Ship Cover relating to the First Class Torpedo Boats 8, 9, 14, 21-87 and 100-106, launched between 1878 and 1889. The documentation is quite eclectic in terms of subjects covered and there is considerable variation in the density of paperwork pertaining to individual boats. Overall, the main items dealt with are trials reports, general correspondence, comparative details of foreign TBs (English with French and the Austrian 'Falke' type of 1884), costings, statements of specifications, weignts and dimensions, crew allocation, stability calculations, and documents relating to armament options. Beyond the documents relating to design and initial construction /fitting out, material also exists for alterations made later, particularly re-boilering work. Two documents, one dated August 1903 and another March 1906 provide condition/current status reports for all British TBs still in existence at those dates. The overall date range of the papers is quite broad, ranging from February 1878 to June 1909. This Cover is continued by Cover 100.