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ContentsMAPOFMEMORIALS

FOREWORD

NELSONANDTHEBANDOFBROTHERS

THEBATTLEOFTHENILE

IntroductionAlexanderJohnBallRobertCuthbertHenryD’EsterreDarbyThomasFoleyDavidgeGouldBenjaminHallowellThomasMastermanHardySamuelHoodThomasLouisRalphWilletMillerJohnGoodwinGregoryPeytonJamesdeSuamarezThomasBouldenThompsonThomasTroubridgeGeorgeBlagdonWestcott

COPENHAGENANDTHEBALTIC

IntroductionThomasBertie

WilliamBirchallWilliamBlighJamesBrisbaneThomasCharlesBrodieEdwardSneydClayWilliamCumingJohnFerrisDevonshireRobertDevereuxFancourtThomasFrancisFremantleThomasGravesGeorgeEdenHamondRichardHatherillHenryInmanJohnLawfordGeorgeM’KinleyJohnHenryMartinJamesRobertMosseGeorgeMurrayJohnQuilliamRichardRetalickEdwardRiouJonasRoseSamuelCampbellRowleySamuelSuttonClotworthyUptonJamesWalkerJamesWatsonHenderWhitterJohnYelland

THECAMPAIGNOFTRAFALGAR

IntroductionHenryWilliamBaytunEdwardBerryHenryBlackwoodCharlesBullenThomasBladenCapelWilliamCarnegieEdwardCodringtonCuthbertCollingwoodJohnConnJohnCookeWilliamPryceCumbyHenryDigbyGeorgeDuffThomasDundasPhilipCharlesDurhamRichardGrindallWilliamHargoodEliabHarveyWilliamHennahGeorgeHopeRichardKingFrancisLaforeyJohnRichardsLapenotiereCharlesJohnMooreMansfieldRobertMoorsomJamesNicollMorrisIsraelPellewJohnPilfoldWilliamProwseRobertRedmillEdwardRotheram

WilliamGordonRutherfurdJohnStockhamCharlesTylerRobertBenjaminYoung

NORTHAMERICANSINNELSON’SNAVY

THECLASSOFCAPTAINS

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

CONTRIBUTORS

SOURCES

BIBLIOGRAPHY

PICTURECREDITS

MapofMemorials

A

Foreword

spresidentofthe1805ClubIwelcometheopportunitytowritetheforewordtoaneweditionofNelson’sBandofBrotherswhoseillustrations

havebeensponsoredbytheclub.TheclubhasgrownsteadilyinacademiccredibilitysincethebicentenaryoftheBattleofTrafalgarin2005.Theclub’sflagshipisitsannualpublication,theTrafalgarChronicle,towhichexpertsandenthusiastseachyearcontributetheireclecticandquintessentialknowledgeoftheageofsailandinparticularoftheGeorgianNavy.Inthisveinandfollowingonfromthepublicationin2005ofNelson’sTrafalgarCaptains,theclubispleasedtosupportthepublicationofNelson’sBandofBrothers.

ThisnewvolumecomprehensivelycoversallthoseofficerswhocommandedshipsorsquadronsofthefleetswhichfoughtunderNelson’stacticalcontrolat

histhreegreatseabattles.UndertheeditorshipofCaptainPeterHore,Nelson’sBandofBrothershasbeenaninternationaleffort,featuringcontributorsfromCanada,Britain,Germany,Gibraltar,Malta,Spain,SwedenandtheUSA.Includedamongthecontributorsarebothestablishedsubject-authorsandnovicewriterswhohaveresearchedtheirsubjects,anduniquelyforavolumeofthissort,sometencontributorsaredescendantsofmenwhofoughtunderNelson.ManyofthesubjectshaveentriesintheOxfordDictionaryofNationalBiography,andsizealonehaspreventedtherebeingentriesinthisvolumeonallthebrothersindetailcomparabletotheOxfordDNB.Neverthelesstheopportunityhasbeentakentocorrecthistoricalinaccuracies,andthecontributorshavetriedtoemphasisetheincidentsandthedisplaysofcharacterwhichatonceunified,distinguishedandseparatedNelson’sBandofBrothersonefromanother.

Icongratulatetheeditorandthecontributorsonthepublicationofthisvolumein2015,whichalsomarksthebicentenaryvictoryofseapowerattheendoftheGreatWar1792–1815andheraldedinthePaxBritannicawhichenduredforthenextcentury.

JonathonBand

AdmiralPresidentofthe1805Club

VNelsonandtheBandofBrothers

ice-AdmiralLordNelsonwasexceptional,notjustforhisstrategicthinkingand tactical flair, but forhis leadership.Hepossessed thegift ofdrawing

outthebestfrompeople.Hetrustedthemandtheyinreturnresolvednottolethimdown.Theappealofthis‘affectionate,fascinatinglittlefellow’,hispersonalcharmandcharisma,combinedwithsomeofthefaultsofordinarymen,whichparadoxically made himmore accessible, was irresistible. Nelson was deifiedafterhisdeath inbattle,hisnamebecamesynonymouswith thesuccessof theRoyalNavy,andtwohundredyearslaterheremainsoneofthemostfamousofall Britons. While hundreds of books have been written about him, there iscomparatively little about most of his contemporaries, and yet it would be amistake to isolate him from the systemwhichwas the Royal Navy, themostsophisticated administrative enterprise and largest industrial complex in theworld.

It was never ‘Nelson’s Navy’: it produced him and he became its mostprodigious chieftain. Nelson was the first to recognise that his astoundingachievementsatseaandinbattlewereonlypossiblethroughthepartplayedbyhis officers andmen and especially his fellow captains, the Band of Brotherswhomhe ‘had the happiness to command’.They formed an elite, somuch sothatwhenLordBarham,FirstLordoftheAdmiraltyin1805,invitedNelsontochoose his captains, Nelson is alleged to have replied, ‘Choose yourself, mylord.Thesamespiritactuatesthewholeprofession;youcannotchoosewrong.’

Thephrase ‘bandofbrothers’ comes,of course, from theKing’s speechonthe night before Agincourt in William Shakespeare’s Henry V. SpecificallyNelsonusedittorefertothosecaptainswhohadfoughtunderhiscommandatthe Battle of the Nile (before that they were known as ‘the fire-eaters’), butNelsonatothertimesusedsimilarexpressions.Forexample,aftertheBattleofCopenhagenhetoldtheDukeofClarence,‘Itwasmygoodfortunetocommandsuchaverydistinguish’dsetoffinefellows’.AndoffCadizin1805hereferredto‘thebest-disposedfleetoffriends’.EvenAdmiralLordStVincent,notknownforhyperboleinhisprose,wroteaboutthe‘eliteoftheNavyofEngland’,andofNelson’s‘gallanttrainofheroes’.Eachtimetheywere,ofcourse,referringtoaspecificgroupofpeople in thecontextofabattle,but theywereable todosobecause there was a community of men who, though from different

backgrounds,sharedsimilarexperiences,motivationandaims.Consequently,inthisvolumeIhavenoqualmsintakingNelson’sBandofBrotherstoencompassall those admirals, captains, commanders and lieutenants who fought underNelson’stacticalcommandathisthreegreatbattles.

Thedefiningwords‘tacticalcommand’havebeencarefullychosen,becausethatexcludesHydeParker’s squadronwhichdidnotparticipate in the fightingon 2 April 1801, and it does not include Thomas Louis’s squadron, PulteneyMalcolm’s Donegal or Peter Parker’sWeazel, who, though part of Nelson’soperationsoffCadizuntildaysbeforetheBattleofTrafalgar,didnottakepartinthefightingon21October1805.

StudiesoftheBandofBrothershavebeenattemptedbefore,anditisappositeto consider whether there is anything new to learn. Amongst other works areFitchett (1911), Fraser (1913), perhapsmost successfullyKennedy (1951) andmostrecentlyHeathcote(2005),butthepresentvolumeisthefirsttoattempttorecord the livesofallof theBandofBrothers.The taskhasnotbeeneasy. Insomecasesthedetailsaremaskedbydecadesofacceptedstory-tellingorlostinthefinegrainofhistory.Indeed,onlyaveryfewyearsagoitwasacceptableforawritertoallegethatnotagreatdealofinformationsurvivedaboutoneoftheband’sprofessionallife,oraboutanotherthatveryfewofdetailsofhislifeandcareerwere known for certain. These statements need to be re-examined nowthattheencyclopaedicworksofPamandDerekAyshford,PatrickMarionéandRifWinfieldareavailable.

However, all too distressingly,writers often repeat each other and studentscopy a supposed authority without questioning its source, accuracy orinspiration.Twoexamplesofthiswillbecited.WorksaboutJohnQuilliamsayhewaspress-gangedinCastletownharbourin1794andpositastoryofamanofhumblebackgroundrisingdespitetheoddstothequarterdeck:yetQuilliamhadalreadybeentwoyearsatseainLion,underhispatronSirErasmusGower,onMacartney’s embassy to China, and there is no break in his service or inGower’s patronage. Stripped ofmyth, a differentQuilliam peers out from thepagesofhistory.Inasecondexample,eversinceamistakeoccurredinSteel’sNavyListin1801,everysourcegivesWilliamBolton,akinsmanofNelson,asthecaptainofArrowat theBattleofCopenhagen,yet it isbeyonddispute thatthecaptainofArrow,whosignedthelogbookandtheship’smuster-bookfromFebruary1801onwards,wasThomasBrodie.Onlycarefulresearchcancorrecterrorsorfillgapsinourknowledgeandfortunatelythisvolumehasbeenblessedwithacompanyofenergetic,determinedandenthusiasticvolunteerswhohaveadoptedseveraloftheBandofBrothers.

TheBandofBrotherswerenotspecial–notspecialinthesensethattheyhad

beenspeciallychosenforthetaskathand–andtheeightyofficerswhoselivesaresummarisedhereareasmallsampleofthethousandsofofficerswhoservedintheRoyalNavyduringtheGreatWarof1792–1815.AttheBattleoftheNile,Nelson had under him some of the most battle-hardened and experiencedofficersandattheircoreagroup,Hood,SaumarezandTroubridgewhowerethefire-eaters.TheyhadbeenchosenbyStVincentatLisbon,whosent thebetterofficers and the better ships he had available to reinforce Nelson in theMediterranean. At Copenhagen, Nelson was given command of a squadronchosenfornootherreasonthanthattheyweretheshallower-draughtshipsthatcouldentertheKing’sDeepoffthecity.AtTrafalgarNelsoncommandedafleetwhichwasstillbeingassembledwhenthebattletookplace,andothers,Louis’ssquadron, had been detached on other-tasks essential to Nelson’s operationalplan.SothestoryofNelsondemurringfromBarham’sinvitationtochoosehisofficersmaybeapocryphal,butitringstrue.

Somewritershavemistakenlyconcludedthattheirsubjectseitherwenttoseaatanimpossiblyyoungageorcrossedfromthelowerdeckto thequarterdeck.WheninPersuasion(1817)JaneAustenhasSirWalterElliotdescribetheNavyas ‘themeans of bringingpersons of obscure birth into undue distinction, andraisingmen tohonourswhich theirparentsandgrandparentsneverdreamtof’,shewasenjoyingajestattheexpenseofherbrothersCharlesandFrancis,andthe acquaintances she hadmade through them,whowere indeed rising in the

Navy.ShewasreferringtomenwhoserisewithintheofficerclassoftheNavywasreflectedbytheirrisewithintheclassofgentlemenasawhole.Therearenocases in this volume of anyone rising from the lower deck to cross onto thequarterdeck(thoughinsomecasesthesonsofwarrantofficersdid).

Each case needs to be examined closely. The supposed example of JohnQuilliam, already mentioned, can easily be disproved as he enjoyed thepatronage of Sir ErasmusGower from 1792 to 1798: the successive ranks heheldwereAB,quartermaster’smate,master’smate,acting lieutenant,master’smate, midshipman, acting lieutenant, and, at last in 1798, lieutenant, but healwaysremainedonthequarterdeck.Inanothercase,JohnRichardsLapenotiereserved as gentleman volunteer, midshipman, AB, master’s mate, andmidshipmanbeforetakinghisexaminationforlieutenant,whenheproducedthejournalwhichhehadkeptasanAB.Quitesimply,thereweresometimesmoreyoung gentlemen thanwere allowed asmidshipmen in a ship and the surplusserved asAB, but it is unlikely thatQuilliam or Lapenotiere, or anyone else,changedmessesastheyalternatedranks.

‘ThevictorsoftheNile’:apopularengravinginwhichtheoriginalBandofBrothersarecommemorated,thoughasNelsonsaid‘Victoryisnotanamestrongenoughforsuchascene’.Fewengravingsareas

handsomelycolouredasthisone.

Cases of boys sent to sea extremely young are rare and exceptional. Theorphaned George M’Kinley was apprenticed at sea aged eight as an act of

charity, and Henry Bayntun may have gone to sea aged nine as a way ofavoiding the dangers of living ashore in Algiers. However, many boys wereplacedonship’sbooksasadmiral’s,captain’sandevenchaplain’sservantsorasvolunteers,forthepurposesofacquiringnotionalseatime,whiletheyremainedat home or at school.A score of otherswhowere borne in ships before theirteens probably never left home: the practice was like putting a child’s namedownforagoodschool.Themajorityof thebrothers firstwent tosea in theirteens,usuallyagedaboutthirteen.

Lessthanone-fifthofthissamplehadanysecondaryeducationsuchaswouldbe recognised in the twenty-first century. Francis Laforey attended TrinityCollege,Cambridgeandwenttoseaagedseventeen,andWilliamRutherfurdisallegedtohaveattendedEdinburghUniversitybeforegoingtoseaagedthirteen.William Carnegie (later Earl of Northesk) briefly attended Eton College andEdwardCodringtonwenttoHarrowforapairofyears.Eightothersattendedthenation’sancientgrammarschoolsor itspublicschools,anda fewattended theRoyal Naval Academy in Portsmouth, and in these cases their entry into theNavy was delayed until they were fifteen or more. All the rest must havereceivedtheireducationathome,invillageschoolsandatsea.

It is easy to understand thatwhen schooled at sea they learned seamanshipand the complexmathematics needed for navigation and possibly a language,and most had good handwriting. Maybe it was navigational reckoning,illustratingtheirjournals(theycouldnearlyalldrawwell),andkeepingdecklogswhichtrainedtheirminds,butsomeotherprocesswasatworktoo.Nelsoncouldquote Shakespeare, James Saumarez was versed in the Classics, andCollingwood(thoughheonlyenjoyedtwoyearsat theRoyalGrammarSchoolinNewcastle)wrotepeerlessprose.Someimportancewasplacedonlanguages,and,forexample,NelsonandAlexanderBallstudiedinFrance(JamesSaumarezstudiedinEngland,asFrenchwashismothertongue).

On completion of sea service of six years, a midshipman could presenthimself to be examined for lieutenant: sea servicewas carefully calculated, totheday,intheNavyOfficeandamountedto2,184days.Thecandidatealsohadtopresentacertificatethathewasolderthantwentyyears.PatrickMarionéhasshownthatsincemanyyoungofficersenteredtheNavyyoungerthanfourteen,theirsixyears’seaservicewerecompletedwhentheywerebetweenseventeenand nineteen. However, a study of certificates of sea service show that mostpresented themselves forexaminationwithinweeksofcompleting the requiredsix years. To do so many, maybe more than 50 per cent, produced falsecertificatesofageshowingthemtobetwentyormoreyearsold.Overseas, thecommander-in-chiefof a fleetor stationhadgreater freedom toappoint acting

lieutenants, commanders and captains, but on return home candidates forlieutenantstillhadtopassinLondon.So,morethanathirdwerelieutenantsbythe time theywere twenty; another thirddidnotbecome lieutenantsuntil theywereintheirmid-tolatetwenties,andtheaverageageonpromotionwastwenty-two.

NelsonliesinthecryptofStPaul’swithmonumentsbesidehimtoCaptainJohnCookeoftheBillyRuffianandMars’CaptainGeorgeDuffwhoalsofellattheBattleofTrafalgar.

Thereaftertalentandopportunityplayedamuchgreaterroleinpromotiontocommander and to captain. For the average officer it was ten years frompromotion to lieutenant tobeingmadepostcaptainatabout thirty-two, thougheventheprecociousNelson,whowastwenty-oneandhadspentjusttwoyearsaslieutenant,wasbeaten(inthissample)byThomasBladenCapel,GrahamEdenHamond,andRichardKingwhohadnoblebirthorpolitical influenceorwerethe sons of senior officers. Hamond (1779–1862) was also the last of all theBandofBrotherstodie.Fortherecord,theearliestbornwasRobertDevereuxFancourt(1742–1826).

Patronagewasalsoimportanttopromotionandcareers.Astudyofthereturnsofofficers’servicesatTheNationalArchivesatKewrevealstheextraordinaryextenttowhichanofficer’scareerwasgovernedbypatronage.Itwasusualforayoungmanhavingwonapositionatseatofollowhiscaptainfromshiptoship

until he was promoted to lieutenant or commander. It was also usual for anofficer in mid-career to form a close professional relationship with a seniorofficerandstaywithhimforanumberofyears.Forexample, theDorset-bornThomas Masterman Hardy’s patrons from 1781 to 1793 were his father’sneighbourFrancisRobertsandotherDorsetmen(andthiswasafavourwhichhereturned toRoberts’sgrandsons); then from1796onwardsHardy’scareerwasintimatelyinvolvedwithNelson’s.Therearesomanysimilarcasesamongsttheeightyorso in thissampleofofficers that thecustommusthavebeen therulerather than the exception. The effect of patronagewasmagnified by the greatnaval dynasties like the Graveses, the Hoods and the Parkers. Others likeConstantineJohnPhippswasnotonlyoneofyoungNelson’spatronsbutpatrontoWilliamPryceCumby,ThomasGravesandRobertMoorsom.NelsonhimselffavouredyoungmenfromNorfolk.

Therewere twofactorswhichhadthecapability tounifyor todivide: thesewere religion and prize-money. The Band of Brothers were predominantlyProtestants and some of them supported the ‘blue lights’ or EvangelicalmovementwhichhadbeengrowinginstrengthintheNavysincetheAmericanWar;JonasRosewaspresumablytheonlyCatholic(theTestActwhichwasstillforce);andseveralof theBandofBrotherswereFreemasons(theRoyalNavalLodgewasfounded in1739, thesymbologyof theNilemedalwasredolentofMasonry,andNelsonwasadmittedtotheAncientOrderofGregoriansin1801).Prize-money was an obsession: the Brothers competed for cruises when theymight earn prize-money and they sued each other in courts over their shares.Someofficers, likeJohnCookeandHenryDigby,madethemselvesfabulouslywealthythroughprize-money(thoughCookedidnot live toenjoyhisfortune),andothers likeRichardRetalickandJohnStockham,forwantofprize-money,lefttheirwidowsinpoverty.

The largest single caucus amongst the Brothers came from establishedScottish familieswithmilitaryornavalornoblebackgrounds.Of theothers,4came from North America (all born before Independence), 5 from Ireland, 2eachfromWalesandtheIsleofMan,onefromGuernseyandalltherestfromEngland. In proportion to the size of their populations, Scotland and Englandprovided a roughly equal number ofBrothers (10 and 55 respectively),whilstWales and Ireland provided a rather lower proportion (2 and 5). Notably, aquarter of the English officers, like their men, came from just two counties,DevonandCornwall (16).Asignificantgroup(7)camefromthehinterlandoftwo ports, Newcastle upon Tyne andWhitby in the north-east of England. Averyimportantminorityofofficers,asisdiscussedinanessayattheendofthisvolume,hailedfromNorthAmerica.

It ismoredifficult tobecategoricalaboutthesocialoriginsoftheBrothers.Twodozenof theBrotherscamefromnavalfamilies.Theyoungersonsof thenobilityandscionsofminornobilityprovidedadozen,anotherdozenweresonsoflandedgentry,andhalfadozenweresonsofparsons,inanagewhentheclothwas less a calling andmore a profession for gentlemen.All the restwere thesonsofship-owners,farmers,merchants,andtradesmenincludingamaltster,anoilmanandtwobakers.

The years 1775 to 1815were an era of near continuouswarfare,with onlybrief andpartial pauses in the years 1783–1792 and in 1802, and theBandofBrotherswerewell-temperedinbattle.Theprincipalwarsandbattlesmentionedinthisvolumeare:1775–1783TheAmericanRevolutionaryWar,theAmericanWarofIndependence,orsimply,asitwasknownatthetime,theAmericanWar.

1780TheMoonlightBattle,alsosometimescalledtheBattleofCapeStVincent.

1781TheBattleoftheChesapeake,orBattleoftheCapes,acrucialnavalbattleintheAmericanWar.

1782TheBattleoftheSaintes,afour-daybattleinAprilwhenRodneybroketheFrenchline.

1790TheSpanishArmamentorNootkaCrisis,whenBritainarmeditselfforwaroverthearrest,bytheSpanish,ofBritishshipsintheNootkaSoundonthewestcoastofNorthAmerica.(Itssignificanceisthatmanyofficers’careers–butnotNelson’s!–whichhadlanguishedduringtheyearsofpeacewereboostedwhenlargenumbersofshipswererapidlycommissioned.).

1792–1815TheFrenchRevolutionaryandNapoleonicWars,orsimplytheFrenchWar.AlsoreferredtoastheGreatWar.

1794TheBattleoftheGloriousFirstofJune:theBritishwontacticallybutamuch-neededgrainconvoyfromAmericaarrivedinFrance.Bothsidesproclaimedvictory.

1797BattleofCapeStVincent.

1798BattleoftheNile,sometimescalledtheBattleofAboukirBay.

1801BattleofCopenhagen(therewasanotherBattleofCopenhagenin1807).

1802ThePeaceofAmiens,atemporarylullintheFrenchWar.

1805TheBattleofTrafalgar.

Finally,amentionmustbemadeoftheRoyalMarines,whoseownglorioushistoryisentwinedwiththeirparentservice,theRoyalNavy.NoofficersoftheRoyal Marines have entries in this volume, because none were in tacticalcommand of ships at Nelson’s three great battles, but they can never beforgotten.Therewere,forexample,84officersand2,783marinesatTrafalgar,and because they served largely on the upper deck and in the rigging, theysufferedahigherrateofcasualtiesthantheseamen.CaptainCharlesAdairwasshotonthequarterdeckofVictorywithinafewminutesofNelson,andSergeantJames Secker helped carry the dying Nelson below; and Lieutenant JamesAtcherleyacceptedthesurrenderofBucentaureandtookAdmiralPierre-CharlesVille-neuve into custody. For the Royal Marines, these were commonplaceactionsintheirlonghistoryofexceptionalservice.

All told, theBrotherswere an eclectic and diverse group ofmen, but as isshownhere,itwasthatgreatleaderofmen,Nelson,whotookwhatofficershewasgiven to command, touched themwith hismagic, and forged them into aunique,irresistibleBandofBrothers.PETERHORECollingwoodHouseMenorcaOctober2014

DetailfromRobertDodd’spainting‘TheBlowingupoftheFrenchFlagshipOrientattheBattleoftheNile1August1798’.

BIntroduction

y 1798 France controlled Northern Italy, the Low Countries and theRhineland, and of the European powers which had been allied against

Franceinfiveyearsofrevolutionarywar,onlyBritainremainedinarmsagainsttheFrench.IntheMediterranean,FrancewasalliedtoSpain,andfortwoyearstheBritishhadfeltobligedtovacatealltheirbasesintheMediterranean,exceptGibraltar. St Vincent had withdrawn the Mediterranean Fleet to the Tagus,wherePortugalwasBritain’slastcontinentalally.

However,byMay1798Nelsonwasarear-admiralandwasnewlyrestoredtohealth after his wounding at Santa Cruz de Tenerife in the previous year. StVincent now felt able to send a small force back to theMediterranean and inMayhesentNelson inVanguard (CaptainEdwardBerry),Alexander (CaptainAlexanderBall),andOrion(CaptainSirJamesSaumarez)andtwofrigatesandasloop. By the end of the month Nelson had learned that an expedition underBonaparte was about to depart from Toulon but he knew not its destination.WhenhissquadronreachedtheÎlesd’Hyères,theywerestruckbyastormandVanguard dismasted, only being saved by the extraordinary exertions andseamanshipofAlexanderBall.MeanwhileBonapartehadsailed:on19Mayhewas off Genoa, on the 23rd Corsica, on the 30th the Strait of Bonifacio,gatheringreinforcementsashewent,andon9JunehewasoffMaltawhichsoonfelltohim.

Nelsoncompleted repairs toVanguard andwasoffToulonon31May,butthe horse had bolted. On 7 June Nelson’s fleet received substantialreinforcementsbuthispursuitwas frustratedby lightairs.HeconcentratedhissearchbetweenNaplesandSicilyanddidnotpassthroughtheStraitsofMessinauntil20June.ThatdayNelsonwrotetoassuretheGrandMasterofMaltathathewassailingtowardsMalta‘withafulldeterminationtopreventyourislandfromfallingintothehandsofthecommonEnemy’.TwodayslaterhelearnedthattheFrench had already taken and garrisoned Malta and sailed again, destinationunknown.

Nelson worried that Egypt was Bonaparte’s destination and renewed hispursuit to theeast.Thefleetsweresoclosethatonthenightof21/22JunehissignalgunswereheardintheFrenchflagship,Orient,andintheearlyhoursof22 June, south of Sicily,Defence sighted sails to the east-south-east.An hour

laterNelsonreceivedintelligencefromaneutralshipthattheFrenchhadsailedfromMalta, andCulloden reported that the strangesailwereeastbynorth.At6.46amLeandersignalled,‘Strangeshipsarefrigates’butNelsonreplied,‘Callin chasing ships’.Hemust have haddoubts for at 7pm,while the strange sailwere in sight, he summoned on board ‘those Captains in whom I place greatconfidence [Saumarez,Troubridge,Ball andDarby]’.His council decided thatAlexandriawastheFrenchdestination,andNelsonsetcoursehoping‘toarrivetimeenoughtofrustrate theirplans’.At8.29Leander repeatedthat thestrangesailwerefrigates,butNelsonwasdeterminedthatnothingwouldnowdeterhimfrom keeping his fleet together and pressing on to Egypt. The exchange ofmessagesbyflagwasreadandrepeatedbyseveralshipsinthefleet,butonecanonlyguessat the incredulitywhich thiscausedwhenNelsondecided to ignorethelargestshipswhichhehadseensincestartinghisMediterraneanchase.

The frigates were, of course, the outlying ships of Bonaparte’s fleet, andNelsonhadmissedachancetochangethecourseofhistory.

On28JuneNelsonarrivedoffAlexandria,sawthattheharbourwasemptyofFrench ships, and sent the littleMutine in for news. Offshore Nelson, in aparoxysmofanxiety,waitedadaybeforesailing firstnorth-east towardsSyriaandthenwesttowardsthecentralMediterranean.Nelsonhadarrived–andleftonthe29th–insuch‘timeenough’thathehadarrivedbeforetheFrench.

The next day at 1pm a French lieutenant from the frigate Junon landed atAlexandriaandso,whileNelsonsailednorthwards,Bonapartewasabletolandon1July1798inEgyptunopposedandthustothreatenIndia(aswasbelievedby Nelson and in London). After disembarking troops, Brueys, the Frenchadmiral took his fleet to Aboukir Bay, some twenty miles north-east ofAlexandria,theretoawaitdevelopments.

Eventuallyalonely,enervatedandfrustratedNelsonreachedSyracuseon19July fromwhere he wrote to SirWilliamHamilton in Naples that he was asignorant of the enemy ‘as Iwas twenty-seven days ago’.On the sameday hewrote to Lady Nelson (this was before his great infatuation with EmmaHamilton), ‘WehavebeenoffMalta, toAlexandria inEgypt, Syria, intoAsiaand are returned herewithout success… I yet live in hopes ofmeeting thesefellows:butitwouldhavebeenmydelighttohavetriedBonaparteonawind.’Hisuseofthepasttenseperhapsrevealshisdawningsenseofhavingfailed.

After watering at the Fountain of Arethusa, on 23 July Nelson wrote, ‘Nofrigates!–towhichhasbeenandmayagainbeattributedthelossoftheFrenchfleet.’ Meanwhile on 21 July Alexandria was visited by two British frigates,Seahorse and Terpsichore, who seeing French flags flying ashore, sailingwestwards towarnNelson: somewhere in theeasternMediterraneaneven they

missedhim.Nelson’snextdispatch,toStVincent,wason3AugustaftertheBattleofthe

Nile. On 1August Swiftsure andAlexander reachedAlexandria and also sawFrench flags flying, but no enemy fleet. There was despondency throughoutNelson’s ships until in mid-afternoon the French were sighted at anchor inAboukir Bay, in line of battle, flanked by shoals and smaller vessels andprotected by guns and mortars on land, ‘but nothing could withstand theSquadronyourLordshipdidmethehonourtoplaceundermycommand’.

However strongBrueys’ position, despite the imminent sunset, and lackingcharts,Nelson attacked at once. Thomas Foley inGoliath led theway on theinshoreoftheFrenchshipsandsoontheirvanwasdoubledanddefeated,andinafiercenight-timeactionallbuttwoshipsandtwofrigatesweretaken.

WhenStVincentreadthenewshewroteenthusiasticallytoNelson:‘Godbepraised!andyouandyourgallantbandrewardedbyagratefulcountry!forthegreatestachievementthehistoryoftheworldcanproduce.’ToLondonhewroteof ‘the almost incredible and stupendous victory… which Rear-Admiral SirHoratio Nelson and his gallant train of heroes has under the blessing of GodobtainedovertheToulonsquadron’.

Nooneaskedwhatmighthavehappenedtothecourseofthewarortoworldhistory if, eitheron22Juneoraweek later,Nelsonhad ‘triedBonaparteonawind’.Instead,totheLordMayorofLondonNelsonsentacapturedswordwiththemessage that ‘Britannia still rules theWaves’: the LordMayor respondedwiththefreedomoftheCityandafineswordcommemoratingthevictory.PETERHORE

ThePanoramawasbuiltinLeicesterSquare,Londoninthe1790sandthisistheflyerforashowentitledAShortAccountofLordNelson’sDefeatoftheFrenchattheNile.

BALL

Alexander John Ball (1757–1809) was born at Stonehouse Manor, Stroud,Gloucestershire,thegreat-grandsonofMarsheDickinson,lawyer,MP,andLordMayor of London in 1756–7.YoungBallwas educated at theKing’s School,Gloucester.Inthe1700stheBallfamilywasimpoverishedbyadisastrousseriesof court cases fought over land and property, and when Ball’s father diedsuddenlyandintestate,administrationof theStonehouseestateswasgrantedto

oneofthecreditors.So,agedthirteen,youngBallwasshippedofftotheRoyalNavalAcademyatPortsmouth,andin1772–3heservedinPearl(32)andthenNautilus (16), starting in both ships rated ‘able’ and later midshipman. InFebruary 1774 Ball joined Preston (50) where he met and befriendedMidshipmanCuthbertCollingwood.

IntheAmericanWarBallservedinEgmont(74,CaptainJohnElphinstone),at theBattleofUshanton7July1778and the followingdayhe transferred toMagnificent(74)wherehewasmadelieutenant.HisnextshipwasAtalanta(14)on theNorthAmericastation,where inMay1780hemoved into thecapturedSpanish frigate Santa Monica (32). 1781 saw Ball gain Admiral Rodney’spatronage and he moved with him to Sandwich (98), Gibraltar (80) andFormidable (90). In the aftermath of the Battle of the Saintes he was madecommander ofGermaine (16), and, on 20March 1783, Ball was made post-captainattheageoftwenty-six.

In thepeacewhichfollowed,Ball travelled toFrancewherehe incurred thewrath–orenvy–ofoneHoratioNelsonwho, ina letter tohispatronCaptainWilliamLocker,noted thepresenceofCaptainBall andanothercaptain inSt-Omer: ‘Two noble captains are here, Ball and Shepherd. They wear fineepaulettesforwhichIthinkthemgreatcoxcombs.TheyhavenotvisitedmeandIshallnot,beassured,courttheiracquaintance.’

In1785BallmarriedMarySmithatStJames’s,Piccadilly,andtheirsonwaschristened William Keith, possibly a compliment to the Elphinstones, at StAlfege’s,Greenwich,threeyearslater.

BallhadcommandofNemesis(28)duringtheSpanishArmament,andunlikesomeforwhomthearmamentonlymeanttemporaryemployment,overthenextfewyearsBallheldothercommands.Inearly1798BallinAlexander(74)wasputundercommandofnewly-promotedRear-AdmiralNelson,whosewelcomewas not warm: ‘What,’ said the admiral, ‘Are you come to have your bonesbroken?’ThesuaveBallrepliedthathecertainlyhadnowishtohavehisbonesbroken,unlesshisduty tohisKingandCountry requiredsucha sacrifice, andthentheyshouldnotbespared.

On8MayNelson,Ball,andSaumarezsailedfromGibraltar,butonthe20thNelson’sflagshipVanguardwasdismastedandleftfounderinginastorm.BalltookherintowandwhentheyreachedSardinia,Nelsonlostnotimeingoingonboard Alexander to embrace Ball and exclaim, ‘A friend in need is a friendindeed!’andfromthatmomentaveryfirmfriendshipcommenced.AsomewhatchastenedNelsonwrotetoFannyhiswife:

‘Figuretoyourselfthisproud,conceitedman,whenthesunroseonMondaymorning, hisShipdismasted, hisFleet dispersed, andhimself in suchdistress,

thatthemeanestFrigateoutofFrancewouldhavebeenaveryunwelcomeguest.But ithaspleasedAlmightyGodtobringus intoasafePort…Ioughtnot tocall what happened to theVanguard by the cold name of accident; I believefirmly that itwas theAlmighty’sgoodness tocheckmyconsummatevanity. Ihopeithasmademeabetterofficer,asIfeelconfidentithasmademeabetterman.’

In1810theMaltesepeoplebuiltamonumentinBall’smemoryandastestamentoftheirloveandrespect.

Nelson soon discovered the injustice he had done to Ball’s character andabilities; hewrote numerous letters to Ball, and in theweekswhich followedBallbecameoneofNelson’sclosestadvisers.

On1August1798NelsonsentBalltolookintoAlexandriawherehereportedthattheFrenchflagwasflying.So,whentheFrenchfleetwasseeninAboukirBay and Nelson signalled his ships to form line of battle as convenient,Alexanderwas towards the rear endof theBritish line.Entering the bay,Ballmadedirectly for aposition fromwherehe could rake the sternof theFrenchflagshipOrient,anditwasAlexander’sshotswhichstartedthefirethatcausedtheFrenchman to explode.WhenBall realised that the fire on the Frenchmanwasoutofcontrol,hecuthisanchorcableanddrifteddownontoanotherFrenchtarget,Tonnant,andwhenhe thought thatOrientwoulddriftdownonhim,hecut his remaining anchor cable. Even so, whenOrient did blow up, burningtimbers fell on andaroundAlexander, starting small fires andobligingBall to

cutawaysomeofhissails.AlexanderdriftedforabouttwohourswhileBallputhisshipinorderandthenherecommencedthefightagainstthreeFrenchshipstothe south, where at sunrise he was still in action. Surprisingly Alexander’scasualties were just 1 officer and 13 seamen killed, while Ball and 3 otherofficers,48seamenand5marineswerewounded.

ThemonumenttoBallintheLowerBarrakkaGardensasitappearstoday.

Sixweekslater,whensomeofthevictoriousBritishshipsarrivedatNaples,Ball,incommonwithsomeotherofficers,fellunderthespellofLadyHamilton.

InOctober 1798Ballwasordered to takeover theblockadeofMalta fromPortuguese allies, with the object of ousting the French garrison, a blockadewhichwouldlastmanymonthsandsealBall’sfuture.Ballendearedhimselftothe Maltese, and in February 1799 the Maltese legislature elected Ball their

presidentandcommander-in-chief:hewasnow‘atlibertytogoashoretoactascommander-in-chiefofalltheMaltesepeopleandallsuchseamenandmarineson the island of Malta’. The king of Naples conferred on him the title ofGovernorofMalta,andinMay1800,TsarPaul,asGrandMaster,madeBallanHonorary Commander of the Order of St John of Jerusalem. For her part inaidingtheMaltese,LadyHamiltonbecameDamePetitCroixoftheorder.

ThesiegeoftheFrenchensconcedinVallettamightnothavelastedsolonghad thebesiegingforcesbeenunited,butBritishgenerals lobbiedagainstBall,whiletheBritish,NeapolitanandRussiangovernmentsarguedaboutwhoseflagwastoflywhentheFrenchweredefeated.Attheendofthesiege,Ball,whowasnowstronglyidentifiedwiththeMaltesepeople,wasdeniedaroleinnegotiatingthesurrenderoftheFrenchgarrison,apoliticalblunderastheMaltese,whohadaskedforBritishhelpwhichtheyhadreceivedthroughtheinterventionofBall,lostfaithintheirprotectors.

Instead, in May 1801 Ball was appointed to an administrative post asCommissioneroftheNavyinGibraltar.FromtheBalticinJune,Nelsonwrotetoconsolehim:‘Mydear,invaluablefriend…believeme,myheartentertainstheverywarmestaffectionforyou…butasI trust thewarisatanend,youmusttakeyourflagwhenitcomestoyou,forwhoistocommandourfleetsinafuturewar?…IpitythepoorMaltese;theyhavesustainedanirreparablelossinyourfriendly counsel and an able director in their public concerns; youwere trulytheirfather.’

By December 1801 Ball was reunited at home with his family after fouryears’absence.However,inMay1802,BallreturnedtoMaltaasHisMajesty’sPlenipotentiary to theOrder ofSt Johnof Jerusalem, chargedwith overseeingtheevacuationofBritishforcesunderthetermsofthePeaceofAmiens.Whenthepeacefaltered,Ballprocrastinated;perhapsheknewthatBonapartehadsaidthat hewould rather see theBritish in possessionof aParisian suburb than inGrandHarbour,Malta.

Almost as soon as Ball arrived back at Malta he acquired enemies whoaccused him of maladministration and engaged him in a bitter disagreement.Theywere spurred on by oneWilliamEton,who had set his sights onBall’sposition,andVincenzoBorg,whohadbeenanallyduring thesiege.TogetherBall and Borg had stirredMalta into the arms of Great Britain, yet for somereasonrelationsbetweenthesetwopioneersinearlyMaltesestatehoodendedinfeud.

In May 1804 Ball appointed as his private secretary, and then as PublicSecretary, the poet Samuel Taylor Coleridge, who described Ball as ‘a trulygreatman’.

InOctober1805Ballheardthathewaspromotedtorear-admiral,apleasuretarnishedbynewsofTrafalgarandofthedeathofNelson.AsthenewsspreadthroughtheMediterranean,Ballwroteon25NovembertotheBritishMinisteratNaples:Before this reaches you, youwill probably have heard of the greatestVictorygainedovertheCombinedFleetsofFranceandSpainbyLordNelsonthateveradorned the British Navy … Our joy upon so glorious an event [is] deeplyclouded by the irreparable loss of the Hero who has by his brilliant ActionexceededhisformerexploitsandcrownedhiscareerwithimmortalFame.IhavenotonlytolamentthedeathofourdearNelson,asapublicloss,buttofeelitasaninvaluableandsincerefriendtowhomIwasunderthegreatestobligations.

Balllivedsimply,whichLordByrondiscoveredin1809whenhelandedonMaltaonhis continental tour.Byronwas rattled at not beinggiven apersonalwelcomeandagunsalutebyBall,describedLadyMaryasbeing‘ratherstiff’,andremarked‘dinner[was]all inonecourse,with lectureson temperanceandcommendationofourabstinence’.

Rear-AdmiralSirAlexanderJohnBalldiedafterashortillnesson25October1809atthepalaceofSanAnton.Afteralyinginstate,hewasburiedwithgreatpompon31October.LIAMGAUCI

CUTHBERT

Robert Cuthbert (1755–1821) was baptised in Chelsworth, Suffolk, on 17September1755,thesonofJohnCuthbert,amaltster,andheenteredtheNavyrated‘able’inInvincible(74,CaptainHydeParker)on7January1777.

Having spent a year in Invincible in theChannel and atGibraltar, at somepointbeingratedmidshipman,hetransferredinFebruary1778toMinerva(32).HeservedinMinervaofftheAfricancoastandintheCaribbeanuntilinAugust1778shewascapturedbytheFrenchConcorde(32).Cuthbertwasexchangedorfreedin1779,travellingfromJamaicatoEnglandinBlast(16)andthenbacktothe Caribbean in Salamander (8, Commander Seymour Finch). His next ship

wasThunderer (74)andinApril1780Cuthbert joinedSandwich (90),flagshipof Rear-Admiral George Rodney, later Lord Rodney. Cuthbert served inSandwichforninemonthsin1780and1781,beingrated‘able’forsevenmonthsandmidshipmanforthelasttwo;hewaspresentatRodney’stwoactionsagainsttheFrenchfleetunderdeGuicheninAprilandMay1780.

HemusthaveimpressedRodneysince,‘byOrderofAdml.Rodney’,hewasappointedfifthlieutenantinMontagu(74,CaptainGeorgeBowen),andtherehesawaction inAdmiralGraves’sbattlewithdeGrasseoff theChesapeakeon5September1781andagainunderRodneyat theSaintes inApril1782. In July1782,againasaresultofRodney’sdirectorder,hewasappointedlieutenantinLively (12,LieutenantMichaelStanhope).Livelywascaptured late in1782byAmerican prisoners shewas carrying; they sailed her toHavana andCuthbertwasfreed.

Cuthbert returned toEngland in 1783 and became unemployed.During theNootkaSoundcrisis in1790,Cuthbertservedas‘able’ormidshipmaninJuno(32,CaptainSamuelHood),Iris(32,CaptainThomasWells)andAssistance(50,CaptainLordCranstoun).Hewas clearlydifficult toplacebecause, thoughhehad served temporarily as a lieutenant during the AmericanWar, he had notamassedthesixyears’seatimenecessaryforalieutenant’scommission.Whenthecrisiswasover,Cuthbertwasunemployedagain.

Thestartof theFrenchwar sawhimstillonly rated ‘able’ in the store shipCamel, Captain Benjamin Hallowell, and midshipman in Mentor (10) andSandwich(90,CaptainJamesMosse).Atlast,havingaccumulatedhissixyears’seatime,Cuthbertwasexaminedandpassedfor lieutenanton8October1793,andappointed toThorn (14,CommanderEdwardFoote) in theNorthSea andCaribbeanuntilMarch1796.

Thenamesofhiscommandingofficersaregivenherebecausetheyshowthat,thoughCuthbertservedwithsomefamousandsuccesfulofficers,andhadcaughtRodney’s eye, he enjoyed little ‘interest’ and acquired no patron. Hisappointment in March 1796 toMajestic (74) under Captain GeorgeWestcottseemstohavebeenatrandom.MajesticsailedtotheCaribbeanandbackbeforejoiningtheChannelFleeton

the blockade of Brest late in 1796. At Plymouth in early 1797, theMajesticsjoinedtheGreatMutinybutorderwassoonrestoredandsheputtoseainMay,returningtotheChannelblockadeuntillate1797whenshesailedsouthtojoinLord St Vincent’s fleet off Cadiz. In May 1798,Majestic was sent into theMediterraneantoreinforceNelson’sfleet,whereastheBattleoftheNilebegan,CuthbertwasMajestic’sfirstlieutenant.

Thecrocodile-hiltedNilepresentationswordandaccompanyingdirkawardedtoCuthbert,probablybytheDukeofClarence.

AstheactioninAboukirBaybegan,WestcottidentifiedTonnant(80)ashistargetandboredownuponher;heintendedtoengageTonnant’sstarboardsidewithMajestic’s starboard battery but the anchor failed to stop hisway andhe

overshot, entangling hismizzen riggingwith the jib-boom of the next Frenchship,Heureux(74).WestcottwasshotinthethroatbyaFrenchmarksmananddiedalmostatonce,commandoftheshipthusdevolvinguponCuthbert.

Inthedarkandsmoke,Majesticwasentangledwithanenemyandhergunscould not easily be brought to bear, butHeureux’s jib-boom broke,Majesticdrifted alongside and commenced a gun-to-gun and yard-to-yard duel. In theconfusionCuthbertfinallyanchoredbetweenHeureux’ssternandthebowofthenextship in the line,Mercure (74).SodevastatinglydidCuthbertrakehis twoopponents that they both cut their cables and drifted inshore. Cuthbert nowwarpedMajestictowardstheportquarterofTonnant,ashipmuchmoreheavilyarmedthanhisown,andengagedheratverycloserangewithhisstarboardguns,hisportgunscontinuingtofireonthenowgroundedHeureuxandMercure.

DetailofCuthbert’sNileswordanddirk.

The consequences of the victory at the Nile for Cuthbert were swift and

gratifying:Nelsonwrotesaying,InconsequenceofyourgallantconductinfightingHisMajesty’sShipMajesticafter thedeathof thebraveCaptainWestcott you are required anddirected totakecommandofher,untilhisLordship’s,theCommanderinChief’s,pleasureisknown.

Further,NelsonwrotetoStVincent,hiscommander-in-chiefMediterranean,I have thehonor to enclose a copyof theorderbywhichLieutenantCuthbertcommands theMajestic, so highly honorable to him, and in addition, everyOfficer in the Squadron, he served so gloriously in, proclaims his conduct tohavebeenequally judiciousand intrepid,after thefallofhisgallantCaptain: IthereforehaveEncouragedhim tohopeyourLordshipwill recommendhim totheBoardfortherankofPost-captain.

Cuthbert’scommissionasapost-captainwasdated28November1798andheremainedincommandofMajesticuntil21March1799.

However, thereafter he was unemployed until January 1801 when he wasgivencommandofhisformership,Montagu,whichby1801wasoldandrotten.On 15 February 1801, in heavy weather off Portugal, she lost her main andmizzenmastsandher fore topmast,which reducedher toawallowinghulk indangerofcapsize.SkilfullyCuthbertbroughther into theTagus torefit.Therefollowed another period in unemployment until Cuthbert was given a lastappointment,Orion,whereheremaineduntilJuly1802.

On 7 July 1803, at St George’s, Hanover Square, he married ElizabethWillock ofBedford Square, London.CaptainRobert Cuthbert died at Bath in1821andwasburiedattheparishchurchofWeston.STEPHENWOOD

DARBY

HenryD’EsterreDarby(1749–1823)hasthedistinctionofhavingbeenborninthemosthauntedcastleinIreland,LeapCastleinTipperary.

Darby went to sea aged thirteen but took fourteen years to become alieutenant,albeitinBritannia(100),flagshipofhisuncleSirGeorgeDarby,whowascommander-in-chiefoftheChannelFleet1779–82atatimeofgreatcrisisfor Britain. This suggests that, despite his uncle’s patronage, he was notaltogethergifted.NeverthelesshisuncleensuredthatDarbywasgivencommandofInfernal(8)onanexpeditiontotaketheCapeofGoodHopefromtheDutch,butinaninconclusivebattleintheCapeVerdeislands,theBattleofPortoPraya,

on16April1781,DarbywasclumsyenoughtobecapturedbytheFrench.Eventhough Infernalwas soonabandoned,Darbyandhis crewwere takenawayasprisoners.Hedoesnotappeartohaveescapedthisindignityuntiltheendofthewar,when,nevertheless,hewasmadepost-captain,thoughattherelativelylateageofthirty-four.Hespentthenexttenyearsofthepeaceashore.

However, when war was renewed he was given in quick successionAmphitrite(28),Pomona(28)andAdamant(50),escortingconvoystoandfromthe Mediterranean and the West Indies. In late 1796 he was given his mostfamouscommand,Bellerophon(74).Hisappointmentwasmarkedbyapieceofsingular good fortune: hewas supposed to dinewith Israel Pellew in his shipAmphionontheevening,22September1796,whensheblewup,butDarbywasdelayed by business with the port admiral and had just stepped into his boatwhenheheardtheexplosion.BellerophonwasattheblockadeofCadizin1797,beforeshewasdetachedto

joinNelson in theMediterranean, and the hunt for Bonaparte and the Frenchfleet.When,on22June,theBritishandFrenchfleetspassedwithinafewmilesofeachother,andNelsoncalledacouncilofwaroffourofhismostseniorandvalued captains, Darby was included with Ball, Saumarez, and Troubridge,thoughbysomeaccountshecontributedleasttothediscussion.

ItisnotclearwhatDarbyintendedtododuringtheBattleoftheNileitselfashe sailed down the outside of the French line – he may have intended toexchange broadsideswithFranklin (74) or to rakeOrient (120) – but at 7pmwhetherbybadluckorbadseamanshipheanchoredbythesternalongsidethethree-decker,whichwithherheavierarmamenttoweredoverBellerophon.Withtheadvantageofheight,Frenchmarineswereable topickoff their targetsandDarbywasoneofthefirsttofall,hitontheheadandrenderedunconscious.At8pmBellerophon’smizzenmast fellandasOrientbegan toburn,Bellerophonsufferedyetmorecasualties.Herlogrecords:‘At9,observingourantagonistonfireonthemiddlegundeck,cutthesterncableandworeclearofherbyloosingthe spritsail – shortly, the fore mast went over the larboard bow. Employedclearingthewreckandputtingoutthefirewhichhadcaughtinseveralplacesoftheship.’

Darby had recovered and resumed command asBellerophon drifted out ofaction,andwasaboutamileawaywhen‘At10L’Orientblewup.Gotupjurysailsonthestumpsofthemasts,thewindsfavouringusenabledustocleartheFrench fleet.’ Bellerophon was fortunate, for in the darkness Hallowell inSwiftsurepassedadismastedshipleavingthelineofbattle,butdeclinedtoopenfire.Ittooktherestofthenighttoclearawaythewreckageandbegintorepairthehull,butby4amsufficient cablehadbeen spliced together forher todrop

anchor.AtdawnBellerophonwasdiscoveredabout sixmiles away,mast-less,butwithanensignflyingfromthestumpofhermainmast.Hercasualtieswere49killedand148wounded.Nelsonwrote: ‘MyDearDarby, Igrieve foryourheavylossofBravefellows,butlookatourgloriousVictory.Wewillgiveyouevery assistance as soon as you join us, till thenGod Bless You. Ever yoursfaithfully,HoratioNelson.’He too had beenwounded in the head and added:‘WeshallbothItrustsoongetwell.’

Darby returned toEngland in the springof 1800 and commanded the new-builtSpencer (74), andwaspart ofRobertCalder’s fleetwhenhewas sent insearchofaFrenchfleetwhichwas thought tohavegone to theWestIndies in1801. He took part in the Battles of Algeciras Bay (thirty men killed andwounded)andoftheGutinJuly1801.Heflewhiscommodore’spennantbrieflyintheWestIndiesin1802,butafterhispromotiontorear-admiralin1804hedidnotgotoseaagain.

AdmiralSirHenryD’EsterreDarbydiedon30March1823atLeapCastle.PETERHORE

FOLEY

Thomas Foley (1757–1833) was the second son of John Foley of Ridgeway,from an old-established Pembrokeshire landowning family.His uncle ThomasFoley was a captain in the Royal Navy and had taken part in Anson’scircumnavigation.

In1770FoleyenteredtheNavyasmidshipmaninOtter(14),servinginherfor three years on the Newfoundland station. In 1774 he was transferred toAntelope (54), flagship ofRear-AdmiralClarkGayton, commander-in-chief oftheJamaicastation.DuringthefirstyearsoftheWarofAmericanIndependenceFoley frequently transferred to smaller vessels operating against American

privateers. In spring 1778 he returned to Britain, where he was promotedlieutenantandappointedtoAmerica(64,CaptainLordLongford)andtookpartunderAdmiralAugustusKeppelintheBattleofUshanton27July1778.

In October 1779 Foley was appointed to Prince George (98), flagship ofRear-Admiral Robert Digby on the Channel station, in which one of themidshipmen was the future King William IV. Thomas Byam Martin, acontemporary naval officer, remarked, if the prince had not had the ‘infinitegood fortune’ to meet Foley and Richard Keats, another of Nelson’s futurecaptains,‘hisyouthfulspiritsandpropensitiesmightnothavebeencheckedwithsuchgoodjudgement’.

In 1780 Prince George joined Rodney’s fleet, destined for the LeewardIslands. En route Rodney was to relieve Gibraltar, then under siege by theSpanish. Thus Foley took part in the capture of a Spanish convoy off CapeFinisterre on 8 January 1780, and the defeat of a Spanish squadron underLángara in the Moonlight Battle on 16 January, followed by the relief ofGibraltar.IntheWestIndies,PrinceGeorgewaspresentintheattemptedreliefofStKittsandtheBattleoftheSaintesinApril1782.

After serving as acting captain of Warwick (50) Foley was promotedcommander inDecember 1782 in the armed shipBritannia and thenAtalanta(14)andRacehorse(16),seeingserviceoffNewYork,intheBayofFundyandatQuebec.

Foleywasmadepost-captainon21September1790,butwasunemployedforthreeyearsuntilhewasappointedcaptainofStGeorge (98),flagshipofRear-AdmiralJohnGell.OnthewaytojointheMediterraneanFleet,Gell’ssquadroncapturedtwoprizes,theFrenchprivateerGénéralDumourierandarichlyladenSpanishvessel.Withhisshareoftheprize-moneyFoleypurchasedtheestateofAbermarlaisPark,nearLlangadoginsouthernWales.

FoleywaspresentinAdmiralHood’spursuitoftheFrenchFleetintotheGulfofJouaninJune1794,andwhenGellwasreplacedbyRear-AdmiralSirHydeParker, Foley remained as the new admiral’s flag captain. InMarch and July1796hetookpartintwoindecisiveactionsagainsttheFrenchfleetunderRear-Admiral William Hotham, the successor of Lord Hood, who had returned toBritainonaccountofhisbadhealth.

InMarch 1796 Foley followed Parker to his new flagshipBritannia (100),whereheremainedasflagcaptainofVice-AdmiralCharlesThompson,whenhereplaced Parker as second-in-command to Admiral Sir John Jervis. Foleytherefore played a prominent part in the Battle of Cape St Vincent on 14February 1797, for which he was awarded the gold medal. Shortly after thebattleFoleywasorderedbyJervis,tochangecommandwithCaptainSirCharles

KnowlesofGoliath(74),accordingtoJervis,‘animbecile,totallyincompetent’.Foley,consideredbyJervisasoneofhisablestcaptains,soonrestoreddisciplineinGoliath. Midshipman George Elliot recorded: ‘We were all obedience andrespectforourcaptain.Hiskindnessonlyincreasedasyearsrolledup.’

InJuly1797Foleytookpart inanattackonCadizwhen,despiteheavyfirefromtheshorebatteries,GoliathandTerpsichore(32)weresuccessfulinsavingthebombvesselThundererfromasortiebyaflotillaofSpanishgunboats.

Betsey Wynne, the future wife of Captain Thomas Fremantle, who madeFoley’s acquaintance during this time, described him in her diary as: ‘Amanbetweenthirtyandfortyandseemsverygoodnatured’.Foleywasoversixfeettallandsincehisoncebrownhairwasalreadyturninggrey,Betseycalledhim‘the old gentleman’. Foley spoke very loudly and behaved in a bluffmanner;nevertheless,according toBetseyFremantle,hekept ‘anexcellentgood table’,hisshipbeing‘a little town–yougetallyourdesires in it’.Hisdaywasveryregular; he had breakfast at eight, dinner at half past two, supper at nine andwent to bed at ten o’clock. Betsey rejected his suit in favour of ThomasFremantle.

InMay1798GoliathwasdetachedtotheMediterraneantoreinforceNelsonin his search forBonaparte’s expedition toEgypt.WhenNelson finally foundthe French fleet moored in Aboukir Bay, he decided to attack immediately,despite the fall of night. Since Foley was the sole captain in possession of areliablechartoftheEgyptiancoast,hisGoliathledtheBritishlineintobattle.

EncouragedbyNelson tousehisowninitiative,Foleydecided toattack theFrench on the landward side, thus doubling the enemy line, in the correctassumption that the French had only their seaward guns ready for action.Hisfirst, devastating broadside hit the leading French two-decker Guerrier (74).Then,withintenminutes,GoliathdismastedConquerant(74).WhentheFrenchfrigateSérieuseopenedfireonhisship,Foleyangrilyordered,‘Sinkthatbrute’,and a broadside sent her to the bottom.With several British ships followingFoley’sexample,theenemylinewasengagedfrombothsides,andonlytwoofthirteenFrenchshipsofthelineescapedsurrenderordestruction.InabattleofannihilationNelsonhadregainedBritishnavalsupremacyintheMediterranean.

FoleycontinuedinGoliathintheMediterraneanuntiltheendof1799,whenhe was appointed captain of Elephant (74), on blockade duty off Brest andLorient,beforejoiningthenewlyformedBalticfleetcommandedbyAdmiralSirHydeParker.SinceFoley’s shipwas lighterand thusdrew lesswater thanhisown flagship,StGeorge,Nelson,Parker’s second-in-command, transferredhisflag to theElephant before entering theBaltic. The night before theBattle ofCopenhagen, Foley assisted Nelson in composing the order of battle, writing

downdetailedinstructionsfortheindividualships.Onthemorningof2April1801,FoleyskilfullymanoeuvredElephantinthe

shallow waters of the King’s Deep, to anchor opposite the Danish flagshipDannebrog (62). When Parker gave his famous signal of retreat, Nelson,determinedtoignoretheorder,turnedtoFoley,remarking:‘Youknow,Foley,Ionly have one eye – I have the right to be blind sometimes.’ Later NelsonpraisedFoley’s‘adviceonmanyandimportantoccasionsduringthebattle’.

On 31 July 1802 Foley married Lady Lucy Anne Fitzgerald, the youngestdaughter of theDukeofLeinster, but theyhadno children.TheFoleys’mainresidencewastheirestateatAbermarlais,butduringtheirvisitstoLondontheymetNelson,whoremainedaclosefriend.

In1803,aftertheshortinterludeofthepeaceofAmiens,NelsonaskedFoleyto servewith him, but he had to refuse due to poor health.On28April 1808Foleywaspromotedrear-admiral,butremainedashoreuntilMarch1811,whenhe was appointed commander-in-chief of the Downs, an appointment he helduntilthepeaceof1815.

In 1814 Foley refused to telegraph what proved to be a fake message ofNapoleon’s death to London. Thus he unwittingly baffled a scheme tomanipulate the London stock exchange, in which another naval officer, LordCochrane, was accused of complicity and dismissed dishonourably from theRoyalNavy.

After the peace Foley retired to Abermarlais. Promotion and honourscontinued to accrue and in 1830 Admiral Sir Thomas Foley was appointedcommander-in-chiefatPortsmouth,wherehediedin1833.HewasburiedintheGarrison Chapel there, in a coffinmade from the oak of theElephant, savedwhenshewasbrokenupin1830.JANNDEWITT

GOULD

DavidgeGould(1758–1847)wasbornatBridgwater,Somerset, thesonoftheReverend Richard Gould: he was distantly related to the authors Henry andSarahFielding,andthenaturalistWilliamGould.

Gould joined the Navy in 1772 as a volunteer in Alarm (32) on theMediterranean and North American coasts. He was rated midshipman inWinchelsea(32)andremainedonMediterraneanstationforthreeyears.In1775he joinedPhoenix (36, CaptainHyde Parker) and returned toNorthAmerica,seeinghardserviceintheAmericanRevolutionaryWar.Fewfrigatesweremorebusily employed thanPhoenix, when Gould was engaged in attacks on shore

batteries and cutting out operations and in boat actions on theHudson River,includingon12July1776passingthedefencesofthecityandbombardingitfortwohours.Phoenixwasalsoat the reductionofGeorgia, andafter threeyearsshewasorderedbacktoEnglandforrepairs,arrivinginearlyspring1779,whenGould, having passed for lieutenant, was promoted on 7 May 1779 andappointedtotheUlysses(44,CaptainThomasDumaresq),boundforJamaica.

Shortlyafterarrivingonstation,Ulysseswascaughtinaseverehurricane,inwhichshelostallherlowermasts,andwasobligedtothrowallthelower-deckguns overboard.After arrival at PortRoyal,Dumaresq exchanged intoBristol(50), the ship being under orders for England, takingGouldwith him.Gouldnext volunteered his services to SirGeorgeRodney, about to sail to theWestIndies, and was appointed a supernumerary lieutenant in Conqueror (74):ConquerorwasinthevandivisionatthebreakingofthelineattheBattleoftheSainteson12April1782,

In the round of promotions after the battle Gould was appointed firstlieutenant inRodney’s flagshipFormidable (74,CaptainSirCharlesDouglas),receiving further rapidpromotionon13June1782 tocommanderof thesloopPacahunter [sic]. It is unlikely he took command of her other than for therecords:thesloopwasmuchdecayedandverysoonwassoldoutoftheservice.GouldwaschargedtocarrydispatchestoEnglandinapacket.

His first active sea-going commandwas the sloopPylades (18), the formerDutchprivateerHercules. For thirteenmonthshe cruised against smugglers intheWestern Approaches. He gained more useful experience in ship handlingduring the same service in the newly built brig-sloop Ferret (12) in theMediterraneanduring1785.

Whatcontemporariesthoughtimportant:‘…servedinthefirstAmericanwar…presentatRodney’svictoryoverCountdeGrasse…commandedshipsatthesiegesofBastiaandCalviinLordHotham’sactionandtheAudaciousatthememorableBattleoftheNile…Thelastsurvivingcaptainofthisgreat

victory’–nomentionofNelson.

Attheageoftwenty-sevenGould’slongnavalapprenticeshipseemedtobeat

an end when he was appointed to Salisbury (50) under the orders of Vice-AdmiralMarkMilbanke, but she sailed to her station, Newfoundland, beforeGouldjoinedher.Suddenly,hefoundhimselfonhalfpay.

Unexpectedly,heachievedpostrankon23March1789andwasgivenBrune(32)withordersforJamaica.BrunewasaFrenchfrigatebuiltin1754andhadbeentakenasaprizein1762;after thirty-fiveyears’serviceshewaswornoutandaftera fewmonths in theWest IndiesGouldwas recalled. InsteadhewasgivenCyclops(28)withacomplementof200officersandmenandproceededtotheMediterranean,joiningNelsonatthereductionofCorsicain1794.

AfterCorsicaGouldwas appointed toBedford (74) inwhich on 14March1795hewasinvolvedinaconfusedandunsatisfactoryvictoryovertwoFrenchships Ça Ira (80) and Censeur (74) when Bedford, an extremely bad sailer,sufferedseverelyinhermastsandriggingfromthesternchasersofÇaIra.Shehadninekilledandseventeenwounded,includingherfirstlieutenant,whowasstruckontheheadwhilstinconversationwithGould.Nelsonwasnotimpressed,writing toWilliamLocker, ‘Youwillhaveheardofourbrushwith theFrenchFleet, a Battle it cannot be called, as the Enemy would not give us anopportunityofclosingwiththem;iftheyhad,Ihavenodoubt,fromthezealandgallantryendeavouredtobe[shown]byeachindividualCaptain,oneexcepted,butweshouldhaveobtainedamostgloriousconquest.’Bedfordwasalsopresenton13JulyattheBattleofHyèreswhentheToulon

fleetattemptedasortie,thoughitisdoubtfulifBedfordevenfiredherguns.ThehighlightoftheactioncamewhentheFrenchAlcidetookfireinherforetopandshortly after detonated. British boats saved 300 of her complement but manymore were lost. Bedford was now considered scarcely seaworthy and wasorderedtoEngland.

Gouldexchanged intoAudacious (74), joiningLordStVincentoffCadiz inJuly1797andwasselected to formpartof the squadrondetached to reinforceNelsonintheMediterranean.

There are frequent glimpses of Gould in the vast Nelson literature but heremainsasomewhatshadowyfigure,andunfortunatelyattheBattleoftheNileheappearstohavesteppedintothelimelightforthewrongreasons.

The Battle of the Nile was fought at night, when at the best of timesanchoringcanbeatestofseamanship.Doneunderfire,anchoringbythesternneeded luck as well as skill and ships ended up in places different to thatplanned.GouldfollowedGoliath(74)andZealous(74)downtheleesideoftheFrench line; both ships had poured their broadsides into Guerrier andConquérant,whileTheseus had done likewise in passing on the seaward side.Gould arrived fifteen minutes later and, while passing Guerrier, fired three

broadsides into her claiming to have brought hermainmast down.Gould thenanchoredAudacious betweenGuerrier andConquérant when both shipswerealreadybeaten.SignalmidshipmanGeorgeElliotofGoliath, thesecondsonofNelson’s friend Lord Minto, regarded this in his memories of the Nile as a‘useless berth between the first and second ships of the enemy’s line, both ofthembeingutterlybeatenanddismasted’.Then,whenthebattlewasnotyethalfover,Gouldwrote ahastynoteof congratulations toNelson.Hehaddonehisdutyasheconceived it, andat light cost toAudaciouswith justonedeadandseventeenwounded.ThenotemadehimunpopularwiththeNilecaptainsforitappeared that he was taking the credit for Conquérant striking. Nor did herepositionAudaciousduringtheaction,sayingGoliathwasinthewayevenaftershe (Goliath) hadmoved down along the line to engage others of the Frenchfleet.

The following morning Gould was busy rigging jury-masts inConquérantanditneededmorethanonesignalfromtheflagshiptomakehimslipand,withZealous,pursuetwoescapingFrenchships.

AsanadministratorGouldmaintainedgoodorderanddisciplineinallofhiscommands, with a firm shipboard routine for cleanliness, and recognised thevalueandtheneedsoftheordinarysailor.Hewroteinhisordersthatinhisship:Themenarenevertogointotheirhammockswiththeirwetclotheson,norsleepanywherewithouttheirclotheson,astherewasnothingmoreprejudicialtotheirhealth–aseamanintheKing’sserviceistoomuchconsequencetohiscountrytobeallowedtoriskhislifebysuchmeansassavinghimselfalittletrouble.

Inthesesameordershesetminimumstandardsforthekitofhismen:‘Eachshouldhaveabluejacket,awaistcoatorundergarment(preferablywhite),apairofshoesandaDutchcaporroundhatmarkedwithhisnameandavailabletobewornforinspection.’Twodays,MondayandFriday,weresetasideforwashingclothesand inspectionsbydivisionalofficerswereonaSaturday. JamesRalfedescribes Gould ‘as calm and serene amidst dangers, brave and animated inbattle,andwasatalltimesthefriendofhisofficersandcrew’.

OliverWarnerwroteabout the ‘theeasygoingattitudeassumedbyCaptainGouldof theAudacious’and,asa fightingofficer, judged: ‘hewasacheerful,kindlyman,braveenoughnodoubt,butwithout imagination,orsenseofwhatwashappeningintheactionasawhole’.

After the Nile he was engaged in the blockades of Malta and Genoa andreturnedtoEnglandattheendof1800.Inthespringof1801hewasappointedtoMajestic (74) attached to the Channel Fleet. In early 1802Majestic wasorderedtotheWestIndies,butafterafewmonthsGouldwentonhalfpayuntil1803 before being appointed toWindsor Castle (98). Hewas very soon after

obliged to resign the command due to ill health brought on by fatigue andanxiety.

Gould leftnoaccountofhis impressionsof theNile,andhavinggainedhisplace in naval history he rested on his laurels. He received his due share ofplaudits and promotion but he was not employed again. As perhaps the leastdistinguished and least popular of the Nile captains, a letter from Nelson toThomasTroubridgesumsupGould:‘IftheenemycomeoutIhavenofearsbutIshall sendyouagoodaccountof them, formoreZealandattentionwithgoodhumourIneversawexceeded,itisliketheNilefleetwithoutDavidgeGould.’

When Gould married, at the age of forty-five, Harriet Willes, the eldestdaughterofanarchdeacon,asomewhatspitefulTroubridgewrotetoNelsonon28December1803:‘DavidgeGouldhastakentohimselfawife&Ibelieve,&hope,leftoffthesea.’

Admiral Sir Davidge Gould died childless on 23 April 1847 at the age ofeighty-nine.KENFLEMMING

HALLOWELL

BenjaminHallowell(1761–1834)wasthisofficer’snamethroughouthisnavalcareer, but when he inherited the estate of Beddington Park near Sutton inSurrey,aconditionwasthatheshouldaddCarewtohisname.

He was born in Boston, Massachusetts, to a long-established family ofmerchantsandshipbuilders.Hisfather,alsoBenjamin,wasincommandofKingGeorge,builtandmaintainedbythecolonyofMassachusettstoprotectitscoastsfromLouisbourg-basedprivateersduring theSevenYearsWar,andhe formedmanypersonal connectionswhichwould laterproveuseful tohis son.HewasalsoawardedlargelandgrantsinwhatisnowtheprovinceofNovaScotia.

AfterthewarHallowellseniorbecameCommissioneroftheAmericanBoardofCustoms,acontroversialappointmentatatimewhencolonialdiscontentwithBritish rulewasmounting. Seen as supporters of the imperial connection, theHallowellfamilywereunpopularand,agedseven,youngBenjaminwassenttoschool in England. When revolution broke out in 1776 numerous LoyalistrefugeesarrivedinEnglandviaHalifax,includingtheHallowells;formerlywell-off, theywere now in financial difficulties, andwhenBenjaminwas expelledfromschool,hewasenteredasamidshipman inSandwich (90) in1777underthepatronageofSamuelHood(1724–1816).

InStMary’s,Beddington,nearCroydon,Hallowell’smemorialhasbeenplacedhighonthewall(upperright).

HoodsawthatHallowellwasfrequently lent intosmallervesselscombatingFrenchprivateersintheChannel,until1778whenHallowellwasacceptedasamidshipmaninAsia(64,CaptainGeorgeVandeput),inwhichhewasmentoredbyWilfredCollingwood, brother ofCuthbertCollingwood.Having escorted aconvoyofEastIndiamentoBombay,AsiastayedonthestationwhereHallowellpassedforlieutenant.

Onreturn,hewasrated‘able’inFortunée(40)forpassagetoAntigua,whereinJuly1778hejoinednowRear-AdmiralSamuelHood’sflagshipBarfleur(98).

Hood’s squadron sailed toNewYork and inAugustHallowellwas appointedfifthandactinglieutenantofAlcide(74),andon5SeptemberheparticipatedintheBattleoftheChesapeake.

WhenHoodreturnedtotheWestIndies,HallowelltransferredtoAlfred(74),which suffered heavy casualties at the Battle of the Saintes in 1782; by nowHallowellwasafulllieutenant.

WiththeendoftheAmericanWar,HallowellstayedintheWestIndiesinthebrig-sloopFalcon(14)whichco-operatedwithNelson,inBoreas,intheattemptto stamp out illegal trade between the new United States and the BritishCaribbeanislands.

InOctober1787SamuelHoodtookHallowellaboardhisflagship,Barfleur.Later,afterafewmonthsinVictory(100),Hallowellgainedhisfirstcommand,thesloopScorpion(16)inwhichunderCommodoreJohnInglefieldinMedusahemadetwovoyagestotheslaveforts inSierraLeoneandtheGoldCoast, indisease-riddenWestAfrica.

Renewed war brought Hallowell command of the storeshipCamel (26) inwhichhejoinedHood’ssquadronattheSiegeofToulon,whereHoodmadehimpost-captainofRobust(74)andheplayedanimportantpartintheevacuationoftroops and civilians before the port fell to the Republicans. When CaptainElphinstone (later Lord Keith) re-assumed command of Robust, Hallowellbriefly commanded the ex-French Courageux (74) until Captain Waldegravereturned after a temporary absence.Waldegrave was due to leave the stationshortly, and it was understood that Hallowell would succeed him, but in themeantimehewaswithoutaship.

British forcesnowattempted toconquerCorsica,andat theSiegeofBastiaHallowell commanded theboats of the inshoreblockade.Bastia having fallen,theBritishlaysiegetoCalvi.WithHallowellashissecond-in-command,Nelsonlanded with 250 seamen and guns of the fleet to augment the Army’s siegeartillery. The two took alternating twelve-hour shifts on the batteries, whichwereconstantlyunderreturnfirefromthefortress.Nelsonreported,‘Hallowelland I are always on the batteries with them, and our jacks don’t mind it.Hallowell,whoisaverygood,worthyman,andmyself, feelequal to thedutyhere.’Later,ashellburstinginfrontoftheparapetthrewupashowerofgravel,strikingNelsoninthefaceandleadingtothelossofsightinoneeye.Hallowelltoosufferedandshortlybeforethecityfellon1August1793hesuccumbedtothemalariawhichwouldplaguehimthroughouttherestofhisdays.

Still awaiting his appointment toCourageux, Hallowell became captain ofLowestoffe (32). InanengagementoffGenoahisshipwasbecalmedunder thefireofaFrench74andunabletoreply;Hallowellorderedtheship’scompanyto

takeshelterbelowwhileheremainedonthequarterdeckwiththeofficerofthewatchandthehelmsman.

Finally,HallowelltookcommandofCourageuxon19June1795,takingpartin the 1796blockade ofToulon under the commandofSir John Jervis. Jervislatercommented,‘HowhighlyIthinkofthethreecaptains…Troubridge,Hoodand Hallowell, who will achieve very important services to their King andCountry.’

However,on11December1796afuriousstormstrucktheshipsmooredoffGibraltar.Courageuxdraggedher twoanchorsuntilHallowelldroppeda third.AtthispointhewassummonedtoBritanniatobeamemberofacourt-martial.Observing that his ship was still in difficulties Hallowell requested to beexcused,buthisrequestwasdenied.InhisabsencethefirstlieutenantunmooredshipandtriedtorideoutthestormintheStraits,butshegroundedatthebaseofApes Hill on the African coast, and 439 of the ship’s company of 610 weredrowned.At his court-martialHallowellwashonourably acquitted, but hehadlostallhispersonalpossessionsandtheopportunitytoplayamajorroleinfutureoperations.AdmiralJerviscommentedtotheAdmiralty,‘AtanytimethelossofsuchashiptohisMajesty,somannedandsocommanded,wouldhavebeenverygreat,but in thepresent circumstancesofmy force, comparedwith thatof theenemy,itisbeyondallcalculation.’

NextHallowellembarkedasavolunteerinJervis’sflagshipVictory.Thushewasonthequarterdeckonthemorningof14February1797whentheshipsofAdmiral Langara’s Spanish fleet appeared over the horizon, the flag captainreporting their growing number. Tiring of this, Jervis forbade further reports,saying thathewould fight themwhatever their strength.At this thecombativeHallowellclappedhisadmiralon theback,exclaiming: ‘That’s right,SirJohn,andwe’llgivethemadamnedgoodlickingtoo.’Theonlookerswereaghast,butJervismadenocomment.

‘TheNile’istheonlyexternalreferencetoHallowell’soriginsorachievements.

After the victory, inwhichNelson so distinguished himself, the soon-to-beEarl of St Vincent entrusted to Hallowell his duplicate dispatches to theAdmiralty.For rewardhewasgivencommandofLively (32) and rejoined thefleetoffCadiz.NelsonplacedMinerve(38,CaptainGeorgeCockburn)underhiscommand,withorderstocruiseofftheCanaryIslandswheretreasureshipsoftencalled.Nelsoncommented, ‘I long to seepoorCockburnandHallowell enrichthemselves.’

In October 1797 Hallowell took command of Swiftsure (74) and joinedNelson’s inshore squadron in the Cadiz blockade, where minor actions werefrequent. The next year he was ordered into the Mediterranean to reinforceNelson, and thus Hallowell took part in Nelson’s frustrating search forNapoleon’s Egyptian invading force, and in his decisive victory at the Nile.Hallowellengagedthe120-gunFrenchflagshipOrient,andSwiftsureamazinglyescapedmajordamagewhenherenemyblewup.ThenextdaypartofOrient’sgiantmainmastwasrecoveredandfromitHallowellhadhiscarpenterfashionacoffinwhichhepresented tohisfriendandcommander.Nelsonwasdelighted,forsometimecarryingitinhiscabin,andwaseventuallyburiedinit.

Hallowell served on shore directing artillery fire during the recapture ofNaplesfromtheFrench.SwiftsurewasstillintheMediterraneanwhenAdmiralKeith succeededNelson in late1799, andHallowell took an activepart in the

preparations for landing General Abercromby’s army to attack the French inEgypt.

While escorting a small convoy to EnglandHallowell received intelligencethatAdmiralGanteaume’ssquadronoffourshipsofthelineandonefrigatewasat sea. Abandoning the convoy, Hallowell steered for Malta to warn andreinforce Admiral Warrender’s squadron, but on 19 June 1801 he wasintercepted by Ganteaume and forced to surrender after a long engagementagainstodds.HewasimprisonedinToulonuntil24July,whenhewasparoledand then court-martialled for the loss of Swiftsure. The court acquitted him,insteadcommendinghimbothforhisdecisiontoabandontheconvoyandforhistacticsduringtheengagement.

During the Peace of Amiens Hallowell commanded Argo (44) on anothermissiontotheWestAfricaCompany’spossessionsinSierraLeone,whichhadnot lived up to its intended purpose of providing a home for freed slaves.Hallowell penned a scathing report to theBoard of Tradewhich led to SierraLeonebecomingacrowncolony.

HewasintheWestIndieswhenwaragainbrokeout,andledalandingforceofseamenandmarinesinthecaptureofStLuciainJune1803.OnpatrolintheChannelapproaches,ArgolatercapturedtheprivateerOiseau,andsubsequentlyplayedakeyrole inasecretBritish intervention inEgypt.Themissionhavingfailed, hewas ordered to return home, and carried gifts fromNelson to LadyHamilton.OnNelson’s orders he embarked specie at Lisbon, a very lucrativeopportunity for a captain, and another instance of Nelson’s continuingfriendship.Argo having paid off, Hallowell took command of Tigre (80). The former

First Lord of the Admiralty, Earl Spencer, confided his son Robert toHallowell’s care as a first-class volunteer, an honour testifying toHallowell’sreputation.Theneedtoreportregularlytotheboy’sparentswouldgrowintoacorrespondenceinwhichprofessionalmattersformedanincreasingpart.Sailingon 3 September 1804, Tigre joined Nelson’s fleet in the Mediterranean andaccompaniedhimonthefruitlesschaseofVilleneuve’sforcetotheWestIndiesandback.

