RMS Unicorn was a British transatlantic paddle steamer built in 1836. After being bought in 1840, she was the first ship to sail with Cunard, traveling between the United Kingdom and Canada. She left the company in 1846, and would continue to operate under various owners until 1872, when her register was closed.

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Unicorn in Salem Harbor, by Fitz Henry Lane
History
United Kingdom
Name	Unicorn (1836–1857)
Namesake	Unicorn
Operator	Cunard Line (1840–1845) James Whitney (1845-1849) Samuel Cunard (1849)
Port of registry	Glasgow (1836-1847) Halifax (1847-1849) New York (1849) San Francisco (1849-1853) Sydney (1853-1857)
Route	Liverpool to Glasgow (1836)
Builder	Robert Steele & Company, Greenock, Scotland
Yard number	85
Launched	May 1836
Completed	4 July 1836
Maiden voyage	16 May 1840 (Cunard)
In service	July 1836
Out of service	1849
Refit	1848
Fate	Sold to Pacific Mail Steamship Company, 1849
United States
Name	Unicorn
Operator	Pacific Mail Steamship Company (1849-1853)
Port of registry	San Francisco
Route	San Francisco - Panama
Acquired	1849
In service	1849
Out of service	1853, 1857
Fate	Sold 1853, 1857
Imperial China
Name	E H Green (1857–1872)
Owner	Thomas Hunt & Co (1856-)
In service	1857
Out of service	1872
Refit	1854
Fate	Register closed 1872
General characteristics
Type	Paddle steamer
Tonnage	649 GRT
Length	163 ft (50 m)
Beam	23 ft 6 in (7.16 m)
Depth	17 ft 3 in (5.26 m)
Installed power	260nhp
Propulsion	As built 2 × flue boilers 2 × side lever engines
Speed	9.75 knots (18.06 km/h; 11.22 mph)
Capacity	241 passengers: 51 × Cabin class 190 × Steerage class
Crew	80
Notes	Cunard's first ship

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The Unicorn a wooden hulled express ship which measured 650 gross register tons, and was 390 net register tons. She had a beam of 23.5 feet (7.16 metres) and a depth of 17.3 feet (5.27 metres). She had accommodations for 51 cabin class passengers and 190 steerage passengers.^[1] She was originally built with two flue boilers, but had these replaced with two tubular boilers in 1848. These new boilers were 10 ft (3m) long and wide, though were 14 ft (4.27m) tall and had three furnaces each. She had an average speed of 9.5 knots ^[2]

Unicorn was built by Robert Steele & Company in Greenock and launched in May 1836.^[1] She had a sister ship named Eagle, launched February 1, 1835^[3][4][5] Unicorn, along with her sisters, originally served under George & John Burns (Glasgow & Liverpool Steam Shipping Co.), sailing the Glasgow-Liverpool route.^[1][5] In 1840, she was purchased by Samuel Cunard for the newly formed Cunard Line, becoming the first ship to sail with the company. She departed on her maiden voyage on May 16, 1840 with 453 tons of coal, 27 passengers and 80 crew. She arrived at Halifax on June 1, and Boston on the 3rd.^[6][7][8][9] After entering service with Cunard, Unicorn initially sailed along the Halifax-Pictou-Quebec route before switching to Liverpool-Halifax-Boston route. On November 11, 1843, she was involved in rescuing passengers and crew from Premier, a brig that was wrecked in the St. Lawrence.^[5] In 1845, she was sold away to James Whitney, and received a major refit on the River Clyde.^[1]

After leaving Cunard in 1845, she briefly served as a corvette in the Portuguese Navy.^[5] She was bought by Samuel Cunard in January 1849, given to his son in February, and sold in October 1849. From 1849 to 1853, she operated under the Pacific Mail Steamship Co. and would make trips from San Francisco to Panama.^[1][5] After that, she was put up for sale in Australia before going on to operate in Chinese waters.^[1] On August 15th 1856, Unicorn was towing a Chinese Junk, when her captain caught and broke his leg on a hawser. He died on August 23rd in Hong Kong. ^[10] In January 1857, the Unicorn could not get insurance, and she was renamed E. H. Green.^[1] Soon after, she began operating strictly as a tugboat at Fuzhou, China. ^[11]

Information is scarce after 1859, although she was laid up in China. Her British register was closed on May 16, 1872, meaning she was possibly sold for scrap not long prior.^[12]