e any issue. His two brothers had distinguished themselves in the service of their country; John, an admiral of the blue, died Feb. 12, 1778 and William, already mentioned,
In 1732, on the change of the administration usually called that of lord North, the command of the army, and the lieutenant-generalship of ordnance, were put into other hands. In 1787, he received another patent of peerage, as baron Amherst, of Montreal, with remainder to his nephew, William Pitt Amherst. On the staff being reestablished, he was, Jan. 22, 1793, again appointed to the command of the army in Great Britain, although at that time, general Conway, the duke of Gloucester, sir George Howard, the duke of Argyle, the hon. John Fitz-william, and sir Charles Montagu, were his seniors. On the 10th of February 1795, the command of the army being given to the duke of York, an offer of earldom, and the rank of field marshal, were made to lord Amherst, who then declined accepting them, but on the 30th July 1796, accepted the rank of field-marshal. His increasing age and infirmities, had, however, rendered him unfit for public business nearly two years before this period, and he now retired to his seat at Montreal in Kent, where he August 3, 1797, in the eighty-first year of his age. and was interred in the family vault in Seven Oaks church, on the 10th. Lord Amherst had been twice married; first, to Jane, only daughter of Thomas Dallison, of Manton, in Lincolnshire, esq. who died Jan. 7, 1765; and secondly, to Elizabeth, eldest daughter of general George Gary, brother to viscount Falkland, who survived him; but by neither had he any issue. His two brothers had distinguished themselves in the service of their country; John, an admiral of the blue, died Feb. 12, 1778 and William, already mentioned, a lieutenant-general in the army, died May 13, 1781. His son inherits lord Amherst’s title and estate.
Mr. Anson, a few days after his return into his own country, was made a rear- admiral of the blue, and in a very short time, he was chosen member
Mr. Anson, a few days after his return into his own
country, was made a rear-admiral of the blue, and in a
very short time, he was chosen member of parliament
for Heydon in Yorkshire. On the 27th December 1744,
when the duke of Bedford was appointed first lord of the
admiralty, he was appointed one of the commissioners
of the admiralty; and on the 23d of April, in the following year, was made a rear-admiral of the white. On the
14th of July 1746, he was raised to the rank of vice-admiral; and in the latter end of that year, and beginning of
1747, he commanded the squadron in the channel service,
and bore the inconveniencies of a long and tempestuous
winter navigation, with his usual patience and perseverance. Nothing would have frustrated the success of this
expedition, but the accidental intelligence which was
given, by the master of a Dutch vessel, to the duke of
D'Arville’s fleet, of admiral Anson’s station and intention.
However, being employed again early in the ensuing
spring, he had an opportunity of rendering a very signal
service of his country. Being then on board the Prince
George, of 90 guns, with rear-admiral Warren, in the
Devonshire, and twelve ships more under his command,
he intercepted, on the 3d of May 1747, off Cape Finisterre, a considerable fleet, bound from France to the
East and West Indies, and laden with merchandise, treasure, and warlike stores; and took six men of war, and
four East Indiamen, not one of the enemy’s vessels of war
escaping. By this successful exploit, he defeated the
pernicious designs of two hostile expeditions, and made a
considerable addition to the force and riches of our own
kingdom. M. St. George, captain of the Invincible, in
allusion to the names of two of the ships which had been
taken, and pointing to them at the same time, said, when
he presented his sword to the conqueror, “Monsieur, vous
avez vaincu V In-vincible, et la Gloire vous suit.
” On the
13th of June following, the king raised him to the honour
of an English peerage, by the style and title of lord Anson,
baron of Soberton, in the county of Southampton; and
his lordship made choice of a motto, very happily suited
to his perils and his successes, ML Desperandum. On
the 25th of April 1748, he married Elizabeth, eldest
daughter of Philip lord Hardwicke, at that time lord high
chancellor of Great Britain; but his lady died without
issue on the 1st of June 1760.
k, who then commanded the English fleet. In the spring of the year 1665, he hoisted his flag as rear- admiral of the blue, under the earl of Sandwich, and in the great battle
, an
eminent English admiral in the last century, descended
from a very good family in Lincolnshire, and entered early
into the sea-service, where he obtained the character of
an able and experienced officer, and the honour of knighthood from king Charles I. This, however, did not hinder him from adhering to the parliament, when by a very
singular intrigue he got possession of the fleet, and so
zealous he was in the service of his masters, that when in
1648, the greatest part of the navy went over to the prince
of Wales, he, who then commanded the Lion, secured
that ship for the parliament, which was by them esteemed
an action of great importance. As this was a sufficient
proof of his fidelity, he had the command given him in a
squadron, that was employed to watch the motions of the
prince of Wales and accordingly sailed to the coast of
Ireland, where he prevented his highness from landing,
and drew many of the seamen to that service from which
they had deserted. The parliament next year sent him
with a considerable number of ships, and the title of admiral, to the coast of Ireland, which commission he
discharged with such vigour, that the parliament continued
him in his command for another year, and ordered an immediate provision to be made for the payment of his arrears,
and presented him with one hundred pounds. After the
war was finished in Ireland, sir George Ayscue had orders
to sail with a small squadron, to reduce the island of Barbadoes but his orders were countermanded, as the parliament received information, that the Dutch were treating
with sir John Grenville, in order to have the isles of Scilly
put into their hands, and therefore it was thought necessary to reduce these islands first. Blake and Ayscue were
employed in this expedition, in the spring of 1651, and
performed it with honour and success, sir John Grenville
entering into a treaty with them, who used him very honourably, and gave him fair conditions, after which Blake
returned to England, and Ayscue proceeded on his voyage
to Barbadoes. The parliament were at first pleased, but
when the conditions were known, Blake and Ayscue were
accused of being too liberal. Blake resented this, and
threatened to lay down his commission, which he said he
was sure Ayscue would also do. Upon this, the articles
were honourably complied with, and sir George received
orders to sail immediately to the West Indies. Sir George
continued his voyage, and arrived at Barbadoes October
26, 1651. He then found his enterprize would be attended
with great difficulties, and such as had not been foreseen
at home. The lord Willoughby, of Parham, commanded
there for the king, and had assembled a body of 5,Ooo
men for the defence of the island. He was a nobleman of
great parts and greater probity, one who had been extremely reverenced by the parliament, before he quitted
their party, and was Dow extremely popular on the island.
Sir George, however, shewed no signs of concern, but
boldly forced his passage into the harbour, and made himself master of twelve sail of Dutch merchantmen that lay
there, and next morning he sent a summons to the lord
Willoughby, requiring him to submit to the authority of
the parliament of England, to which his lordship answered,
that he knew no such authority, that he had a commission
from king Charles II. to be governor of that island, and
that he would keep it for his majesty’s service at the hazard
of his life. On this, sir George thought it not prudent to
land the few troops he had, and thereby discover his weakness to so cautious an enemy. In the mean time, he
receivect a letter by an advice-boat from England, with the
news of the king’s being defeated at Worcester, and one
intercepted from lady Willoughby, containing a very particular account of that unhappy affair. He now summoned
lord Willoughby a second time, and accompanied his summons with lady Willoughby’s letter, but his lordship continued firm in his resolution. All this time, sir George
anchored in Speights bay, and stayed there till December,
when the Virginia merchant fleet arriving, he made as if
they were a reinforcement that had been sent him, but in
fact, he had not above 2000 men, and the sight of the
little army on shore made him cautious of venturing his
men, till he thought the inhabitants had conceived a great
idea of his strength. The Virginia ships were welcomed
at their coming in, as a supply of men of war, and he presently ordered his men on shore: 159 Scotch servants
aboard that fleet, were added to a regiment of 700 men,
and some seamen, to make their number look more formidable. One colonel Allen landed with them on the 17th
of December, and found lord Willoughby’s forces well entrenched, near a fort they had upon the sea- coast. They
attacked him, however, and, in a sharp dispute, wherein
about sixty men were killed on both sides, had so much the
advantage, that they drove them to the fort, notwithstanding that colonel Allen, their commander, was killed by a
musket shot, as he attempted to land. After other attempts, sir George procured colonel Moddiford, who was
one of the most leading men on the place, to enter into a
treaty with him, and this negociation succeeded so well,
that Moddiford declared publicly for a peace, and joined
with sir George to bring lord Willoughby, the. governor,
to reason, as they phrased it but lord Willoughby never
would have consented if an accident had not happened,
which put most of the gentlemen about him into such confusion, that he could no longer depend upon their advice
or assistance. He had called together his officers, and
while they were sitting in council, a cannon-ball beat
open the door of the room, and took off the head of the
centinel posted before it, which so frighted all the gentlemen of the island, that they not only compelled their governor to lay aside his former design, but to retire to a.
place two miles farther from the harbour. Sir George
Ayscue, taking advantage of this unexpected good fortune,
immediately ordered all his forces on shore, as if he
intended to have attacked them in their entrenchments, which
struck such a terror into some of the principal persons
about the governor, that, after rhature deliberation on his
own circumstances, and their disposition, he began to alter
his mind, and thereupon, to avoid the effusion of blood,
both parties appointed commissaries to treat. Sir George
named captain Peck, Mr. Searl, colonel Thomas Moddiforcl, and James Colliton, esq. the lord Willoughby, sir
Richard Peers, Charles Pirn, esq. colonel Ellice, and major
Byham, who on the 17th of January agreed on articles of
rendition, which were alike comprehensive and honourable.
