Front-line service Endymion was commissioned at Sheerness on 27 September 1866, under the command of Captain Charles Wake, who had previously commanded . Sea trials were undertaken on 19 and 20 October. On the latter date, speed was assessed over a measured mile at the
Maplin Sands. On the first three runs, an average speed of was recorded, but one of the bearings in the engine was found to be running hot. Three more runs were made, giving an average speed over the first six runs of . Six more runs were made at half-power, giving an average of .
Endymion departed from
Spithead for the
Mediterranean on 28 October, arriving at
Gibraltar on 10 November. She sailed eastward, arriving at
Valletta,
Malta on 19 November. She remained at Malta until 27 December, when she departed for
target practice, returning on 29 December.
Endymion departed on 2 January 1867 for
Beyrout,
Syria, taking supplies for . On 25 February, one of her carpenters was
court-martialled on board for drunkenness. He was found guilty and dismissed from the ship, being returned to the United Kingdom on board .
Endymion arrived off the Syrian coast on 19 April. She returned to Malta on 29 July. On 22 August, the Mediterranean Squadron, comprising , , , HMS
Endymion, and and under the command of
Lord Clarence Paget, departed from
Spezia, Italy. The squadron arrived at
Bastia,
Corsica from
Villafranca Tirenna,
Sicily on 9 September. On 9 October, was in difficulties off
Avenza, Italy in a gale.
Arethusa and
Endymion were despatched under steam to her aid. During the rescue, one of
Endymions guns was dislodged from its mountings and ended up in a messroom. A sailor was washed overboard, but was rescued.
Arethusa towed
Cruiser to Spezia. On 29 October, she departed from Malta for
Livorno, Italy to collect a 16-year-old Japanese prince, orders having been received to sail immediately after arrival at Malta, once refuelling and victualling had been performed. This was instead of undergoing repairs. She returned to Malta on 7 November.
Endymion departed for
Marseille on 11 November with the prince on board. During the voyage to Marseille, her engines broke down, arriving on 22 November. On 27 November, her assistant-paymaster was court-martialled on board HMS
Hibernia for being
absent without leave. He was found guilty, losing a year's seniority and being dismissed from the ship. On 30 January 1868,
Endymion was caught by a squall whilst taking up her berth in Valletta Harbour. She collided with the
Turkish ironclad Mahmoudiah, taking away her bowsprit and then colliding with , damaging some boats and an accommodation ladder.
Endymion was reported to be undamaged. On 18 March, and
Endymion departed for
Naples, Italy,
Endymion was carrying
Rear-Admiral Kellett, who was going on leave to recuperate. The voyage was also to test her engines, which had taken four months to repair. She returned to Malta on 4 April.
Endymion sailed on 26 May for Beyrout, in company with
Lord Warden. She returned via
Piraeus, Greece, arriving on 14 June. On 17 June, a first-class engineer from
Endymion was court-martialled on board HMS
Hibernia for drunkenness. He pleaded guilty and was sentenced to be dismissed from Her Majesty's Service. On 1 July, and
Endymion departed Malta for
Corfu and
Venice, Italy. She departed from Venice on 27 July for
Trieste. She arrived at Malta on 18 September. On 26 September,
Endymion departed from Malta in company with
Chiltern,
Newport and
Scanderia, which were laying a new submarine cable between Malta and Alexandria, which was reached on 6 October. She then sailed to
Brindisi, Italy to collect
Lord Napier of Magdala, She sailed for Alexandria on 19 November, arriving on 24 November. She then sailed to Malta, arriving on 6 December. She was then
dry docked to enable her bottom to be cleaned.
Endymion left the dry dock on 7 January 1869. She sailed from Malta on 27 January in the company of bound for
Gibraltar. She was reported to be at
Cádiz, Spain on 11 February, and at Gibraltar a month later. She departed on 22 March for
Málaga, Spain, where she arrived on 3 April. She then received orders to sail to England to join the Flying Squadron.
Endymion sailed to Spithead via
Lisbon, Portugal, arriving on 1 May. On 21 May 1869, Edward Lacy took command of
Endymion.
Endymion was to join a Flying Squadron which was to sail around the world. The other ships were , , and . was to join the squadron at
Bahia, Brazil once her repairs had been completed.
Scylla was the fastest, and
Endymion was the slowest of the six ships.
Barossa caught up with the squadron by the time
Madeira was reached on 1 July. The squadron departed for Bahia the next day. On 9 July, a race under sail was held between the six ships.