HallowellwaspresentinVictorywhenNelsonoutlinedhisplanforattackingthe combined French and Spanish fleets blockaded at Cadiz. However, Tigrewas in Admiral Louis’s squadron which Nelson detached to replenish atGibraltar, and thus he took no part in the Battle of Trafalgar. By chanceSwiftsure,whichhehadhadtosurrender,wasrecapturedbytheBritish.

AtthistimeHallowellwasforcedtobringchargesagainstoneofhisofficers,who responded by demanding a court-martial ofHallowell himself:Hallowell

washonourablyacquittedforthethirdtimewhiletheofficerwasdismissedtheservice.InTigre,HallowellservedintheMediterraneanunderAdmiralViscountCuthbertCollingwood,enforcingthevitalbutlargelyuneventfulblockadeoftheFrench and Italian coasts. The one serious action saw Tigre leading a forcewhich interceptedaFrenchcoastal convoyand forced two shipsof the line torunagroundandbeburned.

The only break in this demanding service camewhenTigre returned for ashort timetoEngland.HallowellwasentrustedwithasecretreconnaissanceofthemouthoftheScheldttodetermineifitcouldbeblockedtopreventtheegressofseveralenemyshipsthenbuildingintheriver.Havingpersonallysupervisedthesoundingsunderfirehereportedthatblockingwasimpossible,aconclusionthatledtotheabortiveBritishlandingsof1809.

In 1811 Hallowell was promoted rear-admiral, initially hoisting his flag inRoyal George (100) and, in the early spring of 1812, inMalta (84), whenanotherofEarlSpencer’ssonswasavolunteerunderHallowell’stutelage.TheroleofHallowell’ssquadronwastosupportaBritish-Spanisharmyoperatingonthe east coast of Spain to relieve pressure onWellington’s main force in thecentreofthecountry.

Under Hallowell’s direction, on 29May 1813, General Sir JohnMurray’s16,000-strong army was embarked in transports at Alicante, and on 3 Junesuccessfully landed to undertake the Siege of Tarragona. With his longexperience of land warfare Hallowell assumed an active role ashore and wasinfuriatedwhenMurraybrokeupthesiegeonillusoryreportsoftheapproachofaFrenchrelievingforce,andanargumentbetweenHallowellandMurray’schiefofstaffGeneralDonkinresultedinachallengebeinggivenandaccepted.

WiththecampaignineasternSpainwindingdown,inearly1814somealliedtroopswere transferred to Italy.Escorting the convoy,Hallowell unexpectedlyencountered the frigateUndaunted, which signalled, ‘I have got the EmperorNapoleon on board, going to the Isle of Elba.’ Naval strength was rapidlyreduced,andHallowellbecameseniorofficerintheMediterranean.Presciently,heobserved,‘BonaparteisnotidleinElba,andifheisnotwatchedhewillgiveustheslipfromthatisland…itisimpossibletobetoomuchonourguardwithsuchafellow.’

Unexpectedly,inNovember1814HallowellwasrecalledtoEnglandtobeawitness atGeneralMurray’s court-martial for his actions at Tarragona. In theabsence of SpanishwitnessesMurraywas convicted on oneminor count onlyand escaped with a reprimand. Immediately afterwards both Donkin andHallowell were visited by an emissary from the Prince Regent, absolutelyforbiddingthemtoproceedwiththeirduel.

In time of peace very few admirals were employed. Hallowell howeverreceivedtwoappointments:first,commander-in-chiefinIrelandin1815–18,andsecondly,commander-in-chiefat theNore1821–24whereon23May1823hewitnessed the launch of paddle-wheelerComet, one of the RoyalNavy’s firststeamvessels.

On17February1800hehadmarriedAnnInglefieldintheGarrisonChurchatGibraltar; her father, John Inglefield, had beenHallowell’s commander on hisWest African patrols. Of their nine children, two sons joined the Navy butretiredearly.Hallowellwasknightedin1815andin1833,whenhewasthelastsurvivor of the captains at the Nile, he was asked in confidence if he wouldaccept the further honour of a baronetcy. Hallowell declined, fearing that hisreprobatesecondsonwoulddisgracethetitle.

Admiral SirBenjaminHallowellCarew died atBeddington Parkwhere hiscoffinliesinthecryptofStMary’sChurch.AsLoyalists,Hallowell’sfatherandsisterreceivedlargelandgrantsinandnearYork,nowToronto,andHallowellsenior died there. The village of Boylston, Nova Scotia, is named afterHallowell’smother’sfamily.AcapeonBaffinIslandandamountaininBritishColumbia both bear the Hallowell name, as does the Ontario township afterwhichtheSecondWorldWarfrigateHMCSHallowellwasnamed.BRYANELSON

HARDY

ThomasMastermanHardy (1769–1839)was born atKingstonRussell, nearLongBredy,Dorset,wherehisgrandparentswere tenants, the third sonof tenchildren of Joseph and Nanny Hardy. His parents moved to Portesham,pronounced‘Possum’inDorsetdialect,butalsoappropriateforyoungThomas,meaninginLatin‘Ican’.

Weymouth is but four miles from Portesham and just to the south of thevillageisChesilBankandtheFleetlagoon.ItissaidthatwhenThomasandhisbrotherswereofferedponies,hewantedawoodenone,meaningasmallboat.

Surprisingly he did not attend Hardye’s School in Dorchester, a grammarschoolfoundedbyadistantrelative,butwentinsteadtoCrewkernejustovertheborderinSomerset,wherehisstaywasnotlong.In1781hewasratedcaptain’s

servantinthebrigHelena (14)commandedbyaneighbourandafriendofthefamily,FrancisRoberts(1748–94).Roberts indulgedyoungHardybyallowinghimtobringhisdog,Bounce.(Bounceseemstohavebeenafavouritenameforseadogs:CollingwoodalsohadadogcalledBounce,andmanyyearslaterHardyhadanotherBounceatGreenwich.)

Aplaqueonthehouseinthen-fashionableDurnfordStreet,Stonehouse,inPlymouthwhereHardyoncelived.

Roberts became Hardy’s sea-daddy, arranging for him to return to school,keeping himon the ships’ books, sending him away to gain experience in themerchant navy, and seeing that in 1790 yet another eminent Dorset sailor,CaptainAlexanderHood(1758–98),tookhimasamidshipmanintoHebe(36).

In1793hesailedfor theMediterraneaninAmphitrite (24,CaptainAnthonyHunt), where he passed for lieutenant and was transferred toMeleager (32,Captain George Cockburn), part of a squadron off the coast of Genoa under

Nelson’scommand.In 1796 he moved with Cockburn to be first lieutenant ofMinerve (40),

CommodoreNelson’sflagship,whichwassavedbyHardyinacourageousactof defiance. On 19 December 1796Minerve and her consort, Blanche (32),foughttwoSpanishfrigatesandcapturedSantaSabina(40)commandedbyDonJacoboStuart.Hardycommandedtheprizecrew,andthethreeshipscontinuedtowards Gibraltar, but ran into a larger Spanish squadron. Hardy hoisted theBritishensignprominentlyovertheSpanishcoloursanddrewofftheSpaniards,fighting Santa Sabina until she was dismasted and captured, thus allowingNelson to escape. Hardy became a prisoner of war for six weeks but wasexchangedforStuart,andrejoinedMinerveatGibraltarinFebruary1797.

WithindaysNelsonandCockburnwerebeingchasedbyasuperiorSpanishfleet andCockburnhadorderedmore sailwhenaman fell fromaloft into thewater.HardyinaboatwassearchingforthemanwhenNelsonexclaimed,‘ByGod, I’llnot loseHardy,back thatmizzen topsail!’Thisconfused theSpanishwhocheckedtheirownprogress,allowingHardytimetoreturntoMinerve.

HardyassuredhisfutureatSantaCruzdeTenerifeon28May1797whenhecommandedboats fromMinerve andLively tocutout theFrenchMutine (18).When he was promoted to commandMutine, she became the wooden ponywhichhehadwantedsincehewasaboy.HewouldbepresentatallofNelson’smajorfleetactions.

In2014theNelsonSocietyplantedanoaktocommemoratetheappointmentofHardyasgovernorofGreenwichhospital:hisbodyisentombedinthemausoleumbeyondthesapling.

InMay 1798Hardywrote to his brother Joseph, ‘We are bound toNaplesunder the command of Sir Horatio Nelson and you may expect to hear ofsomethinghandsomebeingdoneverysoonbyhissquadronwhichatpresentissmallbutIbelievewillconsistofeighteensailoftheline.IhopeSirHoratiowillhaveitinhispowertodosomething.’

SirHoratiodiddosomething:heannihilatedtheFrenchfleetinAboukirBay.Mutinedidnotparticipatedirectlyinthebattlebutcametotheassistanceof

Culloden, which had run aground, and afterwards, when Nelson sent EdwardBerry home with dispatches, Hardy was promoted to captain of Nelson’sflagship,Vanguard(74).

That year Vanguard carried King Ferdinand IV, his Queen, the BritishambassadorSirWilliamHamiltonandhiswifeEmmafromNaplestosafetyin

Sicily.HardydidnotapproveofEmma,whohadtriedtointerveneonbehalfofaboat’screw;hehadthecrewfloggedtwice,oncefortheoriginaloffenceandagainforpetitioningthelady.WhenNelsontransferredhisflagtoFoudroyantin1799hetookHardywithhim.

AfterayearashoreHardycommissionedSanJosef(114)andwhenitbecameclear that shedrew toomuch foroperations in theBaltic, shifted toStGeorge(98) asNelson’s flag captain.On the eve of theBattle of CopenhagenHardysoundedwithapolearoundtheanchoredDanishfleet,buthetooknopartinthefightingon2April1801,whichhedescribedas‘themostdaringattackthathasbeenattemptedthiswar(theNilenotaccepted)…themoreIseeofhisLordshipthemore I admirehisgreatCharacter for I thinkon thisoccasionhisPoliticalmanagementwasifpossiblegreaterthanhisBravery’.

AfterthefailureofthePeaceofAmiensandtherenewalofhostilities,thefearofaFrenchinvasionwasveryrealtocontemporaries.OnBlackdownHill,northofPortesham,whereamonumenttoHardynowstands,wasawarningbeacon,one of a chain, whichWilliam Boyt of Possumwas paid to maintain. Hardyasked Joseph to remind other landowners, theWelds of Lulworth CastlewhohadabeacononFlowersBarrowand theBankesofKingstonLacywhohadabeacononBadburyRings,tomaintaintheirs.

MemorialforHardyonthewallofthemausoleumatGreenwichwhereheisentombed.

AtTrafalgarHardymadeseveralattemptstoreducetherisktohischief’slife.First he urgedNelson to shift his flag into one of the frigates, which Nelsonrefused; thenheaskedNelsonnot towear thedecorationswhichwould singlehimoutasa targetbutNelsonquippedthat itwastoolateand,ashehadwontheminbattle,hewouldweartheminbattle;and,finally,HardyaskedNelsontoallowTemeraire to takeherdesignatedstationaheadofVictory intheorderofbattle,whichNelsonatfirstagreedto,butasshedrewlevel,hecalledforhertoresumeherstationasternoftheflagship.Then,asHardypacedthequarterdeck

withNelsoninthethickofbattle,andwhenasplintertookthebucklefromhisshoe, Nelson smiled at him, ‘This is too warm work to last, Hardy.’ A fewminutes laterNelsonfell,crying,‘Hardy,Ibelieve theyhavedoneitat last…mybackboneisshotthrough.’

Nevertheless, after the battle, Hardy wrote to his brother-in-law JohnManfieldwithnewsthatwouldmakeWilliamBoytredundant:‘Wehaveonthe21st justobtainedamostgloriousVictoryover thecombined fleets,but ithascost theCountry a life that nomoneycan replace and forwhosedeath I shallforevermourn.’This letterwasamongstotherswhichJohnLapenotiere, inhisrace toLondonwithCollingwood’s dispatches, left atBridport.Another fromHardywastohisoldfriends,theRobertsfamily,reassuringthemthattheirboy,RichardFrancisRobertswhomhehadpromoted tomidshipmanon theeveofbattle,wassafe.Thus thebellsofStMary’s,BurtonBrad-stock,were thefirstbellsinEnglandtoringoutwiththenewsofTrafalgar:indeedthe‘bellsrangtillseveraloftheropesbroke’.

HardywascreatedabaronetandtookcommandofTriumph(74)inwhichheservedontheNorthAmericastationuntil1809.AtHalifaxheformedanalliancewith a newchief,Vice-AdmiralSirGeorgeBerkeley (whoseorders led to theChesapeake–Leopardaffair),andmarriedoneofBerkeley’sspiriteddaughters,AnneLouisa,whowastwentyyearsyoungerthanhe.When,aftertheMarquisofBuckinghamhadmadeinappropriateadvancestoher,HardymetBuckinghamatthetheatrehecalledhimascoundrelandchallengedhimtoaduel.Whethershotswereexchangedisunclear,butwhentheauthoritieswereinformed,Hardytoldhisbrother, ‘Iwas taken intocustodyby thePeaceofficers…andboundovertokeepthePeace.’

Meanwhile,whenBerkeleywasappointedcommander-in-chiefatLisbon in1809, Hardy became his flag captain in Barfleur (98) and was made acommodoreinthePortugueseNavyin1811.BetweenthemtheybroughtordertothesupplysystemforWellington’sarmyinthePeninsulaWar,usedseamenandmarines tomancoastaldefences, thus freeingsoldiers forWellington,andalsoformedasquadronofrivergunboatsontheTagustoharrytheFrench.

In1812HardyreturnedtoNorthAmericainRamillies(74).There,on25June1813, commanding a squadron off New London, Connecticut, he captured anAmerican privateer. The crew, before escaping in boats, declared her to becarryingprovisions,butshewasladenwithgunpowderand,expectinghertobetakenalongsideRamillies, theyhadsetaclockworkfuze.However,Hardyhadordered the privateer to berth on another prize, where she blew up, killingLieutenantJohnGeddesandtenseamen.

Next, Hardy was commodore on the South America station, where, while

PresidentJamesMonroewasformulatinghisdoctrinewhichopposedEuropeancolonisation or interference in the Americas, Hardy’s ships oversaw theachievementofindependencebyseveralSouthAmericanstates.

Hardy was promoted to rear-admiral in 1825. He had one last diplomaticservice to performwhen inWellesley (74) he convoyed a 4,000-strongBritishexpeditionary force toLisbon toquella revoltagainst thePortuguese regency.He last flew his flag at sea while commanding an experimental squadron,haulingitdownon20October1827.

In 1830 Hardy joined the Admiralty Board as First Naval Lord under SirJamesGraham,whereheencouragedSirWilliamSymonds to lookatways toimprovethesailingperformanceofshipsandtookaninterestintheintroductionofsteam,butwaslessinterestedinpolitics,writingtohisbrother,‘ThankGodIwasnotreturned[asMemberofParliament]forWeymouth,Ihavenothingtodowithpolitics.’By1833hewasbeginningtobeworriedbytheeconomiesbeingpursuedbyGrahamandwishedtoleavetheAdmiralty.HewasalsofeelingtheeffectsofageandinJune1833wrote,‘Youcanseebymyhandwritingthatmyhands begin to fail me and as I cannot dress myself I’m obliged to bring aservantwithme.’

Hardy was appointed Governor of the Royal Hospital at Greenwich tosucceed Sir Richard Keats, an appointment William IV only consented to ifHardywouldagree,ifasked,tocommandafleetonthehighseas.AfterHardy’sappointment there were several royal visits to Greenwich: KingWilliam andQueenAdelaide liked to celebrate naval battles by attending Sundaymorningserviceinthechapel.Theyfirstcamein1834tocelebrateHowe’svictoryontheGloriousFirstof June,arrivingby river in the royalbarges.Therewere returnvisitstoo:inOctober1835WilliamvisitedGreenwichtocelebratetheBattleofCamperdownandlaterthatdayHardydinedatStJames’sPalace,‘WhereIhadto make a speech which annoyed me more than fighting the battle.’ KingWilliamplacedabustofKeatsandpromisedHardythathewoulddothesameforhim.WhentheKingdiedin1837,hisQueensentAdmiralHardyalockofhishairasatokenoftheesteeminwhichKingWilliamheldhim.

The Hardys were guests at the coronation of Queen Victoria in 1838, butmostly Hardy devoted himself to improving the care of the pensioners atGreenwich.Heputthemintotrousersinsteadofbreechesandhealsoabolishedthe hated yellow coat with red sleeves that pensioners found drunk had beenobligedtowear.AvisitorwhohadservedunderHardyontheSouthAmericanstation overheard a pensioner say, ‘There goes our Good Old Governor, GodBlessHim.Wehonourtheverygroundhewalkson.’HealsoensuredthatTomAllen,Nelson’sbodyservant,passedhislastyearsincomfortatGreenwichand

hadaplaqueputonhisgrave,‘TothememoryofThomasAllen,faithfulservantofLordNelson, born atBurnhamThorpe, in theCountyofNorfolk1764 anddiedatTheRoyalHospital23rdNovember1838.’

Hardysawsteampowerasthefuture,yetin1836whentheLondonBridgetoGreenwich railwayopenedandLadyHardybookedaparty to travel thereandback, Hardy declined, saying he would not go at any price – and never did.WhenLadyHardyheardthatVictory,thenmorethanseventyyearsold,wastobebrokenup, she is reputed tohave said ‘Thomas,you simplycannot let thishappen.’ Hardy received many honours in his life, but he said his proudestmomentwastobeelectedanElderBrotherofTrinityHouse.

Vice-AdmiralSirThomasMastermanHardy,Bt,GCB,diedinofficein1839andwasinterredinthemausoleumatGreenwich.In1849LadyHardypresentedaportraitofhimtoGreenwichHospital,whichinnowintheNationalMaritimeMuseum.ELIZABETHBAKERANDGENEVIEVESTGEORGE

HOOD

Samuel Hood (1762–1814) was born in Kingsland, Netherbury, Dorset. HisbrotherswereLieutenantArthurHood(born1753,lostfromthesloopPomonaduring a hurricane in 1775 in theWest Indies), and CaptainAlexander Hood(1758–98)aveteranofJamesCook’ssecondvoyageinResolution,whofellinafamous single-ship actionbetweenhis shipMars (74) and theFrenchHercule(74).

SamuelHood’smonumenthighonahillnearButleigh,Somerset.

TheChelengk:HoodwrotetoNelsonjustaftertheNilethatahatcoveredwithdiamondswasbeingpreparedforhimasagiftbytheGrandVizier.

Their cousinswere two admirals,SamuelHood, 1stViscountHood (1724–1816),veteranoftheBattlesoftheChesapeakeandtheSaintesandtheSiegeofToulon,andAlexanderHood,1stViscountBridport(1726–1814),alsoaveteranoftheAmericanWarofIndependenceandtheblockadeofBrest.ItissaidthatSamuelandAlexanderwereattractedtotheNavywhenCaptain(laterAdmiral)ThomasSmith’scoachbrokedownnearButleigh,Somerset,andhewasgiven

hospitalitybythelocalvicarwhosesonswerefascinatedbyhistalesofderring-do.

Arthur, Alexander and Samuel’s father was a purser in the Navywho hadretiredtofarminDorset,andentrustedhisthreesonstotheiroldercousins’careandpatronage.Aged fourteen, theyoungest of this clan,SamuelHood, joinedcousinSamuel’sCourageux(74).

Fromthatmomentuntilhisdeaththirty-eightyearslater,hespentonlythreeyearsnotonactiveservice.Atsea,‘Hewasdevotedtohisprofession,forhewasneverhappyoutofit,andhe…appearedtometolikesealifeparexcellence.’Indeed,hesorelishedbeingatseathatin1806hedeclinedaseatontheBoardof Admiralty, stating that his ‘greatest ambition has always been for activeserviceatsea’.

The future Admiral of the Fleet Sir Thomas ByamMartin, who served asthird lieutenant in Juno (32) under Hood’s command, wrote in 1791, ‘If thesalvationoftheKingdomhadrestedonthissingleship,shecouldnothavebeenmoreconstantlyatsea…blowhigh,blowlow…peaceofferednotemptationtobe there.’ByamMartin also describedHood as ‘very absent…and silent forhours on deck’, and when at his table ‘reserved to a distressing degree’,apparently‘absorbedinthoughtabouthisship’.

Even when he was not on active service between 1783 and 1785, hisenquiring mind and keenness to improve his knowledge of navigation,geography, shipbuilding, fortification and the customs and cultures of othercountries ledhimto live inFrance.UnlikeNelson,HoodmasteredFrenchandhe could also speak Spanish –which he used to great effect in extracting theremnantsofNelson’speoplefromthefailedattemptonSantaCruzdeTenerife.

Sailorswere pleased to servewith him: they told how in 1791 he defied aviolentCaribbeanstormtoleadaboatcrewinrescuingthreemenfromawreck.He leapt into the barge being used to undertake the rescue amidst massivebreakers saying, ‘I never gave an order inmy life, which I was not ready toundertakeandexecutemyself.’

Renownedforhisownsterndiscipline,LordStVincentwasimpressedwithhowHood turned the surly ship’s company of Zealous into an effective one.Hood also concerned himself with the education of hismidshipmen andwiththeirwelfare,forexample,writingtohiscousin,AlexanderHood,aboutoneofhismidshipmen, ‘Themother is ina fairwayof spoiling [him]bygivinghimMoneyandClotheswithoutmyknowledgeandwhichIamsorrytosayhedoesnotmanageasheought,and itwouldbegood ifyour lordshipwouldwrite toMrsHarrisonnottosendhimanythingbutthroughme’.

TheHoodmemorialdominatesthefamilychapelatStLeonard’s,Butleigh,Somerset.ThereisafourthmemorialinStMary’s,Chennai(Madras).

Hood’sabilityasaseaman,strategistandtacticianincludedhisunderstandingof the importance of effective combined operations with the Army. His firstinvolvementwith theArmywas in Corsica in 1794, andwhen hewas in theCaribbean in 1803–4, togetherwith troops commanded byLieutenantGeneralGrinfield (in 1803) and Major General Green (in 1804), St Lucia, Tobago,Demerara, Essequibo, Berbice and Surinam were all overwhelmed. ThesecombinedoperationsprovidedHoodwithvaluable experiencewhichheput toexcellenteffect inamasterfulevacuationofSirJohnMoore’sPeninsulararmyfromCorunnainthewinterof1808–9.

Hoodwasrenownedforhisquickbutcalmthinking.Aremarkable instanceofthisiswhencommandingJuno(32),hecombinedbrilliantship-handlingwithrapid,intelligentactiontoescapebeingcapturedinToulonharbouronthenightof9January1794.UndercousinAlexander,nowLordHoodandcommander-in-chief of theMediterranean fleet,Hood had been dispatched to theAdriatic toconvoy merchant shipping. On his return in January 1794 he entered Toulonbelieving it to be still in Anglo-Spanish control. Before Hood realised his

predicamentJunogroundedonashoalandshewasboardedbyFrenchofficers,butusingboatsandakedgeanchor,andwithafortunatewindshift,hequicklygotJunoouttoseaandsafety.

CommandingZealous (74) at the Battle of the Nile, Hood saw the greaterpicturefromstarttofinish.AstheyapproachedAboukirBay,hewashailedbyNelsoninVanguardastothedepthofwateraroundtheFrenchfleet.LieutenantWilliam Webley serving in Zealous reported Nelson as replying in theaffirmativetoHood’soffer tosoundandlead, takingoffhishat tohim.Hood,repliedbytakingoffhisownhat,accidentallydroppeditintotheseawhereuponHoodexclaimed,‘NevermindWebley!Thereitgoesforluck!’

ThememorialtothethreeHoodbrotherstellsSamuel’shistoryinverse.

Towards the end of the battle itwasZealous, having overcome the FrenchGuerrier (74) and engaged a number of others, which began to pursue twoundamaged French ships of the line as they got under way. Captain EdwardBerry recalled, ‘Captain Hood … handsomely endeavoured to prevent their

escape:butastherewasnootherShipinaconditiontosupporttheZealous,shewasrecalled.’

Hoodwas also an adept diplomat, a qualityNelson admired. In 1793LordHoodhad sent him to negotiate betweenTurkish forces and theFrench in theAegean.After theNile,Nelson trustedhim toworkwithTurkish andRussianforces inablockadeofAlexandria.ItwasfromAlexandria inSeptember1798thatHoodwrotetoNelsoninforminghimofanimpendinggift,a‘Hatsetwithdiamonds, indeed they saycovered, ispreparing foryouasapresent from theGrandVizier.’

OneofHood’sastonishingfeatswasin1804whilehewasCommodoreoftheLeeward Islands.HeusedCentaur (74,CaptainMurrayMaxwell) tohaul two18-poundergunstothetopofDiamondRock(a450ftpinnaclerisingsheeroutoftheseaoffMartinique).Herecognisedthestrategicimportanceofachievingwhatwasconsideredtobeimpossible;devisedawayofdoingitthroughtheuseofskilfulboat-handlinganduseofcablesstrungbetweenthetopoftherockandCentaur’smainmast;inspiredhisseamentoachieveit;andannoyedtheFrenchinPortRoyaleandBonaparteinParis.

Later, he did something similar at Madras, when he saw a party of menstruggling toplaceaheavycornerstoneandhe ‘usedacrowbarandsmall ironpinasafulcrumtolever[it]intoplace…Whentheoperationwascompleted,he…calledouttothegrinningpartybutwithinfinitegoodhumour,“There!Youhay-making,tinkering,tailoringfellows,that’sthewaytomoveastone–whenyouknowhow!”’

IntheCaribbeanin1804HoodmetandmarriedMaryMacKenzie,daughteroftheGovernorofBarbados,LordSeaforth,amanwhoseadvancedideasabouttheabolitionofslaverycreatedmanyenemiesamongtheplanters.Marywasacharacter in her own right. She toured IndiawhenHood becameGovernor ofMadrasandwasthefirstBritishwomantoshootatiger.SheandHoodhadnochildren,butMaryremarriedin1817afterhisdeathandmotheredsixchildrenandfoundedherownnavaldynasty.Whenherfatherdiedin1815sheinheritedalltheSeaforthestates,becomingchiefoftheclanMacKenzie.SirWalterScottadmiredherfor‘thespiritofthechieftainessineverydropofherblood’.In1862her coffin was followed for twentymiles by pipers andmourners to Fortrosecathedral,Cromarty.

OtherexamplesofHood’ssteadfastpursuitoftheenemyincludehisfightinVenerable (74) against the French Formidable (80) at the Second Battle ofAlgeciras;thecaptureoffourFrenchfrigatesinSeptember1805whenHoodhadhisrightelbowshatteredbyamusketballrequiringthearmtobeamputated;andthe chase and destruction of the Russian Sevelod (50) in the Baltic in 1808.

However, when George III heard about Hood’s loss of his right arm, heremarkedthat‘hewouldsoonertheFrenchkepttheirfrigatesandHoodhisarm.’ForcapturingSevelod, theKingofSwedenawardedHood theGrandCrossoftheOrderoftheSword.

Another ofHood’s qualitieswhich endearedhim to Jerviswas theprudent,honest and upright manner in which he handled resources generally, butfinancialones inparticular.His lastappointment, in1811,wasasGovernorofMadras where he reorganised and restructured affairs to make them moreeffective and economical, achieving a 30 per cent reduction in the costs ofrunningtheEastIndiescommand.

Fromhumblebeginnings,Vice-AdmiralSirSamuelHood,1stBaronet,diedatMadrasonChristmasEve1814,afterashortboutoffever.STEPHENTREGIDGO

LOUIS

ThomasLouis (1759–1807)was a good, hardworking sea officer, but it is anindication of the calibre ofNelson’s Band of Brothers that this statement hasimplicationsofordinariness.

Louisalwaysaddressedhisfatheras‘père’butJohnLouis(1720–1815)wassecretiveabouthisorigins:however, thefamilyholdthatJohnwasbornin theTuileries Palace and received his name and a small pension from the Frenchroyal family. In 1749 John Louis married a widow, Elizabeth Atkinson, andsettledatAlphingtonCrossoutsideExeter,wherehetaughtdancingandmusic.Healsogavelessons‘onceaweek,at twoguineasperyear’atOtteryStMaryGrammarSchool.LaterportraitsofThomasshowalikenesswithLouisXVthatmayhavebeenapainterlydevice.

Louis’scareeropenedquietly:from1769to1771heservedinthesloopFly(18)under theYorkshiremanCaptainMitchellGraham,andthenfrom1771to1775inSouthampton(32),Orpheus(32)andKent(74)undertheScotsCaptainJohnMacBride,aveteranoftheSevenYearsWar.AfterbriefserviceinMartin(14, Captain William Parker), off Newfoundland, Louis returned to his firstpatron,Graham,inThetis (32),andthenrejoinedMacBrideintheFrench-builtBienfaisant (64)wherehewasmade lieutenant inJuly1777.Louis’s first fleetactionwastheindecisiveandcontroversialBattleofUshantin1778.

So farLouis’snaval careerwasuneventfulbuthewasevidentlyapracticalseamanandMacBridetookhimasfirstlieutenantofBienfaisant.On8January1780 Admiral Rodney commanded a supply convoy bound for the besiegedGibraltarwhenhisfaster,copper-cladshipscapturedaSpanishconvoyoffCapeFinisterreprotectedbytheGuipuzcoana(64).WhileRodneysnappeduptherichconvoy and its smaller escorts, Bienfaisant engaged Guipuzcoana at closequartersfromdawntonoon,and,whenshehauleddownhercolours,Louiswassentacross to takepossession.Eightdays laterRodneyspotted thesailsof theSpanishCommodoreJuandeLángara’sfleet.Theensuingchaseandnight-timebattle in a howling gale and a tumbling sea became known as theMoonlightBattle.BienfaisantfirstengagedSantoDomingo(70)whichblewupearlyintheevening; though showeredwith debris, Louiswas unharmed.Bienfaisant thentookLángara’sflagshipFénix(80)whichsurrenderedabouttwointhemorning,when Louis was appointed as her prize-master. When Fénix struck her flag,Bienfaisant had smallpox on board, so MacBride unusually did not takeprisonersaboard,inordertoprotectthemfromthedisease,ontheundertakingofthe Spanish officers that theywould act as prisoners ofwar. Louis’s tact andskillasprizecaptainactuallyearnedhimtheassistanceoftheSpanishingettingthe badly damaged and renamed Phoenix into Gibraltar in foul weather, andpraisefromMacBrideinalettertoRodney.LángarawouldsubsequentlyserveasanallyoftheBritishattheSiegeofToulon.

Louis tookPhoenix toEngland,but rejoined theBienfaisant in time for thecaptureofalargeFrenchprivateerComted’Artois(60),ofwhichhewasagainmade prize-master. Coincidentally, in the following month (September),BienfaisantalsotookanotherFrenchprivateer,namedComtessed’Artois.

In1781LouiswentwithMacBride toArtois (40),aFrenchprize,andon9April he was promoted commander and appointed to a small armed vesselMackworth,convoyingtheMilford–Plymouthtrade.FifteenmonthslaterLouiswasappointed to the impress serviceatSligoandCork (stillunderMacBride)whereheraised5,000IrishmenfortheNavy.

At theendof thewarwithAmericahewaspromotedcaptain,butspent the

next ten years of peace on half pay. On 15 July 1784 he married JacquettaBelfield, daughter ofSamuelBelfield ofStokeGabriel on theDart, awealthyDevonlandowner.ThomasandJacquettahadthreedaughtersandfoursons,ofwhomtheeldest,SirJohnLouis,2ndBaronet,diedanadmiral in1863havinggonetoseawithhisfatherin1793,andthethirdsonfoughtintheRoyalHorseArtilleryatWaterloo.

When war resumed in 1793 Louis was recalled; he took command ofCumberland(74),whichhewasabletomanfullyfromvolunteers,beingheldinhigh esteem by localDevon seamen, and a year later transferred toMinotaur(74),asflagcaptaintohisfriend,nowVice-AdmiralMacBride.PriortojoiningtheMediterranean Fleet in 1796 he escorted a convoy to theWest Indies andback, during which his attentive conduct nearly cost him the customary‘compensation’fromthemerchantcaptains.Theyallthoughthewastheirfriendandwere reluctant to insult himwith a gratuity, though fortunately for Louistheyovercametheirqualms.

In1798LouisjoinedNelson’ssquadronattheNile,whereMinotaurfollowedNelson’s flagship Vanguard (74) into battle, anchoring opposite the FrenchAquilon (74), which in the smoke and confusion was unengaged and wasbattering Nelson’s flagship. Berry asked if he should shift Vanguard, butNelson’sreplywas,‘No,itisallright,Louiswillbehere.’Afteratwo-hourdueltheFrenchmansurrenderedtoLouis.BythistimeNelsonhadbeenwoundedandexpectedsoontopassaway.HecalledLouistohispresenceandsaid,‘FarewelldearLouis,IshallneverforgettheobligationIamundertoyouforyourbraveand generous conduct; and now,whatevermay become ofme,mymind is atpeace.’

In 1799Minotaur’smarines and seamenwere in action underCommodoreTroubridgeinCulloden(74)intheliberationofCivitaVecchiafromtheFrench.LouisgainedauniquedistinctioninSeptemberwhenhewasroweduptheTiberbybluejackets tohoistBritishcoloursover theCapitolineHill,andforseveralweekshewasthegovernorofRome.TheKingofNaplesgavehimtheOrderofStFerdinand,andLouiskeptapapalflagwhichheusedtoshowoffinDevon.

LouismetLordKeithwhen,aftertheaccidentalburningofhisflagship,Keithshifted his flag into Minotaur, and, under Keith, Louis took part in theamphibiousoperationsinEgyptin1801,whentheyblockadedAlexandriaandamajor invasion by British, under General Ralph Abercromby, and Ottomanarmies finallyexpelled theFrenchfromEgypt.Unfortunately forAbercromby,he found himself fatally wounded and died aboard ship a week later. LouisreturnedhomethefollowingyearatthePeaceofAmiens.

Whenthebriefpeaceendedin1803,LouiswasgivenConqueror(74)until,

onStGeorge’sDay1804,hehoistedhisflag,blueatthemizzen,inthe‘horribleold’Leopard (50)withFrancisAusten, brother of the author Jane, as his flagcaptain.LouiscommandedthefleetofsmallvesselswatchingBoulogne,whereNapoleon’sinvasionfleetwascollecting.

LouishadservedunderNelsonseveraltimesandnowin1805NelsonaskedforLouisashissecond-in-commandintheMediterranean.LouisandAusteninCanopus (80), the former FrenchFranklin taken at Aboukir, took part in thefamouschaseoftheFranco-SpanishfleettotheWestIndiesandback.

WhenNelsonreturnedtotakecommandofthefleetoffCadizinSeptember,Louisreprisedhiscommandoftheinshoresquadron.Thenon2OctoberLouis,tohisdismay,wasorderedtoGibraltarandTetuan,withsixships,toreplenishand collect stores for the fleet. ‘You are sending us away,’ he protested, ‘Theenemywillcomeout,andweshallhavenoshareinthebattle.’Nelsonreplied,‘IlookuponCanopusasmyrighthand,andIsendyoufirsttoinsureyourbeingheretohelptobeatthem.’Thenextday,LouislearnedfromaSwedishshipthattroopswereembarkingintheshipsinCadizandsohereturnedtoNelson,onlyto have his orders repeated, perhapswith some irritation and insistence. Laterthese orders were reinforced when Louis received written instructions fromNelsontoescortamerchantfleet,carryingalargesumofcash,pasttheSpanishshipsatCartagena.

Blackwood,whenhesawtheFranco-Spanishfleetcomingout,sentthesloopWeasel tofindLouisandwarnhim,whichshedidon22October.Thenon26October,WeaselsignalledtoLouis,‘Enemydefeated,butourfleetoffCadizinwantofassistance.’ButagainstcontrarywindsLouisandhissquadroncouldnotrejoin the fleetuntil30October.Theseepisodes illustrate thegoodandbad inLouis:Nelson seems to have realised hewas good at obeying orders, poor inusinghisinitiative,andheexploitedthisaspectofLouis’scharacter.

That winterCanopus sailed with Vice-Admiral Sir John Duckworth to theWest Indies, where, in a grudge match for those officers who had missedTrafalgar, they annihilated a French squadron at the Battle of St Domingo inFebruary1806;allfiveFrenchshipsofthelinewerecapturedordestroyedaftera general action lasting about an hour and a half, in which the total British‘butcher’sbill’was74deadand264wounded(ofwhichCanopussuffered8and22 respectively).Louiswas created a baronet inMarch and awarded a secondgold medal, together with an inscribed vase worth £300 and the thanks ofParliament.

Next,inNovember1806,LouisinCanopusreconnoitredthedefencesoftheDardanelles,andthreemonthslaterheledDuckworth’ssquadronupthestraitsand, a few days later, down again, having sustained huge damage from the

massiveTurkishstoneshot.Nevertheless,Louisearnedpraise forhisgallantryandcooljudgement.ThesquadronthensailedforAlexandria,whereLouiswasleft in command, but while he was there he died, on 17 May 1807, of anunidentifieddiseasecaughtintheWestIndiestheyearbefore.

Rear-Admiral Sir Thomas Louis’s body was taken to Malta, where, muchmourned,hewasinterredon8June.PETERTURNER

MILLER

RalphWillettMiller (1762–99)was born inNewYork on 24 January 1762,into a colonial society that had beenBritish for 150 years.Hismother,MariaWillett, was descended from the first English mayor of New York, ThomasWillett(1605–74),andfortheMillers,theDeclarationofIndependencein1776wasacalltotreason,nottoreason,anditdrovethemintoexile.Theirpropertywasconfiscated,buttheykepttheirhonourandsomecapital.WiththeirsonandtwodaughterstheyleftAmericaandwenttoEnglandwhereRalphwassenttotheRoyalNavalAcademyinPortsmouth.

Millerwent to sea in 1778 inArdent (64), flagship ofRear-Admiral JamesGambier, who employed him in boats against the American rebels. UnlikeNelson,who endedup in a hellishNicaraguan jungle,Miller had a goodwar,eventhoughhewaswoundedthreetimes.Hewasoneofthosepluckyladswithheart-breakingcourage,thekindthatislikelytogethimselfkilledbecauseheisalwaysvolunteeringfordangerousmissions.

Hepassedfor lieutenant in1781andjoinedTerrible (74) intimetofight intheBattle of theChesapeake.AsGeneralGeorgeWashington had understoodearlyon,navalsuperioritywas‘thebasisuponwhicheveryhopeofsuccessmustultimately depend. French seapower tipped the balance, resulting in thesurrenderofBritishforcesatYorktown.

Miller’s shipwas sobadlydamagedoffCapeHenry that shewas set alightand abandoned.Hewas appointed to the newFortitude (74), but thewarwasover.TheformercoloniesbecametheUnitedStatesofAmerica.

Aftertenyearsofpeace,Millerwentbacktoseain1793inWindsorCastle(98). He was thirty-one years old, a married man with two young daughters,havingmarriedAnne‘Nancy’Witchell,daughterofhisformerheadmasterattheRoyalNavalAcademy.Fromseahewrotevividlydetailed letters tohis fatheraboutthenewwar’seventsandhorrors.Tohisadoredwifehewroteofhisloveforherandfortheirlittlegirls:‘Kissthemathousandtimesforme.’Windsor Castle was the flagship of Vice-Admiral Phipps Cosby, third in

commandoftheMediterraneanFleetunderLordHood.InAugust1793Toulonsurrendered toHoodwho, asNelsonput it, got possessionof theFrench fleet‘without firing a shot’. The problem was keeping it, which proved to beimpossibleassoonasCaptainNapoleonBonaparteappearedinthefield.Onthenightof17December1793hisartilleryopenedfire,andhistroopseasilyroutedtheFrenchroyalists.HoodhadnochoicebuttodestroytwentyFrenchsailofthelineand thearsenal.Millervolunteeredforwhatwasdescribedasadangerousand‘verysevereservice’underthecommandofSirSidneySmith.

Millerboardeda74and lita fire that leaptoutofcontrol.Ashescrambleddown the side toescape the smoke,he fell andnearlydrowned for the second

timethatnight.AndwhatwashetodoaboutthetoweringSansCulottes(120)?Absurdtotrytoboardher,butMillerthoughtaboutit!‘Wefounditwastotallyimpracticable and, full of mortification, gave it up.’ Nelson and others weredissatisfiedwithSmith’sresults,butMillerwascommendedforajobwelldone.Hehadlongawaitedpromotionandtoldhisfatherhenowhadhopesofenoughinterest to make it happen. ‘At all events I shall enjoy the noble reward ofknowing that I have done essential good tomy country, which I have servedwith allmy heart and allmy soul.’All he gotwas a transfer to LordHood’sflagship,asVictory’sthirdlieutenant.

‘Heartandsoul’–thatwasRalphMiller,whateverheundertook,whetheritwashelpingtoejecttheFrenchfromCorsica,ortryingagainstimpossibleodds(once again) to burn a French fleet securely anchored in Gourjean Bay, orsupportingAustrian land forces trying to hold back the swarming French. By1796thewarwasthreeyearsoldandgoingwrongfortheAllies.Aftereighteenyears’ service, Miller was at last a post-captain, in command of the newlycapturedfrigateMignonne(32).

Hiscoolcourageunderfireinspiredsubordinatesandimpressedhissuperiors.Nelson,whomet himonCorsica,wantedhim for his flag captain, inCaptain(74).Miller,whoinhisportraitlooksnothinglikeacynicalcombatveteran,hadbeen in the service long enough to know that it could be a thankless job –‘nobodygenerallyhaslessinfluencewithanAdmiralthanhisCaptain’.

Asithappened,Nelsondidthankhisflagcaptainon14February1797,when‘the invincible Fifteen’, as Lady Parker called them, took on twenty-sevenSpanishships.TheBattleofCapeStVincentmighthaveendeddifferentlybutforNelson’sunexpectedtactics,whenheorderedMillertowearoutofthelinetocutofftheSpanishvan.Miller,swordinhand,wasintheactofjumpingintotheSanNicolas(80)whenNelsonorderedhimback,relegatinghimtothejobofsendingacrossmoreandmoremenasthecommodoreboardedfirstSanNicolasand thenSan Josef (120).Nelson thankedMiller andmade amends by givinghim one of two surrendered Spanish swords, as well as his own topaz anddiamondring.MillerdoesnotsaymuchaboutNelsoninhisletters,buthestayedwithhimwhenJervisaskedthemtotransferintothemutinousTheseus(74).

Inthesummerof1797AdmiralNelsoncommandedasquadronsenttoannoyCadiz.MoraleintheTheseushadsoimprovedunderhisandMiller’sleadershipthatananonymousnoteofthanksfromthecrewwasfoundonthequarterdeck.On thenightof3 July theAdmiral andMillerwereoutwithboats filledwitharmedseamen.Millerhadallhecoulddotogethismentostaytogether.‘Iwas…orderingandexhorting loudlyall theboats to followme to theEnemy,butsorry I am to say that few obeyed.’ In the darkness he fell inwith a Spanish

gunboat, at point-blank range. ‘They fired their pistols in our Faces and thenthrewthem,andevenbilletsofwood,andaTinpotatus.IhadthegoodfortunetoshoottheCommandingOfficerofher.’

Afterasecondnightattackon5July,itallseemedmoretroublethanitwasworth.ThecrewoftheTheseusdidnotperformtoMiller’ssatisfaction:theycuttows,droppedanchor toosoon,andgot lost. ‘However,bygreatexertionsandthestrongestlanguageIsoonrepairedtheevil.’OnlyonemanfromtheTheseuswas killed and, as often happens, hewas one of the good ones. ‘I lost a fineyoungman,theStrokesmanofmyboat,whoreceivedagrapeshotthroughhishead.’Assoonastheattackbrokeoff,‘Ihadtwo18poundshottiedtothebody,andwhenreadytoburyitImadethecrewlaytheiroarsacross,andeach,bymyexample,utteringanemphatic“Godblesshim”wecommittedhisremainstothedeep, few have prayers equally sincere said over them – the observations ofsome of my people gave me an opportunity of inculcating the necessity ofReligion,moralityandsobrietywithoutseemingtointendit.’

Miller andhismenwearily regained theTheseus at breakfast time the nextmorning. ‘Gaveorders formypoor fellows tohave theirhammocksdown, setthem to their breakfasts and thenwent to bedmyself… I took some tea andbread and butter in bed, then returning thanks to the Almighty Father whoseprovidence had preservedme, full of thoughts of my beloved Nancy andmychildrenandcompletelysatisfiedwiththepartIhadacted,IresignedmyselftothedownyarmsofSleep.’

On 6 July 1797 Betsey Fremantle recorded the last word about the Cadizoperation in her diary: ‘Admiral Nelson, Captains Miller, Martin and Foleydinedwithus.TheAdmiral[Jervis]wrotethatthisbombardmentmustbegivenover,ThankGod,itwassacrificingmenfornothing.’

The necessity for greater sacrifice soon came.Within ten daysNelson hadassembledapickedsquadrontoattackandtaketheSpanishtownofSantaCruzdeTenerife.Hehadwithhimthreeshipsoftheline,afourth-rate,threefrigatesandtheFoxcutter–aconsiderableforce.Theywereintendedforanambitiousamphibious operation, a complicated surprise attack that would require near-perfecttimingandsomeluck.Nelsonmeanttocapturethetownandarumouredtreasureship.Ifmutinywerestillintheair,thepossibilityofprize-moneywouldnotgoamiss.AccordingtoBetseyFremantle,thecrewoftheTheseuswasstillunruly,‘themosttiresomenoisymutinouspeopleintheworld,theyannoyedmeamazingly,andFremantlestillmore’.

Nelson made three attempts on Tenerife, in all of which Miller played aprominent part. Through inaccurate intelligence and failure to reconnoitre, asurprisedawnattackon21JulyfailedandinsteadfatallyalertedtheSpanishto

theirdanger.On23JulyMiller landednear thetownand‘madeaforcedmarchorrather

scrambleupatremendoushillwithoutapathandfullofrocksandloosestones;whenwe got to the Top excessively fatigued… [t]ired aswewere, we gavethreecheerstoencourageanddirectourfriendsthatwerefollowingus.’Itwasno use. ‘Hunger, thirst, fatigue and sickness, Enemies too powerful for thebravestmen, imperiously forcedus…Abouthalf anhourbefore sunset… towithdraw.’ Always looking for a way to save a bad situation,Miller stoppedhalfwaydown,atapointwherehethoughthemightbeabletoestablish‘averygoodreconnoitringpost’but‘itwasbecomingsodarkthatmyeyes,atbestnotstrong,would soonbe scarce able to discoverwhere I could setmy footwithsafety’.Hecaughtupwithtwomenandfollowedthemdown,whereuponhewassogratefulthathegavethem‘anewcrownIhadinmypocket’.By8pmhewasbackontheSeahorse,wherehe‘drankthreecupsofteaasfastaspossible,oneafter another andate somebread andbutter,whichexcept threemouth-fulsofTonguejustonleavingthehillandafewgrapes,wasallIhadeatensinceIhadleft theship.Icouldhavehadplentybutdidnotchusetoeatwhilemypeoplewerestarving.’

Nelsonrefused togiveupandon thenightof24Julyhepersonally led theassault.BeforelaunchingthemenfromtheTheseus,Millerinspectedthemand‘saw that all were perfectly sober and said a fewwords of encouragement tothem, and cautioned against straggling, plundering or injuring any person notfoundinarms’.

In the chaos of that night, Miller met Captains Thomas Troubridge andSamuelHood,andotherofficers,neardawn,inthetowncentre.ButwherewasNelson?Theconsensuswasthathemustbedead.Itwasclearthattheymustgetthemselves‘outofaveryseriousscrape,forwefoundourselveswith350men,illcalculatedforshoreservice,almostwithoutammunitionandtotallydestituteofprovisions andwater, in a considerable townentirely strange tous,with asmanythousandsinarmsagainstusaswecountedhundreds,andcrowdscomingin, We had every reason to fear the Admiral, Capns Bowen, Fremantle andThompsonkilled…andwehadareportthattheFox,withourcorpsofreserveandsuppliesofammunition,wassunk…that theboatsbeingall lostwewerecutofffromthepossibilityofreceivingmoremenfromtheships.’

Thesolutionwassheerbravadoandbluff:theBritishthreatenedtoburndownthetownunlesstheywereallowedtore-embark.TheSpaniardsweredisinclinedtoriskacounter-attack.Miller,TroubridgeandHood‘wentasGentlementopayourrespects totheGovernorfromwhomwehadreceivedaninvitationtodinewhich itwas impossible to accept…Heofferedus every sortof refreshment,

butwetookonlysomeicedlemonadeandcakes,andmostwelcomeitwastous,as wewere parchedwith heat and thirst, and the dirt on our wet clothes hadform’daperfectcrust.’Howextraordinarytotakelemonadeandcake,inafilthyuniform, with the governor of the enemy stronghold you have just failed tocapture. ‘The very genteel respectable old man,’ as Miller describes him,succouredtheEnglishwoundedandquicklypackedthemofftheisland.

Whenhelaterwroteabouttheassault,Millerwasnothappywiththeconductofmanyseamenwhohadrefusedtofollowhisleadduringthedesperateattempttoforcethecitadel.Forgivinglyhewrotethathewas‘notsurprized’that‘menunassistedbythehighsenseofhonour,andthatrationalcouragewhichcausesofficerstopreferdeathtoshame,should[have]asabodybehavedindifferentlythroughthenight.’Therewerethose,headded,whoconductedthemselveswith‘greatintrepidity’.

The expedition ended in grief for those who were killed and for theamputation that might end Nelson’s career. He returned to England withFremantleintheSeahorse,bothnursedbyBetseyFremantle,whowasherselfillwith morning sickness. Captain Miller remained in command of Theseus, inwhichhereturnedtotheblockadeofCadiz.

WhenNelson returned to theMediterranean inVanguard inApril 1798 theEarl of St Vincent, gave him the most important detached command of hiscareer.HisordersweretofindanddestroytheFrenchfleetwhosepurposewasto convoy an armycommandedbyBonaparte.Wherever itwasgoing,Nelsonandhis fourteen74s, includingMiller inTheseus,wereordered to intercept it.TheFrenchwerefoundinAboukirBay.

In a letter to his wifeMiller described the attack of 1–2August 1798. Hewanted her to feel like an eyewitness and to imagine the battle ‘raging in allmagnificent,awful,andhorrificgrandeur’.Millerhadrequested‘thehonourofleadingtheFleetintoBattle’,butNelsonorderedtheTheseustofollowZealousandGoliathastheyrandowntheanchoredFrenchline.

Miller’saccountexplainswhyBritishgunnerywasdeadly.‘InrunningalongtheEnemy’sline…Iobservedtheirshotsweepjustoverus,andknowingwellthat at such amomentFrenchmenwould not have coolness enough to changetheirelevation,Iclosedthemsuddenly,and,runningunderthearchoftheirshot,reservedmyfire…untilIhadtheGuerrier’smastsinaline…Wethenopenedwithsucheffect, thatasecondbreathcouldnotbedrawnbeforehermainandmizzenmastwerealsogone.’Thishappened‘preciselyatsun-set’,readNancyMillerinherhusband’smeticulousdescriptionofBritishgunneryrippingapartFrenchships,untiljustbeforemidnight,whentheFrenchflagshipOrient(120)blew up. The crew of the Theseus began to cheer, but Miller stopped them,

althoughheadmittedthat‘myheartscarcefeltapangfortheirfate.’Hehadseen‘numerousandhorridatrocities’committedbyBonaparte’sarmyatToulonfiveyearsbefore,anddidnotpitytheseamenofrepublicanFrance,whichhecalledan‘unprincipledandblood-thirstyNation’.Theseussustainedheavydamagetomastsandrigging,andmorethaneighty

largeshothadhitthehull.Itwasastonishingthattheycountednomorethansixmenkilledandthirty-onewounded.AftersomanymenfromtheTheseusweredrownedwhen theFox sank at SantaCruz,Miller felt that ‘Providence, in itsgoodness’hadsparedthem.Whenindaylightthebattlewasover,itwassafetostanddown and take in the enormity of victory.Miller personally thankedhisofficersandship’scompany‘fortheirgallantryandgoodconduct’.ThecrewofTheseus,previouslymutinous,hadprovedthemselvesinbattleonthegreatday.

TheBandofBrothersquicklybecametheEgyptianClubandpledgedasumforaswordtogiveNelson.Theadmiralhimselfgavehisformerflagcaptainthegreatest reward of all: leave to go home. Miller was overjoyed that Nelson,unasked,hadthoughtofit,andhadsaid‘thataftersomanyservicestothepublicIowedittomyselftopursuemyownhappiness’.

MillerleftwithagroupofprizesboundforEngland,butatGibraltarwassentbacktotheLevanttojoinSirSidneySmith,whohadaskedforhim.Bonapartestillhadanarmywithwhichtoattemptmoreconquests,andMiller’shelpwasneededatAcre.

ThereMillerbeganthehazardouspracticeofpickingupunexplodedFrenchordnance,whichwas thenmodifiedandfiredbackat theenemy.According tohisfirstlieutenant,on14May1799‘twenty36-pounderhowitzershellsandfifty18-poundershellshadbeengotupandpreparedforservicebyCaptainMiller’sorder’. At 9.30am the ammunition on deck exploded, engulfing Theseus inflames.Amongthetwenty-ninedeadwastheship’scaptain.Hewasthirty-sevenyearsold.

Paidforbyhiscompanionsinvictory,MilleriscrownedwiththelaurelsoftheBattlesofStVincentandtheNile.

InhiswillMiller lefteverythinghehad tohiswifeand twodaughters.Theheirloomsofhishousewere fewbutpriceless: ‘[T]heGoldMedal sentmebymy Sovereign in consequence of the defeat of the Spanish Fleet, on the 14thFebruary, 1797, the Spanish sword taken that day, the Ring given me by

CommodoreNelsonontheoccasion,andmyownsword,whichthankHeaven!hasneverbeendrawninaprivatequarrel.’

CaptainRalphWillettMiller,American-born butBritish by choice, died inthe service of his King and was forever mourned by his fellow captains atAboukir,whocommissionedamonumenttohismemoryinStPaul’sCathedral.SUSANKSMITH

PEYTON

John Goodwin Gregory Peyton (1752–1809) was born at Wakehurst,Ardingly,Sussex,oneofatleastfivegenerationsofPeytonswhoservedintheRoyal Navy; his grandfather, father and brother also became admirals. His

family’s naval history is extensive but his own service is obscure, and thoughthereareseveralsightingsofhimintheyearsbeforetheNile,someauthorshaveconflatedthePeytons.

Mostprobablyhewasenteredon thebooksofhis father’s ship, the formerFrenchEast IndiamanBelleisle (64) in1766.Hewasmade lieutenant in1772,and,stillunderhisfather,sawtheopeningmovesoftheAmericanWar,andtheMoonlight Battle in 1780 in Cumberland (74). By March 1782 he was incommandofKite (12),whenhe tooktheprivateerFantasqueoffDunkirk.Hiscommissionaspost-captain isdated thedayhisnextcommand,Carnatic (74),was launched at Deptford, 21 January 1783. Two more commands followed,Seahorse(38)andCeres(32)beforehetookuphismostfamousship,Defence(74).

PeytontravelledinthesamecoachasFannyNelson,beforejoiningNelsoninVanguardforpassageouttotheMediterranean,Nelsonwritingtohiswifeon1April1798:‘ACaptainPeyton,afellow-travellerofyours, isapassengerwithme,[who]isgoingtotheDefence.’ThevoyagegaveNelsontheopportunitytoassessPeyton’scharacterandmayexplainwhy,despitePeyton’sfifteenyears’seniority,hewasnotsummonedtotheflagshiptobeconsultedduringthechasetotheeastinsearchofBonaparte’sfleet.

Intheeighteenthandnineteenthcenturyportraitsofcoupleswerefrequent,butinthetwentiethcenturymuseumcuratorswouldonlyacceptfortheircollectionsthemalehalvesofthesepairs,andthusmanandwifeweredivorcedindeath.However,theportraitsofJohnandSusannaPeytonhavesurvived,inprivate

hands,acrossthecenturies.

Hisship’scompanyinDefencehadoneof the longestsick lists inNelson’sfleet,sufferingfromintermittentfeversandsorethroats,besidesthescurvyandulcerswhichwere commonplace.Defence herself, nearly thirty years old,waswornoutandneededarefit,andPeytonhimselffellill.HewrotetoNelsonon3July1798:‘Therapiddeclineofmyhealthandbodilystrengthissuchtoplacemeinthemostuncomfortablesituationinlookingtothelongcontinuanceofthehot weather that must take place. I feel but too strongly its operation on myconstitutionwillmakeitveryunjustifiableinretainingasituationIshallnotbe

equalto.’Notwithstandingthewretchedconditionofhercaptain,crewandthecarcase

ofDefence, at the Battle of the Nile, Peyton commanded his ship with goodsenseandcourageandsheacquittedherselfwell.At7pmshecommencedaslowand terrible duel with Peuple Souverain which lasted three hours before heropponentwascompletelydismasted.Defencelostherfore-topmastoverthesidebuta fewminutes later,Peytonveeredouthissheetanchor inorder toengageFranklin.WarnerwroteofPeyton’saction.‘Notamomentwaslost;notabreakforrecovery.ItisnowonderthattheBandofBrotherswereinvincible.’

Nelson’soriginaldispatchesandthreebagsofthefleet’smailwerelostwhenthevesselcarryingthemwascaptured,andfewfirst-handaccountsofthebattlehavesurvived,soPeyton’ssecondletterdescribingtheaftermathofthebattleisunique:DefenceofftheNileAugust13th1798

MyeverDearLoveI wrote you by the Leander who sailed from hence the 6th instant with theAdmirals dispatches since which we have been busily employed refitting ourown ships& prizes. Tomorrowwe shall sail &make the best of our way toGibraltarorLisbon–& I shouldhopeultimately toEngland–at any ratemyownDearSusan,weshallbebettersituatedtohearfromeachother–nosmallcomfort to both parties – I havemy fears youwill hear of our action throughFrancebeforetheLeandercanprobablyarriveinEngland&thatinconsequenceyouaswellasmanyotherswillbekeptforsometimeinastateofanxiety.ThemoreI thinkofourvictory,&itsconsequences themoreIamgratified–&ifBonaparteshouldfailinhisexpedition–whichwehereflatterourselveshemay–Ibelievepeacenotveryfardistant…The3frigates,Alcmene&Emerald&Bonne Citoyenne that have been looking for us these two months are nowcoming in – truly mortified they must be – in not meeting us until after theaction. Ihope tohave John todinewithme. I think theCaptainswillget twothousandpoundsperhapsmoreifourprizesallgettoEngland.TheEmeraldhasjustpassedus&gonetoendeavourtofreeoneoftheprizesthatisagroundsothatIfearIshallnotseeJohn.ImustsendthistoCapt.Capelwholeavesusthisafternoon…

Believemeeveryourfaithfulaffectionatehusband

JohnPeytonP.S.Ifindmyselfastoutermansincetheaction,anothersuchwouldmakemeafineyoungfellow.Godblessyou.

ThereferencetoJohnis tohisnephewJohnStruttPeyton,amidshipmaninthefrigateEmerald.

Peytonhadmarriedawidow,SusannaGurnell, in1793.Whenhe retired in1800 he bought the house and extensive grounds of Priestlands, Lymington,which is now a school. Rear-Admiral John Peyton died on 2 August 1809;unfortunatelythememorialtohiminAllSaintsChurch,Milford-onSea,isinasadstateofrepair.KENFLEMMING

Peyton’smemorialhasnotsurvivedsowell,buttheMilfordonSeaHistoricalRecordSociety,inconjunctionwiththe1805Club,hopestorestoreitinAllSaints’Church,MilfordonSea.

SAUMAREZ

James de Saumarez (1757–1836)was the third son ofMatthewSaumarez, aretirednavalsurgeon inStPeterPort,Guernsey,an islandfivebysevenmileswithapopulationinthe1800sofaround20,000,wheretheSaumarezfamilygobacktoatleastthethirteenthcentury.

HenrydeSausmarez(thespellinghaschangedoverthecenturies)inventedadeviceformeasuringdistanceatsea,whichwassubmittedtoSirIsaacNewton,

whoreferredittoTrinityHousebecausehe‘hadnoexperienceinseaaffairs,noreverwas at sea’.Henry alsopublished a chart of theChannel Islands in1727making a particular reference to the dangers of theCasquets. Two of James’suncles, Philip and Thomas, served under Anson on the 1740–44circumnavigation when the Spanish treasure galleon Nuestra Señora deCovadongawascaptured.AscaptainofNottingham(60)PhiliptooktheFrenchshipMars(64)in1746butwaskilledthefollowingyearattheSecondBattleofFinisterre:thereisamonumenttohiminWestminsterAbbey.In1758Thomas,inAntelope(54),capturedtheFrenchBelliqueux(60)whichwasthentakenintotheNavywithThomasashercommander.

Aged ten, James Saumarez was put on the books of Solebay spending theyearsinEnglandtoimprovehisEnglish.In1770hejoinedthefrigateMontrealsailing for the easternMediterraneanwhere Britishmerchant shipping neededprotectionduring theTurkish-Russianwar.He later served inWinchelsea (32)andLevant(28),returningtoEnglandin1775.

He passed for lieutenant in 1778 and joined Sir Peter Parker’s flagship,Bristol(50),whichsailedforAmericawithtroopreinforcementsforCornwallisduringtheAmericanWarofIndependence:heturneddowntheofferofanArmycommissionasaide-de-camptothegeneral.

Saumarez’sfirsttasteofactionwasattheSiegeofCharlestonin1776,whenhesawseveralofhisguncrewkilledaswellasafellowmidshipman,towhomhewastalking,havinghisheadcarriedoffbyacannonball.Hewascommendedfor his courage and initiative and, promoted to lieutenant, received his firstcommand,agalleycalledSpitfire.NelsonjoinedBristolinSaumarez’swake.

ThisplaqueonthewalloftheTownHallinGothenburgatteststothehighesteeminwhichtheSwedesheldSaumarez:‘Ourtownandourcountry’sfriendinwarandpeace’.

VictoryleavingtheSwedishnavalbaseofKarlskronain1809,escortedbytheSwedish64-gunDristigheten(Audacity).

BackinEnglandSaumarezservedinVictory(1778–81)andinthesummerof1781hevisitedtheBalticfor thefirst timeinFortitude (74),flagshipofVice-AdmiralHydeParker.

At dawn on 5 August 1781 the British and Dutch fleets met over DoggerBankandanintensefightatclosequarterslastedthreehours.Thoughthereweremanycasualties,itwasanindecisivebattle,buttheDutchfleettooknorealpartin the restof thewar.Saumarez’s rewardwas tobepresented to theKingandgiven command of the copper-bottomed, fast-sailing fireship Tisiphone,mountingeight12-pounderswithacrewoffifty-five.SaumarezwasattachedtoRear-AdmiralRichardKempenfelt’sChannelFleetwhenon12December1781hesightedanenemyconvoy,witha strongescortdownwindof the transports.Kempenfelt took fifteen sail, while the French ships of the line watchedhelplessly, and Tisiphone took a 36-gun frigate in an action lasting twentyminutes–Saumarez’sfirstvictoryasacommander.

Next,orderedtotheCaribbean,SaumarezmettwoFrench74sbutbycleversignalling he managed to deceive them and escape, sailing a narrow anduncharted channel betweenNevis andStKitts, a ploy hewould use again off

Guernseylater.Saumarezwasorderedtotakeurgentdespatcheshome,whichwouldprobably

have led to his promotion, but instead he reached captain’s rank in February1782whenheexchangedplaceswith thesickcaptainofRussell (74)whowasanxious to be inEngland.He foundRussell amutinous, shot-rolling ship, butsoon formed the crew into awell-motivated, disciplined and effective fightingforce.

AlargeFrenchfleethadgatheredintheWestIndieswheretheBritish,nowunderGeorgeRodney,caughtupwiththembetweenDominicaandGuadeloupe.The fleets approached on opposite tacks and when the wind veered, Rodneyluffed,asdidothers.AfterrunninguptheFrenchline,Russellworeroundbeforere-enteringthebattleandSaumarezfoundhimselfupwindoftheFrench,tothepleasureandsurpriseofRodneywhothusbroketheFrenchline.Russellwasoneof the ships which fiercely engaged the Ville de Paris, Comte de Grasse’sflagship,which struck and became the first first-rate flagship ever captured inbattle.RodneypraisedSaumarezforhiseffortsattheBattleoftheSaintes.

SaumarezspeedilyrepairedRussellandescortedamerchantconvoybacktoEngland.Thereherewardedhiscrewfortheirloyalty:theyhadbeendraftedenbloctosailtotheEastIndies,butSaumarezsawthisasunfair,hisprotestswereheard,andthecrewwerepaidoff.

TheTreaty ofVersailles of 1783 heralded a decade of peace duringwhichSaumarez was presented to Louis XVI, who was in Cherbourg for theceremonialopeningof thenewharbour.Saumarezalso tooktheopportunity tomarry his first cousin, Martha, to whom he was a devout, loyal and lovinghusbandhiswholelife,correspondingnearlydailywhenapart.

Ontherenewalofwarin1793SaumarezwasgivencommandofthefrigateCrescent (36) in Rear-AdmiralHyde Parker’s Channel Fleet, and there on 20OctoberCrescentfellinwiththeFrenchfrigateReunionoffBarfleur.Crescent’screw sufferedonebroken leg,while theFrenchhadover a thirdof their crewkilled orwounded, and struck after just over two hours’ fighting: Saumarez’svictoryearnedhimaknighthood.

On 8 June 1794, Saumarez sailed from Plymouth with a small squadronescortingmerchantvessels toGuernseywhenhewas interceptedbyasuperiorFrenchsquadron.HedrewtheFrenchfire,allowingthemerchantmentoreturntoEnglandandtherestofhissquadrontorunforStPeterPort.Then,aidedbyaGuernseypilot,heescapedthroughanarrowpassagebetweenreefsoffthewestcoast.SaumarezpersuadedtheAdmiraltytorewardthepilot,JeanBreton,with£100.

InMarch1795SaumarezwasgivencommandofOrion(74)intheChannel

Fleet now under Lord Bridport (Alexander Hood), andmany of his old crewfromCrescent transferred with him. His first action was a chase of a Frenchsquadron off Île deGroix in June 1795,when the recently refitted and clean-bottomedOrionledandfiredthefirstbroadside,buttheFrenchwereinnomoodfor an action and ran for Lorient leaving behind three ships. Later that yearOrion was part of the landings in France at St-Nazaire, but the counter-revolution was unsuccessful and the remains of the invading army had to beevacuated.

At theBattle ofCape StVincent on 14 February 1797,Orion engaged theSalvador del Mundo (112), which struck to Saumarez after an hour’s fiercefighting,and thenheengaged theSantísimaTrinidad (130),whichalsostruck.However, before Saumarez could take possession, Jervis recalled his fleet todefend Nelson’s prizes (won by Nelson’s patent bridge) and thus deprivedSaumarezofthegloryoftakingtwofirst-rateswithoutabridge.

When the Great Mutiny spread through the Navy, Jervis (now Earl StVincent) dealtwithmutineers severely.Onemutineerwas placed in chains inOrion prior to execution, but Saumarez persuaded StVincent to commute thesentence.The savedman returnedSaumarez’s trust as the captain of a gun inOrionattheNileandthenbyshoringupPeupleSouverainbelowthewaterlineaftershestruck.ThroughouthiscareerSaumarezdislikedseverepunishmentandneverwatched floggings. In another instanceofhishumanity,whenSaumarezwas ordered to cut out some gunships guarding the entrance to Cadiz butsuspectedatrap,hepickedonlyunmarriedmentofollowhim.

When the Frenchmassed troops and a large fleet at Toulon, Saumarez andAlexanderBallweredispatchedunderNelson into theMediterranean togatherintelligence. They discovered that the French had sailed from Toulon, andNelson, reinforcedwithmore ships of the linewidened their search.GuessingthattheFrenchwereheadedforEgypt,theBritishovertooktheFrenchwithoutseeingthem,buteventuallyontheafternoonof1AugusttheyfoundtheFrenchinAboukirBay.

Technically, the fleets were fairly evenly matched but the ensuing battleshowed how well-trained, skilled and highly motivated the original Band ofBrotherswere.

At 5pm Nelson signalled to attack the van and centre of the French line.Goliath saw a gap at the head of the French line and led five sail, includingOrion,inshoretoengagetheFrenchfromthelandwardside,whiletherestoftheBritish engaged from the seaward side. The French had expected neither theactioncommencingsolateintheafternoonnorbeingattackedfrombothsides.The French frigate Sérieuse, against the conventions of navalwar, fired upon

Orion,whichreturnedfireandsankherwithonebroadside.Saumarez,togetherwithDefence,engagedFranklinandPeupleSouverain.At9pmfirewasseenontheFrenchflagshipOrientandasitspreadbothFrenchandBritishceasedfiringand prepared for the inevitable detonation, which destroyed Orient and washeard inAlexandria.Meanwhile,Peuple Souverain cut her anchor and driftedoutoftheaction,andFranklinstruckaftermidnight.OnhearingthatNelsonwaswounded,Saumarez,assecond-in-command,signalledtothosethatcouldtoslipanchorandlendassistancetothosestillfighting.

Itwasagreatvictory:someninethousandFrenchmenwerekilled,wounded,ortakenprisonercomparedwiththeBritishbutcher’sbillofaboutninehundred,and Bonaparte and his army were stranded in Egypt. Nelson’s captains, theoriginalBandofBrothers,formedtheEgyptianClubandcommissionedagoldcrocodile-hiltedswordtopresenttoNelson.

In1799–1800Saumarezcommanded theblockadeofBrest, and in1801hewassenttotheMediterraneantofrustrateFrenchplansforarenewedcampaignin the east. There in onemonth he fought two battles.On 6 July 1801 at theBattleofAlgecirasheattackedaFrenchsquadronatanchorunderalineofforts;thefightendedindecisivelybuthisshipswerebadlydamaged.JustsixdayslaterhisshipswererefittedandintheBattleoftheGutSaumarezgavechasetotheFrenchshipsandanescortingsquadronofSpaniards. In lightwindsSaumarezorderedageneralchase,andinthenighttheSpaniardsmistooktheirownshipsfor the enemy, two collided andbothblewup.Nelson’smaiden speech in theHouseofLordsstartedwithhispraiseofSaumarez’svictory.

After the breakdown of the Peace of Amiens, Saumarez once morecommanded the Guernsey station, taking several French prizes and raidingGranville to destroy the invasion bargeswhichwere being gathered there.Hewas also in regular and friendly correspondence with Nelson, and received aletter from Nelson dated 18 October 1805 thanking him for wine, fruit andnewspaperssentfromGuernsey.ThismusthavebeeninthefinalbatchofletterseversentbyNelson.

In1807SaumarezagainblockadedBrest,butinMarch1808hewasorderedto theBaltic. The political situation therewas very complicated and the tradewhich Saumarez was sent to protect was vital to Britain and importanteconomicallytoSweden.HespentfiveyearsintheBaltic,returningtoEnglandin the winters escorting the merchant fleets which had assembled at Wingo(Vinga) off Gothenburg and at Hanö outside the Swedish naval base ofKarlskrona.

SaumarezblockadedtheRussianfleetinRogervick,decidingnottoattackasitmighthavealienatedtheTsarwhowasbecomingdistrustfulofBonaparte,and

whenRussia forced a peace onSweden in 1809, underwhichSwedenwas tostopalltradewithBritainanddeclarewar,Saumarezplayedtheskilfuldiplomat.When in 1810, one of Napoleon’s marshals, Jean-Baptiste Bernadotte, wasselectedasheirapparenttotheSwedishthrone,Saumarezhadbuiltupasoundunderstanding of the complex politics of the region. Although Britain wastechnicallyatwarwithSweden,hegavefreepassage toSwedishshippingandthenewSwedishprince.

Saumarez’stimeintheBalticisbestsummarisedinaletterfromtheSwedishBaronPlaten:Youhavebeentheguardianangelofmycountry;byyourwise, temperateandloyalconductyouhavebeenthefirstcauseoftheplanswhichhavebeenformedagainst the Demon of the Continent… You were the first cause that RussiadaredmakewaragainstFrance;hadyou firedoneshotwhenwedeclaredwaragainstEnglandallhadbeenended,andEuropewouldhavebeenenslaved.

Saumarez, by his considered understanding of a volatile and complicatedsituation,onhisowninitiative,usingrestraintratherthanballandpowder,anddiplomacy rather than broadsides, had saved many lives, and shortened thelengthofthewar.SwedenconferredonSaumareztheGrandCrossoftheOrderoftheSword,togetherwithabeautifulandvaluablediamond-encrustedsword,andinNovember1812hereturnedtoEnglandandstruckhisflag.Thiswashis,andVictory’s, lastvoyageinactiveservice.Saumarezisstill rememberedwithaffectioninSweden,withaplaquetohismemoryonthewallofthetownhallinGothenburg.

In1831,followingtheaccessionofWilliamIV,Saumarezwasennobled.Saumarez’scharitableworksafterhisretirementwereaimedatcausesdearto

himself,givingconsiderablesumstowardseducationinGuernsey(especiallyinhelpingtoestablishseparateschoolsforgirls),Sundayschools,theBibleSocietyand for the relief of the poor of Guernsey. He also gave time and money tobuildinganAnglicanChurchfortheEnglishspeakersoftheislandandwasalsoinstrumentalintheformationoftheGuernseySavingsBank.

AdmiralBarondeSaumarez,GCB,diedathomeon9October1836.Hewasburied in theCastel churchyard, attended by an estimated 1,000 of his fellowislanders.A99ftobeliskwaserected tohishonour inGuernsey–sadlypulleddown by the Germans during their occupation in the Second World War.Saumarezwasa loving,caringhusbandandfather,amanwhoput loyaltyandduty second only to devotion and trust in the Almighty. He was daring andcourageous,butalsofair-minded,andcompassionate;hecouldshowself-controlandpatiencewhentheneedarose.Allthesetraitsmadehiscrewstrustandwanttofollowhim,andmadehimsuchasuccessfuldiplomatintheBaltic.

LORDDESAUMAREZ

THOMPSON

ThomasBouldenThompson(1766–1828)wasalmostcertainly the love-child

ofSarahBouldenofBarham,Kent(andthusaneighbourofCharlesMiddleton),andEdward‘Poet’Thompson(c.1738–86),bonvivant,author,playwrightanderstwhilenavalofficer.

YoungThomaswenttoseain1778inhisfather’sshipHyaena(24),whenheadded Thompson to his name, and where his father ensured he had decentschoolingand thathis ‘spirit,vigourandability’werenurtured. In1779fatherand son returned with a convoy from the West Indies, and in 1780 theywitnessed the Moonlight Battle and the relief of Gibraltar under AdmiralRodney. In 1781Thompsonwas sent to take control of theDutch colonies atDemerara and Essequibo, and in 1782 he promoted his son to lieutenant sixweeksbeforehissixteenthbirthday.

When Hyaena reached Barbados, Thompson found that Rodney was inEnglandandhis second-in-command,SamuelHood,was inNewYorkandhetookituponhimselftoescortaconvoyhome.InhisabsencetheFrenchcapturedGuianaandhewasthentriedbycourt-martial,forhavinglefthisstationwithoutorders, but acquitted. Instead, in 1783 Edward Thompson was appointed toGrampus(50)ascommodoreofasquadronoffWestAfrica,andtherehediedin1786, having ensured that Thomas would be promoted to commandNautilus(16),whichhebroughthomein1787andwentonhalfpay.

Sunseton1August1798:theBritishfleetentersAboukirBaytoattacktheFrenchfleetatanchor.Nelson’sflagship,Vanguard,fliesthesignalforcloseaction;theFrenchflagshipfliesthesignaltorecallmenfrom

theshore,RobertDodd(1748-1815).

Thompson’smonumentintheRoyalNavyCemeteryinthegroundsofDevonportHouse,Greenwich.

INSET:Theinscriptionrecordshisnaval,AdmiraltyandparliamentarycareerbeforebecomingtreasurerofGreenwichHospital.

Although advanced to post rank on 22 November 1790, Thompson wasunemployed until late in 1796, when he was appointed to Leander (50) andjoined Lord St Vincent off Cadiz in the spring of 1797. His friendship withNelson started when he was detached in Nelson’s flotilla for the attack onTenerife.TherehewasintheboatswhichwithNelsonattemptedtolandonthemole at Santa Cruz, and he too was wounded in the arm. Thompson left noreminiscence of the event, but the British had thought the attack would be apush-over,andonemaysuppose thathefelt thedefeatkeenly.Nevertheless inthe school of hard knocks, Tenerife, where Nelson, Fremantle, Hood,Miller,Troubridge, and Thompson first fought together, was an important step inestablishingtheBandofBrothers.

Thompsonremainedonstation,whileNelsonwenthometorecoverfromtheloss of his arm. When in February 1798 Nelson, restored to health, led theBritish return to theMediterraneanafteranabsenceofoverayear,Thompsonwas sent to join him. In June 1798, east of Malta, Thompson reported four

strange sail. These were the outriders of the French fleet, Nelson who wasconcernednot toscatterhisownfleet, recalledThompsonand thusmissed theopportunity to meet Bonaparte at sea and possibly to change the course ofhistory.