The lord Willoughby had what he most desired, indemnity,
and freedom of estate and person, upon which, soon after,
he returned to England. The islands of Nevis, Antigua,
and St. Christopher, were, by the same capitulation, surrendered to the parliament. After this, sir George, considering that he had fully executed his commission, returned with the squadron under his command to England,
and arriving at Plymouth on the 25th of May, 1652, was received with all imaginable testimonies of joy and satisfaction by the people there, to whom he was well known
before, as his late success also served not a little to raise
and heighten his reputation. It was not long after his arrival, before he found himself again obliged to enter upon
action for the Dutch war which broke out in his absence,
was then become extremely warm, and he was forced to
take a share in it, though his ships were so extremely foul,
that they were much fitter to be laid up, than to be employed in any farther service. On the 21st of June, 1652,
he came to Dover, with his squadron of eleven sail, and
there joined his old friend admiral Blake, but Blake having
received orders to sail northward, and destroy the Dutch
herring fishery, sir George Ayscue was left to command
the fleet in the Downs. Within a few days after Blake’s
departure he took five sail of Dutch merchantmen, and
had scarcely brought them in before he received advice
that a fleet of forty sail had been seen not far from the coast,
upon which he gave chace, fell in amongst them, took
seven, sunk four, and ran twenty-four upon the French
shore, all the rest being separated from their convoy. The
Dutch admiral, Van Tromp, who was at sea- with a great
fleet, having information of sir George Ayscue’s situation,
resolved to take advantage of him, and with no“less than
one hundred sail, clapped iji between him and the river,
and resolved to surprize such ships as should attempt to go
out or, if that design failed, to go in and sink sir George
and his squadron. The English admiral soon discovered
their intention, and causing a signal to be made from Dover castle, for all ships to keep to sea, he thereby defeated
the first part of their project. However, Van Tromp attempted the second part of his scheme, in hopes of better
success, and on the 8th of July, when it was ebb, be began
to sail towards the English fleet but, the wind dying away,
he was obliged to come to an anchor about a league off, in
order to expect the next ebb. Sir George, in the mean
time, caused a strong platform to be raised between Deal
and Sandown castles, well furnished with artillery, so
pointed, as to bear directly upon the Dutch as they came
in the militia of the county of Kent were also ordered
down to the sea-shore notwithstanding which preparation,
the Dutch admiral did not recede from his point, but at
the next ebb weighed anchor, and would have stood intothe port but the wind coming about south-west, and
blowing directly in his teeth, constrained him to keep out,
and being straightened for time, he was obliged to sail
away, and leave sir George safe in the harbour, with the
small squadron he commanded. He was soon after ordered
to Plymouth, to bring in under his convoy five East- India
ships, which he did in the latter end of July and in the
first week of August, brought in four French and Dutch
prizes, for which activity and vigilance in his command
he was universally commended. In a few days after this,
intelligence was received, that Van Tromp’s fleet was seen
off the back of the isle of Wight, and it was thereupon resolved, that sir George with his fleet of forty men of war,
most of them hired merchantmen, except flag ships, should
stretch over to the coast of France to meet them. Accordingly, on the 16th of August, between one and two o'clock
at noon, they got sight of the enemy, who quitted their
merchantmen, being fifty in number. About four the
fight began, the English Admiral with nine others charging
through their fleet; his ships received most damage in
the shrouds, masts, sails, and rigging, which was repaid
the Dutch in their hulls. Sir George having thus passed
through them, got the weather-gage, and charged them
again, but all his fleet not coming up, and the night already entered, they parted with a drawn battle. Captain
Peck, the rear-admiral, lost his leg, of which, soon after,
he died. Several captains were wounded, but no ship lost.
Of the Dutch, not one was said to be lost, though many
were shot through and through, but so that they were able
to proceed on their voyage, and anchored the next day
after, being followed by the English to the isle of Bassa;
but no farther attempt was made by our fleet, on account,
as it was pretended, of the danger of the French coasts,
from whence they returned to Plymouth- Sound to repair.
The truth of the matter was, some of sir George’s captains
were a little bashful in this affair, and the fleet was in so
indifferent a condition, that it was absolutely necessary to
refit before they proceeded again to action. He proceeded
next to join Blake in the northern seas, where he continued during the best part of the month of September, and
took several prizes and towards the latter end of that
month he returned with general Blake into the Downs,
with one hundred and twenty sail of men of war. On the
27th of that mojith a great Dutch fleet appeared, after
which, Blake with his fleet sailed, and sir George Ayscue,
pursuant to the orders he had received, returned to Chatham with his own ship, and sent the rest of his squadron
into several ports to be careened. Towards the end of
November, 1652, general Blake lying at the mouth of
our river, began to think that the season of the year left
no room to expect farther action, for which reason he detached twenty of his ships to bring up a fleet of colliers
from Newcastle, twelve more he had sent to Plymouth, and
our admiral, as before observed, with fifteen sail, had proceeded up the river in order to their being careened. Such
was the situation of things, when Van Tromp appeared with
a fleet of eighty- five sail. Upon this Blake sent for the
most experienced officers on board his own ship, where,
after a long consultation, it was agreed, that he should
wait for, and fight the enemy, though he had but thirtyseven sail of men of war, and a few small ships. Accordingly, on the 29th of November, a general engagement
ensued, which lasted with great fury from one in the afternoon till it was dark. Blake in the Triumph, with his seconds the Victory and the Vanguard, engaged for a considerable time near twenty sail of Dutch men of war, and
they were in the utmost danger of being oppressed and
destrdyed by so unequal a force. This, however, did not
hinder Blake from forcing his way into a throng of enemies,
to relieve the Garland and Bonadventure, in doing which
he was attacked by many of their stoutest ships, which
likewise boarded him, but after several times beating them
off, he at last found an opportunity to rejoin his fleet. The
loss sustained by the English consisted in five ships, either
taken or sunk, and several others disabled. The Dutch
confess, that one of their men of war was burnt towards
the end of the fight, and the captain and most of his men
drowned, and also that the ships of Tromp and Evertson
were much disabled. At last, night having parted the two
fleets, Blake supposing he had sufficiently secured the
nation’s honour and his own, by waiting the attack of an
enemy, so much superior, and seeing no prospect of advantage by renewing the fight, retired up the river but sir
George Ayscue, who inclined to the bolder but less prudent
counsel, was so disgusted at this retreat, that he laid down
his commission. The services this great man had rendered
his country, were none of them more acceptable to the
parliament, than this act of laying down his command.
They had long wished and waited for an opportunity of
dismissing him from their service, and were therefore extremely pleased that he had saved them this trouble however, to shew their gratitude for past services, and to prevent his falling into absolute discontent, they voted him a
present of three hundred pounds in money, and likewise
bestowed upon him three hundred pounds per annum in
Ireland. There is good reason to believe, that Cromwell
and his faction were as well pleased with this gentleman’s
quitting the sea-service for as they were then meditating,
what they soon afterwards put in execution, the turning
the parliament out of doors, it could not but be agreeable
to them, to see an officer who had so great credit in the
navy, and who was so generally esteemed by the nation,
laid aside in such a manner, both as it gave them an opportunity of insinuating the ingratitude of that assembly
to so worthy a person, and as it freed them from the apprehension of his disturbing their measures, in case he had
continued in the fleet; which it is highly probable might
have come to pass, considering that Blake was far enough
from being of their party, and only submitted to serve the
protector, because he saw no other way left to serve his
country, and did not think he had interest enough to preserve the fleet, after the defection of the army, which
perhaps might not have been the case, if sir George Ayscue
had continued in his command. This is so much the more
probable, as it is very certain that he never entered into
the protector’s service, or shewed himself at all willing to
concur in his measures though there is no doubt that
Cromwell would have been extremely glad of so experienced an officer in his Spanish war. He retired after
this to his country-seat in the county of Surrey, and lived
there in great honour and splendor, visiting, and being
visited by persons of the greatest distinction, both natives
and foreigners, and passing in the general opinion of both,
for one of the ablest sea-captains of that age. Yet there
is some reason to believe that he had a particular correspondence with the protector’s second son, Henry; since
there is still a letter in being from him to secretary Thurloe, which shews that he had very just notions of the worth
of this gentleman, and of the expediency of consulting him
in all such matters as had a relation to maritime power. The
protector, towards the latter end of his life, began to grow
dissatisfied with the Dutch, and resolved to destroy their
system without entering immediately into a war with them.
It was with this view, that he encouraged the Swedes to cultivate, with the utmost diligence, a maritime force, promising in due time to assist them with a sufficient number
of able and experienced officers, and with an admiral to
command them, who, in point of reputation, was not inferior to any then living. For this reason, he prevailed
on sir George, by the intervention of the Swedish ambassador and of Whitelock, and sir George from that time
began to entertain favourable thoughts of the design, and
brought himself by degrees to think of accepting the offer
made him, and of going over for that purpose to Sweden
and although he had not absolutely complied during the
life of the protector, he closed at last with the proposals
made him from Sweden, and putting every thing in order
for his journey, towards the latter end of the year 1658,
and as soon as he had seen the officers embarked, and had
dispatched some private business of his own, he prosecuted
his voyage, though in the very depth of winter. This exposed him to great hardships, but on his arrival in Sweden,
he was received with all imaginable demonstrations of civility and respect by the king, who might very probably
have made good his promise, of promoting him to the
rank of high-admiral of Sweden, if he had not been taken
off by an unexpected death. This put an end to his hopes
in that country, and disposed sir George Ayscue to return
home, where a great change had been working in his absence, which was that of restoring king CharJes It. It
does not at all appear, that sir George had any concern in
this great affair but the contrary may be rather presumed,
from his former attachment to the parliament, and his
making it his choice to have remained in Sweden, if the
death of the monarch, who invited him thither, had not
prevented him. On his return, however, he not only submitted to the government then established, but gave the
strongest assurances to the administration, that he should
be at all times ready to serve the public, if ever there
should be occasion, which was very kindly taken, and he
had the honour to be
” introduced to his majesty, and to
kiss his hand. It was not long before he was called to the
performance of his promise for the Dutch war breaking
out in 1664, he was immediately put into commission by
the direction of the duke of York, who then commanded
the English fleet. In the spring of the year 1665, he
hoisted his flag as rear-admiral of the blue, under the earl
of Sandwich, and in the great battle that was fought the
third of June in the same year, that squadron had the
honour to break through the centre of the Dutch fleet, and
thereby made way for one of the most glorious victories
ever obtained by this nation at sea. For in this battle,
the Dutch had ten of their largest ships sunk or burned,
besides their admiral Opdam’s, that blew up in the midst
of the engagement, by which the admiral himself, and upwards of five hundred men perished. Eighteen men of
war were taken, four fire-ships destroyed, thirteen captains, and two thousand and fifty private men made prisoners and this with so inconsiderable loss, as that of one
ship only, nnd three hundred private men. The fleet
being again in a condition to put to sea, was ordered to
rendezvous in Southwold-bay, from whence, to the number of sixty sail, they weighed on the fifth of July, and
stood over for the coast of Holland. The standard was
borne by the gallant earl of Sandwich, to whom was viceadmiral sir George Ayscue, and sir Thomas Tyddiman
rear-admiral, sir William Perm was admiral of the white,
sir William Berkley vice-admiral, and sir Joseph Jordan
rear-admiral. The blue flag was carried by sir Thomas
^Vllen, whose vice and rear, were sir Christopher Minims,
and sir John Harman. The design was, to intercept de
Ruyter in his return, or, at least, to take and burn the
Turkey and East-India fleets, of which they had certain
intelligence, but they succeeded in neither of these
schemes; de Ruyter arrived safely in Holland, and the
Turkey and India fleets took shelter in the port of Bergen
in Norway. The earl of Sandwich having detached sir
Thomas Tyddiman to attack them there, returned home,
and in his passage took eight Dutch men of war, which
served as convoys to their East and West India fleets, and
several merchantmen richly laden, which finished the
triumphs of that year. ^The plain superiority of the English
over the Dutch at sea, engaged the French, in order to
keep up the war between the maritime powers, and make
them do their business by destroying each other, to declare
on the side of theweakest, as did the king of Denmark
also, which, nevertheless, had no effect upon the English,
who determined to carry on the war against the allies, with
the same spirit they had done against the Dutch alone.