Endymion was sixth and last, behind
Barossa, which was 24½
cables (4.54 km) ahead. The squadron departed from Bahia on 4 August, minus
Bristol, which returned to Plymouth. The squadron then sailed to
Rio de Janeiro, Argentina, departing on 26 July for
Montevideo, Uruguay, where the squadron arrived on 6 August. During the voyage from Rio de Janeiro, a fatal case of
yellow fever was reported on board one of the ships. The squadron departed on 11 September for
The Cape, where it arrived on 4 October.
Bristol rejoined the squadron there. The squadron departed from
Cape Town on 16 October bound for
Melbourne,
Victoria. On 9 November, the squadron was caught in a storm and scattered, with all ships sustaining some damage to their rigging and sails. The squadron reached Melbourne on 26 November, anchoring in the mouth of the
Yarra Yarra River at
Williamstwon. The citizens of Melbourne gave the squadron an enthusiastic welcome. It sailed for
Sydney on 7 December, arriving on 12 December. On 29 December, the squadron sailed for
Hobart,
Tasmania. On 2 January 1870, the Flying Squadron arrived at Hobart. It sailed on 10 January for New Zealand. Arrival at
Auckland was on 2 February, with the squadron departing six days later for Japan. On 6 April, the squadron arrived at
Yokohama, departing on 14 April for
Yedo and returning to Yokohama on 17 April and sailing again on 19 April. Its destination was
Vancouver Island, which was reached in May, departing on 28 May for
Valparaiso, Chile, via
Honolulu, Hawaii, departing from there on 22 June. The squadron arrived at Valparaiso on 14 August. At this point it comprised ,
Endymion,
Liffey Liverpool and . The squadron sailed on 28 August, and rounded
Cape Horn on 13 September. The circumnavigation was completed on 21 September, and was celebrated by the order of "
splice the mainbrace" being given. On 2 October, one of the boys serving on
Endymion fell overboard. He was a non-swimmer and Sub-Lieutenant Jones dived in and came to his rescue, the boy being unharmed. The squadron arrived at Bahia on 6 October, sailing three days later. An intended call at
Fayal,
Azores was abandoned due to unfavourable weather conditions. The squadron arrived at
Plymouth on 15 November. She was then ordered to be dis-masted and paid off, Her lower masts and rigging were retained, and she was paid off on 30 November, with a view to a quick recommission.
Endymion departed from
Portsmouth under steam on 6 February 1871 for trials off Spithead, returning to port that day. On 24 April 1872, Edward Madden took command of
Endymion, which was then in use as a
training ship for cadets. She undertook a short cruise in the
English Channel, arriving back at Spithead on 3 June. She then sailed for Gibraltar, putting into Plymouth on 19 June to land a sailor who had fallen from the rigging. She was at Lisbon on 12 August, She departed from Gibraltar on 24 August heading west. She sailed to
Vigo, Spain, where she joined the Mediterranean Squadron, comprising , , , , and . The squadron arrived at Gibraltar on 2 October.
Endymion departed on 9 October and headed west. She sailed to Plymouth, departing on 27 October for Portsmouth, arriving on 1 November. She then underwent a refit. Replacement fore and main masts were fitted. These had come from and were heavier than those previously installed on
Endymion, leading to doubts over her stability. She was reported to be ready for active service in December 1871. On 11 May 1872,
Endymion was inspected at Portsmouth by Admiral Sir
George Mundy KCB, before departing for Portland that evening. She was described as being armed with 22 guns. She later departed for Gibraltar, arriving on 30 June. She sailed on 6 July to join the Mediterranean Squadron. On 12 July,
Endymion anchored in the
Tagus at Lisbon. She later returned to Gibraltar, remaining behind when the squadron sailed as a
court-martial was to be held on board. Following the conclusion of the court-martial,
Endymion joined the squadron at
Vigo, Spain on 14 August. The squadron departed on 21 September, for a cruise around the Mediterranean, with an eventual destination of Malta. It arrived off Lisbon on 24 September,
Endymion left the squadron at Gibraltar, sailing on 7 October for England in company of
Aurora. She towed the French
barque Lutin in to Gibraltar that day. The barque had been in collision with the
Italian steamship
La Pampa off
Europa Point and had become waterlogged. She arrived at Portsmouth on 31 October.