IntheopeningphaseoftheBattleoftheNileLeanderandMutine(16)triedto assist Troubridge’sCulloden but were ordered away to join Nelson in thebattle. Leander was not a ship of the line but by squeezing between PeupleSouverain (74)andFranklin (84)shewasable torake these twoFrenchships,andtogetafewshotsintoOrient(118),withoutsustainingtoomuchreciprocaldamage.AfterthebattleNelsonorderedThompsontocarryBerryhomewithhisdispatches.Thevoyageendedbadlywhen,on18August,LeanderencounteredtheFrenchshipGénéreux (74),oneof the twoescapees fromtheBattleof theNile,and,unabletoout-sailher,resistedcaptureforsixandahalfhours.Attheend Leander was a dismasted hulk and had been reduced to firing crowbars,nailsandotherlangrage,andneithershiphadaboatleft.TheFrenchmenhadtoswim to Leander in order to carry out their usual depredations against theBritish,eventryingtotakethesurgeon’sinstrumentswhilehewasoperatingonBerry. The French captain told him (as reported in the Naval Chronicle),‘J’ensuisfâché,maislefaitestquelesFrançoissontbonsaupillage.’ThompsonandBerrywereseverelywoundedandtheircaptorschivalrouslyallowedthemtoreturnoverlandtoEngland.

At Thompson’s court-martial for the loss of his ship he was acquitted andpraised for his ‘gallant and almost unprecedented’ defence ofLeander againstsuchasuperiorforce.Thompsonwasknightedin1799andawardedapensionof£200perannum.InthesameyearhemarriedAnneRaikes,daughterofRobertRaikesofGloucester,thefounderoftheSundaySchoolmovement.

NextThompsonwasgivencommandofBellona(74),inwhichhejoinedtheblockadingfleetoffBrestunderLordBridport.Aftertwoyearsofthisdrudgery,Bellona joined Hyde Parker’s expedition to the Baltic and was in Nelson’ssquadron for the attack onCopenhagen.Bellona did notmake her designatedstation but stuck fast on theMiddleGroundwithin range of the enemy, fromwhereshewasabletoplaylongbowlsagainstthedistantDanessufficientlywellfor Nelson to mention in his report Thompson’s ‘great service’. She sufferedelevendeadandsixty-threewounded, includingThompsonwho losta leg toaroundshotwhenhewasstandingonaquarterdeckguntogetabetterview:laterhisonly formofexercisewasonhorseback,whichdidnothing to forestall theonsetofcorpulence.

UponhisreturntoEnglandThompson’spensionwasraisedto£500(andto£700in1815)andhislastcommandwastheroyalyachtMary(6).In1806–16

hewasComptrolleroftheNavy,andafterwardstreasurerofGreenwichHospitalanddirectoroftheChathamChest.

Hewaselevatedtothebaronetcyin1806,becamerear-admiralin1809,vice-admiralin1814,KCBin1815,andGCBin1822.FromMay1807toJune1816he was a Tory MP for Rochester, Kent; he voted against criminal law andparliamentaryreform,andagainstRomanCatholicemancipation,butsupportedChristianmissionstoIndia.

Vice-Admiral SirThomasBouldenThompsondied at home atHartsbourneManorPlace,Hertfordshirein1828.AGUSTÍNGUIMERÁ

TROUBRIDGE

ThomasTroubridge(c.1758–1807)was thefirstTroubridgeto join theRoyalNavy and achieve flag rank. I am the seventh baronet, also Sir ThomasTroubridge,andthefirstTroubridgeforsevengenerationsnottojointheRoyalNavy.However,Ihavetakenagreatinterestinmyillustriousancestor’slifeandcareerandinparticularhislongfriendshipwithNelson,whichbeganwhentheywere both appointedmidshipmen toSeahorse (24) at the tender ageof fifteenandendedinearly1805whenTroubridgeheadedtotheEastIndiesandNelsonstartedhispursuitoftheFrenchfleetfinishingatTrafalgar.

His father was Richard Troubridge, a baker of Temple Bar and CavendishStreet, and his mother Elizabeth Squinch, of Marylebone. Somehow RichardTroubridgeknewSirCharlesSaunders,whotookaninterestintheboy,butlittleelseisknownofTroubridge’searlylifeorfamilybackgroundorhowhecametobeeducatedatStPaul’sSchool,London.

Sadly, many of his possessions were with him inBlenheim (90) when shefoundered in a typhoon offMadagascar and sankwith all hands, although thefamilystillretainsomeitems.In2005Ipurchasedtwopewterplatesatauctionwhich came offCulloden (74), his command in 1794–9. I also have a scalemodel ofCulloden built in 2005 inMauritius from plans held at theNationalMaritimeMuseumanditwasinCullodenthatTroubridgecametotheattentionof Admiral Sir John Jervis, later Earl of St Vincent, at the Battle of Cape StVincent.

Much of his early career was spent in the East Indies under Admiral SirEdwardHughes,TroubridgeadvancingfrommidshipmaninSeahorsein1773topost-captain in Active (32) in 1783 in the fiercely contested general actionsbetween Hughes and the French Admiral Suffren. He came home in 1785 asHughes’sflagcaptaininSultan(74).

DuringtheSpanishArmamentof1790TroubridgewasappointedtoThames(32)andspent twomoreyears in theEast Indies.Onhis return toEnglandhewasappointedtoCastor(32)wherehehadthemisfortunetobecapturedbytheFrenchBrest fleet. Thus he had the unique and galling experience of being aprisoner in the FrenchSansPareil at theBattle of theGlorious First of June.Imprisoned in the bosun’s store, ‘he amused himself in pouring forth everyinvective against the French and the man appointed to guard him,’ and onhearingtheSansPareil’smainmastgooverboard‘begantojumpandcaperwithall the gestures of amaniac’.When Sans Pareil surrendered toMajestic (74,CaptainCharlesCotton)Troubridgepersonally toredownher colours andhadthesatisfactionoftakingherintoport.

ShortlyafterthishewasappointedtoCulloden.Oneofmyfavouritestoriesof Troubridge was at the Battle of Cape St Vincent when Culloden led theBritish line and was the first to open fire on the Spanish ships. TroubridgeanticipatedasignalfromJervisandtackedhisshipasJervishoistedhissignal.Jerviswasdelighted:‘LookatTroubridgethere!HetackshisshipinbattleasiftheeyesofEnglandwereuponhim;andwouldtoGodtheywere,fortheywouldseehimtobe,whatIknowhimtobe,and,byHeaven,sir,whattheDonswillsoonfeelhimtobe!’ThiswasoneofTroubridge’sfinesthoursandthenameStVincent lives on in our family with my youngest son, Nicholas Douglas StVincentTroubridge,bearingthenamefortheeighthgeneration.

Troubridgewasfortunateasamilitarymaninthathiscareercoincidedwiththe American War of Independence, and the French Revolutionary andNapoleonic Wars. War tends to result in more opportunity to demonstratecourage and ability and achieve rapid promotion. Troubridge went frommidshipman in1773at theageof fifteen to rear-admiral in1804at theageofforty-six,althoughnotasfastasNelsonwhowaspromotedtorear-admiralattheageofthirty-nine.

TheBattle of theNilewas a turning point in Troubridge’s life and career.Culloden ran aground on a shoal at the entrance to Aboukir Bay and he wasforced to watch the battle without being able to take part.While en route toNapleswiththeFrenchprizes,hereceivedthesadnewsofthedeathofhiswife,Frances, néeRichardson,whomhehadmarried in 1787.Shediedon13 June1798 andwas buried at StAndrew’sChurch,Plymouth, leaving two children,EdwardThomasandCharlotte.

ThestainedwindowatStPaul’sSchool,London,commemoratesoneofitsmorefamouspupils.

Unlikeothercaptainshedidnotinitiallyreceivethetraditionalgoldmedalforthe battle, althoughNelsonpetitioned theAdmiralty on his behalf and hewasawarded the medal in 1799, the same year he became the first BaronetTroubridge of Plymouth. The family only have copies of Troubridge’s gold

medalsfrombothCapeStVincentandtheNile,soweassumethattheoriginalswent down onBlenheim in 1807.Much has beenwritten of two relationshipswhichmarked theeightyears from1799 toTroubridge’sdeathat sea in1807.ThefirstwashisfriendshipwithNelsonwhichhadstartedinSeahorsein1773and endured throughmany of the great battles of the time as one ofNelson’sBandofBrothersbutwhichbegantocoolafterTroubridge’sappointmentbyStVincent as one of the Admiralty commissioners in 1801; the second was hisdifficult relationship with Rear-Admiral Sir Edward Pellew, with whomTroubridgewas supposed to share the East Indies stationwhere he arrived in1805.

Nelson and Troubridge had been friends since their formative years in theNavy and by 1796 bothwere captains under Jervis, though itwasTroubridgewhomJervissaidwascapableofcommandingthefleet,‘thebestBayardoftheBritish Navy; the ablest adviser and best executive officer, with honour andcouragebrightasasword’.Thefriendshipstarted tocoolafter theNile.WhenTroubridge joined the Admiralty under St Vincent, Nelson, sensing thatTroubridge disapproved of his relationship with Lady Hamilton, began tointerpret his orders as deliberate attempts to keep him at sea.Correspondencebetweenthetwomendocumentsthedeteriorationintheirthirty-yearfriendshipwhich by 1803was all but ended.Nelson did takeTroubridge’s son,Edward,intoVictory in1803asamidshipmanbutotherwisecontactbetweenthemwasminimalthereafter.OneoftheitemsthefamilystillpossessisasilverinkstandpresentedbyTroubridgewhileacaptaintoNelson,probablyaftertheBattleoftheNile.Wedonotknowwhenorwhytheinkstandwasreturnedtoourfamily.

The second relationship was with Pellew, who was described as the bestfrigate commander the Navy had ever produced, and had been appointed tocommandtheEastIndiesstationin1804,ironicallywithTroubridge’soldship,Culloden, as his flagship. The following year the Admiralty decided, withoutconsultingPellew, todividethestationin twoandofferedTroubridgeonehalfandhischoiceofflagship,whichwasBlenheim.Thefamilystillhavepaintingsby Thomas Buttersworth of Troubridge’s squadron departing Spithead andanchored offMadeira en route to Penang in early 1805. This was a politicaldecisionandonecanimaginethereactionofPellewonTroubridge’sarrivalandhis orders with which Pellew disagreed. There was a loophole in the orderswhichallowedPellewtoconsolidatethecommandintheeventofanemergencyandsuchanemergencypresenteditselfwhenPellewreceivednewsofaFrenchsquadrononitswaytoIndia.Intruth,bothmenwereinanimpossiblesituation,Pellew writing that ‘even brothers’ could not have agreed under thecircumstances, and itwas not resolved until early 1807whenTroubridgewas

ordered to theCapeofGoodHope.Moderncommunicationswouldhavedealtwith the matter quickly, but in those days an exchange of letters with theAdmiraltycouldtakeuptoayear.

Troubridge must have taken some comfort from having his son and heir,Edward Thomas Troubridge, as a lieutenant inBlenheim and subsequently incommandofHarrier(18).TheyoungTroubridge,whowasstillonlyateenagerbutalreadyaveteranofCopenhagen,distinguishedhimself inJuly1806whenhedestroyed aDutchbrig andparticipated in the capture of a frigate and twoIndiamen.His fatherpressed forhispromotion tocommanderandwouldhavebeenawareoftheprize-moneyforthecapture,some£26,000,andtheawardofaLloyd’s£100patriotic sword.PellewdispatchedyoungTroubridge to look forhisfather’ssquadronin1807afterBlenheimandJavadisappearedintheIndianOceanonthewaytotheCape,butnothingwasfound.

TheinkstandwhichTroubridgepresentedtoNelsonwassomehowreturned,andisoneofthefewartefactsnottohavegonedownwithTroubridge,whenhisshipfoundered.

LikemanyofhiscolleaguesTroubridgespentmostofhislifeatsea.Hehasbeendescribedasanexceptionalnavalofficerandcompletelydedicated to theserviceandtheframeworkofdisciplinethatitprovided.Hehadlittlesympathyfor those who did not follow Navy rules and was known as a toughdisciplinarian.Thestresshewasunderinthelastfewyearsofhislifeappearsto

have made him less tolerant and may have contributed to the unfortunatedecisiontoleavePenangintheunseaworthyBlenheim.Thefamilymottois‘Necedearduis’or‘Donotyieldtodifficulties’,andhehadmorethanhisfairshareofdifficultiesintheyearsaftertheBattleoftheNile.OnewondersiflifewouldhavebeendifferentifCullodenhadnotstruckthatshoal.

As he was lost at sea, I long assumed that there was no memorial toTroubridge. However, in 2007 by chance I discovered that St Paul’s School,whichheattendedfromabout1768untilhe joined theSeahorse,hasastainedglasswindowdedicatedtoTroubridgeintheMontgomeryroom.

IamsureTroubridgewouldhavebeenproudofthelonglineofTroubridgeadmirals who followed him and of the T-class destroyer, Troubridge,commissionedin1942andretiredin1970.IspentaweekendatseaonheroutofMalta when I was a boy, and we have the ship’s bell at home. As one ofNelson’sBandofBrothershisplaceinhistoryisassured.TOMTROUBRIDGE

WESTCOTT

GeorgeBlagdonWestcott (c.1753–1798)was the son ofBenjaminWestcott,believed tobe abaker atHoniton,Devon,wherehewasbaptisedon24April1753. Unusually, his mother, Susanna, had her obituary given in the NavalChronicleaftershedied in1813at theageofeighty-two.Accordingtofamilylegend, youngGeorge oftenwent to help at the localmillwhere he is said tohaverepairedabrokenropebysplicingit,atwhichthemillerrecommendedthat

heshouldbecomeasailor.Startingascabinboyin1768,agedthirteen,heservedfiveyearsinSolebay

(28) under Captains Lucius O’Brien and George Vandeput, showed a quickgrasp of his trade and was soon rated master’s mate, able seaman and thenmidshipman.He served threemore years asmidshipman inAlbion (74) underCaptains Samuel Barrington and John Leveson-Gower before passing hislieutenant’s examination on 10 January 1776. In 1777 he followed Leveson-GowerintoValiant(74)andwasinherunderCaptainSamuelGranstonGoodallat the first Battle of Ushant 1778 and was at the Relief of Gibraltar in April1781.

ItisnotclearunderwhosepatronageWestcottjoinedtheNavybutheservedunderasuccessionofofficerswhoallrosetoflagrankinwar(notbydeadmen’sshoes in peacetime) and in 1781, he joinedVictory,wearing the flag ofRear-AdmiralRichardKempenfeltandtookpartinthesecondBattleofUshanton12December 1781,Howe’sRelief ofGibraltar and theBattle ofCapeSpartel inOctober1782.

Employmentwasscarcefornavalofficersduringpeacetime,butafterabriefspellinMedway(60),Westcott’stalentbroughthimanappointmentin1786asfirstlieutenantofSalisbury(50),underCommodoreJohnElliot,commander-in-chief Newfoundland. In December 1787 he was promoted commander and1789–90 commanded the brig-sloop Fortune (14). The Nootka crisis broughthimthecommandofLondon(90)asflagcaptaintohisformerchief,nowRear-AdmiralGoodall.

Afteraperiodonhalfpay,inlate1793WestcottjoinedImpregnable(98)asflagcaptaintoRear-AdmiralBenjaminCaldwellandtheyfoughtattheBattleoftheGloriousFirstofJune.Caldwellwasasuccessfulandbattle-hardenedofficerwhowasoverlookedintheplauditsafterthisbattleandwhenhewasrelieved,intheWest Indies,by the relatively juniorSir JohnLaforeyhe returnedhome inhigh dudgeon and refused to serve again.Westcott had followed Caldwell toMajestic(74),andseemstohavebeenunaffectedbyhischief’sdisgruntlement,servingunderLaforeyuntilreturningtoBritaininJune1796.Majestic then joined the Channel Fleet as a private ship (in other words,

withoutthe‘benefit’ofbearinganadmiral’sflag),servingunderRear-AdmiralJohn Colpoys off Brest in December, and then with Alexander Hood, LordBridport, at Spithead during the following mutinous spring. The crew ofMajesticwereenthusiasticmutineers,buttheysoonreturnedtoduty,incommonwith most others, when their complaints were dealt with after Lord Howe’sintervention.

Latein1798,Westcott,stillcommandingMajestic,joinedthefleetunderthe

EarlofStVincent,whodetachedhertojoinNelsonintheMediterranean.AttheBattle ofAboukirBayMajesticwaspositioned towards the rear of theBritishline and she engaged theFrenchTonnant (80), but in the smokeanddarknesssheranfouloftheFrenchHeureux(74),becomingtrappedbyherrigging,andforseveralminutescameunderheavyfirefrombothships.Westcottwasshotinthethroatbyamusketball,firedinthedarknessfromTonnantandbecametheonlyBritishofficerofhis rank to fall in thisbattle.Majestic’s first lieutenant,RobertCuthberttookcommandandwasconfirmedasactingcaptainbyNelsonthedayafterthebattle.WestcottwasburiedatseainAboukirBayon2August1798,withtwentyminutegunsfiredinsalute.

MemorialinStPaul’sto‘GeorgeBlagdonWestcott,captainoftheMajestic;whoafterthirty-threeyearsofmeritoriousservice,fellgloriouslyinthevictoryobtainedovertheFrenchfleetoffAboukir’.

Ofhisdeath,Collingwoodremarked,‘Agoodofficerandaworthyman;but,ifitwasapartofourconditiontochooseadaytodieon,wherecouldhehavefound one so memorable, so eminently distinguished among great days?’

WestcottbecameoneofonlyahandfulofnavalofficerswithamonumentinStPaul’sCathedral,inwhichheisdepictedexpiringinthearmsofVictory,whoisholding a crown of laurels over his head, in a setting representing theconnections with the Nile. Another monument to him was erected bysubscriptionatHoniton.

Somehow,despitehisnearcontinuousthirtyyearsatsea,Westcottfoundtimetomarry – apparently to a localHoniton girl. In January 1801,while passingthrough Honiton, Nelson invited Westcott’s widow and her daughter tobreakfast,andfindingtheminstraitenedcircumstancespresentedthemwithhisownNilemedal,saying,‘YouwillnotvalueitlessbecauseNelsonhaswornit.’PETERTURNER

DetailfromalargeemblematicdrawingpresentedtoNelsononhisarrivalatNapleson22September1798.

TheBattleofCopenhagenbyNicholasPocock(1740–1821),lookingsouthalongtheKing’sDeep.Nelson’ssquadronissailinguptheDeeponthemorning’slightbreeze,withthecurrenthelpingtoo.Intheforegroundthebombvesselsareshownalreadyanchoredandturnedtostemcurrent,and

havebeguntofireovertheBritishline-of-battleships.Inthedistancetotheleft,someoftheBritishshipshaverunaground.InthemiddleoftheDeeptheBritishshipsareleapfroggingpasteachotherastheytakeuptheirassignedstations,withthefrigatesmovingintoplacelastofall.Inthethirdline

aretheDanishshipsandfloatingbatteries,andontherightisthecityofCopenhagenitself.

TIntroduction

heBattleofCopenhagenin1801cannotbeunderstoodoutside itscontext.Ontheonehanditwasanunprecedentedincidentinthemaritimehistoryof

theBaltic,whilst on the other it had its roots deep in history.Howcould thisdualism be? The answer to that question is that London, together with thecapitals around the Baltic, had several interests in the region, sometimesdiffering,sometimescoincidental.

Whenever theRoyalNavyentered theBaltic itwas,of course,primarily toprotectBritishinterestsandifthesecoincidedwiththeinterestsofoneorseveralof the Nordic states, so much the better. However, even the interests of thegovernment in London in general and of theAdmiralty in particularwere notalwaysidentical.

London’sinterests,asforEuropeasawhole,weretoseetothatnoregionalpower grew too powerful in the Baltic, a classic policy which maximisedLondon’s own influence. The Royal Navy’s interests were to ensure theundisturbeddeliveryofnavalstores:timber,hemp,tarandsoon,allthegoodsneeded to keep a wooden fleet sailing. During a large part of the eighteenthcenturythesegoodshadbeenobtainedfromNorthAmerica,butafterthelossofthesecoloniesintheAmericanWarofIndependence,deliveriesfromtheBalticregionincreasedinimportance.

ForBritainintheseventeenthcenturythishadmeantthattheRoyalNavyalsohad to keep other nations out of the Baltic, including Holland and France,resultinginshiftingloyalties inLondon.Agenuinebalanceofpowerpolicyinthe region precluded a long-lasting alliance with any one country, thoughSwedenwas,withsomeexceptions,London’susualally in theBalticfromthemid-seventeenth century to themid-nineteenth century,whenSweden–FinlandandDenmark–Norwayweretwocountries,notfour.IntheSwedish-Danishwarsof1643–5and1657–8EnglandsupportedSweden,whichresultedintheDanishlossof itseasternshorealong theSound,and in1658 theprovincesofeasternDenmarkwereincorporatedintosouthernSweden.However,whentheSwedestriedtoswallowthewholeofDenmarkin1658–60,theEnglish,aswellastheDutch,supportedtheDanes.

This story repeated itself in the Great NorthernWar (1700–21), when theRoyal Navy sent several fleets into the Baltic to secure trade with Russian-

controlledharboursagainstSwedishprivateers.However,whenRussianmilitarypowerintheregionthreatenedthebalanceofpower,bothinScandinaviaandinnorthernGermanywhereRussiantroopshadreachedMecklenburg,closetothehomelandoftheBritishHanoverianroyalfamily,Britishloyaltychanged.Inthelastyearsof thewar,1720–1,Britishnaval forces joined theSwedishNavy topreventanyfurtherRussianattacksonSweden.

InthiswaytheBritishsecuredsomekindofpowerbalanceintheBalticSea,where now three navies competed, theDanish, the Swedish and the new-bornRussianBalticSeafleet.RussiasoonobjectedtoBritishinsistenceontherightofstop-and-searchofneutralshipping,forwhatBritainregardedascontrabandboundtoherenemyFrance,andCatherinetheGreatbroughtintobeingthefirstLeague ofArmedNeutrality (1780–3)which involvedmany otherBaltic and,eventually, some Mediterranean states too. The Anglo-Dutch War of 1780–4wasfoughttokeepHollandoutoftheLeague.

TheeventsoftheGreatWar(1792–1815),andespeciallyof1801,cannotbeunderstood without this historical knowledge. Around 1800 a new, powerful,actor entered into the region, Bonaparte’s France. French troops by thencontrolledthenortherncoastofGermany,andFrance’slackofnavalstrengthintheBalticdidnotmattersomuchaslongasithadallieswithnavalresourcesintheregion,namelyRussiaandDenmark.Meanwhile,Swedishopinionwasanti-Gallic. Thismight seem odd since France had been Sweden’s ally during theThirtyYearsWar(1618–48),buttherevolutionof1789andtheexecutionoftheFrenchKingandQueenhadverymuchupsetSwedishroyalist,sentiments.(Thisanti-FrenchpolicyofStockholmdidnotchangeevenin1810,whentheformerFrenchgeneral JeanBaptisteBernadottewas electedCrownPrinceofSwedenand later became King Carl XIV Johan, and founder of the present Swedishroyaldynasty.)

Meanwhile Britain continued to insist upon stop-and-search. Denmark wasdrivenintothearmsofBonaparte,andRussialedincreatingasecondLeagueofArmedNeutralityorLeagueoftheNorth.Then,afterareconnaissanceinforceintheautumnof1800,theBritishpreparedtosendafleettotheBaltic,andtheBattleofCopenhagenorSlagetpåRedentookplaceon2April1801.

OneofBritain’s aimswas topreventDenmark from joiningBonaparte andgivinghimthenavyhelackedintheBaltic,butthecontroversialattackanditsaftermath only droveDenmark deeper intoBonaparte’s arms. That theBritishwereactingintheirowninterestscanbeseenfromtheordersgiventoNelsoninthe early summer of 1801, namely not to commit any hostilities towards theSwedishNavy,butifitshowedanyintentionsofjoiningforcewiththeDanishor theRussiannavies, thenNelsonwas touse ‘everymeans inYourpower to

prevent’suchajunction.Alsolater,whenNelsonsuspectedthattheDaneswererearmingincontraventionofthearmisticewhichhehadnegotiated,hewrotetotheAdmiralty,fromsouthofCopenhagen,threatening,‘Iamhere,willbreaktheArmistice,andsetCopenhagenablaze.’Arguably,thecollapseoftheLeagueoftheNorth,followingtheassassinationofTsarPaul,savedtheBalticfromfurtherwarthatyear.

So, 1801was not the end but rather the beginning of the story. Hostilitiesbetween London and Copenhagen escalated, culminating with the Britishremovingmost of theDanishNavy in 1807,with the loss of the lives of 188soldiersand some two thousandcivilians; theDaneswere forced tohandoverseventeenshipsoftheline,seventeenfrigates,andforty-threesmallervessels;anactionconsideredlocallyastheft.Between1807and1812RussiawasanallyofFranceandin1808–9conqueredtheeasternpartofSweden,modernFinland,socontributing further to anti-French feelings in Sweden. However, the Britishdeployment to the Baltic did prevent the Russians invading parts of Swedenproperandanyof thesouthernprovincesbeing takenbyDenmark; theBritishadmiral,SirJamesSaumarez,cametoberegardedasaheroinSweden.

In this part of Europe the GreatWar culminated in a British and Swedishnaval blockade of Norway, which was then part of Denmark, and a Swedishinvasion ofNorway inAugust 1814. This resulted in a forced union betweenSwedenandNorway (aunionwhichNorwaybroke freeof in1905, ironicallywithBritishsupport),leavingamutilatedDenmark,whichinthewarof1863–4against Prussia and Austria also lost Schleswig-Holstein, the Danish-speakingprovinceofnorthernGermany.

ThisseriesofdisastersforDenmarkwasbroughtaboutbyBritishpolicyfromJames I through Oliver Cromwell toWilliam Pitt, which was to some extentrevivedduringtheCrimeanWarandintheyears1919–20.Thoughexceptionalintheirbrutality,thedramaticeventsatCopenhagenin1801,exacerbatedbythebombardmentofCopenhagenin1807,wereentirelyconsistentwiththepolicyofLondontowardstheBalticregion.LARSERICSONWOLKE

TheBritishfleetpassedthestraitintotheSoundbetweenDenmarkandSwedenattheendofMarch1801,givingaswideaberthaspossibletotheDanishgunsatElsinore,whichopenedfire,whiletheSwedish

gunsontheoppositeshoreatHelsingborgremainedsilentandmaintainedSweden’sneutrality.

BERTIE

Thomas Bertie (1758–1825) was born Thomas Hoar on 3 July 1758 inMiddleton St George, Co Durham and was educated at Christ’s Hospital,London.HejoinedtheNavyagedfifteenin1773servinginthefrigateSeahorse(24,CaptainGeorgeFarmer),bound for theEast Indies. InSeahorsehewasamessmateofHoratioNelsonandThomasTroubridge,withwhomhemaintainedaclosefriendshipuntiltheirdeaths.

After Seahorse he served under Sir Edward Hughes in Salisbury (50) andwith Captain Joshua Rowley inMonarch. Hoar followed Rowley into Suffolkand then toConqueror (74), now as the first lieutenant.During the five years

underRowleyheparticipated in theBattleofUshanton27 July1778and theaction at Grenada on 6 July 1779, and inDecember 1779Hoar distinguishedhimselfintwoboatactionsoffMartinique.WhilstservinginConqueror,healsotookpartinRodney’sthreeactionswithdeGuicheninAprilandMay1782.

In10August1782Hoar,attheageoftwenty-four,wasmadecommanderandreceivedhisfirstcommand,thesloopDucd’Estiac(16)atPortRoyal,Jamaica,retainingthispostuntilshewaspaidoffinEnglandinAugust1783.

Hewasunemployedandonhalfpayuntil,inNovember1790,hewasmadepost-captain and given the frigateLeda (36) during the SpanishArmament orNootka crisis, a spatbetweenBritain andSpainoverVancouver Island.Whenthe crisiswas resolved,Ledawas decommissioned andBertie returned to halfpay.DuringhislongspellonthebeachhehadmarriedCatherineDorothyBertieon20May1788whosesurnameheassumedunderthetermsofherinheritancefromherfather,CaptainHonPeregrineBertie(1741–90).BertiewasthefamilynameoftheEarlsofAbingdon.

BertiegotcommandoftheformerEastIndiamanHindostan(54)in1795andwasdeployedtotheWestIndiesbutasevereattackofyellowfeverforcedhimto return to England in October 1796. A year later Bertie was appointed toArdent (64): in a letter of congratulationNelson calledher ‘the finestman-of-waruponherdecksthatIeversaw’.InAugustandSeptember1799Bertietookpart in theAnglo-Russian expedition to theTexelwhen some 250 craft of allsizes transported17,000 troopsfromMargateRoadsand theDownsacross theChannel,andafterlandingsatDenHelder,aDutchfleetoftwenty-sevenships,adozen of them two-deckers, surrendered and many were purchased into theRoyalNavy.

Then in August 1800 Bertie was part of a squadron which demonstratedagainst the Danes: they found three Danish 74s anchored between KronborgCastle and the Swedish shore. TheBritish andDanish squadronsmanoeuvredindecisivelyoffCopenhagenuntilmattersweresettledamicably.

ThefollowingyearBertieandArdentjoinedHydeParker’sexpeditiontotheBaltic.There,onthemorningof2April1801,atanchoroffCopenhagen,BertiereceivedthesignalfromElephant,LordNelson’sflagship,toweighandproceedaccordingtothebattleplanwhichhehadreceivedorallyfromNelsononboardElephant the evening before, and which was supplemented by written ordersduringthenight.TheBattleofCopenhagenhadbegun.

Notalltheshipsinthesquadroncouldweighatthesametimeastherewouldberiskofcollision.Sothefirstdivision,Edgar,Ardent,GlattonandIsisweretoweighfirstand in thatordersailaround theMiddleGroundandup theKing’sDeepandanchorbythesternoppositetheirassignedtargetsatthesouthernend

of the Danish line. The rest of Nelson’s squadronwould follow and leapfrogalong the unengaged side of the already anchored ships. At the end of thismanoeuvre, theBritish linewouldbe reversedso that thesquadron’s rearnowwasatthenorthern,headofthelineandthevanatthesouthernendoftheline.

Nelson’s carefullyworked-outplan soonborderedoncollapse.SomeofhisshipsgroundedatthesoutherntipofMiddleGroundandseveralcaptainswerevery worried about passing on the unengaged side of the anchored ships: itseemed–andprobablywas–tooclosetotheshallowwatersofMiddleGround.The follow-on ships passed instead on the engaged side, Nelson’s flagshipamongthem,andothershipsfilledtheplannedpositionsofthegroundedshipsin order to concentrate the squadron’s firepower on the southern part of theDanish line.Nelsonpersonallyhailedshipsas theypassedandgave themnewordersandpositions.ButtheleadingshipsdidexactlywhatNelsonhadordered.Edgaranchoredasplannedat10.45am,andBertiepassedEdgaronherengagedsideandanchoredbythesternaheadofher.

Bertienowfacedthetwoprimarytargetsthathadbeenassignedtohiminthebattle plan, the blockshipKronborg and the floating battery Svaerdfisken. Anartilleryduelcommencedatabout500–600yardsandcontinuedforalittleoverthreehours.Ardentdidwellanddefeatedhertargetswhoceasedfireandhauleddowntheirensignsat2.25.Aboutanhourlater,whenageneralflagoftrucewasflying, the crew of Ardent boarded their prizes, which also included theblockship Jylland, and began to evacuate prisoners. Ardent had receivedsubstantialdamage.AMidshipmanGeorgeHoarewasamongstthetwenty-ninemen killed and sixty-four wounded andArdent was severely damaged in herhull,mastsandsails.

Bertie had done everything right that day. He weighed successfully in thenarrow waters, safely rounded Middle Ground, used his initiative to avoidgrounding, anchored at the right spot and engaged the enemy at almost point-blankrange,overcominghisdesignatedtargetsandtakingseveralprizes.Itwasa masterly example of good seamanship, good judgement and good fightingefficiency. Early next morning Nelson came on board Ardent to thank hercaptainandcrewpersonallyfortheirexertions,acomplimentthatwasreturnedwithsixcheersonNelsonleavingtheship.

AdmiralSirThomasHoarBertie’sgravestoneliesbytheporchofStMary’s,Twyford,Hampshire.

Bertie’s immediate reward was command of a larger ship, Bellona (74),whosecaptain,ThomasBouldenThompson,hadlostaleginthebattle.BellonastayedintheBalticandcruisedoffKarlskrona,theSwedishnavalbase,andtheRussian naval base atKronstadt. Both Sweden andRussiawere still formally

membersoftheArmedNeutralityandthereforeinoppositiontoBritishtradeinthe Baltic, until at the end of July the treaty was declared void. There wastherefore no longer any immediate threat to British trade and the Baltic fleetreturnedtoEngland.

AsaresultoftheBalticcampaignof1801BertiewasnowfamiliarwiththepoliticalandnauticalcircumstancesintheSoundandtheBaltic,knowledgethatwouldbecomeveryusefulduringhislastcommand.

WhenwarwithFrancecommencedagaininMay1803BertiewasappointedtoCourageous(74)buthadtogiveuphiscommandafterafewmonthsduetofamilymatters.InDecember1805hewasgivencommandofStGeorge(98)andwas deployed in the English Channel squadron until his promotion to rear-admiral on 28 April 1808. Vice-Admiral Sir James Saumarez, the Britishcommander-in-chief in theBaltic,askedforBertieandgavehimthecommandofasquadronofsmallshipsoffVikenattheentrancetotheSoundwherehewasactivefortwoyears,untilillnessforcedhimtostrikehisflaginFebruary1810.Hesawnomoreactiveservice.

Bertiewaskeentoimprovehisship’sefficiencyandasayounglieutenantheexperimentedwithalifebuoysystem,whichlaterwasintroducedinallshipsofthefleet.WhencommandingArdenthemodifiedthecarriagesofthe42-poundcarronadeswhichdecreasedtherecoilandincreasedthepoweroftheirshot,aswellenablingthepiecetobeworkedwithfewermen.

Bertie received the thanksofParliament twice, first, after the evacuationofTexel in 1799 and, second, after the Battle of Copenhagen in 1801. He wasknighted in 1813 and the same year also received a royal licence towear theinsigniaofCommanderof theOrderof theSwordwhichwasgiven tohimbytheSwedishKingCarlXIII.SohejoinedtherareranksofBritishofficerswhowereawardeddifferentgradesofthisorder:amongotherswereCaptainsHope,Martin, Reynolds,Mansel and Lieutenant John Ross (later famous as a polarexplorer). Three officers were awarded the highest grade: Vice-Admiral SirJamesSaumarez,andRear-AdmiralSamuelHood;theotherwasSidneySmith,in1790,duringtheSwedish–RussiaWarof1788–90,whichgaverisetooneoftheDukeofBronte’slessnobleremarksincallingSmith‘theSwedishknight’.

Bertieneverservedat seaagainbutwaspromotedsteadilyuntilhe reachedadmiraloftheblue,onlyseventeendaysbeforehisdeathon13June1825.

In Bertie’swill his estatewas carefully divided among family and friends.£100wasgivento‘mydearfriendSirJamesSaumarez’andBertie’sbrothergotletterswrittentoBertiebyNelsonandaringcontaining‘thehairofmyvaluedfriend the said Lord Viscount Nelson’. Bertie specified that this was ‘theforelockthatNelsonusedtowearandhangoverhisheadtoconcealthewound

hereceivedatthebattleoftheNile’.AdmiralSirThomasHoarBertie’sbarelydecipherablegravestoneliesoutside

StMary’sChurchatTwyfordinHampshire.CHRISTERHÄGG

BIRCHALL

WilliamBirchall(1769–1817)wasthesonofanupholsterer,cabinetmakerandauctioneer inQueen’sSquare,Bath,whomayhavebeenofQuaker stock andcombined evangelical Protestantism with Freemasonry; his religious practicemayonlyhavebeengoodbusinesspractice.LittleisknownofWilliam’searlylife,eventhespellingofhissurnameisnotcertain(BurchillandBurchellappearincontemporarynewspapers),butfromthefewcluesavailable,hewasacapableofficer,much-marriedandperipatetic.

Hewasexaminedforlieutenantin1790andpromotedon18June1793whentheBathChronicleproudlyreportedthathe‘whohasbeenamidshipmaninHisMajesty’s navynear thirteenyears’ is promoted to lieutenant inMontagu (74)‘andwillshortlysailfortheWestIndieswiththegallantCaptainMontaguwhohasnotunderhiscommandabraverofficernorabetterseaman’.ItseemslikelythatBirchallwasinMontaguattheBattleoftheGloriousFirstofJunein1794.

By1796CaptainThomasByamMartinhadtakenhimashisfirst lieutenantintotheSpanish-builtSantaMargarita(36).On23Octobershewascruisinginthe chops of theChannel and captured the privateerBuonaparte, 16 guns and137men,butatnightfall twomoreshipswereseenclosing.Theycamenearlywithin hail before sheering away and standing off on different tacks. SantaMargarita fired a broadside at each ship and chased the larger,whileBirchallgot into a boat with five men armed with cutlasses to capture the smaller.Birchallurgedhismenon,tellingthemthattheymustfightforabedorperishatnightintheopensea,then‘withahighdegreeofzealandintrepiditythatdoeshim thehighest honour’,Birchall boarded and retook thePotomac. Shewas aBritish merchantman, bound from Poole with provisions andmerchandise forNewfoundland, in the possession of a French prize crew. Meanwhile, ByamMartincaughtupwiththeprivateerVengeur,16gunsand120men,which,afterafewmoreshotsfromSantaMargarita,hauleddownhercolours.Havingnownearlyasmanyprisonersascrew,ByamMartinreturnedtoPlymouth.

In 1797 Birchall was made commander and by 1798 he was commandingHebe(14),formerlya38-gunfrigatewhichhadbeencutdownenflûteandwasbeing used as a fast troop carrier. InMayHebe formed part of a squadron oftwenty-five small ships, the largest beingCaptainHomePopham’sExpedition

(26),whichcarriedamajor-generalandsome1,140troopstothecontinent.TheBritishgovernmenthadintelligencethatalargenumberofbargesweremovingalong thecanals fromFlushing toDunkirkandwasdetermined tostop thisbydestroyingthelockgatesandsluicesatOstend.TheBritishsquadronassembledatMargate, sailed on 14May and, in the early hours of 19May, landed thetroops and their six field guns atOstend under the cover of darkness and badweather. Shore batteries badly damaged the smaller gun vessels, and Hebekedged inascloseas the lowtidewouldpermit tocontinue thebombardment.Bymid-morningthetroopsreportedthatgates,sluicesandseveralgunboatshadbeendestroyed,butnowtheweatherhaddeterioratedand,unabletore-embark,theywerecounter-attackedbyasuperiorFrenchforceandcapitulatednextday.AsLairdClowessaid,itwas‘doubtfulwhethertheobjectswereattainedandthetroops ought never to have been landed when it would be difficult, if notimpossible,tore-embarkthemuntilafteralapseofsomedays’.

InMarch1800BirchallwasappointedtothesloopofwarHarpyandin1801before the Battle of Copenhagen he helped to sound andmark the HollanderDeep,andthenanchoredtomarktheMiddleGroundshoal.Afterwards,Birchalltowed theSjaelland off asprizewhen it seemed that theDanesweregoing towarpheraway,andthenNelsonorderedhimtoremaininCopenhagenRoadstoobservetheDanes’compliancewiththearmistice,andtoinformarrivingBritishshipsofthefleet’srendezvousoffBornholm.Birchallwasmadepost-captainforhisservices.

ThenextnewsofBirchall is in1803whentheBathChronicle reportedthat‘our gallant townsman’ was appointed to command the Sea Fencibles in theChester region.Thenewspaper later reported a riot onBoxingDay1803afterBirchallhadpressedamanwhowasamemberof the localmilitia.After theirChristmasparade,themilitiaattackedtheprisonandtherendezvous-house,toredownBirchall’s colours, and themagistrates askedhim to take his press-gangoutoftownuntilorderhadbeenrestoredbytheArmy.

Birchallmarriedthreetimes.HefirstmarriedEstherDelanyofLymeRegisin1786; onewonders about thismarriage: shewas older thanhim andhewas ameremidshipmanwhen they tied theknot.Estherdied in1806atBathamptonandhealmostimmediatelymarried,inMarylebone,JaneCross,aBathgirl,butshediedinJune1811atIlfracombe.Last,in1815hemarriedLeonoraBingham,whosefamilyhadlivedatBingham’sMelcombeinDorsetforsixhundredyears.

Captain William Birchall died at Exeter in 1817 and was buried at StSidwell’s, Exeter. He had no children (Lieutenant Thomas William Birchall(1779–1805)was his nephew) and anymonument ormemorial in ExeterwasdestroyedintheGermanBlitzof1942.

PETERHORE

BLIGH

William Bligh (1754–1817) was born in St Tudy, Cornwall; among hisancestorsandrelativeswerearistocrats,civilservantsandnavalofficers.BlighisrecordedinMonmouth’smusterbookasacaptain’sservantin1762,inHunter(10)in1770firstasableseamanandthenmidshipmanin1771.ThesameyearhetransferredtoCrescent(32),andin1774tothesloopRanger(8).Rangerwas

employedinsubduingsmugglingintheIrishSea,andwhenshevisitedtheIsleofMan hemet his future wife, Elizabeth Betham, the daughter of a customsofficer.

Blighdidnottakethelieutenant’sexaminationattheminimumageoftwenty.Nevertheless,his talentsdidnotgounnoticed,sinceon17March1776hewasappointedsailingmasterofResolution,thenfittingoutforCaptainJamesCook’sthirdandfinalvoyagetothePacificOcean.Onlynowdidhetakeandpasshislieutenant’sexamination.

AblueplaquemarksthemodestbuteleganthouseinLambethRoadwhereBlighandhisfamilylivedfrom1784onwards.

Despite his youth, Bligh must have enjoyed an outstanding professionalreputation, since James Cook, himself an excellent navigator, would not haveacceptedalesscompetentofficerfortheresponsiblepositionofsailingmaster.Likehispatron,Blighhadwidescientificinterests,andheandCookhadsuchaclose relationship that theTahitians thought theywere father and son.But thevoyageendedtragically:on14February1779CookwaskilledbynativesontheislandofHawaii.

After the return to Britain in October 1780, Bligh was omitted in the

promotions that followed, not only due to the loss of his patron, but probablyalsobecausehehadfallenoutwithLieutenantJohnGore,whohadtakenovercommand of the expedition after Cook’s death, and Lieutenant James King,Gore’ssecond-in-command.ThisisalsooneofthefirsthintsregardingBligh’stroublesomecharacter.

However,on5October1781,Blighfinallyreceivedhiscommission,butwasputonhalfpayaftertheendoftheWarofAmericanIndependencein1783.HethenacceptedapositionasmasterofaWestIndiamanownedbythemerchantDuncan Campbell, a relative of his wife Elizabeth, whom he had married in1781.DuringhistimeinthemerchantserviceBlighmetFletcherChristian;theysoonestablishedarelationshipalmostascloseasthatbetweenBlighandCook,and Bligh took Christian with him as amaster’smate, when in 1787 he wasofferedcommandofanewexpeditiontotheSouthSeas.

WestIndianplantershadapproachedtheBritishAdmiraltywiththerequesttosendashiptoTahititocollectbreadfruitplantstobegrownintheCaribbeanascheap food for their slaves. After Sir Joseph Banks, President of the RoyalSociety, had exerted his considerable political influence, King George IIIapproved such an expedition. ThemerchantmanBethia was purchased by theAdmiralty,renamedtheBountyandconvertedintoafloatinggreenhouse.ItwasBanks who proposed Bligh for her command, not only as an experiencednavigator but one who had been to Tahiti before. Bligh gladly accepted thischance to resume his naval career, and he and Banks established a lifelongfriendship.

WilliamBlighwasburiedbesidehisbelovedElizabethatStMary’s,Lambeth,nowtheGardenMuseum,wherehistombisadornedwithabreadfruit.

With a forty-six-man crew Bounty left Portsmouth in December 1787 andarrivedatTahitiinthefollowingOctober,whenthebreadfruittreeswereintheirdormantperiod;Bounty’screwthereforehadtowaitseveralmonthsbeforetheycould pot the saplings.Littlework, plenty of food and the generously grantedsexualaffectionsof theTahitianwomenmade the islandaparadise for sailorsaccustomedtothehardshipsoflifeatsea.Inevitably,tightnavaldisciplineeasedduring this period of idleness, andwhen, after the departure fromTahiti on 4April1789,Blightriedtorestoredisciplineonboard,hismenwishedthemselvesbackinTahiti.

Blighisoftendepictedasadespotic tyrantwhosebrutalitydrovehissailorsintomutiny.Doubtlesshewasadifficultcharacter,irascible,short-temperedandabusive,buthewasgenuinelyconcernedaboutthewelfareofhismenandonlyrarely resolving to the cat-o’-nine-tails as a means of maintaining discipline.Bligh was under tremendous pressure. For him, the expedition was a uniqueopportunity for professional advancement, since after a successful voyage hecouldexpectcertainpromotiontocaptain.Anotherproblemwasthathisofficersobviously did not meet his high professional standards. Ever unwilling to

tolerateincompetence,thisbroughtouttheworstsideofhispersonality,rantingand raving at his officers at their slightest error. Bligh had promoted FletcherChristiantoactinglieutenant,buthisyoungprotégéfailedhishighexpectationsandheespeciallysufferedfromBligh’stirades.

Bligh’sepitaphlistshismeritsasascientist,navigator,andnavalofficer.Incontrasttohispopularimage,hewasnotabrutaltyrant.

Finally,Christianbrokeunderthepressure;inhisdesperationhesawnootherwayout but to take over the ship.Themutineers’ core consisted of only ninemen,ledbyChristian.Intheearlyhoursof28April1789,Blighwastornfromsleep,whenagroupofthembrokeintohiscabin,tiedhimupandbroughthimondeck,wherehewas told thatChristianhadseizedcommandof theBounty.Themajorityofthenowforty-four-strongcrewhadnopartinthemutiny.

Togetherwitheighteenfollowersandprovisionsforfivedays,Blighwassetadriftina24ftopenboatinthemiddleofthePacific.ThesubsequentvoyageoftheBounty’slaunchwasanauticalfeatunparalleledintheannalsofseafaring:ina direful sevenweeks’ journey, navigating from hismemory,Bligh sailed thelaunch,overcrowdedwithstarvingmen,overadistanceof4,000nauticalmilestoTimor,while he surveyed and charted this virtually unknown region of the

Pacific.UponhisreturntoBritaininMarch1790,Blighwascelebratedasaheroand

honourablyacquitted for the lossof theBounty.Hefelt ita justificationofhisconductthattheAdmiraltypromotedhimtocaptainandentrustedhimwiththecommand of a new expedition to Tahiti. But on Bligh’s return in 1793, thesituation had changed. Ten of theBounty’s mutineers had been captured andbrought to England to stand trial, among them Midshipman Peter Heywood,whose influential family tried to savehis lifebyportrayingBligh as adespot,whosetyrannicalbehaviourhaddrivenhiscrewintomutiny.Heywood,togetherwith two other men who were sentenced to death, were pardoned by KingGeorge III andHeywood resumed his naval career. Fletcher’s brotherEdwardChristian, a prominent lawyer, and James Morrison, one of the pardonedmutineers,laterjoinedthiscampaigntoundermineBligh’sreputation.

IllandoutoffavourwiththeAdmiralty,Blighwasputonhalfpay.Notuntil1797washe recalled toactivedutyandappointedcaptainofDirector (64), inwhich he suffered his secondmutiny. In April 1797, the seamen’s discontentwith the living conditions aboard British warships resulted in the Spitheadmutiny.AlthoughtheAdmiraltyfinallyaccepted theseamen’sdemands,on12MayanothermutinybrokeoutamongthewarshipslyingofftheNore,includingtheDirector.Thistime,however,Blighwasingoodcompany,sincehewasnottheonlycaptainsentashorebya rebelliouscrew.Thegovernment, refusing tonegotiate, cut off themutineers fromall supplies.Thishard-linepolicy finallysucceeded and on 13 June theNoremutinywas ended. Bligh’sDirector nowjoinedVice-AdmiralAdamDuncan’sfleetonblockadedutyofftheDutchcoast,and on 11 October 1797, he and his ship distinguished themselves in battle,whenDuncanengagedaDutchsquadroncommandedbyAdmiralJanWillemdeWinter south of theDutch island of Texel. TheBattle of Camperdownwas amassacre:Bligh forced theDutch flagshipVrijheid (74) tosurrender, sufferingonlysevenmenwounded.Intotal,theirvictorycosttheBritishsome200deadand 620wounded,while the defeatedDutch counted about 950 dead and 520wounded.

AttheBattleofCopenhagenon2April1801Blighagainprovedhisbraveryas captain of the Glatton, a converted East Indiaman, armed with fifty-fourheavycarronades.AnchoringdirectlybehindNelson’s flagship,Elephant (74),hisgunshammeredtheDanishflagshipDannebrog(62)intopiecesandsetheralight. Despite fighting in the thick of the action, the Glatton suffered onlyseventeendeadandthirty-fourwounded.Blighoncemoreshowedhisexcellentseamanship,whenafter thebattlehesailedhisbatteredshipoutof thenarrowchanneloftheKing’sDeep.BlighaskedAdmiralNelsonforacertificateofhis

good conduct, the reason for this rather unusual request being probably thesmearcampaignsetupagainsthimby the relativesof theBounty’smutineers,and in a letter to the Admiralty Nelson confirmed Bligh’s character: ‘Hisbehaviouronthisoccasioncanreapnoadditionalcreditfrommytestimony.’

InMay1801,BlighwaselectedaFellowoftheRoyalSociety.In1805BlighwasappointedgovernorofNewSouthWales,Australia,thena

penal colony. Corruptionwas rife andmost of the officers of theNew SouthWales Corps, which had been raised to guard the convicts, were involved inillegaltransactions.ThustheBritishgovernmenthadchosenthedutifulBlightorestore order and to establish good government. But again, his efforts werethwartedbyhisdifficultcharacter.On thevoyage toAustraliaheclashedwithCaptain Joseph Short of the armed transport Porpoise, and once in Sydney,BlighrelievedShortofhiscommandandsenthimbacktoBritain,wherehewascourt-martialled,buttoBligh’sembarrassmentacquittedofallcharges.

As governor, Bligh also quickly made enemies. The officers of the NewSouth Wales Corps mutinied on 26 January 1809 in the so called ‘RumRebellion’,deposedBlighandforcedhimintoexileaboardthePorpoise.Insteadof sailing back to England as expected by the mutineers, Bligh surveyed thecoastofTasmania,whilethemutineersusedtheirpoliticalcontactsinLondontoend therebellionwitha rottencompromise.ThusBlighwasrestored tooffice,onlytobereplacedonedaylaterbyanewgovernor.AfterhisreturntoBritain,Blighwaspromotedtoadmiral,butnevercalledtoactiveduty.

Although Bligh had distinguished himself in the wars against France, theBountymutinyhauntedhimalllife.Hisonlyhavenwastheloveofhiswifeandhisfourdaughters.Tothisday, thedramaticevents inBountyarepartofmassculture.Butincontrasttopopularimage,Blighwasnotabrutaltyrant.GeorgeTobin, who served as lieutenant during Bligh’s second Pacific voyage,remembered:‘ItwasinthoseviolentTornadoesoftemperwhenhelosthimself,yet,whenall,inhisopinion,wentright,whencouldamanbemoreplacidandinteresting…OnceortwiceindeedIfelttheUnbridledlicenceofhispowerofspeech,yetneverwithoutsoonreceivingsomethinglikeanemollientplaistertoheal the wound.’ This is an apt obituary for a man, who has been wronglyslanderedasadespoticbruteformorethantwocenturies.

Elizabethdiedin1812andVice-AdmiralWilliamBlighdiedfromcancerin1817.JANNDEWITT

BRISBANE

James Brisbane (1774–1826) was a Scot, born in 1774 at Bishopton inRenfrewshireintoanavalfamily,youngerbrothertoRear-AdmiralSirCharlesBrisbane.He firstwent to sea as amidshipman in 1787 inCulloden (74): by1794hewassignalmidshipmaninLordHowe’sflagshipQueenCharlotte(100).ShewasheavilyengagedattheBattleoftheGloriousFirstofJune,whenHoweattemptedtobreaktheenemy’sline,butwasthwartedbytheinadequaciesofthesignal book and his inability to communicate his intentions to his captains.Although Howe captured seven French ships, the convoy escaped anddischargeditscargoofAmericanwheatinFrance.

Brisbanewaspromotedtolieutenant,andsenttotheCapestationinGeorgeElphinstone’s flagshipMonarch and was present at the surrender of a Dutchsquadron in Saldanha Bay in 1796. Aged twenty-two, Brisbane was givencommand of one of the captured Dutch ships and later ofDaphne (20) as acommander,butonhisreturntoBritainin1797shepaidoffandheremainedonhalfpayuntil1800.On17June1800atStPeter-the-Less,Chichester,Sussex,BrisbanemarriedJemimaAnnVentham,shortlybeforehewasgivencommandofthenewbrigCruizer(orCruiser)(18).

In 1801 Nelson used Cruizer to take soundings and make charts of theapproaches toCopenhagenprior to theBritishattackon theDanish fleet in itsanchorage,andonthenightof1AprilBrisbaneanchoredCruizerasamarkerattheentrancetothechannelbetweenSaltholmandtheMiddleGroundshoal,andsoguidedNelson’ssquadronintobattle.

Nelson was impressed by Brisbane and, following a private letter fromNelsontoEarlStVincent,BrisbanewasgivencommandofSaturn(74)andhispromotiontopost-captainwasbackdatedtothedayoftheBattleofCopenhagen.ShebecameflagshipofRear-AdmiralThomasTotty,whohadbeenjuniorflagofficer at Copenhagen, as commander-in-chief of the Leeward Islands, andBrisbanesailed fromPortsmouth forMartiniqueon13December.WhenTottydied of yellow fever on 2 June 1802, the 27-year-old Brisbane assumedcommandofthestation.

Between1803and1805BrisbanecommandedtheKentSeaFencibles,butintheautumnof1805hewasgivencommandofAlcmene(32)ontheIrishstation.There,on4 January1807,about120miles southwestofCapeClear,BrisbanecapturedtheFrenchprivateercutterCourier(formerlyHMArmedCutterAlert),whichmountedsevengunsofvariouscalibresincludinga24-pounderanda42-poundercarronade.

Brisbanehadestablishedhis reputationasa frigatecommanderand in1808wasgiventhenewlycaptured,crackFrenchfrigateBellePoule,andsenttotheAdriatic, where he would become an expert in inshore and amphibious

operations. He blockaded Corfu, cutting off supplies to the French garrisonthere,andwhen,onthenightof13February1809,theFrenchattemptedtorunasupplyofcorn to the island fromBrindisi,hechased the frigateVar foradayand night in stormy weather into the Gulf of Valona, where she sought theprotectionoftwoTurkishforts.Ontheafternoonofthe15thBrisbaneanchoredcloseinandopenedfire,forcingtheFrenchmantosurrender.

At some time in1809 the firstgameof cricketwasplayedon the islandofVis.

In September 1809 Brisbane helped to free Cephalonia from Frenchoccupation,andon21March1810Brisbanewaspartofasquadronwhichtookfrom theFrench the strongly-fortified islandofSantaMaura (nowLefkada) intheIonianIslandsafteramonth’ssiege.InAugust1810hecapturedtheItalianvesselSaintNicholoandinDecembercapturedtheItalianbrigCarlotta.

On4May1811BrisbanewascruisingincompanyoffthecoastofIstriawhenhechasedaFrench18-gun-brigintothesmallharbourofParenzo(nowPorečinCroatia).TwoshipsofBrisbane’ssquadronstood inwithinacable’s lengthoftherocksattheentranceandopenedfireonthebrigandashorebattery,forcinghertohauloutofrange.Thatnight200seamenandmarinesquietlylandedonanislandin theharbour,setupabatteryoffourguns,andatdawncommencedafive-hourbombardmentinwhichthebrigwassunk.

BrisbanelefthismarkintheIonianSea,beinginstrumentalinre-establishingthe Septinsular Republic, an island republicwhere for the first time since thefifteenthcenturyGreeksenjoyedevenlimitedself-government.Underthe1815TreatyofParistheislandsbecametheUnitedStatesoftheIonianIslands,heldunderBritishprotectionuntiltheyweregiftedtoindependentGreecein1864.

As the focus of thewar shifted from theMediterranean to the ‘stab in theback’whichbecametheWarof1812,BellePouleonherwayhomeinAugust1812 captured anAmerican privateer and severalAmerican trading vessels inthe Channel. In September 1812 Brisbane moved to the new Blackwall-builtPembroke (74). He clearly had some problem handling his new ship as thatautumnhehad toaccept thehelpof fellowScot,CaptainDonaldCampbell inthe frigateRosamund, afterheputPembroke agroundoff theDunnose, IsleofWight.

‘JamesBrisbane…conductedinpersonthenavalforceemployedinthedifficultandharassingwarwhichendedinthesubmissionoftheBurmeseempire…AndlandedatSydney…Diedon10December1826’.

In 1813 the French fleet, blockaded by the British at Toulon, consisted oftwenty-one sail of the line and ten large frigates ready for sea, butwas badlymannedowingtodraftsofmenbeingsentofftotheArmy.WhentheFrenchdidtrytoexerciseatseaon5NovembertheyweremetbytheBritishunderAdmiralPellew.ThemainbodyofPellew’sfleethadbeenblownfromitsstation,butaninshore squadron, consisting of four 74s, one of them Brisbane’s Pembroke,stoodintoattackthesuperiorFrenchfleetwhichincludedthe130-gunWagram.ArunningbattleensuedduringwhichPellew’sfleetclaweduptowindwardbuttheFrenchescapedintoToulouse.

In1816BrisbanewasflagcaptaintoLordExmouthinQueenCharlotteatthesuccessful bombardment of Algiers; afterwards Exmouth sent Brisbane homewithdispatchesandon2Octoberhewasknighted.HehadalreadybeenmadeCBinJune1815.

In1824BrisbanewasgivencommandofBoadicea(42)andasacommodoresailed for theEast Indies station,where theFirstAnglo-Burmesewar in 1825was fought in the Irrawaddy River. Leaving Boadicea at Rangoon, Brisbanecontinuedupriverinhisship’sboatstojointheBritisharmyatitsheadquarters,making his mark by employing the Honourable East India Company’s novelpaddlesteamerDiana,armedwithCongreverockets,bothtotowhisboatsandtoscaretheBurmese.

InthewordsoftheGovernor-GeneralofIndia,‘TheimportantandessentialaidaffordedbyhisexcellencyCommodoreSirJamesBrisbane…renderedthemostessentialservice in thevariousdecisiveandmemorableactionswhich, inthemonthofDecemberlast,compelledtheBurmesetosueforpeace.’

However, Brisbane had contracted dysentery. On his way home he visitedPortJackson(asSydneywasthenknown)inWarspite(76),thefirstshipoftheline to visit Australia, where a cousin, General Sir Thomas Brisbane, wasgovernor ofNewSouthWales.There he died on 19December 1826 andwasburied,farfromthefamilymausoleumatLargsOldKirk,Ayrshire.PETERHORE

BRODIE

ThomasCharlesBrodie (1779–1811) commanded the28-gun sloopArrow attheBattleofCopenhageninApril1801.Thisstatementcorrectsmorethantwocenturies ofmistakes: every historian fromWilliam James onwards has givenanothername,becauseSteel’s‘originalandcorrect’NavyListfor1801wasoutofdate.That theerror shouldhavebeen repeated soconsistently since, arguesstronglyinfavourofresearchingoriginalpapersinarchives,fordocumentsheldatKewallownodoubt thatBrodiewas incommand.Brodie signed the ship’slogandcountersignedtheship’smusterbookfrom25February1801onwards.

ThenameerroneouslygivenforthecommanderofArrowin1801isWilliamBolton (1777–1830), aNorfolkman, related bymarriage toNelson, andwithother strong connections to the great admiral,who later became a captain andwasknighted.QuitewhyBolton, anexperiencedofficerwith somepractice infightingtheDanes,shouldbesupersededontheeveofamajorcampaignintheBalticisunknown,buttherecordallowsnodoubtthatinApril1801hewasonhalfpayinEngland.

Themistake probably accounts for why Brodie is lost in the fine grain ofhistory. He was the second son of William Brodie, of Scots descent and amagistrate at Great Marlborough Street, London, and a grandson of CaptainDavid Brodie (c.1710–87). David Brodie had fought under Vernon at PortoBello in 1739 and Cartagena in 1741, lost an arm, and when he died was,according to hismonument in BathAbbey, ‘one of the oldest captains in theNavy’–andhadplagued theAdmiralty foryearsabouthispromotionandhispension.

Nevertheless theBrodieshadenough interest togetyoungThomas into theRoyalNavalAcademy,Portsmouth,in1791,consideredbysometobea‘backdoor’methodofbecominganofficerintheNavy.Hewasamidshipmanin1794and passed for lieutenant on 17 February 1798, and later that year he was alieutenant inRalphMiller’sTheseus at theBattle of theNile.At theSiege ofAcrein1799hecommandedoneofthesmallboatswhichenfiladedtheFrenchtrenchesandrepulsedBonaparte’sarmy.

Brodiewasmadecommanderon14February1801andgivenArrow(30).HisstationatCopenhagenwasatthemostnortherlyendoftheBritishline,withthefrigatesandsloopsunderthecommandofEdwardRiou.ArrowwasthelastshiptoentertheKing’sDeep,abouttwohoursafterthefirst,andhadtorunthefulllengthofNelson’sline,firingingapsbetweenthelargerships,andshewasthelastofalltoarriveinposition.BrodiehadhardlydroppedanchorandfiredafirstsalvoattheDaneswhenRiouinAmazonreluctantlycuthiscableinresponsetoParker’ssignal tobreakoffactionandorderedBrodie tofollow.Consequentlyalthough the other frigates received a high proportion of casualties, Arrowreceived none. Brodie obviously did well in the subsequent campaign and hewasmadecaptainin1802.Thisrapidpromotionindicatesatalentedofficerwhohadearnedhimselfhisownmeasureofinterest.

HebrieflycommandedtheSeaFenciblesbetweenDorseyIslandandSheep’sHead in southwest Ireland, and in 1808 hewas given command of the newlybuilt 38-gunHyperion and saw service in theMediterranean and in theWestIndies.

Inearly1811Hyperion touchedatGonaïves inSanDomingoforwoodandwater,whenBrodiewascontactedbyaMrSimpson,anEnglishmerchant,whoclaimed the protection of the British flag. Suddenly and without warning theshore batteries opened up on Hyperion’s boats. Three men were killed andBrodie and two of his officers were captured. Next day at dawn his firstlieutenant,JamesMorgan,beatupthroughanintricatechannelandanchoredthefrigateinfourfathoms,notmorethanamusketshotfromtheshore.Then,withone broadside presented to the batteries and the other to aHaitian frigate, he

demandedthatifhiscaptainwasnotsetfreeinfifteenminutes,thetownwouldbe destroyed and the man-of-war taken to Jamaica. The three officers werepromptlyreleased.

However,CaptainThomasBrodiedieda fewweeks later,at Jamaicaon14March1811,presumablyofanillnesshehadcaughtwhilebrieflyheldprisoner.BOBO’HARA

CLAY

Edward Sneyd Clay (1768–1846) was a good seaman and a brave officerwhoseseacareercametoanendontheshoresoftheIsleofMay.

ClayenteredtheNavyasamidshipmanin1783at theendof theAmericanWar of Independence, saw continuous service during the years of peace, wasexamined for lieutenant in 1792, and promoted in 1794 after the start of theFrenchRevolutionaryWar.

Clay served undermany famous names, including JamesGambier, GeorgeYoung,RobertLinzeeandJosephBullen,withoutattractinganygreatpatronageuntil he met Adam Duncan. He was at the Siege of Toulon, the capture ofCorsica,and, inVenerable (74), theBattleofCamperdown.Venerablewastheflagship of Admiral Duncan, was heavily engaged, and Clay was wounded,giving rise to his single mention in James’s and in Laird Clowes’s navalhistories.

Once recovered he rejoined Duncan in his new flagshipKent (74) for theAnglo-Russian invasion ofHolland, andwas chosen byDuncan to deliver hisdispatchesconcerning thesurrenderof theDutch fleet.DuncandescribedClayas‘anintelligentanddeservingofficer’whocouldsupplyfurtherdetailsofthissuccess.ClaywaspromotedtomasterandcommanderofthebombvesselZebrawhichhadrecentlybeenconvertedfroma16-gunsloop.

AtCopenhagenNelsonstationedthesevenbombvesselsunderhiscommandon theunengagedsideofElephantclose to theMiddleGroundfromwhereheintendedthemtobombardNyholm.Startingfromeastoftheshoalandworkingagainst the current the bomb vessels did not arrive until the end of the fight,Zebranotuntilgone2pm.Consequentlyshesufferednocasualties, thoughhercompanybecameentitledtotheNavalGeneralServiceclasp‘Copenhagen’,andClaytoanentryinthisbook.

Clay was promoted post-captain in 1802 but not until 1808 did he getcommandofStGeorge(98),flagshipofRear-AdmiralSirEliabHarvey,andthenextyearofTemeraire (98) flagshipofRear-AdmiralSirManleyDixon.Clayserved in the Baltic for two seasons under Saumarez, blockaded the Swedish

fleetinKarlskromain1809,foughtDanishgunboats,observedtheRussianfleetatRevel,surveyedpartofthecoast,conductedconvoysthroughtheBaltic,andwasbackinPlymouthinNovember1809.

He was apparently a competent and experienced officer and his nextcommandNymphe (36)wasgiven tohimpresumably sohe could earn a littleprize-money. It all came to an end on the night of 18December 1810when,enteringtheFirthofForth, thefiresofalimekilnatBroxmouthwereconfusedwiththelightontheIsleofMayandNymphe(andPallas)ranagroundandbothwerelost.Acourt-martialblamedthemasterandthepilot,butClayneversawactive service again. He commanded the receiving ship Raisonnable atSheerness 1812–14, was placed on half pay and was eventually promoted torear-admiralin1837.

Hemarried ElizabethKnight in 1797: she died in 1837. Claywas given agrantoflandinNewSouthWalesbutdoesnotappeartohavetakenitup.

Rear-Admiral Edward Clay died at Southwell in Nottinghamshire, agedseventy-eight.PETERHORE

CUMING

WilliamCuming(1760–1824)wasDevonbornandbred.ThesonofJohnandElizabethCumingofTotnes,hediedmoderatelywealthyandpossessedoflandsintheSouthHams.Hisnavalcareerwasequallymoderate.

CumingenteredtheNavyin1773,wasexaminedforlieutenantin1779,andwasmadecommanderin1795;littleelseisknownofhisearlycareer.However,in1796hecommandedthestoreshipAllianceandin1797StVincentmadehimpost and appointed him to Victory ‘as reward for his good services in theMediterranean’.

On 2April 1801 he commandedRussell (74) at theBattle ofCopenhagen,whensheranagroundcloseasternofBellonaonthesoutherntipoftheMiddleGroundandneverreachedherassignedstation.Thoughaground,RussellfiredattheDanishdefencesasopportunityoffered,andCumingsenthisboats,despiteheavy cross-fire from both sides, to take possession of one of Danish ships,Prøvestenen. By 1pm, few of the Danish guns had been silenced, and bothBellona andRussell were being fired upon and flying flags of distress, whenParkerhoistedhissignaltobreakofftheaction,towhichNelsonturnedhisblindeye.

CumingowedhisreputationinthecontemporaryNavytoanentirelydifferentcause.OneofhislieutenantswasthebravebutunrulyNesbitJosiahWilloughby.

WhenWilloughby returned with prisoners fromPrøvestenen, after quelling amutinybythedrunkencrew,Cumingorderedhimtobecheered.However,laterinthe1801Balticcampaign,whenRussellwasoneoftheshipswhichblockadedKarlskrona,WilloughbyincurredCuming’sdispleasure.Forbiddenevertoleavethepoopwithoutpermission,Willoughbybroughtchargesagainsthiscaptainofbehaving towards his officers in a ‘unofficerlike and oppressive manner, inhavingstruckthemorforciblyshovedthemwhileintheexecutionoftheirduty…andmadeuseofinfamousandungentlemanlikelanguage,damning,blastingandthreateningtocutthemdown’.

Cuming, the court understood, was particularly fond of a beverage calledAshburton pop, some type of fizzy beerwhichwhen uncorked ‘gave a reportlouderthanapop-gun…anditscontentswouldflyuptotheceilingifyoudidnot mind to keep the mouth of the stone bottle into the white quart cup’.Unfortunately – or not – its recipe was lost when its brewer died. The courtcertainlyheardenoughevidenceofCuming’srages,hisblasphemyandhisuseof his speaking trumpet to hit people, to justify the charges – to later, moresensitiveears–buthewasacquitted.Willoughbyhadbeenheardtosay,whenhewasgivenpermissiontogobelowfordinner,thathehopedthattherewouldbeplentyofAshburtonpop,andCumingtookthisasanaffront,andoncounter-chargesof insolenceandcontemptWilloughbywasdismissed the service. (Hewasrestoredandbecameaknightandanadmiral.)

CumingmighthavebeenmorefamousbutinJune1803hetookcommandofPrince of Wales (98) and became flag captain to Admiral Robert Calder. ByMarch1805Calderwascommandinga fleetonblockadeoffFerrolandon22July fought the Battle of Finisterre, often denigrated as Calder’s Action. Thetwenty-strongFranco-Spanishfleet,returningfromtheWestIndiesandmakingforBrest,wereinterceptedinfogbyCalder’sfifteenships.Asdarknessfellaftera four-hour battle, British losses were 39 officers and men killed and 159wounded,whiletheenemyhadsuffered158deadand320woundedandlosttwoships. Over the next two days the fleets manoeuvred indecisively untilVilleneuve gave up his objective. It was undoubtedly a tactical and strategicvictory, but when Calder learned that he was being criticised for not havingachievedmore,hedemandedacourt-martial,andNelsonallowedhimtoreturnhomeinPrinceofWales.ThereisnorecordofwhatCumingfeltaboutmissingtheimminentbattle.

SubsequentlyhecommandedIsis(50),flagshipofVice-AdmiralSirErasmusGoweratNewfoundland,Sampson (64),Bombay (74)whichwaspartofVice-AdmiralSirEdwardPellew’sfleetwhichblockadedToulon,andRoyalGeorge(100). Postwar he was promoted rear-admiral: he had married a Devon lady,

CatherineLyde,buttheywerechildlessandhelefthisestatetohissister’sson.PETERHORE

AdmiralJohnCuming’smemorialinStPetroc’s,SouthBrent,Devon.

DEVONSHIRE

John Ferris Devonshire (1774–1839), despite his name, was a Cornishman,born at Tregolls near Truro. Two of his brothers were also naval officers,LieutenantHenryDevonshire (1775–?)who does not appear in theNavyListafter 1804, andRichardDevonshire (1784–1860)whowas amaster’smate inPrinceattheBattleofTrafalgarandwholikeJohnbecameayellowadmiral.

JohnwenttoseaasavolunteerinCumberland(74,CaptainJohnMacBride)in1788.HeservedinanumberofshipsontheNorthAmericanstationandintheWestIndiesbetween1789and1795,untilinBoyne(70),flagshipofAdmiralJohn Jervis, he was made acting lieutenant. Jervis liked what he saw inDevonshireandpromotedhimtolieutenantinTerpsichore(32,CaptainRichardBowen).

Bowen’s Terpsichore saw service in theWest Indies, the Channel and theNorthSeabeforejoiningJervisin1796intheMediterraneanwhere‘OldGrog’wasnowcommander-in-chief.Bowen’screwhadbeenreducedbysickness,butwhenhe sawa strange frigateunder full sail offCartagenaon13October, hegavechase.Whenhehadclosedhisquarrysufficientlyhefiredaguntotestthefrigate’s intent, she replied with a full broadside and ran up Spanish colours.After an hour and forty minutes the enemy frigate surrendered, and wasdiscovered to be the SpanishMahonesa (36) one of the finest frigates in theSpanish Navy. Bowen reported to Jervis: ‘The talents displayed by the firstlieutenant,Devonshire,whowasjustoutofthesicklist,duringtheaction,addedtohisuncommonfatigueintakingcareoftheprize,andtheveryablemannerinwhichhe conducted andprepared to defendher, entitle him to the distinction,andprovehimhighlydeservingof therecommendationyougavehimwithhisappointmentintheWestIndies.’

DevonshireenjoyedasatisfactoryfourmonthsincommandofMahonesa,theAdmiralty confirmed his promotion, and then put him on the beach for threeyears. However, in July 1800 he was given Dart to command, attached toNelson’s division at the Battle of Copenhagen, passing all the way along theKing’s Deep and anchoring with Riou’s frigates opposite the Trekroner fortwhereshesufferedthreekilledandonewounded.

Hewas rewardedon8April bypromotion to post-captain and commandedAlcmeneforafewdaysandGlattonuntilApril1802.NofurthercommandcamehiswayuntiltheWarof1812whenhecommandedAlbion(74)andSceptre(74)ontheNorthAmericanstation.Marshall’sRoyalNavalBiographysaysthathehad no further opportunity of distiguishing himself, but he might have. On 5

December 1813 he was blockading Providence, Rhode Island, when theAmerican frigate President slipped out; a frigate saw President’s sail butDevonshireinAlbionwastoofarofftopreventtheAmericansettingoutonherthirdcruise.

AdmiralJohnDevonshire’sover-largehouseinStonehouse,Plymouth.

Devonshirewas not employed after June 1814. HemarriedHarriet KempeandbuilthimselfahouseattheendofthethenfashionableDurnfordStreet,EastStonehouse(nowpartofPlymouth)toaccommodatehislargefamily.Thehousewas so large that in later years it became the hospital to the nearby marinebarracks. Brother Richard’s house in nearby St Andrew’s Terrace was moreelegant.Rear-AdmiralSirJohnFerrisDevonshirediedon19February1839.PETERHORE

FANCOURT

RobertDevereuxFancourt(1742–1826)isatonceoneoftheoldest,themostunusualandtheblandestoftheBandofBrothers.Hewasbaptisedon29August1742,atStClementDanesinLondon,thesonofaLondonoilmanwhosuppliedthe finest whale oil to light the King’s palaces and the fine houses along theStrand.

Startinginabout1759,inFancourt’searlynavalcareerheservedasABandmidshipmanunderRobertManinPrinceFrederick,CornwallandLancaster,inAmericaandtheWestIndies. It is likely thathemetNelson’spatron,MauriceSuckling, inLancaster inearly1762andmovedwithhimtoDreadnought.Hewas examined for lieutenant at the relatively late age of twenty-three, but notpromotedforafurthertwelveyears,in1777.

InhistwentieshemayhaverunintodebtasacourtiertoKingChristianVIIofDenmark,whilethelatterwasinLondon.

However, in1782hewas first lieutenantofGibraltar (80,CaptainThomasHicks), flagship of Commodore Sir Richard Bickerton sent to reinforce SirEdwardHughes in theEast Indies.WhenBickerton reachedRiode Janeiro in1782hepurchasedacutter,Substitute(14),andmadeFancourt,agedforty,hercommander.HardlyhadSubstitute reached India than shewas senthomewithseemingly unimportant dispatches and so missed the brilliant actions and theprize-moneyinthecampaignagainsttheFrenchintheIndianOcean.Itishardtoavoid the suspicion that Fancourt was being removed from blocking thepromotionofother,youngerlieutenants.

However,duringthepeacebetweentheAmericanandFrenchwarsFancourtfoundsomeemployment.In1787–9hecommandedBulldog(16);hewasmadepost-captain in December 1789 and during the Spanish Armament was givencommandofAmbuscadewhichhetooktotheMediterranean.HisnextcommandwasChichester(44)andin1794hehelpedcapturetheFrenchcorvetteSirène.

He commanded Agamemnon (64) in 1796–1802, a memorable commandbecause she was one of the ships which in the Great Mutiny deserted fromAdmiralDuncan’s rendezvous in theNorthSea.Fancourtwas diningwith hisofficers while the mutineers stole his ship. In 1800 she took part in AdmiralDickson’s reconnaissance of the Sound and in 1801 she was in Nelson’ssquadronduringtheBattleofCopenhagen.

Marshall is firmly of the opinion that Fancourt ‘from the unfortunatecircumstance of theAgamemnon striking upon a shoal when approaching theDanish line of defence … was prevented from participating in the gloriousvictoryachievedbyLordNelson’.Nelsonhimselfwasmorecharitable,writingin his dispatch: ‘The Agamemnon could not weather the shoal of the middle[ground],andwasobligedtoanchor,butnotthesmallestblamecanbeattached

to Captain Fancourt.’ However, the absence ofAgamemnon, andBellona andRussell,whichhadalso runaground, fromNelson’splanofattackdidpreventtheextensionofhislinebythreeshipswhichwould,‘Iamconfident,’hewrote,‘have silenced theCrown Islands [Trekroner], theouterShips in theharbour’smouth,andpreventedheavyloss…andwhichunhappilythrewthegallantandgoodCaptainRiou…underaveryheavyfire…theconsequencehasbeenthedeath of Captain Riou, andmany braveOfficers andmen in the Frigates andSloops.’All reports agree thatdespite thecontrarywindandcurrent,FancourtmadestrenuouseffortstowarphisshipintotheKing’sDeep.

AfterCopenhagen,AgamemnonservedasguardshipinHolleselyBay(ontheSuffolkcoast,northofFelixstowe)andin1805–7FancourtcommandedZealand(64),flagshipattheNore,withoutapparentincident.In1808hewaspromotedtorear-admiraland, thoughpromotedagain inpeacetime,wasneveremployedatseaagain.

Vice-Admiral Sir Robert Fancourt married first, Margaret or MarthaClementsin1771,andin1778MargaretBrown,whowasthedaughterorsisteror widow or aunt of naval officers. Robert died on 7 June 1826 in Ripley,Surrey.PETERHORE

FREMANTLE

ThomasFrancisFremantle(1765–1819)wasbornin1765inHampstead.Hisgrandfather, John, came from a family of Lisbon merchants and had been adiplomatatMadrid,thenSecretarytotheCustomsBoard,andhadmarriedintothe Spanish aristocracy. His father, also John, a colonel in the ColdstreamGuardsandamerchant,diedindebtin1784.HismotherFrances(néeEdwards)

camefromawealthyBristolfamily.HisfamilypatronwasLordBuckinghamofStowe,oneoftheGrenvilles.HiselderbrotherswerecolonelsintheArmy,andtheyandhisauntshadallmarriedintominoraristocracywhileayoungerbrotherwasaprominentWhigMP.Hissistersmarriedmenof influence.Hisnephew,John,wasADCtoWellington,andhissecondson,Charles,foughtintheWarof1812.FremantlespokeFrench,ItalianandsomeSpanish.