In the spring, therefore, of the year 1666, the fleet was
very early at sea, under the command of the joint admirals for a resolution having been taken at Court, not to
expose the person of the duke of York any more, and the
earl of Sandwich being then in Spain, with the character
of ambassador-extraordinary, prince Rupert, and old general Monk, now duke of Albemarle, were appointed to
command the fleet; having under them as gallant and prudent officers as ever distinguished themselves in the English navy, and, amongst these, sir William Berkley commanded the blue, and sir George Ayscue the white squadron. Prince Rupert, and the duke of Albemarle, went
on board the fleet, the twenty-third of April, 1666, and
sailed in the beginning of May. Towards the latter end
of that month, the court was informed, that the French
fleet, under the command of the duke of Beaufort, were
coming out to the assistance of the Dutch, and upon receiving this news, the court sent orders to prince Rupert to sail
with the white squadron, the admirals excepted, to look
out and fight the French, which command that brave
prince obeyed, but found it a mere bravado, intended to
raise the courage of their new allies, and thereby bring
them into the greater danger. At the same time prince
Rupert sailed from the Downs, fthe Dutch put out to sea,
the wind at north-east, and a fresh gale. This brought
the Dutch fleet on the coast of Dunkirk, and carried his
highness towards the Isle of Wight but the wind suddenly
shifting to the south-west, and blowing hard, brought
both the Dutch and the duke to an anchor. Captain Bacon, in the Bristol, first discovered the enemy, and by
firing his guns, gave notice of it to the English fleet.
Upon this a council of war was called, wherein it was resolved to fight the enemy, notwithstanding their great superiority. After the departure of prince Rupert, the duke
had with him only the red and blue squadrons, making
about sixty sail, whereas the Dutch fleet consisted of
ninety-one men of war, carrying 4716 guns, and 22,460
men. It was the first of June when they were discerned,
and the duke was so warm for engaging, that he attacked
the enemy before they had time to weigh anchor, and, as
de Ruyter himself says in his letter, they were obliged to
cut their cables and in the same letter he owns, that to
the last the English were the aggressors, notwithstanding
their inferiority and other disadvantages. This day’s fight
was very fierce and bloody for the Dutch, confiding in
their numbers, pressed furiously upon the English fleet,
while the English officers, being men of determined resolution, fought with such courage and constancy, that they
not only repulsed the Dutch, but renewed the attack, and
forced the enemy to maintain the fight longer than they
were inclined to do, so that it was ten in the evening before their cannon were silent. The following night was
spent in repairing the damages suffered on both sides, and
next morning the fight was renewed by the English with
fresh vigour. Admiral Van Tromp, with vice-admiral
Vander Hulst, being on board one ship, rashly engaged
among the English, and were in the utmost danger, either
of being taken or burnt. The Dutch affairs, according to
their own account, were now in a desperate condition
but admiral de Ruyter at last disengaged them, though
not till his ship was disabled, and vice-admiral Vander
Hulst killed. This only changed the scene for de Ruyter was now as hard pushed as Tromp had been before;
but a reinforcement arriving, preserved him also, and so
the second day’s fight ended earlier than the first. The
duke finding that the Dutch had received a reinforcement,
and that his small fleet, on the contrary, was much weakened, through the damages sustained by some, and the
Joss and absence of others of his ships, took, towards the
evening, the resolution to retire, and endeavour to join
prince Rupert, who was coming to his assistance. The
retreat was performed in good order, twenty- six or twentyeight men of war that had suffered least, brought up the
rear, interposing between the enemy and the disabled
ships, three of which, being very much shattered, were
burnt by the English themselves, and the men taken on
board the other ships. The Dutch fleet followed, but at a
distance. As they thus sailed on, it happened on the third
day that sir George Ayscue, admiral of the white, who
commanded the Royal Prince (being the largest and heaviest ship of the whole fleet) unfortunately struck upon the
sand called the Galloper, where being threatened by the
enemy’s fire-ships, and hopeless of assistance from his
friends (whose timely return, the near approach of the enemy, and the contrary tide, had absolutely rendered impossible), he was forced to surrender. The Dutch admiral
de Ruyter, in his letter to the States-general, says, in few
words, that sir George Ayscue, admiral of the white, having run upon a sand -bank, fell into their hands, and that
after taking out the commanders, and the men that were
left, they set the s’mp on fire. But the large relation,
collected by order of the States out of all the letters written to them upon that occasion, informs us, that sir
George Ayscue, in the Royal Prince, ran upon the Galloper, an unhappy accident, says that relation, for an officer who had behaved very gallantly during the whole engagement, and who only retired in obedience to his admiral’s orders. The unfortunate admiral made signals for
assistance but the English fleet continued their route
so that he was left quite alone, and without hope of succour in which situation he was attacked by two Dutch
fire-ships, by which, without doubt, he had been burnt,
if lieutenant-admiral Tromp, who was on board the ship of
rear-admiral Sweers, had not made a signal to call off the
fire-ships, perceiving that his flag was already struck, and
a signal made for quarter, upon which rear-admiral Sweers,
by order of Tromp, went on board the English ship, and
brought off sir George Ayscue, his officers, and some of
his men, on board his own vessel, and the next morning
sir George was sent to the Dutch coast, in order to go to
the Hague in a galliot, by order of general de Ruyter.
The English ship was afterwards got off the sands, notwithstanding which, general de Ruyter ordered the rest of the
crew to be taken out, and the vessel set on fire, that his
fleet might he the less embarrassed, which was accordingly
done. But in the French relation, published by order of
that court, we have another circumstance, which the Dutch
have thought fit to omit, and it is this, that the crew gave
np the ship against the admiral’s will, who had given orders
/or setting her on fire. There were some circumstances
which made the loss of this ship, in this manner, very disagreeable to the English court, and perhaps this may be
the reason that so little is said of it in our own relations.
In all probability general de Ruyter took the opportunity
of sending sir George Ayscue to the Dutch coast the next
morning, from an apprehension that he might be retaken in.
the next day’s fight. On his arrival at the Hague he was
very civilly treated but to raise the spirits of their people,
and to make the most of this dubious kind of victory, the
states ordered sir George to be carried as it were in triumph, through the several towns of Holland, and then confined him in the castle of Louvestein, so famous in the Dutch
histories for having been the prison of some of their most
eminent patriots, and from whence the party which opposed
the prince of Orange were styled the Louvestein faction.
As soon as sir George Ayscue came to this castle, he wrote
a letter to king Charles II. to acquaint him with the condition he was in, which letter is still preserved in the life of
the Dutch admiral, de Ruyter. How long he remained
there, or whether he continued a prisoner to the end of the
war, is uncertain, but it is said that he afterwards returned to
England, and spent the remainder of his days in peace.
Granger observes very justly, that it is scarcely possible to
give a higher character of the courage of this brave admiral, than to say that he was a match for Van Tromp or de
Ruyter.
