HMS Trafalgar (1841)

HMS Trafalgar was a 120-gun first rate ship of the line of the Royal Navy, launched on 21 June 1841 at Woolwich Dockyard. The HMS Trafalgar was the last ship to complete the successful Caledonia class.

The ship was named by Lady Bridport, niece of Lord Nelson at the request of Queen Victoria, who with Prince Albert also attended the launch. The wine used was some kept from HMS Victory after returning from Trafalgar. Five hundred people were on board the ship at the time of its launch, of whom 100 had been at Trafalgar. It was estimated 500,000 people came to watch the event and the Thames was covered for miles with all manner of boats. The launch was the subject of the most notable work by Woolwich-based artist William Ranwell.

Trafalgar was fitted with screw propulsion in 1859. As training ship at Portland, she was renamed HMS Boscawen in 1873, and finally sold out of the service in 1906.