Fremantle’sfirstshipswereTartar(28)andHussar(28),underCaptainElliotSalterontheLisbonstation.HussarwasimpoundedintheTagusaftercollidingwiththePortugueseshipSaoBonaventurewhichshewastryingtosearch,andshewasonly releasedafter thepersonal interventionof thePortugueseQueen.HeservedinVictor(14)intheWestIndieswithCaptainSylveriusMoriarty,andinJupiter(50)withLordDucie.HewasamidshipmaninPhoenix(44)in1780withCaptainSirHydeParker,whenshewaswreckedinahurricaneonthecoastof hostile Cuba but the crew entrenched themselves until rescued. FremantlebecameoneofHydeParker’s‘boys’,andwaspromotedlieutenantattheageofsixteenbySirPeterParker(commander-in-chief inJamaica),norelationtoSirHyde.ItwasLadyParkerwho‘hadbeenamothertoFremantle’,andhadnursedNelsonafterhisill-fatedNicaraguaexpedition.HeservedinRamillies(74)forayear as midshipman and master’s mate, the sloop Vaughan (14) and, whencapturedbytheFrenchTriton(64)inTickler(14),wastakentoHavana,wherehewasexchangedbeforereturningtoEnglandfromJamaicainChilders(14).

From 1784 to December 1787 Fremantle served in Camilla (20) as firstlieutenantunderCaptainJohnHutt,on theJamaicastation.Hutt laterachievedglory, a fatal wound, and a place in the nave of Westminster Abbey on theGloriousFirstofJune.FremantlealsoservedinthesloopPortAntonio(12).Aperiod ashore in London followed, when he met royalty through his elderbrother,John,whowasequerrytotheDukeofYork,andheconfidedinalettertohisbrotherWilliamon4July1788from31TitchfieldStreet,London,thathehad‘livedwiththehandsomestwomaninEnglandforfivemonths’,butdoesn’tnameher.

During theNootkaCrisis of 1790 he joined SirHyde Parker inBrunswick(74)asthirdlieutenant.Attheendoftheyearhewaspromotedcommanderbutearly1791foundhimlivinghecticallyinBathuntilhewasgivencommandofthefireshipSpitfirewithJamesBrisbane,thethirdsonofAdmiralBrisbane,asoneofhislieutenantsandtherefollowedanenjoyable,andamorous,spellbasedatYarmouth,IsleofWight,incommandofasmallsquadronofguardboats.Onhalfpay fromSeptember1791until early1793,hevisitedFrance (‘inamess,bestfamiliesfleeing’)inAugust1792,gettingtheclapthatwinter,andcuringitwith mercury. He had a brief command of the fireshipConflagration before

beingmadepost-captain inMay1793whenhewasgivencommandofhisoldship,Tartar:hisfirstprize-moneyincommandwassharedwithJohnTriggeofMermaid(32)whentheytooktheFrenchprivateerGeneralWashington(22).

FremantleandNelsonbothknewtheParkersintheWestIndiesandmayhavemet there, but their first recorded encounter came after the capture ofToulon.Tartar, with Lord Hugh Seymour embarked, met Agamemnon on 31 August1793whenFremantletoldNelsonoftheburningoftheFrenchfleet.NelsonwasonthewaytoobtainNeapolitanreinforcementsforHood.

TheconversationinTartarmighthavebeeninteresting.In1783Seymourand‘Jacko’ Willett Payne, both bachelor naval officers, had shared a house inConduitStreet,Mayfair,wherethePrinceofWaleswasavisitor,andthefriendsled ‘an irregularandconvivial life’.TherePayneseducedapenniless teenagercalled Amy Lyon. When in June 1794 Fremantle reached Naples he wasentertained byAmyLyon, nowLadyEmmaHamilton,whomhe found ‘largeandmasculine’.

Meanwhile, Tartar joined Nelson on the blockade of Bastia, and his firstknownletterfromNelsonisdated25January1794:‘SirYouwillproceedinHisMajesty’s Ship under yourCommand offBastia in the Isle ofCorsica, and inevery means in your power prevent the Enemy’s Privateers from leaving orgetting into the Port …’ By the time Bastia surrendered on 21 May 1794FremantlehadearnedtherespectofNelsonbyhisfearlessuseofTartar’sguns,thoughawalkashoreinApriltoinspectanewbatteryalmostendedthelivesofbothasashotfromthedefendersmissedbyinches:Nelsonwasbowledover.

Fremantle was making his name as a successful frigate captain, and inJanuary1795wasgivenInconstant(36).Hiscommandstartedawkwardlywhenhis commander-in-chief received a letter of complaint from his crew allegingcruelty. Fremantle, who had experience of mutiny inCamilla, faced his mendown,sayinganypunishmenthegavewouldbelessthanacourt-martialwouldhaveorderedandarrested the five ringleaders.Before themattercame to trial,Fremantletookpartinoneofthemorefamousfrigateactionsofthewar.On14MarchtheFrenchbattleshipÇaIra(80)hadfallenbehindafleeingFrenchfleetand Fremantle ranged up astern of the larger ship and repeatedly raked her,leading to her capture, and the capture ofCenseur (80)when theBritish fleetcaughtup.Fremantledidnotforgettoobtainapardonforthemutineersinviewoftheirshipmates’‘sober,quietandproper’action.

BetseyFremantle,whonursedherhusbandandNelsonaftertheyhadbeenwoundedatTenerife:aportraitmadeonthecontinentwhenshewasateenager.

WhentheFrencharmiesenteredTuscanyinJune1796,FremantlepersuadedlocaltradersandtheconsulthatBritishgoodsandpeopleshouldbeevacuated:among the naval stores, provisions, British subjects, and émigrés were theWynne family, who embarked with their daughters in Inconstant. SoonFremantlewasseekingWilliam’sadviceas towhether tomarryeighteen-year-

oldBetseyWynnewhomhedescribedas‘short,speaksGerman,Italian,Frenchand English, plays incomparablywell on the harpsichord, drawswell, sings alittle, and is otherwise a very good humoured, sensible dolly’. She in turndescribedhiminherdiaryas ‘nothandsomebutwith fieryblackeyes thatarequitecaptivating,heisalsogoodnatured,kind,amiable,andlively,qualitiesthatwineverybody’sheart’.

Betsey’sdiarydescribes theprogressof their loveaffairwhile ‘OldJarvie’,theunlikeliestofadmirals to listmatchmakingasoneofhis interests,kept theWynnesinthefleetandentertainedthemonboardhisflagship.TheymarriedinNaplesintheHamiltons’houseinJanuary1797,wherePrinceAugustus,GeorgeIII’s youngest son, gave away the bride. Betsey considered Emma to be‘beautifulandamiable’.

TomandBetseyembarked inhisnewcommand,Seahorse (38), to join theclose blockade of Cadiz. In a boat action Nelson was almost killed, writingafterwards: ‘I feel particularly indebted to the successful conclusion of thiscontesttothegallantryofCaptainFremantlewhoaccompaniedmeinmybarge,and tomycoxswainJohnSykeswho indefendingmyperson ismostseverelywounded,aswasCapt.Fremantle.’

Their next adventurewas the disastrous attackonSantaCruz in July 1797.BetseydinedwithNelsonbeforethelandinginwhichheandherhusbandwerebothshotthroughtherightarm.Nelson’swasamputated;Fremantle’sremainedpainful to the end of his life and put him on shore for the next three years.Nelson’s firstnotewithhis lefthandwas toBetsey,andshe, thoughsufferingfrom morning sickness herself, nursed them both on the passage back toSpithead,notingthatNelsonwasa‘verybadpatient’.

TheysettledinSwanbourneinBuckinghamshire,inahousestilloccupiedbytheirdescendant,BetsyDuncanSmith.

In1801,nowincommandofGanges(74),FremantlejoinedHydeParkerandNelson for their mission to the Baltic. There on 1 April Fremantle anchoredGangesaheadofNelson’sElephantwhere,despitethefuryofthebattleGangessufferedjustsevendeadandonewounded.

Hyde Parker was recalled. Nelson replaced him in command, and after adinner to celebrate Emma’s birthday on 24 April, he sent Fremantle to StPetersburgtonegotiate thereleaseofoverahundredinternedBritishmerchantships,ameasurebackedbymovingthefleetuptheBaltic.

With peace in prospect Tom and Betsey went to Bath for furtherconvalescenceofhisTenerifewound.However,therewasaproblemwithHenryRice, his former first lieutenant, who accused him of bullying conduct, andchallengedhimtoaduel.TheAdmiraltyruledthatRicehadbeendisrespectful

andFremantleacceptedanapology.FremantleresumedhiscommandofGangesinJuly1803whenwarbrokeout

again.InOctoberhewasbeingbatteredbygalesinBantryBay,beforehejoinedPellewontheblockadeofFerrolandCorunna,onthelook-outforthefrigateLaPoursuivantecarryingBonaparte’sbrotherJeromefromBaltimoretoFrance.Hedinedashorewiththecaptainsoftheenemyshipsbeingblockaded.Theywerepersonalfriends,butprofessionalenemies!InMay1805hewasgiventhenewNeptune (98), joiningthefleetoffCadiz inAugust.Hetoldhisbrother thathewasgoingtobesecondtoNelsoninanybattle,andhadsecretdirectionsforthebattle,whichincludedinstructionsonhowtoattackinaletterof9October1805.

At theBattleofTrafalgarNeptunewas third in theweathercolumn,havingbeenorderedbyNelsontodropbacksothatVictoryshouldbefirsttopiercetheenemyline,butitwasNeptunewhichdidtherealdamagetotheFrenchcentre.MidshipmanWilliamBadcockwrotethatFremantlewas‘ascoolinactionasifnothingwasdoing’and‘wekeptupsuchabriskfirethattheSpaniardscouldnotkeep at their guns’. The largest ship in the world, the Santísima Trinidadmounting130gunsonfourdecks,surrenderedtoFremantle,andshewasinhishandslongenoughforhimtoremovepartofherchapelcontents,beforeshehadto be scuttled. Neptune suffered just ten killed and thirty-four wounded.Fremantleevenchangedhertatteredtopsailsfornewoneswhentheenemyvanthreatened to join the battle. Later he interviewed the FrenchAdmiral Pierre-Charles Villeneuve and his flag captain Jean-Jacques Magendie to obtain adefinitive list of the Franco-Spanish fleet. Neptune’s deeds in the battle arerecordedinapoembyLawrenceSmith,RoyalMarines.

FremantlediedandwasburiedatNapleswherenowthereisnothingtobeseen,butsuccessivegenerationsofhisfamilyhavemaintainedthismonumentonMalta.

Fremantle was recalled from Collingwood’s blockade in October 1806 tobecome aLord of theAdmiralty andMP forSandwich, andwas in charge oferecting theseamarkmonument toNelsononPortsdownHill,modelledon the

AxumpillarinEthiopia.Promoted to rear-admiral in1810,Fremantle returned to theMediterranean,

seeingactionoffCatalonia,Minorca,Toulon,SicilyandintheAdriatic.BasedatPalermo,he avoided the tangledpoliticsof the exiledNeapolitan court,wheretheQueenwas the aunt ofBonaparte’s secondwife.His shipswere in actionalongbothcoastsofItaly,andgavehimaconstantsupplyofnavalintelligence.The command included eighty armed vessels manned by British and SiciliantroopsunderGeneralLordBentinck.TheyinstitutedajointplaninApril1812toreleasetheSicilianslavesheldbytheTunisians.HetookLadyBentinck,dressedasanofficerofmarines,withhiminhisflagshipMilford(74)andby3Maytheyhadsucceededinliberating380captives,tothedelightoftheSicilians.

AftereighteenmonthsspentdrivingtheFrenchoutoftheAdriatic,FremantlewasplanningtotakeVenicewhenhewascalledhomeinMarch1814.HewasrewardedwithaknighthoodreceivedfromthePrinceRegentandabaronyfromtheAustrianEmperor.InMay1815,whenBonapartebrieflythreatenedEuropeagain, Fremantle had the Channel Islands command and launched his owninvasionatArromanchesaweekbeforeNapoleonsurrendered.

WhentheGreatWar1792–1815wasover,Fremantle tookhisfamily to theMediterranean, where in March 1818 he was appointed commander-in-chiefwith his flag inRochfort (74), under the command ofCaptainAndrewGreenwhohadservedwithhimatCopenhagenandTrafalgar.AmonghismidshipmenwereAugustusandAdolphusFitzclarence, theDukeofClarence’s illegitimatesons.

Vice-Admiral Sir Thomas Fremantle died suddenly in December 1819 inNaplesagedfifty-four.TheKingofNaplesensuredthathewasburiedwithfullmilitaryhonours.Betseyborehimninechildren, includingfivesons,ofwhomthreejoinedtheNavy,andfourdaughters.Hiseldestson,Thomas,wasmadeabaronetandenteredpoliticstobecomeLordCottesloe.Charles,hissecondson,founded Western Australia, and became an admiral, as did his grandsonEdmund,andgreat-grandsonSydney,afamily traditionofnavalservicewhichcontinueduntiltheretirementofthepresentLordCottesloeandthisauthor.CHARLESFREMANTLE

GRAVES

ThomasGraves(1747–1814)was the thirdoffoursonsof theReverendJohnGraves of Castle-dawson, Londonderry. It is easy to be confused by thenumerous members of the extended Graves family, and some writers haveconflatedcousinThomasGraves (1stBaronGraves,1725–1802),whoassistedthe United States of America to its independence by failing to intercept the

FrenchfleetoffChesapeakeBayin1781,withuncleSamuelGraves(1717–87),who fought at the Battle of Quiberon Bay in 1759, or even brothers Samuel,JohnandRichard,allofwhombecameadmiralsintheRoyalNavy.

Thomasservedin theSevenYearsWar(1756–63)andwasmadelieutenantinShannon(28)in1765whilstservingoffthecoastofAfricaunderhiscousinThomasinEdgar(60).

In 1773 he was appointed to Racehorse (18) under Captain ConstantinePhipps,whocommandedavoyageofexploration thatyearwhichattempted tofindtheNorth-WestPassagefromtheAtlantictothePacific,andwhichreached10° degrees North. A young Horatio Nelson served as a midshipman in thesecondshipofthesquadron,thebombvesselCarcassunderCaptainSkeffingtonLutwidge.Graveswaspreventedfromduellingwithanotheryoungofficeroverthecarcassofapolarbearclaimedbyboth,andNelsonisallegedtohaveshotabear.

DuringtheAmericanWarofIndependenceGraveswasappointedlieutenantinLively (20)inJanuary1774andthen,underhisuncleSamuel,hewasgivenindependentcommandofvariousships,includingtheschoonerDiana(6).Whileaground at low water on the night of 27–28May 1775 atWinnisimet Ferry,Dianawasattackedbya large forceof rebelsandsetalight;Graves,whowasthelasttoleaveher,carriedthefacialscarsofhisburnsfortherestofhislife.ThenextmonthattheBattleofBunkerHillGravescommandedanarmedsloop,Spitfire (6), and landed atNoddle’s Island, oppositeBoston; he fought a largegroupofrebels.Oneofthem,morezealousthanhiscomrades,advancednearerto Graves’s sailors, who were attempting to bring off some naval stores, andGraves, still suffering fromhisburns,was sufficiently incensed tooffer singlecombat,buttherebelranoffandwasmissedwhenGravesslippedintoabogashefiredathim.ThiswasreckonedbyallwhowitnesseditasafineinstanceofGraves’sbravery.

NextGraves served underCommodoreWilliamHotham inPreston, and in1779hecommandedthebrig-sloopSavage(14).In1781heachievedpostrank.In the temporary absence of Commodore Edmund Affleck he commandedBedford(74)attheBattleoftheChesapeake,andwasAffleck’sflagcaptainattheBattlesofStKittsandDominicain1782.

Attheendof1782GraveswasgivenMagicienne(32)andon2January1783hemet theFrenchSybille (32).Bothshipswerereduced towrecksandparted,Magicienne not reaching Jamaica until a fortnight later, but Sybille was latertakenbyHussar(34).

DuringthepeaceGravesspentsometimeinFranceandduringthefirstyearsoftheFrenchRevolutionaryWarhewasunemployed,untilinOctober1800he

wasappointedtoCumberland(74)intheChannelFleetunderLordStVincent.On1January1801,aspartofthegeneralpromotiontocelebratetheunionof

BritainandIreland,Graveswasraisedtorear-admiralandinMarchhehoistedhisflaginDefiance(74)asthird-in-commandoftheBalticFleetunderSirHydeParkerandNelson.AtacouncilofwarbeforetheBattleofCopenhagen,Nelsonconferred with Graves, who was against an attack: nevertheless Nelson tookGravesashissecond-in-command.Defiancewasthelastshiptoenterthefray,runningthegauntletoftheDanishline,toanchorasthenorthernmostshipoftheline, opposite the Danish Trekroner battery, with only Edward Rioux’sdetachmentof small ships to thenorth.Defiance sufferedmorecasualties thanmostof theotherBritishships;shewasalso thenearestship toHydeParker’sreservesquadronandthereforebestplacedtoreadandrepeatflagsignalsfromthe commander-in-chief.When the signal to discontinue the actionwasmade,GravesrepeateditbyusingtheleemaintopsailyardarmhalyardwhilstkeepingNelson’ssignalforcloseactiononthemaintopgallantmasthead,whichmeantNelson and his ships would readily see the latter signal, but not the former.Gravesclaimedlaterthatallotherhalyardswerebroken.

AtacelebrationmealgivenbyNelsonon26Apriltocelebratethebirthdayof‘SantaEmma’,asNelsoncalledherthistime,hepresentedGraveswithoneofDavison’sNilemedals,thusformallyinductinghimintotheBandofBrothers.

Aftertheexcitementofthebattle,Graveswasunwell.Nelson’shypochondriamay not have stretched to his people, however. In a letter to Emma dated 23May,Nelsoncomplained,‘IamcominghomeimmediatelyorIshallbedeadofconsumption,thekeenairoftheNorthhascutmetotheheart.Graveshaskepthisbedforamonth.’However,Graveswaswellenough toattendaceremonywhen Nelson informed him that Parliament had voted their thanks, and, onbehalfoftheKing,conferredonhimtheOrderoftheBath,withthewords,IninvestingyouwiththeensignsofthemosthonourableandMilitaryOrderoftheBath,IcannotbutexpresshowmuchIfeelgratifiedthatitshouldhavefallentomylottobedirectedtoconferthisjustlymeritedhonour,andspecialmarkofroyalfavouruponyou;forIcannotbutreflect,thatIwasaneyewitnessofyourhighmerit anddistinguishedgallantry on thememorable secondofApril, andforwhichyouaresohonourablyrewarded.Ihopethatthesehonoursconferreduponyouwillprovetotheofficersintheservice,thatastrictperseveranceinthepursuitofgloriousactions,andtheimitationofyourbraveandlaudableconduct,willever insure themthefavoursandrewardsofourmostgraciousSovereign,andthethanksandgratitudeofourcountry.

AdmiralSirThomasGraves’monumentatStNicholasChurch,CombeRaleigh,Devon.

Graves’s poor health continued, but when Nelson returned to England hestayed in the Baltic, as second-in-command to Admiral Pope, Nelson’ssuccessor, shifting his flag toPolyphemus (64) and subsequently toMonarch(74),inwhichheremaineduntilJanuary1802.

From January 1804 toNovember 1805 he served on theBrest blockade asthird-in-command,usually flyinghis flag inFoudroyant (80)andcommandingthe inshoresquadron.Hewascriticisedfor takinghisfleet toQuiberonBaytocollectwaterinJanuary1805,therebyallowingMissiessy’sRochefortsquadrontoslipoutandbeginthechainofeventsthatledtotheBattleofTrafalgar.

Hewaspromoted tovice-admiral inNovember1805and removed fromhiscommand,causinghimtowritetoCornwallis,explainingthat‘aseverecoldandinflammation inmyeyes’preventedhimexpressing inpersonhis ‘surprise…disappointment, and mortification of being removed in so extraordinary amanner.’Neverthelesstherewerenowtoomanyvice-admiralschasingtoofewappointmentsandhewasneveremployedagain.

AdmiralSirThomasGraves retired toWoodbineHill,Honiton,Devon,anddied there on 29March 1814.He left awife, Susanna (apparently his secondwife),andadaughter,Mary.PETERTURNER

HAMOND

Graham Eden Hamond (1779–1862) was born in London on 30 December1779, the only son of Sir Andrew Snape Hamond. In his career he enjoyedconsiderable‘interest’:hisfatherbecomingComptrolleroftheNavy1794–1806,

andhissistermarryingintooneofthenavaldynastiesoftheage,theHoods.YoungGrahamwasborneonthebooksofhisfather’sship,Irresistible(74),

when six years old but is unlikely to have left his mother’s apron strings soearly; however, by 1793 Hamond really was a midshipman in Phaeton (38),commandedbyhiscousin,SirAndrewSnapeDouglas,whenshehelpedcaptureavaluablesquadronofFrenchships,includingtheprivateerGénéralDumourier(22).Theprecise share-out of prize-money is unknown,but over thenext fewyearsHamondenjoyedasteadyincomefromprizes.

ThenextyearinQueenCharlotte(100),theflagshipofEarlHowe,Hamondtook part in the Battle of the Glorious First of June. Hamond was madelieutenantin1796,andservedonseveralshipsintheMediterraneanandonthehomestation,includingtheblockadeofLeHavrein1798,whenhecommandedEcho(18).

Just two years later Hamond was made post-captain, a promotion dueundoubtedlytohisfather’sinfluence,andthenextyearwasgivencommandofChampion (24) at the blockade ofMalta, where he also served ashore in theSiegeofVallettauntilill-healthforcedareturnhome.

HamondwasgivencommandofBlanche(36)andinherhetookpartintheBattleofCopenhagenin1801.BeforethebattletheBritishcommander-in-chief,Sir Hyde Parker, sent Hamond to negotiate with the Danes, so he landed atElsinore and took coach to Copenhagen; he returnedwithNicholasVansittartMP, the British government’s special envoy, Mr Drummond, the BritishMinistertoCopenhagen,variousfleeingBritishsubjects,andwiththerefusaloftheDanestoacceptterms.HispartinthebattlewasatanchorbetweenAmazon(38)andAlcmene(32)oppositetheTrekronerbattery.AllthesmallshipsunderCaptainEdwardRiou tookahammeringandBlanche sufferedsevendeadandnine badly injured. At church service the following Sunday, Hamond heldNelson’sprayerbookforhimtoread.Soonafter,HamondbroughtHydeParkerbacktoEngland,andthenBlanchediddutyintheChannel,includingattendanceonGeorgeIIIatWeymouth.

HamondcommandedPlantagenet(74)throughouttheseasonof1803,whenshecapturedtheFrenchCourierdeTerreNeuveandtheAtalante.

In 1804 Hamond was given command of the new frigate Lively (38), theprototypeofoneofthemostsuccessfulBritishdesignsofthewar:fifteensuchshipswereorderedoverthenexttenyears.InLivelyhetookpartinthenotoriousactionon5October1804when,beforeadeclarationofwar,asquadronunderCommodoreGrahamMoorewaylaid four Spanish frigates ladenwith treasureintendedtopaySpanishreparationstoFrance.NuestraSeñoradelasMercedes,carryingmanyoftheSpanishofficers’wivesandfamilies,blewupearlyinthe

battlescatteringhertreasureontheseabed,whichdemoralisedtheotherSpanishships into surrendering with the vast fortune which they were carrying. Thetreasure was deemed droits of the Admiralty, so the captors only received afourthoftheusualprize-money.Twomonthslater,intwoseparateincidentsonthesameday,Hamondhelpedcapturetwoothertreasure-ladenships,andallthebullion, worth approximately 5 million dollars, was entrusted to Hamond tobringhometoEngland;thiswasprobablythelargestsumcarriedonboardashipuptothattime,buttheusualpaymentoffreight-moneywassuspendedforthistrip, so that on this occasion also Hamond’s reward was a share of a specialbounty.

On 30 December 1806 Hamond married Elizabeth Kimber of Fowey,Cornwall.Hamondwaswell-connectedandnowwealthyandmighthavebeenexpectedto‘marrywell’,sothismarriagemayhavebeenalove-match;theyhadfivechildren.

Hamond commandedVictorious (74) at the unhappy taking of Flushing in1809,butwas invalideduntil 1824whenhewas chosen to convey theBritishministertoBrazilinWellesley(74).

As rear-admiral, flying his flag inSpartiate (74), he delivered the treaty ofseparationbetweenBrazilandPortugaltotheKingofPortugal,buthewasnotallowed towear the PortugueseOrder of the Tower and Sword, as it had notbeenawardedonactiveservice.

Hamondsucceededasthesecondbaronet inSeptember1828.From1834to1838hewascommander-in-chiefontheSouthAmericastation,andhissteadyrise through the flag list culminated in him becoming Vice-Admiral of theUnitedKingdomin1862(anappointmentinthemonarch’sgift).AdmiraloftheFleetSirGrahamEdenHamonddiedthesameyearatNortonLodge,FreshwaterontheIsleofWight.TwoofhissonsservedintheNavy,buthefailedtofoundadynastyandthebaronetcybecameextinctin1969.PETERTURNER

HATHERILL

RichardHatherill(1769–1804)wasbornatQueenboroughinnorthKenton20September 1769 to Joseph andElizabethHatherill.His fatherwas ordained in1775andwasappointedperpetualcurate to the town in thesameyear. Josephalsoservedasanavalchaplainbetween1779and1802,whichmayhaveprovedusefulinhisson’sfuturecareer.

Queenborough,placedneartheconfluenceoftheMedwayandThames,wasaflourishingmaritimeand fishingcentre.Nelsonpassed for lieutenantatnearby

Sheerness in 1777 and is said later to have rented accommodation inQueenboroughforhimselfandLadyHamilton.ThecreeksandshallowwatersoftheriverwouldhaveprovidedtheyoungHatherillwiththeidealenvironmenttolearn how to sail. Richard attended Merchant Taylors’ School, a charitableinstitution,inLondonbetween1780and1784,butwasabsentbecauseofillnessforoverayearduring1780–1.Heseemsalsotohavebeenapprenticedforsevenyears to a local oyster dredger, JamesHall, inOctober 1785 at a cost of £15,perhapsasaback-upplantoacareerintheNavy,sinceheisalsorecordedonthenew,Thames-builtDictator(64,CaptainWilliamParker)asthe‘chaplain’sservant’between24September1783and11March1786.ThenbetweenOctober1786 and June 1790, Hatherill was aboard Maidstone (28, Captain HenryNewcome),atfirstrated‘able’andthenasamidshipmanfrom1788.Thisshipwas in English Harbour, Antigua, in 1787, where her master was one of anumber ordered to inspect supplies recently arrived from England, part of asmall groupof frigatesunder the commandofNelson in theBoreas.Hatherillsubsequently served briefly in London (90) and Royal Sovereign (100) andpassedforlieutenanton3November1790.

ResearchhasfailedtorevealwhereheservedafterthisuntilhewasappointedtoRepulse(64,CaptainJamesAlms)on18October1794.Hedoesnotappearinthe Biennial List of commissioned officers entitled to half pay for the years1790–4. Repulse was caught up in the Nore mutiny of 1797 when her firstlieutenant,FrancisDouglas,wasawardedacommemorativeswordforbringingthe ship to shore in spite of being fired on by other ships. Admiraltycorrespondenceconcerningpayshowsthat theshipwasheldbythemutineers,six of whom were court-martialled and four pardoned. During this periodHatherill also appears in the books ofBlenheim (90,Captain JohnBazely), in1794–5,andin1796inDirector(64,CaptainWilliamBligh).

InMarch1800Repulsewasonblockadedutyoff thecoastofFrancewhenCaptainAlmswas injured ina fall.Under thecommandofher first lieutenanttheshipstruckrocks,and inspiteof thebesteffortsof thecrewover thenextfewhours,waterroserapidlytotwofeetabovetheorlopdeck.Fortunately,theywerenearenoughtoshoretobeachtheshipandalmostallthecrewweresavedandtakenprisoner.Theofficersweresoonexchanged,andtheinevitablecourt-martial took place inPortsmouth on 26 and 27 June the sameyear.As fourthlieutenant,Hatherillhadbeenonwatchduring theafternoonof thedaybeforethewreckandwascloselyquestionedbythecourt.Thecaptainwasexonerated,butthefirstlieutenantandthemasterweredismissedtheservice.

On16July1800HatherillmarriedMaryPennallatQueenborough.Sheseemstohavecomefromaseafaringfamilysinceseveralpeopleofthesamenameare

listedasmarinersintheQueenboroughdirectoryof1792andanotherwasClerkoftheSurveyoftheOrdnanceatSheerness.

In a great advance in his career, Richard Hatherill joined theHecla bombvessel as commander on 16 January 1801. In his log he records the ship’sbombardment of the castle at Kronborg on 30 March and the variousmanoeuvresof the fleet.On2Aprilhehadorders ‘toget to thenorthward, tothrow shells at Crown Islands [Trekroner] and vessels within them’, andgrounding of other ships prompted him to sound carefully around theHeclawhen forced to anchorbecauseof the strengthof the current.Having returnedbriefly fromCopenhagen toLowestoft in July, on4 and5AugustHecla tookpart inabombardmentofBoulogneinwhichfiveof theenemy’svesselsweresunk in spiteof ‘heavy fire from the shore’.Later the sameyear the shipwaspaidoffattheNore,havingbeensentinbyNelson‘tomakegoodherdefects’.

On29April1802Hatherillwaspostedcaptainaspartofaverylargegroup(aboutseventy)promotedonthatday,asacelebrationofthePeaceofAmiens.

ResearchhasnotfoundanyfurthershipscommandedbyHatherill.However,twolettershavesurvived,onefrom16March1803andtheotherfrom11July1804, in which he asks to be employed as ‘whatever their Lordships in theirWisdommay Judgemostproper’.Sadly, itwasonly threemonths lateron29October1804whenhemadehiswill‘beingatthistimeinanillstateofBody’.He died soon after at the age of thirty-five and was buried on 15 November1804, leavingallhisestate tohiswifeMary,whowenton to remarry in1810andmadeherwillin1855.

RichardHatherilllivedashortlife,butaneventfulone,travellingtheworld,seeing action, a serious mutiny and being shipwrecked. He is an interestingexample of a man who made his way from the chaplain’s servant to thequarterdeck.Itmaybethathisfather’sconnectionsintheNavyhelpedhimonhisway, sinceEvanNepean,Secretary to theBoardofAdmiralty1795–1804,was MP for Queenborough 1796–1802, and the two may have met duringJoseph’s time at sea, when Nepean was a purser. They would certainly havemovedinthesamecirclesinKent.Itmaynotbestretchingimaginationtoofarto think that Nelson came across the young Hatherill in Queenborough andperhapstheymetagainintheWestIndies.GILLIANKNIGHT

INMAN

HenryInman(1762–1809)wasborninBurrington,Somerset,andeducatedathomebyhisfather, thevicar,until in1776,presumablyunder the influenceofhisfather’sSomersetfriendstheHoods,hefirstwent toseainSamuelHood’sBarfleur(90).

The AmericanWar found Inman inLark (32) which on 5 August 1778 atRhodeIslandwasbeachedandburntwithseveralotherships, toavoidcaptureby aFrench fleet underVice-AdmiralComted’Estaing,whohadbeen sent tocooperate with the American rebels. Nevertheless, Inman manned a batterywhich deterred the French, whose storm-damaged fleet retired for repairs toBoston.

Inmanwasexaminedforlieutenantin1780andservedinPearl(32),Camel(26) and Santa Monica (36) in the West Indies. Santa Monica grounded offTortolaon1April1782andrapidlybrokeup,thoughthecrewweresaved.

WhentheFrenchHector(74)wastakenattheBattleoftheSainteslaterthatmonth,shewasrepairedandrecommissionedasHMSHector,eventhoughtherewasalreadyashipofthatnameinPortsmouth.TheFrenchHector,builtin1756,wasinapoorstate,oldandbadlybatteredattheSaintes,andtwenty-twoofhergunswere taken out, her rigging andmasts reduced, and shewasmanned bysome two hundred invalids for the voyage toEngland.When on 5 September1782 she fell in with two French frigates, Gloire (32) and Aigle (28), theyrealised her weakened state and were determined to recapture her. Hector’snewlypromotedcaptain,JohnBourchier,waswoundedearlyintheaction,andall the other officers were incapacitated except Inman, her first lieutenant.Unabletomanoeuvreandrepeatedlyraked,Inmantookcommandandresistedaboarding,andwhenthesailsofaBritishfleetwereseen, theFrenchmenmadeoff.Hectorhadsufferedforty-sixcasualties,andher‘previouslycrazyhullwasalmosttorntopieces,whilsthermast,sailsandriggingwererendereduselessbyshot’.

WithHector in this condition ‘a tremendous stormarose’; the 1780s saw anumber of severe hurricanes which, in the days when they were not wellunderstoodandtheartofforecastingnotdeveloped,wereaparticulardangertosailingships.Hector losther rudderandallhermasts, theholdfilledwithsaltwaterandspoiledtheprovisionsandfreshwater.Tokeepthepumpsgoing,withareduced,sicklycrew,Inmanenforcedhiscommandswithapairofpistolsandforafortnightused‘entreaties, threatsandcommands’and‘neverenjoyedonehour’s repose’. Fortunately, with his ship slowly foundering, the DartmouthsnowHawke,appearedandhermaster,JohnHill,tookHector’speopleonboardandcarriedthemtoStJohn’s,Newfoundland.Theretheyarrivedonshortrationsand almost out of fresh water, and for the third time Inman lost all hispossessions,buttheseamenwhoseliveshehadthreatenedinordertoforcethemtoworkthepumpsnowchairedhimthroughthestreetsofStJohn’s.

From1783to1790InmanwasonhalfpaybutduringtheSpanishArmamenthe was appointed to Latona (38, Captain Thomas Bertie) and remained inemploymentforthenexttwentyyears.HisfirstcommandwasthecutterPigmy(14), ‘not a prime sailer’, based on the Isle ofMan.Around this time he alsomarriedCatherineDalby,sisterofCaptainThomasDalby.

HewasalieutenantinVictoryattheSiegeofToulonwhenLordHoodgavehim command of the captured French Aurore (32), in which Inman againendured an epic of survival and seamanship.Aurore wasweaklymanned and

hadonboardmoreprisoners than crew; amutiny, ledbyFrenchofficerswhomessed with their British captors, had to be put down. Next Aurore wasdismasted in a storm off Corsica and Inman’s turbulent prisoners againattemptedtotakeher.Whenoneofthemboredaholeinherbottom,InmanranbeforethewinduntilhemadeGibraltarwhereheanchoredherinshallowwaterand obliged the prisoners themselves to take to the pumps. This at first theyrefused,butwhenthewaterwasuptotheirwaists,Inman’sfractiousprisonersatlastsubmittedtohiswill.

Inman’sluckdidnotchange.In1797whileintheChannelincommandofthecapturedFrenchEspion (38),withhiswifeandchildrenonboard,sheranintoheavyweather and onlymade Sheerness with great difficulty, where shewasdeclared unfit to proceed to sea.Then in thewinter of 1797/8 he commandedRamilliesontheblockadeofBrest,‘strugglingwithcontinuedgales,whichfortheirviolence,theoldestseamanhadneverseenexceeded’.

At last, at the beginning of 1799 Inman obtained command ofAndromeda(32), ‘oneof themostbeautifulmodels in the service’, employed in theNorthSeaandonanattackonDunkirk in July1800.When theFrenchDesirée (36)was cut out, Inmanwasgiven commandand soproceeded to theBalticunderParkerandNelson.AttheBattleofCopenhagenInmanwasintheKing’sDeepwithNelson,where inNelson’swordshe‘performedthegreatestservice’,andthemenofMonarch,herselfoneof themorebusilyengagedships, repeatedlyexclaimed, ‘Look at that frigate!’ ThoughDesirée engaged one of the shorebatteries,theDanishaimwastoohigh,andshesufferedjustfourmeninjured.

However,when after CopenhagenDesirée was ordered to theWest Indies,Inmanoptedforfamilylifeandremainedashore.

InMay 1805 Inman was given command of Triumph (74) and was in thethickofthefightingatCalder’saction,theBattleofFinisterreinJuly,afterwardsrequiringaperiodofrepairs.AtCalder’scourt-martial–whenin thewordsofthe Naval Chronicle the admiral was tried and censured ‘for an error ofjudgementafterobtainingavictory’–Inmanwasasked,‘Whydidhenotinformtheadmiralofhiscrippledstate?’towhichInman’simmortalanswerwas,‘Ididnotthinkthatapropertimetotroubletheadmiralwithmycomplaints.’

Inman’s health had suffered during his long career at sea, and although hewas at sea again in 1806 in a squadron under Rear-Admiral Sir RichardStrachan, his ill-health forced him ashore in May. Initially, he was givencommandoftheSeaFenciblesatKing’sLynn,butthenwasreluctanttoacceptwhen offered the appointment of Naval Commissioner atMadras. The Indianclimate ashorewas not kind toNelsonic heroes andhe died there ‘on 15 July1809,justtwelvedaysafterarrivingintheClorindefrigate’.

PETERHORE

LAWFORD

JohnLawford(1756–1842),thefirstsonofJohnLawfordofGosportandSarahGoverofPortsea,wasbaptisedatStMary’sChurch,Portsea,on3July1757.

Hedidnot,itseems,jointheRoyalNavyuntilhewastwenty-oneyearsold,but the first record found of his service in the Navy is during the war withAmerica.HewasfirstlieutenantofNamur(90)attheBattleoftheSaintes;thisimplies that hewas already an experienced sailorwhen he joined. InOctober1788 he took command of the new brig-sloopWasp (16), and in 1790, hecommandedthesloopHound(16),andsubsequentlyspenttwoyearsstationedatJamaica.

At the outbreak of war with revolutionary France, in 1793, Lawford waspromoted post-captain, and was given command of the recently capturedConvert(36).InanincidentknownastheWreckoftheTenSail,hestrucktheshore off Grand Cayman three days into a voyage home. Acquitted at court-martial in Port Royal, Jamaica, his career seems to have continued smoothlythereafter. He commanded Agincourt (64) in 1798, but in March 1798 heswappedshipswithCaptainJohnBligh(acousinofWilliamBligh),takingoverRomney(50).

InJune1798,CommodoreLawford,ashewasthen,instigatedashortactionagainstaSwedish frigateescortingaconvoyofSwedishships in theChannel,suspecting them of supplying cargoes of war materiel to France. This was adelicatesituation,soLawfordsentanexpresstotheAdmiralty,fromwhomhereceived instructions to detain the convoy. Without being too heavy-handed,Lawford explainedhis requirements to theSwedish commodore,who, in turn,showedLawfordhisorderstoresistsuchactionbytheBritish.Afterastand-offovernight,theSwedishwereawareoftheirimpossiblepositionandsopermittedtheconvoytobebroughtintoMargateRoads.ThiswasoneoftheincidentsthatpushedSweden,DenmarkandRussiaintotheformationoftheLeagueofArmedNeutrality twoyears later.Aftera lengthyconsideration theHighCourtof theAdmiralty condemned the merchantmen and their cargoes as lawful prizes,worth£600,000,whilsttheprivateadventuresofthemasterswerereleased.Romney joinedVice-AdmiralAndrewMitchell’ssquadronofDenHelder in

August 1799, and was present at the Vlieter Incident, when a Dutch fleetmutiniedandsurrenderedtotheBritish.LaterinthatsameAugust,LawfordtookcommandofPolyphemus(64)–knowntohersailorsasthe‘PollyInfamous’–andinherhejoinedthefleetunderSirHydeParker,sentouttoforcetheDanes

outoftheLeagueofArmedNeutralitythathehadinadvertentlyhelpedtocreate.Polyphemuswas detached intoNelson’s squadron, sent to attackCopenhagen,and the Danish fleet at anchor before it, on 2 April 1801. As a result of theimprovisedchangesthatbattlebrings,Polyphemusanchoredtothesouthoftheline, from where she engaged the blockship, or floating battery, Provesteen,sustainingthirty-onecasualties,includingsixdead.PolyphemusreturnedtoEnglandafterthebattleandwaspaidoff,afterwhich,

in April 1803, Lawford married Anna Maria Holden (1758–1853), of GreatYarmouth,Norfolk.

There followeda lucrative fivemonthswhenLawford’s fortunesdrasticallyimproved as Polyphemus, sometimes in company with others, took severalprizes, including in December 1804, the Spanish Santa Gertrudis which wasfound to be shipping specie from South America to the value of 1,125,000dollars.

InJune1805LawfordshiftedintoAudacious(74),therebymissingtheBattleof Trafalgar inwhich his successor, Robert Redmill, foughtPolyphemus withdistinction.InOctober1806LawfordmovedtothecommandofImpétueux(74).HeservedforatimeintheChannelandtheNorthSea,where,on25July1809,Lieutenant John Ball was tried for contempt of Lieutenant Jones, first ofImpétueux,disobeyingordersanddisrespectofhiscaptain,andwasadmonishedby the court-martial. The followingmonth Impétueux was engaged deployinggunboats in the attack on a fort at Flushing, sustaining two killed and threewounded.

After returning home Impétueux was sent straight off to Lisbon in March1810.WhentheBritishtroopsretreatedfromSpaintothelinesatTorresVedras,herboatswereengagedannoyingtheFrenchtroopscampedonthebanksoftheRiverTagus.TheFrench amused themselveswith artillery and rifle firewhileImpétueux’s boats employed their carronades and small arms. On 1 August1811,Lawfordwaspromotedrear-admiralbutnotemployed.

Lawfordwas promoted vice-admiral in 1829 and admiral in 1832. HewasmadeaKnightCommanderoftheOrderoftheBathinAugust1838forhisroleattheBattleofCopenhagenin1801;hewastheonlyveterantohavelivedlongenoughforthedecisiontobemadetoawardthishonour.

InAugust1837Lawfordwrotehisownwill,presumablywithoutprofessionalhelp;alltwentypagesofitarecloselywrittenwithoutpunctuation,thusmakingitobscureandturgidandgivingemploymenttolawyersforalongtime.

Lawforddied at his home inSt John’sWoodon22December 1842.AnnaMariasurvivedhim,buttheyhadnochildren.PETERTURNER

M’KINLEY

George M’Kinley (1766–1852) was born in Devonport; his father, a navallieutenant, diedwhenhewas eleven, but hewas allowedno time for grievingandwassent tosea,wherehewasfortunate toattract thepatronageofSamuelBarrington,JohnLevesonGowerandlaterLordHood.

HisfirstshipwasAlbion(74)in1774andhehadonlyjustbeenrated‘able’inthesloopCeres(18,CaptainJamesDacres)intheWestIndieswhenin1777hebecamebrieflyaprisonerofwar.Dacreshaddecoyed theFrench Iphigénie(36)awayfromatroopconvoywhichCereswasescorting,andafterachaseoftwodayswascaptured,butwiththegratificationthatherconvoyescaped.

M’Kinley was evidently a bright young man. He served in Alcmene (32),Belliqueux (64) and Barfleur (98, Captain Alexander Hood, and flagship ofSamuelHood).Hewas at theBattles ofMartinique and of the Saintes in theAmericanWar.Unlikemanyhefoundemploymentthroughthepeaceof1783–93, andwhen the FrenchWar broke out hewas first lieutenant of the frigateAlcide(74,CaptainRobertLinzee).

ByApril1795hewascommanderofLiberty(14)intheChannelIsleswhere,‘in a dashing operation’ under the command of Sir Sidney Smith, a smallsquadrontookandburnedaFrenchcorvette,fourbrigs,twosloopsandalugger.InMay1798hebecamemasterandcommanderof thefireshipOtter (14)and,unlikemanyanotherwhoheldhonoraryrankinthemarines,M’Kinleyactuallycommanded a detachment of marines ashore during the British landings inHollandin1798.

In April 1801Otter sailed up the King’s Deep and anchored near Riou’sAmazon but did not take much part in the Battle of Copenhagen. However,M’Kinley was an officer of seventeen years’ unbroken experience and waspromotedpost-captainandrefittedBellona(74)insuccessiontoSirTBouldenThompson,andthenwasorderedtobringArdent(64)home.

In October 1801 he carried the news of the Peace of Amiens to theWestIndiesinthesloopPelican(18).Accidentsareseldomwrittenabout,butin1803M’Kinley certainly suffered a serious accident when, in Roebuck (44) andexercisinghisnewlyraisedmen,afullpowderhornexplodedclosetohisfaceandhewasblindedforseveralweeks.

In 1806, when the French threatened Lisbon, he brought off the Britishfactoryandmerchants,andin1809hecommandedasquadronontheGaliciancoastwhichcooperatedwithlocaltroopswho,inararevictoryfortheguerrillas,recaptured the pilgrim city of Santiago de Compostela from the marauding

Frencharmy.In1810M’Kinley’sLively(38)waswreckedoffMalta;hewasacquittedof

blameandcommendedforhiseightweeks’effort togetLivelyafloat. In1812M’KinleywasoncemoreincommandofBellona,andhesawoutthewarintheChannel.When he came ashore in 1817 he had been thirty-three years at seawith hardly a break, ofwhich twenty-two yearswere in command, and in hisrecordofcaptain’sserviceshelistedthirty-twoships.

OfM’Kinley’sbrothers,Samueldiedin1780intheAmericanWar,andJohndiedin1782intheWestIndies.AdmiralGeorgeM’KinleydiedinAlverstokein1852.PETERHORE

MARTIN

JohnHenryMartin (c.1753–1823), who sailed onCook’s third voyage,wasmostprobablyborninPembrokeshireinwestWalesandpossiblyinManorbier.Hehadhadnearly five and a half years at sea inNavyvessels before joiningCook,beginningasamidshipmaninthe8-gunsloopPeggy.Thiswasprobablyfrom1765underCommanderJamesO’Hara,and followedby threemonths inYarmouth (60, Captain James Gambier), which at the beginning of 1767 wasguardshipatSheerness.

When Romney (50) was recommissioned in March 1767 by Captain JohnCorner,Martinservedfortwoandahalfyears,stillamidshipman,inAmericanwaters, followed by a year and a half in the sloop Bonetta (10, CommanderJamesWallace).HerejoinedJamesO’Hara(nowacaptain)inAlderney(12)forthreemonths,rated‘able,’inabout1772.

Martinappearstothenhavehadabreakofseveralyearsfromactiveservicebefore he joinedCook’s third voyage inMarch 1776 as anAB inDiscovery.Shortly after the ship sailed, her captain, Charles Clerke, had him ratedmidshipman.

On30October1777,atHuahineintheSocietyIslands,alocal,whohadbeenincustody,escapedandWilliamHarveywhohadbeenonwatchwasdisratedtomidshipman. As a result,Martin was promoted to lieutenant in his place andtransferredtoCook’sResolution.Martinwasinvolvedinanincidenton1March1779 atKauai, one of theHawaiian islands,when JamesKing and two othermen were chased down to the shore and Martin, who was in charge of thepinnace,firedmuskets,killingonenative.

Duringthevoyage,Martinkeptajournalonwhichanhistoriancommented:‘Martin’sentriesarenotlong,evenattheirlongest;butheseemstohavelooked

atlifeforhimself.’Afterthevoyage,Martinsathislieutenant’sexaminationon19October1780

andreceivedhiscommissioninDecemberthatyear.HewasimmediatelypostedtoUnion (90,CaptainJohnDalrymple)onthewesternstation.Otherdetailsofhisnaval career are sketchy.Heprobably served in1795 inSyren (32) and in1797inMelampus(36)bothtimesunderCaptainGrahamMoore.

Inanyevent,Martinwasmadeacommanderon17February1800andgivencommand of Xenophon (22, later renamed Investigator) for operations in theNorth Sea in 1800, but was relieved of this ship when she was selected forMatthewFlinders’expeditiontoAustralia.Instead,Martinwasgiventhebomb-shipExplosionandsotookpartintheBattleofCopenhageninApril1801,andalsointheunsuccessfulattackonBoulogneinAugust1801.

Martin married and he and his wife had a son, Henry OwenMartin, bornabout1806.However,thisfirstwifemusthavedied,asMartinwasmarriedtoamuchyoungerwomancalledMargaretwhenhediedin1823.

John Henry Martin died on 10 May 1823 and was buried at St Elidyr’sChurch, Ludchurch, Pembrokeshire. Amemorial in the churchyard reads: ‘Atthe time of his death he was supposed to be the last surviving officer whoaccompaniedCaptainCookonhisthirdvoyageroundtheworld.’JOHNROBSON

MOSSE

JamesRobertMosse(1745–1801)wasbornintoafamilythathasforcenturiesproducednavalofficers,clergymenanddoctorsforBritain.HisfatherwasJohnMosse, rector of Great Hamden and vicar of Great Kimble in Bucks. JamesenteredtheRoyalNavyasacaptain’sservantinBurford(70)on6August1757,whenhewaselevenyearseightmonthsold,andhetookpartinHawke’sraidonRochefort that year and in November 1758 he joinedLizard (28) as ordinaryseamanandmaster’smate,whereheremaineduntilMay1763.

Hedescribedtheseyearsinamemorandumof1790:‘HeservedintheFleetatthereductionofeveryplaceinNorthAmericaandtheWestIndiesduringthe

formerWar,theIslandofGuadaloupeexcepted,andtowardstheendwasmadeaprisoner,inwhichfatehecontinuedtillthePeace.’ThiswouldhavebeentheSevenYearsWar,thefirstglobalwar,whichterminatedwiththeTreatyofParisin 1763, so his captors were presumably French. Between 1763 and 1771 heserved in theChannel inHussar (28),Tweed (32),Yarmouth (64)andBellona(74). FromMarch 1771 toMay 1775 he served in the East Indies under SirRobert Harland, initially as a midshipman inNorthumberland (70), but on 4October 1771 hewas promoted to lieutenant and joinedSwallow (14).Mossesaw little active servicewhile in Swallow or subsequently inOrford (70) andBuckingham (70),writing in the samememorandum: ‘Returned to England intheyear1775intheSquadron,butwiththelossofhealthoccasionedbyablowfrom a piece ofwood falling on his headwhen executing his duty andwhichrendered him incapable full 15months or indeed till he returned to his nativeclimate.’

During the AmericanWarMosse served, fromMarch 1776 until February1778inJuno(32),inwhichherecapturedthebrigantineDinahfromtherebels,and thenuntil January1779as second lieutenant aboardEagle (64)withLordHowe.During a brief interval ashore, on 16March 1780MossemarriedAnnGrace,daughterofRevStephenKinchinofStokeCharity,Hampshire,andtheysetuphomeatWickham.

FromOctober1780untilAugust1781heservedontheWestIndiesstationinAlfred (72) and later Vengeance (74), and in April 1782 he became firstlieutenant inVictory at the relief of the Great Siege of Gibraltar, after whichLordHowemadehimmasterandcommanderofthefireshipPluto.TheNationalMaritimeMuseum still holds aSpanish flagwhichMosse took as a trophyofwaratGibraltar.Afterwardshewrote:Ourlossisbutafewkilledandwounded–notaCaptainhurt…TheVictorydidnotfireaBroadsideasdidsomeoftheothershipsintheCentre–theAdmiraldid not think them near enough.AdmiralBarrington… commanded theVan,and Vice Admiral Milbank with the Rear-Admirals Hood and Hughes in theRear.Wehaveonly to regret itwasnotday insteadofnight; for Ibelieveweshouldhavemade it asgloriousandcompleteavictoryas theannalshaseverproduced,notwithstandingtheirgreatsuperiority.

InApril1783his rankwasconfirmedbuthewasplacedonhalfpaybeforebeing sent on impressment duty toBristol. Likemany officers his careerwasadvancedbytheNootkaCrisiswhenhewasmadepost-captainandappointedtoWasp (16). Then, between 1793 and 1797,Mosse commanded the depot shipSandwich (98) at the Nore, and was there on 12 May 1797 when mutineersseizedhisship.Mosseputdownthismutinywithconsiderablehumanityanda

numberofprisonersfromSandwichwrotetohimpleadingforhimtointercedeontheirbehalf.HisconductoftheprosecutionoftheringleaderswasreportedinTheTimes in June1797,whenRichardParkerwashangedonboardSandwich:two months later the death sentences on other mutineers were commuted toimprisonment.

FromSeptember1797untilApril1799MossecommandedtheformerDutchBraakel (54) and thenVeteran (64) on the North Sea station. He was in theNorthSeaat the timeof theBattleofCamperdown, thoughnotpresentduringtheaction.

On1May1799Mosse tookcommandofMonarch (74). Inspring1801theBritishfleetsailedtotheBaltictobreakuptheNorthernAllianceofDenmark,RussiaandSwedenwhichhadplacedanembargoonBritishtrade.AdmiralSirHydeParkerwascommander-in-chiefinLondon(98)andNelsonhissecond-in-command in St George (98), when the fleet anchored north of Helsingør(Elsinore inShakespeare’sHamlet)at theentrance to theSound. Impatient foractionNelsonwroteon16March1801:ReportssaywearetoanchorbeforewegettoKronborgcastlethatourministerin Copenhagen may negotiate. What nonsense. How much better could wenegotiatewasourfleetoffCopenhagenandtheDanishMinisterwouldseriouslyreflecthowhebroughtthefireofEnglandonhisMaster’sfleetandcapital.TokeepusoutofsightistoseduceDenmarkintoawarwhichIasanEnglishmanwishtoprevent.Ihateyourpenandinkmen,afleetofBritishshipsofwararethebestnegotiatorsinEurope,theyalwaysspeaktobeunderstoodandgenerallygaintheirpoint,theirargumentscarryconvictiontothebreastsofourenemies.

DetailofthemonumentinStPaul’scathedraltoCaptainJamesRobertMossewhofellattheBattleofCopenhagenin1801.

Hyde Parker’s negotiations were indeed unsuccessful and as the Britishpreparedtosailsouthontheeveningof25March,Mossewrotetohiswife:LordNelsonhasdonetheMonarchthehonourofchoosingherforhisVanShipandsheistoleadon,assoonasthewindswillpermit.ThismydearloveisthePostofHonour,&Imakenodoubtweshallacquitourselveswithfreshlaurels.WhatevermaybethegoodfortuneoftheDay,youcannotavoidbeingasharerintheGlorywhichIentrust&hopewillfollow.

On30March1801Mosse’sMonarchledthefleetintothetwo-and-halfmilewideSoundbetweenSwedenandDenmark.WhenshecameabreastKronborgcastleandhoistedhercolours,shewasfiredon.Nelson’ssquadronsailedsouthandonthenightof1Aprilanchoredjusttwomilesfromthecity.ThereontheeveofbattleMossewrotetohiswife:Tomorrowitislikely,weshallapproachnearer,inreadinessforthemostseriousbattle; – which induces me to write while I can write – Confirming all myaffectionsonyouand thedear children,hoping theywill resolutely fix to liveafterGod’sCommandments,whichwill ensure themHisGraceat the last.SoGodblessyou,shoulditbemylottofall–“God’swillmustbedone”!!

After taking soundings overnight, Nelson’s ships headed north on themorningbreeze,uptheKing’sDeepwiththeforts,theDanishhulksandthentheTrekroner battery to port. The plan was that Edgar would lead and take upstationalongsidetheDanishJylland,thenArdentwouldpassEdgarandanchornext to the second Danish ship and so on up the line, but three ships wentaground including Russell, dramatically changing the odds and warranting achangeofplan.

MidshipmanWilliamMillardinMonarch,wrote:Observing[Russell’s]awkwardpredicament,wereservedourfireuntilwecameabreastofheropponentsandhonouredthemwithourfirstbroadside.ThecrewofRussell gave us three cheers, to thank us for our assistance.We continuedfiringall thewaydown[the line]betweenourownships;andwhenabreastofthe Vice Admiral [Nelson], gave three hearty cheers, which compliment wasreturnedbyhismenattheirguns.MonarchthencontinuednorthbutmuchclosertotheTrekronerbatterythan

planned because of the missing ships, mooring ship abreast the two-deckerSjaelland. Millard saw, ‘CaptainMosse on the poop; his card of instructions[Nelson’s orders] in his left hand, and his right handwas raised to hismouthwithaspeakingtrumpetthroughwhichhegavetheword,“Cutawaytheanchor”…andinafewminutestheCaptainwasbroughtaftperfectlydead.’

LieutenantColonelWilliamHutchinson,whosesoldiersofthe49thRegimentwereservingasmarines,suggestedthatthecaptain’sbodyiftakenbelowwoulddampenthemen’sspirits,andsoMossewasplacedinthesternwalkcoveredbyaflag.Afterthebattle,Mosse’sbodywasconsignedtothedeep.

Nelsonwrotelater,‘AmongstmanyotherbraveOfficersandmenwhowerekilled,Ihave,withsorrow,toplacethenameofCaptainMosse,oftheMonarch,who has left a wife and six children to lament his loss.’ Hyde Parker wrotesimilarly.

His death, togetherwith that ofCaptainEdwardRiou,was the occasion ofmuch public mourning. The playwright Sheridan proposed in Parliament thattheir respective families be made the subject of a royal bounty, and, on themotionofPrimeMinisterHenryAddington,amonumentwasplacedinthecryptofStPaul’sCathedral.

Mosse’swillisinTheNationalArchives,Kew.Anndiedon21January1843and was buried in Wickham churchyard and commemorated there with herhusband;soalsoinduecourseweretheirchildren.AmemohewroteabouthisfamilyhistorysurvivesinanunpublishedpaperTheMosseFamilybyJRMossedated7July1898.

Captain James Robert Mosse’s great-great-grandson, Harry Tylden Mosse,

commandedtheconvertedIsleofManpassengerferryKingOrryat theendofthe First World War. His great-great-great-grandson Commander JohnPembertoncommanded the sloopMermaid in theSecondWorldWarandwasawarded the DSC, and his great-great-great-great-grandson Peter John MossecommandedthefrigateAmbuscadeduringthe1982FalklandsWar.ANDREWMOSSE

MURRAY

GeorgeMurray(1759–1819):onWednesday10November1802,NelsonwrotefromMertontothethenCaptainGeorgeMurray,‘Weshallbeveryhappytosee

youonFriday…IcanassureyouthatatalltimesIamevergladtoseeyou,forInevershallforgetyourgallantsupportofmeattheBattleofCopenhagen.’

NelsonandMurraywerenear contemporaries;Murray, sixmonthsyoungerthanNelson,wasborninChichesterandbaptisedinthecathedralinApril1759.Hisfatherwasamagistrateandaldermanofthecityandasaneleven-year-old,GeorgeMurraywasenlistedasamidshipmanontheNiger(32).Hisearlycareertook him to the Mediterranean, the West Indies and Newfoundland, a richexperiencethatpromptedthejudgement,‘LikethedepartedNelson,heknewnotfear.’

Hepassedforlieutenantin1778andwasappointedtoArethusa(32)butshewaswreckedinMarch1779,whilstchasingtheFrenchfrigateL’AigretteofftheÎle deMolène, andArethusa’s captain, Charles Everitt, his officers and crewweremadeprisonersofwar.TheofficersweregivenparoleandMurraytooktheopportunity to study the French language when a ‘singular circumstanceoccurred’.TheBritishofficersobservedtheactionsofanofficerofanAmericanprivateer, ‘paying his court to a young lady, the daughter, or relation of themayorof theplace’.Theofficerwaswearingwhat seemed tobeBritishnavaluniform, including a cockade in which was set a British badge. LieutenantMurray,drawnbylotfromamongsttheofficersofArethusa,remonstratedwiththeAmerican;ascuffleensuedinwhichMurraywasabletoremovethebadge,‘Coolly putting it into his pocket – thoughnotwithout giving the pirate somesoundreasonsforrememberingtheirencounter.’ThoughtheAmericanlodgedacomplaint to French officials, Murray’s action was deemed to have beenhonourableandhewasallowedtoreturntoEngland.

In 1781 he was appointed toMonmouth (64), under Captain James Alms,anotherChichesterman.MonmouthwasdispatchedtotheIndianOceantojoinSir EdwardHughes’s fleetwhere Frenchwarships under the command of theBaillideSuffrenwereintentondrivingtheBritish,ormoreparticularly,theEastIndiaCompany,outof the subcontinent. In1782 therewere five engagementsbetweenHughes and Suffren before the Peace of Pariswas declared in 1783,bringing an end to hostilities. The result was a ‘no-score draw’, though withsufficientdamageinflictedoneachsideforthebattlestorankamongstthemostcostlyeverfoughtbytheNavy.

Consequent on his conduct and bravery in the Indian Ocean, Murray wasmadecaptainofthefrigateSeahorse(24)inOctober1782,ashipinwhichbothHoratioNelson andThomasTroubridge had served. The hostilities ended andMurray,alongwithmanyothernavalofficers,wasreducedtohalfpay.Hespenttime in France, developing his language skills and appreciation of Frenchculture, until in June 1790 he commissioned the frigate Triton and in the

following April was sent to survey the Great Belt and the approaches toCopenhagen,anexperiencewhichprovedinvaluabletenyearslater.

When theFrenchRevolutionarywarsbrokeout in1793,Murraywas in theWest Indies. He had many responsibilities, essentially ensuring the islandsremainedwithin theBritish sphereof influence, andon15December1796hewasappointed tocommandColossus (74)built tenyearsearlier inGravesend.MurraywassenttojoinAdmiralJervis’ssquadronoffthecoastofSpainandintheblockadeoftheportofCadiz.ThiswasthefirsttimethatMurraywaspartofasquadronthatincludedamongstitsothercommandersHoratioNelson.AttheBattle of Cape St Vincent on 14 February 1797 Colossus became an earlycasualty,havingherbowsprit and foretopmast shotaway.Following repairs inLagos Bay in PortugalColossus was sent to blockade Malta in 1798 and inNovember ordered to return toEngland carryingmany of the possessions andtreasuresof theBritishAmbassador toNaples,SirWilliamHamilton.NearingtheScillyIsleson7December,Colossuswashitbyaferociousgale;shesoughtshelteroff the islandofSamsonbuther anchor cablesbrokeand the shipwaswrecked on the SouthwardWell reef. In the subsequent enquiryMurray wasexonerated and over the following months many of Sir William Hamilton’streasureswererecoveredandarenowintheBritishMuseum.

AttheturnofthecenturythewarwithFrancewasnotgoingwell.BritainwasisolatedandevenDenmark,alongstandingally,hadbeeninducedbyRussiatoclose itswaters toBritain.The importanceof thishostileact is that it affectedsignificantly the suppliesof timber andhemp thatBritainneeded to replenish,repairandrebuilditsnavalfleet:thewoodenwallofEngland.

InFebruary1801itwasdecidedthatDenmarkmustbepersuadedtoseetheerrorof itswaysand if itwouldnot agree to reopen itswaters toBritain thenBritainwoulddestroyCopenhagen.MurraywasappointedtotheEdgar(74)andjoinedSirHydeParker’sfleet.Parker’ssecond-in-commandwasAdmiralLordNelson. The expedition was characterised by indecision, lack of urgency andinadequate planning,much to the frustrationofNelson.However, he found inMurrayanablecaptainwhowasknowledgeableabouttheseasroundDenmark.

AtthebeginningofAprilParkersentNelsonwithasquadronofshipstopressthe attack on Copenhagen. Eighteen ships sailed out of range of the Danishbatteries toanchorsouthof thecity,andonthemorningof2April1801,withthewindandcurrentwiththem,theyweighedanchorandbegantomovenorth.MurrayhadbeenappointedtoleadtheattackandtheresurvivesaneyewitnessaccountofEdgar’spassage:Aman-of-warundersailisatalltimesabeautifulobject,butatsuchatimethesceneisheightenedbeyondthepowersofdescription.Wesawherpressingon

throughtheenemy’sfire,andmanoeuvringinthemidstofittogainherstation;our minds were deeply impressed with awe, and not a word was spokenthroughout the ship but by the pilot and helmsmen; and their communicationsbeingchantedverymuchinthesamemannerastheresponsesinourcathedralservice,andrepeatedatintervals,addedverymuchtothesolemnity.

PlaqueontheShipHotel,NorthStreet,Chichester,oncethehomeofGeorgeMurray.

MemorialtoGeorgeMurrayintheSailors’Chapel,ChichesterCathedral,alsoknownastheChapelofStMichael.

EdgartookthefullforceofthedefendingfirefromtheDanesandlost31ofhercrewwith111wounded.

Onthesecondanniversaryofthebattle,Murray’swifeAnn(theyhadmarried

inWestminsteron15September1795)gavebirth toasonandNelsonpennedhiscongratulations,‘IfoneofhisnamesisnotBaltic,Ishallbeveryangrywithyou indeed.’ Ann used her judgement andMurray’s son, and only child, wasbaptisedGeorgeStVincentThomasNelsonMurray.

Nelson had been so impressed by the integrity, reliability and courage ofMurraythatwhenhostilitiesagainstFrancebrokeoutin1803heinvitedhimtobehisFleetCaptain,effectivelyhischiefofstaff.Thiswasnoeasytask,asfromMay1803untilAugust1805Nelson’ssquadrontrackedtheFrenchandSpanishfleets across the Mediterranean and to the West Indies and back. Murray’sresponsibilitywas toensure that theshipsof thesquadronkept theirdisciplineand had adequate food,water and ammunition so that theywere ready at anytime to engage the enemy. In recognition of his competence Murray waspromotedtotherankofRear-AdmiraloftheBlueonStGeorge’sDay1804.

On20August1805,AdmiralsNelsonandMurrayarrivedbackinPortsmouthinVictoryforaperiodofleaveandforMurraytodiscoverthathisfather-in-law,Colonel Christopher Teesdale, had recently died. Leave was possible as theFrench and Spanish fleets were safely back in port, but by the beginning ofSeptember intelligence reports suggested that both fleetswere about to put tosea. Nelson returned toVictory but AdmiralMurray was excused in order toattendto theaffairsofhis latefather-in-law.NelsonwouldnotappointanyoneelseasCaptainoftheFleet,commenting,‘IfeverIhaveanotherCaptainoftheFleet,itmustbeMurray.’

In 1806 Murray was appointed in command of an expedition to SouthAmericaandreturnedhomeinJanuary1808,hislastperiodofserviceatsea.HespenttherestofhislifesupportingthecivicdevelopmentofChichester;likehisfatherhebecameanaldermanand in1815wasknightedand in thesameyearbecameMayor of Chichester. He died suddenly in 1819. His obituary inTheGentleman’sMagazineforMarchthatyearreads:Feb28AtChichester,inhis59thyear,SirGeorgeMurray,KCB,ViceAdmiralof the Red. Sir George went to bed in good health, and was seized with aspasmodicaffectioninhischest,whichterminatedhisexistenceateighto’clock.HehadcommandofhisMajesty’sshipEdgar,of74guns,onthe2ndofApril,1801, and had the high honour to be appointed by Lord Nelson, to lead intoactionbeforeCopenhagen,onthatmemorableday.

Admiral Sir George Murray was buried in the precincts of ChichesterCathedralwherethereisaplaquetohismemory;thereisalsooneontheShipHotelinChichester,hisformerhome.PHILIPEDROBINSON

QUILLIAM

JohnQuilliam(1771–1829)wasaManxman,fromanislandwhosepopulationof less than thirty thousandprovided some three thousand seamen toNelson’snavy.

Theageofsailiswell-representedinphilately,butQuilliamistheonlyofficertosharehisportraitonastampwithNelson.

SomereferencesstatethatQuilliamwaspress-gangedinCastletownharbourin1794,butthiscannotbetruefor,twoyearsbefore,Quilliamwasrated‘able’inLion(64),undertheWelshmanCaptainSirErasmusGowerwhocommandedtheshipsofLordMacartney’sembassytotheImperialChinesecourt.TherateofABclearly indicates hewas already an experienced seamanand it is likelythat in Quilliam’s case he messed with the midshipmen. Quilliam enjoyedGower’spatronageforseveralyears,servingwithhimasquartermaster’smatein Prince George, and as master’s mate in Triumph. He was not one of theofficers turnedoutofTriumph bymutineers atSpithead in1797andafter shewas restored to discipline, under William Essington, Quilliam fought at theBattle of Camperdown following which he was made acting lieutenant. InSeptember1798herejoinedGowerwhonowcommandedNeptune.

Thecapturein1799oftheSpanishThetisorTetisbytheBritish38-gunEthalionmadeQuilliamaveryrichman.

InDecember1798QuilliamwascommissionedandappointedthirdlieutenantofthenewfrigateEthalion(38,CaptainJamesYoung)andtookpartinOctober1799 in the capture of Spanish treasure shipThetis (36), carrying freight andspecieworth 1,385,292Spanish dollars (£312,000), forwhich his share of theprize-moneywasmorethan£5,000.JusttwomonthslaterEthalionwaswreckedonareefoffthePenmarks.

Then,attheBattleofCopenhagen,QuilliamwassecondlieutenantofAmazon(36, Captain Edward Riou), and when Riou was killed, he helped the firstlieutenant,JosephMasefield,toextricateAmazonfromthebattle,whereshehadbeen under fire from the Trekroner battery. Allegedly Nelson visitedAmazonand enquired howQuilliamwas getting on, receiving, in trueManx style, thesinglewordreply, ‘Middlin’,’whichapparentlyamusedNelsonandearnedhisadmiration.

When after Copenhagen Samuel Sutton was given command of Amazon,Quilliam became her first lieutenant: it was obviously a partnership whichworkedandwhenSuttonwas fittingoutVictory in1803,he sent forQuilliamwhowouldbecome first lieutenant.Evidentlyhewas tobe relieduponand at

Trafalgar, while Nelson and Hardy, the flag captain, paced the quarterdeckduringthebattleQuilliamhadchargeoftheship,andafterVictory’swheelhadbeen shot away, he and the master, Thomas Atkinson, spelled each other atsteeringherfromthegunroomflat.ItwasappropriatethatafterwardsQuilliamshould be promoted to post-captain, even if itwas to the chagrin ofVictory’sother senior lieutenants, like John Pasco, that they were only promoted tocommander.

Quilliamwas appointment captain of the Spanish prize San Ildefonso (74),capturedbyDefenceand,oncerefittedatGibraltar,hesailedhertoEnglandinMay1806.Apartfromafewmonthswhenin1807hewaselectedtotheHouseofKeys,Quilliamservedatseafortherestofthewar:in1808hecommandedSpencer (74), the flagship of Admiral Stopford; in 1809–10 the frigateAlexandria (32);andin1811–15Crescent (38)duringthenewAmericanWar,capturingtheAmericanprivateerElbridge(14)inSeptember1813.

In1815QuilliamretiredtotheIsleofMan.HetookupresidenceattheWhiteHouseinKirkMichael,andwasre-electedtotheHouseofKeysin1817.Inhisretirement he is creditedwith helping to improve the boat design for the Peelherringfleet.On21December1817hemarriedMargaretChristianStevensonoftheBalladoolefamilyatArboryandtheyresidedatBallakeighen;therewerenochildren.

CaptainJohnQuilliamdiedattheWhiteHousein1829andwasburiedintheStevensonfamilyvaultatKirkArbory.PETERHORE

RETALICK

RichardRetalick(c.1759–1813)hasleftlittlemarkonthepagesofhistory,butwasprobablyborninStWenn,Cornwall.

He was examined for lieutenant in 1779 and promoted on 6 September.Presumably he was unemployed during the peace between the American andFrenchwars.HemayhavebeenbrieflyrecalledasalieutenantinBedford(74)during the Nootka Crisis, and in June 1790 he married Phoebe Downall orDownwell of Portsea. From January 1794 to March 1797 he commandedDolphin, formerly a 44-gun frigate but rerated as a hospital ship, on theMediterraneanstation.On12August1794hewaspromotedcommander.

Anieceorpossiblyanaturaldaughter,ElizabethDolphina,wasbornin1796inPortseaandprobablyhermotherwasBettyFuller,butRetalickacknowledgedher to the extent of naming her after his first command and leaving her anannuityinhiswill.

In 1798 he was made post-captain and commanded the ship-sloop BonneCitoyenne(22).WhenNelsonpromotedJosiahNisbetintoBonneCitoyenne,hegavethearmedvesselEarlStVincent toRetalickandemployedhimasliaisonwith the Portuguese squadron under Almirante Marques de Niza and on 3AugustRetalickreturnedfromtheMediterraneanasapassengerinLoire(40).

HebrieflycommandedIsis (50)beforetakingchargeon24December1800ofDefiance (74). At the Battle of Copenhagen she was flagship of Nelson’ssecond-in-command,Rear-AdmiralThomasGraves.DefianceanchoredoppositetheCrownBatteryandintheabsenceofthreeothershipswhichhadrunagroundontheMiddleGround,Defiancetookmuchoftheweightofbattle.Severalfireswerestartedbyhot42-poundershotfiredfromthebattery,whichcausedseveredamage,andshesufferedtwenty-fourkilledandfifty-onewounded.WhenHydeParkermade the signal to discontinue the action, it was repeated inDefiancefrom the leemain topsail yardarm, fromwhere it could not easily be seen inNelson’sElephant,whileNelson’ssignalforcloseactionwaskeptat themaintopgallantmast.Defiance continued firinguntil3.15pmwhen thecableonherspring was cut and she drifted aground. Retalick lightened ship by dumpingthirtybuttsofwaterandquicklygotherafloat.WhatRetalickdidnexthasnotyetbeendiscovered,buthisformershipDefiancewasrepairedandtookpartinCalder’sactionoffCapeFinisterreandintheBattleofTrafalgar.

CaptainRichardRetalickdied atPadstowon28August 1813.Hedoes notseemtohavedonewelloutofprize-moneyandhiswidowappliedforhelpfromtheCharityfortheReliefofOfficers’Widows.PETERHORE

RIOU

EdwardRiou(1762–1801),‘thegallantandgood’,wasbornon20NovemberatMount Ephraim, near Faversham,Kent, the second son ofCaptain StephenRiouoftheGrenadierGuards.

In1773hestartedhisnavalcareerinBarfleur(90),flagshipofRear-AdmiralSirThomasPye,latertransferringtoRomney(50)ontheNewfoundlandstationunderRear-AdmiralJohnMontagu.

BackinBritain,RioujoinedDiscoveryon22February1776asamidshipmanunder Captain Charles Clerke on Cook’s third voyage. Riou remained inDiscoveryuntil6September1779whenhewastransferredtobeamidshipmaninResolution.Hekepta logandalsomadesurveysanddrewcharts, includingoneofAvachaBayinKamchatka.DuringthevoyageRiou,or‘YoungNeddy’

as he was known, acquired a native dog at Queen Charlotte Sound, NewZealand.The dog apparently bit several ofRiou’s colleagues sowhile hewasashoreonedaythedogwasgivenamocktrial,foundguilty,killedandcooked.Thiseventcametobeknownasthe‘TrialoftheCannibalDog’.

AfterhisreturntoBritainhepassedhislieutenant’sexaminationin1780andwasappointedtothebrig-sloopScourge(14).ServingintheWestIndies,hefellill and in February 1782 was admitted to Haslar Hospital, Gosport. After hisrecoveryheservedfromApril1783toJune1784inGanges(74),theguardshipatPortsmouth.Aftertwoyearsonhalfpay,hewasappointedinMarch1786toSalisbury (50), flagship of Rear-Admiral John Elliot, who as commodore-governor of theNewfoundland stationwas in command of the annual fishingconvoy.

Riousprangtofameandpopularitywhen,byabrilliantfeatofleadershipandseamanship,hesavedthetransportGuardianaftershecollidedwithanicebergwhileenroutetoAustralia.

After six more months on half pay, in April 1789 Riou was appointed tocommander of Guardian, a 44-gun fifth rate armed en flûte to serve as atransportbound forNewSouthWales.She sailed inAugustwithanumberofconvicts and a cargo of plants, livestock and other stores for the new penalcolonyatBotanyBay.OnChristmasEve1789,abouthalfwaybetweenAfricaandAustralia,indensefog,Guardiancollidedwithaniceberg.Herrudderwassmashed and her hull damaged, she began to leak and some of the crew and

passengers panicked. With Riou’s consent, 259 persons left the ship in fourboats, but only 15 survivors in a single boat were later rescued by a Frenchmerchantvessel,andlandedattheCapeofGoodHopeon18January1790.

Byalmostincredibleeffortandbrilliantseamanship,Riouwithhisremainingcrewofonly sixty-twokept theGuardian afloat.Hedividedhismen into twowatches forworking the pumps. Stores, guns and livestockwere jettisoned tolighten the ship. After two weeks, first symptoms of scurvy worsened thesituation.After breaking his armwhen subduing some rebellious sailors,Rioucould take thenecessary sights for his navigationonlywith great pain.On21February 1790, after an eight-week journey full of deprivations, the Cape ofGoodHopewassighted:‘Theshiphadbeenrunningrightforit,’Riouwrote.Athis request, the survivingconvictswhohadhelped to save theGuardianwerepardoned.

In acknowledgement of his brilliant leadership, Riou was promoted tocommanderafterhis return toBritainand,on4June1791, tocaptain.HewasappointedtoRose(28),servingintheWestIndiesunderVice-AdmiralSirJohnJervis. InNovember1794, hewas transferred to the frigateBeaulieu (40). Ill-healthagainforcedhistemporaryretirementfromactiveservicein1795.DuringthistimehewasappointedcommanderoftheroyalyachtPrincessAugusta.InMay1796hewaselectedaFellowoftheRoyalSociety.Healsoservedonthecourts-martialfollowingthemutiniesof1797.

Afterhisrecovery,RiouinJuly1799wasgivencommandofthenewlybuiltfrigate Amazon (38). On 14 February 1800 he captured the French privateerBougainville. In April 1800Amazon escorted the outward boundWest Indiesconvoy.On16JuneshecapturedtheFrenchprivateerJulieoffMadeiraandon28JunerecapturedtheBritishmerchantmanAmelia,whichhadbeentakenbyaFrenchprivateer.