active services. In February 1786, he was made lieutenant-general of marines; and on Sept. 24, 1787, admiral of the blue. During the last ten years of his life, his ill
, brother to the preceding, and fifth son of the first lord viscount Harrington, was born in 1729, and entered very young into the service of the British navy, passing through the inferior stations of midshipman and lieutenant with great reputation. He first went to sea in the Lark, under the command of lord George Graham, and in 1744, he was appointed a lieutenant by sir William Rowley, then commanding a squadron in the Mediterranean. In 1746, he had the rank of master and commander in the Weazcl sloop, in which he took a French privateer off Flushing. During the same year, or in 1747, he became post-captain, by being appointed totheBellona frigate (formerly a French privateer) in which he took the Duke de Chartres outward bound East India ship, of 800 tons, and of superior force, after a severe engagement, in which the French lost many killed and wounded. After the peace of 1748, he had the command of the Sea-horse, a twenty-gun ship in the Mediterranean, and while there, was dispatched from Gibraltar to Tetuan, to 'negociate the redemption of some British captives, in which he succeeded. He had afterwards the command of the Crown man of war, on the Jamaica station, and was in commission during the greater part of the peace. When the war broke out again between Great Britain and France, in 1756, he was appointed to the command of the Achilles of 60 guns. In 1759, he signalized his courage in an engagement with the Count de St. Florentin, French man of war, of equal force with the Achilles she fought for two hours, and had 116 men killed or wounded, all her masts shot away, and it was with difficulty she was got into port. The Achilles had twenty-five men killed or wounded. In the Achilles, captain Barrington was after this dispatched to America, from whence she returned about the close of the year 1760. In the Spring of the ensuing year, captain Barrington served under admiral Keppel, at the siege of Belleisle. To secure a landing for the troops, it became necessary to attack a fort and other works, in a sandy bay, intended to be the place of debarkation; three ships, one of which was the Achilles, were destined to this service. Captain Barrington got first to his station, and soon silenced the fire from the fort and from the shore, and cleared the coast for the landing the troops, and although, soon obliged to re-embark, they were well covered by the Achilles, and other ships. Ten days after the troops made good their landing, at a place where the mounting the rock was, as the commanders expressed it, barely possible, and captain Barrington was sent home with this agreeable news. After the peace of 1763, captain Barrington in 1768 commanded the Venus frigate, in which ship the late duke of Cumberland was entered as a midshipman. In her he sailed to the Mediterranean, and as these voyages are always intended both for pleasure and improvement, he visited the most celebrated posts in that sea. Soon after his return, the dispute between Great Britain and Spain, respecting Falkland’s Island, took place, and on the fitting out of the fleet, captain Barrington was appointed to the command of the Albion, of 74 guns, and soon after made colonel of marines. He found some little difficulty, from a scarcity of seamen, in manning his ship, and had recourse to a humourous experiment. He offered a bounty. for all lamp-lighters, and men of other trades which require alertness, who would enter; and soon procured a crew, but of such a description that they were, for some time, distinguished by the title of Barrington‘ s blackguards. He soon, however, changed their complexion. He had long borne the character of being a thoroughrbred seaman, and a rigid disciplinarian. His officers under him were the same, and they succeeded in making the Albion one of the best disciplined ships in the royal navy. The convention between the two courts putting an end to all prospect of hostilities, the Albion was ordered, as a guardship, to Plymouth; and in this situation captain Barrington commanded her for three years, made himself universally esteemed, and shewed that he possessed those accomplishments which adorn the officer and the man. In the former capacity he had so completely established his character, as to be looked up to as one who, in case of any future war, would be intrusted with some important command. In the latter, the traits of benevolence which are known, exclusive of those which he was careful to keep secret, shew, that with the roughness of a seaman, he possessed the benevolence of a Christian. An economical style of living enabled him to indulge his inclination that way, with a moderate income. On the breaking out of the war with France, captain Barrington, having then been thirty-one years a post-captain in the navy, was promoted to the rank of rear-admiral, and dispatched with a squadron to the West Indies. He found himself, on his arrival, so much inferior to the enemy, that he could riot preserve Dominica from falling into their hands. However, before the French fleet under D’Estaing could reach the West Indies, he was joined at Barbadoes by the troops under general Grant from America. He then immediately steered for St. Lucia, and the British troops had gained possession of a part of the island, when the French fleet, under the command of count D‘Estaing, appeared in sight. ’ Barrington lay in the Grand Cul de Sac, with only three ships-of the line, three of fifty guns, and some-frigates, and with this force, had not only to defend himself against ten sail of the line, many frigates, and American armed ships, but also to protect a large fleet of transports, having on board provisions and stores for the army, and which there had not yet been time to land; so that the fate of the army depended on that of the fleet. During the night the admiral caused the transports to be warped into the bay, and moored the men of war in a line without them. D'Estaing, elated with the hopes of crushing this small naval force under Barrington, attacked him next morning, first with ten sail of the line, but failing, he made a second attack with his whole force, and was equally unsuccessful, being only able to carry off one single transport, which the English had not time to warp within the line. This defence is among the first naval atchievements of the war. In an attack by land, on general Meadows’s intrenchments, the count was equally repulsed, and the island soon after capitulated. Admiral Byron shortly after arriving in the West Indies, Barrington, of course, became second in command only. In the action which took place between the British fleet and the French on the 6th of July, 1775, admiral Barrington, in the Prince of Wales, commanded the van division. The enemy were much superior to the English, but this discovery was not made till it was too late to remedy it. Admiral Barrington, in the Prince of Wales, with the Boyne and Sultan, pressed forward, soon closed with the enemy’s fleet, and bravely sustained their attack until joined by other ships. It was not, however, the intention of the French admiral to risk a general engagement, having the conquest of Grenada in view, and his ships being cleaner than those of the English, enabled him to choose his distance. The consequence was, that several of the British ships were very severely handled, whilst others had no share in the action. Barrington was wounded, and had twenty-six men killed, and forty-six wounded, in his own ship. Soon after this engagement, admiral Barrington, on account of ill-health, returned to England. These two actions established our admiral’s reputation, and he was looked on as one of the first officers in the English navy. The ferment of parties during the close of that war occasioned many unexpected refusals of promotion; and as admiral Barrington was intimately connected with lord Shelburne, col. Barre, and several other leading men in opposition, it was probably owing to this circumstance that he refused the command of the channel fleet, which was offered to him after the resignation of admiral Geary in 1780, and on his declining to accept it, conferred on admiral Darby. In 1782, he served, as second in command, under lord Howe, and distinguished himself at the memorable relief of Gibraltar. The termination of the war put a period to his active services. In February 1786, he was made lieutenant-general of marines; and on Sept. 24, 1787, admiral of the blue. During the last ten years of his life, his ill state of health obliged him to decline all naval command. He died at his lodgings in the Abbey Green, Bath, August 16, 1800.
he could depend upon, and to this it was that Mr. Benbow owed his being promoted to the rank of vice- admiral of the blue. He was at that time cruising off Dunkirk, in order
Rear-admiral Benbow sailed in the month of November
1698, and did not arrive in the West Indies till the Feb.
following, where he found that most of our colonies were
in a bad condition, many of them engaged in warm disputes
with their governors, the forces that should have been kept
up in them for their defence so reduced by sickness, desertion, and other accidents, that little or nothing was to
be expected from them; but the admiral carried with him
colonel Collingwood’s regiment, which he disposed of to
the best advantage in the Leeward Islands. This part of
his charge being executed, he began to think of performing the other part of his commission, and of looking into
the state of the Spanish affairs, as it had been recommended to him by the king; and a proper occasion of doing this
very speedily offered, for, being informed that the Spaniards at Carthagena had seized two of our ships, with an
intent to employ them in an expedition they were then
meditating against the Scots at Darien, he resolved to restore those ships to their right owners. With this view he
stood over to the Spanish coast, and coming before Boccacbica castle, he sent his men ashore for wood and water,
which, though he asked with great civility of the Spanish
governor, he would scarcely permit him to take. This
highly incensed the admiral, who sent his own lieutenant
to the governor, with a message, importing that he not
only wanted those necessaries, but that he came likewise
for the English ships that lay in the harbour, and had been
detained there for some time, which, if not sent to him immediately, he would come and take by force. The governor answered him in very respectful terms, that if he would
leave his present station, in which he seemed to block up
their port, the ships would be sent out to him. With this
request the admiral complied, but finding the governor
trifled with him, and that his men were in danger of falling
into the country distemper, he sent him another message,
that if in twenty-four hours the ships were not sent him, he
would have an opportunity of seeing the regard an English
officer had to his word. The Spaniards immediately sent
out the ships, with which the admiral returned to Jamaica.
There he received an account, that the Spaniards at PortoBello had seized several of our ships employed in the slavetrade, on the old pretence, that the settlement at Darien
was a breach of peace. At the desire of the parties concerned, the admiral sailed thither also, and demanded these
ships, but received a rude answer from the admiral of the
Barlovento fleet, who happened to be then at Porto-Bello.
Rear-admiral Benbow expostulated with him, insisting, that
as the subjects of the crown of England had never injured
those of his Catholic majesty, he ought not to make prize
of their ships for injuries done by another nation. The
Spaniards replied shrewdly, that since both crowns stood on
the same head, it wa; no wonder that he took the subjects
of the one crown for the other. After many altercations,
however, and when the Spaniards saw the colony at Darien
received no assistance from Jamaica, the ships were restored. On his return to Jamaica, towards the latter end
of the year, he received a supply of provisions from England, and, soon after, orders to return home, which he did
with six men of war, taking New England in his way, and
arrived safe, bringing with him from the Plantations sufficient testimonies of his having discharged his duty, which
secured him from all danger of censure; for, though the
house of commons expressed very high resentment at some
circumstances that attended the sending this fleet, the
greatest compliments were paid to his courage, capacity,
and integrity, by all parties; and the king, as a signal mark
of his kind acceptance of his services, granted him an
augmentation of arms, which consisted in adding to the
three bent bows he already bore, as many arrows. His majesty also consulted him as much or more than any man of
his rank, and yet without making the admiral himself vain,
or exposing him in any degree to the dislike of the ministers.
When the new war broke out, his majesty’s first care was to
put his fleet into the best order possible, and to distribute
the commands therein to officers that he could depend
upon, and to this it was that Mr. Benbow owed his being
promoted to the rank of vice-admiral of the blue. He was
at that time cruising off Dunkirk, in order to prevent an
invasion; but admiral Benbow having satisfied the ministry
that there was no danger on this side, it was resolved to
send immediately a strong squadron to the West Indies,
consisting of two third-rates and eight fourths, under the
command of au officer, whose courage and conduct might
be relied on. Mr. Benbow was thought on by the ministry,
as soon as the expedition was determined, but the king
would not hear of it. He said that Benbow was in a manner just come home from thence, where he had met with
nothing but difficulties, and therefore it was but fit some
other officer should take his turn. One or two were named
and consulted; but either their health or their affairs were
in such disorder, that they mo^t earnestly desired to be
excused. Upon which the king said merrily to some of
his ministers, alluding to the dress and appearance of these
gentlemen, “Well then, I find we must spare our Beans,
and send honest Benbow
” His Majesty accordingly sent
for him upon this occasion, and asked him whether he was
willing to go to the West Indies, assuring him, that if he
was not, he would not take it at all amiss if he desired to be
excused. Mr. Benbow answered bluntly, that he did not understand such compliments, that bethought he had no right
to druse his station, and that if his majesty thought fit to send
him to the East or West Indies, or any where else, he would
cheerfully execute his orders as became him. To conceal,
however, the design of this squadron, and its force, sir
George Rooke, then admiral of the fleet, had orders to
convoy it as far as the Isles of Scilly, and to send a strong
squadron with it thence, to see it well into the sea, aH which
he punctually performed. It is certain that king William
formed great hopes of this expedition, knowing well that
Mr. Benbow would execute, with the greatest spirit and
punctuality, the instructions he had received, which were,
to engage the Spanish governors, if possible, to disown
ling Philip, or in case that could not be brought about, to
make himself master of the galleons. In this design it is
plain that the admiral would have succeeded, notwithstanding the smallness of his force; and it is no less certain, that the anxiety the vice-admiral was under about
the execution oi his orders, was the principal reason for
his maintaining so strict a discipline, which proved unluckily the occasion of his coming to an untimely end.
