Why Victorian battleships carried torpedo boats

Were large warships designed to carry torpedo boats for combat use?

Yes. Battleships carried third-class torpedo boats so a distant fleet could deploy fast, armed craft into rivers and other waters inaccessible to the capital ship.

Some late-Victorian battleships were designed to launch and recover third-class torpedo boats over the stern. Carrying the boats kept them with a fleet deploying far from home. An embarked torpedo boat extended the battleship's reach into rivers. It could also tow other boats upstream and use its armament to escort and protect them.