InFebruary1801,Amazon joinedSirHydeParker’sBalticsquadronwhere,on1April1801,withRiou’sassistanceNelsonformedhisplanofattack.NelsongaveoneofthemostdangeroustaskstoRiou,whowithhisAmazon,twootherfrigates,somesloopsandfireshipswastoattackthenorthernendoftheDanishline.

When Admiral Parker gave his retreat signal, Riou, whose frigates werefighting the formidable Trekroner battery, reluctantly obeyed this order,remarking:‘WhatwillNelsonthinkofus?’

When theDanes noticed theBritish retreat, they intensified their fire.WithseveralmenkilledbythehailofDanishgunfire,Riou,himselfwoundedintheheadandsittingonagun-carriage,shouted:‘Comeon,then,myboys,letusdieall together!’ Seconds later a Danish cannonball cut him in two. His first

lieutenant, JohnQuilliam,who later served asVictory’s first lieutenant in theBattleofTrafalgar, ledtheAmazonsafelyoutoftherangeoftheDanishguns.Nelson,whowasimmenselyimpressedbyRiou’sabilitiesandthedisciplineonboardtheAmazon,lamentedafterthebattle,‘InpoordearRiouthecountryhassustainedanirreparableloss.’ParliamentapprovedamonumenttohismemoryandtoRichardMosse’sinStPaul’sCathedral.Riouwasnotmarriedandleftnochildren.

DespiteNelson’spraise,theaccountsofRiouandhischaracteraresomewhatcontradictory.ThomasByamMartin, a contemporarynaval officer,whoknewhim well, remembered: ‘His eye was peculiarly striking, beaming withintelligence…Therewasapensivenessoflookandreserveinhismannerwhichsometimes made strangers regard him as cold and repulsive, but this firstimpressionwas soon removed and allwhoknewhim lovedhim.’Riou’s ownwritings indicate amanof high intelligence, but also a parochial pedant in allmatters of discipline, for instance remarking on ‘ships whose crews areneglectedbytheirofficers,tobeconstantlywashingandscrapingfromnoothercause thanwhilst onehalf of the ship’s company arewashing and scraping inone place the other half are making dirt in another place … Therefore it isrepeatedAVOIDMAKINGDIRT.’TheAmericansailorJacobNagle,whohadknownRiou inGanges andwhoasapressedAmerican seamanmaynothavebeengeneralising,describedhimas‘arailtarter[realtartar]toaseaman’,asterndisciplinarian,despisedbythesailors,‘hemadeithisstudytopunisheverymanhecouldgetholtof,andgloried inhaving thenameofavillen [villain]andaterror to seamen…Hewould tie themup in the riggingandgag themwithapumpbolttillitfroseintheirmouth.’JANNDEWITT

ROSE

JonasRose(1759–1820)wasaborntoalargefamilyinLimerick.Rose was a captain’s servant in Arethusa, Captain Sir Andrew Snape

Hamond,Bt, in 1771 on theAmerican station.Between 1775 and 1795, fromcaptain’s servant to lieutenant, he served under George Murray (1741–97).MurraywasthesonoftheJacobitegeneralLordGeorgeMurray,anditmaybeassumed that religionwas one of the causeswhich boundRose to his patron.When Murray became commander-in-chief on the North American station in1794heclearedthosewatersofFrenchmen-of-warandFrenchprivateers,and

Rose’s reward for his twenty years’ loyalty to Murray was command ofEsperance (16); she had started life as a British privateer and changed handsseveraltimesbeforebeingcapturedoffChesapeakeBayin1795.Rosebroughtherhome,whereshewassoldoff.

Two years later he was given the troopshipEspion, previously the FrenchAtalante, but after only a few months in command he had the misfortune towreckherontheGoodwinSandson17November1799.Thisdoesnotseemtohaveimpededhisslowbutsteadyprogress,andon1January1801hewasmadepost-captain and was given Shannon (32). In March that year he moved toJamaica(22),theformerFrenchPerçante.

AtCopenhagenin1801,RosewaschosentocommandthegunbrigswhichwereintendedtoanchoratthesouthernendoftheKing’sDeepandtoraketheDanish line. However, Rose found himself in a south bound eddy whichprevented him from taking his station. Nelson was appreciative of his effortseveniftheywerelargelyineffective,writinginhisdispatchtoParker:‘CaptainRosewhovolunteeredhisServicestodirect theGunBrigs,dideverythingthatwaspossibletogetthemforward,butthecurrentwastoostrongforthemtobeofServiceduringtheAction,butnotthelessmeritisduetoCapt[ain]Rose,andIbelievealltheOfficersandCrewsoftheGunBrigsfortheirexertions.’

Now,havingspentsolongintheshadowofhispatron,Roseshowedhimselfasuccessful fightingcaptainatBoulogne later in1801and,when thewarwasresumedin1803,inthechopsoftheChannel.Twicehisdispatchesappearedinthenewspapers,onceafterNelson’sownandonce,onanotheroccasion,beforeJames Saumarez’s. Rose’s capture of a French flotilla off St Valéry on 21August1801wasrankedasoneofthe‘mostremarkableeventsoftheyear’.

In1804–6Rosecommandedthenew-builtCirce(32)inwhichhemadesomecapturesintheAtlantic,includingaprivateerwhichhadsailedfromFranceonlytwelve hours before. In June 1806 he took command of Nelson’s old ship,Agamemnon (64), and was at the Second Battle of Copenhagen in 1807 andsubsequentoperationsintheBaltic.In1809hesailedfortheTagusandthentoSouthAmerica,whereon16 Junehe ranAgamemnon agroundoffMaldonadoontheUruguayancoastandshewaswrecked.Hewasneveremployedagain.

CaptainJonasRosediedinPortsmouthon20July1820.PETERHORE

ROWLEY

Samuel Campbell Rowley (1774–1846) was born at Mount Campbell,Drumsna,CountyLeitrim,Ireland;hisfather,ClotworthyRowley,wasalawyer

andpolitician,butmanyothersofhisfamilyforseveralgenerationswerehonestmen,admiralsandcaptains in theNavy.Hewasdistantlyrelated toanotheroftheBandofBrothers,ClotworthyUpton.

RowleyenteredtheNavythoughtheRoyalNavalAcademy,Portsmouth, in1785, and went to sea as a volunteer in 1789 in Blonde on the West Indiesstation.Itmaybeassumedthatitwashisfamily’spoliticalinterestwhichfoundhimemploymentatseaduringtheyearsofrelativepeacebetweentheAmericanandFrenchwarswhenmany naval officerswere on the beach.He passed forlieutenantin1792andhewaspromotedtwoyearslaterintoVengeance(74).

Onthenightof10April1795,whilealieutenantinAstraea(32,CaptainLordHenry Paulet), he assisted in the capture of the FrenchGloire (40) –WilliamPryceCumbywasPaulet’sfirstlieutenant–andRowleycontinuedinAstraeaintheChannel,theWestIndiesandtheNorthSeauntilpromotedtocommanderon30January1799.

Meanwhile, Rowleywas also amember of the last Irish Parliament 1797–1800,whenononeofhisrareappearanceshevotedagainsttheUnion.Laterhewaspersuadedtochangehismindandbetween1801and1806wasamemberoftheWestminsterParliament.

On 6April 1799 hewasmademaster and commander of the bomb vesselTerror andwason theexpedition toCopenhagen in1801. InJunehisbrother,another politician, applied for him to be promoted, which he dulywas on 29April1802.After this even JohnMarshall,who inhisRoyalNavalBiographywasalwayskeentofindthegoodsooftinterredwithmen’sbones,couldfindnomentionofRowleyuntilhisappointmenttothefrigateLaurel(36)inFebruary1811.

At first light on 12 January 1812, in heavyweather and low visibility andrunning at 8 knots under close-reefed topsails,Rowley hit a rock inQuiberonBay.Laurelslidoffintodeeperwater,oneanchorcablebrokeandtheotheronlybrought her upwhen it had run out to the clench.Rowley had the unpleasantsurpriseofseeingLaurel’sfalsekeelandpartofhermainkeelbobtothesurfaceandfloataway.Hehadnochoicebuttorunfortheshore.Thegunswerethrownoverboardandalltheboats,andthemastsfellasshestruckwithgreatforceandsettledwith thewateralreadyuptoherquarterdeck.RowleystruggledthroughthedaytosavehispeopleandsometwohundredwererescuedbyotherBritishwarships, but ninety-six officers and men were taken prisoner, including twoofficerswhohadgoneashoretoseekhelpandtoasktheFrenchcommandantofanearbyforttoceasefiring,‘butwhichheinhumanelyrefusednotwithstandingaflagoftruceandthesignalofdistress’.Rowleywasacquittedatcourt-martialofallblame.

In1815–21hecommandedImpregnable(104)thenSpencer(76),flagshipofhisolderbrother,Rear-AdmiralSirJosiasRowley,intheMediterraneanandontheIrishstation.In1830–2hislastcommandwasWellesley(74).

He married, first in 1805, Mary Thompson of White Park, CountyFermanagh, andwhen she died in 1821, hemarriedMary Frances Cronyn ofNewtown,CountyKilkenny.TherewerenochildrenandRear-AdmiralSamuelRowleydiedon28January1846atMountCampbell.PETERHORE

SUTTON

SamuelSutton (1760–1832)was born inScarborough.His siblings never leftYorkshire, but young Samuel’s wanderlust saw him joinMonarch (74) as amidshipmaninMarch1777;somehowhehadfallenunderthepatronageoftheIrish-bornCaptainJoshuaRowley,oneofBritain’slesser-knownhearts-of-oak.MonarchledthevanoftheBritishattackontheFrenchfleetattheBattleof

Ushant on 27 July 1778. The battle is better known in naval history for thepolitically inspired controversy which followed between Whig AdmiralAugustus Keppel and Tory Hugh Palliser. Keppel blamed the inconclusivenatureofthebattleonPalliserfornotbringinghissquadronintoaction:Palliser,thoughamemberoftheBoardofAdmiraltywasjuniortoKeppel,andblamedhimforgeneralmismanagement.Whatbeganasaprivate squabble resulted inKeppelresigninghiscommandafteracourt-martialacquittedhimofblameandPalliseralsobeingcourt-martialledandresigninghisseatinParliament.

Newly promoted, Rowley hoisted his flag in Suffolk (74, Captain CloberryChristian),takingSuttonwithhimtotheWestIndies,where19March1779heagainledthevandivision,thistimeinthefleetofAdmiralByronattheBattleofGrenada,whentheFrench, thoughsuperior inforce, failed topresshometheiradvantage. Subsequently, Rowley’s squadron made a number of capturesincludingthelargeFrenchfrigateFortunée(42),twootherfrigates,andaFrenchconvoyfromMarseilles.

When Admiral Rodney arrived from England to command the station,RowleyshiftedhisflagtoConqueror(74)andfoughtattheBattleofMartiniqueon17April1780,anotherindecisivebattlebecauseRodney’scaptainsfailedtounderstand his orders to concentrate their ships against the retreating Frenchrear.ThefleetsmetagaininMay:theFrenchwereskilfullyhandledandRodneywasunabletocommunicatewithhiscaptains.Conqueror,however,wasalwaysinthethickofthefightingandsufferedeighty-sevenkilledandwounded.

TheNuestraSeñoradelasMercedes,sunkbytheBritishon5October1804whenthetwocountrieswerestillatpeacewitheachother.Mercedeswascarryingsilver,gold,vicuna,cinnamonandquinoa,andmany

civilianshomefromMontevideo.

Sutton was made lieutenant in 1783 and when Rowley hoisted his flag ascommander-in-chiefatJamaicainPreston(50),Suttonbecamefirstlieutenantinthatship.However,ill-healthandtheendoftheAmericanWarbroughtaperiodofunemploymentforhim.HeusedthepeacetomarryaNorfolklass,MaryAnnGardnerofDitchingham.

The SpanishArmament in 1790 brought a short appointment to the frigateIphigenia,butSuttonhadtowaituntiltheoutbreakofwarwithFrancein1793for fullemploymentwhenhebriefly joinedCulloden (74,CaptainSirThomasRich). By November 1794 he was first lieutenant inMars (74, Captain SirCharlesCotton);thiswasacontinuationoftheRowleypatronageasCottonwasmarriedtoRowley’seldestdaughter.MarswasattheFirstBattleofGroixon16June 1795 when Cornwallis ‘effected the most masterly retreat from animmenselysuperiorFrenchfleet’;Mars‘beingthesternmostshipsustainedthebruntof the enemy’s attack,but fortunatelynot amanwaskilled andonly12wounded’.

On1September1795Suttongainedhisfirstcommand,thesloopMartin(16),and a rapid improvement in his luck. After a cruise to West Africa and to

Jamaica,SuttonmovedtotheNorthSeawherehehelpedcaptureaprivateerandherprize,andwasatLeithwhenthefutureCharlesXofFranceneededtransporttoCuxhaven.ForthisserviceSuttonwasmadepost-captaininJune1796.

SuttonbrieflycommandedMonarch,theshipinwhichhehadbegunhisnavalcareer twenty-one years before, bearing the flag of SirRichardOnslow in theNorth Sea, and then in Prince (98) he became flag captain 1799–1801 toAdmiralCotton.

InJanuary1801Sutton tookcommandofAlcmene (32) fromHenryDigby:heowedthisappointmenttoStVincentattheAdmiraltywhowrotethathehadchosenhim ‘for the expresspurposeof accompanyingSirHydeParkeron theBalticExpedition,wherehehasmuchlocalknowledge’,presumablyknowledgehehadgainedwhileincommandofMartin.Alcmene sailed from Portsmouth to Copenhagen in early March and on 2

AprilwaspartofthefrigatesquadronunderEdwardRiouwhichanchored,about1pmatthenorthernendoftheKing’sDeep.ThereshewasoneofthefirstshipstorepeatandobeythesignalmadebyHydeParker,number39‘Discontinuetheaction’.WhileNelson’snumber16 ‘Engage theenemymoreclosely’wasstillflying, and otherswonderedwhich order to obey, Sutton,whoseAlcmene hadsufferedfivekilledandfourteenwounded,didnothesitateandwithdrew.JohnQuilliaminAmazonnoted‘wecontinuedourfire’,asAlcmene‘cuthercableandstoodoff’.Blanche, thelastof thefrigatestoanchorat thenorthernendoftheBritishlinefollowedsuit,leavingRioutotheundividedattentionofthegunsoftheTrekroner fort.No contemporary record attaches any blame toSutton, nordidNelsonblamehim.Rather,hewasrewardedwiththecommandofAmazonandorderstomovedeeperintotheBalticandtosendaboatunderaflagoftruceintoKarlskronatoacquaintthegovernorofthearmisticewiththeDanesandtoenquirehowtheSwedeswouldreact.

NelsonandSuttonformedacloseprofessionalrelationshipduring1801and1802,whenNelson flew his flag inAmazon during his attacks on the Frenchinvasionfleet.ThefriendshipincludedinvitationstovisitNelsonandEmmaatMerton,andNelsonwaspleasedtootogetSuttontofitoutVictory in1803inreadinessforhisnewcommandintheMediterranean.InJuly1803,accordingtoJames’sNavalHistory,Nelsontook‘CaptainGeorgeMurrayashisfirstcaptain,and Captain Thomas Hardy, as his second, the latter being succeeded in thecommandoftheAmphionbyCaptainSutton,lateoftheVictory.’

Sutton proved a successful frigate captain, and brought in plenty of prize-moneyforhimselfandforNelson,butNelsonwassurprisedwhenSuttonturneddownhisofferofcommandofashipofthelineandthefriendshipbegantocool.Nelson’s holier-than-thou attitude, that hewas not a ‘moneyman’ andwould

ratherhaveSuttontakeprivateersthanprize-money,wasnotconvincing.Then,inOctober1804,Suttontookpartinoneofthelessworthyactionsof

the Royal Navy. A British squadron, which included Amphion, was sent tointercept a Spanish squadron returning from America laden with treasure. Atdawn on 5 October, four British frigates confronted four Spanish frigates.Neithercountrywasatwarwiththeother,andtheSpaniardsrefusedarequesttostop and be searched. Firing broke out and after a very fewminutesNuestraSeñora de Mercedes blew up, killing several hundred people, including anumberofwomenandchildrenwhowerepassengers,andscatteringtheseabedwith treasure (whose recovery by an American company in the twenty-firstcenturywouldbedisputedbySpain).

By early afternoon the other three Spanish frigates and their cargos ofimmensevaluehadbeencaptured.Nelsontooksecretdelightthataswarhadnotbeen declared, the prizes were declared droits of the Admiralty, so reducingSutton’sshareofprize-money.NeverthelessSuttonwasnowarichman,buthefell ill,and inmid-October1805Nelsonhadnocompunction in replacinghimwithoneofhisfavourites,WilliamHoste,andSuttonthusmissedtheBattleofTrafalgar.Hewasnotemployedagain.

Sutton married Charlotte Ives and their sons bought commissions in theArmy: Rear-Admiral Samuel Sutton died in 1832 and is buried at StMary’sChurch,Woolbridge,Suffolk.PETERHORE

UPTON

ClotworthyUpton(1768–1822)enjoyedonlysmallfameinhislifetimebutisuniqueamongtheBandofBrothers in thathewasa legalbastard.Hewas thefirst-born of a union between well-connected parents; however, they did notmarry until a year after his birth and the law then stated that ‘a bastard wasunable to be an heir to real property, and could not be legitimised by thesubsequentmarriageofhisfathertohismother’.TheparentshadtheirfirstsonbaptisedatStMaryleboneon19April1768andwentontohavethreelegitimatechildren,thesurvivingboyofthese,JohnUpton,inheritingthefamilybaronetcyratherthanClotworthy.

ClotworthyUptonwenttoseaatageeleven,ascaptain’sservantinthenewAlexander(74,CaptainRichardKempenfelt) inJune1779,servinginsixshipsbefore passing for lieutenant in 1790. He had servedwith Captains Farnham,Duncan,PellewandMilson,sotherewasnowantof‘interest’inhiscareer.

In 1791–2 and 1793–4 Upton, like some other unemployed officers,

undertookvoyagestotheEast,UptongoingasalieutenantintheEastIndiamanKing George, Captain Richard Colnett. His first command was the 10-gunZephyrwhichwasfittedoutasafireshipatWoolwichinthewinterof1800–1andcommissionedby thenew-mademaster andcommanderUpton in Januaryready for theBaltic campaign; shewas inNelson’sdivisionatCopenhagen in1801.

Uptonwasmadepost-captaininApril1802whenaboutseventyofficerswerepromotedincelebrationoftheTreatyofAmiensbeingsigned.Whenthepeacebroke down he commanded a succession of ships, the frigates Lapwing (28),Aimable(32),Camilla(20),Sybille(44),Junon(38),andashipofthelineRoyalOak(74).

Hisfather,whohaddiedin1785,setupatrustforallhischildrenand,despitehis legal status,Uptonkeptaplace ingoodsociety.HemarriedElizaWalton,daughterofaNewYorkmerchant,atStPancrasOldChurchin1805,andtheirdaughter,ElizaMary,marriedaScottishlord.

ThelongestcommandwhichUptonheldwasSybillebetween1807and1813.He joined her in time to be present at the SecondBattle of Copenhagen, andamongtheenemyshipstakenbytheSybilleinthosesixyearswere,in1808,aFrench privateer Grand Argus (4), the brig-corvette Espiègle (16), renamedElectra,andin1810theFrenchbrigEdouard(14).

IntheWarof1812,onthemorningof3April1814inJunon(38),UptonandTenedos (38, Captain Hyde Parker), chased the USS Constitution (44) intoMarblehead,Massachusetts.Parkerwasdetermined tofollowher into theport,whichhadnodefences; butUptonwas senior officer and forwhatever reasongavethesignalforrecall.

CaptainClotworthyUpton’s final appointmentwas as commissioner of thedockyardatTrincomaleein1818,wherehewassenttobuildsixsmallfrigatesfor the Navy. Upton ‘did nothing but croak, growl and take physic; he wasdiscontented,unhappyandquarrellingwitheverybodyabouthim’,whilecholeraravaged theEuropeanofficers.Uptonsurvivedfouryears,butdiedonhiswayhomeonboardtheCochin-builtSamarang(28)in1822andwasburiedatsea.STEPHENTREGIDGO

WALKER

JamesWalker(1764–1831)wasawell-bornScot.HisfatherwasJamesWalkerof Innerdovat,Fife,andhismother,LadyMaryLeslie,daughterofAlexander,EarlofLeven.WalkerwasmaternallyrelatedtotheScottishcliquewhichruledtheRoyalNavy,Scotlandand theBritishEmpire: theElphinstones,Dundases,

Melvilles, even the Nisbets, and who were Whig, Protestant, Unionist, andMasonic.LittlehoweverisknownofhisfatherbeyondanunsubstantiatedclaimthathewasfriendlywithAdmiralGeorgeRodney.

Startingatage twelve,Walkerservedfiveyears inSouthampton (32) in theWest Indies and in the Channel. In August 1780 off Portland Southamptoncaptured an 18-gun French privateer, and Walker took off the prisoners andstayedonboardtobaleandpump,butshesuddenlysankandhewasnearlylost.Walkerwasappointed toPrincessRoyal (90), the flagshipofSirPeterParker,whopromotedhimlieutenantinJune1781andtransferredhimtoTorbay(90)inwhichhe tookpart in theBattlesofChesapeake,StKitts and theSaintes, andwashopingforpromotionwhenRodneywassuperseded.

In the peace, Walker spent five years on the Continent, visiting France,Germany,ItalyandAustria.In1787,whileinVienna,heheardrumoursofwarandattemptedtoreturnhomeinhopeofanappointment,butwasrobbedandleftfordeadbyhighwaymen.In1788attheoutbreakoftheRusso-TurkishWarhewasofferedacommandintheRussianNavybuttheAdmiraltyvetoedthisand,helpedbylocalfreemasons,WalkerreachedEnglandin1789afteranabsenceoffiveyears.

He was appointed to the Leith-based Champion (24), followed byappointmentstoWinchelsea(32),Boyne(98)andNiger(32).Nigerwasoneofthe repeating ships at the Glorious First of June, and Walker the signallieutenant,forwhichservicehewaspromotedtocommander.

In 1795Walkerwas in command ofTrusty (50) inwhich he escorted fiveEast Indiamen past Spain to safety. Learning that there some three dozenmerchantmenwithvaluablecargowaitinginCadizforconvoy,Walkerusedhisinitiativetocollecttheseandescortthemhome.TheSpanishwereirked,arrestedsomeofhisofficersontheaccusationofsmugglingmoneyoutoftheport,anddemanded thatWalker be court-martialled. Curiously, he was found guilty ofdisobeying orders and dismissed from the Navy. Walker sailed for the WestIndiesinamerchantship,buthisshipwasdrivenbackbybadweatherandwhenSpainjoinedFranceagainstBritainhewaspromptlyrestored.Monmouth (64) had been badly handled by Captain Lord Northesk and

Bullen, her first lieutenant, during the Noremutiny andWalker, as an actingcaptain,wastaskedtorestoremorale.Afewweeksearlierhehadbeenplanningto attack the mutineers with a squadron of gunboats; now at the Battle ofCamperdownhetoldhisship’scompany,‘Mylads,youseeyourenemybeforeyou.Ishalllayyoucloseonboard,andthusgiveyouanopportunityofwashingthe stainoffyour characterswith thebloodofyour foes.Go toyourquarters,and do your duty.’Monmouth engaged in heavy combatwith theDutch ships

DelftandAlkmaar,capturingboth.Walkercontinuedinaseriesoftemporarycommandsuntilhewasappointed

toIsis (50) in1801, in theBalticfleet,andwaspartofNelson’ssquadronthatattacked Copenhagen. In the battle he engaged three targets: a fourteen-gunbattery, his own allotted blockship target and that ofElephant (74), Nelson’sflagship, which had temporarily run aground. When Elephant got free andmovedupthelinetofindanewopponent,Nelsontookoffhishat,waveditandcried, ‘Well done, braveWalker! Go on as you have begun; nothing can bebetter.’After four-and-a-half hours Isis silenced her three targets, but suffered121casualties(including33killed)outofacomplementof350.

Back in theWest Indies,Walker, now inVanguard (74), took part in theblockadeofHaiti,thecaptureoftheFrenchDuquesne(74)on25July1803,andthe capture of StMarc, taking off its garrison of 1,100men and saving themfrom the vengeance of the freed slaves. Walker took Duquesne home, wasappointedtothefrigateThalia(36)andemployedonconvoyduties.In1805hemadeapassagetotheEastandbackinonlytenmonthsandonanotheroccasionin1806hewascaughtingaleontheNewfoundlandBanksandran1,250milesinfivedaysunderbarepoles.

WalkerwasgivencommandofBedford(74)inOctober1807and,underSirSydneySmith,escortedthePortugueseroyalfamilyintoexile.Walkerstayedfortwoyears inBrazil,duringwhichhewasawardedthePortugueseOrderof theTowerandtheSword,thenreturnedinBedfordtoserveintheNorthSeaandintheChannel,untilsenttotheGulfofMexico,wherehewasseniorofficer.

Rear-AdmiralJamesWalker:‘amostbraveanddistinguishedofficerwhoserved,foughtandconqueredwithRodney,Howe,Duncan,StVincentandtheimmortalNelson’.

Walker’stombstoneinthegraveyardofSeafordparishchurch,Sussex.

Afterthepeacein1815WalkerhadcommandofAlbion(74),Queen(74)andNorthumberland (74). His sea career ended on 10 September 1818 whenNorthumberlandwaspaidoff,afterthecrewhadbeenpraisedforhavingfoughtadangerousfireinSheernessDockyardthatwasthreateningtodestroytheentireyard.Hewaspromotedrear-admiralin1821.

Walker’sfirstwifewasadaughterofGeneralSirJohnIrvine;asawidowerhethenmarriedPriscillaSarah,adaughterofArnoldusJonesSkeltonMP,withwhomhehadthreesons,twoofwhomfollowedhimintotheNavy.

Rear-AdmiralJamesWalkerdiedon13July1831,takenillwhilevisitingoneofhissonsatBlatchington,nearSeaford,Dorset.PETERTURNER

WATSON

JamesWatson(c.1762–1833)wasundoubtedlyaScotandbornabout1762.Hisfirstshipin1776wasthearmedtenderAfricainwhichheservedasable

seamanandasmidshipman.However,intheAmericanwarhequicklyfoundthepatronageofRobertDigby,whomhefollowedfromRamilliestoPrinceGeorgeandLion,andon29May1782hewasmadelieutenantinCharlestown(28),theformerUSSBostonwhichhadbeencapturedatCharleston,SouthCarolina,twoyearsbefore.Inthetenyears’peacewhichensuedhewasunemployed.

For six years Watson commanded two small Leith-based ships, but on 5January1800hisgunbrigMastiffwaswreckedneartheCockleSands,whenthefishermenofWinterton-on-Seawereawarded150guineasforsavingmorethanthirtyofhercrewatgreatrisktothemselves.Watsonwasacquittedofallblameatthesubsequentcourt-martial.

Watson was next appointed as a lieutenant in Kent (74, Captain WilliamJohnstoneHope),flagshipofAdmiralDuncan.ThisScotsfactionsoonsawhimpromoted to command the cutterSaxeCobourg on theNorth Sea station and,whenpromotedcommanderinJanuary1801,tothebombshipVolcano.

On 25 July 1801 there was an incident in the Channel between Britishwarships and the Danish Freya (40) and her convoy. The British wished tosearchtheconvoyforsuppliesintendedforFranceandFreya’sCaptainKrabberefused until there had been a token exchange of fire.Freya kept her ensignflying,buttheconvoywasdetained.

TheBritishgovernmentlostnotimeandon8AugustsentLordWhitworthtothe Baltic to settle the matter amicably. To give additional weight to his

diplomacy,hewasaccompaniedbyasquadronoftensailoftheline,three50-gunships,andseveralfrigatesandsmallervessels,includingVolcano,allunderthecommandofVice-AdmiralArchibaldDickson.By29AugustthematterhadbeensettledbetweentheBritishandtheDanes,andby14SeptemberDickson’ssquadronwasbackinYarmouth.However,theRussianshadtakenoffenceandembargoedBritishshippinginRussianports;byDecemberRussiaandSwedenhad reimposed theLeagueofArmedNeutrality, andover thewinterDenmarkandPrussiawereinducedtojoin.

Watson’smemorialiscaredforbytheFriendsoftheCanongateKirkyard,Edinburgh.

TheconsequencewasthatinMarch1801apowerfulfleetunderAdmiralSirHyde Parker sailed fromYarmouth for the Baltic. There on 2April Nelson’splanwas thatVolcano and six other bomb vessels would anchor close to theMiddleGroundandfireovertheBritishlineanchoredintheKing’sDeep.Inthe

eventthebombvesselsweresolatecomingintoactionthattheyonlyplayedalimited part in the fighting.Nelson, however,was satisfied that they had triedagainsttheeddyingstream.

NextWatsoncommandedthesloopHermes(18)untilApril1802.Whenthewar was renewed he commanded the Sea Fencibles at Hartlepool until May1804, and subsequentlyEpervier (18) andAlonso (16) in theChannel and theNorthSea,untilon22January1806hewasmadepost-captain.From1807untiltheendof1810WatsoncommandedtheimpressserviceatDundee.

Captain JamesWatson,whomarriedElizabethClark, died inEdinburghon19May1833.JOSEPHSTONE

WHITTER

HenderWhitter (1770–1809) was a Cornishman born in East Looe: little isknownofhisparentsJohnandRebecca,exceptthatJohncamefromalonglineof JohnWhitters of Looe. Several versions of Hender occur as a surname inDevonandinCornwall,sopresumablyhewasasecondson,namedaftersomelocal patron.Henderwas examined for lieutenant in 1793, promoted in 1794,paid land taxes in East Looe in 1798, promoted to commander on 1 January1801andcommandedthebombvesselSulphurattheBattleofCopenhagenlaterthatyear.SulphurwasoriginallyamerchantshipcalledSevern:fittedasabombvessel

herprincipalarmamentwas two10inmortars, four68-poundercarronadesandsix18-poundercarronades,andatthebattleshemooredontheMiddleGroundfromwhereshefiredhermortarsintotheDanishlines,but,asNelson’sdispatchimplies, the bomb vessels had much difficulty in getting into a position andplayedlittlepartinthefiercesthoursoftheexchangeofshotbetweentheBritishandtheDanes.

ThePeaceofAmienswaslongenoughforWhittertobeelectedintoofficeasMayorofLooe.

Whitterwaspromotedtopost-captainon22January1806,andinMarch1807hecommissionedtheBideford-builtGarland (22).AftersupervisingherfittingoutatPlymouth,hesailedfortheWestIndiesinNovember1807;yellowfeverwasraginginJamaicaandon17April1808inPortRoyalWhitter,presumablyalsoavictimof the‘blackvomit’wassupersededbyCaptainRowlandBevan,and sent home to die, sailing from Jamaica as a passenger in the FalmouthpacketPrinceErneston6June.

On 31 January 1809 ‘HenderWhitter esq late a post-captain in the Royal

Navywhodeparted this life January201809,aged38years’wasburiedatStMartinbyLooe.PETERHORE

YELLAND

JohnYelland (1755?–1827) hailed from theWestCountry. In 1776–1778 hewasavolunteerandthenmidshipmaninTorbay(74)whenshehardlyseemstohaveleftPlymouth,andinMay1778hejoinedDuke(90).Hewasamidshipmanin Duke at the Battle of Ushant in 1778; served 1778–81 in London (90),flagshipofRear-AdmiralThomasGraves;andwasanactinglieutenantinRoyalOak (74) at the Battles of Chesapeake in September 1781 and the Saintes in1782.MostlyonhalfpayduringtheyearsofpeacebetweentheAmericanandthe French wars, Yelland spent a few months in 1790 as a lieutenant in thefireshipTisiphone.

WhenwarbrokeoutagainhewasappointedalieutenantinEgmont(74)andthenBritannia(100),flagshipofAdmiralWilliamHotham,andwasattheactionoffGenoa–whenhewouldhavewitnessedNelsonandAgamemnoninaction–and theBattleofHyères in1795.Yellandnowserved inStGeorge (100)andChichester (44): bloody war and sickly season ought by now to have givenpromotiontoabattle-hardenedofficerwhohadservedundersomeofthemoreprominentnavalofficersoftheage,butluckfailedhim.

Throughout1797Yellandwasunemployed,untilinJanuary1798hebecamefirst lieutenant of Veteran (64). Captain James Mosse assumed command ofVeteran in June, and Mosse took Yelland with him when he removed intoMonarch(74)inthesummerof1799.

TheysailedfortheBalticinearlyspring1801,whereasharplightisthrownonYellandinauniquepen-pictureofhimattheBattleofCopenhagen,byatheneighteen-year-oldmidshipman,WilliamMillard:Thisbraveveteranhadtakencaretohavethedecksswept,andeverythingwasclean and nice before we went into action. He had dressed himself in fulluniformwithhis cockedhat seton square,his shirt-frill stiff starched, andhiscravat tied tight under his chin as usual. After the fall of our captain he sentdowntodesirethelieutenantsfromthedifferentquarterstocomeondeck,whenhe informed them of the captain’s death and appointed himself, of course,commanding officer; the remaining officers having as it were sworn fealty tohim, returned to their different stations. How he escaped unhurt seemswonderful; several times I lost sight of him in a cloud of splinters: as theysubsided I saw first his cocked hat emerging, then by degrees the rest of his

person,his face smiling, so that altogetheronemight imaginehimdressed forhiswedding-day.

In the sanguinary battle Monarch suffered 56 killed and 164 seriouslywounded and many more with minor wounds. Mosse had fallen early in thebattle, and Yelland was the only junior officer mentioned in either Nelson’sreport to his commander-in-chief, Parker, or in Parker’s dispatch to theAdmiralty,Parker addingapostscript: ‘I cannot close thiswithout acquaintingtheir Lordships, that Captain Mosse being killed very early in the Action,LieutenantJohnYellandcontinueditwiththegreatestSpiritandgoodConduct;Imust therefore, inJustice tohisMerit,begLeave to recommendhimto theirLordships’Favour.’

Under the circumstances it seems a little unjust that Yelland was notimmediatelypromoted,causingMillardtocomplainthat‘astrangerwassentonboardof us,whohad ‘bornenoneof theburthen andheat of theday’.Parkerusedhispatronagetopromotehisownfavourites:hedidoffertomakeYellandfirst lieutenantofhisflagship,London,but the latter ‘veryproperlyconsideredthis an insult, and preferred being first lieutenant of the ship inwhich he hadfought,andtrustingtohiscountryforreward,ratherthantoreceiveitfromSirHydeParkerwhenhemightgrant itasafavour’. Infact thestrangerwhowasgivencommandofMonarchwasWilliamBligh,whohadfoughtGlattoninthebattle.ThedamagedMonarchsailedfromtheSoundon15AprilandonthedayshereachedtheNore,27April,Yellandwasmadecommander‘forrankonly’,butnotgivenacommand.

SoforthesecondtimeinthewarYellandwaswithoutashipuntil,inMarch1805, he was given the fireship Fury (16) though she was his for just ninemonths.Timeenough,however,forWilliamJames,inhisNavalHistory,toholdupYelland’s service inFury as an example to others of the different actionsfoughtbetweenBritishcruisersandtheFrenchinvasionflotilla.Undercoverofdarkness on the evening of 23 April a fleet of thirty-three gun-vessels andnineteen transports laden with stores for Bonaparte’s Grande Armée hadattemptedtopassdownChannel,andinarunningbattleoverthenexttwodays,madechaoticbythewindandtide,andunderfirefromFrenchshorebatteries,BritishvesselsincludingFuryhadmadeshortworkoftheFrench.

Inageneralroundofpromotionon22January1806Yellandwasmadepost-captain,butheneverwenttoseaagain,andon2November1809bebecameanout-pensioner ofGreenwichHospital. JohnYelland ‘Captain inHisMajesty’sRoyalNavyofRanelaghStreetPimlico’diedinDecember1827,andwasburiedon New Year’s Eve at St George’s Field, Bayswater, survived by his wife,Sarah.

PETERHORE

TheBattleofTrafalgarattheendoftheday:theFrenchshipAchilleisonfireandwillshortlyblowup,whileBritishboatsrescueherpeoplefromthewater,byRobertDodd(1748–1815).

TIntroduction

hetacticsoftheBattleofTrafalgararesufficientlywrittenabout.However,thetacticalvictoryoffCapeTrafalgarontheafternoonof21October1805

wastheculminationofseveralcenturiesofBritisheffortatsea,oftwoyearsofstrategicpreparationandofseveralmonthsofoperationalplanning.

The strategic planning took place in London, largely around theAdmiraltyBoardtablewheresomuchelsehadbeen,andcontinuestobe,decidedsincetheseventeenthcentury.

The Peace ofAmienswas a brief respite in theGreatWar (1792–1815), apeacewhose treaty terms neither theBritish nor the Frenchwholly respected.Nevertheless, between late 1802 and 1803 crews were paid off and shipsdecommissioned, as though the peace would be long-lasting. Meanwhile,Bonaparteplacedordersforover2,000invasioncraft,begantomasstroopsontheChannelcoastandparadedathisheadquartersatBoulogneinpreparationtoinvade Britain. In Britain after some initial fervour, enthusiasm for the treatywaned and in the early months of 1803 the demobilisation of the Navy wasreversed:thebattlefleetincreasedfrom32to60shipsandbytheendoftheyeartherewere75 shipsof the line in commissionand320 smallerwarships.Newshipswerestartedonthestockstoo,andinNovember1804,asademonstrationofBritain’sindustrialandfinancialmight,Hibernia(120),Circe(32)andPallas(32), were launched and St George (98) undocked, all on the same tide atPlymouth.

Naval strategywas directed by theFirstLords of theAdmiralty,whowereJohnJervis,EarlofStVincent(1801–4),HenryDundas,ViscountMelville,andfromMay 1805 CharlesMiddleton. Eighty-year-oldMiddleton, who took thetitleofLordBarham,wasaveteranoftheSevenYearsWarandtheAmericanWar,andhadfirstgonetosea in1741.BarhamwasaScotandanevangelicalChristian,wholivedwithhiswife,MargaretGambier,atBarhamCourt,Teston,in Kent which was owned by her close friend, Elizabeth Bouverie. WhenBarhamwasnot inLondon,hewasamodel farmeratTestonwhichalso,asaleadingcampaignerfortheabolitionofslavery,heturnedinto‘theRunnymedeoftheslaves’.

Barhamwasabrilliantadministrator,whosereformsoftheNavyincludedthesheathingoftheshipsofthefleetincopper.Intheyearsfrom1779to1782,over

three hundred shipswere fully coppered, effectively increasing the size of thefleet, sincecopperedships sailed faster, required fewerdockings toclean theirbottoms, and so freeddocks forother repairs andmorenewconstruction.Theeffectofcopperingwas tomakeshipsone to twoknots faster: forexample, inearly1805RoyalSovereignwasknownas the ‘TheWestCountryWagon’ forherpoor, lumbering speed,butwhenshehad returned,newlycoppered, to thefleetoffCadiz, she sailedbetter in light airs thanmostother ships andon themorningofthebattlewasthefirsttobreakthelineoftheFranco-Spanishfleet.

The Campaign of Trafalgar lasted two years, its aim to stop any FrenchinvasionoftheBritishIsles.Bonaparte’sstrategywasfortheFrenchsquadronsto sail independently from French ports to attack colonies overseas and torendezvousintheWestIndies.TheBritishshipsweresupposed–byBonaparte– to respondby lifting theirblockadeofFrance,when theFrenchNavywouldsailupChannel inoverwhelming force toprotect an invasion fleet: ‘Letusbemasters of the Channel for six hours and we are masters of the world.’Bonaparte’sspieshadnotreportedStVincent’swords:‘Idonotsay,myLords,thattheFrenchwillnotcome.Isayonlytheywillnotcomebywater.’

And when his hour came Barham, the mastermind of the Campaign ofTrafalgar, showed himself to be a naval strategist somewhat greater thanBonaparte, with a thorough command of detail. From his offices in theAdmiralty,Barhamdeployedseveralhundredshipsunderadozencommanders-in-chiefintheNorthSea,theChannel,offIrelandandtheAmericas,intheEastIndies,and,ofcourse, theMediterranean.There, inanorth-easterlygaleon30March 1805, Villeneuve broke out of Toulon, leaving Nelson to search theMediterraneanuntilhe learned thatVilleneuvehadunitedwithaSpanish fleetand sailed for the West Indies. Nelson followed, nearly a month afterVilleneuve, but by early June hewas only a few days behind. The news thatNelsonhadarrivedintheWestIndieswassufficienttomakeVilleneuvestartforEurope again. Fast-sailing frigates brought Barham fragmentary intelligence,which he correctly interpreted and sent orders for Vice-Admiral Sir RobertCalder to block Villeneuve’s route to the west coast of France or into theChannel.

On 22 July 1805 Villeneuve’s combined fleet emerged from the fog verymuch where Barham’s orders had put Calder. The ensuing two-day Battle ofCapeFinisterre, fought inpoorvisibilityandbafflingwinds,wasdesultorybutdecisive. Calder attacked the larger fleet, captured two of the enemy, andpreventedVilleneuvefromenteringanyFrenchport.Meanwhile,Nelsonarrivedoff Gibraltar on 20 July; hewas physically andmentally exhausted and soontookpassage inhis flagship,Victory, toPortsmouth.After, inNelson’swords,

only‘twenty-fivedinners’,hesailedagainon14Septembertotakecommandofthe fleet blockading Cadiz, where the Combined Fleet was awaiting furtherordersfromBonaparte.

Nelson’scommandcovered the largest area thathadeverbeengranted toaBritish commander-in-chief, and included theMediterranean andmuch of theNorth Atlantic. The focus of his operations, however, was the Bay of Cadiz.Withwinterapproaching,Nelsonhadtoguardseveralvaluableconvoystoandfrom the Mediterranean, the West Indies and India and Australia, whilemaintainingtheblockade.Hedidnotknowforhowlongthiswouldbenecessaryand his nearest bases wereGibraltar and Lisbon and, for food andwater, theportsofNorthAfrica.

TothenorthheplacedNautilus,CommanderJohnSykes,tostayoffCapeStVincenttotellothershipswheretofindhimandtowarnifmoreFrenchshipscamesouth.To the south-easthekeptJuno,CaptainHenryRichardson, in theGut,‘afixturebetweenCapeSpartelandGibraltar’.Inshore,closeoffCadiz,heplacedhissmallestshipstowatcheventsthere,anadvancedsquadronlayfurtheroutintothebay,andthemainbodyofhisfleethekeptoverthehorizon‘fifteentoeighteenleaguesWestofCadiz’.NelsontoldAlexanderBallinMalta:‘Therewill be moments when it might be wished that we were closer; but I haveconsideredallpossiblecircumstances,andbelievethattherewilloftenbetimes,instronggalesofWesterlywind,whenwemayoftenwishourselvesfartheroff,asweshallbeindangerofbeingdrivenintotheMediterranean.’

Nelson’s shipswereprovisioned for amaximumof sixmonths, and twoofthem were crank. So on 3 October Victory’s log recorded that Zealous andEndymion, whosemainmastswere sprung, and Rear-Admiral Thomas Louis’ssquadron,Canopus, Spencer, Tigre andQueen, had parted from the fleet: thefirst two for repairs and Louis’s ships for water and victuals. Louis hadprotested:‘Youaresendingusaway,myLord,theenemywillcomeout,andweshall have no share in the battle.’ Nelson replied, ‘My dear Louis, I have noother means of keeping my fleet complete in provisions and water, but bysending them in detachments to Gibraltar. The enemywill come out, andweshallfightthem,buttherewillbetimeforyoutogetback…Isendyoufirsttoinsureyourbeingheretobeatthem.’

Nelsonclearlydidintendhisshipstoprovisioninrotationforon5Octoberheinformed Collingwood that ‘Britannia, Temeraire, Achille, Bellerophon,Polyphemus, andDonegal are thenext ships forGibraltarandTetuan…but ImusthaveanAdmiralwiththeSquadron.’

Nelson’soperationswerecompoundedbyanotherproblem:RobertCalder’swishtoleavethefleetoffCadizwherehemight,inCollingwood’swords,‘have

settledhisaccountwithVilleneuve’.However,JohnBull(asNelsonreferredtothe greatBritish public and its newspapers)was not contentwith the scale ofCalder’svictoryon22 July.Calder insistedona court-martial tovindicatehishonour, upon going home with his flag captain, William Cuming, and hisflagship,PrinceofWales(whenNelsonwantedhimtotakeDreadnoughtwhich‘sail[ed]veryill’),andtakingwithhimfourcaptainsaswitnessestotheBattleofFinisterre. The captains were William Brown (Ajax), William Lechmere(Thunderer), Philip Durham (Defiance) andWilliam Prowse (Sirius); the twofirst agreed, Durham refused and, it seems, the question was never put toProwse. Nelson procrastinated for two weeks, but on 13 October he allowedCaldertoleave.AfterwardsHardytoldDurham,‘OneofthelastthingsNelsonsaid before the action beganwas “Hardy, tell your friendDurhamhewas themostsensiblemanofthepartytosticktohisship.”’SuchwerethevagariesofthewindthatCalderbarelyarrivedhomebeforethenewsofacrushingvictoryover theFranco-Spanishalsoarrived. Ironically,Calder’scourt-martialdidnottake place until the end of December when Durham, who had distinguishedhimselfatTrafalgar,wasalsohome.

TheFirstKissthisTenYears!–fightingfalteredin1801andthePeaceofAmienswassignedinMarch1802.ThisJamesGillraycartoonshowsBonapartekissingKingGeorgeIIIdressedasBritannia,who

remarks,‘Iamsureyouwoulddeceiveme’,andinMay1803warwasresumed.

SeveralothershipspassedthroughNelson’sareaofoperations,includingthefrigatesAmphionandEurydice,andwhenSamuelSuttonfellill,oneofNelson’s

favourites,WilliamHoste,wasgivenAmphionon10OctoberandsenttoAlgierswith letters and presents for the Dey. Nelson’s brother-in-law, Sir WilliamBolton,whohadmissedbeingatCopenhagen,wasappointedinHoste’splace.Nelson wrote, ‘This is the last chance of Sir Billy’s making a fortune,’ butBoltonmissedTrafalgarandhereflected:‘Billy,Billy,outofluck!’

Intheevent,Donegal,CaptainPulteneyMalcolm,alsomissedthebattle.Shehadbeenoutofdockyardhandssincethestartof1804,andwithNelsononhischasetotheWestIndies,shewasinsuchaparlousstategenerally,andshortofwoodandwater,soshetoowassenttoGibraltaron17October.

Oneothershiptookasignificantpart inoperationsoffCadizandthatis thelittleWeazel(orWeazle,Nelsonusedbothspellings),CommanderPeterParker.At6amon themorningof20Octoberhe saw the enemy’s fleet gettingunderway, signalled toEuryalus, andwas sent by Blackwood to carry the news toGibraltarandtofindLouis,whichhedidon22October.Thefast-sailingWeazelhadtimetoreturntoTrafalgarandback,reportingtoLouisonthe26th,‘EnemydefeatedbutourfleetoffCadizinwantofassistance.’

TheonlyothershipabletobeatoutoftheGutwasDonegal,whichrejoinedCollingwood’s fleet on the day after the battle. Against the prevailing wind,Louis’ssquadron,whichNelsonhadbeenexpectingbacksince18October,wasunabletorejoinCollingwooduntil30October.

WhenthenewsofvictoryreachedLondonintheearlyhoursof6November,thearchitectofsuccess,theoctogenarianBarham,wasrousedfromhisbedandspent the next several hours dispatching reinforcements and supplies toCollingwood from other fleets and from the home ports. Only at 9am didBarhamwritetotheKing,apologisingbecause,hehadbeen‘engagedingivingthe requisite orders for dispatching reinforcements to Admiral Collingwood,whichhetrustswillenablehimnotonlytorenewtheblockadeofCadiz,buttocompletethemeasureswhichhistrulygreatandmuchlamentedpredecessorhadincontemplation’.

TheCampaignofTrafalgarwasnot over immediately and therewereotherfleetandsquadronactionsinthewakeofTrafalgar,perhapsthemostsignificantbeing Strachan’s Action, when four French stragglers from Trafalgar weresnapped up, and the Battle of SanDomingo in February 1806when some ofthosewhohadbeen denied a role in theBattle ofTrafalgarwere able to taketheirrevengeupontheenemy.

Thewarlastedafurthertenyears,anditfelltotheAmericanhistorian,AlfredTMahantomakethejudgmentthat‘Thosefardistant,storm-beatenshipsuponwhichtheGrandArmyneverlooked,stoodbetweenitandthedominionoftheworld.’

PETERHORE

TheEverMemorableBattleoffCapeTrafalgar21October1805–oneofthefirstrepresentationsofthebattle,drawnbyRobertDodd,whoworkedinWhitehall‘sixdoorsfromtheAdmiralty’.PresumablydrawninearlyNovember1805undertheguidanceofJohnLapenotiere,whowasthentheonlypersoninLondonwhohadbeeneyewitnesstothebattle.Asotherparticipantsarrived,moreaccurateplanswerepublished.

BAYNTUN

HenryWilliamBayntun (1766–1840)wasoneofSir JohnJervis’s followers,whoseconnectionwithNelsondidnotgetunderwayuntil1804whenBaytun’sLeviathanjoinedNelsonontheblockadeofToulon.

Bayntun’sfatherwasaformersoldier,wealthyandwell-married,andBritishconsul-generalatAlgierswhereHenrywasbornin1766.Hewasratedcaptain’sservantinLevant(20,GeorgeMurray)in1775andenjoyedMurray’spatronagefor the next eighteen years. He was a midshipman 1775–83 and was madelieutenanton16April1783.Thepatternofhisappointmentssuggestthathewasnotatseaforallofthistime.Nevertheless,hewaswithJervisintheWestIndies

at the capture of Martinique and was made commander of Avenger (16),following the death in action of her captain while on a cutting-out operationwhichcapturedtheFrenchfrigateBienvenue(32)atFortRoyalinMarch1794.He thencommandedNautilus,Veteran (64)andSolebayuntilSeptember1795whenhetookcommandofReunion(36).

SilverBoultonTrafalgarrestrikepurchasedbyCaptainHenryBayntuninthe1840s.

WhilecommandingReunion,heranagroundonSunkSandintheThamesin

December1796.Bayntunandhismensurvivedandhewasacquittedofblameatcourt-martial. There followed appointments to Quebec (32), Nereide (36),Thunderer(74)andinApril1801toCumberland(74),inwhichon28June1803he captured the French corvetteMignonne (16), and on 30 June the FrenchfrigateCréole(40),bothreturningtoFrancewithtroopsembarked.

Having gained command of Leviathan (74) in July 1803, he returned toEnglandin1804withaconvoyofoverahundredsail.MerchantsfromLondon,Bristol and Liverpool presented him with a sword. As soon as his ship wasrefitted,BayntunjoinedNelsonintheMediterranean,remainedwithNelsonforthechasetotheWestIndiesandwasattheBattleofTrafalgar.

AtTrafalgar,Leviathanwasthefourthshipinthelarboardlineinthewakesof Victory, Temeraire andNeptune.Neptune and Leviathan passed under thestern of the Bucentaure, raking her fully with broadsides. Then, as Neptuneengaged Santísima Trinidad (the heaviest-armed ship in the world), Bayntunconned Leviathan towards the French Neptune (80), which had been givingHarvey’s Temeraire trouble; Harvey in his turn was supporting Victory byengaging the Redoutable. The French Neptune fell off to leeward and soBayntunturnedhisattentionstowardSantísimaTrinidad.

Bayntun now saw a large group of French ships, Dumanoir’s squadron,change course and bear down on Victory, so he disengaged from SantísimaTrinidad and in company with a number of late-arriving British ships set acourse to intercept theFrenchsquadron.Hardy, from thedeckofVictory, alsosawDumanoir’ssquadronturntowardshimandsignalledthattheBritishshipsshouldcome to thewindon the larboard tackandblock theenemy.Leviathanled this group and engaged the rearmost ofDumanoir’s squadron, theSpanishSanAgustín(74).Havingexchangedbroadsidesatveryclosequarters,Bayntungrappled the Spanish ship, called for boarders and carried her without muchresistance.

FollowingTrafalgar,BayntuntookpartinLordNelson’sfuneralandcarriedtheguidonduringthewaterprocessionfromGreenwich.In1807hetookpartinthefailedexpeditiontoBuenosAires.

On 23 August 1809 hemarried SophiaMayhew at Stoke Damerel (then asuburbofPlymouth).InthesameyearhecommandedMilford(74),andin1811hewas appointed to the command of the royal yachtRoyal Sovereign, but hesaw no further active service. He became a rear-admiral in 1812 and steadilyadvanced through theflag listuntilhebecamea fulladmiral in1837.AdmiralSirHenryWilliamBayntundiedatBathin1840.SIMCOMFORT

Bayntun’stombatStSwithin’s,Weston,Bath.

BERRY

EdwardBerry (1768–1831)wasoneofNelson’s closest professional friends,andakeymemberoftheoriginalBandofBrothersattheBattleoftheNile.Aswell as serving with Nelson at the Battles of Cape St Vincent, the Nile andTrafalgar, he tookpart in sixother fleetbattles anda largenumberof smalleractions.Aslight,ratherdelicatemanwithfairhairandpiercingblueeyes,Berrywasquick-witted, impulsiveandaggressive to thepointof recklessness.Whenhe joined thefleetoffCadiz inAgamemnon,on13October1805, justprior toTrafalgar,Nelsonlaughed,‘Herecomesthatdamnedfool,Berry.Nowweshallhaveafight!’

Hewasbornin1768inNorwich, thesonofaLondonmerchant.Hisfather

died young, leaving a large familywith littlemeans of support, and so youngEdwardwassenttoseaagedelevenasamidshipmaninBurford(70).

Promoted lieutenant in theWest Indies in 1794 for bravery in boarding aFrench man-of-war, his conduct came to the attention of the commander-in-chief, Admiral Sir John Jervis. So when later, in 1796, Commodore HoratioNelson was looking for a new first lieutenant for his ship,Agamemnon (64),Jervis recommended Berry. The two took an instant liking to each other andformed a close partnership.WhenNelson transferred toCaptain (74) in 1796,Berrywentwithhim.

Berry’smonumentinStSwithin’s,Walcot,Bath.

JerviscontinuedtosupportBerryandobtainedhispromotiontocommanderinearly1797,buttherewasnoshipreadyforhimandsoheremainedinCaptainasapassenger.HewasthuswithNelsonattheBattleofCapeStVincenton14February and was in the boarding party which captured two Spanish ships.

RunningoutalongCaptain’sbowsprit,heledonedivisionontothepoopoftheSanNicolas(80)whileNelsonledanotherthroughhersternwindows.

On12December thatyearhemarriedhiscousinLouisa, eldestdaughterofRev Dr Forster, headmaster of Norwich Grammar School, Norfolk, where hehimselfhadbeentaught.

In March 1798, Berry was made a post-captain and Nelson, who was inEngland recovering from the amputation of his arm, asked him to be his flagcaptaininVanguard(74).HefoughtwithdistinctionattheBattleoftheNileon1August1798,anditwasintohisarmsthatNelsonreeledwhenhewashitonthe forehead by a piece of flying shrapnel, with the words, ‘I am killed.Remembermetomywife.’

Given the honour of carrying Nelson’s dispatches home in Leander (50),Berry was captured by Généreux, one of the French battleships which hadescaped fromAboukirBay.Badlywounded in the arm,Berrywas exchangedandfinallyreachedEnglandinDecember,wherehewasknightedandpresentedwiththefreedomoftheCityofLondon.

Hewas thengivencommandofFoudroyant (80) and sentout inher to theMediterraneaninJune1799,toreplaceNelson’sbatteredflagshipVanguard.Hecommanded the Foudroyant during the capture of Malta from the Frenchoccupying force and also at the capture of his nemesis, Généreux, and herfellow-escapeefromtheNile,GuillaumeTell.

Nelson left theMediterraneanoverland in the summerof1800whileBerrytook theFoudroyanthome toEngland.Heremained thereuntil thesummerof1805 when he was appointed to Agamemnon and joined Nelson in time forTrafalgar.Agamemnon was towards the rear of Nelson’s line and so did not get into

actionuntilnearly2pm.ShejoinedtheNeptuneandConquerorinpoundingthemightyfour-deckedSpanishbattleshipSantísimaTrinidaduntilshewasforcedto surrender. In the closing stages, when the enemy van, under Dumanoir,threatenedanattackon thebadlydamagedBritishships,Agamemnonwaspartof thehastilyformedlineofbattle thatdrovethemoff.As thesmokeofbattlebegan to clear away, Berry felt a premonition that something was wrong onboardtheVictoryandhadhimselfrowedacrosstothestrickenflagship,buthearrivedjusttoolatetobidfarewelltohisfriendNelson.

Thefollowingyear,Berry,stillcommandingtheAgamemnon,tookpartintheBattleofSanDomingoandwasmadeabaronet.Heremainedinactiveserviceuntil1813whenhewasgivencommandofoneoftheroyalyachts,buthishealthwasbrokenandalthoughhebecamearear-admiralin1821heneverhoistedhisflag.

SirEdwardBerrydiedinBathin1831andwasburiedinthegraveyardofStSwithin’s,Walcot.COLINWHITE

BLACKWOOD

HenryBlackwood (1770–1832)was theeleventhchildandseventhsonofSirJohn Blackwood, Bt, and Dorcas (later Baroness Dufferin), born in CountyDown, Ulster, on 17 December 1770, possibly at Ballyleidy (later renamedClandeboye)ormoreprobablyatKillyleaghCastle,bothofwhichwereownedinpartbyhismother.His father’s familywasoriginally fromScotland,whereoneof his forebears,AdamBlackwood (orBlackwode), hadbeen secretary toMary,QueenofScots.

Blackwood’schancesofsucceedingto the titlewereremote,andheenteredascaptain’sservantattheageofeleveninArtois(40,CaptainJohnMacBride).HesawactionattheDoggerBankin1781intheFourthAnglo-DutchWar,andinanumberoffrigateactionsbeforepassinghisexaminationforlieutenant.HisnextshipswereProserpine(28),Active(38),and,asfirst lieutenant,Invincible(74,CaptainThomasPakenham). Invinciblewas fullyengagedat theBattleoftheGloriousFirstof June, andafterBlackwoodbrought theFrenchJuste (74)into Portsmouth, in the general promotion afterwards he became master andcommanderthefireshipMegaera(14).

DetailfromBlackwood’smonumentinKillyleaghChurch,CoDown,NorthernIreland.

HewasdisappointedwhenhisfrigateBrilliant(28)joinedtheNoreMutiny,butitwasamarkofthemanthatBlackwoodappearedatthecourtmartialofoneoftheBrilliant’screwtotryandobtainafairjudgementforhim.

In 1799 Blackwood moved to Penelope (36) and on 29 March 1800 waswatchingMalta,theninFrenchhands,whenGuillaumeTelltriedtoslippasttheblockade.Thoughvastlyout-gunned,Blackwoodgavechaseandbydintoffineseamanship,criss-crossedthesternof theGuillaumeTell torakeherandbringdown her mizzen mast and render the Frenchman open for capture byFoudroyant and Lion. Nelson wrote to thank Blackwood: ‘Your conduct andcharacter,on the lategloriousoccasion stampsyour famebeyond the reachofenvy.’

In 1803 Blackwood was appointed toEuryalus (36), building at Buckler’sHard, Hampshire. In the summer of 1805 Blackwood carried the news fromCollingwood that theFrench andSpanish fleets had endedup inCadiz: in hisimpatience,BlackwoodlandedbyboatatLymingtonand tookapostchaise toLondon, calling atNelson’s home atMerton en route.AfterNelson had beenappointed to command the fleet, Blackwood inEuryalus accompaniedNelsonfromPortsmouthtoSpain,spendingsometimeaboardtheflagshipplayingdicewiththeadmiral.(TheactualdiceareintheprivateDufferincollection.)Nelsonat one time offered Blackwood command of one of the ships of the line, butBlackwood preferred to serve as the senior captain of frigates. Later he andHardyweresignatoriestothecodiciltoNelson’swillinwhichNelsonleftLadyHamiltonandtheirdaughterHoratiaasalegacytohisKingandcountry.

OffCadizBlackwoodwasgiventhecommandoftheinshoresquadronwhileNelsonwaitedoverthehorizonoutofsightoftheFrenchandSpanishfleet.AsNelsonformedhisorderofbattle,Euraylusrepeatedhissignals,andBlackwoodwas frequently on board Victory, including when Nelson made his famoussignal. Later Euryalus took the damaged Royal Sovereign in tow, and whenCollingwood shifted his flag to the frigate, Blackwood interpreted forVilleneuve.HealsoenteredCadizandnegotiatedtheexchangeofprisoners.

Attheend1805,BlackwoodwasgivencommandofAjax(74),ironicallyoneof the two ships offered him byNelson before Trafalgar, and joinedAdmiralCollingwood’sfleetcruisingofftheSpanishcoast.

InJanuary1807AjaxwasorderedtotheDardanelles,where,on15February,shecaughtfireandwaslostdespitetheexertionsofBlackwoodandhispeople.At the subsequent court-martial, Blackwoodwas absolved from blame for theloss, the fire probably being caused by two of the crew smoking in the breadroom.BlackwoodwastransferredtoRoyalGeorge(100)andtookanactivepartinanactionagainsttheTurkson21February1807.

Later in 1807 Blackwood was appointed to Warspite (76) building atChatham.HerfirstdeploymentwastotheNorthSea,butshewasmainlyintheMediterraneanunderAdmiralSirCharlesCotton.Blackwoodwatched theport

ofToulonandtheactionsoftheFrenchfleetbasedthere.InJuly1810aBritishsquadron under Blackwood inWarspite with Ajax and Conqueror (74) werefaced with a French squadron of six ships of the line and four frigates, butBlackwooddroveofthemintoport,andin1813intwoweeksintheChannelhecapturedfiveAmericanprivateers.

WhenanavalreviewwasplannedforJune1814,theDukeofClarenceaskedforBlackwoodashiscaptainof the fleet in Impregnable (98).BlackwoodmetKing Friedrich Wilhelm III of Prussia and Tsar Alexander I of Russia atBoulogne and escorted them to Spithead. Blackwood was promoted to rear-admiraloftheblueandcreatedabaronet.

In1820Blackwoodwasappointedcommander-in-chiefintheEastIndiesinsuccession to his friend Richard King, and sailed for the Indian Ocean inLeander(58).HeoccupiedthelongdaysatseabywritingtotheAdmiraltyonawiderangeoftopics,includingapropositiontosubstitutecocoaforrum,anideawhichmighthaveearnedhimacertainreputationonthelowerdeck.

Hislastappointmentwasascommander-inchiefattheNore.Blackwoodwasmarriedthreetimes:in1795toJaneMaryCrosbie;in1799to

Elizabeth Waghorn; and in 1803 to Harriet Gore. In December 1832 HenryMartinBlackwood,hissonbyElizabeth,caughttyphoidfever,andwasnursedby Blackwood at Ballyleidy, where there were no other children who mightcatch the disease, but he caught the contagion himself. Another son, FrancisPrice Blackwood, surveyed the Australian coast in Fly (24) and in 1848–50commandedVictoryinordinaryatPortsmouth.

ItwassaidofBlackwoodthat‘Herejoicedtoencouragemeritinall,highandlow; and few officers of his standing … were evermore instrumental inadvancingthedeservingasSirHenry.’TypicalofthiswasthecaseofayoungblackWestIndian,HarryPiper,inwhomBlackwoodrecognizedpotentialtalentand ability. Piper became gunner of a ship of the line, andwhen he was oldBlackwoodfoundhimahomeonthefamilyestateatBallyleidywherePiperisburiedinthegrounds.

Vice-AdmiralSirHenryBlackwood,1stBaronet,diedon13December1832.LESLIEHBENNETT

BULLEN

CharlesBullen(1769–1853)wasanofficerofgreatpersonalcourage,whosawmuch service before and after Trafalgar.Hewas closely associatedwithLordNorthesk in the years before the great battle, but only then did his careerintersectNelson’s.

Born in 1769 atNewcastle and entering the service in 1779, youngBullengained his lieutenancy in 1791, and in the same year he married a distant

relative,MissEleanorWood.AtLordHowe’svictoryof theGloriousFirstofJune he was inRamillies (74), and afterwards joinedMonmouth (64), whosecaptainwastheScottishEarlofNorthesk.TheywerebothsweptintothemawoftheNoreMutinyof1797.AsJohnMarshallrelates:onwhichoccasion[Bullen]wasbrought to trialby therebelliouscrew,oneofwhomamanwhohadreceivedmanyfavoursfromhimwentsofarasactuallytothrow a noose over his head. He, however, had the good fortune not only toescapewithhislife,butalsotoseethedeludedpartoftheship’scompanyreturnto obedience and redeem their character by conduct more natural to BritishseameninthegloriousbattleoffCamperdown,11October,1797.

AtCamperdown,Bullenwasfirst lieutenantofMonmouthandNortheskhiscaptain. They fought a brutal battle with Alkmaar (56) and Delft (56), bothsurrenderingtotheirguns.MarshallrecountsthatDelft,‘wastakenpossessionofbyLieutenantBullen,whofoundher inveryshoalwaterandsodreadfullycutupthatitwaswithgreatdifficultyhecouldgetherclearoftheshore’.Twodaysafter the actionwhile under tow she sankunder him;manyDutch andBritishseamenwere lost,butmanymorewere savedunderBullen’sdirectionas theywerepickedupbytheboats.Bullenhimself‘sprangintothesea…attheverymomentofhergoingdown’.Bullenwaspromotedtocommanderearlyin1798.He took command ofWasp (16) in 1801 and served a very arduous time offSierraLeone,thenastrugglingcolonyofresettledblackloyalistsfromAmericawhowereatriskfromlocaltribesandofbeingre-enslaved.

BullennextcommandedadistrictofSeaFenciblesandtheflotillaequippedintheThamesandMedway,allinanticipationofimminentinvasionin1804.InAugust1805,Northesk,whoseflagwasinBritannia(100),sentforBullentobehisflagcaptain.

AtTrafalgar,NelsonwantedtopunchthroughtheFranco-SpanishlinewithabatteringramofhisheaviestshipsandheplacedBritanniahighintheorderofsailingclosebehindVictory,butBritanniawassuchapoorsailerthatshehauledto windward of the line and was overtaken by Leviathan and Conqueror.According to family tradition, asBritannia struggled to get into battle,BullenandNortheskquarrelled.Bullenrefusedtotakeinsail,butthenBritanniarangedupthewindwardsideoftheenemyandthoughsheopenedfireearly,shedidnotpass through the line until two hours and ten minutes later. When she did,Marine Lieutenant Lawrence Halloran described how she raked the 130-gunSantísimaTrinidad: ‘[ourguns]shattered therichdisplayofsculpture, figures,ornamentsandinscriptionswithwhichshewasadorned.Ineversawsobeautifulaship.’Britannia had ten killed and forty-two wounded, Northesk resigned his

command due to ill health and Bullen refitted Britannia at Gibraltar beforeescortingthreeoftheprizestoEngland.

A100-guineaswordinitscase,suchaswaspresentedtomanyofthevictorsofTrafalgar

Bullen’shatchmentinStJames,Shirley,Southampton,wherehishouse,TrafalgarHouse,wasdemolishedinthetwenty-firstcentury.HeisburiedatSouthStonehamoutsidethecity.

inthetwenty-firstcentury.HeisburiedatSouthStonehamoutsidethecity.

Following Trafalgar, Bullen rose in rank and responsibility, ultimatelycommanding the frigates Volontaire (30) and Cambrian (40) during thePeninsularWar.Inspring1811hewasseniorofficeroffthecoastofCataloniawhen, whilst in a battery at Puerto de Selva near the French border, he wasseverelywounded.Recovered,hecommandedAkbar(50)atAntwerpandontheNorth American station in 1814–17. In Maidstone (42) he commanded asquadron in theGulf ofGuinea engaged in the suppressionof the slave trade;betweenApril1824andJune1827hefreedmorethan10,000slaves.

HewascommissionerofChathamDockyardandsuperintendentofPembrokeDockyard during the 1830s, and captain of the royal yacht Royal Sovereignduringthesameperiod.Bullenrose to therankofadmiral in1852anddiedathis home, which he named Trafalgar House, Shirley, then a village outsideSouthampton,agedeighty-sixandthelastsurvivingcaptainofNelson’sfleetatTrafalgar.SIMCOMFORT

CAPEL

ThomasBladenCapel(1776–1853)becameoneofNelson’sprotégésin1798when,havingjustbeenconfirmedaslieutenant,hewasmadeflaglieutenantofVanguard (74), Nelson’s flagship at the Battle of theNile (1798). His abilityand,nodoubt,hisaristocraticpedigreecaughtNelson’seyeand,althoughjuniortomanyofVanguard’sotherlieutenants,Capelwasgiventhehonouroftakingacopyof theNiledispatches toLondon, first as commanderof thebrigMutine(16)andthenoverlandacrossEurope.

The original dispatcheswere captured by the French and so itwasCapel’scopiesthatbroughtthenewsofthevictorytoLondon.Thiswelcomenews(FirstLord of the Admiralty Earl Spencer passed out with relief when reading thevictorydispatch)ensuredthattheAdmiraltywouldapproveNelson’spromotionofCapeltocommander,Nelsoncallinghim‘amostexcellentofficer’.

CapelwastheyoungestsonofWilliam,4thEarlofEssex,bornon25August1776inHanoverSquare,London.Inordertogainseatime,CapelwasenteredonthebooksofthefrigatePhaeton(38)in1782althoughheactuallyjoinedtheRoyal Navy in 1792 on boardAssistance (50) off Newfoundland as captain’sservant. He was soon made midshipman in Syren (32) and Captain GrahamMoorewrote that hewas a ‘remarkable fine youngman and onewhom I amconvinced will turn out a meritorious officer’ and later, when Capel was

transferred to another ship, ‘I shall regret Capel [leaving]’.After serving as amidshipman in a number of ships he saw his first major fleet action in SansPareil(80)whenLordBridport’sfleettookthreeFrenchmen-of-waroffLorienton23 July1795.On16May1796Capelwasmade acting lieutenant and thispromotionwasconfirmedinAprilofthefollowingyear.

After delivering the Nile dispatches Capel was made commander and wasshortly aftergivenpost rankas captainofAlecto (12). In thenext eight andahalf years Capel became one of the Navy’s star frigate captains, particularlydistinguishing himself in operations off the coast of Spain. However, in June1800he had themisfortune to run his ship,Meleager (32), onto rocks off theGulf of Mexico where, after burning the ship to stop it falling into Spanishhands, he transferred the crew onto a nearby island from which they weresubsequentlyrescued.

DuringtheTrafalgarcampaignCapelcommandedPhoebe(36).WhileNelsonpursuedVilleneuvetotheWestIndiesandbackCapelwasputincommandofasmall squadron of five frigates and two bomb vessels and ordered to coverSardinia, Sicily and the approaches to Egypt. At the Battle of Trafalgar,Phoebe’s taskwas to repeat signals and to stand by to assist in anyway shecould,butshetooknodirectpartinthefighting.DuringthegalethatfollowedthebattlePhoebe‘byextraordinaryexertions’helpedsavetheFrenchprize,theSwiftsure(74),nottobeconfusedwiththeBritishshipofthesamename,fromdestruction.

Capel’sgraveinKensalGreenCemetery,London,beforeandafterconservation,illustratingtheworkofthe1805ClubtoconservethemonumentstoBritain’sGeorgiannavalheroes.

Following the Trafalgar campaign Capel’s Endymion (40) was part of SirJohn Duckwood’s fleet which forced the Dardanelles in February andMarch1807.Endymionwas struck by twogiganticTurkishmarble shot froma giantsiege cannon (which reputedly had last been used in the Siege of Vienna in1683):theshotwere2ftindiameterandweighedover800lbeach,butEndymionsurvivedtheexperience.

In 1811Capelwasmade captain of the newly constructedHogue (74) andcommandeda small squadronof shipsblockadingUS frigatesoff the coast ofNew London during the War of 1812. Following this, in 1814, he marriedHarrietSmyth.AttheendofthewarCapelcommandedoneoftheroyalyachts,becamerear-admiralin1825andhoistedhisflagascommanderoftheEastIndiastationfrom1834to1837.

In1847CapelsatontheBoardofAdmiraltythatdecidedtoissuetheNavalGeneralServiceMedalforservicebetween1793and1840.

AdmiralSirThomasBladenCapeldiedinLondonin1853andisburiedinafamilyplotinKensalGreencemetery.NICKSLOPE

CARNEGIE

WilliamCarnegie,EarlofNorthesk (1756–1831)wasbornatLevenoutsideEdinburgh on 10 April 1756. His father, George, Earl of Northesk, had beenborn in Edinburgh Castle during the Jacobite Rising of 1715, and became anadmiral;hismotherwastheeldestdaughteroftheEarlofLeven.

YoungWilliamwenttoseain1771,thesameyearasNelson,inAlbion(74,CaptainSamuelBarrington),andafterwardsservedwithCaptainsMacBride inSouthamptonandStairDouglasinSquirrel.

In 1777 Carnegie was made lieutenant inNonsuch (64) and confirmed byLordHoweinApollo(32,CaptainPhilemonPownall).HisnextshipwasRoyalGeorge (100), and thenhewent to theWest Indies inSandwich (98)withSir

GeorgeRodney, serving under him at theBattle ofMartinique inApril 1780.Rodney thoughtwell enough ofCarnegie to promote him commander, thoughthiswasnotconfirmeduntilseveralmonthslater,andgavehimcommandofthefireship Blast and then of the ex-Dutch St Eustatius (also Eustatia) (20).Carnegie was present at the capture of the Dutch island of St Eustatius inFebruary1781,andinApril1782hewasmadepost-captainandgivencommandof the frigateEnterprise (28)whichhebrought toEnglandandpaidoff at thepeacein1783.

In 1788 he married Mary Ricketts, niece to Sir John Jervis (her brotherWilliamHenry Ricketts would change his name and eventually inherit the StVincent earldom). UnlikeNelson, who hadmarried a fewmonths previously,Carnegie foundhismarriagehappyand fruitful, andagainunlikeNelson,whowas unemployed during the Spanish Armament of 1790, Carnegie was givencommandofHeroine(32).

HissuccessiontotheearldomofNortheskin1792scarcelyinterruptedhisseatime and in 1793 he commanded the frigatesBeaulieu andAndromeda in theWestIndies.

In 1796 Northesk was elected one of the sixteen representatives of thepeerageinScotlandintheparliamentofGreatBritain,arolewhichhefulfilleduntil1830.

Northeskwas captainofMonmouth (64), oneof the ships in theNorthSeasquadronwhichmutiniedattheNoreinMay1797.Northeskwasheldprisonerinhisowncabinuntilthemutineerssentforhimas‘onewhowasknowntobethe seaman’s friend’.RichardParker, the chairmanof the delegates, presentedhimwiththeterms‘onwhichalone,withoutthesmallestalteration,theywouldgiveuptheships’ortheywouldimmediatelyputthefleettosea.TheyorderedCarnegietowaitupontheKing,presenttheresolutionsoftheircommittee,andreturnwithananswerwithin fifty-fourhours.Northesk informed thedelegatesthat ‘he certainlywould bear the letter as desired, but he could not, from theunreasonablenessofthedemandsflatterthemwithanyexpectationofsuccess’.

Hedidcarrythemutineers’lettertotheAdmiraltywheretheFirstLord,LordSpencer, took him to theKing.When the demandswere rejected, themutinyquelled,andthemutineerstried,Northeskresignedhiscommand.

HewasbrieflyunemployedbytheNavyuntilin1800hewasgivencommandofPrince (98)until thePeaceofAmiens,andwhenthepeacebrokedown,hisnextshipwasBritannia(100),employedfirstasaguardatStHelensandthenon the blockade of Brest underWilliam Cornwallis. When he was promotedrear-admiralinApril1804,hesentforCharlesBullentobehisflagcaptainandremained inBritannia, and in August 1805 joined a squadron under Admiral

CalderwhichsailedtoreinforceAdmiralCollingwoodontheblockadeofCadiz.So far Northesk and Nelson had never served together, and when Nelson

arrivedtotakecommandofthefleetoffCadiz,heinvitedNorthesktodinealonewithhimonatleasttwooccasions,making,aswashiscustom,someattempttogettoknowhisnewsubordinateandwinhisconfidence.However,thoughthirdinseniorityon21October1805,Northeskseemstohaveplayedverylittlepartinplanningthebattle.ItmaybewonderedwhatNelsonthoughtofNorthesk,sodifferentfromhim,descendedonbothsidefromearls,asittingmemberof theHouseofLordswhohadbeenfavouredbyAdmiralsHoweandRodney,andwasrelatedbymarriagetoStVincent.

However, all does not seem to have been well inBritannia on the day ofbattle: she sailed so badly that Nelson ordered her to haul out of the line;Northesk and his flag captain were heard to shout angrily at each other; shefailed to break the line asNelsonwanted; and though she engaged the largestSpanishship,SantísimaTrinidad,hercasualtieswerelight, tendeadandforty-twowounded.

Northesk received theusualhonours after thebattle includingaknighthoodandavaseworth£300fromtheLloyd’sPatrioticFund,buthedidnotserveatseaagain,thoughhereceivedtheroyalhonourofbeingmadeRear-AdmiraloftheUnitedKingdom in1821 andwas commander-in-chief atPlymouth1827–30.

However,hesufferedthedevastatinglossofhiseldestsonwhowasdrownedwhen amidshipman inBlenheim (90, Captain Thomas Troubridge) when shefounderedinastormoffMadagascarwiththelossofallhands.