Endymion then underwent a refit. New masts were fitted, which were brought to Portsmouth on board . On 5 November, a court-martial was held at Portsmouth on board
Duke of Wellington of a boy who was accused of the theft of
£8 7s 6d belonging to No.7 mess and its caterer. He was found guilty and sentenced to three months' imprisonment at
Lewes Gaol. On 11 January 1873, a court-martial was held at Portsmouth on board of an able seaman from
Endymion who was charged with desertion and attempting to obtain money by fraudulent means. He pleaded guilty and was sentenced to two years' imprisonment at
Winchester Gaol. The first seven days in each month to be kept in solitary confinement and the rest of the time to be kept at hard labour. At the termination of his imprisonment he was to be dismissed with disgrace. On 19 January,
Endymion was undergoing trials in the Channel when she was caught in a storm. A rating was lost overboard and she lost her jib-boom and two boats. Her new foremast was damaged. Following repairs at Portsmouth, she sailed on 22 January for Vigo, her arrival being reported in
The Times of 4 February.
Endymion departed from Vigo on 6 February in company of , and . She was bound for
Barbados. Vigo was reached in early February, with the squadron sailing on 6 February.
Endymion sailed to
Martinique whilst the rest of the squadron sailed to
Saint Vincent. The squadron regrouped at
Guadeloupe on 3 April and then sailed to Martinique, arriving at
Saint Pierre on 5 April. The squadron then sailed to
Port Royal, Jamaica, arriving on 14 May. The squadron then sailed to Gibraltar, where they had arrived by the end of August. On 18 September, Henry Hickley took command of
Endymion. She was lying off
Barcelona by the end of October, departing on 27 October, and arriving at Valencia on 5 November.
Endymion arrived at Gibraltar on 2 December. She departed on 13 December for
Málaga, Spain, where she was to relieve
Doris.
Endymion departed on 5 January 1874 for Malta, calling at
Portmán, Spain on 12 January.
Endymion arrived at Malta on 15 February. She departed from Malta on 8 March for Corfu, as part of the Mediterranean Squadron. The other ships were , , and . On 10 May,
Endymion and
Narcissus both ran aground in Palermo Bay, with
Narcissus losing of her false keel and being holed in two places. Both ships put into
Cagliari,
Sardinia. Rear-Admiral
Randolph, in charge of the squadron, was court-martialled on board at Devonport. He was unanimously acquitted.
Endymion was ordered to proceed to
Devonport, She departed on 13 June, arriving at Plymouth on 4 July. After a spell on guard off the
Isle of Wight, where
Queen Victoria was staying at
Osborne House, she arrived at the
Medway on 23 July for paying off.
Endymion left Cowes on 21 July, and was replaced by an
ironclad. She sailed to Portsmouth for paying off. On 27 July, an able seaman from
Endymion was court-martialled on board at
The Nore. He was charged with being in contempt of an officer and conduct prejudicial to good order and discipline. He was found guilty and sentenced to one year's hard labour and to be dismissed from the Navy.
Endymion was sent to the
Humber for coast guard duties.
Endymion sailed from Hull in July for Plymouth. replaced her on guard ship duties. Both ships sailed in company from Devonport on 30 July for
Portland. On 17 January 1875, a court-martial was held on board
Duke of Wellington as Portsmouth of a leading seaman from
Endymion who was charged with indecent assault and inducing another to commit the same offence; he was found guilty on the second charge. He was sentenced to five years imprisonment as a close prisoner. On 1 April, a court-martial was held on board
Duncan at The Nore of a
marine serving in
Endymion who was accused of assaulting a corporal in the execution of his duties. He pleaded guilty and was sentenced to two years' hard labour and dismissal from the service.
Endymion returned to
Chatham in August for her annual refit. Her crew transferred to . her boilers having been condemned as unfit for service. with that ship's crew transferring to
Iron Duke, with her crew transferring back to
Endymion.
Endymion departed from Devonport on 4 November for Hull, where she was to take up coast guard duties. As her boilers had not been repaired, she departed under sail. On 13 December, a court-martial was held on board
Duke of Wellington at
Portsmouth of an able seaman from
Endymion charged with three counts of insubordination and disobedience. He pleaded guilty and was sentenced to three years' imprisonment at Lewes Gaol. The first seven days in each month to be kept in solitary confinement and the rest of the time to be kept at hard labour. On 23 February 1876, a private in the
Royal Marines serving on board
Endymion was court-martialled on a charge of insubordination; he pleaded guilty and was sentenced to two years' imprisonment. On 7 March, a fire broke out in the yard of Humphrys & Pearson Ltd, shipbuilders, located in the Victoria Dock. A range of workshops was destroyed, and the ship
Sylph, then under construction, was severely damaged. Her rigging and port side were burnt. Royal Marines from
Endymion and assisted in the firefighting operations. On Ascension Day, a salute was fired by
Endymion in honour of the Queen. This caused two windows to fall out of a building in Scale Lane, Hull, injuring two passers-by. On 14 August, a fire broke out at a timber yard in Hull. Crewmen from ,
Endymion and assisted the Hull police in fighting the fire. Nine days later, crewmen from
Endymion gave assistance at another fire at a timber yard in
Drypool.
