HMS Ajax

This is the magnificent figurehead from HMS Ajax, which can be found in the National Maritime Museum in Greenwich.

HMS Ajax was launched in May 1809 and was a 74 gun, ship of the Line built at Blackwall on the Thames. It saw action during the Napoleonic Wars in the Atlantic. In 1846 she was converted to a Blockship with screw propulsion. These ships served as coastal defence vessels and Ajax served at Queenstown (now Cobh in southern Ireland). From 1853 until 1856 she was in active service in Northern Europe during the Crimean War, but in 1856 returned to coastal defence this time at Kingstown (now Dun Laoghaire) in Ireland. During this time Ajax was responsible for the rescue of crew from a number of boats which sank between Wicklow Head and Howth Head in a storm on 8 February 1861. Her captain, John Boyd and five crew were washed overboard during these operations and died. Fifteen members of the crew received awards for bravery. There are a number of memorials commemorating their bravey, including one at Dun Laoghaire harbour and a statue of Captain Boyd in St Patrick’s Cathedral, Dublin where he is buried. In December 1863 Ajax was driven ashore during a storm and although she was refloated, the decision was made to decommission her and she was withdrawn from service and broken up in 1864.