AdmiralWilliamCarnegie, 7thEarl ofNorthesk, died inAlbemarle Street,London,on28May1831andhewasburiedinStPaul’sCathedralnearNelsonandCollingwood.PETERHORE

CODRINGTON

Edward Codrington (1770–1851) had never served with Nelson beforeSeptember1805andyethequicklybecameanadmirer.Moreover,heshowedbyhis actions atTrafalgar that hebothunderstood, and fully supported,Nelson’sbattle plan and style of fighting. Alone of the Trafalgar captains, he latercommandedaBritishfleetinbattle,atNavarinoin1827.

The third son of aGloucestershire landowner and baronet, Codringtonwasbornon27April1770andeducatedatHarrowbeforejoiningtheRoyalNavyin1783.Hebecamea lieutenant in1793andwas signalofficerofAdmiralLordHowe’sflagship,QueenCharlotte(100),attheGloriousFirstofJunein1794.ApersonalprotégéofHowe,hewasgiventhehonouroftakinghometheadmiral’sduplicate dispatches and, as was customary, was rewarded with promotion tocommander. The following year he was made a captain and was present, incommandofthefrigateLaBabet,atBridport’sactionoffGroixon23June.

On27December 1802 atOldWindsorChurch,Berkshire, hemarried JaneHall,daughterofaJamaicanplanter.

HeremainedinfrigatesuntilMay1805,whenhewasappointedtocommandOrion (74) and, after a short spell with the Channel Fleet, was detached toreinforceCollingwoodoffCadiz.HefoundCollingwood’s regimeuncongenialandwasdelightedwhenNelsonwas appointed to command the fleet.At theirfirst meeting, Nelson bound the young captain to him with one of hischaracteristicgestures:hehandedCodringtonaletterfromhiswifesayingthat‘beingentrustedwithitbyalady,hemadeapointofdeliveringithimself’.

Codringtonhasamonument(right)inStPeter’s,EatonSquare(thoughthecrypthasbeencleared),andtwofinemonuments(left)overlookingtheBayofNavarino,modern-dayPylos,wherehefoughthislastbattle.

AtTrafalgarOrionwastowardstherearofNelson’slineandsodidnotarrivein the thickof the fightinguntil about twohours after the first shotwas fired.Codringtonplannedhisapproachcarefully,holdinghisfiresoasnottoobscure

hisviewwithsmoke,andevenwhenhereached theaction,hepassed throughtheclustersofshipsuntilhecameacrossasuitablevictim.ShewastheFrenchSwiftsure (74) intowhose sternOrion’s gunners poured a series ofmurderousbroadsides, forcing her to surrender. Codrington then attempted to take onPrincipedeAsturias(112),flagshipoftheSpanishcommander-in-chief,butshepulled away, so he moved on northwards to assist the British ships there inrepelling theattackbyDumanoirandtheFrenchvan.Orion thenplayedakeyrole in thecaptureof thegallantlydefended Intrépide (74), sailing right roundthestrickenshippouringinadeadly,accuratefirefromclosequarters.Itwasaclassic demonstration of the sort of mobile, intelligent fighting that Nelsonwanted.Like theothercaptains,Codringtonwas rewardedwith thenavalgoldmedalandaswordfromLloyd’sPatrioticFund.

CodringtonremainedwithCollingwoodintheMediterraneanuntilDecember1806,andcontinuedinactiveservicethroughouttherestofthewar,servinginthedisastrousamphibiousattackontheDutchislandofWalcherenin1809andoff the coast of Spain, commanding a squadron supportingWellington’s landcampaign,during1811–13.

Promotedrear-admiralin1814,hewascaptainofthefleettothecommander-in-chief of the North American station, Sir Alexander Cochrane, during theclosingstagesoftheWarof1812,andtookpartinoperationsintheChesapeakeRiverandintheattackonNewOrleans.

In 1826, by then a vice-admiral, he became commander-in-chief in theMediterranean, with his flag in Asia (84). The Greeks were in open revoltagainst their Turkish overlords, and Britain, though not formally at war withTurkey,wasgenerallysympathetictotheGreekcause,placingCodringtoninadifficultpositionpolitically.Thegrowing tensioneventually led to a full-scalebattleintheBayofNavarinoinsouthernGreece,on20October1827,wheretheTurkish fleetwas annihilatedby a combinedBritish,French andRussian fleetunder Codrington’s overall command, thus paving the way for Greekindependence, which came two years later. It was the last major naval battlefoughtwhollyundersail.Althoughthevictorywaspopular,thegovernmentwasembarrassed by such overt intervention and recalled Codrington for anexplanation.However,hewasclearedofblameandreceivedtheGrandCrossoftheBath.Hecontinuedtoserve,commandingtheChannelsquadronin1831–2,andendingalonganddistinguishedcareerascommander-in-chiefatPlymouth1839–42.

Codrington had the inconsolable grief of losing his eldest son, Edward,drownedwhenamidshipmaninthefrigateCambrianin1819bytheupsettingofaboat;Janediedin1837;hisothersonsanddaughtersservedinormarriedinto

theNavyandArmy.AdmiralSirEdwardCodringtonlivedlongenoughtoclaimhisNavalGeneral

ServiceMedalwithfourclaspsin1848,anddiedathishomeinEatonSquarein1851.HewasburiedatStPeter’sbutwhen thecryptwascleared in1953 thebodywasmovedtoBrookwoodcemeteryanditswhereaboutsisnowunknown.Heis,however,memorialisedinStPaul’sCathedralandatPylosinGreece.COLINWHITE

COLLINGWOOD

CuthbertCollingwood (1748–1810)wasborn inNewcastleon26September,the eighth child and eldest of three sons ofCuthbertCollingwood, a less thansuccessful merchant, and his wife Milcah Dobson. Educated at the RoyalGrammarSchoolunder theRevHughMoises,hewas rated ‘able’ inShannon(28)on28August1761,undertheaegisofhiscousin,Captain(laterAdmiral)RichardBrathwaite.HisbrotherWilfred,youngerbyayear,joinedaweeklaterascaptain’sservantandthetwoservedtogetherinShannon,Gibraltar(20)andLiverpool(28);thebrothersbothpassedforlieutenanton7April1772.CuthbertfeltgreatlyindebtedtoBrathwaite,‘towhoseregardformeandtheinteresthetookinwhateverrelatedtomyimprovementinnauticalknowledge,Iowegreatobligation’. In his turn he took an interest in the education of the youngstersservingunderhim.

Collingwood next served in Lennox (74) under another relation, CaptainRobertRoddam.SofarhehadonlyseentheBalticandtheMediterraneanbutinFebruary 1774 Preston (50) took him, under the command of Vice-AdmiralSamuelGraves,toAmericaandtheAmericanRevolutionaryWar.AtBostonhewaspartof thenavalbrigadewhich fought at theBattleofBunkerHillon17June1775,whenGravesmadehimalieutenant.

His promotion was confirmed in 1776 when he sailed for Jamaica in theHornetsloop.Itwasanunhappyyear:hiscommandingofficer,RobertHaswell,hadbeenonthelieutenants’listforeighteenyears,theHornetsweremockedfortheir inability to takeprizes,Haswell floggeda largenumberofhis crew, andCollingwood,feelingthestrainofthisandtakingcontrolofmostoftheday-to-dayworkingoftheship,waseventuallycourt-martialledinSeptember1777butacquitted with no more than an admonition for a ‘want of cheerfulness’ andurged to conduct himself in futurewith ‘more alacrity’. This experience gavehimadistasteforflogging.

However,whilst in theWest Indies,CollingwoodandNelson,whohadmetsome years before, became firm friends, though, given their oppositepersonalities,theyweretheunlikeliesttodoso.EverytimeNelsongotastepup,Collingwood succeeded him, first in Lowestoffe (32), then Badger brig,Hinchinbroke (28)andJanus.Hinchinbrokewasengaged inoperationsagainsttheSpanishCentralAmericancoloniesafterSpainhadalliedwithFranceinaidof theAmerican colonists, but an expedition against San Juanwas a disaster,withBritishforcesdecimatedbyfever.Collingwoodwrote.‘Isurvivedmostofmy ship’s company, having buried in four months 180 of the 200 whichcomposedit.’NelsonwashimselfsentbacktoEnglandsufferingfromfever.

Collingwood was then given command of thePelican (24), but in August1781,afterasuccessfulcruiseinwhichaFrenchfrigateandfiveprivateerswere

taken, she was wrecked on the Morant Keys near Jamaica. In the NavalChronicleheexplained: ‘thenextdaywithgreatdifficulty theship’scompanygotonshoreonrafts,madeof thesmallandbrokenyards,andon thosesmallsandyhills,withlittlefoodandwater,weremainedtendays,untilaboatwenttoJamaica,andtheDiamondfrigatecameandtookusoff.’

HisnextshipswereSampson(64),Mediator(44)andBoreas(28)intheWestIndies where he and Nelson made themselves unpopular in upholding theNavigationActs, evenagainst thewishesof their commander-in-chief.HeandNelsonalsodevelopedtheirlastingattachmenttoMaryMoutray,thewifeoftheCommissionerfortheNavyBoardinAntigua.Theydrewportraitsofeachotherwhichhavesurvived,Nelson’sbyCollingwoodshowinghimwearingawigafterhis fever. This, and a self-portrait, are workmanlike, but not particularlyaccomplished incomparisonwithNelson’seffort.Of thestation,NelsonwrotetoCaptain Locker: ‘Had it not been forCollingwood, itwould have been themostdisagreeableIeversaw.’

Cuthbert’s brother Wilfred was also in the West Indies at this period,commanding the Rattler, engaged in the same protection duties, with Nelsonand, later,withPrinceWilliamHenry, thirdsonofGeorgeIII, in thePegasus.Cuthbertreturnedhomeinthelatesummerof1786,onlytoreceivealongletterfromNelsontellinghimthatWilfredhaddied(hewasthirty-eight).ThePrincehadalsoextendedhissincerecondolenceswhichNelsonforwardedtoCuthbert.Meantime,Collingwood took theopportunityof fouryears inNorthumberland‘makingmyacquaintancewithmyownfamily,towhomIhadhithertobeenasitwereastranger’.Hisyoungestbrother,John,hadjoinedtheCustomsserviceandthereweresurvivingsisters.

TheNootkaSound incident,orSpanishArmament, reignitedCollingwood’scareer.HetookhimselftotheAdmiralty,likemanyanothernavalofficerhopingfor a command.A letter to his sisterMary revealswhat a sea captain thoughtnecessaryforacruise:Here we are in the most delightful confusion. War is inevitable and everypreparationmaking…Everybodypushingtheirinterestforships.Wewhohavenonemustbecontenttowaituntilthosewhohaveareoutofourway,butIthinkIcanhardlymissbeingemployedverysoon,thereforehaveenclosedtoyouthekey ofmybureau.The keys ofmy trunks are in it. Every thing that is inmybureauexcepttheraggedshirtsleaveinit,fillitwithlinenfromthetrunk,soastopreventitsshaking,butwithsuchthingsasareleastheavy.Allthepapersthatareinitleavejustinthestatetheyare,alltheplansanddraftbooksputintothelarger chest, with such books of navigation and signals as are on the bookshelves and, in the drawers under them, three spy glasses. The shortest night

glass not to be packed, it may stay; in a right hand drawer in the top of thebureauisthegreatobjectglassofthelargesttelescope,itmustbescrewedinitsplace.Myquadrantwiththebrassatthekeyholemustbeputintothechest,theglassesmightberolledinthecloakstopreservethemfrominjury,afewbooksmightbeputinwherethereisroom,theSpectatorandShakespear.Ofplatemyplain spoons, fish things and teaspoons, those I bought last, no salts, cupsnorcastors: of linen, 4 prs sheets, and my sea table cloths and breakfast cloths,towels etc. In short, where I say that my very best things, I wou’d not havecome.My new shoes are in a box – I do not knowwhere.May I beg ofmybrotherJohntogetthosethingsinreadinessforme,thatifIamappointedtoaship theymaybesent to theportwhereshe is,by theearliestopportunity thatoffers.

CollingwoodwasgivenMermaid(32)inwhichhemadeanuneventfulcruisetotheWestIndies.

Afterwards, on 18 June 1791, hemarried Sarah, daughter of JohnErasmusBlackett, Mayor of Newcastle. They were to have two daughters, Sarah andMaryPatience.ThoughanabsenteefatherCuthberttookagreatinterestintheireducation,urgingtheteachingofmaths,Spanish(‘themostelegantlanguageofEurope and very easy’) and swimming: having seen ‘women and childrenrunningfromdeathandwhentheycometothePoorthePaviafindthebridgesbrokendown,itwassceneslikethese,towhichhumancreaturesarenowdailyexposed, that made me so desirous my girls should learn to swim, then theymight set suchchanceandcircumstanceatdefiance, anda riveror twowouldhavebeennobartotheirsafety.’Inaddition,hefelttheyshouldavoidreadingnovels.

In1793,whenwarbrokeoutwithFrance,Collingwoodwasappointed flagcaptain to Admiral Bowyer in Prince (98), ‘the most miserable sailer in thefleet’.TheytransferredtoBarfleur(90)andfoughtattheGloriousFirstofJune,whereBowyerwaswoundedearlyintheactionanditwaslefttoCollingwoodtofight the ship and command Bowyer’s subdivision. Bowyer was created abaronet but Collingwood was not mentioned in Lord Howe’s report, did notreceivethegoldmedalandwasunderstandablyaggrieved.

In July 1794 he moved toHector (74) and then to Excellent (74), whichbecamerenownedfortherapidityofhergunnery.AfterafewmonthsoffUshanthe was directed to theMediterranean to blockade Toulon and guard Corsica.When the Spanish fleet was brought to battle off Cape St Vincent on 14February1797,Excellent fought firstwith theSalvadordelMundo (112),and,believingthatshehadsurrendered,proceededundertheleeofthenextship,SanYsidro(74),whichalsostrucktohim.Collingwoodthenwenttotheassistance

ofNelsoninCaptain,firingontheSanNicolas(80)andcausinghertorunonboardtheSanJosef(112)andallowedNelsontotakebothships.

Followingtheengagement,NelsonwrotetoCuthbert:‘MyDearestfriend.“Afriend in need is a friend indeed”was nevermore truly verified than by yourmost noble and gallant conduct yesterday in sparing theCaptain from furtherloss.’Vice-AdmiralWilliamWaldegravewrote:‘Nothingcouldexceedthespiritandtrueofficershipwhichyousohappilydisplayedyesterday…MayEnglandlongpossesssuchmenasyourself–’tissayingeverythingforherglory.’Goldmedalswereagaintobeawarded,butCollingwoodrefusedtoaccepthisunlesstheinjusticeofthepreviousoversightwasreversed,whichitwas.

ThenexttwoyearswerespentblockadingtheSpanishfleetinCadiz.HewasbrieflymadecommodorebyStVincentbut returnedhome inNovember1798and in January 1799, when Excellent was paid off, returning to Morpeth,Northumberland, where his family was established. He was promoted rear-admiral inMayandhoistedhisflag inTriumph (74).ThenextfewyearswerespentsearchingfortheFrenchfleetandblockadingtheFrenchports.InJanuary1801,whenhehadtransferredtoBarfleur,hiswifeandelderdaughterandthedogBouncetravelledfromMorpethtoPlymouthtoseehim,butontheeveningoftheirarrivalhewasobligedtosailforBrest.Theywaitedsixweeksforhim,but it was another year before he was able to return to the north.Writing inJanuary 1802 he reported that he had already sent off his heavy baggage in acolliertoNewcastle‘andBounceamongstthevaluables’.

CollingwoodhasperhapsthegrandestmonumentofalltheBandofBrothers,onaheadlandlookingouttoseaatTynemouth,andafinemonumentinNewcastleCathedral,aswellasatombinStPaul’s.

By May 1803 Collingwood and Bounce were at sea inDiamond (38), inwhichhehoistedhisflag,warhavingbeenresumed.Forthenextsevenyearshewas constantly at sea and never saw his family again. He was appointed tocommand a squadron blockading the enemy fleets on the Atlantic coast, andmovedfromoneshiptoanothertostayonstation.

On21May1805hesailedforCadizwithelevenshipsoftheline,thoughby20Augusthewasreducedtoonlythreeshipsandafrigate.AsVilleneuve’sfleetapproached, Collingwood deceived his enemy as to the size of his force bystandingtowardshimandVilleneuvetookrefugeinCadiz.Forthis,Nelsontoldhim, ‘Everybody in England admired your adroitness.’ Now CollingwoodtransferredhisflagintotheRoyalSovereign(100).

AtTrafalgar,inthehoursbeforethebattle,Collingwoodvisitedthedeckstoencourage the men and said to his officers: ‘Now, gentlemen, let us dosomething todaywhich theworldmay talkofhereafter.’Collingwood’sRoyalSovereign was the first to break the enemy line, prompting Nelson to say toBlackwood, ‘See how that noble fellow Collingwood carries his ship into

action.’ The battle is described elsewhere. Following Nelson’s death,Collingwoodsucceededtothecommand.Thereremainssomecontroversyastowhetherheshouldhaveorderedthefleettoanchorandthedestructionofsomeof the prizes, but he is remembered by the Spanish for his humanity in thetreatmentoftheenemyprisonersandwounded.

HisfamousdispatchpromptedapersonalletterfromGeorgeIII,andhewasappointed commander-in-chief in the Mediterranean, with the same authorityNelson had held. He was created Baron Collingwood of Caldburne andHethpool. He wrote home of Bounce’s reaction to this elevation: ‘TheconsequentialairshegiveshimselfsincehebecameaRightHonourabledogareinsufferable.Heconsidersitbeneathhisdignitytoplaywithcommoners’dogs,andtrulythinksthathedoesthemgracewhenhecondescendstoliftuphislegagainstthem.This,Ithink,iscarryingtheinsolenceofranktotheextreme.’

Nowhehad tocontain theFrench in theirMediterraneanports,althoughhewoulddearly have loved to engage them in one further decisivebattle.At thesame timehedemonstrateda rare talent tounderstand the shiftingalliancesoftheEuropeanpowers,dealingwiththedifficultQueenofSicily(hegotonwellwiththeKing,talkingcompanionablyaboutgardening),anddispatchingshipstoobtain intelligence around the Mediterranean. As Piers Mackesy put it, ‘Thesplendourofthenavy’sworkinthetheatreafterTrafalgarhasbeenobscuredbytheabsenceoffleetactions;andthenameofLordCollingwoodhasequallybeendimmedbyhisinabilitytobringanenemyfleettobattle.’Mackesyalsowritesofhisskillasadiplomatistandhis‘realstature’.

The strain of this tediouswork continuedwhile his health deteriorated.Hisinability to delegate did not help. At the same time, matters at home weredistracting. His wife, now ‘the extravagant party’, and his father-in-law hadinvestedinsharesinfireinsuranceandhebecameconvincedthatthereasonthathisrequesttoreturnhomehadbeenrejectedwasthattheKingwouldnotadmitaninsurancemerchantintothehouseofpeers.Addedtotheseburdens,Bouncehadfallenoverboardanddrowned.‘Ihavefewcomforts,buthewasone,forhelovedme.Everybodysorrows forhim.Hewaswiser than [agoodmany]whoholdtheirheadshigherandwasgrateful[tothose]whowerekindtohim.’

Vice-Admiral Cuthbert Collingwood, 1st Baron Collingwood, finallyrelinquishedhiscommandearlyin1810,andhediedon7March,shortlyafterhehadsailedfromMenorca.HelayinstateatGreenwichbeforeanimpressivecortège took him to St Paul’s and hewas laid in a tomb alongside his friendNelson, the contrast between the two memorials reflecting their differentpersonalities,theflamboyanceofNelson,andtheausterityofCollingwood.JUDYCOLLINGWOOD

CONN

John Conn (1764–1810) was baptised on 5 August 1764 in Stoke Damerel,Plymouth;hisfatherwasacommissionedgunnerintheNavy.

Hefirstwent tosea in1778at theageof thirteenandserved inhisfather’sbrig-sloopWeazle(18).HethenwentontoArrogant(74)asamidshipmanandmaster’smateandsawactionattheBattleofSaintesinApril1782.InJune1788

hewasmade an acting lieutenant but had towait for five years before beinggivenhis first commission in1793.During that periodhemarried a cousinofNelson,Margaret,thedaughterofRevIsaacNelson.

Connwas appointed toRoyalSovereign (100) andpresent atAdmiralLordHowe’s victory at the Glorious First of June in 1794. His first command,Staunch (12), followed in June 1797, but he left her a year later to joinFoudroyant (80) and was under Commodore Sir John BorlaseWarren at thedefeatofaFrenchsquadronoffDonegalduringanattemptedlandinginIrelandon2October1798.

Next came promotion to master and commander of the bomb vesselDiscovery(10)inAugust1800.AttheBattleofCopenhagen,ConnanchoredhisshipofftheMiddleGround.TherewerenocasualtiesinDiscovery.

In mid-August 1801, he commanded a division of eight howitzer flatboatsduring Nelson’s disastrous attack on the French invasion flotilla in Boulogneharbour.ItfailedbecausetheintentiontocaptureFrenchshipswasthwartedasthey were secured by chains and anti-boarding rigging. Although the Britishwere repulsed,Conn continued firing at French camps and batteries ‘until theenemiesfiretotallyslackened’.ThreedayslaterNelsonsentinConnagainwithhis howitzers to try and set fire to the French brigEtna. Nelson told Earl StVincent that ‘a more zealous and deserving officer than Conn, never wasbroughtforward’.

Conn was promoted to post-captain on 29 August 1802 and was givenCulloden(74),inwhichhewasjoinedbyhisnine-year-oldsonHenry,asfirst-class volunteer, and who followed him into several other ships includingDreadnoughtatTrafalgar.

InApril1803hetransferredtothelargeandpowerfulFrench-builtCanopus(80),which asFranklin had been taken at theBattle ofAboukir Bay, and hejoined the blockade off Toulon. In January and February 1805 he joined thepursuit of the French to theWest Indies, but inMarch hewas superseded byFrancisAusten,thebrotherofJane.BackinEnglandhebecameactingcaptainofVictorywhileNelsonandHardywereonleave.HewasorderedtotakehertojoinAdmiralCornwallis’sChannel Fleet, an orderwhichwas cancelledwhenthe news came that the Combined Fleet was in Cadiz. As reinforcementsprepared to sail from Portsmouth, Nelson, fresh from his home in Merton,brieflymetConnattheGeorgeInn.

Subsequently,Conn transferred to the newly refittedRoyal Sovereign (100)andtookhertojoinCollingwood.WhenNelsonjoinedthefleetConnchangedshipsagain, this timeswappingwithCollingwoodandhis flagcaptain, for thenew Dreadnought (98), her highly drilled crew trained to produce rapid

firepower,butaslowsailer;ConnmissedthedinnerswhenNelsonexplainedhisplansforbattle.

As the British fleet squared up to the enemy on 21 October 1805,Dreadnoughtwas someway down the line ofCollingwood’s division, and bythe timeshehadentered the fray,Nelson in theweather linehadalreadybeenshot.DreadnoughtengagedtheSanJuanNepomuceno,whichwasbearingdownon the crippledBellerophon (74), forcing her to surrender in fifteen minutes.Next,ConnwentaftertheSpanishflagshipPrincipedeAsturias(112)inwhichAdmiralGravinawasmortallywounded,thoughhisshipescapedtoCadiz.Afterthestormwhichfollowedthenextday,ConnwasabletoreclaimhisprizeandSanJuanNepomucenowasoneofthefourenemyshipstosurvive.

Connwas awarded a goldmedal and a sword of honour from the Lloyd’sPatrioticFund,andheremainedinDreadnoughtuntil1806whenhecommandedinsuccession,SanJosef(112)andHibernia(110).

In 1810 he took up his final command, Swiftsure (74), in theWest Indies.Thereon4May,whilegivingchasetoasmallFrenchshipoffBermuda,tragedystruck. Henry, Conn’s son, had been captured in December 1809, while thirdlieutenant of the frigateJunon, offGuadeloupe, in a fight against fourFrenchfrigates. (Junon sufferedheavy causalities andwas sobadlydamaged that shewasburnedbyhercaptors;theBritishgottheirrevengebylatertakingallfouroftheFrench,andyoungHenryescapedfromcaptivityin1812.)JohnConnwassodeeplyaffectedbythenewsofhisson’scapturethathebecamedeliriousand,thoughhewas apparently recovered,when left alone for a fewminutes in hiscabin,hefelloverboardfromthewindowsofthequartergallery.Thealarmwasraisedbyaboywhosawhimfromthegunroomport,butSwiftsurewasunderallsailinastrongbreezeandheavyswell.Hisbodywasnotfound.

Admiral’srankandthenation’shonourswouldnodoubthavecomehiswayandhispassingwasmournedinBritain,especiallyintheNavyinwhichhewasapopularandrespectedfigure.AdmiralSirJohnBorlaseWarrenwroteofhowmuchheregrettedthelossof‘sodeservinganofficerasCaptainConn’.JOHNRGWYTHER

COOKE

JohnCooke(1763–1805)joinedCollingwoodontheblockadeoffCadizon10June 1805 inBellerophon (74), built in 1786 and affectionately known to hercrewas theBillyRuffian.Fourmonths later,on theeveningof19October,hewas lookingforward todiningwithNelson inVictorywhen thesignal that theenemywerecomingoutofportchangedeverything.

The order of sailing placed Cooke’s ship fifth in line of Collingwood’sdivision.Foreseeingthebloodinessoftheensuingbattle,hefeltthathecouldbe‘bowl’dout’atanytime,andinanactofleadershipworthyofNelsontookhisfirstlieutenant,WilliamPryceCumby,andthemaster,EdwardOverton,intohisconfidence.HeshowedthemNelson’smemorandumsotheyknewclearlywhatthey were expected to do.When he made out the admiral’s signal, ‘England

expectsthateverymanwilldohisduty’,Cookewentbelowtopassitontotheguncrews.

AfterBellerophon had broken through the enemy line, the fighting becamefurious andmen were falling all around Cooke as he stood with Cumby andOverton on the quarterdeck. He was locked in combat with the French shipAigle,whosecaptainhadfilledherfightingtopsandriggingwithsharpshooters.Cumby pointed out to his senior that he was wearing his epaulettes, whichmarked him out to the enemy sharpshooters in the tops and rigging.Unperturbed, Cooke exclaimed, ‘It is too late to take them off. I see mysituation,butIwilldielikeaman.’

He continued discharging his pistols at the enemy, even killing a Frenchofficer on his own quarterdeck. After a short time, he directed Cumby to godowntothegundeckstoensurethatthestarboardgunskeptfiringatallcosts.Even before Cumby got back to the quarterdeck, he was met by thequartermaster,whohadcometoinformhimthatCookewasmortallywoundedwhile reloadinghispistols.WhenCumby reached thequarterdeck,Cookewasdead. His last words were, ‘Let me lie quietly one minute. Tell LieutenantCumbynevertostrike!’

JohnCookewasbornin1763.Hisfather,FrancisCooke,wasanAdmiraltycashier.Hisnamewasputontheship’sbooksofGreyhoundin1774butforthenext two years he attended ‘Mr Braken’s celebrated naval academy atGreenwich’,thus,inthewordsoftheNavalChronicle‘notimemightbelostforacquiringthoroughlythefirstelementsofnauticalscienceandmilitarytactics…and thus obtained the double advantage of prosecuting his naval studies, andreckoninghistimeasthoughinactualservice’.

SomewhereheacquiredthepatronageofSamuelHood(laterLordBridport)whichservedhimwellthroughouthiscareer.

Hisfirstship,atagethirteen,wasHood’sflagshipEagle(64,CaptainHenryDuncan),LordHowe’s flagship at thebeginningof theAmericanWar, and attheBattleofRhodeIslandhewas‘oneofthefirstwhoenteredthefort’.

Hepassedfor lieutenant in1779andsailedfor theEastIndies inWorcester(64)butbadhealthsoonbroughthimhome.Whileconvalescinghespentayearin France, before joiningDuke (98, Captain Alan Gardner) and was a seniorlieutenantinherattheBattleoftheSaintesinApril1782.AfallagaininvalidedhimandCookespentmoreyearsonhalfpay,beingbrieflyrecalledduring theSpanishArmamentbyBridporttobethirdlieutenantofLondon(90).

Cooke‘havingevincedthemostconsumateskillandbravery…fellinamomentgloriousindeedtohiscountry’hasamonumentatDonheadStAndrewinWiltshireandthismonumentinStPaul’s.

WhentheFrenchwarbrokeoutBridportagainsummonedhim, this timeasfirstlieutenantofhisflagship,RoyalGeorge(100,CaptainWilliamDommett).At the first opportunityBridport gaveCooke the fireship Incendiarywhichhecommanded as a lieutenant at the Glorious First of June. Before he could beconfirmed as a commander,Bridport seized the opportunity,whenher captainfell ill, of givingMonarch (74) toCooke.There ensued an argument betweenBridportandLordSpencerattheAdmiraltythatCooke‘wastooyoungtokeepa74 at home’, out ofwhich he emerged as post-captain ofNymphe (36), neverhavingbeentoseaasacommander.

Cooke justified the confidence in him by taking, with another frigate, twoFrench frigates almost at the mouth of Brest Roads, Resistance (48) and

Constance (24) (which had landed an invasion force in Fishguard Bay) on 9August1797.NemesisquicklyfollowedwhenNymphejoinedthefleetmutinyatthe Nore and his crew put him ashore; when they relented he declined to goback.Cookehadareputationasanexcellentofficerbutastrictdisciplinarian.

Twoyearslater,nowincommandofAmethyst(38),hetooktheDukeofYorkto Holland on his ill-fated expedition, immortalised by the famous nurseryrhyme. He was still in Amethyst when he joined the operations under LordBridport, offQuiberonBay, and in 1800 the expedition to Ferrol underRear-AdmiralWarren.In1801,CookewasintheChannelwherehemetandcapturedtheFrenchfrigateDédaigneuse,sanktheSpanishprivateerNuestraSeñoradelCarmenandtooktheFrenchprivateerGénéralBrune.

AtthePeaceofAmienshecouldlookbackwithsatisfaction:hehadenjoyedthe patronage ofLordBridport and other greatmen, he hadmarriedwell andinheritedwealth,anddonewellthroughprize-money,andwaslayingoutaparkaround his house at Donhead, Wiltshire. Cooke had been at every majorengagementofthefleetexcepttheNileandCopenhagen,andhisoneunfulfilledambition was to fight a battle under the command of Nelson. Little could heknowthattheywerebothdoomedtofallinthesamemannerandalmostatthesame moment, but he could not resist when invited to take command ofBellerophon.

Cookeleftbehindawife,LouisaHardy,daughterofthequondamGovernorofNewJersey,whomhehadmarried in1790,andaneight-year-olddaughter.Hiswidowreceivedthenavalgoldmedalforthebattle,andasilvervasefromthe Lloyd’s Patriotic Fund. One of his pistols can be seen at the NationalMaritimeMuseumatGreenwich.PETERWARWICK

CUMBY

William Pryce Cumby (1771–1837) was born on 20 March 1771 at Doverwhere presumably his father was temporarily stationed. He came fromgenerationsofworthynavalofficers, theCumbysandalso the Jepsons,whosefamilyhomewasHeighington,CountyDurham;noneofthemmademorethanmaster and commander until Cumby was thrust into the captaincy of BillyRuffianatTrafalgar.

YoungCumbyenteredtheNavyagedthirteenin thecutterKite (12),whichcruised against smugglers on the north-east coast of England for two years.Cumby then undertook several voyages in merchant ships trading betweenHolland,theBalticandCanada,beforehefoundaberthin1789inBrazen(12).

As the Navy rapidly expanded during the Spanish Armament, he movedsuccessfullyintoAlfred(74),Meleager(32)andLeviathan(74),wherehewonthepatronageofhis fellownorth-countrymanCaptainConstantinePhipps (lateLord Mulgrave), who got him an appointment under Captain Henry Savage(lateradmiralofthewhite)inPomona(28).

Hepassed for lieutenant in1792, andbecame third lieutenantofHebe (38)under Captain Alexander Hood who had sailed with Cook, and then inAssistance(50),flagshipofRichardKing(lateradmiralofthered)underanothernorth-countrymanandformershipmate,CaptainNathanBrunton.Nextanotherformer shipmate, Lord Henry Paulet, asked for Cumby as first lieutenant ofAstraea(32);on10April1795AstraearandownthreeFrenchfrigatesinthickfogintheChannel,anddespitetheoddsexchangedbroadsideswiththeGloire(42) for an hour until the Frenchman surrendered. Cumby shifted intoThalia(36)with Paulet, who had all themakings of a successful frigate captain andmadeseveralcaptures,buthewascourt-martialledinJune1798forstrikingoneof his other lieutenants.The court found himguilty and hewas dismissed hisship. The partnership had been broken up, and though Paulet was reinstated,CumbyhadmovedontoExcellent(74,CaptainCuthbertCollingwood)asthirdlieutenant.

TherefollowedthreeyearsonhalfpayuntilOrkneymanAdmiralAlexanderGraeme,LairdofGraemeshall,andfriendofNelson(andwholikeNelsonhadlostanarminbattle)tookCumbyashisflaglieutenantinhisflagshipZealandwhencommander-in-chiefattheNore.OntherenewalofthewarCumbysawareturntoafamiliarduty:commandofthecutterSwiftintheNorthSea,andthenabriefperiodincommandoftheSeaFenciblesinNorfolk,fromwhichhewasrecalled in 1804when theMassachusetts-born Captain John Loring asked forhim as first lieutenant of Bellerophon (74) – the Billy Ruffian to her. WhenLoring was superseded in April 1805, Cumby stayed as first lieutenant toCaptainJohnCooke.

CumbyhasamemorialinhislocalchurchStMichael’s,Heighington,CoDurham(upper),butthegraveyardwherehewasburiedatParkStreet,PembrokeDock,hasbeenclearedandlittleisleftofhistomb

(lower).

CumbywroteanaccountoftheBattleofTrafalgarforhisson.Heclaimedtohavebeen the firstman in themainbodyof the fleet to have seen the distantsignalfromthefrigateonthehorizonthattheenemyhadputtosea.‘Ourjoy’,hewrote,‘attheprospectthisaffordedofanopportunityofbringingtheenemy’sfleettoaction,andconsequentlyterminatingtheblockadewhichwehadbeensolong and so disagreeably employ’d was considerably checked by theapprehensionthatitwasmerelyafeintontheirpartandhavingnointentionofgivingusbattle that theywould re-enter theharbourofCadiz so soonas theydiscoveredusinpursuit.’

OvernightCumbykeptwatch-and-watchwithhis captainandhad retired tohis cabin when he was rudely awakened by his friend Edward Overton, theship’smaster: ‘Cumbymyboy, turnout,’he shouted, ‘Here theyareall readyfor you; three and thirty sail of the line closeunderour lee.’BeforegoingondeckhekneltdownandprayedtothegreatGodofbattlesforagloriousvictoryand ‘committed myself individually to his all wise disposal and begging hisgracious protection and favour for my dear wife and children, whatever hisunerringwisdommightseefittoorderformyself’.Afterwardshereflectedwith

pridethathissentimentsweresosimilartoNelson’sprayerbeforethebattle.Ondeck he found everyone staring at the eastern horizon and the enemy shipssilhouettedagainstthedawnlight.

Cooke and Cumby breakfasted together, as they usually did at 8am, whenCooke allowed Cumby to read Nelson’s memorandum, setting out how heintendedtobreaktheenemyline.WhenCumbyhadfinished,Cookeaskedifheunderstood the admiral’s instructions, and Cumby told him that they were sodistinct and explicit that it was quite impossible that they could bemisunderstood.CookewantedCumbytoknowwhathisorderswereshouldhebe ‘bowl’d out’, when Cumby replied, ‘On this I observed that it was verypossible that the same shot which disposed of him might have an equallytranquilizingeffectonmeandunderthatideaIsubmittedtohimtheexpediencyoftheMaster(asbeingtheonlyotherofficerwhoinsuchcasewouldremainonthe Quarterdeck) being also apprised of the Admiral’s instructions.’ Cookeagreed and Overton was summoned so that he also could read Nelson’smemorandum.BellerophonwasfifthintobattleinCollingwood’sleedivision.Cookewanted

to hold his fire until shewas passing through the line, but relentedwhen shecameundersustained,accuratefire.At12.30shepassedcloseundertheSpanishMonarca(74)rakingherwithamurderousbroadsidewhichtemporarilysilencedtheSpaniardandthenshecrashedintotheFrenchAigle(74).Onboardwere150soldierswhofromherbulwarksandtopssnipedatBellerophon’sofficers.Inanepisode similar to that in Victory, Cumby advised Cooke to remove hisdistinctiveepaulettes, towhichCooke replied, ‘It isnow too late to take themoff.Iseemysituation,butIwilldielikeaman,’andhesentCumbybelowtogivedirectionstotheguncrews.

BetweendecksCumbyheardthesoundoffightingabovehimandrushedondecktofind themortallywoundedOverton,whotoldhimofCooke’sdeath inhand-to-handcombatwithaFrenchboardingpartyandofhis lastwords, ‘TellLieutenantCumbynevertostrike!’Cumby’spresencechangedthetideofbattle;takingcommand,hewithdrewhismenfromthepoopdeckandintothewaistofthe ship,where theywere less exposed, andordered theguns trainedonto theFrench boarding parties. When a grenade landed at his feet he calmlyextinguishedit,andthenherushedAigle,capturingher.

Hewaspromotedtocaptainin1806andinthefollowingyearwasappointedto Dryad (36) on the Irish station. From 1808 to 1811 he commandedPolyphemus, another Trafalgar veteran. He served in the squadron whichblockaded and took San Domingo in 1809, when he was praised by theinhabitants for his courteous conduct towards them. From 1811 to 1815 he

commandedHyperion (32), in theDavisStraitprotectingthewhalefishery,onconvoydutyintheAtlantic,andintheChannel.

Cumby later held a sinecure, commandof the royal yachtRoyalSovereign,andwasmadeaCompanionoftheOrderoftheBathin1831,butsawnootherseaservice.In1837hewasappointedsuperintendentofPembrokeDockyardbutdiedinthesameyear.PETERHORE

DIGBY

Henry Digby (1770–1842) was my great-great-great-grandfather, born into a

familywhichproducednavalofficers andProtestantprelates for the church inIreland and England over several centuries. Henry Digby is famous for threethings:his success inwinningprize-money,his role at theBattleofTrafalgar,andasthefatherofJaneDigby.

Henrywenttoseain1782inVestal(28)attheendoftheAmericanWar,andheremainedatseathroughthepeacewhichfollowed.Thenamesofhiscaptainsarearollcallofthebestandmostblue-bloodedofficersintheNavy.Atthestartof the French wars he was a lieutenant in Eurydice (24), but it was hisappointmentascommandertothesloopIncendiary(16)on10August1795andsubsequently to theAurora (28)whichmadehis fortune. In threeyearson thecoastsofHolland,France,Spain,PortugalandtheAzores,Henrycapturedforty-eight merchant ships and ten enemy frigates, corvettes and privateers. Henrypaidhiscrew’sprize-moneyinadvanceoutofhisownpocket,enablinghimtorecruitonlythebestmen.

In 1798 he commanded Levathian (74), flagship of Commodore JohnDuckworth, at the recapture ofMenorca, but in early 1799 he returned to thebusiness he knew best in command of Alcmene (32). According to familylegend,on16October1799Henryhadarecurringdreaminwhichhewasurgedtosteernorth;heactedonhisdreamandnextmorningfoundtheBritishNaiadandEthalion inpursuitof twoSpanishfrigates.Digbyjoinedthechaseandonthe18th theytookThetis (36)andSantaBrígida (36)bothcarryingfabulouslyrich cargoes – in Santa Brígida alone there was over one and half milliondollars.Ittooksixty-threewagonstocarrytherichesfromPlymouthtoLondon.

Anordinaryseaman’sprize-moneyforthiscapturecameto£182orabouttenyears’ pay. Digby’s share was £40,731, but it was not wonwithout a furtherfight,thistimeincourt,andbyproxythroughtheiragents,betweenStVincentandNelson,whowantedhisportionoftheflagofficer’sshare.Nelsonwon,buthewasnotgratefultoDigbyandwasspiteful.However,inJanuary1801,HenrywassenttoAmericaincommandofResistance(36),thusmissingtheBattleofCopenhagen, but prize-taking had become a habit and he took several moreprizes. On 30 November the French letter-of-marque Elizabeth was the lastcaptureofthewarbeforethePeaceofAmiens.

Despitehissuccessatsea,Henryhadnoexperienceoffleetactionandlittleoffleetwork,andin,June1805hehadbeenashoreforthreeyearsandwasnotexpectinganothercommand.HewasonhorsebackonhiswaytoBathwhenhesawhewasbeingfollowedbyanotherrider,andhereinedinexpectingtodealwithahighwayman,buthispursuerwasanAdmiraltymessengerwithanorderto commission Africa (64), which was then fitting out at Northfleet on theThames.

DigbyandAfricajoinedNelsonoffCadizon14October,oneofthelastshipstodoso.Duringthenightbeforethebattle,AfricalosttouchwithNelson’sfleet.Family history does not record the conversation on the quarterdeck ofAfricawhen at first light on 21 OctoberAfrica was alone, almost becalmed, 8 or 9leaguesfromCapeTrafalgar.At6am(Africa’sship’stimeseemedtohavebeenset about half an hour ahead) Digby wore ship. At 8am he made out theCombinedFleettothesouthandtheBritishawaytothesouthwest.At10amtheCombinedFleetwas6or7milesaway,andat10.53amAfricareceivedherfirstrebukefromNelson:signalnumber307‘Makeallsailwithsafetytothemasts’.At11.40ambyAfrica’stime,sheopenedfireontheSpanishshipNeptuno,attheheadof the enemy line.At 12.00Nelsonmade signal number 16 ‘Engage theenemymoreclosely’toAfricaandat12.15pmhemadenumber16generaltothefleet.For thenext twohours,Africa randown theenemy line,on theoppositetack,firingbroadsidesuntilat1.30amsheengagedSantísimaTrinidad.

Digby’sAfricalosttouchwithNelson’sfleetonthenightbeforebattleandhehurriedtojointhebattle:hislettertohisunclewritteninhiscabin,whensurroundedbythewounded,isapoignantreminderofthebattle,andcontainsasenseofurgencyandofthedesperationtocontrolhisdamagedshipinthestorm

afterwards.

WhenSantísimaTrinidad’smastswentbytheboardandhergunsfellsilentat1.50Henryconcludedthatthefour-deckerhadsurrendered,andsentacrosshisfirstlieutenant,JohnSmith.However,whenSmithreachedthequarterdeckand

asked whether she had surrendered, in reply a Spanish officer gestured toDumanoir’s squadronwhichhadalsowornandseeminglyhadpursuedAfrica.Smithas‘hehadonlyaboat’screwwithhimquittedtheSpanishship(thecrewofwhich,singularlyenough,permittedhimtodoso),andreturnedonboardtheAfrica’.

DespiteAfrica being one of the smallest ships in the British fleet she hadacquittedherselfwell.Herbowspritandlowermastswouldnotstand,heryards,riggingandsailswerecuttopieces,andshehadseveralshotbetweenwindandwater;hercasualtieswerehigh,eighteenkilled,and thirty-sevenwounded,butAfricahadperformedasgallantapartasanyshipintheBritishline.

Henry’slettertohisuncleisapoignantreminderofthebattle:Iwritemerely to say that I amwell afterhavingbeenclosely engaged for sixhours…Ihave lostallmymasts inconsequenceof theAction,&myship isotherwisecuttopiecesbutsoundinbottom,mykilledandwounded63&manyofthelatterIshalllooseifIdon’tgetintoPortbutofsomanygreatPrizes,ithaspleasedGodthattheElementsshoulddestroymostperhapstolessentheVanityofManaftersogreataVictory…IreallyhavenotimetosaymoresurroundedasIambythewoundedmeninmycabinandinallsortofemploycompletingjurymastsetc…Africawaswithmanyothersdispersedbyvariablewindsandperceiving the French signals during the night I took station at discretion andwasthemeansofmybeingearlyintheactionthenextdayengagingtheirvanasIranalongtojointheEnglishLines.

Digby’sgraveatStAndrew’s,MinterneMagna,Dorset.

AbookfromDigby’slibraryonboard,shiveredbyashotknockinghisbookcasetopieces.

Henry was superseded in command in early 1806. He received the usualrewards for Trafalgar, but did not serve at sea again, though he lived longenoughtobepromotedadmiralofthebluein1842.

In 1806 he married the beautiful Lady Jane Elizabeth Coke, daughter ofThomasCoke,1stEarlofLeicester,andin1815heinheritedthefamilyestateatMinterne Magna from his uncle, Admiral Robert Digby (1732–1815). TheirdaughterJaneDigby(1807–81)wasalsobeautiful;shehadeverything:beauty,aristocratic connections, money, and, as revealed in her letters, poetry andintimatediaries, ahighlyoriginalmind. Janewasan intrepid traveller,buthermarriagesandaffairsscandalisedVictoriansociety.

A twentieth-century scion of theDigby familywas PamelaHarriman,whothrough marriage became an American citizen and was President Clinton’sambassador to Paris.When the New Trafalgar Dispatch stopped in Dorset in2005,myfather,theLordLieutenantofDorsetand12thBaronDigby,worethehundred-guinea sword presented by Lloyd’s to Henry after the Battle ofTrafalgar.HENRYDIGBY

DUFF

George Duff (1764–1805) was my great-great-great-grandfather. I am calledJamesNorwichArbuthnot,theNorwichafterhissonwhowasalsoatTrafalgar;as a midshipman Norwich served inMars (74), which was captained by hisfather,GeorgeDuff,whowasknownintheNavyas‘WorthyDuff’.

George Duff was born at Banff, a kinsman to the Earls of Fife and great-nephewofAdmiralRobertDuff.Whennotyetateenagerheranawaytoseainamerchant ship, and at thirteen he joinedRobertDuffwhowas commander-in-chiefintheMediterranean.RobertDuffassistedintheearlystagesoftheGreatSiege of Gibraltar, but when the government could not reinforce him he wasrecalledin1780,thoughnotbeforehehadpromotedsixteen-year-oldGeorgetolieutenant.

AsalieutenantinthenewlybuiltMontagu(74),Duffwaspresentatmostofthesignificantnavalengagementsofthenextfewyears,includingtheBattleofChesapeakein1781andtheBattleoftheSaintesin1782.Notwithstandingthatprecociousstarttohisnavalcareer,Duffjustifiedthestrongfamily‘interest’inhim. By 1790 he was a commander and in 1793 a captain; his commandsincludedMartin (16),Duke (90),Resource (28),Glory (98),Ambuscade (32),Glenmore (36), Courageux (74) and Vengeance (74). It was sign of Duff’sleadership that when there was an outbreak of ill-discipline in a squadron atBantryBay,whichinsteadofbeingsenthomeatthebeginningofthePeaceofAmiens in 1801was ordered to theWest Indies, the good and fair disciplinemaintainedbyDuffensuredthatnoonefromVengeancejoinedthemutiny.

Whenthepeaceended,DuffwasgivenMars(74),andthusinAugust1805she was one of just five ships, under Collingwood, watching more than fivetimesthatnumberofFrenchandSpanishshipsinCadiz.WhenNelsonarrivedinSeptember1805 toassumeoverallcommand,Duffwasgivencommandof theinshoresquadronoffoursailoftheline,stationedmidwaybetweenthefrigateswhichcruisedclosetotheharbourofCadizandthemainfleetwhichkeptoutofsight.

Soon19 and20October, theMarswasbusy transmitting signals from thefrigatestothefleetaboutthemovementsoftheFrench.Onthemorningofthe21st itbecameclear that theenemyfleetcouldnotescape,andCaptainDuff’sshipswere told to return and take their places inorderof battle,Mars’s placebeingtoleadtheleedivisionofthefleetandtobreaktheenemy’sline.

Unfortunately theMars was rather less worthy than her captain. She wasexceedinglyslow,andnotveryseaworthy.Dufforderedeverystitchofcanvastobeset,andtoldhisgunnersnottowastetheirfireashewould‘takecaretolaythemcloseenoughtotheenemy’.

Duff’smonumentinStPaul’s,onthewallbythetombofhischief,Nelson.

And indeedhedid.Theychargedat theFrench fleet, but immediately afterthefirstthreeBritishshipsbroketheenemyline,thewinddropped,sothattheywereisolatedfromtheBritishfleetandsurroundedbytheFrench.AnotherScot,MidshipmanJamesRobinson,wrote:It unfortunately became calmand left us three ships in the centre of the fleet.Judgeofoursituation,weengagedfiveshipsatonetime.CaptainDuffwalkedabout with steady fortitude and said, ‘My God, what shall we do, here is aSpanish three-decker rakingus ahead, aFrenchoneunder the stern.’ In a fewminutesourpoopwastotallycleared, thequarterdeckandforecastlenearly thesame,only theBoatswainandmyselfand threemen leftalive. Itwas then thegallantCaptainfell.Isawhimfall.Hisheadandneckweretakenentirelyoffhisbody,when themen heard it, they held his body up and gave three cheers toshowtheywerenotdiscouragedbyit,andthenreturnedtotheirguns.Wefoughttwoandahalfhourswithoutintermission,andwhenthesmokeclearedawaywefoundfiveshipshadstruck.

Duffhadmarriedhischildhoodsweetheart,SophiaDirom,towhomhewroteeverydaywhileatsea.Theapproachtobattlehadbeenatwalkingpaceandsotherehadbeentimeforonelastletter:DearestSophia, Ihave just time to tell youwearegoing intoActionwith theCombinedFleet.IhopeandtrustinGodthatweshallallbehaveasbecomesus,

andthatImayyethavethehappinessoftakingmybelovedwifeandchildreninmyarms.Norwichisquitewellandhappy.Ihave,however,orderedhimoffthequarterdeck.Yoursever,andmosttruly,George

Norwichhadindeedbeensentoffthequarterdeck.Hewas,afterall,thirteenyearsandtwoandahalfmonthsold,oneoftheyoungestofficersatthebattle.Afterwardshewrotehismotherafamousletter,startingasfollows:MyDearMama,–Youcannotpossibly imaginehowunwilling I am tobeginthismelancholyletter.HoweverasyoumustunavoidablyhearofthefateofdearPapa,Iwriteyouthesefewlinestorequestyoutobearitaspatientlyasyoucan.Hedied like ahero, havinggallantly ledhis ship into action, andhismemorywill ever be dear to his king and his country and his friends. Itwas about 15minutespast12intheafternoonof21stOct:whentheengagementbegan;itwasnotfinishedtillfive.Manyabraveherosacrificedhislifeuponthatoccasiontohiskingandhiscountry.YouwillhearthatLordViscountNelsonwaswoundedinthecommencementoftheengagementandonlysurvivedlongenoughtolearnthat thevictorywasours, ‘then,’ said thatbravehero, ‘Idiehappy since Idievictorious,’andinafewminutesexpired.

Whataremarkableletter.Andforhimtohavewrittenitattheageofthirteen,when his father had just been killed, must make one wonder whether oureducationsystemhasimprovedsincethen.Atleasthetoo,likeNelson,endedupaVice-Admiral.YouwillunderstandwhyIamproudtobecalledNorwichandtobedescendedfromanavalfamily.

CaptainDuff’smemorialisnexttoNelson’sinStPaul’s.JAMESARBUTHNOT

DUNDAS

ThomasDundas(1765–1841)enteredtheNavyon23May1778asacaptain’sservant in Suffolk (74) and was quickly made midshipman. In 1778 he metNelson,who reported that ‘hekeep the fourthwatch’ and ‘he agrees tolerablywell’,andin1779NelsonclearlyadmiredDundasforleadingastormingpartyof seamen andmarines fromLowestoffe at the taking of the fortress of SaintFernandodeOmoainHonduras.

Dundas was not, however, examined for lieutenant until 1788 and notcommissioned until 1793; however, just twoyears later hewas a commander.Hiscommands,1795–98,ofWeazleandthesloopMerlin intheNorthSeaandBristolChannelwere apparently uneventful. Promoted to post-captain in 1798hewasgiventhecapturedFrenchPrompte(20),andintheWestIndiesin1799hecapturedandburntaSpanishfrigate.HisnextcommandwasSolebay(32)but

hehardlyhadtimetomakehismarkwhenthePeaceofAmienswasdeclared.Nevertheless, in 1804, propelled by little more than his name and his

relationship to theDundasdynasty,hewasgivencommandofNaiad (38).Hemade a number of captures, including a Spanish ship carrying some 200,000dollars and the French privateers Fanny (16) and Superbe. In 1805 NaiadpatrolledthePortugueseandSpanishcoastandreportedtheflightsouthwardoftheCombinedFleet, and shewasoneof the repeating frigates at theBattleofTrafalgar.AfterwardsDundastowedthebatteredBelleisletoGibraltar;thereisadramatic description of this, and the highly skilled seamanshipwhichDundasdisplayed,inTimClaytonandPhilCraig’sTrafalgar:TheMen,theBattle,theStorm(2004).

AfterTrafalgarDundascommandedAfrica(64),Vengeur(74)and,postwar,Bulwark(76),andin1825hewaspromotedrear-admiral,butneverflewhisflagatsea.Heiscreditedwithinventinganincendiaryshellforbombardingtowns.

Vice-Admiral Sir Thomas Dundas died on 29 March 1841 in Reading,Berkshire.NICKSLOPE

Dundas’stombatStNicholasChurch,Hurst,nearReading,Berkshire.

DURHAM

PhilipCharlesDurham(1763–1845)wasoneofthelastsurvivorsoftheRoyalGeorgedisasterof1782,andthefirstandthefinalcapturedtricolourflagsoftheGreatWar1792–1815weresurrenderedtohisguns.

Descended on both sides from renownedScottish historical figures, hewasbornatLargo,inFife,in1763,andwasdistantlyrelatedtoCharlesMiddleton,

later Lord Barham. In 1777 Durham joined his first ship Trident (64),commandedbyfellowScotJohnElliot,boundforNorthAmerica,butwhenthemartinet Anthony Molloy assumed command and the ship’s company grewrestive,DurhamreturnedtoEnglandin1779,inordertorejoinElliotinEdgar(74),andtookpartintheMoonlightBattleofCapeStVincent.

In 1781, having been trained by Richard Kempenfelt in his innovativenumeral signal code, Durham became acting lieutenant and signal officer inVictory(100).HewaspresentattheroutoffUshantoftheComtedeGuichen’sCaribbean-boundsquadron,andhefollowedKempenfelttoRoyalGeorge(100).When,inAugust1782,shecapsizedatSpitheadwiththelossofKempenfeltandmost of her company, Durham leapt overboard and was saved. Severalhistorians,mindful thatActingLieutenantDurhamwasofficerof thewatchatthetimeandmistakinghimforthelieutenantwho,accordingtosurvivorJamesIngram’saccount,hadbrusquelyignoredthecarpenter’swarningsofimpendingdisaster,haveunjustifiablyblamedhimforthetragedy.

Durham’sfinemonumentrecordshismanyappointmentsandthathediedatNaplesbutwasburiedatLargo,butomitstomentionthathefoughtatTrafalgar.

Thecourt-martial foundnoneof the survivors culpable, andDurham joinedUnion(90),whichsailedwithHowetothereliefofGibraltarandtookpartintheindecisive action off Cape Spartel on 20 October. In December she joined

Admiral Hugh Pigot’sWest Indies squadron and Durham was commissionedlieutenant; in 1783 he became fourth lieutenant in Raisonnable (64). On theadvent of peace he lived for some time in France, where he had expatriateJacobiterelatives,acquiringfluencyinFrench.In1786–9hewasthirdlieutenantinCommodoreElliot’sSalisbury (50) on theNewfoundland station,where hebecame the boon companion of the futureWilliam IV, commandingPegasus(28),and in1790during theSpanishArmament, second lieutenant inBarfleur(98),wearingtheflagofhisfirstpatron,Elliot.InNovember1790hewasmademasterandcommander,takingDaphne(20)totheWestIndiesandreturningincommandofCygnet (18),whichuponarrivinghomewithdispatcheswaspaidoff.

On theoutbreakofwarwithFrance in1793Durham tookcommandof theswift-sailing but under-armed, under-manned Spitfire (pierced for 20 guns) atSpithead,andon14February,theverydaysheweighed,madethefirstcaptureof thewar, theFrenchprivateerAfrique.Severalcapturesquickly followed. InMarch he received the first piece of plate awarded by the newly formedCommittee for Encouraging the Capture of French Privateers, in June theAdmiraltyappointedhimtoNarcissus(20),andinOctobertoHind(28).InJune1794he escorted157Britishmerchantmen from theGulf ofCadiz safely intotheDowns, twoother escorts, commandedbymore experienced captains (onewasRichardGrindall,whowouldcommandPrinceatTrafalgar),havingbecomeseparatedofftheLizard.

That October, over the heads of sixteen hopefuls senior to him, anappreciativeAdmiraltygavehimcommandofthenewraséefrigateAnson(44),andinthesixyearsinwhichhecommandedher,hesealedhisreputationasoneof the Navy’s ablest captains, as when, at the Battle of Tory Island on 12October1798,withhisshipdisabledanddismasted,hewithstoodthefireoffiveFrench frigates, one of which he captured six days later. Among those heimpressed was Lady Charlotte Matilda Bruce, sister of the Earl of Elgin. Amarriage notice in the Edinburgh Magazine stated: ‘Captain Durham hasrealized about 50,000 l. by prize-money this war; a sum not greater than hiscourageandskilldeserve.’Thisisabout£5,000,000intoday’smoney.(SeveralthousandthatheaccruedwhencommandingSpitfirehadbeenlenttohiseldestbrother,andlostwhenthebankintowhichtheloanwasrepaidcollapsed.)

Until the Peace of Amiens he commanded Endymion (44), receiving 400guineas (about £45,000 in today’s money) from the East India Company forsafelyescortingitsfleethomefromStHelena.InMarch1803hewasappointedtoWindsor Castle (98), but that June, shortly after the renewal of war, wastransferredtoDefiance(74).HefoughtunderSirRobertCalderattheBattleof

CapeFinisterreon22July1805,andwasfuriouswithCalderbothforneglectingtogivehim the credit for having first sighted the enemyand for failing to re-engageonthedayafterthebattle.ReturningtoSpitheadwithhisdamagedship,DurhamhelpedtostokeprejudiceagainstCalder.

AtachancemeetingintheAdmiraltywaitingroomon9September,Nelsontoldhim that hewould like to havehadhim in his fleet hadnot theDefiancebeenunderrepair,atwhichDurhamurgedNelson:‘AskLordBarhamtoplacemeunderYourLordship’sordersand Iwill soonbe ready.’Whenhedid joinNelsonoffCadizon7Octoberherefuseda request fromCalder,conveyedbyNelson,toreturnhomewithCaldertogiveevidenceonthelatter’sbehalfatthecourt-martialwhichCalderhadfeltcompelledtorequest.Durhamreminisced:IwentonboardSirRobertCalder’sflagship,andfoundtheretheCaptainswhowere going home [William Brown of Ajax and William Lechmere ofThunderer]. Sir Robert presented me with a public letter, addressed to LordNelson, signedby theCaptains, requestingpermission togohome. I said, ‘SirRobert,Iwillneithersigntheletternorgohome.’Ithenranoutofthecabin,gotintomyboat,andreturnedtomyship.

He endeared himself toNelson bywriting: ‘I cannot volunteer quitting theCommandofaLineofBattleShipentrustedtomeatsocriticalandmomentousa period.’ The next day Durham, Fremantle, Harvey and Durham’s friendPulteney Malcolm (who as part of Louis’s squadron would miss the comingbattle)dinedtogether,whenFremantleconsideredDurham’srefusal‘justified…under the present circumstances’. Codrington of Orion, however, notedacerbically that of all the captains atCalder’s actiononlyDurhamwas ‘underobligationstoSirRobert’yet‘beggedtodeclineleavinghisshipatsoimportant[Codrington’semphasis]amoment!’Whatthoseobligationswereisunknown.

AlthoughshewasthefastestsailingshipofherclassintheNavy,Defiance,hamperedbylackofwindandherplacetowardstherearofCollingwood’sleecolumn,didnotget intoactionuntil3pm,butstillcausedtwoof theenemytostrike, her struggle withAigle being one of the most stirring episodes of theengagement. Her casualties were seventeen killed and fifty-three wounded.Durhamwas injured in the leg and side by a splinter: ‘slightly’ according todiagnosis and Collingwood’s dispatch, yet nearly losing his leg and beingtroubledbythewoundforyearsafterwards,accordingtotheaccountinhisownmemoir.

At Portsmouth in late December, while Defiance was undergoing repairs,Durham testified at Calder’s delayed court-martial, where the two men’scontemptforeachotherwaspalpable.

AscaptainofRenown(74)from1806untilJuly1810,whenheachievedflag-

rank, he served under St Vincent in the Channel Fleet (1806–7) andCollingwoodintheMediterranean(1807–10).Asarear-admiralhecommandedsquadronsoffSwedenin1811,laterthatyearofftheTexel,andin1812–13,offthe Basque Roads. Durham’s mercenary instincts led him during this lastcommand to shift his flagship’s position northwards, the better to pick off theenemy’s coastal trade, until the Admiralty sharply ordered him back to hisproper station.Oneof the shipscapturedwascarrying theAmericanconsul toTunis,MordecaiNoah,whodinedwithDurhamandhisofficersandattendedaplayputonbythesailors,whenhewasstartledtofindafemalepartplayedby‘arealwoman’, an amusedDurham explaining: ‘We are compelled in a fleet tohaveafewwomen,towashandmend,&c.’DurhamalsoshowedNoah‘alistofAmericanvesselscaptured…thevalueofwhich…exceeded£800,000sterling… he assured us … that his share of the prizes would not fall far short of£10,000…andundersuchcircumstances,Ihavenoobjectiontothecontinuanceofthewar’.

As commander-in-chief in the Leeward Islands (1813–16), Durhamcollaboratedwith theArmy inproceedingagainstMartiniqueandGuadeloupe,whentheydeclaredforBonapartefollowinghisescapefromElba.Thefallofthefort nearBasseTerre on 10August 1815 under bombardment fromDurham’sflagship achieved the final surrender of the tricolour flag in thewars that hadbeguntwenty-twoyearsbefore.

Hiswifediedin1816,andwhenin1817hemarriedtheheiressAnneIsabellaHenderson of Fordel, a cousin of ‘sea wolf’ Lord Cochrane, and ‘the mostvaluableprizethegallantAdmiralhasyetobtained’,headdedHendersontohisnames.

In 1817Durham listed his total financial assets, including his ‘GuadeloupePrize-money’ of an anticipated £5,000 and the estimatedworth of hisLondonhouse,butexcluding incomefromannuitiesandhalfpay,as£53,359.Mostofthis sum (equivalent to £5,500,000 today) presumably derived from prize-money, quite an achievement for a younger son who as an unemployedlieutenantin1790had‘justmoneyenoughtogetmydinner,andatthismomentnoteventhat’.

Agala functionwhichhegavewhencommander-in-chief atPorstmouthon21 October 1836 for every officer in the Portsmouth area who had served atTrafalgar brought somany together that a clubwas immediately formed,withhimpresidingatitsinauguraldinner.In1838hechairedthebanquetattheRoyalNavalClub inNewBondStreet inhonourofCommodoreSirCharlesNapier,theheroofAcre.Hewasinstrumentalinfoundingin1837theArmyandNavyClubandwas its firstnavalpresident,and in1844, tomark itsmove intonew

premises in St James’s Square, he presented it with a full-length portrait ofhimself. He was on the committee which was responsible for the erection ofNelson’s Column, and he assisted Sir Harris Nicolas in compiling his multi-volumeTheDispatchesandLettersofLordNelson.

Durhamwas an entertaining raconteurwith a fund of tall tales (George IIIdubbed any improbable anecdote he heard ‘a Durham’), and he shone incompany, but hewas avaricious, impatient, and prone towhat onewho knewhimwelldescribedas‘causticsarcasm’.Nevertheless,hewaswidelyconsideredgood-natured and pleasant, an admirer, Edinburgh publisher James Hogg,observingnotlongafterDurham’sdeath:‘Allthequalitiesnecessaryforsuccessintheprofessionhehadadoptedseemtohavemetinhisperson.Kind,generous,andopen-hearted,hewastheverybeauidealoftheBritishsailor’.

In 1841 he might, but for rheumatism, have assumed the Mediterraneancommand. In 1843 he added Calderwood to his forenames on inheriting hismaternalfamilyestatefromhisbrother.

Both Durham’s marriages were childless. However, in 1790, Durham didfatheragirl,Ann,withChristian[sic]DickofLargo,whowassummonedbeforethe kirk elders to be ‘properly admonished’, but Durham escaped suchhumiliation. Durham acknowledged his responsibility as far as educating andprovidingforAnn,butshewasneverwelcomedintohissocialcircle.

AdmiralSirPhilipCharlesHendersonCalderwoodDurhamdiedofbronchitison2April1845inNaples,personalbusinesshavingtakenhimtoItalyafterthedeaththreemonthsearlierofhissecondwife.ThemonumenttohismemoryinLargochurchmentionshisnavalcareeringlowingterms,butironicallyforgetsitsproudestepisode,Trafalgar.HILARYLRUBINSTEIN

GRINDALL

RichardGrindall(1751–1820),whosailedonCook’ssecondvoyage,wasbornon19April1751andbaptisedatStSepulchre,London,thesecondofsixsonsofRiversandMarthaGrindall.

Grindall joined the Royal Navy as captain’s servant to Henry St John inTartar(28)inearly1763,followingStJohnintoGarland(20),basedatHalifax,NovaScotia;hespentnearlyfiveyearsinher,firstlyasanableseamanandthenas amidshipman,before joiningPearl (32) for sixmonths as an able seaman.Then,inNovember1770,Grindallpassedforlieutenant,thoughhewouldhavetowaitsevenyearsbeforebeingpromoted.

Meanwhile,he joinedCook’sResolutionon7January1772,stillasanable

seaman, though hemessedwith themidshipmen during the voyage.A fellowmidshipman,JohnElliott,describedhimas‘aSteadyCleveryoungman’.Attheendof thevoyagein1775andto thegreatsurpriseofhismessmates,Grindallclimbed up outside Cook’s coach taking him from Portsmouth to London.According to Elliott, ‘The same dayCaptnCookwithMessrs Forster,Wales,Hodges,andmyMessmateGrindalsetoutforLondon.Thelatterwenowfound(andnottillnow)hadMarriedaveryhandsomeyoungLady,andlefther,withinanhourafter,onourleavingEngland.’

Grindall’sgraveatStNicholas,Wickham,Hants,beforeandafterconservation.

ArarefamilyportraitofoneoftheBandofBrothers.

Grindall had indeedmarried eighteen-year-oldLatitiaLondonon 27March

1772,thoughwhatromanceliesbehindthisstoryisnotknown.Thereseemstohavebeennothingdisgracefulinit,becausewhenhewasmarriedagainin1779to Katharine Festing, a Dorset vicar’s daughter (and sister to another navalofficer, Henry Festing), he was described as a widower, and one of theirdaughterswaschristenedCatherineLatitia(h).Katharine,hissecondwife,camefromamusicalbackground,hergrandfathersbeingMichaelChristianFesting,aviolinistvirtuosoandcomposer;andMauriceGreene,acomposerandorganist.

In 1777 Grindall was appointed a lieutenant in Egmont (74, Captain JohnElphinstone)and thenmoved toPrincessRoyal (98,CaptainWilliamBlair) in1778, the flagshipofVice-Admiral JohnByron–anotherPacificexplorerandgrandfatherof thepoet, butbestknownas ‘FoulWeather Jack’.Grindall tookpartintheBattleofGrenadain1779whenCommodoreSamuelHoodmadehimcommanderandgavehimthecapturedSpanishStVincent(14)andinearly1783hewasmadepost-captain.GrindallcommandedThalia(36)from1793,andon20 February 1795 he captured the French brig Requin off Dunkirk. He waswoundedwhile incommandofIrresistible (74)at theBattleofGroix in1795,butrecoveredtotakecommandthenextyearofCarnatic(74).

In quick succession, Grindall then commanded Colossus, Russell andRamillies (74): therewas trouble inRamillies and in 1799 two of her seamenweretriedformutinyandoneofthem,GeorgeGear,washanged.

In 1801 Grindall took command of Formidable (90); she was part of asquadron at anchor in Bantry Bay in December that year when there was asserious and mutiny on board Temeraire. The sailors had heard the (accurate)rumourthatthoughhostilitieswithFrancehadbeensuspended,theywereaboutto be sent to theWest Indies.ThoughTemerairewas in a state ofmutiny forsome ten days, the men of Formidable showed their loyalty to Grindall bywriting to him, distancing themselves totally from themutiny and any crimescommitted.

Grindall’snext shipwasPrince (98),whichhecommandedat theBattleofTrafalgarin1805.ThoughNelson’sorderofsailingandofbattleplacedPrince,asoneof theheavier ships,at theheadofCollingwood’sdivision, intended topunchthroughtheenemyline,herbottomwassofoulandshesuchapoorsailerthat,unfortunatelyforGrindall’shopesofaction,shedidnotopenfireuntiltwohours and fifty minutes afterRoyal Sovereign. By then the battle was almostover. She did fire hermassive broadsides on theSpanish flagshipPrincipe deAsturiasand thealreadyblazingFrenchshipAchille,butwasnotattackedandsufferednodamageorcasualties.Grindall launchedboatsfromhisundamagedshipandrescuedmanystrugglingsurvivorsfromthewater,includinganumberfromAchille.

In theweekofferociousstormswhichfollowedthebattle thesturdyPrincewasinvaluable,providingreplacementstorestomorebatteredshipsandtowingothers, saving some350men from the sinkingSantísimaTrinidadwhowouldotherwisehavedrowned.AfterhisladenshiparrivedatGibraltar,shewasreadytosailagaininamatterofhours.

Nevertheless,Lloyd’s ofLondon presented himwith a sword and scabbardinscribed‘fromthePatrioticFundatLloyd’stoRich.dGrindallEsq.rCap.tnofHMSPrince, for hismeritorious services in contributing to the signal victoryobtained over the combined fleets of France and Spain offCape Trafalgar on21st October 1805’. He was promoted to rear-admiral on 9 November 1805,vice-admiral in 1810, and appointed Knight Commander of the Order of theBathon2January1815,buthisactivecareerwasover.

Hisretirementwasunhappy:twoofhissonswhohadjoinedtheNavyintheirfather’s footsteps, Edmund and Festing Horatio, died in 1811 and 1812 fromunconnected illnesses. The latter had also been present at Trafalgar, as amidshipmaninVictory.GrindallhimselfdiedatWickhaminHampshireon23May 1820,Katherine died in 1831, and the family are interred at StNicholasChurch,Wickham,Hampshire.

Matthew Flinders named features in Northern Territory, Australia, afterGrindall, and George Vancouver named Grindall Point in Clarence Strait,Alaska,afterGrindall.Grindallisalsooneofthereal-lifecharacterswhomCSForesterusedtoauthenticatehisbookHornblowerandtheHotspur.JONROBSON

HARGOOD

WilliamHargood(1762–1839)wasborninChathamon6May1762,thesonofHezekiahHargood,anavalpurser.

HisearlypatronsincludedMauriceSucklingandGeorgeKeithElphinstone,butitseemsthathedidnotserveatseauntil1775,whenhejoinedRomney(50),flagship of Rear-Admiral Robert Duff off Newfoundland. Next he moved toBristol (50),carrying thebroadpennantofSirPeterParkerandwaspresentattheBattleofSullivan’sIslandon28June1776.HefollowedParkertoChatham(50) and then back toBristol, where he met Lieutenants Horatio Nelson andCuthbertCollingwoodin1778.WhileNelsonleftBristolonpromotiontomasterandcommanderofthesloopBadger,HargoodstayedwithParkeruntilJanuary1780,whenhewasmadelieutenantandgivencommandofthesloopPortRoyal(18),whichwas involved in theunsuccessful defenceofPensacola.Under thetermsoftheBritishsurrendertotheSpanishinMay1781,Hargoodwasobliged

to returnhome,viaNewYork, and thenwasappointed toMagnificent (74) tojoinRodneyintheWestIndiesandattheBattleoftheSaintes.

Hargood,‘whoservedhissovereignandhiscountrywithzealandfidelityforseventyyears’,hashismonumentinBathAbbey.

At the end of the American War,Magnificent returned home, whereuponHargoodwas appointed toHebe (38,CaptainEdwardThornbrough), inwhichPrinceWilliam Henry (later KingWilliam IV) was a junior lieutenant. AfterHargoodhadinsistedthatthePrinceobeyhimwhenHargoodwasincommandofaship’sboat,thetwoyoungmenformedalifelongfriendship.Whenin1786the Prince was given command of Pegasus (28), he asked for Hargood. TheprincetookhimashisfirstlieutenantinAndromeda(32)in1788,andwhenshewaspaidoff inApril1789,HargoodbecamecommanderofthesloopSwallow(18).AfterayearonthecoastofIreland,hereachedpostrankon22November1790.

Duringaperiodashore,HargoodprobablysavedPrinceWilliam’slifeandhisown,whentheywereaboardawherryontheThamesandthePrince’shighjinkswereonlygotunder controlbyHargood’s admonitions– an act forwhich thePrince,whensober,wasgrateful.

InApril1792he tookHyaena (24) to theWestIndies;Hargoodbecameill,probablyfromyellowfever,andwasabouttobesewnupforburialwhensignsof lifewere spotted.OffCape Tiberon on 27May 1793 hemet the powerfulFrenchfrigateConcorde(44),theadvanceshipofaFrenchsquadronconsistingof two74s and threeor four frigates.HargoodputHyaena before thewind inlightairsbutagainstaheavyheadseaandwassoonoverhauled.AsConcordeapproachedheronthequarter,Hyaena firedafewofhermaindeckguns,andthen,withoutwaitingtoreceiveanyfireinreturn,hauleddownhercolours.Fora second time Hargood became a prisoner of war. He and his officers werelandedon their parole atCapeFrançois,Haiti, butwhena rebellionbrokeouttheyfledfortheirlivesbyswimmingtotheConcorde,whosecaptaingenerouslygavethempassagetoJamaica.HargoodwashonourablyacquittedforthelossofHyaenabythecourt-martialheldatPlymouthinOctober1793.

Hargood was given Iris (32) in April 1794, and then, in August 1796,Leopard(50).On31May1797whenshipsatYarmouthjoinedtheMutinyattheNore,Hargoodwentforwardtospeaktohismeninthecrowdedpeak,butwhentheycried‘No!’heranafttohiscabinwherehefainted.Hargoodwasforciblylanded atYarmouth; subsequently his officers repossessedLeopard and sailedherintotheThames,despitefirefromthoseshipsstillinmutiny.Hargoodneverresumed command, but was both prosecutor and a witness at the subsequentcourts-martial.

Instead,on12JulyhewasappointedtoNassau(64),whichformedpartoftheNorthSeaFleetunderDuncan,butmissed theBattleofCamperdownbecauseNassau,damagedinastorm,wasinrefitatSheerness.

In February 1798Hargoodwas appointed to Intrepid (64), and inApril hesailedforChinainchargeofaconvoy,afterwardsjoiningAdmiralPeterRainier,commander-in-chief in the East Indies. There, while assembling a homeward-boundconvoy,hefoundhimselfconfrontedbyasquadronoffourSpanishandtwoFrenchships; inboisterousweatherHargood trailedhiswing,hisenemiesgave chase and when Hargood determined that they could not catch him, heturned back to rescue his convoy. Rainier was happy with Hargood andfrequentlyhoistedhisflaginIntrepidduringherserviceinIndiaandChinauntil,inurgentneedofdockyardattention,shewassenthomeandpaidoffatChathaminApril1803.

Hargood came under the command of Nelson on the blockade of Toulon,wheninMarch1804hewasgivenBelleisle(80),and,overaperiodoftwenty-one months, Belleisle was only in harbour on one occasion, for three dayscollectingbullocks,fruitandonionsfromNaples.HargoodstayedunderNelsonduring that year and the next, taking part in thewatch off Toulon throughout

1804, and in July andAugust,whileNelsonwateredhis ships, hewas trustedwiththecloseblockade.InFebruary1805heaccompaniedNelsononhisfalsecasttotheeast,andhewaswithNelsononthechasetotheWestIndiesandbackbetweenAprilandAugust1805.

AfterabriefstayinPlymouthtorefit,BelleislejoinedthefleetoffCadizon10October,intimefortheBattleofTrafalgar.Hewasthenexttoenterthefightabout fifteen minutes after Collingwood’s Royal Sovereign (100). His orderswerebrief:‘Gentlemen,IhaveonlytosaythatIshallpassunderthesternofthatship[SantaAna],putintworoundshotandagrape,andmindnottofireuntilyourgun[s]willbearwitheffect.’Hehadmadetheapproachwithhiscrewlyingbetweenthegunswhileheclimbedontoacarronadetoseebetterandtoconhisship, ‘Steady!Starboard a little, steady so!’Hedismissedhis first lieutenant’ssuggestionofaprotectivesmoke-screenasawasteofpowder,andevenafterhewasknockedfromhisperchbyalargesplinterofwood,hecontinuedtomunchongrapespickedfromthepottedvinesgrowinginhiscabin.Belleislewasoneof thehardest-fought ships in thebattle,becoming totally

dismasted and sufferingninety-threewoundedand thirty-threekilled, but evenwhenshelaylikealogshecontinuedtospitfireatanyenemywithinrange.

It saysmuch forhis seamanship that a fewmonths later, inFebruary1806,HargoodsailedfortheWestIndiesinSirRichardStrachan’ssquadron.WheninAugust theywere scattered by a hurricane south of Bermuda,Hargood sailednorthwardand,joinedbyBellona(74)andMelampus(36),cruisedoffthemouthoftheChesapeake.Thereon14SeptemberhefellinwiththeFrenchImpétueux(74)whichwasjury-rigged,havingbeendismastedinthesamestormwhichhaddispersed the French as well as the British. Impétueux ran herself ashore andHargoodtookoffhercrewandburnedher.