The French, who had the same reasons that we had to be
very attentive to what passed in the West Indies, prosecuted their designs with great wisdom and circumspection,
sending a force much superior to ours, which, however,
would have availed them little, if admiral Benbow’s officers hatl done their duty. Bis squadron, consisting of
two third and eight fourth rates, arrived at Barbadoes on
the 3d of November, 1701, from whence he sailed to
the Leeward Islands, in order to examine the state of the
French colonies and our own. He found the former in
some confusion, and the latter in so good a situation, that
he thought he ran no hazard in leaving them to go to Jamaica, where, when he arrived, his fleet was in so good a
condition, the admiral, officers, and seamen being most of
them used to the climate, that he had not occasion to send
above ten men to the hospital, which was looked upon as a
very extraordinary thing. There he received advice of two
French squadrons being arrived in the West Indies, which
alarmed the inhabitants of that island and of Barbadoes very
much. After taking 'care, as far as his strength would permit, of both places, he formed a design of attacking Petit
Guavas; but before he could execute it, he had intelligence that Monsieur du Casse was in the neighbourhood of
Hispaniola, with a squadron of French ships, in order to
settle the Assiento in favour of the French, and to destroy
the English and Dutch trade for negroes. Upon this he
detached rear-admiral Whetstone in pursuit of him, and on
the 11 th of July, 1702, he sailed from Jamaica, in order to
have joined the rear-admiral; but having intelligence that
du Casse was expected at Leogane, on the north side of Hispaniola, he plied for that port, before which he arrived on
the 27th. Not far from the town he perceived several
ships at anchor, and one under sail, who sent out her boat
to discover his strength, which coming too near was taken;
from the crew of which they learned that there were six
merchant ships in the port, and that the ship they belonged
to was a man of war of fifty guns, which the admiral pressed
so hard, that the captain seeing no probability of escaping,
ran the ship on shore and blew her up. On the 28th the
admiral came before the town, where he found a ship of
about eighteen gnns hauled under the fortifications, which,
however, did not hinder his burning her. The rest of the
ships had sailed before day, in order to get into a better
harbour, viz. Cui de Sac. But some of our ships between
them and that port, took three of them, and sunk a fourth.
The admiral, after alarming Petit Guavas, which he found
it impossible to attack, sailed for Donna Maria Bay, where
he continued till the 10th of August, when, having received
advice that Monsieur du Casse was sailed for Carthagena,
and from thence was to sail to Porto Bello, he resolved to
follow him, and accordingly sailed that day for the Spanish
coast of Santa Martha. On the 19th of August, in the afternoon, he discovered ten sail near that place, steering
westward along the shore, under their topsails, four of them
from sixty to seventy guns, one a great Dutch-built ship of
about thirty or forty, another full of soldiers, three small
vessels, and a sloop. The vice-admiral coming up with
them, about four the engagement began. He had disposed
his line of battle in the following manner: viz. th^ Defiance, Pendennis, Windsor, Breda, Greenwich, Ruby, and
Falmouth. But two of these ships, the Defiance and
Windsor, did not stand above two or three broadsides before they loofed out of gun-shot, so that the two ster.imost
ships of the enemy lay on the admiral, and galled him very
much; nor did the ships in the rear come up to his assistance with the diligence they ought to have done. The
fight, however, lasted till dark, and though the firing then
ceased, the vice-admiral kept them company all night.
The next morning, at break of day, he was near the French
ships, but none of his squadron except the Ruby was with
him, the rest being three, four, or five miles a-stern. Notwithstanding this, the French did not fire a gun at the
vice-admiral, though he was within their reach. At two in
the afternoon the French drew into a line, though at the
same time they made what sail they could without fighting.
However, the vice-admiral and the Ruby kept them company all night, plying their chase-guns. Thus the viceadmiral continued pursuing, and at some times skirmishing
with the enemy, for four days more, but was never duly
seconded by several of the ships of his squadron. The
23d, about noon, the admiral took from them a small English ship, called the Anne Galley, which they had taken off
Lisbon, and the Ruby being disabled, he ordered her to
Port Royal. About eight at night the whole squadron was
up with the vice-admiral, and the enemy not two miles off.
There was now a prospect of doing something, and the
vice-admiral made the best of his way after them, but his
whole squadron, except the Falmouth, fell astern again.
At two in the morning, the 24th, the vice-admiral came up
with the enemy’s stern most ship, and fired his broadside,
which was returned by the French ship very briskly, and
about three the vice-admiral’s right leg was broken to
pieces by a chain-shot. In this condition he was carried
down to be dressed, and while the surgeon was at work, one
of his lieutenants expressed great sorrow for the loss of
his leg, upon which the admiral said to him, “I am sorry
for it too, but I had rather have lost them both, than have
seen this dishonour brought upon the English nation.
But, do ye hear, if another shot should take me off, behave
like brave men, and fight it out.
” As soon as it was practicable, he caused himself to be carried up, and placed,
with his cradle, upon the quarter-deck, and continued the
fight till day. They then discovered the ruins of one of
the enemy’s ships, that carried seventy guns, her main-yard
down and shot to pieces, her fore top-sail yard shot away,
her mizen-mast shot by the board, all her rigging gone,
and her sides tore to pieces. The admiral, soon after, discovered the enemy standing towards him with a strong gale
of wind. The Windsor, Pendennis, and Greenwich, ahead of the enemy, came to the leeward of the disabled
ship, fired their broadsides, passed her, and stood to the
southward. Then came the Defiance, fired part of her
broadside, when the disabled ship returning about twenty
guns, the Defiance put her helm a-weather, and run away
right before the wind, lowered both her top-sails, and ran.
in to the leeward of the Fahnouth, without any regard to
the signal of battle. The enemy seeing the other two
ships stand to the southward, expected they would have
tacked and stood towards them, and therefore they brought
their heads to the northward; but when they saw those
ships did not tack, they immediately bore down upon the
admiral, and ran between their disabled ship and him, and
poured in all their shot, by which they brought down his
main top-sail yard, and shattered his rigging very much,
none of the other ships being near him or taking the least
notice of his signals, though captain Fogg ordered two
guns to be fired at the ship’s head, in order to put them in
mind of their duty. The French, seeing things in this
condition, brought to, and lay by their own disabled ship,
remanned, and took her into tow. The Breda’s rigging
being much shattered, she was forced to lie by till ten
o'clock, and being then refitted, the admiral ordered the
captain to pursue the enemy, then about three miles to the
leeward, his line of battle signal out all the while; and
captain Fogg, by the admiral’s orders, sent to the other
captains, to order them to keep the line and behave like
men. Upon this captain Kirkby came on board the admiral, and told him, “He had better desist, that the French
were very strong, and that from what had passed he might
guess he could make nothing of it.
” The brave admiral
Benbow, more surprised at this language than at all that
had hitherto happened, said very calmly, that this was but
one man’s opinion, and therefore made a signal for the rest
of the captains to come on board, which they did in obedience to his orders; but when they came, they fell too
easily into captain Kirkby’s sentiments, and, in conjunction
with him, signed a paper, importing, that, as he had before
told the admiral, there was nothing more to be done; though
at this very time they had the fairest opportunity imaginable of taking or destroying the enemy’s whole squadron;
for ours consisted then of one ship of seventy guns, one of
sixty-four, one of sixty, and three of fifty, their yards,
masts, and in general all their tackle, in as good condition
as could be expected, the admiral’s own ship excep-ted, in
which their loss was considerable; but in the rest they had
eight only killed and wounded, nor were they in any want
of ammunition necessary to continue the fight. The enemy, on the other hand, had but four ships of between sixty
and seventy guns, one of which was entirely disabled and in
low, and all the rest very roughly handled; so that even
now, if these officers had done their duty, it is morally certain they might have taken them all. But vice-admiral
Benbow, seeing himself absolutely without support (his own captain having signed the paper before mentioned)
determined to give over the fight, and to return to Jamaica,
though he could not help declaring openly, that it was
against his own sentiments, in prejudice to the public service, and the greatest dishonour that had ever befallen the
English navy. The French, glad of their escape, continued
their course towards the Spanish coasts, and the English
squadron soon arrived safe in Port-Royal harbour, where,
as soon as the vice-admiral came on shore, he ordered the
officers who had so scandalously misbehaved, to be brought
out of their ships and confined, and immediately after directed a commission to rear-admiral Whetstone to hold a
court-martial for their trial, which was accordingly done,
and upon the fullest and clearest evidence that could be
desired, some of the most guilty were condemned, and suffered death according to their deserts. Although now so
far recovered from the fever induced by his broken leg,
as to be able to attend the trials of the captains who deserted him, and thereby vindicate his own honour, and that of
the nation, yet he still continued in si declining way,
occasioned partly by the heat of the climate, but chiefly from
that grief which this miscarriage occasioned, as appeared
by his letters to his lady, in which he expressed much more
concern for the condition in which he was like to leave the
public affairs in the West Indies, than for his own. During all the time of his illness, he behaved with great calmness and presence of mind, having never flattered himself,
from the time his leg was cut off, with any hopes of recovery? but shewed an earnest desire to be as useful as he
could while he was yet living, giving the necessary directions for stationing the ships of his squadron, for protecting commerce, and incommoding the enemy. He continued
thus doing his duty to the last moment of his life. His
spirits did not fail him until very near his end, and he preserved his senses to the day he expired, Nov. 4, 1702. He
left several sons and daughters; but his sons dying without
issue, his two surviving daughters became coheiresses, and
the eldest married Paul Calton, esq. of Milton near Abington in Berkshire, who contributed much of the admiral’s
memoirs to the Biographia Britannica. One of his sons,
John, was brought up to the sea, but in the year his father
died was shipwrecked on the coast of Madagascar, where,
after many dangerous adventures, he was reduced to live
with, and in manner of the natives, for many years, and at
last, when he least expected it, he was taken on board by a
Dutch captain, out of respect to the memory of his father,
and brought safe to England, when his relations thought
him long since dead. He was a young gentleman naturally
of a very brisk and lively temper, but by a long series of
untoward events, his disposition was so far altered that he
appeared very serious or melancholy, and did not much affect speaking, except amongst a few intimate friends. But
the noise of his remaining so long, and in such a condition,
upon the island of Madagascar, induced many to visit him;
for though naturally taciturn, he was very communicative
on that subject, although very few particulars relating to it
can now be recovered. It was supposed by Dr. Campbell,
jn his life of the admiral, that some information might have
been derived from a large work which Mr. John Benbow
composed on the history of Madagascar, but it appears from
a letter in the Gent. Mag. vol. XXXIX. p. 172, that this
was little more than a seaman’s journal, the loss of which
may perhaps be supplied by Drury’s description of Madagascar, one of the fellow-sufferers with Mr. Benbow, of
which work a new edition was published a few years ago,
Mr. Benbow’s ms. was accidentally burnt by a fire which
took place in the house, or lodgings, of his brother William,
a clerk in the Navy office, who died in 1729. The whole
family is now believed to be extinct, and a great part of the
admiral’s fortune is said to remain in the bank of England,
in the name of trustees, among the unclaimed dividends.
