Benbow was built at Thames Ironworks’ Blackwall yard, launched by Catherine Gladstone on 15 June 1885, and completed in June 1888. Her place in the Admiral class leads into the names that tend to recur when the Royal Navy honours senior commanders. Rodney, Anson, Duncan, Hood, and Nelson are dependable choices, largely drawn from the politically distant age of sail. The naming pattern shows how the Navy presents its institutional memory through familiar historical figures.
Notable Point · 13:24-14:34
From Thames Ironworks to the Royal Navy’s admiral names
Benbow’s building history leads into the recurring admirals whose names the Royal Navy considered safe and familiar choices.