In1808, inhisnext ship,Northumberland (74),Hargood joined the fleet atLisbonwhence Collingwood sent her into the Adriatic to co-operate with theAustrians.

Hargood was promoted rear-admiral in 1810 and hoisted his flag atPortsmouth as second-in-command. Shortly afterwards, in 1811, he marriedMariaCocks, a banker’s daughter, but theyhadno children;AdmiralWilliamHargood(1801–88)washisnephew.

AdmiralSirWilliamHargood received theusualpeacetimepromotions anddecorations.Inaddition, in1831hisfriend,nowKingWilliamIV,withwhomhehadkeptupapersonalcorrespondence,madehimaKnightGrandCrossoftheHanoverianGuelphicOrder.HediedatBathon11September1839.PETERTURNER

HARVEY

Eliab Harvey (1758–1830) was one of the more colourful of the Band ofBrotherswho,fortuitouslyforhim,didnottestNelson’spatienceunduly,unlikeotherswho crossed the admiral’s path.However, thememoryof themaverickHarveyiswiththepassageoftimeupstagedbyhiscommandofTemeraire(98),asrecordedoncanvasbyJMWTurner.Hecombinedsuccessasanavalofficerwithacareer inParliament.Privately,his recklessgambling,extravaganceandfierytemperwerenearlyhisdownfall.

EliabHarvey’scoffinliesinthecryptofStAndrew’s,Hempstead,Essex,withmanymembersofhisfamily.

Harveywasbornon5December1758atRollsPark,Chigwell,inEssexintowhat Marshall called ‘an opulent family’, the fourth, and only the secondsurviving, son of William Harvey and Emma Skynner. An earlier William

Harvey, Eliab’s great-great-uncle, was the discoverer of the circulation of theblood.Eliab’sfatherdiedwhentheboywasfiveyearsoldandhegrewuponthefamilyestateunder theguardianshipofhisuncle,GeneralEdwardHarvey.HeattendedWestminsterSchoolfortwoyearsandthenwentontoHarrowSchoolin1770.

Whereas the names of many boys were placed on fighting ships’ books,youngHarvey’swas first enteredon thebooksof the royalyachtWilliamandMary, but then on the books ofOrpheus (32), as a protégé of Captain JohnMacBride(1735–1800).However,Harvey’sfirstsea-goingappointmentwastoLynx (16) in the Leeward Islands. In 1775, at the outbreak of the Americanrebellion,Harvey transferred toEagle (64),LordHowe’s flagship, and after ashortspellinEngland,hereturnedtotheNorthAmericanstationin1776–8,andserved in several ships, Mermaid (28), Eagle, Liverpool (28) and againMermaid, until the last was wrecked in Jamaica Bay on the southern side ofLongIslandon11February1778.

Temeraireendedherdaysatthebreaker’syardatRotherhithe,wheresomeofhertimberswereusedtomakefurnitureforStMary’sChurch.

He was promoted to lieutenant on 25 February 1779 and appointed toResolution (74)butdidnot joinher.Maldon inEssexhadbeen represented inParliament by theHarveys since theCivilWar, and on the death of his elderbrother,EliabHarvey tookpossessionofasizeable fortuneandwaselected totheHouseofCommons,aconfirmedroyalistandanoldTory.

Withhisnew-foundwealthhetooktotheflesh-potsofLondonandgambled

withwild abandon. In amuch told, and no doubt embellished, tale, in a highstakesgameofhazardonhistwenty-firstbirthdayin1779helost£100,000inasingle session to aMrO’Byrne. The latter, realising the consequences for hisopponent,refusedtoacceptmorethan£10,000,withtherequesttorollthediceoncemoretodecidewhokepttheremaining£90,000.Harveywonthatbet,butseeminglyfailedtopaythe£10,000stillduetoO’Byrne.

Harveywas probably done a favour when the Admiralty appointed him inAugust1781toDolphin(44),servingintheDownsstation,albeitforonlyfourmonths.He then transferred to the sloopFury (16) at Spithead. Just as peacewithFrancewasagreed,hewaspromotedtocommanderon24March1782andentrustedwith thenewlybuiltsloopOtter (14). Inherhewasemployedin theNorthSeauntil,at thebehestofGeorgeIII,hewaspromotedtocaptainafewmonths later on 20 January 1783. (Robert Nugent had lent the King’s fatherlargesumsofmoneywhichwereneverreturned;Nugentwasennobledand,itisalleged, his future son-in-law, Harvey, promoted as compensation.) Harveycompletedhisparliamentarytermin1784,thesameyearthathemarriedLouisaNugent; however, he was not employed on active service for another sevenyears.

In 1790 Harvey’s career was resurrected by the Nootka Crisis and hecommandedHussar (28) for sixmonthsuntil tension subsided inOctober thatyear.

In 1793, at the outbreak of the French Revolutionary War, Harvey wasrecalled again and was made captain of the captured Spanish-built SantaMargarita(36)andsailedwithhertotheLeewardIslands.Oneofhismaster’smateswasJohnLapenotierewhowouldlaterdistinguishhimselfbycarryingthenewsofTrafalgarandofNelson’sdeathtoLondon.HarveyservedunderVice-AdmiralSirJohnJervisatthecaptureoftheFrenchcoloniesofMartiniqueandGuadaloupeinthespringof1794,andhelatersawactioninthesquadronofSirJohnBorlaseWarren,whichdrovetheFrenchfrigateFélicitéandtwocorvettesashorenearthePenmarksoffBrittany.

Early in 1796, Harvey left the Channel Fleet for the West Indies but, hishealth broken, he returned to England and was given command of the SeaFencibles, thenavalmilitianewlyestablishedasadefenceagainst invasion, inhisnativeEssex.However, in1799,hewaswellenoughtocommandTriumph(74)untilthePeaceofAmiens,whenhereturnedtopolitics.HarveyrepresentedEssexfrom1802to1812,evenwhilehewasincommandatsea.

Hewasappointedcaptaintohismostfamouscommand,Temeraire,afterthebreakdownofthePeaceofAmiens.Beforehimtherehadbeenamutinybysea-wornmenofwhomfourof the twelve foundguiltywerehanged in1802,and

Harvey commissionedherwith a new crew.She is knownnowafterTurner’s1838 painting as theFighting Temeraire but her seamen called her theSaucyTemeraire.Temerairewas stationedwith theChannel Fleet on the blockade of French

ports until the autumn of 1805, and Harvey had been her captain for fifteenmonthswhenhetookhisshiptojoinVice-AdmiralNelsonoffCadiz.

This was the overture of the Battle of Trafalgar in which Harvey greatlydistinguishedhimself.Atthattimehehadbeenacaptainfortwenty-twoyears,andinspiteofbeingthemostseniorpresent,hadseenlittleaction.Andso,themostdocumentedofseabattlestookplaceon21October1805.TheBritishfleetof twenty-sevenshipsboredownin twocolumnsagainst thecombinedFrenchand Spanish fleet of thirty-three, with Nelson leading one column and Vice-Admiral Collingwood leading the other. Nelson had been persuaded to letTemerairegoaheadofhim,but itwasahalf-hearteddecision,Victorydidnotgiveway andwhenTemerairewas close to her quarter,Nelson called across,‘I’llthankyouCaptainHarveytokeepyourproperstationwhichisasternoftheVictory.’Harveywrotethathehadalmosttouchedhisadmiral’sship.

HarveynotedthattheSpanishfour-deckerSantísimaTrinidadwasthefirsttofireonVictory,butasthemeleeintensified,hewroteafterwardsthatlockedindeath-gripswith his opponents,muzzles touching, andwreathed in gunsmoke,hewas,‘Sonearlyengaged,thatIcangiveyounootheraccountofthispartofthemostgloriousday’swork.’Victory and the French Redoutable became locked together, and it was

possiblyHarvey’sarrivalon theFrenchman’sunengagedsidewhichpreventedRedoutablefromboardingtheBritishflagship.Nelsonwaskilledbysmall-armsfirefromRedoutable’scrosstrees,beforehermizzenmastfellacrossTemeraireand Harvey’s boarding party was able to take possession of her. However,Redoutablewassobattered thatshesank in theensuingstormwith the lossofthirty lives fromHarvey’s prize crew. The three ships drifted into the FrenchFougueux and she also struck toTemeraire. Again, Harvey had to forfeit hisprizeastheFougueuxwaswreckedtwodayslater.

Collingwoodwas later tosingleoutHarvey’sTemeraire: ‘Nothingcouldbefiner.IhavenotwordsinwhichIcansufficientlyexpressmyadmirationofit.’TheconclusionofthebattlebroughtpersonalthanksfromtheBritishParliament,promotion, a goldmedal and a sword of honour which he declined for someunspecifiedreason.Hewasalsohonouredbybeingoneofthefourpall-bearersatNelson’sfuneral.

Promotiontorear-admiralcameon9November1805,butHarvey’sopinionof himself did not sit well with others. ‘His head is turned,’ wrote Captain

Thomas Fremantle. ‘Never having been in action before, he thinks every shipwas subdued by him, and hewears us all to deathwith his incessant jargon.’Undeterred, Harvey took Redoutable et Fougueux as his personal motto,underscoring his boastfulness and further alienating him from the Band ofBrothers.

In the following spring he hoisted his flag inTonnant (80) in the ChannelFleetunderEarlStVincent,andlaterjoinedLordGambierforblockadedutiesofftheBasqueRoads,whereaFrenchfleethadbeenthwartedinitsattempttogettotheWestIndies.HarveytookleavefortwomonthsinApril1809,andonhisreturnhefoundthatpreparationswereunderwaytoattacktheFrenchfleetwith fireships and he had been passed over to lead the assault in favour ofCaptainLordCochrane.Harveywassoaggrieved thathewent to theflagship,marched into Gambier’s cabin and ‘used vehement and insulting language toGambier…shewngreatdisrespecttohim…ascommander-in-chiefandtreatedhim in a contemptuousmanner’, and hewas then rude aboutGambier on theflagship’s quarterdeck. For this he was court-martialled and sentenced to bedismissed the service, but he had already resigned his commission. Hisbehaviourwasevidentlyinlinewithhisreputation.‘Hisintemperatemannerissuch,’wroteGambier, ‘that,hadIbeen told thecircumstanceswithoutanamebeinggiven,IshouldhavesupposedittobeAdmiralHarvey.’

Harvey’sgrandmonumentinthechurch,claimingthathisTemerairewasselectedbyLordNelsontobehissupportingship,isaccompaniedbyhishatchmentshowinghismotto‘RedoutableetFougueux’,andhas

survivedthecollapseofthesteeple,roofandchancelofStAndrew’s.

Harveywas,however,reinstatedintheNavywithrankandsenioritysecuredon 21March 1810 ‘in consideration of his long andmeritorious service’, butnever againhoistedhis flag in command.He achieved further promotions andhonoursinpeacetime,andservedathirdterminParliament.

AdmiralSirEliabHarveydiedathisestateofRollsParkandisburiedinthefamilycryptatStAndrew’schurchatHempsteadinEssexwhichcontainsoverfiftyofhiskin.Hiscoffinisstillinthecryptandcanbeviewedonrequest.Onthechurchwallisahatchmentinhishonour,originallyplacedshortlyafterhisdeath and restored in1958after itwasdestroyed in thepartial collapseof the

churchin1884.HiseldestsoldiersonwaskilledinactionattheSiegeofBurgosin1812.

The crest of the Harvey Grammar School, Folkestone, was designed byHarveyhimselfandbearshismottoaswellashisship’snameTemeraire.JOHNGWYTHER

HENNAH

WilliamHennah (1768–1832) is one of thosewho had greatness thrust uponhim. At approximately the same moment that Lord Nelson received his fatalwound, Captain George Duff ofMars (74) was decapitated by a cannon ballfired from theFrench shipFougueux andHennah, as first lieutenant, assumedcommand.

Hewas thesonofRev.RichardHennah,vicarofStAustell,Cornwall,anddomestic chaplain toViscountFalmouth.Hewasbaptisedon7 January1768,and theGentleman’s Magazine states briefly that he entered the Navy underSamuelWalliswhohadcircumnavigated theworld in1766–8.Closer researchshows that he was entered in Alderney (10, Commander Philip Walsh) as acaptain’sservanton1November1778,wasratedmidshipmanon27December1779,andpassedfor lieutenanton3January1788.Hewasmade lieutenant in1793.

ManychurchyardshavebeenclearedandhereatStCuby’s,Tregoney,Cornwall,Hennah’stombstoneisproppedupwithothersanditsidentitylost.

Littleornothingappearstobereportedofhisearlycareeruntil7November1800, when he first made a name for himself in command of a gallant boataction at Morbihan, in which the French corvette Réloaise was boarded anddestroyed.ThehistorianWilliamJamesremarked,‘TheenterprisethusentrustedtoLieutenantHennahwasconductedwithgreatjudgementandgallantry.’

On19October1805Marswasthefirstshiptohoistthesignal‘370’meaning‘theenemy’sshipsarecomingoutofport,oraregettingundersail’.Onthe21st,she sailed third in Collingwood’s column between theBelleisle and Tonnant.Tryingtofindanopeningintheenemy’sline,shewasfireduponbytheFrenchPluton.Toavoidacollisionwith theSpanishSantaAna,Marswasobliged toturn her head to the wind, thus exposing her stern to the guns of anotherSpaniard,Monarca,andtheFrenchAlgésiras,whichpunishedherseverelyuntilTonnantwasable tocometoheraid.Marswithdifficultypaidoff,only tobefurther punished by the broadsides ofFougueux, one ofwhose shots took offDuff’shead.

Hennah foughtMars aswell as hewas able, given her damaged condition.

Including her captain, a total of ninety-eight officers and men were killed orwounded in her and for his role Hennah received a lieutenant’s share of theprize-money,avaseworth100guineas fromLloyd’sPatrioticFund(thenavalgold medal was presented to Duff’s widow), and on 1 January 1806 he waspromotedcaptainbutnotemployedagain.Healsoreceivedtheunusualhonourofa letterofcommendation from theship’scompany. In1815hewasmadeaCompanionoftheOrderoftheBath.

Hemarried,butMarshallmerelyrecords thathehad‘a largefamily’andatleast three of his children were born in Tregony on the Roseland peninsula,Cornwall.

CaptainWilliamHennahdiedatTregonyon23December1832,whenTheTimes in a short obituary, described him as ‘one of the old school of Britishsailors,havingenteredtheNavyunderWallis,thecircumnavigator,andfinishedhisactivecareerinthewakeofCollingwoodatTrafalgar’.ANTHONYCROSS

HOPE

George Hope (1767–1818) was not one of the inner circle of the Band ofBrothers, but nevertheless enjoyed Lord Nelson’s confidence and sincerefriendship. A portrait of him by Charles Turner, now in the National PortraitGallery,showsanearnestexpression,and,inthewayheclutcheshistelescope,amandevotedtoduty.

BorninEdinburghon6July1767,hewasthesonoftheHonourableCharlesHope-Vere, by his third wife, Helen, the daughter of George Dunbar. Hisgrandfather was Charles, 1st Earl of Hopetoun. He was related also to theDundasfamily,aconnectionthatwouldprovebeneficialtohislatercareer.

YoungHopeenteredtheNavyattheageofthirteenon8March1781when

he was rated captain’s servant in Iphigenia. On 27 September 1782, he waspromoted midshipman, gained his lieutenancy on 29 February 1788, and twoyears later, on 22 November, was made master and commander of the sloopRacehorse.Hehaddonewelltoproceedsofarsosooninpeacetime.

AttheoutbreakofwarwithFrancein1793,hewasincommandofBulldog(16) in the Mediterranean, employed on convoy duty under the command ofVice-Admiral LordHood. On 13 September the same year, hewas promotedcaptainandgiventheRomulus(36),servingunderVice-SirWilliamHotham;hesawactionagainsttheFrenchoffGenoain1795.

InMay1798,Hope, in thefrigateAlcmene,wassentbyLordStVincent tojoinNelsonintheMediterraneanonhissearchforaFrenchexpeditionaryforce.HearingthatNelson’sflagship,Vanguard,hadbeenbadlydamagedinastorm,HopeerroneouslysupposedthatNelsonwouldmakeforGibraltarforrepairsandtookhisshipandtherestofNelson’sfrigatesthere,thusdeprivingtheadmiralofhisscoutsatacriticalpoint in thecampaign. ‘I thoughthewouldhaveknownmebetter,’Nelsonsaidinfrustration.

Hopecontinued to serve in theMediterranean, firstlyoffAlexandria,wherehe chased and captured the French gunboat Légère and seized dispatchesintended for Bonaparte, despite a French officer attempting to jettison them.ThenheservedwithNelsonagainduringthecivilwarinNaplesin1798–9whenhehelped toevacuate theKingandQueenofNaplesand theirentouragefromNaplestoPalermo.Later,inAugust1799,hereceivedaletterfromNelson:IhavehisSicilianMajesty’sorderstopresentyouinhisnameaDiamondRing,asthedispatchstatesit, ‘ToCaptainHope,whoembarkedhisMajestyandthePrinceRoyalinhisbarge,onthenightofDecember21st1798,’andwhichhisMajesty desires may be accepted by Captain Hope, as a mark of his Royalgratitude.Everyours,mydearHope,faithfullyandaffectionately,Nelson.

In1801,hecommandedLeda(38)intheEgyptiancampaignandcontinuedinactiveservice–somuchsothatshortlybeforeTrafalgar,itwasreportedthathehadbeenathomeonlyfourteenmonthsinthepreviouseightyears.

However,in1803hemarriedhiscousin,JeminaJohnstone,adaughterofthe3rd Earl of Hopetoun, when he added Johnstone to his name: their son wasAdmiraloftheFleetSirJamesHope(1808–81).

AtTrafalgar,Defence sailed at the rear ofCollingwood’s column, and thuswasunabletoengagetheenemycloselyuntilnearlytwoandahalfhoursafterfiring had commenced.Then, for nearly half an hour, she engaged theFrenchBerwick.AsthatshippulledawayfromtheDefence,onlytobeattackedbytheBritishAchilles,Hope turnedhis attention to joining theRevenge in poundingtheSpanishSanIldefonsointosubmission.TheDefencehadthirty-sixkilledand

wounded,and,bycomparisonwithotherBritishships,sufferedrelativelyminordamage. Hopemanaged to anchor with his prize and weathered the gale thatensued; as a result,San Ildefonsowasoneof the few trophies to survivebothbattleandstorm.Forthepartheplayed,Hopereceivedthenavalgoldmedal,thethanksofParliament,andaswordofhonourfromtheLloyd’sPatrioticFund.

AfterTrafalgar,heservedinthefleetintheBalticunderSirJamesSaumarez.Hewasmade rear-admiral in 1811, and in 1812–13 hewas sent to bring theRussian fleet toEnglandduring theFrench invasionof thatcountry.HewasamemberoftheBoardofAdmiralty1813–18andwasknightedin1815.

Hewasmarriedasecondtimein1814,toGeorgianaKinnaird,daughterofaScottishbaron.

Rear-Admiral SirGeorge JohnstoneHope died in theAdmiralty on 2May1818andwasburiedatWestminster.ANTHONYCROSS

KING

RichardKing(1774–1834)wastheonlysonofAdmiralSirRichardKing,anexceptionallyactiveandluckyofficerwhohadfoundedhisfamily’swealthbycapturinga richly ladenSpanishgalleon in1762,andwascreatedabaronet in1784 forhis successas second-in-command toAdmiralSirEdwardHughes inthecampaigntoendFrenchinfluenceinIndia.TheolderKingmarriedSusannahMargaretta,daughterofWilliamCoker,alandowneratMappowder,Dorset,andyoungRichardwasbornon28November1774.

Agedsix,youngKingwasenteredontheship’sbooksofExeter;morethanlikelyhedidnotgotoseauntil1788whenCrown(64)sailedfortheEastIndies,underCommodore(afterwardsSirWilliam)Cornwallis,makingKing the third

generationofhisfamilywhosefortuneswerelinkedtothesuccessoftheBritishinIndia.CornwallispromotedKingtolieutenantin1791andinjustthreeyearstopost-captainagedtwenty.ThesepromotionswereconfirmedbytheAdmiraltyand inNovember1794KingwasgivencommandofAurora (28) in theNorthSea,and in thesummerof1795ofDruid (32),whichwasemployedescortingtradetoandfromPortugal,andthenSirius(36).HecarriedoutanotherdutyinJune 1797: he was one of thirteen officers of the court-martial convened offGreenhithe which tried Seaman Richard Parker and condemned him to behangedforhispartintheNoreMutiny.

KingdiedofcholeraatSheerness,buthissecondwifeandalltwelveofhischildrensurvivedhim.

InOctober1798SiriuswasofftheTexelwhenshecapturedtwoDutchships,thecorvetteWaakzamheid(26)andthefrigateFurie(36)withnearly300Frenchtroopsonboard.SuccesscameagaininJuly1800whenhecapturedLaFavorieofsixgunsoffthecoastofFrancefollowedbyaSpanishbrig;bothwereloaded

withmerchandise.Then,on27January1801,afteratwo-daychase,SiriusandOiseau (36) tookLaDédaigneuse (36)whichwascarryingdispatchesand300menfromCayennetoRochefort.InhisreportCaptainSamuelHoodLinzeeofOiseauexpressedhisgratitudeforthefirepowerprovidedbyKing.

InNovember1803RichardKingmarriedSarahAnne, theonlydaughterofRear-Admiral Sir John Duckworth, and it was Duckworth who used hisinfluence and his friendshipwithNelson to haveKing appointed to commandAchille(74)andtojoinNelson’sfleetoffCadizlaterthatyear.

So, on 21 October 1805, King and his ship were sixth in Collingwood’scolumn. Achille first duelled with the SpanishMontanes (74), but then Kingsailed to the assistance of Belleisle (74), which was under fire from severalenemyships.Later,however,hewasobligedtoengagetheSpanishArgonauta(80)andinafierceencounterbothshipswereheavilydamaged.Afteranhour,theSpanishshipbrokeoffthefightandthwartedKing’sattempttoassembleaboarding party. AsAchille tried to follow, she was prevented by two Frenchships,hernamesakeAchille(74)whichpassedononeside,andBerwick(74)ontheother.KingnowengagedBerwick ina furtherhourof intensefiringwhichended withBerwick striking her colours after her captain had been killed. Inspiteofsuchmurderousactivity,King,whoseshiphadbarelyanysuperstructureremaining, reported only thirteen killed and fifty-nine wounded amongst hisspentcrew.KingreceivedthenavalgoldmedalandaswordofhonourfromtheLloyd’sPatrioticFund.

KingremainedincommandofAchilleandin1806foughtunderCommodoreSamuelHoodwhenhecapturedfourFrenchfrigatesoffRochefort.

InNovember1806KingsucceededtothebaronetcybutremainedinAchille.He took part in the blockade of Ferrol in 1807, the attempt onWalcheren in1809, and the defence of Cadiz in 1810–11, before being sent to theMediterranean inFebruary1811as captainof the fleet toAdmiralSirCharlesCotton.

Kingwaspromotedtorear-admiralon12August1812.FortherestofthewarheflewhisflaginSanJosef(112)andwasoffToulonassecond-in-commandtoSirEdwardPellew.

Further honours andpromotion accrued andhewas commander-in-chief ontheEast India station, from1816 to1821,where in1819Sarah,his firstwife,diedonboardhisflagship,Minden(74).HiscommandstretchedtotheRedSeaand in 1820 he sent a small squadron toMocha in south-westYemen to seekredressforinjuriesinflictedonBritishsubjectsbyalocalpotentate,theImanofSanaa.

King’ssecondmarriagewastoMariaSusannaon14May1822,thedaughter

of his old friend Admiral Sir Charles Cotton. Most of his thirteen offspringmarriedorbecamenavalofficers,includinghissecondson,whomheburdenedwith the name George St Vincent Duckworth King, but who lived up toexpectationsbycomingafulladmiralintheVictorianNavy.

Vice-AdmiralSirRichardKing,2ndBaronet,wasappointedcommander-in-chief at theNore in1833,butdiedof choleraon5August1834atAdmiraltyHouse, Sheerness, and was buried nearby. The baronetcy became extinct in1972.JOHNGWYTHER

LAFOREY

FrancisLaforey(1767–1835),myancestor,wasbornintoafamilyofHuguenotémigrés, aristocrats, andmilitary officers. Itwas a family of accomplishment,courageandloyalty.Laforey’slifewastheepitomeofthesevirtues.

Louis Laforey, formerly La Forêt,was Francis Laforey’s great-grandfather,an ordainedHuguenotminister, originally fromPoitou,who came to Englandwith William III in the 1690s. Laforey’s grandfather was John Laforey, agovernor of Pendennis Castle, protecting Carrick Roads and the Falmouthanchorage. Mary Clayton was his grandmother; her father was Lieutenant-GeneralSirJasperClaytonofClaytonHall,Yorkshire.OneofFrancis’suncles,a soldier also named Francis, died at the Siege of Pondicherry, in 1748, andanotheruncle,Loftus,wasalieutenantintheNavy.

Francis Laforey’s father was Admiral Sir John Laforey (1729–96), who in1758 led a division of boats and 300men at Louisbourg,which succeeded indestroyingtheFrenchPrudent(74)andhelpingtocaptureBienfaisant(64),theonly instanceof a shipof the linebeingcutoutof aharbourbyboats, and in1759hewasatthetakingofQuebec.JohnLaforeywasnavalcommissioneratAntigua in 1779 and naval commissioner at Plymouth in 1783, when he wasrepeatedlypassedoverforpromotiononthegroundsthathehadacceptedaciviloffice;moreprobablyhissupportofAdmiralAugustusKeppelathistrialafterthe Battle of Ushant and his dealings with Admiral George Rodney over thepurchaseofnavalstoresduringtheAmericanRevolutionaryWarhadmadehimpolitical enemies. John Laforey appealed and was eventually promoted rear-admiral in1789, takingrankaccordingtohisseniorityaspost-captain.Hewascreatedabaronetin1789andreturnedtotheWestIndiesascommander-in-chiefontheLeewardIslandsstationuntilhisdeathin1796.

In1763JohnLaforeymarriedEleanorFarley,daughterofLieutenant-ColonelFrancisFarleyoftheRoyalArtillery,whowasamajorlandowner,ajudgeanda

memberoftheCouncilofAntigua.FrancisLaforeywasbornonthelastdayof1767inthecolonyofVirginia,whilehisfatherwasthereonpersonalbusiness.At the age of eight and a half Francis was entered on the ship’s books as acaptain’s servant in Amazon (32), and at nine and a half he was ratedmidshipman inhis father’s ship,Ocean (90).Whetherheeverservedat sea inthese years is not known but unlikely. Certainly, in 1779 Francis went up toTrinityCollege,Cambridge,andgraduatedin1784.

NexthewasenteredasamidshipmaninCarnatic(74),wherehisfathermadehimalieutenantin1789,andatagetwenty-onegavehimhisfirstcommand,thesloopFairy(16).Whenin1793newsreachedtheLeewardIslandsofwarwithFrance,SirJohnLaforeyimmediatelyundertookanexpeditionwithFrancisand500British troops, to capture the sugar-rich islandofTobago.YoungLaforeywassent toEnglandwithhis father’sdispatchesandasa rewardhewasmadecaptain.

StNicholaschurch,Brighton,whereSirFrancisLaforey,KCB,2ndBaronetofWhitby,Devonisburiedinthenorthernextension:histombstoneislaidflat.

InCarysfort (28) in1794hecaptured the frigateCastor (32),aBritishshipthathadbeentakenthreeweekspreviouslybytheFrench.WhentheNavytriedto establish thevalueof theprize as salvage, insteadof as awarship,Laforeyappealed and won his case, just as his father had won an appeal four yearsearlier. The Castor case established the important precedent that the prize-

moneyfortherecaptureofaRoyalNavyshipwas100percentofhervalue,not12.5percent.

In 1795 Laforey was given command ofAimable (32) and took his fatherback to Antigua. Then sailing in Scipio (64), as second-in-command to hisfather,LaforeyhelpedquellaslaverebellionintheDutchGuianaIslands.Insodoing, he captured three more islands for Britain: Demerara, Berbice andEssequibo.WhenSir Johnsuccumbed toyellow feveron14 June1796,whilereturningtoEnglandonhisson’sshipMajestic,FrancisLaforeybecamethe2ndBaronetofWhitby,Devon.

Laforey was subsequently appointed toHydra (38) and when, on 31May1798offLeHavre,hedroveashoreConfiante(36)hebecameoneofonlythreeBritishfrigatecaptainstobevictorioustwiceinsingle-shipfrigateversusfrigateactions (the other two were Edward Pellew and Robert Barlow).Hydra thenservedintheWestIndies1798–1801.In1801–2LaforeycommandedPowerful(74),whichsawserviceintheBaltic,MediterraneanandtheWestIndies.

InMarch1804LaforeytookcommandofSpartiate(74),aFrenchshiptakenattheBattleoftheNile,andsetoutfortheWestIndies.WhenNelsonhimselfarrivedintheWestIndiesinJune1805insearchoftheFrenchfleet,Spartiatejoinedthepursuit.AtTrafalgar,SpartiatewasthelastshipinNelson’sweatherline; consequently, it was about 2.45pm before Spartiate andMinotaur cameintoaction.The twoshipsboredownon the fiveshipsof thevansquadronofAdmiralDumanoir.Beingawarethesefiveshipscouldveryeffectivelycounter-attack the Victory and Temeraire, (both of which were heavily damaged andalmost helpless), Laforey asked CaptainMansfield ofMinotaur (whowas hissenior)forpermissiontopassbecausetheSpartiatewasthefastership.

LaforeythenledtheSpartiateandMinotauracrossDumanoir’sbow.Thoughsignificantly outnumbered and outgunned, neither of the two British shipsflinched. They passed the French Formidable at pistol-shot range, firingbroadsidesintoherbow,andthenengagedallfouroftheotherships.

Suchwas the rateof fire from the twoBritishships thatFormidable turnedandfled,takingwithherthethreeFrenchshipsandleavingtheSpanishNeptuno(84), which fought valiantly but struck her colours after an hour, with thirty-eight killed and thirty-five wounded. Spartiate’s losses were three killed andtwentywounded.The twoBritishcaptains,LaforeyandMansfield,hadshowninitiative, independent decision-making, courage, aggressiveness and anunderstanding of strategy: qualities that were the epitome of what NelsonexpectedandspokeofinhisBattleMemorandum.

FollowingTrafalgar,LaforeyreturnedtoEnglandforNelson’sfuneral,wherehe was one of six Trafalgar captains present. Laforey was the bearer of the

standard in the first funeral barge and walked behind the coffin with thestandard.

LaforeyretainedcommandofSpartiateuntil1810;mostnotablyin1809hecovered the landingofBritish troopswhosuccessfully returned theNeapolitanIslands to the Two Sicilies. In 1810–14 Laforey followed his father ascommander-in-chief,LeewardIslands,andinMarch1813hewaspresentforthecommemoration ceremony of the statue of Lord Nelson in Trafalgar Square,Barbados.

Laforey retired from active service in 1814, and lived inBrighton until hisdeath in1835. Inhiswill he left £2,000 toStatiraMilton, neéStatiraLaforeyBeckles,mygreat-great-grandmother.Shewasborn inBarbadoson19August1800.Accordingtofamilyhistory,shewasSirFrancis’snaturaldaughter,whomhebroughttoEnglandwithhimwhenhelefttheisland.

AdmiralSirFrancisLaforeyliveda life thathonouredhisancestralheritageandwasbefittingofhisprofession.Hedemonstratedremarkablecourageintheperformance of his dutieswhile remaining true to the familymotto of ‘Loyaluntildeath’.ROBCOVERT

LAPENOTIERE

JohnRichardsLapenotiere(1770–1834)wasbornatIlfracombeinDevon,thedescendantofafamilywhohadfollowedWilliamofOrangetoBritain.

Agedfifteen,hewasoneof‘severalyounggentlemen’fromChrist’sHospitalwho,having‘evincedaninclinationtoengageinaseafaringlife,wereputunderMr Portlock’s care, for the purpose of being initiated in the knowledge of aprofession which requires length of experience, rather than supereminence ofgenius’. Nathaniel Portlock was about to set off in the merchant ship KingGeorgeonacommercialexpeditiontothePacific.

Between1785and1788PortlockvisitedtheSandwichIslands,thenorth-westcoast of America, and China. Lapenotiere served 1788–91 in homewaters inScout (14, Captain Charles Cobb), and Magnificent (74, Captain RichardOnslow). Meanwhile, William Bligh was preparing his second breadfruitexpedition and his ship, Providence, was to be accompanied by AssistancecommandedbyNathanielPortlock,whoinvitedLapenotieretojoinhim,firstasABandthenasmidshipman.

In1793asmaster’smate,Lapenotiere joinedSantaMargarita (36,CaptainEliabHarvey)inAdmiralSirJohnJervis’ssquadronintheWestIndies.Whileothers distinguished themselves, there is no mention of Lapenotiere.Nevertheless,inApril1794hewasgivenbriefcommandofBerbice(8).

In1800LapenotierewasgivencommandofJoseph(8),and:was several times engagedwith the enemy, nearBrest, and then employed inaffordingprotectiontotheMediterraneantrade.Oneachoftheseoccasions,hisgallant conduct obtained him the high approbation of his commander-in-chief,Earl St Vincent and Sir James Saumarez: that of the Admiralty was alsoconveyedtohim,inaflatteringletterfromtheformerofficer.Joseph was paid off in early 1802 and Lapenotiere, aged thirty-two, took

commandon24May1802oftheschoonerPickle.Pickle’soriginalnamewasSting,‘acleverfastsailingschoonerofabout125

tons,copperedandineveryrespectsuitedtotheService’,almostcertainlybuiltat Bermuda in 1799 and purchased in theWest Indies in December 1800 for£2,500.Pickle’scomplementwasamicrocosmoftheBritishfleet.Theyoungestboy

in her was fourteen and the oldest man, an Irishman who deserted beforeTrafalgar, aged forty.Mostmenwere in their early twenties.Aquarter of hercrewwerefromtwocounties,DevonandCornwall,anotherquarterfromtherestof England, and a third quarter were Irish, and the remainder came fromScotland andWales,Norway andAmerica. In 1803 and 1804 therewere twocourts-martialformutiny,butwhenMagnificent (74)sankafterstrikingonthePierresNoireson25March1804, thePicklesacquitted themselveswell in therescueofMagnificent’screw.

TheboatsfromPickleandothershipsrescuedmenandonewomanfromthewater,astheFrenchshipAchilleburned.LeslieArthurWilcox(1904–1982)paintedthispictureofJeanette,nakedbutforher

earrings,whichnowhangsinFortnumandMason,Piccadilly.

Inearly1805PicklewasbackintheCaribbean,whereanAmerican,GeorgeAlmy of Newport, became her acting second master and pilot. Then, in July1805onpassagefromPlymouthtoGibraltar,PicklegotintoascrapwithsomeSpanishgunboats.Collingwood,readingLapenotiere’sdispatch,thoughthehadactedwith‘greatspiritandpropriety’,buttheAdmiraltyconfinedthemselvestoanexpressionofapprobation.Pickle had a grandstand view of Trafalgar but played no great part in the

fighting. Of Nelson’s famous signal, Almy noted in the log ‘at ten thecommander in chiefmade signal to prepare for actionwith a number of othersignals’.SomeyearslaterLapenotierereminiscedthatwhentheFrenchAchilleblew up, Pickle rescued from the water two women and a hundred men.Accordingtohim:one of theWomen thus savedwas floating on an oar, and perfectly naked, aseamanimmediatelypulledoffhistrowsersandgavethemtoher:whenshegoton board the schooner, she immediately began to relate with much seemingpleasure,thenumberofmenshehadsenttothebottom,forendeavouringtotakethe oar from her; and she appeared as happy and contented as if nothing had

happened,althoughherhusbandhadfalleninthebattle.Where the tiny Pickle would have put so many prisoners is source of

puzzlement.On the morning of 27 October Collingwood gave his famous dispatch to

LapenotierewithordersforhomeandAlmynoted‘at12woreandmadesailtotheNW&partedcompanywiththecommanderinchiefupmaintopmastsetthegaff top sail’. Pickle reached Falmouth on 5 November, where ‘At 9.45Shortenedsailandhoveto&outBoatourCommanderlandedatFalmouthwithhisDispatches.’Inthenextthirty-sevenhoursherodethe266milestoLondonwhere he announced his arrival with the words: ‘Sir, we have won a greatvictory,butwehavelostLordNelson.’

At lastLapenotierewas promoted commander, and the Patriotic Fund gavehimaswordworth100guineas.Hereceivedhisshareoftheprize-moneyand,after a bureaucratic struggle, a £500 reward as ‘the bearer of dispatches ofimportance’.

In1806–11LapenotierecommandedOrestes (16) inhomewaters,wherehemadeanumberofcapturesandwaspraisedbyhiscommander-in-chief,AdmiralSir Robert Calder, who wrote of one incident: ‘This capture does very greatcredittothecaptain,officers,andmenoftheOrestes,fromthepromptandneatmannerinwhichithasbeeneffected,withoutanylosstohisMajesty’sservice;and confirms the good opinion I have long since entertained of CaptainLapenotiereasanofficer,whilstservingundermycommandatdifferenttimes.’

Lapenotiere obtained post rank in 1811, but did not serve again at sea.HeretiredtolivequietlyinCornwallwithhiswife,MaryAnn,daughterofthelateLieutenant John Graves, whom he had married in 1805. He died in 1834followingafallfromhishorse.PETERHORE

LapenotiereisuniqueamongtheBandofBrothersinhavingdiedafterafallfromhishorse;hisbox-tomb,beforeconservation,sitsonaslightriseinthegraveyardofStLalluwy’s,Menheniott,Cornwall.

MANSFIELD

Charles John Moore Mansfield (1760–1813) spent his early childhood inPlymouth dockyard where his father wasMaster Caulker and named his twoyoungestsonsafterheroesoftheSevenYearsWar.

With two brothersworking in the dockyard, and four others already in theNavy,MansfieldjoinedKent(74,CaptainCharlesFeilding[sic])in1772,rated

ascaptain’sservant.Formuchofthenextthreeyears,KentwasmooredintheHamoazebelowMansfield’shome in theofficers’ terraceabove thedockyard,althoughhowmuchtimehespentonboardandnotashoreinschoolisnotclear.

In 1775 Feildingwas superseded by Captain John Jervis, whomMansfieldbriefly followed into Foudroyant (80). Next year he rejoined Feilding inDiamond (32) and was soon in action against the American rebels; hereMansfield formed two lasting friendships with fellow midshipmen JamesHawkins(laterAdmiraloftheFleetSirJamesHawkinsWhitshed),andSeymourFinch,seventhsonoftheEarlofAylesford,whowouldprovetobeimportantinbothMansfield’sprivateandprofessionallives.

Mansfieldwaspromotedlieutenantjusttendaysafterhiseighteenthbirthday,joiningAlbion(74,CaptainGeorgeBowyer)atRhodeIslandasfifthlieutenant,andsailedfor theWestIndies.NexthetransferredtoSultan (74,CaptainAlanGardner)andwasattheBattleofGrenadainJuly1779,whenSultanheadedthefirst group of threeBritish ships into action. Immediately asternwasAdmiralSamuelBarrington’s flagshipwithMansfield’s younger brotherBarrington onboard.Unsupported for a considerable time, the leadingBritish ships sufferedheavylosses,Sultanalsobeingfiredonbyherownsideintheconfusion.Sultanwas again in action in Rear-Admiral Hyde Parker’s action off Martinique inDecember.

In 1780 Mansfield became first lieutenant of the captured French frigateFortunée (40,CaptainHughCloberryChristian)on theWest IndiesandNorthAmerican station, butwhen he sailed for England inOctober 1780, after fouryears’absence,hewastoolatetoseehisfather,whohadjustdied.FortunéenextjoinedAdmiralSirGeorgeRodneyintheWestIndies,andthen

AdmiralSamuelHood’ssquadronatNewYork,andshewasarepeatingfrigateattheBattleoftheChesapeake.

MansfieldsawactioninHood’sskilfulbutunsuccessfulattempttorelieveStKitts.On25January1782,HoodhadoccupiedtheanchorageatBasseterreRoadinabrilliantmanoeuvre,anchoringwhileengagedwiththesuperiorfleetoftheFrench Admiral de Grasse. That night, Mansfield was sent on foot to gaincommunicationwiththegarrisononBrimstoneHill, twelvemilesupthecoast,surroundedandunderbombardmentbyFrenchtroops,andhereturnedwiththegarrison’s assurance that they needed no help. Brimstone Hill eventually fellafterholdingoutforamonth,andHood’sfleet,unabletoassistfurther,escapedduringthenight.

Mansfield served in Fortunée until September 1782, returning home assecond lieutenant in the frigateSouthampton (32),beforebeingappointed firstlieutenantintheformerFrenchprivateerMonsieur(32),underCaptainSeymour

Finch,whohadbeenhisfellowmidshipmaninDiamond.

Mansfield’smemorialatStMargaret’s,Rochester,Kent,recordshisnavalcareerindetail.

Unlike Nelson, Mansfield was employed throughout much of the peacefollowingtheendoftheAmericanWar,butwithlittleprospectofpromotion.He

joinedIrresistible(74),aguardshipatChatham,where,withlittletokeepmenoccupied, discipline was difficult to maintain, andMansfield appears to havebeenharsh.Findingtwomenabsentfromduty,heorderedtheboatswain’smatesto start themwith their canes, or according to an eyewitness, to ‘give them adamned good hiding’. On their grumbling, he ordered it repeated and, afterfurther complaint, had themput in irons,where they remained for three days.Despite this, theywere soon given shore leavewhen they deserted,making arevengeattackonMansfieldduringaneveningashore,beatinghimsoseverelythatitwasfiveweeksbeforehewasbackonhisfeet.

InMarch 1788,Mansfield was on half pay and very likely met his futurewife,Anna Spong, on a visit to his friend Finch’s family home atAylesford,whereAnna’sbrother livedon theoppositebankof theMedway.They setuphomeinMalling,Kent,but their idyllwasbrokenby theNootkaSoundcrisis,andMansfieldjoinedLion(64)asfirstlieutenant,againunderFinch,andsailedfortheWestIndies.

After serving briefly inAssistance (50),Bonetta (18), andStately (64), andafter nearly fifteen years as lieutenant, a new war finally brought MansfieldcommandofthefireshipMegaera(14)in1793.Hewasmadepost-captainon4October 1794, andwas given firstSphynx (20), and thenAndromache (32) inMarch 1795. When Andromache was caught by a hurricane en route toNewfoundland in July, and was dismasted and helplessly entangled in thewreckage, broadside-on to the mountainous seas, Mansfield and his peopleveeredacable tobring theshiphead-to-seaandstruggled through thenight tocutclearthewreckage.

By the beginning of 1797, having joined John Jervis’sMediterranean fleet,Mansfield’s Andromache consistently outsailed the other frigates of LordGarlies’ssmallsquadron,andtwicehetookherintoactionunsupported.On26Januaryhe engagedaSpanish74, sufferingonemankilled and fourwoundedbefore the squadroncameupandGarliesorderedhim todisengage.Fivedayslater,Andromacheagainleftthesquadronfarbehind,chasingandengagingwhatMansfieldbelievedtobeaSpanishfrigate,butprovedtobeanAlgerinecorsairof twenty-four guns,which in turn tookAndromache to be Portuguese. In thefierceforty-minutefighttheAlgerinemadeadesperateattempttoboard,whichwas repelled in brutal hand-to-hand fighting. When Garlies came up, theAlgerinelaysilently,havinglostsixty-sixmenkilled,andfiftywounded,whileAndromache’scasualtieswerethreekilledandsixwounded.

Hewas again in action on 5November, driving off several gunboatswhileescortingaconvoy intoGibraltarBay,under fire from the forts andaSpanishfrigate at Algeciras. On 1May 1798, a gun burst, killing twomen, including

JohnSykes,Nelson’sformercoxswaininTheseuswhohadsavedthehero’slifein thehand-to-hand fightingoffCadiz, andhadbeen rewardedbybeingmadeAndromache’sgunner.

InFebruary1799,whenMansfieldtookcommandofDryad(36),destinedfortheIrishstation,oneofhismidshipmendescribedMansfield’swifeandtwooftheirchildrenlivingonboard.Annadressedeccentricallyintrousers,epaulettes,a man’s round hat and cockade, and had little authority over their unrulychildren, but was popular because, unlike other captain’s wives, she did notinterfereintheship’sbusiness.

MansfieldwasresponsibleinFebruary1801foranincidentwhichhelpedtopushSwedenintotheArmedNeutrality.UnderorderstodetainSwedishvessels,hemetthewarshipUllaFersen(18)andherconvoy.Despitebeingoutgunned,the Swede refused to complywithMansfield’s orders, and only struck after ashort but fierce engagement. She was released in Portsmouth followingdiplomaticnegotiations.

In Cork,Mansfield had the rare opportunity of seeing his younger brotherBarrington,nowalieutenantincommandofahospitalship,butBarringtondiedlater that year.At the age of forty,Mansfield had now outlived all six of hisbrothers.A fewmonths laterhe sufferedstillgreater losswhenhiseldest son,Seymour,diedagedtwelve.

When the Peace of Amiens broke down, Mansfield was appointed toMinotaur (74), a veteran of Nelson’s victory at the Nile. Having sailed toPlymouthwith half her full complement, he sent a lieutenant to the receivingshipwithorderstopickseamenbyselectingthosewhowerechewingtobacco,butongettingonlypressedmencursed,‘Damnthesefellows,theyarealltailors,barbers, or grass-combers – Iwant seamen!’Nevertheless, by the endofMayMinotaur was sufficientlywell-manned andwell-drilled to capture the Frenchfrigate Franchise and five merchant ships. The next two years saw arduousservice on blockade duty as part of Cornwallis’s Channel Fleet and then inMarch1805,aspartofCollingwood’sblockadeofCadiz.

AttheBattleofTrafalgar,MinotaurwastenthoftheelevenshipsinNelson’sweather column. Mansfield had pledged to his people to bring the ship intoactionassoonaspossibleand,‘NevertoquittheshipImaygetalongsideof,tilleithershestrikes,orsinks–orIsink,’butasthewinddied,MinotaurwithherfouledbottomloggedonlyoneknotandtwohoursafterNelsonhadbrokentheline,Mansfieldwasyettoengage.Then,recognisingthethreatfromtheenemyvanledbyPierreDumanoir,Mansfieldchangedcoursetoheadofftheseships.WhileNelson lay dying inVictory’s cockpit,Minotaur andSpartiate engagedthe five fresh enemy shipswithin pistol shot, cutting off theSpanishNeptuno

(80), which at 5pm, with the light fading and the wind increasing, struck toMinotaur.

After amonth refitting atGibraltar,Minotaur resumedher blockadeduties.However,athirdwinterintheAtlantictookitstollonMansfield’shealth.Homebrieflyayearlater,hetookthewatersatBath,whiletwiceCollingwoodwrotehopingthatMansfieldwouldrejoinhimintheMediterranean.Instead,MinotaurandMansfield were sent to the Baltic and took part in the Second Battle ofCopenhagen.

Mansfield’s health did not hold out, and inNovember 1807he asked to berelieved.Brieflyheservedasacommissioner responsible for seamen’swages,but in January 1809 his failing health forced him to resign. Collingwoodcommiserated,writingshortlybeforehisowndeath:‘Idonotbelievethereisamanintheservice,whohasservedinitmorezealously,ormorelaboriouslythanyouhavedone.’

Mansfield died aged fifty-two on 23 April 1813 and was buried at StMargaret’s,Rochester,wherehismemorialcanbefound.Hewasthensecondonthe captain’s list, and would have been made rear-admiral at the Decemberroundofpromotions,butafterthirty-fiveyearsofactiveservice,interruptedbyless than threeyears ashore,hisdeathwent almostunnoticed, recorded inTheMonthlyMagazine innomore thanadozenwords: ‘Died…atSt.Margaret’sBank,Rochester,CaptainMansfield,oftheRoyalNavy.’TONYBEALES

MOORSOM

Robert Moorsom (1760–1835) was my mother’s great-great-grandfather. Hewasborn in thebusy seaport ofWhitby,Yorkshire andhis careerwas closelylinkedtoanotherNorthCountryfamily,thePhipps.

His father was aWhitby ship-owner and family lore says that Robert wasapprenticed in one of his father’s ships until, at the relatively old age ofseventeen, he joined the expedition of a neighbour, Captain Constantine JohnPhipps(1744–92),toexploretheNorth-EastPassage,whenhewasratedABin

Ardent(64).HefollowedPhippsintoCourageux(74)andservedforfiveyearsasamidshipmanandactinglieutenant,1777–83.

Constantine Phipps combined his naval careerwith politics andwas also amember of the Board of Admiralty 1777–82, and it appears that his youngerbrother, Charles Phipps (1753–86), actually commandedCourageux for somemonths. However, Moorsom saw plenty of action. He took part in the FirstBattleofUshant, 1778,whenConstantinePhipps led the attackon theFrenchVille de Paris (90) – in the politically driven courts-martial which followed,Phipps,aTory,gaveevidenceforhisfellowNorthCountryman,HughPalliser.HealsotookpartintheAffairofFeilding[sic]andBylandtonNewYear’sDay1779 (a dispute between the British and Dutch about stop-and-search), thecaptureoftheFrenchMinerve(32)in1781,theSecondBattleofUshantattheend of 1781, the relief of Gibraltar in 1782, and the Battle of Cape SpartelagainstaFranco-Spanishfleet.

ThissimpletabletinStPeter’s,Cosgrave,Northants,commemoratesRobertMoorsom.

SowhenMoorsomwas examined for lieutenant in 1784 hewas older thanmostcandidates,butunusuallyexperiencedandbattle-hardened.

In 1787 hewas given command ofAriel (16) and two years later sailed inCommodoreWilliam Cornwallis’s expedition to the East Indies. At Tenerife,Cornwallispromotedhimtocommander,andin1789–90heconductedasurveyof East India Company ports. However, during the capture of the AndamanIslandshefellillandwasinvalidedhome.

In November 1790 he was made post-captain but held no appointment.However, inhis threeyearsofunemploymentMoorsommarriedaneighbour’sdaughter, Eleanor Scarth of Stakesby,Whitby. Two of their three sonswouldjointheNavy.

Hiscommands in theFrenchwarwereNiger (32),Astraea (32),Hindostan(64)andMajestic(74),beforeinApril1805hetookcommandofRevenge(74).

At Trafalgar some ships sailed better than others and inCollingwood’s leecolumn something of a race developed.Moorsom wrote: ‘All our ships werecarryingstuddingsailsandmanybadsailorsa longwayastern,but littleornostopwasmadeforthem.AdmiralCollingwooddasheddirectlydownsupportedbysuchshipsascouldgetupandwentdirectlythroughtheirline.LordNelsonthesameandtherestasfastastheycould.’

Moorsom’sRevengewas tenth in the order of sailingwhen line-astern, butCollingwood’s signal,number42, ‘Form the larboard lineofbearing’,had theeffect of throwingRevenge closer to the enemy line.WhenMoorsom saw thesignals ‘Make more sail’ from Collingwood and ‘Engage the enemy moreclosely’fromVictoryheneedednofurtherencouragementtosweepdownontheenemylineandbecomeoneofthefirstshipstoopenfire.Moorsomdescribeditthus:Ihaveseenseveralplansoftheactionbutnonetoanswermyideasofit–indeedscarceanyplancanbegiven; itwas irregular& the shipsgotdownas fast astheycould,&intoanyspacewheretheyfoundtheEnemywithoutattendingtotheirplaceintheLine–AregularplanwaslaiddownbyLordNelsonsometimebefore theAction,butnotactedupon;hisgreatanxietyseemedtobe toget toleewardofthem,lesttheyshouldmakeoffforCadizbeforewecouldgetnear.

Moorsom added: ‘I am not certain that our plan of attack was the best,howeveritsucceeded.’Revenge was severely damaged and suffered twenty-eight men killed and

fifty-onewounded, among thenMoorsom, but by his account of the battle ‘inabout threehours theygaveway’.Thiswouldhavebeen4pm.Elsewhere, thebattlestill rageduntilabout5.45pm.Itwaspunctuatedby theexplosionof theFrenchAchillewhichblewupwithgreatlossoflife.Oneofthesurvivorswasawoman called Jeanette andMoorsom gave the only contemporary account ofher:ImusttellyouananecdoteofaFrenchwomanthePickleSchoonersenttomeaboutFiftypeoplesavedfromtheAchillewhichwasburned&blewupamongstthemwasayoungFrenchwomanaboutfiveandtwenty&thewifeofoneoftheMainTopmenwhentheAchillewasburningshegotoutofthegunroomPort&satontheRudderchains, tillsomemeltedleadrandownuponher,andforcedhertostrip&leapoff;sheswamtoasparwhereseveralmenwere,butoneofthem bit & kicked her till she was obliged to quit & get to another, whichsupportedher tillshewastakenupbythePickle&sentonboardtheRevengeamongst themen she was lucky enough to find her Husband –Wewere not

wanting in civility to the lady; I ordered her two Pussers shirts to make aPetticoat&mostof theofficers foundsomething toclotheher; ina fewhoursJeanettewasperfectlyhappy&hardatworkmakingherPetticoats.

ConstantineJohnPhippshadbeenLordMulgrave(intheIrishpeerage)since1775 and when he died in 1792 he was succeeded by another brother HenryPhipps (1755–1831).NotwithstandingHenry’s career as a soldier in theWestIndiesduringtheAmericanWarandattheSiegeofToulonin1793,hebecameFirst Lord of the Admiralty in 1807–10 and made Moorsom his privatesecretary.Then, in1809,Moorsomhimselfbecameamemberof theBoardofAdmiralty.WhenMulgrave becameMaster-General of theOrdnance in 1810,Moorsom became his Surveyor-General of the Ordnance: they were bothsupersededwhenWellingtonbecameMaster-GeneraloftheOrdnancein1820.

AdmiralSirRobertMoorsomretiredtoCosgrovePriory,Northampton,wherehediedin1835.Thereisstainedglassinthechurchwindowstocommemoratehissons,whocontinuedtheirfather’sexploringtraditionandbecamepioneersofthe railway. One of Robert’s grandsons, also an engineer and explorer, waskilled at the relief of Lucknow in 1858 and his memorial is in WestminsterAbbey.TOBYYOUNG

MORRIS

JamesNicollMorris(1763–1830)wasathirteen-year-oldmidshipmanwhenhesaw his father John Morris killed in command of Bristol (50) during theunsuccessfulattackonSullivan’s Island,Charlestown, inJune1776during theWar of American Independence. The dying Morris left his family to theprovidenceofGodandthegenerosityofhiscountry:thisamountedtoapensionof£100ayeartohiswidow.

In1778–9youngMorriswasinPrinceofWales(90,CaptainBenjaminHill),flagshipofSamuelBarrington,attheBattleofStLuciainDecember1778,andflagshipofJohnByronattheBattleofGrenadainJuly1779,andwaspromotedlieutenantayearlater.

HewasalieutenantinNamur(90,CaptainRobertDevereuxFanshaw)attheBattleoftheSainteson12April1782,andby1792hewascommanderofFlirt(14)intheWestIndies.In1793ontheNewfoundlandstation,nowcommandingthe fireshipPluto, he took part in the capture of the FrenchLutine and in thesameyearhewaspromotedcaptainandgivenBoston(32),inwhichin1797heenjoyed a successful cruise in the chops of the Channel against Frenchprivateers.

Fiveyearslater,hisfrigateLively(32)waslostonRotaPoint,nearCadiz.Noblame attached to him at court-martial and in his next ship,Phaeton (38), heconducted Lord Elgin, ‘his lady, and numerous suite’ to Constantinople asambassador, and then entered the Adriatic to co-operate with the Austrians.BrieflyhecommandedLeopard(50),beforetakingColossus(74).Shewas‘anexcellent sailer’, according to Collingwood, on the blockade of Brest and thewatch offCadiz.WhenMorris first assumed command, shewas a sickly shipwithanunpromisingcrew,butbyOctober1805hehad transformedher intoaformidable fighting vessel. She gave a good account of herself at Trafalgar,whereshewasthesixthshipinCollingwood’sdivision.

ThewordsofMorris’smonumentinAllSaints’Church,Marlow,Buckinghamshire,donotmakehimsoundverylovable.

Once engaged,Morris’s ship suffered heavy fire from theFrenchSwiftsureandArgonaute.ThelattercollidedwithColossus,sandwichingherbetweenthetwoenemyshipsso thatsheenduredfuriousandheavypunishment fromtheirgreatguns.EventhoughtheColossus’scarronadeswereabletocleartheenemyupper decks of men, Argonaute’s crew prepared to board and were onlypreventedwhenthetwoshipsweredrivenapartbytheswell.

Morris next engaged the SpanishBahama andwas able to bring down hermizzenmast,beforebeingsupportedbyCodringtoninOrion.Thus,attheendof

thebattle,Morriswasabletoclaimashareinthedefeatof threeenemyships.However, theColossus had suffered thehighest casualtiesof all of theBritishships: 40killed and160wounded.Morriswas among thewounded, hit in theknee.Thepainwasgreat,butheappliedhisowntourniquettostopthebleedingandrefusedtoleavethequarterdeck.Onlyatthecloseoftheactiondidhefaintfromlossofbloodandwasfinallycarriedbelow.HerecoveredinGibraltarandsubsequentlyreceivedthethanksofParliament,thenavalgoldmedalandavasefromtheLloyd’sPatrioticFundforhispartinthebattle.

In1810–11MorriscommandedFormidable(90)underJamesSaumarezandin1812waspromotedtorear-admiralandthird-in-commandintheBaltic.

Vice-AdmiralSirJamesNicollMorrisaccruedtheusualhonoursanddiedatMarlow on 15 April 1830. He had married in 1802 Margareta Sarah Cocks,sister-in-lawtoanotheroftheBandofBrothers,WilliamHargood,andnieceofLord Somers. Shewrote of him that his ‘strict sense of honour rendered himuniversallyrespectedandesteemed’,andthathewas‘distinguishedinsimplicityandsinglenessofheartforwhichhewasremarkable’.PETERWARWICK

PELLEW

Israel Pellew (1758–1832)was born inDover, but everything else about himwas Cornish. His father, Samuel, commander of a Post Office packet, hailedfromFlushingontheFal,andhismotherwasConstantiaLangfordofPenzance.When Samuel died and their mother remarried, the six Pellew siblings werebroughtupbytheirgrandmotheratMadron,andtheboyssenttoTruroGrammarSchool.Theeldestson,alsoSamuel,combinedthedutiesofdoctorofmedicineinMylor and customs officer at Falmouth; the next brother, Edward, becameAdmiral Lord Exmouth; Edward’s twin sister, Katherine, married a Swedishcountandwasgreat-great-grandmothertoCarlGustafMannerheim,theliberatorof Finland; a younger brother, James, was killed at the Battle of Saratoga in1777;andtherewasayoungersister,Jane.

AfterConquerorhadlostherfigureheadintheBattleofTrafalgar,hership’scompanyinsistedthatanewoneshouldbemadeandthatitshouldbeoftheconquerorNelson.ThisisthedesignpaidforbyPellew.

PlymouthlostmanymemorialsandmonumentsintheBlitzduringtheSecondWorldWar,bothatStonehouseandhereinthestillruinedCharlesChurch.

IsraelPellewwenttoseain1771.Hebecamealieutenantin1779,andwhilein command of the Resolution cutter of twelve guns and seventy-five men,fought and captured in January 1783 a Dutch privateer, and was promoted

commander in 1790.Therewasno ship for Israel and sohewas servingwithbrotherEdwardinNymphe(36)whenshecapturedtheFrenchCleopatre(32)inJune 1793. Itwas the first single-ship action of the newwar and the brotherswere summoned toWindsorwhere theKing knighted Edward and Israel wasmadepost-captain.

IsraelPellewwasunluckyinhiscommands.On22September1796AmphionwasintheHamoazeandontheeveofsailing.Hewasdininginhiscabinwithhisfirstlieutenantandanothercaptainandtherewerealargenumberofpeopleonboard,atleastthreehundredofbothsexes.Itmaybeassumedthattherewasrelaxeddisciplineandacertainamountoflicentiousnessbetweendecks.Pellewheard‘akindofrumblingnoise’,anobserversawAmphionliftoutofthewater‘almost toherkeel’, thebowsshattered, the ‘masts shiveredalmost topieces’,bodies andwreckage ‘were thrown as high as hermain-top-gallantmasthead’,andthesternsank.Pellew,thrownbytheexplosionontothedeckofahulk,wasoneofonlyfortysurvivorsofthisaccident.

Onanotheroccasion,inanotherwisesuccessfulcommandofCleopatra(32),shewas swamped in ahurricaneatnight; the ship sank in the troughbetweentwopeaks,andwhenPellewstruggledondeckthetaffrailandquarterdeckwereunderwater, the jib and spanker booms and several yards lost or sprung, andseveral ropesbroken.LaterCleopatra struckononeof theoutlying islandsoftheBahamasandPellewhadtothrowhergunsandpartoftheballastoverboardbeforehecouldgetherafloat.Then,inathwartedattackonshippinginCuba,helosthisfirstlieutenantandseveralmen.

Nevertheless,whenthePeaceofAmiensbrokedown,hewasappointedtothenewConqueror(74)inApril1804,succeedingThomasLouisashercaptain.Inher,hejoinedNelsonintheMediterraneaninSeptember1804andtookpartinevery stage of theTrafalgar campaign, including the chase to theWest Indiesandbackinthesummerof1805.

AtTrafalgarConquerorwasfifthinNelson’slineandPellewfirstpositionedher off the Bucentaure’s quarter, forcing the already badly damaged Frenchflagship to surrender. Not wishing to waste time with the formal ceremony,Pellew sent his captain of marines, James Atcherley, to receive Villeneuve’ssword.

When Villeneuve asked who it was to whom he surrendered, Atcherleyanswered that itwasCaptainPellew. ‘It is a satisfaction tome that it is to sofortunateanofficerasSirEdwardPellewthatIhavesurrendered,’remarkedthecourteousVilleneuve. ‘It ishisbrother, sir,’blurtedanembarrassedAtcherley.‘His brother! What, are there two of them? Helas!’ Atcherley requested theadmiraltoaccompanyhimonboardConqueror,soastosurrenderhisswordin

person.Conqueror,however,hadmadesail,andwas then incloseactionwiththeSpanish four-decker,SantísimaTrinidad, soAtcherley tookhisprisoner toMars, where he delivered his sword to William Hennah who had succeededGeorge Duff in command. The sword was afterwards given to Collingwood,whokeptit,muchtothechagrinofPellew,whoconsideredthatbythecustomof the service it belonged to him.Meanwhile Pellew hadmoved to attack theFrench ship Intrépide; few other British warships were quite so busy offTrafalgar.

AfterthebattlePellewattemptedtotakeBucentaureintow,puttingapartyofsailors on board under the command of Lieutenant Richard Spear, who wascaptured when in the storm which followed the Frenchman went ashore offCadiz.

Pellew received theusual rewards forTrafalgar, asdidhis ship’s company,andConqueror received a new figurehead. The head of her old one had beenshot away and the crew petitioned that it should be replaced with a bust ofNelson,whichwasdulydoneatPlymouth,paidforbyPellewandhisofficers.He continued in command ofConqueror until 1808, stationed off Cadiz andLisbon.

Hewaspromoted rear-admiral in 1810, and served in theMediterranean ascaptainofthefleettohisbrotherEdwardwhenhewascommander-in-chief,buthe did not serve at sea after 1816. He was knighted in 1815 and eventuallyreached full admiral in 1830.Hewas buried at CharlesChurch, Plymouth, in1832.

PellewmarriedMaryGilmorein1792;theironlyson,Edward,waskilledinaduelwithafellowofficerinParisin1819.

Some150years later thePellewbrothers had the distinction of having twoshipsofthesameclassnamedafterthematthesametime,PellewandExmouth.COLINWHITE

PILFOLD

John Pilfold (1769–1834): my ancestor came from an extended family ofyeoman farmers who worked land near Horsham in Sussex, but also atEffinghaminSurreyandDonheadinWiltshire.TherehasbeenaJohnPilfoldinthefamilysinceatleastthesixteenthcentury.

What ‘interest’ or patronage the Pilfolds enjoyed in Nelson’s Navy isunknown, but John’s older brother Charles joined the Navy in about 1776,servedwithNelson as a junior officer, andmetNelson again inNewYork in1782 when Nelson (already a captain) tried to use his influence to advance

Charles. However, during the lull inwarfare 1783–92, between theAmericanandtheFrenchRevolutionaryWars,Charles joinedtheEastIndiaCompanyin1787 and sailed on three voyages to the East, the third in 1791 in the EastIndiamanOcean.Hediedon28August1792inChina.

Pilfold’scoatofarms,whichheacquiredtomarkhisascentfromseafarertogentleman,carrieshisTrafalgarmedalinthedexterfield.

Meanwhile,Johnalsoentered theNavyin1780and learnedhis tradeunderWilliamCornwallis inCrown (64). In1788PilfoldwaspromotedmidshipmanandaccompaniedCornwallistotheEastIndies,whenCornwalliswasappointedcommander-in-chief. It is not known if the brothersmet in theEast, but JohnreturnedhomeinMay1792tofindthathisfatherhaddied.

Thismosaicwaslaiddownin2005tomarkthebicentenaryofTrafalgarandtocommemoratePilfoldas‘Horsham’sHornblower’.

James, a younger brother, had taken charge of the Pilfold lands and Johndecided to remain in the Navy, was made lieutenant in Brunswick (74) andfoughtat theBattleoftheGloriousFirstofJunein1794.ThereHoweorderedhiscaptainstopassthroughtheFrenchline,rakingtheenemyshipstoportandstarboardastheydidso,butfewofHowe’scaptainsunderstoodtheorder.Oneof thosewho didwas JohnHarvey inBrunswick, but as he burst through theFrench line his anchor fouled Vengeur du Peuple (74). When Brunswick’smaster asked ifhe shouldcut the anchor cable,Harvey replied, ‘No, aswe’vegother,we’llkeepher,’andaviciousfightensuedinwhichbothshipssufferedterrible casualties. There were 44 dead in Brunswick and 114 wounded,includingHarvey,wholingeredforamonthbeforedyingon30June.

Harveywasapopular figureand thememorial tohim,and toCaptain JohnHutt,inWestminsterwasoneofthefirstofmanyintheGreatWar1792–1815.Pilfold, however, must have learned some valuable lessons which he woulddemonstrateatTrafalgarelevenyearslater.ThedyingHarveyhadrecommendedPilfold for his bravery and competence toHowe, andHowe tookhim into hisflagshipasalieutenant,agedtwenty-five.

JohnPilfoldnext removed intoRussell (74),whichwasheavilyengagedon23June1795attheBattleofGroix,andheremovedagainintoKingfisher(18)as first lieutenant,makingsomemoneyfromprizescapturedduringoperationsofftheSpanishandPortuguesecoasts.WhenthecrewofKingfishermutiniedon1July1797,hercaptaindrewhisswordandassistedbyPilfold,andsupportedby the other officers and the ship’s marines, put an end to disobedience bykillingorwoundingseveralmen.

In 1798 Pilfold returned to service in large ships when he removed intoImpétueux (74), one of the prizes at theGloriousFirst of June, andhe gainedsome fame in 1800 when he led a raiding party into the Morbihan river todestroy French shipping. By now Johnwas in a position to exercise his ownpatronage, which he did by taking his nephew to seawith him in Impétueux:WilliamGrovebecameaten-year-oldfirst-classvolunteer.

When he took his nephew home to Donhead during the Peace of Amiens,Pilfold courted and married in 1803 Mary Anne Horner South: she was adescendantofThomasHornerofMellsinSomerset,allegedlythesourceofthenurseryrhymeabout‘LittleJackHorner’.

On the renewal of the war Pilfold soon found himself in Ajax (74),commandedbyCaptainWilliamBrown.AjaxwasheavilyengagedattheBattleofCape Finisterre on 22 July 1805, the strategic successwhich prevented thecombined Franco-Spanish fleet from joining French ships waiting in westernFrance, and tactically was a victory, in that Robert Calder’s inferior fleetcapturedtwooftheenemy,butEnglandwantedandexpectedanannihilationtoendthepossibilityofinvasionand‘JohnBull’criticisedCalderinthepress.

After the battleAjax andThunderer (74, CaptainWilliam Lechmere) weresenttoPlymouthforrepairsthroughoutAugust.NelsonsailedfromPortsmouthon14SeptemberandfourdayslateroffPlymouthmadethesignalforAjaxandThunderer to join him. Nelson brought with him to Cadiz the Britishnewspapers,andwhenCalderreadwhatwasbeingsaidabouthimaskedtogohometobecourt-martialled.HealsoaskedforCaptainsBrown,LechmereandDurhamaswitnessestohisconductatCapeFinisterre.

It saysmuch about themanners of the time thatNelson allowedCalder toreturnhome in the98-gunPrinceofWales, aheavyshipwhichNelsonwould

havewantedforhistacticofbreakingthelineatthecomingepicbattle.ItsaysmoreaboutNelsonandhisconfidenceintheofficersunderhiscommandthatheleftJohnPilfoldincommandofAjax.

Whatever patronage Pilfold had enjoyed as a youth, it was not strong andagedthirty-sixhewasaveryexperiencedofficer,butstillonlyalieutenant,andhehadneverheldacommand.Nevertheless,Nelsontrustedhimsufficiently,atrustwhichmusthavedrawnasmuchuponNelson’smemoryofbrotherCharlesasitdiduponNelson’sknowledgeofJohn.

PilfoldleftnomemoiroftheBattleofTrafalgar,butthemaster’slogshowsthatat12.18pmandat12.32pmAjaxrepeatedthegeneralsignalnumber16forcloseraction,andat1.12pmAjaxengagedtheenemy‘firingfrombothsidesaswebrokethroughtheline’,aboutfiftyminutesafterVictoryhadledtheway.At3.26pmAjax ‘boreawaya little toengagepartof theenemy’svanwhichwasattempting to escape to leeward’ and at 4pm ‘a Spanish ship bearing a rear-admiral’s flag struck. Kept up a raking fire on the enemy’s ships running toleeward.’At10pmAjaxtookintowtheFrenchIntrépide(74),andinthestormafterthebattlePilfoldwasorderedtoscuttletheSpanishArgonauta(80).

Pilfold returned home to rapturous praise in December 1805, and waspromotedpost-captain,buthewasnowamarriedmanwithyoungchildrenandhedidnotseekactiveemploymentatsea.Pilfoldassumedhisancestralroleoffarming; in1808hebecameagentlemanwhenhewasgrantedacoatofarms,andin1815hewasmadeaCompanionoftheOrderoftheBath.

He also supported his nephew, the poet Percy Bysshe Shelley, duringShelley’s elopement and in his unconventional lifestyle. John’s literaryconnections included another poet, his cousin Thomas Medwin, who wasShelley’sbiographerandauthorofamemoiraboutLordByron–whowas,ofcourse,thegrandsonofanadmiral,‘FoulWeatherJack’Byron.

InlaterlifeJohnseemstohavemismanagedhisfinances.Itwascharitywhenin 1828 aftermore than twenty years’ absence from theNavy, he received anappointmentascaptainoftheordinary,thereserveshipsatPlymouth,wherehesuffereda strokewhich lefthim ‘quitechildish’, andhedied in1834.HewasburiedatthechurchofStGeorgeofLydda,EastStonehouse,attheheadofthethenfashionableDurnfordstreet.Thechurchwasbombedin1941andpostwarthe monuments were broken up and the graves removed to Efford publiccemetery,where nothing remains of amanwho found his ‘fifteenminutes offame’atTrafalgar.JOHNPILFOLD

PROWSE

William Prowse (1752/3–1826) commanded Sirius (36) during the Trafalgarcampaign. On 19 October Sirius was the closest inshore ship to Cadiz andProwsehadthehonourtosignaltoHenryBlackwood,commanderoftheBritishfrigatesquadron,that theCombinedFleethadhoistedtopsailsandwascomingoutofport.InlightairsitwasnotuntilthenextdaythattheenemyfleetclearedCadizandSiriushadtosailsmartlyawaytoavoidbeingtaken:hercaptain’slogrecordsthat‘oneoftheenemy’ssquadronfiredabroadsideatus’.

There is some debate as toWilliam Prowse’s origins, but he was born inStonehouse, Plymouth and his lieutenant’s passing certificate shows that hejoinedDublin(74)inNovember1771.Onesourcesaysthathewasraisedasachildonatradingvesselanditisimpliedthathewasofhumblebirth.

In 1776 Prowse transferred to Albion (74, Captain George Bowyer), rated‘able’,midshipman,andthenmaster’smate.HefoughtattheBattlesofGrenada,MartiniqueandtheSaintes,wherehewasseverelywoundedinthehead.Afterpassing for lieutenant in1782,heservedon theNorthAmericanstation in thefrigateCyclops(38).

During the peace that followed Prowse served under Robert Calder inBarfleur(98)andStately(64).

In July 1793 Prowse’s first patron, nowRear-Admiral Bowyer, hoisted hisflaginPrince(90,CaptainCuthbertCollingwood),andinJanuary1794heandCollingwoodtransferredtoBarfleur(98)inwhichtheytookpartinLordHowe’svictory at the Battle of the Glorious First of June. Lieutenant Prowse hadfollowedBowyerandatthebattlehewasagainseverelywounded,thistimebyalargeshotwhichtorethefleshfromhisthighanddisabledthegunwhichhewasin the act of pointing, while Bowyer lost a leg and fell into the arms ofCollingwood.

NothingremainsofProwseinStPancrasChurch,London,onlythisnearbystreetname.

Prowsewasmadecommanderin1796andattheBattleofCapeStVincenton14 February 1797 his Raven (16) was one of the repeating ships. Hiscommander-in-chief, possibly advised by his captain of the fleet, who wasRobertCalder,thoughtwellenoughofProwsetomakehimpost-captainandtogivehimcommandofoneoftheSpanishprizes,themightySalvadordelMundo(112).WheninJuly1800thenewlypromotedCalderhoistedhisflaginPrince,he took Prowse as his flag captain. The partnership lasted two years until inAugust1802ProwsewasgivencommandofSirius(36).

Prowsewas not content with his role asmere repeating frigate at Calder’sBattle of Cape Finisterre in July 1805 and daringly attempted to cut out aSpanishtreasuregalleonwhichwasbeingtowedbytheFranco-Spanishfleet,buthewasthwartedbythearrivalthroughthemistoftheenemyvan.

AsafrigateattheBattleofTrafalgar,Siriuswasstationedonthewindwardside of the weather column where she was expected to repeat signals and toassist ships in distress. The frigate commanderswaited on boardVictory untilshot began to pass over her, when Nelson sent them back to their ships.(However,oneaccountstatesthatProwsewasdelayedonboardtheVictoryanddidnotreturntoSiriusuntilthebattlewasover.)FollowingthebattleSiriustook

thecrippledTemeraire(98)intow.Asshedidsotherewasstillfiringfromthetops of the FrenchRedoutable. In a letterwritten by Sirius’smaster,WilliamWilkinson, to his uncle who lived in Dublin, Wilkinson claimed that thesharpshooter who mortally wounded Nelson was shot by the marines ofTemeraire:We [Sirius] towed theTemeraire out from between two French line of battleships that had struck to her.One of them, theRedoutable,was engaged sometimeby theVictory,and itwasoneof thevillainsonboardher that shotLordNelsonfromoutofherTop.AndwhenalongsideoftheTemerairetheythrewastinkpotonboardherwhichwasnearblowingupthethreeships.The[French]officerscalledout forQuartersanddesired themen in theTop toceasefiring,but theykilled several of theTemeraire’smennotwithstandingbutwhen theysurrendered theMarines shot everyone as they camedown from theTops andamongthemthevillainthatshotLordNelson.

ResearchshowsthatWilliamProwsewasuncletoCharlesAdair,thecaptainofmarineswhohadbeenshotinVictoryafewminutesbeforeNelson,andthatalsoservinginSiriuswasMaster’sMateWilliamAdair,Charles’sbrother.Soitseems likely that shooting the men from Redoutable’s tops was as much torevengeCharles’sdeathasNelson’s.

Following Trafalgar, Prowsewas in theMediterranean under Collingwood,when in April 1806 he fought and won a bitter action ‘within pistol-shot’,against a superior forceat themouthof theTiber, andafter a two-houractioncaptured theFrenchship-corvetteBergére (18)alongwith threebrigsand fivegunvessels,butunfortunatelyhisnephewWilliamAdairwaskilled.

Between 1810 and 1813 he commanded Theseus (74), seemingly withoutfurther incident. Prowse died unmarried in 1826, when his estate was splitbetweenhisfivesurvivingsisters.

Rear-AdmiralWilliamProwsewasburiedinStPancrasNewChurch.NICKSLOPE

REDMILL

RobertRedmill (1758–1819) was the son of Lawrence andMaryRedmill ofStamford, Lincolnshire. From the terms of his will, the Stamford connectionseems to have remained strong throughout his life. It is not known when hejoinedtheNavy,buthewasmadeactinglieutenanton24December1783anditisprobablethathehadfoughtintheAmericanWarofIndependence.,

In June1786heanda fellownavalofficerand friend,GeorgeBlake,madeone of the early balloon flights in England, remaining aloft formore than six

hours. They thought theymight reach France, but thewind changed directionandtheylandednearYaldinginKent,whereacrowdof500gatheredtowitnesstheirdescenttoafieldknownforlongafterwardsasAirBalloonField.

On 5 May 1791, at St Martin’s in the Fields, Redmill married the well-connectedSusannahDouglas.Redmill andhiswifehadonechildwhodied ininfancy;themarriageappearsnottohavebeenahappyone.

Redmill was appointed commander in 1795 and given the fireship Comet(14).HewaspresentatVice-AdmiralHotham’sinconclusiveencounteroff theHyèresIslandson13July1795(inwhichNelsoncommandedtheAgamemnon(64),butwasnotmentionedinHotham’sdispatch.However,inOctober1796hewas entrustedwith Sir John Jervis’s dispatches from theMediterranean in thehiredcutterFoxandwasmadecaptainon16December1796.