One William Briscoe, a hatter, and a member of the corporation of Shrewsbury, who was living in 1748, was supposed
to be his representative, but was unable to substantiate his
pretensions.
the French ships of war, ten in number, were taken. In July of the same year, he was appointed rear- admiral of the blue, and commander in chief of the land and sea-forces
In November 1746, being then captain of the Namur, of seventy-four guns, he chased into admiral Anson’s fleet the Mercury, formerly a French ship of war, of fifty-eight guns, but then serving as an hospital ship to M. d'Anvilie’s squadron. On May 3, 1747, he signalized himself under the admirals Anson and Warren, in an engagement with a French fleet off Cape Finisterre, and was wounded in the shoulder by a musquet-ball. Here M. Hoquart, then commanding the Diamant of fifty-six guns, again became his prisoner, and all the French ships of war, ten in number, were taken. In July of the same year, he was appointed rear-admiral of the blue, and commander in chief of the land and sea-forces employed on an expedition to the East Indies. Nov. 4, he sailed from St. Helen’s, with six ships of the line, five frigates, and two thousand soldiers: and though the wind soon proved contrary, the admiral was so anxious of clearing the channel, that he rather chose to turn to the windward than put back. After refreshing his men some weeks at the Cape of Good Hope, where he arrived March 29, 1748, he made the island of Mauritius, belonging to the French, on June 23. But on reconnoitering the landing place, and finding it impracticable, without great loss, it was determined by a council of war, to proceed on the voyage, that not being the principal design of the expedition. July 29, he arrived at Fort St. David’s, where the siege of Pondicherry being immediately resolved on, the admiral took the command of the army, and marched with them, August 8th, and on the 27th opened trenches before the town: but the men growing sickly, the monsoons being expected, the chief engineer killed, and the enemy being stronger in garrison than the besiegers, the siege was raised Oct. 6th, and in two days the army reached for St. David’s, Mr. Boscawen shewing himself in the retreat as much the general as the admiral. Soon after the peace was concluded, and Madras delivered up to him by the French.
use. In May 1754, he was re-elected for the borough of Truro. In February 1755 he was appointed vice- admiral of the blue, and on April 19, he sailed from Spithead with a
In April 1749, he lost in a violent storm his own ship the Namur, and two more, but was himself providentially on shore. In April 1750 he arrived at St. Helen’s, in the Exeter, having, in his absence, been appointed rear-admiral of the white. In June 1751, he was appointed one of the lords commissioners of the admiralty, and in July was chosen an elder brother of the Trinity -house. In May 1754, he was re-elected for the borough of Truro. In February 1755 he was appointed vice-admiral of the blue, and on April 19, he sailed from Spithead with a strong fleet, in order to intercept the French squadron bound to North America. June 10th, he fell in, off Newfoundland, with the Alcide and Lys, of sixty-four guns each, which were both taken by the Dunkirk and Defiance, being the first action of that war. On this occasion, it was very extraordinary, that M. Hoquart became a third time his prisoner. In November, the admiral arrived at Spithead with his prizes, and fifteen hundred prisoners. In 1756 he commanded the squadron in the Bay; and in December was appointed vice-admiral of the white. In 1757 he again commanded in the Bay; and in 1758 was appointed admiral of the blue, and commander in chief of the expedition to Cape Breton. Feb. 15, he sailed from St. Helen’s, and in conjunction with general (afterwards lord) Amherst, took the important fortress of Louisburgh, July 27th, with the islands of Cape Breton and St. John. On Nov. 1st. the admiral arrived at St. Helen’s with four ships, having fallen in, off Scilly, with six French ships from Quebec, which escaped him in the night; but in chacing one of them, the Belliqueux of sixty-four guns, having carried away her fore top-mast, was forced up Bristol Channel, where she was taken by the Antelope. December 12th, on his coming to the house of commons, the thanks of that august assembly, the greatest honour that can be conferred on any subject, were given him by the speaker.
British channel, and the Isle of Wight, he married Jan. 1780, Elizabeth, widow of John, Lloyd, vice- admiral of the blue, daughter of Gulston of Widdial, Hertfordshire and
, esq. F. R. S. and F. S. A. and a trustee of the British Museum, was a Swede by family, born about the year 172u, and brought up to trade, which he carried on so successfully as to fill the honourable office of Director of the Bank for many years; and having inherited the accumulated fortune of his uncle, Mr. Spicker, he indulged his favourite pursuits in literature and the fine arts. He had a mind strongly tinctured with the love of literature, and a heart which was always most gratified in employing his great fortune in acts of beneficence, and in forming those collections which administer to the researches of literary men. Atnong his principal curiosities was the magnificent chair in which the first emperors of Germany used to be crowned; which being taken by Gustavus Adolphus in his wars, and carried into Sweden, was brought over from thence, and purchased by Mr. Brander; and afterwards sold to lord Folkestone, on his going to Christchurch. It contained all the Roman history, from its beginning to the emperors, wrought in polished iron. In 1766 he removed from London to Westminster, and afterwards into Hampshire, where he purchased the site of the old priory at Christ- church, in removing the ruins of which several curious discoveries were made, some of which are inserted in the Archaeologia, vol. IV. Having completed his villa and gardens in this beautiful spot, commanding an extensive view of the British channel, and the Isle of Wight, he married Jan. 1780, Elizabeth, widow of John, Lloyd, vice-admiral of the blue, daughter of Gulston of Widdial, Hertfordshire and spent the greatest part of the year in the society of his friends and neighbours of the adjacent counties, and of others who visited him from London. In the winter of 1786, he had just completed the purchase of a capital house in St. Alban’s street, when he was unexpectedly seized with a strangury, which carried him off, Jan. 21, 1787.
, admiral of the blue, an elder brother of the Trinity-house, and one
, admiral of the blue, an elder brother of the Trinity-house, and one of the directors of Greenwich hospital, born in 1709, was the son of Piercy Brett, many years a master in the royal navy, and afterwards master attendant of his majesty’s yards at Sheerness and Chatham, at which last place he died June 4$ 1752. Of Piercy’s early years we have no exact account; but he served either as midshipman, or as some say, as lieutenant in the Gloucester, of 50 guns, one of the small squadron ordered into the South Sea under Mr. (afterwards lord) Anson. He was afterwards appointed by Anson, who had a high opinion of him, to be second lieutenant in, his own ship, the Centurion, and he confided to him the attack on the town of Paita, a service which he executed with the greatest skill, promptitude, and exactness. After the capture of the Manilla galleon, and the arrival of the Centurion at Macao, Mr. Brett was promoted by commodore Anson to the command of that ship, under him, as captain, he being, as he supposed, authorised by his instructions, to issue such a commission. The lords of the admiralty, however, having refused to confirm it, Mr. Anson retired from the service, and would not return until Mr. Brett’s rank was allowed, with which another board of admiralty thought proper to comply, and Mr. Brett ranked as captain from Sept. 30, 1743.
lty, an office which he held until Feb. 24, 1770. In October of that year he was promoted to be vice- admiral of the blue, and on the 28th of the same month, to be vice-admiral
In 1747 he commanded the Yarmouth, of 64 guns, one
of the squadron under Mr. Anson, which, in the month of
May, defeated and captured that of France, commanded
by De la Jonquiere. He was one of the captains sent
after the conclusion of the action in pursuit of the convoy,
of which, Dr. Campbell and other historians assert, two
only were captured, but we find it peremptorily asserted
in the periodical publications of the time, that five more
French ships were brought into Portsmouth, and three
into Plymouth. On Jan. 3, 1753, he received the honour
of knighthood from his majesty, in consequence of his
having carried him to Holland; and towards the end of the
year he was appointed captain of the Caroline yacht, as
successor to Sir C. Molloy. In 1758, he was commodore
in the Downs, having his pendant on board the Norfolk,
and was in the same year appointed first captain to lord
Anson, in the Royal George, who commanded in the channel, the covering-fleet to the squadron employed under
lord Howe on the coast of France. On the conclusion of
this expedition he returned to his command in the Downs.
In March 1760 he was appointed colonel of the Portsmouth division of marines. In 1761, still continuing to
hold the Downs command, we find him frequently and
actively employed in reconnoitering the opposite coast
and ports of France. In December, having hoisted his
pendant on board the Newark, he was ordered for the
Mediterranean with seven ships of war, as second in command to sir Charles Saunders, and shared, as a flag, in the
rich Spanish prize, the Hermione. In the course of the
same year he was advanced to the rank of rear-admiral of
the red. From this time he appears never to have accepted
any command, but Dec. 13, 1766, was appointed one of
the lords of the admiralty, an office which he held until
Feb. 24, 1770. In October of that year he was promoted to be vice-admiral of the blue, and on the 28th
of the same month, to be vice-admiral of the white; March
1775, was admiral of the red, and finally, in Jan. 1778,
admiral of the blue. He died Oct. 12, 1781, and was
buried at Beckenham church, in Kent. His biographer
adds, that “whether living or dead, the vice of slander
and malevolence was abashed at his manifold virtues, ever
silent, not only at his approach, but even at the bare mention of his name.
