She was laid down as yard number 321 on 16 July 1896 at the John I. Thornycroft & Company shipyard at Chiswick on the River Thames.

During her builder's trials her maximum average speed was 30.2 knots, then proceeded to Portsmouth to have her armament fitted.

[2] Cynthia was commissioned at Chatham on 8 March 1900 by Commander Murray MacGregor Lockhart, for service in the Medway Instructional Flotilla.

After 30 September 1913, she was known as a D-class destroyer and had the letter ‘D’ painted on the hull below the bridge area and on either the fore or aft funnel.

[12] By August 1914 she was in active commission at The Nore Local Flotilla based at Sheerness tendered to HMS Actaeon, the school of gunnery.