 items).
1141. Holyhead Packet Lightning (XS & XT). May, Aug., Sep. 1820, Feb., Jun. 1821, Jan., Oct., Nov. 1822, May, Jun. 1823, Aug. 1824, Apr. 1825, Aug. 1839, Jun. 1840. 32 items.
Two 40 horse power side lever boat engines, with 35½ inch cylinders, 3½ foot strokes. Boat re-named Royal Sovereign 1821, and re-named Monkey 1837.
Safety valve and pipe - partially coloured original drawing; section of the boiler and side view of the chimney - coloured original drawing; upper headstock frames - partially coloured original and reverse drawings (the original drawing was also used for the Navy Tug, the Albion and the Dart); paddle wheel and shaft - coloured direct copy; cross-section of the boat and plan of the beams (coloured), side view of paddle casing; side view and plan of 1 engine - reverse drawing; section and plan of iron boiler - partially coloured original, partially coloured direct copy and partially coloured reverse drawings; longitudinal section of boiler and chimney, outside front view and plan of top of boiler, plan of the engines and boiler, side view of engine and section of boiler - coloured reverse drawings; sketch of crank wheels and shaft; sketch plan of engines. All the drawings except the last item bear letter codes.
Also the following items from when the boat was re-named Royal Sovereign: press copy sketch of paddle shafts, Jan. 1822; section of the boat at the aft end of the boiler, sent by James Brown, Oct. 1822; plan and cross-section of copper boiler - coloured original, coloured direct copy and coloured reverse drawing, Nov. 1822; sketch of proposed eccentric rods, May 1823; sketch plan and elevation of steam pipes, Jun. 1823; plan and section of boiler - partially coloured reverse drawing, Aug. 1824; new paddle wheels - original and reverse drawings made in the London office, Apr. 1825; plans of boiler - partially coloured drawing (not dated).
Also the following items from when the boat was re-named Monkey: sections and plan of boiler - partially coloured reverse drawing, Aug. 1839; boiler and blow-off pipes - coloured reverse drawing made in the London office, blow-out pipes and cocks - partially coloured drawing, coal boxes - partially shaded drawing, all Jun. 1840.
Original Portfolio or 'Book' No. 725. Catalogue of Old Engines p. 312.
For H. M. Post Office, Holyhead station. The boat, the first Post Office steam packet, was built by Evans of Rotherhithe and initially referred to as "Post Office No. 1" before being named Lightning. She was re-named Royal Sovereign King George The Fourth (later shortened to Royal Sovereign or Sovereign) to honour her conveyance of King George IV to Ireland after the Royal Yacht had become becalmed on 12 Aug. 1821. She was operating from the Milford station by Mar. 1832. In 1834, the Post Office intended to sell Royal Sovereign, but she failed to meet her reserve price of £6000, and she was kept on as a relief vessel for the Milford and Holyhead stations. She was re-named Monkey in 1837 when the Navy took over the Post Office packet fleet. She served as a tug at Woolwich, and was fitted with the engines from the Gleaner, formerly the Gulnare, in 1850. She was sold in 1889.
See also: 4/95 (Engine Order Book No. 9).
|