” In the last parliament of George II.
and the first of George III. he sat as member for Queenborough, in Kent. In 1745, after his return from the
South Seas with Anson, he married Henrietta, daughter
of Thomas Colby, esq. clerk of the cheque at Chatham;
by whom he had two sons, who died young, and a daughter
who survived him.
ncreased by his behaviour in the engagement off Southwold Bay. In 1673 he was successively made rear- admiral of the blue and the red squadrons; and on the 10th of September,
, earl of Ossory, son of the former,
was born in the castle of Kilkenny, July 9, 1634. He
distinguished himself by a noble bravery, united to the
greatest gentleness and modesty, which very early excited
the jealousy of Cromwell, who committed him to the
Tower; where, falling ill of a fever, after being confined
near eight months, he was discharged. He afterwards
went over to Flanders, and on the restoration attended the
king to England; and from being appointed colonel of foot
in Ireland, was raised to the rank of lieutenant-general of
the army in that kingdom. On the 14th of September
1666, he was summoned by writ to the English house of
lords, by the title of lord Butler, of Moore-park. The
same year, being at Euston in Suffolk, he happened to
hear the firing of guns at sea, in the famous battle with
the Dutch that began the 1st of June. He instantly prepared to go on board the fleet, where he arrived on the
3d of that month; and had the satisfaction of informing
the duke of ^Ibemarle, that prince Rupert was hastening
to join him. He had his share in the glorious actions of
that and the succeeding day. His reputation was much
increased by his behaviour in the engagement off Southwold Bay. In 1673 he was successively made rear-admiral
of the blue and the red squadrons; and on the 10th of
September, the same year, was appointed admiral of the
whole fleet, during the absence of prince Rupert. In
1677 he commanded the English troops in the service of
the prince of Orange; and at the battle ojf Mons contributed greatly to the retreat of marshal Luxemburg, to
whom Lewis XIV. was indebted for the greatest part of his
military glory. His speech, addressed to the earl of
Shaftesbury, in vindication of his father, was universally
admired: it even confounded that intrepid orator, who
was in the senate what the earl of Ossory was in the field.
He died July 30, 1680, aged forty-six. The duke of Ormond his father said, “he would not exchange his dead
son for any living son in Christendom.
”
about two months time, with the Thetis, a French man of war of fifty guns. In 1705 he was made vice- admiral of the blue: and upon the election of a new parliament, was
, lord viscount Torrington, an eminent naval officer, was descended from a family long seated in Kent, his direct ancestor Robert Byng, of Wrotham, inthat county, being high sheriff of it in the 34th year of queen Elizabeth; and he was the eldest son of John Byng, esq. by Philadelphia, daughter of Mr. Johnson, of Loans, Surrey. He was born in 1663, and went a Volunteer to sea in 1678, at the age of fifteen, with the king’s letter given him on the recommendation of the duke of York. In 1681 he quitted the sea-service upon the invitation of general Kirk, governor of Tangier, and served as a cadet in the grenadiers of that garrison; until on a vacancy, which soon happened, the general made him ensign of his own company; and soon after a lieutenant. In 1684, after the demolition of Tangier, lord Dartmouth, general of the sea and land forces, appointed him lieutenant of the Oxford; from which time he constantly kept to the sea-service, remaining likewise an officer in the army several years after. In 1685 he went lieutenant of his majesty’s ship the Phoenix to the East Indies where, engaging and boarding a Zinganian pirate, who maintained a desperate fight, most of those who entered with him were killed, himself much wounded, and the pirate sinking, he was taken out of the sea with scarce any remains of life. In 1688, being first lieutenant to sir John Ashby, in the fleet commanded by lord Dartmouth, fitted out to oppose the designs of the prince of Orange, he was in a particular manner intrusted and employed in the measures then carrying on amongst the most considerable officers of the fleet in favour of that prince; and was the person confided in by them to carry their secret assurances of obedience to his highness, to whom he was privately introduced, at Sherburn, by admiral Russel, afterwards earl of Orford. After his return to the fleet, lord Dartmouth sent him with capt. Aylmer, and capt. Flastings, to carry a message of submission to the prince at Windsor; and made him captain of the Constant Warwick, a ship of the fourth rate. In 1690 he commanded the Hope, a third rate, and was second to sir George Rooke, in the battle off Beachy head. In the years 1691 and 1692, he was captain of the Royal Oak, and served under admiral Russel, who commanded in chief their Majesty’s fleet. In F693, that great officer distinguished him in a particular manner, by promoting him to the rank of his first captain; in which station he served in 1694 and 1695 in the Mediterranean, where the designs of the French against Barcelona were prevented: and also the next year, 1696, in the Channel, to oppose the intended invasion of king James with a French army from the coast of France; which, upon the appearance of the fleet, was laid aside. In 1702, upon the breaking out of the war, he accepted of the command of the Nassau, a third rate, and was at the taking and burning of the French and Spanish fleets at Vigo. The year following he was made rearadmiral of the red, and served in the fleet commanded by *ir Cloudesley Shovel, in the Mediterranean; who detached him with a squadron to Algiers, where he renewed and improved our treaties with that government. In 1704 he served in the grand fleet in the Mediterranean, and commanded the squadron that attacked and cannonaded Gibraltar; and, by landing the seamen, whose valour was very remarkably displayed on this occasion, the town was taken. He was in the battle of Malaga, which followed soon after, and, for his behaviour in that action, had the honour of knighthood conferred on him by his Majesty. In the winter of this year he was sent oat with a squadron to cruise against the French, which he^ did with great success, taking about twenty of their largest privateers in about two months time, with the Thetis, a French man of war of fifty guns. In 1705 he was made vice-admiral of the blue: and upon the election of a new parliament, was returned burgess for Plymouth, which place he represented in every succeeding parliament to the year 1721, when he was advanced to the peerage.
the second post under Sir Cloudesley Shovel, at the seige of Toulon: and the year following was made admiral of the blue, and commanded the squadron which was fitted out
During the summer of 1705, he commanded in chief a squadron in the channel, and blocked up the French fleet in Brest, with a much inferior strength. In 1706, king Charles of Spain, the late emperor, being closely beseiged in Barcelona, by sea and land, by the duke of Anjou, and the place reduced to great extremity, and our fleet in the Mediterranean being too weak to relieve it, sir George Byng was appointed to command a strong squadron fitting out in England; in the hastening of which service, he used such diligence and activity, and joined our fleet with such unexpected dispatch, that the saving of that city was entirely owing to it. He assisted at the other enterprizes of that campaign, and commanded the ships detached for the reduction of Carthagena and Alicant, which he accomplished. In 1707 he served in the second post under Sir Cloudesley Shovel, at the seige of Toulon: and the year following was made admiral of the blue, and commanded the squadron which was fitted out to oppose the invasion designed against Scotland by the pretender with a French army from Dunkirk; which he fortunately prevented, by arriving off the Frith of Edinburgh before their troops could land, and obliged them to betake themselves to flight. On his return from this expedition, he was offered by the queen the place of one of the prince of Denmark’s council in the admiralty, which he then declined. He continued to command all that summer in the channel, and upon the marriage of the queen of Portugal, had the honour of conducting her majesty to Lisbon, where a commission was sent to him to be admiral of the white. In 1709 he commanded in chief her majesty’s fleet in the Mediterranean; and, after his return to England, was made one of the commissioners of the admiralty, and continued so till some time before the queen’s death; when, not falling in with the measures of the court, he was removed, but upon the accession of George I. he was restored to that station. In 1715, upon the breaking out of the rebellion which was at first secretly supported with arms "and warlike stores from France, he was appointed to command a squadron, with which he kept such a watchful eye along the French coast, by examining ships even in their ports, and obtaining orders from the court of France to put on shore at Havre de Grace great quantities of arms and ammunition shipped there for the pretender’s service; that, in reward for his services, the king on Nov. 15, 1715, created him a baronet, and gave him a ring of great value, and other marks of his royal favour. In 1717, upon the discovery of some secret practices of the ministers of Sweden against this kingdom, he was sent with a squadron into the Baltic, and prevented the Swedes appearing at sea. In 1718 he was made admiral and commander in chief of the fleet, and being sent with a squadron into the Mediterranean for the protection of Italy, according to the obligation England was under by treaty, against the invasion of the Spaniards, who had the year before surprized Sardinia, and had this year landed an army in Sicily, he gave a total defeat to their fleet near Messina: for which action he was honoured with a letter from the king, written with his own hand, and received congratulatory letters from the emperor and the king of Sardinia; and was further honoured by his imperial majesty with his picture set in diamonds. He remained for some time in these seas, for composing and adjusting the differences between the several powers concerned, being vested with the character of plenipotentiary to all the princes of Italy; and that year and the next he supported the German arms in their expedition to Sicily; and enabled them, by his assistance, to subdue the greatest part of that island. After performing so many signal services, he attended his majesty, by his command, at Hanover, who made him rear-admiral of England, and treasurer of the navy, and, on his return to England, one of his most honourable privy-council; and on Sept 19, 1721 he was called to the peerage by the title of baron Byng, of Southill, in the county of Bedford, and viscount Torrington, in Devonshire; and 1725 was made one of the knights of the bath on the revival of that order. In 1727, his late majesty, on his accession to the crown, placed him at the head of his naval affairs, as first lord of the admiralty, in which station he died, Jan. 17, 1732-3; and was interred at Southill, in Bedfordshire. Lord Torrington married, in 1691, Mary, daughter of James Master, of East Langdon, in the county of Kent, esq. by whom (who died in 1756) he had eleven sons and four daughters. His fourth son, was the unfortunate John Byng, admiral of the blue, who was condemned by the sentence, of a court-martial in 1757, and shot at Portsmouth March 14th of that year, for a breach of the twelfth article of war. From the best accounts published on this affair, it may be concluded that he was a sacrifice to popular clamour artfully directed to the wrong object.
again called into service, and on the promotion of admirals on the 23d of April, 1804, was made vice- admiral of the blue, and resumed his former station off Brest. The close
It did not fall to his lot to have any share in the subse-r quent battle of the Nile, nor had he the good fortune to be placed in a station where any further opportunity was afforded to display his talents during the remainder of the war. He continued in the command of the Excellent, under the flag of lord St. Vincent, till January 1799, when his ship was paid off: and on the 14th of February, in the same year, on the promotion of flag officers, he was raised to the rank of rear-admiral of the white; and on the 12th of May following, hoisted his flag on board the Triumph, one of the ships under the command of lord Bridport on the Channel station. In the month of June 1800 he shifted his flag to the Barfleur, on the same station; and in 1801 was promoted to the rank of rear-admiral of the red, in which ship, and upon the same service, he continued to the end of the war, without any opportunity of doing more than effectually blockading the enemy’s fleet in their own ports, while they were proudly vaunting of their preparations for invading us: a service not less important to the honour, the interest, and the security of the nation, than those more brilliant achievements which dazzle the public eye. On the re-commencement of hostilities, however, admiral Collingwood was again called into service, and on the promotion of admirals on the 23d of April, 1804, was made vice-admiral of the blue, and resumed his former station off Brest. The close blockade which admiral Cornwallis kept up requiring a constant succession of ships, the vice-admiral shifted his flag from ship to ship as occasion required, by which he was always upon his station in a ship fit for service, without the necessity of quitting his station, and returning to port for victualling or repairs. But from this station he was called in May 1805, to a more active service, having been detached with a reinforcement of ships to the blockading fleet at Ferrol And Cadiz. Perhaps it would be difficult to fix upon a period, or a part of the character of lord Collingwood, which called for powers of a more peculiar kind, o-r displayed his talents to more advantage, than the period and the service in which he was now employed. Left with only four ships of the line, to keep in nearly four tjmes the number, it seems almost impossible so to have divided his little force as to deceive the enemy, and effect the object of his service; but this he certainly accomplished. With two of his ships close in as usual to watch the motions of the enemy, and make signals to the other two, which were so disposed, and at a distance from one another, as to repeat those signals from one to the other, and again to other ships that were supposed to receive and answer them, he continued to delude the enemy, and led them to conclude that these were only part of a larger force that was not in sight, and thus he not only secured his own ships, but effected an important service to his country, by preventing the execution of any plan that the enemy might have had in contemplation.
the last commission he ever held as a private captain. On Sept. 14, 1789, he was promoted to be rear- admiral of the blue, and to the same rank in the white squadron on Sept.
