Two Fervent-class destroyers served with the Royal Navy.

Under the 1893–1894 Naval Estimates, the British Admiralty placed orders for 36 torpedo-boat destroyers, all to be capable of 27 knots (50 km/h; 31 mph), the "27-knotters", as a follow-on to the six prototype "26-knotters" ordered in the previous 1892–1893 Estimates.

As was typical for torpedo craft at the time, the Admiralty left detailed design to the builders, laying down only broad requirements.

Their locomotive (later Reed) boilers generated 3,850 shp (2,870 kW) which produced a top speed of between 26 and 27 knots.

As was usual with ships of their type, they carried one 12-pounder, two torpedo tubes and had a complement of 53 officers and men.