08/07/2026
I think I’ve just uncovered what my 3× great-grandfather was doing in the Royal Navy in 1861…
For a long time, all I knew was that he served aboard HMS Algerine as a Boy 1st Class.
After spending hours searching old newspapers, the ship’s story is beginning to emerge.
⚓ In January 1861, HMS Algerine sailed from Foochow after reports that a British merchant ship had been surrounded by pirates.
🏴☠️ She spent time hunting pirate fleets along the Chinese coast, protecting British merchant ships and trade.
🗺️ In May 1861, she left Shanghai with other Royal Navy vessels to survey the west coast of Japan—at a time when Japan had only recently opened to the Western world.
⚔️ Then, in July 1861, following the shocking attack on the British Legation in Japan by armed samurai, Algerine was among the Royal Navy ships sent to Yokohama and Edo Bay to help protect British diplomats and citizens.
Just imagine…
My ancestor was only about 18 years old, serving as a Boy 1st Class, yet he was sailing thousands of miles from home through pirate-infested waters and arriving in Japan during one of the country’s most turbulent periods.
Every newspaper clipping adds another piece to his story. It’s incredible how much you can discover when you look beyond the basic service records.
Just mind blown …