John Moresby took command of
Endymion on 29 September 1876. being replaced by . On 9 September, a fire developed in a fish merchant's shop in Church Lane, Hull. Men from
Endymion assisted in fighting the fire. Shortly after the fire had been extinguished,
Holy Trinity Church was discovered to be on fire. It was suspected that sparks from the fire at the fish merchant's shop had caused this fire, which was extinguished without doing any major damage. On 6 March 1878, Henry Woollcombe took command of
Endymion. On 12 April, a fire developed in shops at the Market Place, Hull. Forty marines from
Endymion assisted the Hull Police in fighting the fire. They brought a hand pump but was unable to use it owing to incompatibility of the hose and hydrant, being different sizes. On 22 August, a private in the Royal Marines was court-martialled at Portsmouth for desertion from
Endymion. He pleaded guilty and was sentenced to six months imprisonment and dismissal from service. In March 1879, a
butcher in
Hull launched a lawsuit to recover
£47 in respect of meat supplied to the officers of the wardroom mess. A mess-man by the name of Jones had collected monies from various crew, but not paid the butcher. The jury found in favour of the plaintiff, even though notices had been placed in the local press stating that Jones was not authorised to pledge the credit of the officers on board
Endymion. A notice which the plaintiff claimed not to have seen. In July, a lieutenant was found guilty of drunkenness.
Endymion departed from Hull under tow on 6 July. She arrived at Chatham on 10 July 1879 to be replaced on the Humber by , with her crew transferring to that ship,
Endymion was placed in the fourth division of the Medway Steam Reserve.
Endymion was decommissioned on 31 July. She was towed out of Chatham on 25 June and towed to
Greenwich,
Kent on 29 June. She was to be used as a
hospital ship for patients infected with
smallpox, although
Endymion was supposed to be an administrative ship. The plans for the conversion of
Atlas and
Endymion were drawn up by Messrs A & C Hartson, the
architects to the board. A gangway connected the two ships. Conversion of
Atlas and
Endymion cost £11,000.
Endymion provided accommodation for the staff serving on the ships, as well as kitchen and laundry facilities. She also provided heating for the ships, as well as laundry and the repair of the patient's clothes being done on board. The location of the ships drew an objection from the shipbuilders Messrs Rennie because some of their employees refused to work near the riverside where
Atlas was moored. It was also necessary to move
Atlas and
Endymion every time Rennie's launched a ship. In 1882, the Thames Conservancy wrote to the Metropolitan Asylums Board urging them to move
Atlas and
Endymion from Greenwich. The Thames Conservancy also called upon the board to pay a large claim for expenses incurred by Messrs Rennie's. At a meeting of the board, it was suggested that if moved,
Atlas should be used for convalescent patients. The board decided to await the report from a Royal Commission into infectious diseases hospitals before deciding whether or not to move the ships. The last smallpox patients left
Atlas in August 1882. The Metropolitan Asylums Board decided that the ships provided a useful facility and that they would be kept; in 1883, they were moved downstream to
Long Reach, near
Dartford. In 1884,
Atlas and
Endymion were joined by a third hospital ship, the former
cross-Channel paddle steamer . In February 1885, a meeting of the Metropolitan Asylums Board was informed that the Admiralty had stated that it the board wished to continue using
Atlas and
Endymion, they would have to purchase them at a cost of £8,400 and £6,500 respectively. The board replied that they would purchase the ships, but asked for the cost to be reduced. In June, it was reported that the board were authorised to purchase both ships. On 2 January 1902, a fire broke out on board
Endymion. The Metropolitan Fire Brigade and the
fireboat Alpha attended.
Endymion served in this rôle until 1904, when the new
Joyce Green Hospital opened at
Dartford, Kent.
Endymion was sold by
auction at the Bull Hotel,
Dartford, Kent, The ships were to be removed within two months or a rental of £25 per week would then be payable. ==Notes==