In 1799 hewas given his first command as captain,Delft (64), the formerDutchHercules,inwhichhewastoremainuntil1802.DelftcarriedtroopstoSirRalph Abercromby’s invasion of Egypt in 1801, when Redmill and ThomasLouis ofMinotaur (74) gave covering fire from armed launches against theFrenchwhovigorouslyopposedthelandings.RedmillremainedoffthecoastofEgyptuntilSeptember1801andwasawardedSultanSelimIII’sgoldmedal.

On 16 June 1805 Redmill was givenPolyphemus (64) and on 21 October1805 she stood eighth in Collingwood’s lee division. Although recentlyrecoppered and accounted a fast sailer, the Polyphemus did not engage untilabout2.30 in theafternoon,but thereafter fought theFrenchBerwick (74)andtheSpanishArgonauta(80)anddrewsomeofthefirefromHargood’sdismastedBelleisle (74). Ordinary Seaman Henry Blackburn told his mother thatPolyphemus‘layalongsideoftheAchilleuntilwedismastedherandsetheronfireandaboutsixsheblewup’.TheinventorytakenbyMaster’sMateSamuelWiserevealsthatsheexpendednolessthan1,00024-poundershotand90018-pounder.Polyphemuswasrelativelylittledamaged,withninemenwoundedandtwo killed. Redmill was temporarily struck down by a recurrence of an oldillness (which seems to have recurred throughout his career) and his firstlieutenant,GeorgeMoubray,tookcommandwhilePolyphemustookArgonautain tow, but on the 24th she was required to tow the badly damagedVictory.Gales on the evening of the 25th nearly caused the Victory to run intoPolyphemus and at 6pm the hawser had to be severed. However, late in theafternoonofthe29thRedmill,nowbackincommand,tooktheFrenchSwiftsureintow,oneofonlyfourprizestosurvivethebattleandthestorm,andhefinallyreachedGibraltar.PolyphemusreachedSpitheadon22December1805andwasquicklyrefitted,

beingbackonstationinearlyMarch1806afterwhichshecapturedtwovaluable

Spanishships,EstrellaandSanPablos.Redmillwasstillincommandwhenon14July1806,underCommodoreSirSamuelHoodandcruisingoffRochefort,Polyphemus’sboatsunder thecommandofLieutenantEdwardReynoldsSiblycut out the brig-corvetteCésar. Owing to the apparent recurrence of his oldillness,RedmillwassupersededinPolyphemusinSeptember1806.

Hespenthislastmonthswithhisillegitimateson,WilliamRedmillCraddock(orCradock), thelandlordoftheSwanInninLondonColneyinHertfordshire,where he died on 19 February 1819 and was buried in the churchyard of StNicholas’s Church, Stevenage, although it appears that no monument orheadstonehassurvived.

In his will he provided for his relations in Stamford, but excluded hisestranged wife Susannah. She challenged the will unsuccessfully, and it wasadmittedtoprobatein1821.

Oneofhisexecutors,ThomasRenouard,hadbeenamidshipmaninPandora,whichhadbeensenttotrackdowntheBountymutineers.Renouard’sownepicvoyageintheMatavytender,whichwasseparatedfromthePandoraandhadtomake her ownway from themid-Pacific to Java, was on a par withWilliamBligh’sfamedopen-boatvoyage.ItisironicthatRedmill’sultimatesuccessorascaptainofthePolyphemuswasBountymutineerPeterHeywood,whohadbeencapturedbythePandora,shipwrecked,broughthome,tried,condemnedtodeathandsubsequentlyreprieved.MARKWEST

ROTHERAM

EdwardRotheram(1753–1830)sometimespeltRotherham,wasadoctor’ssonborn in Hexham, Northumberland, and educated at Head School, NewcastleuponTyne,beforegoingtoseainacollier.

Rotheram entered theRoyalNavy inApril 1777 at the late age of twenty-four, joining Centaur (74), serving under four captains as able seaman,midshipmanandmaster’smate,andwaspresentattheFirstBattleofUshant.In1780 he moved to Barfleur (98, Captain Benjamin Hill), flagship of SamuelBarrington, and later that year as acting lieutenant toMonarch (74, CaptainFrancisReynolds).MonarchwasinSirSamuelHood’ssquadronintheBattlesofMartinique,off theChesapeake in1781,atStKitts inJanuary1782,and inRodney’svictoryattheSaintesinApril1782.

Rotherhamdiedfrustratedandfriendless,but‘abrotherofficer’erectedthismarbletombandamemorialinsidethechurchofStMaryMagdalene,Bildeston,Suffolk.

Hewasunemployed1783–7,duringwhichtimehemarriedDorothyHarleofNewcastle,beforefindingaberthasalieutenantinBombayCastle(74,CaptainRobert Fanshawe).He then struggled to find steady employment until hemetCaptainThomasRichandunderhimheservedinCulloden(74),Vengeance(74)and,asfirstlieutenant,againinCulloden.AttheGloriousFirstofJunein1794,Rotheramcommandedoneof theBritishboatswhichhelpedsavemanyof theFrenchfromVengeurbeforeshesank.

Rotheramwaspromotedbut itwas somemonthsuntil, in January1795,hewasgiven the storeshipCamel to command in theMediterranean, and in June1800 the sloopHawke in theWest Indies.He returnedhome inLapwing (28),whichhecommandeduntilshepaidoffin1802.

SofarRotheram’scareerhadbeenworkmanlike,butwithoutanyofthestarqualities of his contemporaries.Hewas also older thanmany of his equals inrank,andseemsnottohaveattractedmuchpatronage.

NowinDecember1804,after twoyearsashore,Rotheram’scareer receivedsuddenaccelerationtocommandofDreadnought(98),asflagcaptaintofellowNorth Countryman Vice-Admiral Cuthbert Collingwood. Sadly, after a few

months he no longer impressed Collingwoodwhowrote, ‘He is aman of notalentasaseaofficer,andoflittleassistancetome.’Nevertheless,whenon10October 1805Collingwood shifted intoRoyal Sovereign (100)Rotheramwentwithhim.NelsondetectedthetensionbetweenCollingwoodandRotheramandwhen Collingwood came alone for dinner, Nelson sent the boat back forRotheram, telling both men, ‘In the presence of the enemy, all Englishmenshould be as brothers.’ Awkwardly, Collingwood preferred to leave themanagementofhisflagshiptoLieutenantJohnClavell,whohecalled‘myrightarmandthespiritwhichputseverythinginmotion’,tellingNelson,‘MrClavellwantsnone[appointment]ashiscommissionmoveswithme.’

CollingwoodCollectinghisFleettheMorningaftertheBattlebyWyllie,fromawatercolourbyLieutenantColonelJamesFynmoreRMLI,thelastsurvivingofficeroftheBattleofTrafalgar.Sixteen-year-old

FynmorewasaVolunteer1stClassinHMSAfrica(64)wherehisfather,alsocalledJames,commandedtheRoyalMarines,ofwhomtherewereeighty-seveninHenryDigby’swell-mannedship.YoungJameslateralsoenteredtheRoyalMarinesandin1816wasasecondlieutenantinHMSHebrusattheBombardmentof

Algiers.TheinsetphotographisofJamesFynmoreagedninety-two;hediedin1887.

Nevertheless,RoyalSovereignfoughtgallantlyatTrafalgarwheresheledthelee division into action and was hotly engaged. Rotheram dressed for the

occasion in an oversized cocked hat,which he claimed he alwaysworewhenfighting. The newly coppered Royal Sovereign was a fast sailer, broke theFranco-Spanish line astern of the towering Santa Ana, and engaged her sofiercelythatCollingwoodcalledout,‘Rotheram,whatwouldNelsongivetobehere!’unawarethatNelsonataboutthesametimewasremarking,‘SeehowthatnoblefellowCollingwoodcarrieshisshipintoaction!’

Afterthebattle,CollingwoodappointedRotheramtoBellerophon(74),whosecaptain had been killed, while Cumby remained her first lieutenant, and hestayedincommandofBellerophonuntilshepaidoffin1808.Rotheram’solderbrother, John, had studied in Sweden under Carl von Linné, the founder ofmoderntaxonomy,andwasadistinguishedprofessorofnaturalphilosophyatStAndrewsUniversity. Perhaps this inspired Rotheram tomake his own uniqueattempttoclassifyhisship’scompany.Thereareother,occasionalanalysesbycaptains who researched their people by nationality and former trade, butRotheramwentfurtherandlistedheight,colour,shapeoffaces,dialect,tattoos,scars, injuries, family background and previous occupations ashore, whichrevealedmenfromeverywalkoflife.

InApril1807hewascourt-martialled forunacceptableconduct towardshislieutenants and the chaplain, and reprimanded. ‘I was sorry to hear of poorRotheram,’wroteCollingwoodagain,‘ThoughIthinkhimastupidmanIwasinhope he might have gone on in the ship I put him in.’ After Rotheram leftBellerophoninJune1808,hewasneveremployedatseaagain.

HisactionsatTrafalgarwererewardedwiththenavalgoldmedalandaswordfrom theLloyd’sPatrioticFund, butRotheramwas not content evenwhenhewasappointedCBin1815,andhecampaignedangrilybutunsuccessfullyforaknighthood. He died a widower in 1830 in Bildeston, Suffolk, where he wasburied.SIMCOMFORT

RUTHERFURD

William Gordon Rutherfurd (or Rutherford) (1765–1818) was born inWilmington, North Carolina, in 1765 and entered the Royal Navy in August1778 on board Suffolk (74), following an education at Edinburgh and StAndrews Universities and spent thirteen years on different ships’ books, butpresumably not all of them at sea, before passing for lieutenant in September1793.He received his lieutenant’s commission in January 1794 and served inBoyne (98), the flagship of Vice-Admiral Sir John Jervis during the BritishinvasionofMartiniquein1794.Rutherfurdcommandedadetachmentofsailors

ashore and led a storming party which captured the important post ofMonteMathurine.FollowingthisactionRutherfurdwasmadecommanderinJuly1794,captain inNovember1796 and it is around this time that hemarried.He tookpartinthecaptureoftheDutchislandofCuraçaoin1800andservedforsometimeintheWestIndiesandassistedtheBritishblockadeoftheFrenchAtlanticports.In1805hewasappointedtocommandSwiftsure(74)inwhichcapacityheservedduringtheTrafalgarcampaignandsubsequentbattle.

AttheBattleofTrafalgarSwiftsurewasthetenthshipintheBritishleewardcolumn commanded by Collingwood. As she reached the enemy line, thedismastedBritishBelleisle (74)wasbeingfiredonbythreeenemies;Swiftsuregaveherarousingcheerandthenpouredadevastatingbroadsideintothesternof one of theBelleisle’s tormentors, the FrenchAchille (74).Achille’smizzenmastquicklywentbytheboardandfirebrokeoutinherforetop.Soonshewasablaze and, despite thedanger of explosion and the fire settingoff theFrenchguns,RutherfurdsenttheSwiftsure’sboatsaidedbythoseofthePrince,PickleandEntreprenantetorescueasmanymenastheycould.Swiftsurelosttwomenkilledandseveralwoundedduringthismission,butsucceededinrescuingmanyoftheAchille’screw.Shortlyafterwards,Achilleexplodedkillingtheremainingcrewonboard.

AfterthebattleSwiftsuretooktheFrenchprizeRedoutableintow.However,asthegaleincreaseditbecameclearthattheRedoutablewassinkingand,afterrescuing asmanymen as he could, Rutherfurd cut Swiftsure free.RedoutablethensanktakingaroundthreehundredofherFrenchcrewdownandwiththemwentfiveSwiftsures.

In1814RutherfurdwasappointedcaptainofGreenwichHospitalandmadeCompanionoftheBathin1815.CaptainWilliamRutherfurddiedatGreenwichon 14 January 1818 and was buried in St Margaret’s, Westminster, where atabletwaserectedtohismemoryandthatofhiswifeLilias,whodiedin1831.NICKSLOPE

STOCKHAM

JohnStockham (1765–1814) is one of themore elusive ofNelson’sBand ofBrothers,whohasbeenunfairlyignoredbysomehistorians.ItisknownthathisfamilywerefromExeterandthatintwocenturiestheynevermovedmorethanafewmilesfromthecitycentre:presumablyitwastradewhichkeptthemthere.Stockhamwasbaptised,marriedandburiedatStSidwell’s,theshrineofalocalsaint.

How,whenandwherehe joined theRoyalNavy is not known,buthewaspromotedlieutenanton29April1797,atthirty-twoyearsold,whenmanynewlymadelieutenantswereintheirlateteensorearlytwenties.So,eitherhewasin

the Navy before the end of the American War of Independence and lacked‘interest’, or maybe he served in the merchant navy, possibly the East IndiaCompany.Whateverhisbackground,hiscompetencewasrecognisedbyNelsonintheearlymonthsof1801whenheservedbrieflyasalieutenantinSanJosef(74),aSpanishprizefromthebattleofCapeStVincent.WhenNelsonshiftedhis flag toElephant inMarch, he took Stockhamwith him and so StockhambecameaveteranoftheBattleofCopenhagen.

Stockhamwasmarriedtwice,firstin1795toBettyViney,andsecondin1803toMarthaCollett,bothlocalExetergirls,ofcourse.

StockhamdoesnotreappearatseauntilafterthePeaceofAmiens,bywhichtimehewasfirstlieutenantofThunderer(74,CaptainWilliamLechmere),attheBattle of Cape Finisterre in July 1805. The battlewas a tactical and strategicsuccess,whichprevented the junctionof theFranco-Spanish fleetwithFrenchshipsatBrest,buttheadmiral,RobertCalder,wascriticisedinthepressfornothaving won an even more decisive victory. Calder insisted upon returning toEnglandtobecourt-martialled,andtookLechmerewithhimasawitness.Ajax’sCaptainWilliamBrownalsooptedtoreturntotestifyinCalder’sdefence,andthis left theirfirst lieutenants incommand.PhilipDurham,captainofDefiance(74),declinedasimilarrequestfromCalder.

Notlongbeforethis,StockhamhadwrittentoNelson,requestingatransfertoserve in Victory as a lieutenant; he now found himself commanding a 74.ThundererwastowardstherearofCollingwood’sleedivisionandsowasunableto join the action until late, but Stockhammade up for lost time by engagingboth the Spanish flagshipPrincipe de Asturias (112) and the FrenchNeptune(84).Thunderersufferedonlysixteencasualties,andwasrelativelyundamaged,and so in the storm after the battle Stockhamwas able to offermuch-neededassistancetoRevenge(74)andsomeotherbadlydamagedships.Thunderer,andothers,triedunsuccessfullytomakeanoffing,andsevendayslatershewasthefirstBritish ship tomakeGibraltarwith a prize in tow, the SpanishSan JuanNepomuceno(74).

Some have argued that Stockham (and Pilfold in Ajax) did not fight theirships as effectively as some of the more experienced captains, but it is anindication of the standards expected – then and now – that to take on twosuperior enemy ships, to help save oneBritish ship, and to ride out the stormwhilsttowingaprize,couldbeseenasunder-achievement.

Stockham’spromotiontopost-captainwasconfirmedinDecember1805:hewas granted a goldmedal, the thanks of Parliament, a sword of honour fromLloyd’sPatrioticFund,andthefreedomofhisnativecityfor‘themanyserviceshe has rendered his country, particularlywhen commandingThunderer during

the glorious battle of Trafalgar’, but after a fewmoremonths in command ofThunderer,therewasnoothershipforhim.

HelivedonhalfpayinExeteruntilhisdeathin1814andhewasburiedinthefamilyplot,sincedestroyedbyaGermanbombduringtheBlitz.

Givenhisshortnavalcareer,Stockhamhadlittleopportunitytogarnerprize-money. He received only a lieutenant’s share of the financial rewards forTrafalgar, and died impecunious. SoMartha,with several small children,wasobliged to ask for charity.When she had produced amarriage certificate andproved‘thatsheisnotpossessedofaclearannualincometodoubletheamountofninetypounds’,shewasgrantedacaptain’swidow’spension.

Like many naval officers Stockham was a Mason, though the evidence isseldomavailable,but in this case a rarely seencertificate issuedby theGrandElectedMasonicKnightsTemplarsto‘Sir[sic]JohnStockham’hassurvived.PETERHORE

TYLER

CharlesTyler(1760–1835)wasbornin1760,thesonofPeterTyler,whowasacaptainintheOxfordLightInfantry,andAnneRoper,adaughterofHenry,8thLordTeynham.

In1771 theboywasenteredon thebooksofBarfleur (90,CaptainAndrewSnapeHammond),guardshipatChatham,ascaptain’sservant.WhenHammondtransferred to Arethusa (38), he took Tyler with him to the North Americanstation, and there Tyler served in Preston (50) under Vice-Admiral SamuelGravesandlaterCommodoreWilliamHotham.In1777Tylerwasinvalidedfortwoyearsbyaninjurytohisleftlegwhichlefthimwithalimp.

Nevertheless,Tylerwasmadea lieutenanton5April1779andfor thenext

decadeorsoservedatsea,evenduringtheyearsofpeacebetweentheAmericanWarofIndependenceandthestartoftheFrenchRevolutionaryWar,inCulloden(74), Britannia (100), and Edgar (74). He was promoted and in successioncommanded Chapman (24), then Trimmer (14) and next Tisiphone (18) onrevenuepatrolsintheIrishSeaandtheChannel.

Hewaspromotedin1790topost-captain.HewasincommandofMeleager(32) at theoccupationofToulonand the reductionofCalviwhereHoodgavehimcommandofSanFiorenzo(40).FormerlytheFrenchMinerve,shehadbeensunk at SanFiorenzo inCorsica byBritish batteries on 19February 1794 butchiefly throughTyler’s efforts shewas raised andmade serviceable.Over thenextfewyearsTylerbecameclosetoNelson.

His next command in February 1795 was Diadem (64) in which he wasinvolved in theBattleofGenoawhich led to thecaptureof theFrenchÇaIraandCenseur.

However,Tyler’stimeinDiademwasmarkedbyanotherissue.Hisauthoritywas challenged by a detachment of soldiers, in lieu of marines, under oneLieutenantGeraldFitzgerald.Fitzgeraldheld thatheandhismenwereoutsidenavalcontrolandheshowedcontempttoTyler.TylercomplainedandFitzgeraldwas court-martialled by a board consisting of four admirals and nine post-captains,whichFitzgerald refused to recognise.Hedeclined todefendhimselfandwascashiered.TheDukeofYorktookthematterupandgaveanorderthatsoldiers serving in men-of-war should not be subject to naval discipline butshouldbesentashoreandtriedbyamilitarycourt.AdmiralsandcaptainsmetinPortsmouthto‘considerthesituation’,theyarguedthatitwassubversiveofalldisciplineandcontrarytoanActofParliament,andthegovernment‘verywiselydecidedthatnoalterationshouldbemadetothenavalArticlesofWarandthatofficersandprivatesofthearmy,servinginHMshipsshouldbesubjecttothelawsofnavaldiscipline’.

In1796TylerwasjoinedbyhissonCharleswhenheremovedintoAigle(38),andthentookseveralenemyprivateersandNorthAfricanpirates.However,on18 July 1798 off Tunisia, while carrying dispatches toNelson,Aigle struck arockoff ÎlePlane,nearly3milesdueeastofCapeFarina,andwas lost.Tylersavedhiscrewand though the losswasattributed toanerror innavigation,hewas acquitted at court-martial and given Warrior (74). At the Battle ofCopenhagen on 2 April 1801Warrior was a part of Hyde Parker’s reservesquadron.Threeweeks later,Tyler receivedan invitationwithbrotherofficersfromNelsontocelebrate‘SantaEmma’sbirthday’,thoughhowcomfortablehefelt at celebrating an event in the life of his friend’s absent lover can only beguessedat.

When the Peace of Amiens broke down, Tyler was appointed to the SeaFencibles,but inFebruary1805hecommissionedTonnant (80)andwasaskedforbyNelsonfor theCadizblockade,andsowassent there to join theBritishfleet.

However,Tylerhadanawkwardprivatematter:heaskedNelsontointerveneintoextricatehissonCharlesfromdisaster.TheboyhadjumpedshipinMaltaand,burdenedbydebtandloveforaballerina,wasincarceratedinaNaplesjail.Nelson did intercede and unknown to the father, offered to pay for the son’srelease.Earlierthatyear,hehadalsosavedtheladfrombeingremovedfromthelieutenants’ list: ‘I still hope theyoungman,whodoesnotwant abilities,willrecollecthimself,’NelsontoldTyler,adding,‘Iwillnotdwelllongeruponthisveryunpleasant subject.’The exasperated fatherwouldnothaveneededbeingremindedthatNelsonhadassistedingettinghissononthelistinthefirstplace.

At Trafalgar Tyler’s Tonnant was fourth in Collingwood’s line and asBelleisle (74) crawled past Tonnant the captains exchanged greetings. Tylerexclaimed, ‘AgloriousdayforoldEngland!Weshallhaveoneapiecebeforetonight!’Eventuallytheywerewarmlyengaged.Hisfirstactionwastodriveofftwoof the enemy’s shipswhichhad crippledMars (74);Monarca (74) struckhercoloursbutbeingunabletosurrendertoTonnantoranyotherBritishvessel,brieflyrehoistedherflag.Inthemeantime,Tonnant’sattentionwasturnedtothesecondship,theAlgésiras(74).ThetwoshipscollidedandtheSpaniardsmadeseveralattemptstoboardbutwererepelled,thoughTylerwasseriouslywoundedfromamusketball in thethigh.Alieutenantandsixtymentookpossessionofher whilst Tonnant now confronted San Juan Nepomuceno (74), which alsostruck her colours but as a prizewent toDreadnought. In the storm after thebattle, Tyler’s prize crew in Algésiras were overpowered and the SpaniardsmadegoodtheirescapebacktoCadizwithsomeofhiscrewastheirprisoners.

TheTylermemorialinStNicholasChurch,Glamorgan,isoneoftheveryfewinWales.

Atthecloseofbattle,TonnantstruggledbacktoGibraltarwithoverseventycasualtiesonboard, includingTyler.Hebriefly returned toLondon to recoverandreceivedthethanksofParliamentandnumerousawardsfromthenation.Hewas awarded the naval goldmedal and the Lloyd’s sword of honour together

with a disability pension of £250 before returning to his ship in theMediterranean.

Hewaspromotedrear-admiralin28April1808andinMayhoistedhisflagassecond-in-commandatPortsmouthbeforebeingsenttoLisbon,andwastherewith Sir Charles Cotton in September to receive the surrender of the RussianfleetasaconsequenceoftheAnglo-RussianWar(1807–12).In1812–15Tylerwas commander-in-chief at the Cape of Good Hope. His active naval careerendedinMarch1816,thoughhecontinuedtoaccruehonoursandpromotion.

Tyler was twice married, the first time to Anne Pike, daughter of a navalsurgeon,CharlesRice, and said to be thewidowof ‘Captain PikeRN’.Annediedin1784andTylermarriedhissecondwife,Margaret,inPembrokeshirein1788.AdmiralSirCharlesTylerdiedatthespainGloucesteron28September1835.JOHNGWYTHER

YOUNG

Robert Benjamin Young (1773–1846) was born on 15 September 1773 inDouglas, Isle ofMan, and came from a naval family. He was entered in thebooksofhisfather’sshipin1781,butprobablydidnotgotoseauntilfiveyearslater.He passed for a lieutenant inMay 1791 although he did not receive hiscommission until 1796. InMay 1795Young distinguished himself during thecapture in a spirited night action by the British Thorn (16) of the FrenchCourier-National (18). Young further marked himself out in 1795 when helanded100BritishsoldiersontheislandofStVincentduringtheCaribwar,inheavysurfandunderenemyfire.Attheendoftheactionhefoundhishatandclotheshadbeenshotthrough,althoughhewasunhurt.

AllthatremainsofYoung’sgraveatStJames’,Exeter,afterGermanbombingandpostwarredevelopment:thesiteisnowhometothecity’sfootballground.

Hewas appointed lieutenant in the sloopBonneCitoyenne (20), a capturedFrenchvessel.YoungservedattheBattleofCapeStVincentin1797,butafewweeks after the battle he was injured during an action with a Spanish vesselwhenpartoftheBonneCitoyenne’sforetopmastwasshotawayandfellonhim.Young recovered to fight further actions against the Spanish in defendingGibraltar. Bonne Citoyenne then joined Nelson for the campaign againstNapoleon in Egypt which culminated in the Battle of the Nile. Although notpresent at the battle, the Bonne Citoyenne joined the fleet shortly after andassistedwith repairs.Youngreturned toBritainonColossus (74)andsurvivedthatship’swreckofftheIslesofScilly.YoungwasappointedfirstlieutenantofGoliath(74)andin1801duringahurricaneintheWestIndiestheGoliathwaslaidonherbeam-endsandlosthermasts.Withintwenty-fourhoursYounghadher back in order and taking prizes, a remarkable testament to his sea-goingskills.

LieutenantYoungwasappointed tocommand thecutterEntreprenante (10)andassignedtoNelson’sfleetbeforeTrafalgar.YoungalwaysclaimedthatthedaybeforeTrafalgarNelson instructedhim tokeep theEntreprenante close totheVictory,ashewouldbegiventhetaskoftakinghisdispatches.Intheevent,Vice-Admiral Collingwood sent the dispatches home in the schooner Pickle(10).Youngwas ‘mortified’ by this decision, as the bearer of suchdispatcheswasguaranteedhonoursandpromotion,andhewasbitteraboutituntiltheendofhisdays.

Entreprenantewasasmallshipandtooknodirectpart in thebattle, thoughwhenYoungsawtheFrenchshipAchille(74)onfire,hesentherboatstorescueasmanyofthecrewastheycould.Atotalof161FrenchmenwerepackedintotheEntreprenante,avessel thatonlyhadacrewof40.Achilleblewupbeforemore men could be saved. During the great storm after the battle, theovercrowdedEntreprenantewas almost overwhelmed,Young recording in hislog‘lostthejollyboat…splittheafterjackofthemainsailandcarriedawaythetopmast … made signal of distress’. Despite this battering, Young took theEntreprenanteinsearchofthedriftingprizesandalertedthefleettothefactthatthecrewoftheSpanishshipBahama(74)hadrecapturedthatvessel.ThisactionallowedtheBahamatobetakenagainandavaluableprizekeptinBritishhands.YoungthentookCollingwood’sduplicatedispatchestoFaroinPortugal,buthadthemisfortunetorunagroundintheriverentrance.

Following the Trafalgar campaign, Young continued to serve inEntreprenante,assistingintheblockadingoftheenemycoastline,butduetoill-healthlefttheshipin1807.Hesubsequentlyservedinanumberofvesselsandin1810wasmadecommanderbutwasthenputonhalfpay.Youngmarriedin1835andfouryearslaterwasgivenaGreenwichpension.

Commander Robert Young died of heart disease in 1846, leaving his wifeMaryandfiveoffspring,andhewasburiedinStJames’Church,Exeter.NICKSLOPE

RobertDodd(1748–1815)hadhisstudiosixdoorsfromtheAdmiraltyanditisclearthatofficersreturningfrombattlesindistantwaterswouldcallatDodd’s,aftertheyhaddeliveredtheirdespatches,totellhim

howthebattlehadbeenfoughtandpresumablyweretippedbyDoddwhothenhurriedlypaintedthepictureandsoldengravings.Sometimes,asothersarrived,thepictureswerebroughtuptodate.

TNorthAmericansinNelson’sNavy

he Royal Navy in Nelson’s time was varied and international incomposition.Analysis of theAyshfordTrafalgarRoll, a databaseof some

18,000officersandmenattheBattleofTrafalgar,revealsthat:Approximately367camefromtheUSA.Approximately58camefromprovincesthatnowformCanada.Ofthese,75aresimplylistedasfrom‘NorthAmerica’or‘America’.Of the roughly 425 Americans and Canadians at Trafalgar, 55 per cent areidentifiedasvolunteers,21percentaspressedmen,and24percent‘unknown’.

AttheheightofthewarswithFrance,itappearsthatroughly2percentoftheBritish fleet’s personnel consisted of North Americans, ranging from the lessskilledmenor‘landsmen’toadmirals.

It is not surprising that Canadian sailors found their way into the RoyalNavy’s ranks.However, as a newly sovereign nation, theUnitedStateswas aquitedifferentmatter.Afterwinningtheirindependencein1783,theAmericanswere forced to walk a fine line diplomatically between the era’s two globalsuperpowers, Great Britain and France. The primary objective of the USgovernmentatthattimewastostayoutofEuropeanpoliticalandmilitaryaffairsatallcosts,particularlytheconflictbrewingbetweenGreatBritainandFrance.

However,when theUS government attempted to preventBritish seizure ofAmericanmerchantvessels,resultinginthe1794JayTreaty,itledtoprecariousrelationswithFrance,which considered the treaty too pro-British in intention.Thisbroughtaboutanundeclaredwarbetween theUnitedStatesandFrance–taking place primarily at sea – that raged through the late 1790s.Meanwhile,American relations with Great Britain also soured. Manning the ships of theRoyalNavy (a three-deckerneeded some850officers andmen)wasalwaysachallenge.Thisproblemwasparticularlyacuteinwartime,whentherewererivalclaimsonmanpowerfromthemercantilemarineaswellastheArmy.Shortofmanpower,theRoyalNavyturnedtoimpressmenttofillitsranksandroutinelyconscriptedmenagainsttheirwill,includingmanyAmericans.

Legally,impressedrecruitshadtobeBritishsubjects,butthroughoutaglobalempire, there were multiple interpretations as to who actually qualified as aBritishnational.Forinstance,itwasdebatableastowhenaBritishimmigranttothe United States stopped being a British subject. The Crown’s criterion was

‘OnceanEnglishman,alwaysanEnglishman.’Thusforeignsailorsfellvictimtopressgangsonlandandwereevensometimescapturedforciblyonthehighseas.The Royal Navy sometimes released individuals who could prove foreigncitizenship, but nevertheless thousandswere forced to serve against theirwill.Overall, theissuethoughmorecomplexthancommonlybelieved,presentedanaffronttonationalsovereignty,particularlyfortheUnitedStates.

Estimatesvary,butupwardsof2,400Americanswerepressedbetween1792and1802; around another7,200Americanswere forcibly seizedover thenextdecade.Totrytoprotect itscitizensandalsotopreservethepoolofAmericanseamen, the US Congress passed legislation, such as the 1796 Act for theProtection and Relief of American Seamen. However, impressment continuedandledtoseveralincidentsbetweentheBritishandAmericangovernments.ThisenragedAmerican politicians andwas a primary factor in causing theWar of1812. To a lesser extent Canadian sailors were also pressed. Understandably,manypressedAmerican andCanadian sailorsdeserted at the first opportunity,often fleeing to foreign merchant ships for asylum as well as employment.However, others made a career of the Royal Navy, going on to enjoydistinguishedservice.For instance,JamesSutterBritton,apressedable-bodiedseamanfromCharleston,SouthCarolina,servedinThunderer(74)attheBattleofTrafalgarandwenton tobecomea lieutenant,and lived toclaim theNavalGeneralServiceMedal.

It is likely that a few thousand Americans also joined the Royal Navyvoluntarily. For instance, of the 367 American-born sailors at Trafalgar onlyabout77or20percenthadbeenpressedwhileatleast200or54percentweretherevoluntarily.Similarproportionsofthe58Canadianspresent:atleast20percentwere pressedmenwhile approximately 35 (or 60 per cent)were there asvolunteers.ThusvolunteeringrepresentedanotherprimarypathtoserviceintheRoyalNavyforAmericansaswellasCanadians.Tobesure, thereweremanyshadesofgreywithin therealmofvolunteeringforservice in theRoyalNavy.Some trulyvolunteeredof theirown freewill, being luredby theattractionofprize-money and adventure. Others volunteered reluctantly, likely seeing noother option if faced with the prospect of impressment. As with NorthAmericans who had been pressed, some volunteers deserted at the firstopportunitywhileothersmadeacareerforthemselvesintheRoyalNavy.DavidFerris ofNewYork, an able-bodied seamanwho served inBritannia (100) atTrafalgar, was not discharged until 1831, and James Nipper, an able-bodiedseamanfromRhodeIsland,whoservedinVictory(104)atTrafalgar,continuedintheRoyalNavyuntil1839.

A well-known Canadian volunteer was Richard Bulkeley (1784–1809) of

Nova Scotia. His father was a British Army captain with New England rootswhohadservedwithNelsonatthe1780SanJuanexpeditioninNicaragua,whenBulkeley’s father and Nelson became lifelong friends. Bulkeley junior was amidshipmaninVictoryatTrafalgar,andHardy’saide-de-campduringthebattle.He was one of the last individuals to speak to Nelson, the dying admiralinstructingBulkeley:‘Remembermetoyourfather.’BulkeleywentontoserveasalieutenantinGarland(22),butdiedatPortRoyal,Jamaica,on29December1809.

Whether pressed or volunteers, it is difficult to ascertain the specific areasfromwhichtheNorthAmericanscame,andtheirrecordedplacesoforiginonlypartly reveal this. For the Canadians, the vast majority hailed fromNewfoundland, Nova Scotia, and Quebec. For the Americans, the largestnumbers hailed from the East Coast states of Pennsylvania, New York,Massachusetts, and Virginia, especially the seaport-cities of Philadelphia,Boston,NewYork,Norfolk,Charleston,andBaltimore.

An interesting question for future research concerns how many of theseAmericansandCanadians returnedhomeat theendof thewar in1815.Somewere likely rootless ‘sons of the sea’, butmany others probably did return tothoseregionswithfascinatingwartimestoriestotell.Forexample,NovaScotianativeSirJamesPearl(1790–1840)reachedtherankofcommanderandretiredto Newfoundland. A Trafalgar veteran, knighted by King William IV, Pearlbecame a local celebrity of sorts in his adopted community, which was laternamed‘MountPearl’inhishonour.Conversely,somemayhavemarriedBritishwomenandstayedoninBritain.OthersmayhaveoptedtostayinGreatBritainto take advantage of military benefits such as the Greenwich Hospital.Ultimately,moreanalysisisneededtohelpanswertheseintriguingquestions.

Whether Americans or Canadians, the majority served on the lower deck.Whileafewofthesesailorswouldgoontobecomejuniorofficers,thehigher-ranking Royal Navy officers from America and Canada were generallyprofessionals.AfewoftheseindividualscamefromestablishedBritishfamilies,andjusthappenedtobeborninNorthAmerica.Usually,thisoccurredbecausetheirfatherhadbeenstationedthereasaBritishmilitaryorgovernmentofficial.More often than not, they quickly leftNorthAmerica at a young age; despitebeingAmerican-born, theydidnothaveanysignificantpersonalconnection tothatpartoftheworld.

Sir Robert Barrie (1774–1841) and Sir Francis Laforey (1767–1835) wereexamplesofcareerofficerswhowereNorthAmericanbyaccidentofbirth.Bornin St Augustine, Florida, Barrie was the son of a Scottish surgeon who wasstationedthereintheBritishArmy.Followinghisfather’sdeathin1775,Barrie

returnedwithhismother to livewithherrelatives inPreston,Lancashire.Asapost-captain,hesawserviceoffNorthAmericaduringtheWarof1812and,inthe years following, as a naval commissioner in Canada. Promoted to rear-admiral in1837,Barriewasmadeaknight commander in theRoyalGuelphicOrderaswellastheOrderoftheBath.

Sir Francis Laforeywas born inVirginia to a prominent naval family. Hisfather, JohnLaforey,wasagovernmentofficial inAntigua,andhewenton toachievepromotion tofulladmiral,aswellaselevation toabaronetcy;Laforeyhashisownentryinthisvolume.

AlthoughafewNorthAmerican-bornRoyalNavyofficerssuchasBarrieandLaforeyhadlittlepersonalconnectiontotheirplacesofbirth,severalothershadmuch stronger ties to the New World. Generally, they were members ofprominent familieswho had resided in theAmerican colonies for generations,butwereforcedtofleetheirhomesduringtheAmericanRevolutionbecauseoftheirLoyalistsympathies.WhilemanyLoyalistsdidstaybehindandeventuallyassimilatedintothelargerpopulation,roughly50,000lefttheAmericancoloniestoliveinexileinotherpartsoftheBritishEmpire.WhilemostofthemmovedtoCanadaorinsomecasestoBritish-heldislandsintheCaribbean,afewthousandpossessedthenecessarywealthtoseekexileinBritainitself.LifeintheBritishIsleswasnoteasyfortheseLoyalists,sincetheirprospectswerelimitedandtheywere generally viewed as outsiders. This contingent of Loyalists ultimatelyproducedseveralhigh-ranking,American-bornRoyalNavyofficers.

Although their family fortunes were typically lost or confiscated by USauthorities,manyof theseLoyalistexileshad theconnectionsand influence toobtainqualityeducationsfortheirsons–ausefulstepinlayingthegroundworkfor a succesful career in that adopted land. One such example was Sir JohnWentworth Loring of Massachusetts (1775–1852), who descended from aprominentNewEnglandfamily.ThegrandsonofaRoyalNavycommodoreandson of the British commissary of prisoners during the American Revolution,Loring grew up in Reading, England. In 1789 he joined the service as amidshipman under the patronage of his uncle, fellow Massachusetts nativeCaptain John Loring. Loring went on to a distinguished career as a frigatecaptain, known best for his work inNiobe (40), before serving as lieutenant-governoroftheRoyalNavalAcademyatPortsmouthfrom1819to1837.

Sir Benjamin Hallowell of Massachusetts (1761–1834) and Sir JahleelBrenton(1770–1834)ofRhodeIslandwerealsosonsofNewEngland.JahleelBrentonwashighlyregardedforhisserviceasflagcaptainofCaesar(80)underLordSaumarez, aswell as forhisdecisivevictoryoveraFrenchsquadronoffNaplesin1810,inwhichhewasseriouslywounded.Heeventuallyreachedthe

rankofvice-admiralandwascreatedabaronetin1812.Hallowell,RalphMillerandWilliamGordonRutherfurdwerethreecaptains

whowereclosetoNelson,andhaveseparateentriesinthisvolume.DespitetheirAmericanroots,Loring,Hallowell,Brenton,Miller,andRutherfurdspentlittle,ifany,timeintheirnativelandfollowingtheRevolutionaryWar.

However,SirIsaacCoffin(1759–1839)ofMassachusettswasauniquecase.Although he became a prominent British admiral, hemaintained close ties toNew England his entire life. Descended from a prominent Boston Brahminfamily, Coffin enjoyed a distinguished Royal Navy career, serving in bothoperational and administrative positions. He was a close friend of both LordNelsonandKingWilliamIVandservedasaMemberofParliament.Coffinalsospent a great deal of time in his native Massachusetts, particularly aroundNantucket.Heopeneda school there andwas awardedanhonorarydegreebyHarvardUniversityin1826.However,thiscloseassociationwithNewEnglandcameatacost,andintheearly1830shewasdismissedasapossiblecandidateforelevationtothepeerageonaccountofhiscloseAmericanties.

Overall, the service and experiences ofNorthAmericans inNelson’sNavypresent a fascinating yet little-explored chapter of British maritime history.Whethertheywerepressedmen,volunteers,orprofessionalnavalofficers,thesethousandsofNorthAmericansmadearealandlastingcontributiontotheRoyalNavyandhelpedtosecureitsultimatevictoryoverBonaparte.Itistobehopedthat future research will uncover more details about their origins, motivation,wartimeexperiences,andtheirfatesasveteransfollowingtheconflict.Aswithevery other seaman who served in the Royal Navy during this period, theydeservetoberemembered,regardlessofnationality.SEANHEUVEL

TTheClassofCaptains

henamesof someof thecaptainswhoservedwithNelson livedon in theRoyalNavy’sCaptain class frigates built in theUnitedStates ofAmerica

during the Second World War. The Admiralty originally intended that theseshipswould be named after the captainswho servedwith LordNelson at theBattle ofTrafalgar.Only fifteenwere sonamed;however, sixotherswhohadfoughtunderNelsonat theBattlesofCopenhagenand theNilewere included.Theremainingfifty-sevenweregivennamesofcaptainswhohadfoughtat theBattlesofCamperdown,CapeStVincent,andtheSaintes,orintheSevenYearsWar and earlier eighteenth-century wars, and the seventeenth-century Dutchwars. The names of some are obscure, but officers who had distinguishedthemselvesintheAmericanRevolutionaryWarseemtohavebeenavoided.

Only one name was dropped, this ship being renamed shortly before hercommissioning. HMSCockburn was to be named after Rear-Admiral GeorgeCockburn, until the Admiralty’s historical branch stepped in and said anothernameshouldbeselected.Why?BecauseCockburncommandedanavalbrigadein1813whichhelpedcaptureWashington,DC,andhehadledagroupofBritishofficerswho ate amealmeant for PresidentMadison, looted some items, andthen set light to his residence and office. Itwas the hurried repainting of thisbuildingtohidethescarsofwarwhichledtoitbeingnamedtheWhiteHouse.Insteadthewould-beCockburnwasrenamedafterCaptainThomasDrury.

HMSByard,aCaptainclassfrigate,leavingthebuilder’syardinHingham,Massachusetts,in1943.ShewasnamedafterSirThomasByard,whocommandedHMSBedfordattheBattleofCamperdownin1797.IntheSecondWorldWarByardwasthefirstCaptainclassfrigatetodestroyaU-boat,theU-841,on17

October1943.

TheCaptainswereacquiredaspartoftheprovisionsoftheLend–LeaseActpassedbytheUnitedStatesCongressandsignedintolawbyPresidentFranklinRooseveltin1941.TheagreementstipulatedthattheUnitedStateswouldleasewarmaterialtoBritain,andwiththeendofhostilities,thesaidmaterialwouldbereturned.

InJune1941,aspartof theLend–Leaseagreement, theAdmiralty formallysubmitted a request to the United States Navy for 100 American-built escortdestroyers foropenoceanantisubmarinewarfare,andbetween1942and1944,78Captains, of which 32were of theAmericanEvarts class and 46Buckleyclass,werebuilt for theRoyalNavy.All,except for those lostduring thewar,andoneusedasatestship,werereturnedby1947.Thislast,HMSHotham,wasreturnedin1956.

The concept for the type of ship known by the Americans as a destroyerescort(DEs)wasbasedupontheRoyalNavy’srequirementforanoceanescortand the United States Navy’s requirement for a cheap mass-produced small-

destroyer type ofwarship. In 1940 theUnited StatesNavy’s Bureau of Shipsadopted many of the design features of the Royal Navy’s escort destroyers,especiallytheHuntclass,intowhatwouldbecometheEvartandBuckleyclassDEs.Besides these two, theUnitedStatesbuilt fourotherclassesofDEs.Thetotalnumberofallclassescompletedmadethelargestnumber(498)ofasingletypeofsurfacewarshipeverbuilt.

The Captains were actually two separate classes: the Evarts had diesel-electric drive engines, whilst the Buckleys had steam-turbine electric driveengines.Bothtypesofpowerplantsdrovetwinpropellersandhadtwinrudders,makingthemhighlymanoeuvrable.

TheEvarts andBuckleyswereverysimilar inappearance.Bothwere flush-decked, all-welded, steel hulls constructed in prefabricated sections whose‘decklineflowedinagracefulsheerfromfoc’sletomidships’.ThisfeaturegavethemconsiderablymorefreeboardatthebowthantheirBritishcounterpartsand,unlike their Royal Navy counterparts, the Captains ‘had a long continuoussuperstructure from B to X gun’. To accommodate the steam-turbine electricdrive, the Buckleys were 306ft in length, approximately 16ft longer than theEvartsdesign.This length requireda two-footbroaderbeamaswellasadding200tonstotheBuckleys’displacement.

Both classes had similar sensor and weapons fit. They had US-designedradars, British navigational aids, high-frequency direction-finding equipmentand sonars. As submarine killers, they possessed an extensive weapons suite:four depth charge throwers, two on each quarter, and two depth charge railsfitted on the stern. They carried 160–200 depth charges. The forward-firingHedgehogantisubmarinemortarwasalsofitted.

However, their main gun armament was inadequate. Originally, it wasintended that these ships would carry the excellent US-manufactured dualpurpose 5in/38-calibre guns, in two singlemounts located in the ‘A’ and ‘Y’positions.Unfortunately,theseweaponswereinveryshortsupply.Instead,bothclasses carried three US-manufactured 3in/50-calibre guns, in single mounts(‘A’, ‘B’,and ‘X’positions)andanarrayof20mmOerlikonandsome40mmBofors guns. The 3in gun lacked the hitting power to penetrate a U-boat’sroundedpressurehull.TheUS-manufacturedoptical fire-controlequipmentforthe 3in guns added to this inadequacy. They proved near to useless againstattackingaircraft.

Astheseshipswerebeingbuilt,theRoyalNavysenttheirperspectivecrewstoAmericaon transatlanticocean linerssuchasRMSQueenMaryandQueenElizabethfromLiverpooltoNewYork.OtherswereferriedbyRoyalCanadianNavyescortshipstransitingbacktoCanada.OnceinAmerica,thecrewsbegan

trainingon the equipment thatwasunique to theseAmerican ships, especiallythe engineers who had to train on the diesel-electric or steam-electric powerplants.

OncetheseshipsarrivedintheUK,theywerefurthermodifiedtobringthemclosertoRoyalNavystandards:moreAAweaponry(forthoseshipsoperatingascommandships),depthchargesandliferafts,and‘messingarrangementstobebroughttoRNstandards(theendoftheunpopularcafeteriasystem),headstobebroughttoRNstandards(theendoftheembarrassingtroughs)’.

Otherchangesmadetoshipscausedconsternationwhensurvivingunitswerereturned to the US Navy: steel internal doors and cabin furniture had beenremoved and replaced with wooden ones, fireproof curtains, upholstery andbedding covers had been replaced with ‘pretty chintz material’. The finalcomplaint levelled against the British was that every ship was plastered withlayersofnon-fireproofpaint.

TherolethattheCaptainsplayedduringtheBattleoftheAtlanticwasthatoflong-range antisubmarine escort.Most of themwere organised into their ownescortgroups,comprisinguptoeightships;usuallyfourEvartstofourBuckleys:theBuckleyswerefasterandtooklesstimetorejoinaconvoyafterhuntingaU-boat.

Intheirprimaryroleasconvoyescortsand/ormembersofspecialisedhunter-killer groups, the Captains succeeded in sinking thirty-four U-boats anddamagingmanymore.ThirteenU-boatsweresunkduringthefirsteightmonthsof1944,withmostofthesinkingsoccurringintheWesternApproachestotheBritishIslesandtheEnglishChannel.

Because of the robustness of their design, theCaptains took on other rolesthatwerenot intendedforASWships.ForOperationNeptune, the invasionofFrance,severalof theclasswereconverted toheadquartersshipsandothers toCoastalForcesControlFrigates(CFCFs)whichwereresponsibleforsinkingatleasttwentyE-boatsanddamagingmanymore.

Despite the successes of the class, there were numerous losses. Of theseventy-eightships,sevenweresunkandeightwrittenoffasconstructive totallosses,approximatelyone-fifthoftheclass.SomefellvictimtotheGermanT–5Zaunkönig (‘Wren’) acoustic torpedo that would home in on the sound of aship’s propeller. Others were lost defending the English Channel againstattempts by German U-boats to interdict Allied shipping sailing to NorthernFrance.Over700menlosttheirlivesandhundredsmorewerewoundedinthesesinkings.

ThatwasthepriceoftheCaptainclassdoingtheirjob.However,thekillratioof submarines to escorts was less significant in the brutalmathematics of the

Battle of theAtlantic than the thousands ofmerchant ships, carrying the stuffneededtokeepBritainaliveandthentobeusedasaplatformfortheliberationof Europe, which arrived safely in British ports. In the proud tradition ofdedicationandheroismofNelson’sBandofBrothers,theCaptainclassacquiredbattle honours for the Arctic, Atlantic, Biscay, English Channel, Normandy,NorthForelandandWalcheren.

On17April2005,amemorialwasdedicatedatBritain’sNationalMemorialArboretum to theCaptain class and to those killed. Nelson would have beenpleased.JOHNRODGAARD

TAcknowledgements

hisvolume,Nelson’sBandofBrothers,extendstheworkundertakenbythelateColinWhiteandhisteamandpublishedbyChathamPublishingasThe

TrafalgarCaptainsin2005.This editor is indebted to John Curtis, RandyMafit and Richard Venn for

their research into theBandofBrothers,andalso to themanymembersof the1805Clubwhosubmittedsurveyformsandphotographs.Allthismaterialisinthearchiveofthe1805ClubandIgratefullyacknowledgetheeffortsofothersonwhichNelson’sBandofBrothersisbuilt,andtheclub’sgenerousgrantingtomeofunlimitedaccesstothisarchive.

Iwould also like to draw to the reader’s attention toRifWinfield’sBritishWarships in theAgeofSail1793–1817,PatrickMarioné’sCompleteNavyList1793–1815, and Pam andDerekAyshford’sAyshford TrafalgarRoll. Each ofthese works represents decades of painstaking research, preparation andpresentationofinformationandeachisanindispensableyardstickbywhichallothers must be judged. Without them this volume could not have beencompleted, and I and the naval history community in general owe Pam andDerekAyshford,PatrickMarionéandRifWinfieldahugedebtofgratitude.

Also,IshouldliketomentionthelateMichaelPhilipsforhisdatabaseShipsoftheOldNavy,nowhostedontheAgeofNelsonwebsite,andCyHarrisonforhisdevelopingwebsiteThreedecksandIshouldliketothankthembothfortheiruniquecontributiontotherecordofnavalhistory.

I am particularly grateful to many other kind individuals who haveunstintinglyofferedtheirexpertiseandadvicetotheprojectofthisnewNelson’sBand of Brothers, and especially Sim Comfort, Anthony Cross, John Curtis,Mark Eddon, Ray Eddy, Michael Nash, Patrick Marioné, Bob O’Hara, RobPowell,MatthewPrince,PeterWarwick,MarkWest, and the executors of theliteraryestateofColinWhite.IwouldliketopayspecialthankstoPeterTurner,a recent member of the 1805 Club, who as well as being a contributor hasassisted me as researcher and copy-reader at every stage of preparing thisvolume.

Thecontributorswhohaveundertakenoriginalresearchontheirsubjectsandwhohaveentered intoadialoguewith theireditoralsodeservespecial thanks.Thishasbeenaninternationaleffortwhichhasdrawninstudentsandsagesfrom

Britain,Canada,Germany,Gibraltar,Malta,Spain,Sweden,andtheUSA.Thecontributors’ names are listed in the notes which follow theseacknowledgements,andIwould like torecordmywarmest thanks toeachandeveryoneofthem.

A special thanks to the overseas contributors, including LiamGauci of theMalta Maritime Museum and to the estate of Edward Parslow for access todocumentsdepositedthere.

Thank you too to the vicars, vergers, wardens, parish councillors andparishioners of the churches throughoutBritain and abroadwho have enabledtheimagesinthisvolumetobegathered,especiallyValLittle,TheresaBowen,Christine Morgan, Alan Weedon, Jim Butterworth and Alexandra Aslett; theRevdPaulOwenatStLeonard’sChurch,Seaford; theDeanandChapterofStPaul’s,London; theFriendsof theCanongateKirkyard,Edinburgh;RanjitRaiand Ravi Katari in India and the Reverend Krubha, St Mary’s Church, FortGeorge,Chennai;SusanLandrethandZanePearsonandtheRectorandWardensofStJames’Church,KingStreet,Sydney,NSW;John-DominicCurranandtheRevdMartynDaviesofStNicholas’Church,StNicholas,Glamorgan;andtothehouseholders and landowners, who have given permission for access to theirchurches and property for photography and the reproduction of images in thisvolume.

Noworkcouldbecompletewithouttheinterest,energyandenthusiasmofafirst-class publishing and editorial team, and I should like to thank JulianMannering, Kate Baker, David Rose, Donald Sommerville and StephanieRudgard-Redsell.

However,allerrorsofcommissionandomissionaremineandminealone.PETERHORE

ContributorsJamesNorwichArbuthnotMPadescendantofJamesVofScotlandthroughhismother,MargaretJeanDuff;ElizabethBakerformerWRNS,andamemberof the Nelson Society; Tony Beales IT consultant, company director anddescendant of Charles Mansfield; Tito Benady Gibraltarian, retired Londonreinsurance underwriter, historian of the Rock, and FRHS;Leslie H Bennettborn in England, broker and underwriter in California, biographer of HenryBlackwood; Judy Collingwood descended from Cuthbert Collingwood’syoungest brother, John, international secretary, archivist and historian; SimComfort ex-USN, researcher, author andpublisher of the ageof fighting sail;RobertCovert third great-grandson of FrancisLaforey, ex-USArmy, longestservingCEOofanindependenthospitalinMichigan;AnthonyCrossownerofWarwickLeadlayGallery,withover35years’experienceinhistwinsubjects–Nelson and Greenwich; Henry Digby a descendant of Henry Digby, aninternational banker who has researched the family archives with his father;Bryan Elson a retired captain RCN, whose books include a biography ofBenjamin Hallowell; Lars Ericson Wolke professor of military history inStockholmandinÅbo,Finland,whohaswrittenmorethanthirtybooksonthehistory of the Baltic;Kenneth Flemming former engineer in the RN, Tescomanager and wholesale food distributor, a founder member, life member andvice-presidentofthe1805Club,andeditoroftheKedgeAnchor;CharlesAlanFremantleex-RN,thelastofacontinuouslineofFremantleswhoservedintheRoyalNavysince1777and familyhistorianwithaccess to thecomprehensivefamily archive loaned by his cousin Lord Cottesloe to the BuckinghamshireCounty Council; Liam Gauci author and since 2007 curator of the MaltaMaritime Museum; Agustín Guimerá Canary-islander, who organised thebicentenaryoftheBritishattackonTenerifein1997,andresearchfellowattheSpanish National Research Council; John R Gwyther retired civil engineer,painter, and expert on the archipelago of La Maddalena, one of Nelson’sfavoured anchorages; Christer Hägg formerly of the Royal Swedish Navy,helicopter test pilot, former naval attaché inWashingtonDC, flag captain andchiefofstaffintheSwedishFleet,andmarineartist;SeanHeuvelauthor,whoteaches Leadership and American Studies at Christopher Newport University,NewportNews,Virginia,andisresearchingNorthAmericanswhoservedinthe

Royal Navy during the wars with France; Peter Hore a retired captain RN,obituaristandauthororeditorofadozenbooksonnavalstrategy,navalhistoryand biography;GillianKnight school teacherwith degrees fromBirminghamandtheOpenUniversity,whose interest in theGeorgianNavywassparkedbyreadingthenovelsofPatrickO’Brian;MartinMosseOxfordgraduate,expertinoperational research,anddescendantofRobertMossewhofellat theBattleofCopenhagen; Bob O’Hara ex-RN, ex-GCHQ, and professional researcher atThe National Archives at Kew; John Pilfold the present namesake of JohnPilfold; Rob Powell photographer, usually to be found chasing interestingsubjectsalongtheThames,whohasenjoyedvisitingsomeofEngland’sloveliestvillagesandchurchestorecordthegravesandmonumentsofNelson’sBandofBrothers;PhilipRobinson with degrees from theUniversities of London andOxford, he retired in 2007 as the first vice-chancellor of the University ofChichester,hisinterestisinhowordinarypeoplecopedinextraordinarytimes;JohnRobsonmininggeologist and later a librarian,his two lifelong interests,maps and Captain James Cook, combined in 2000 when his book, CaptainCook’s World, was published: he is now map librarian at the University ofWaikato in Hamilton, New Zealand; John Rodgaard a retired captain USN,intelligence officer, author,NorthAmerican secretary of the 1805Club and aseniorofficerwith theNavalOrderof theUnitedStates;HilaryLRubinsteingraduate of theUniversity ofKeele andSimmonsCollege,Boston,USA, anddoctoroftheAustralianNationalUniversity,andbiographerofPhilipDurham;EricdeSaumarez7thBarondeSaumarezdescended fromAdmiral JamesdeSaumarez and from Philip Broke, lives within pistol-shot of Admiral James’shome on Guernsey; Nick Slope naval historian and archaeologist, formerchairman of the Nelson Society, Honorary Secretary of the Anglo-IsraelArchaeological Society, his most recent excavation is on Nelson’s Island,AboukirBay,Egypt;SusanKSmithgraduatedwithahistorydegreefromtheUniversityofCaliforniaatBerkeley.ShehaswrittenabiographyofNelsonandpublished articles in the Mariner’s Mirror and the Trafalgar Chronicle.Genevieve St George New Zealander whose love is history, has sailed thePacific after Cook, amember of theNelson Society, a friend of theNationalMaritimeMuseumandanangelforthePaintedHallRestoration;JoeStoneanindependent researcher at Kew, who is reading history at Hull and hoping tocontinuehistoricalresearchwhenhehasgraduated;StephenTregidgoworkedin the educational services industry until retirement andhas been interested inNelsonandtheGeorgiannavysincechildhood.Hejoinedthe1805Clubin2005and is currently organising a review ofmemorial and grave sites which havebeen conserved by the club; Thomas Richard Troubridge 7th Baronet

Troubridge, spentmuchofhis early life inMaltaandCeylonwherehis fatherserved in the RN. He joined Price Waterhouse in 1977 where he has had avarietyofrolesmostrecentlyspendingfourmonthsayearinChinaandsouth-eastAsia;PeterTurnermemberoftheSNRand1805Club,formerconsultingengineer,acartoonistandcreatoroftheAB&OScartoonstrip,whosailsthroughnaval history in his armchair;PeterWarwick chairman of the 1805 Club. Aformer investment analyst, he now organises major historical andcommemorative events, and is an author and lecturer in naval and maritimehistory;MarkWestaChancerybarristerspecialisinginrealpropertyandtrustlaw,deputyjudge,andchairmanoftheForlornHope,agroupwhichorganisestours of Peninsular War sites. His articles for the Trafalgar Chronicle coverlitigation after the Battles of the Nile and Trafalgar and the life of RobertRedmill;ColinWhite author,Nelson expert, chairman of theOfficialNelsonCelebrationsCommittee,Directorof theRoyalNavalMuseum,Vice-Presidentof the Navy Records Society and Chairman of the 1805 Club. Colin died in2008; Stephen Wood was a museum curator for twenty-nine years, at theNationalArmyMuseum,LondonandtheNationalWarMuseumofScotland.HeisawriteronBritishandFrenchnavalandmilitaryhistoryaswellasonarmsandarmour;JannMarkusWitt authorwithdegrees fromKiel,Germany, thehistorianof theDeutscherMarinebund,andcuratorof theMarine-EhrenmalatLaboe,andlecturerinnavalhistoryattheMarineschule,Mürwik;TobyYoungjournalist andeducationalist, co-founderof theWestLondonFreeSchool.Hismotherwastheproducer,artistandwriterSashaMoorsom.

SourcesSpecificsourcesarelistedundereachname.IngeneraleachentryhasbeencheckedforinformationagainstthestandardworksofreferencesuchasWilliamJames’sTheNavalHistoryofGreatBritain,LairdClowes’sTheRoyalNavy,Marshall’sRoyalNavalBiography,Nicolas’sDispatchesandLettersofLordNelson,O’Byrne’sNavalBiographicalDictionary,etc,allofwhichareavailableonline.TheyhavealsobeencheckedagainstcontemporarynewspaperaccountsaccessedthroughTheBritishNewspaperArchiveandTheTimesDigitalArchive,theCompleteNavyListoftheNapoleonicWars1793–1815andtheAyshfordCompleteTrafalgarRoll.Othersourcesandtheirabbreviationsare:ADM:AdmiraltyfilesinTheNationalArchivesatKewBBA:theBritishBiographicalArchive,seriesIandII,microfichesetanditscompanion,theBritishBiographicalIndex,1989

Boase,Frederick,ModernEnglishBiography,reprint,6vols,Bristol,ThoemmesPress,2000Brenton,CaptainEdwardPelham,TheNavalHistoryofGreatBritain…,2nded,2vols,London,HenryColburn,1837

Campbell,DrJohnandJohnKent,TheNavalHistoryofGreatBritain…,4thed,8vols,London,1818Charnock,John,BiographiaNavalis…,6vols,London,R.Faulder,1794-8DNB:theOxfordDictionaryofNationalBiography(accessedelectronically)GentMag:TheGentleman’sMagazineandHistoricalChronicle,whichunderthisorliketitlesranfrom1731to1922

James,William,TheNavalHistoryofGreatBritain…,7thed,6vols,London,RichardBentley,1898NC:theNavalChronicle,aBritishperiodicalpublishedsix-monthlyinfortyvolumesbetweenJanuary1799andDecember1818,includingbiographies,histories,news,essays,andballadsNMM:theNationalMaritimeMuseumatGreenwich

PROB:Probatefiles(wills)intheNationalArchivesatKewTrafalgarChronicle:yearbookofthe1805Club

Ball:BBA,I,60:405–416;II,1275:56;DNB;NCvolxxii,p520;PROB11/1512;Nicolasseeindex.SeealsoLavery(1998).ThisentrydrawsalsouponpapersdepositedattheMaltaMaritimeMuseumarchivesbyMrEdwardParslowBaytun:BBA,I,82:137–139;II,1290:264;DNB;Marshall,volii,p543,859,871;TrafalgarRoll,p191;ADM9/1/88;PROB11/1939

Berry:BBA,I,101:310–348;II,1303:67;Campbell,volviii,p352;DNB;GentMag(1831),i,p270;Marshall,volii,p774;NavalChronicle,volxv,p177;TrafalgarRoll,p266;ADM6/90/42;ADM107/11/244;PROB11/1782

Bertie:DNB;GentMag(1825),ii,p177;Marshall,voli,p380;NavalChronicle,volxxxvi,p1;ADM107/7/43;PROB11/1701.SeealsoRyan(1968)andVoelcker(2008)Birchall:ADM6/91/7.TheBathChronicleandWeeklyGazettefollowedBirchall’scareerclosely,eg27June1793and10November1796

Blackwood:BBA,I,114:107–114;II,1313:60-62;DNB;Marshall,volii,p642,802;O’Byrne,p86;NC,vol.xxxi,p436;TrafalgarRoll,p275;PROADM9/1/108;ADM107/11/174;PROB11/1811;Nicolasseeindex.SeealsoBennett(2005)andCrawford(1999)Bligh:BBA,I,118:291–312;II,1315:322–324;DNB;ADM107/6/355;PROB11/1603.SeealsoDNBentryofPeterHeywood(1772–1831),Alexander(2003);Dening(1992);Mackaness(1951);andWitt(2014)Brisbane:BBA,I,148:53;DNB;Marshall,voliii,p400;ADM6/91/137;ADM107/14/83;PROB11/1731;James,volVI,p470.HisdeathandfuneralinSydneywasreportedintheAustralianon23December1826

Brodie:ADM6/185/238;ADM6/96/9–11;ADM1/1530/59;ADM51/1425.HisdeathwasreportedintheMorningPost,13May1811

Bullen:BBA,I,167:372–377;Boase,voli,col468;DNB;GentMag(1853),ii,p309;Marshall,voliv,p590;viii,p444;O’Byrne,voli,p141;volii,p144n;TrafalgarRoll,p39;ADM9/2/230;PROB11/2178.SeealsoDugan(1965)Capel:BBA,I,197:34–36;Boase,voli,col539;DNB;GentMag(1853),i,p540;Marshall,voliii,p195;O’Byrne,voli,p167;TrafalgarRoll,p285;ADM6/95/42,ADM107/21/135–137,PROB11/2168.ClaytonandCraig(2004);Tracy(2005);Wareham(2012)Carnegie:BBA,I,201:374–390,1221:185–189;DNB;GentMag(1831),ii,p79;Marshall,voli,p198;NC,volxv,p441;Ralfe,volii,p400;PROB11/1789

Clay:BBA,I,237:131–132;II,1388:208;Marshall,voliv,p697;O’Byrne,voli,p198;ADM6/92/18;ADM107/16/45;PROB11/2032

Codrington:BBA,I,245:92–131;Boase,voli,col665;DNB;Marshall,volii,p635,872;O’Byrne,voli,p207;Ralfe,voliii,p196;iv,p489;TrafalgarRoll,p213;ADM6/91/151;ADM107/14/87;PROB11/2132.SeealsoCodrington(1873)Collingwood:BBA,I,251:149–288;II,1396:293–297;Campbell,volviii,p302;DNB;NC,volxv,p353;xxiii,p350,379;Ralfe,volii,p336;TrafalgarRoll,p27;ADM/36/6692;ADM107/6;PROB11/1511.SeealsoHore(2010),Hughes(1957);Warner(1968)Conn:TrafalgarRoll,p69;ADM6/90/57;ADM107/11/101;PROB11/1523;theKentishGazette29June1810.SeealsoKnight(2005);Sugden(2012);Warwick(2005);White(2005)Cooke:Campbell,volvii,p471;DNB;NC,volxvii,p353;TrafalgarRoll,p201;ADM106/3028;ADM107/7/77;PROB11/1438

Cumby:Marshall,voliv,p966;PROADM6/92/15;ADM107/16/21;PROB11/1895.SeealsoCordingley(2003)

Cuming:Marshall,volii,p847;ADM107/7/175;PROB11/1690Cuthbert:ADM6/92/122;ADM107/17/73;ADM9/2/88;PROB11/1639;Nicolasiii61Darby:BBA,I,303:147;Marshall,voli,p268;ADM6/87/262;ADM51/1262;ADM107/9/99;PROB11/1691;Nicolasseeindex.SeealsoCordingly(2003)Devonshire:Marshall,vol.iii,p411;vi,p180;O’Byrne,p202;ADM6/94/66,ADM107/19/74PROB11/1909

Digby:BBA,I,327:7–13;Charnock,volvi,p119;DNB;NavalAtalantis,voli,p92;NC,volxi,p89;Ralfe,voli,p189;PROB11/1556

Duff:Campbell,volvii,p478;Marshall,volxii,p383;NC,volxv,p264;O’Byrne,voli,p310,volii,p333;PROB11/1454

Dundas:BBA,I,351:140;Marshall,voliii,p149;TrafalgarRoll,p294;ADM6/90/74;ADM107/11/142;PROB11/1944

Durham:BBA,I,354:92–105;DNB;Marshall,volii,p450,867;O’Byrne,voli,p318;Ralfe,voliii,p38;TrafalgarRoll,p134;EdinburghMagazine,vol12,1799,p319;MorningPost,23August1844;Hogg’sWeeklyInstructor,11April1846,p99;TheScotsman,20,27September1817,TheTimes,3June1839,UnitedServiceJournal,May1844,p104;LargoKirkSessionRecords,5April1790,12April1795.SeealsoNoah(1905)Fancourt:Marshall,voli,p348;ADM107/6/81;PROB11/1713

Foley:BBA,I,413:431–436;II,1478:239;DNB;Marshall,voli,p363;O’Byrne,voli,p367n;ADM6/86/42–43;ADM107/7/42;PROB11/1811.SeealsoKennedy(1951);Tracy(1996);andWitt(2005)Fremantle:BBA,I,430:242;II,1485:320;DNB;O’Byrne,voli,p380n;volii,p422;TrafalgarRoll,p59;PROB11/1630.SeealsoDuffy(2005);FremantleandGlover(2012);Nicolson(2005);Parry(1971);Pocock(2004);Smith(2007);andWynne(1952).TheeditorandauthoraregratefulforaccesstotheFremantlefamilyarchivesforotherreferencesinthisentryGould:BBA,I,471:209–210;Marshall,voli,p339;O’Byrne,voli,p417;Ralfe,volii,p483ADM107/7/126:Nicolasvolii,p464.SeealsoKnight(2005);Lavery(1998);andWhite(2005)Graves:BBA,I,478:290–304;DNB;GentMag(1814),ii,p87;NC,volviii,p353,463

Grindall:TrafalgarRoll,p78;ADM107/6/201;PROB11/1631.SeealsoElliotandPickersgill(1980)Hallowell:BBA,I,505:371–377;Campbell,volviii,p381;UnitedServiceJ.,1834,iii,p374;1835,i,p95;DNB;GentMag(1834),ii,p537;Marshall,volii,p465;Ralfe,voliii,p60;ADM9/1/71;PROB

11/1836.SeealsoElson(2009)Hamond:BBA,I,510:343,511:152–156;Boase,voli,col1310;DNB;GentMag(1863),ii,p235;Marshall,voliii,p170;O’Byrne,voli,p455;PROB11/2054)Hardy:BBA,I,516:73–91;DNB;GentMag(1839),ii,p650;Marshall,voliii,p153;TrafalgarRoll,p11;ADM9/2/86;PROB11/1918;DorsetHistoryCentreD/ASH/B/Z4andD/RGB;NationalMaritimeMuseumAGC/32andPAR/150.SeealsoBroadleyandBartelot(1906);andOrde(2008)Hargood:DNB;Marshall,voli,p399;ii,p865;O’Byrne,voli,p463n;ADM6/88/107;PROB11/1921.SeealsoDugan(1966)

Harvey:BBA,I,524:67–73;II,1532:282;DNB;GentMag(1830),i,p365;Marshall,voli,p273;Ralfe,volii,p432.SeealsoAdkin(2004);AdkinsandAdkins(2007);AllenandHore(2005);Knight(2005);Messenger(2003);Morris(2007);Whipple(1978);White(2005)Hatherill:ADM6/91/51;ADM51/1350;ADM107/14/4);PROB11/1418;NMMCRK/16/1–20.SeealsoPope(1972)

Hennah:Marshall,voliv,p966;TrafalgarRoll,p123;ADM1/1914/176andADM1/1941/127(captain’sletters);ADM6/90/149;ADM107/11/48;ADM9/2/323;PROB11/1810

Hood:BBA,I,568:69–78;Campbell,volviii,p386;DNB;GentMag(1815),i,p66,p566;(1816),i,p68;NC,volxvii,p1;O’Byrne,voli,p533;Ralfe,voliv,p55.SeealsoDuffy(2005);Hood(1941);Kennedy(1976);MacKenzie(2012)Hope:BBA,I,570:424–426;II1555:318;DNB;GentMag(1831),i,p639;Marshall,volii,p507;NC,volxviii,p269;Ralfe,voliii,p122;Nicolas,voliii,p465;PROB11/1786

Inman:Campbell,volviii,p293;NC,volxxv,p1,ADM107/8/42,PROB11/1510King:BBA,I,648:123–125;DNB;Gentleman’sMagazine,SirFrancisLaforeyObituary,October1835p427–8;Marshall,voli,p160,volii,p545;O’Byrne,voli,p613n;Ralfe,voliii,p126;TrafalgarRoll,p159;PROB11/1836

Laforey:BBA,I,657:407;DNB;Marshall,volii,p446;TrafalgarRoll,p113;PROB11/1849;USNavyDepartmentLibrary,BritishAdmiraltyPrizeCaseBooksvoli,1794–1796.SeealsoHeathcote(2005);Martin(1898);Pocock(2005);Taylor(2012)Lapenotiere:Marshall,volx,p384;TrafalgarRoll,p309;ADM6/92/170;ADM107/17/90.SeealsoAllenandHore(2005);Hough(1973);Portlock(1789)Lawford:Marshall,volii,p496;ADM107/6/350;PROB11/1976

Louis:Campbell,volviii,p138;DNB;NC,volxv,p177;xvi209,214;xviii,p34;O’Byrne,voli,p674n.SeealsoLouis(1951)Mansfield:TrafalgarRoll,p143ADM51/945ADM51/1185.SeealsoDavis(1811);Mahan(1913)

Martin:Marshall,volvi,p290;ADM51/4531/47;PROB11/1676.Miller:DNB;NC,volii,p295,p500–501,p580–3;Nicolas,voli,p324,volii,p377andvolvii,pcliv;ADM6/185/237;ADM6/89/63;PROB11/1331.SeealsoMahan(1918);Buckland(1999);Wynn(1952)M’Kinley:BBA,I,722:364:368;Boase,volii,col637;Marshall,voliii,p441;O’Byrne,voli,p703;ADM9/2/178;PROB11/2147

Moorsom:BBA,I,784:380–381,784:386;GentMag(1835),ii,p321;Marshall,voli,p410;Ralfe,voliii,p33;ADM9/1/59;ADM107/9/105;NMMAGC/M/5

Morris:DNB;GentMag(1830),i,p467;Marshall,volii,p488Mosse:NC,volv,p352–353;ADM6/87/229,ADM107/6/77PROB11/1363/90;EssexInstitute,AmericanVesselscapturedbytheBritishduringtherevolutionandwarof1812.SeealsoManwaringandDobrée(1935);Millard(1897);Mosse(1955),andtheMossefamilypapersMurray:DNB;NC,volxviii,p179;ADM107/7/76;PROB11/1618.SeealsoMillard(1897);Aldridge(2001)

Nelson:BBA,I,809:208–446,810:1–129,1234:193;II,667:63–65;Campbell,volviii,p1;DNB;NCvoliii,p157;xiv,p386,797;xv,p37,38,222;Ralfe,volii,p141;ADM106/3028/720;ADM107/6/386.SeealsoKnight(2006);Oman(1947);Sugden(2004and2012);etcPellew:BBA,I,863:139–140;DNB;Marshall,volii,p454;O’Byrne,voli,p892n;Ralfe,voliii,p55;TrafalgarRoll,p150

Peyton:Nicolasviipcxliv;PROB11/1502.SeealsoLavery(1998)andthePeytonfamilypaperscourtesyofdescendantMrKesterArmstrongPilfold:DNB;GentMag(1835),i,p322;Marshall,voliv,p963;TrafalgarRoll,p232;ADM9/2/322;ADM6/93/173;ADM51/1573;ADM52/3557;ADM107/18/136.SeealsoHawkins(1998)andthePilfoldfamilyarchivesProwse:DNB;GentMag(1826),i,p46;

Marshall,volii,p779;Ralfe,voliv,p112;TrafalgarRoll,p303;ADM51/1595;ADM107/45;ADM107/8/196;PROB11/1711;DublinJournal,17December1805

Quilliam:Marshall,voliv,p962;TrafalgarRoll,p12;ADM107/22/161–163;PROB11/1764);TrafalgarChronicle(2002);archivesoftheManxNationalHeritageRedmill:TrafalgarRoll,p248;ADM6/23/206;ADM6/23/391;ADM9/2/28;NMM,AGC/B/19;NMM,LOG/N/P/2;TheTimes,8June1786;CaledonianMercury,10June1786;TheTimes,8November1786

Retalick:Nicolas,iiip104,114–123,ivp415,viipclxv;ADM6/92/199;ADM107/17/14;ADM6/351/14

Riou:BBA,I,932:87–88;Campbell,volvii,p281;DNB;NC,volv,p482;ADM6/88/175;ADM107/8/87;PROB11/1356.SeealsoKennedy(2001);Nagle(1988);Tracy(1996)Rose:Nicolas,iv305–308,314,436,439,463,476,500;ADM9/2/150;ADM107/7/153;PROB11/1648

Rotherham:BBA,I,950:23–28;DNB;GentMag(1830),ii,p56;Marshall,voliii,p298;NC,volxiv,p469;TrafalgarRoll,p29;ADM9/2/142;NMM,LBK/38.SeealsoCordingley(2003)Rowley:BBA,I,952:214–215;Marshall,voliv,p683;NC,volxxvii,p228;O’Byrne,voli,p1012;ADM6/92/74;ADM6/185/237;ADM107/16/77;PROB11/2036

RutherfordTrafalgarRoll,p223.ADM6/92/204,ADM9/2/20,ADM107/17/98PROB11/1608.SeealsoClaytonandCraig(2004);

Saumarez:BBA,I,969:153–208,969:220–223;Campbell,volviii,p394;DNB;Marshall,voli,p174;ii,p864;NC,volvi,p85;O’Byrne,voli,p1029n;Ralfe,volii,p373;ADM107/6/332.SeealsoAnson(1748);Ekins(1824);Lavery(1998);Ross(1838);Shayer(2006);Voelcker(2008);Wilson(2006)andthedeSaumarezarchivesattheSuffolkRecordOfficeandonGuernseyStockham:BBA,I,1044:342;O’Byrne,voli,p1123;TrafalgarRoll,p241;ADM6/352/35;ADM6/352/35;PROB11/1560;NMM,BGY/S/5.SeealsoClaytonandCraig(2004)Sutton:Marshall,volii,p831.Nicolasseeindex;PROB11/1808

Thompson:BBA,I,1078:50;DNB;GentMag(1828),i,p563;Marshall,voli,p390;ii,p865;NC,volxiv,p1;O’Byrne,voli,p1175n;Ralfe,voliii,p344,SeealsoNicolasTroubridge:BBA,I,1096:180–197;Campbell,volviii,p156;DNB;NC,volxxiii,p1;xxxviii,p356;O’Byrne,voli,p1204n;Ralfe,voliv,p397.

Tyler:DNB;GentMag(1835),ii,p649;Marshall,voli,p372;O’Byrne,voli,p1218n;TrafalgarRoll,p87;ADM107/7/100;PROB11/1854).SeealsoWhite(2005)Upton:ADM6/91/120;ADM107/13/1;PROB11/1664.SeealsoHardy(1811);Pitt(1851)

Walker:BBA,I,1124:93–96;DNB;GentMag(1831),ii,p270;Marshall,volii,p848,882;O’Byrne,voli,p1239n;Ralfe,voliv,p155.

Watson:Marshall,volix,p3;NC,voliv,p240;ADM9/2/335Westcott:DNB;NC,volxii,p453;ADM107/6/349;PROB11/1323Whitter:ADM6/92/239;ADM37/1862;ADM107/17/104;RoyalCornwallGazette,11June1808.SeealsoBond(1823)Yelland:Marshall,volix,p32;ADM9/2/339;PROB11/1736).SeealsoMillard(1897)

Young:BBA,I,1211:421–424;Marshall,volvi,p403;vii,p432;O’Byrne,voli,p1338;TrafalgarRoll,p312;ADM6/91/274;ADM9/4/1074;ADM107/15/18;PROB11/2053

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