Captain Duncan quitted the Monarch not long after his arrival in England, and did not receive any other commission until the beginning of 1782, when he was appointed to the Blenheim of 90 guns, a ship newly come out of dock, after having undergone a complete repair. He continued in the same command during near the whole of the remainder of the war, constantly employed with the channel fleet, commanded, during the greater part of the time, by the late earl Howe. Having accompanied his lordship in the month of September to Gibraltar, he was stationed to lead the larboard division of the centre, or commander-in-chief 's squadron, and was very distinguish* edly engaged in the encounter with the combined fleets of France and Spain, which took place off" the entrance of the Straits. The fleet of the enemy was more than one fourth superior to that of Britain; and yet, had not the former enjoyed the advantage of the weather-gage, it was >vas very evident from the event of the skirmish which did take place, that if the encounter had been more serious, the victory would, in all probability, have been completely decisive against them. Soon after the fleet arrived in England, capt. Duncan removed into the Foudroyant, of 84 guns, one of the most favourite ships of the British navy at that time, which had, during the whole preceding part of the war, been commanded by sir John Jervis, now earl St. Vincent. On the peace, which took place in the ensuing spring, he removed into the Edgar of 74 guns, one of the guard-ships stationed at Portsmouth, and continued, as is customary in time of peace, in that command during the three succeeding years; and this was the last commission he ever held as a private captain. On Sept. 14, 1789, he was promoted to be rear-admiral of the blue, and to the same rank in the white squadron on Sept. 22, 1790. He was raised to be vice-admiral of the blue, Feb. 1, 1793; of the white, April 12, 1794; to be admiral of the blue, June 1, 1795; and lastly, admiral of the white, Feb. 14, 1799. During all these periods, except the two last, singular as it may appear, the high merit of admiral Duncan continued either unknown, or unregarded. Frequently did he solicit a command, and as often did his request pass uncomplied with. It has even been reported, we know not on what foundation, that this brave man had it once in contemplation to retire altogether from the service, on a very honourable civil appointment connected with the navy.
as a reward of his bravery, he was soon afterwards made knight of the bath. In 1748 he was made vice- admiral of the blue, and elected an elder brother of the Trinity-house;
, an eminent naval
officer, was the son of Edward Hawke, esq. barrister at law,
by Elizabeth, daughter of Nathaniel Bladen, esq. He was
from his youth brought up to the sea, and passed through
the inferior stations till, in 1713—4, he was appointed captain
of the Wolf. His intrepidity and conduct were first of all
distinguished in the memorable engagement with the combined fleets of France and Spain on Toulon, in 1744, when
the English fleet was commanded by the admirals Matthews, Lestock, and Rowley. If all the English ships had
done their duty on that day as well as the Berwick, which
captain Hawke commanded, the honour and discipline of
the navy would not have been so tarnished. He compelled
the Pader, a Spanish vessel of 60 guns, to strike; and, to
succour the Princessa and Somerset, broke the line without orders, for which act of bravery he lost his commission, but was honourably restored to his rank by the king.
In 1747 he was appointed rear-admiral of the 'white; and
on the 14th of October, in the same year, fell in with a
large French fleet, bound to the West Indies, convoyed
by nine men of war, of which he captured seven. This
was a glorious day for England, and the event taught British commanders to despise the old prejudice of staying
for a line of battle. “Perceiving,
” says the gallant admiral in his letters to the Admiralty, “that we lost time in
forming our line, I made the signal for the whole squadron
to chase, and when within a proper distance to engage.
”
On October the 31st, admiral Hawke arrived at Portsmouth
with his prizes, and as a reward of his bravery, he was
soon afterwards made knight of the bath. In 1748 he was
made vice-admiral of the blue, and elected an elder brother of the Trinity-house; in 1755 he was appointed viceadmiral of the white, and in 1757 commanded the squadron which was sent to co-operate with sir John Mordaunt
in the expedition against Rochfort. In 1759, sir Edward
commanded the grand fleet opposed to that of the French
equipped at Brest, and intended to invade these kingdoms.
He accordingly sailed from Portsmouth, and, arriving off
Brest, so stationed his ships that the French fleet did not
dare to come out, and had the mortification of beholding
their coast insulted, and their merchantmen taken. The
admiral, however, being by a strong westerly wind blown
from his station, the French seized this opportunity, and
steered for Quiberon-bay, where a small English squadron
lay under the command of commodore Duff. Sir Edward
Hawke immediately went in pursuit of them, and on the
20th of November came up with them off Belleisle. The
wind blew exceedingly hard at the time, nevertheless the
French were engaged, and totally defeated, nor was the
navy of France able to undertake any thing of consequence
during the remainder of the war. This service, owing to
the nature of the coast, was peculiarly hazardous; but when
the pilot represented the danger, our gallant admiral only
replied, “You have done your duty in pointing out the
difficulties; you are now to comply with my order, and
lay me along the Soleil Royal.
” For these and similar
services, the king settled a pension of 2000l. per annum
on sif Edward and his two sons, or the survivor of them;
he also received the thanks of the house of commons, and
the freedom of the city of Cork in a gold box. In 1765
he was appointed vice-admiral of Great Britain, and first
lord of the admiralty; and, in 1776, he was made a peer
of England, under the title of Baron Hawke, of Towton, in
the county of York. His lordship married Catharine the
daughter of Walter Brooke, of Burton-hall, in Yorkshire,
esq. by whom he had four children. He was one of the
greatest characters that ever adorned the British navy; but
most of all remarkable for the daring courage which induced him on many occasions to disregard those forms of
conducting or sustaining an attack, which the rules and
ceremonies of service had before considered as indispensable. He died at his seat at Shepperton in Middlesex,
October 14, 1781.
of 80 guns, having accepted the command as captain to his royal highness the duke of York, now rear- admiral of the blue, serving as second in command under sir Edward Hawke,
, fourth viscount Howe, and earl
Howe, and first baron Howe of Langar, a gallant English
admiral, was the third son of sir Emanuel Scrope, second
lord viscount Howe, and Mary Sophia Charlotte, eldest
daughter to the baron Kilmansegge. He was born in 1725,
was educated at Eton, entered the sea-service at the age
of fourteen, on board the Severn, hon. captain Legge,
part of the squadron destined for the South Seas under
Anson. He next served on board the Burford, 1743, under
admiral Knowles, in which he was afterwards appointed
acting lieutenant; but his commission not being confirmed,
he returned to admiral Knowles in the West- Indies, where
he was made lieutenant of a sloop of war; and being employed to cut an English merchantman, which had been
taken by a French privateer under the guns of the Dutch
settlement of St. Eustatia, and with the connivance of the
governor, out of that harbour, he executed the difficult
and dangerous enterprise in such a manner, as to produce
the most sanguine expectations of his future services. In
1745, lieutenant Howe was with admiral Vernon in the
Downs, but was in a short time raised to the rank of commander, in the Baltimore sloop of war, which joined the
squadron then cruizing on the coast of Scotland, under the
command of admiral Smith. During this cruize an action
took place, in which captain Howe gave a fine example of
persevering intrepidity. The Baltimore, in company with
another armed vessel, fell in with two French frigates of
thirty guns, with troops and ammunition for the service of
the pretender, which she instantly attacked, by running
between them. In the action which followed, capt. Howe
received a wound hi his head, which at first appeared to be
fatal. He, however, soon discovered signs of life, and
when the necessary operation was performed, resumed all
his former activity, continued the action, if possible, with
redoubled spirit, and obliged the French ships, with their
prodigious superiority in men and metal, to sheer off, leaving the Baltimore, at the same time, in such a shattered
condition, as to be wholly disqualified to pursue them. He
was, in consequence of this gallant service, immediately
made post-captain, and in April 1746, was appointed to
the Triton frigate, and ordered to Lisbon, where, in consequence of captain Holbourne’s bad state of health, he
was transferred to the Rippon, destined for the Coast of
Guinea. But he soon quitted that station to join his early
patron admiral Knowles in Jamaica, who appointed him
first captain of his ship of 80 guns; and at the conclusion
of the war in 1748, he returned in her to England. In
March 1750-51, captain Howe was appointed to the command of the Guinea station, in La Gloire, of 44 guns;
when, with his usual spirit and activity, he checked the
injurious proceedings of the Dutch governor-general on the
coast, and adjusted the difference between the English and
Dutch settlements. At the close of 1751, he was appointed
to the Mary yacht, which was soon exchanged for the Dolphin frigate, in which he sailed to the Streights, where he
executed many difficult and important services. Here he
remained about three years; and soon after, on his return
to England, he obtained the command of the Dunkirk of
60 guns, which was among the ships that were commissioned from an apprehension of a rupture with France.
This ship was one of the fleet with which admiral Boscawen
sailed to obstruct the passage of the French fleet into the
Gulph of St. Lawrence, when captain Howe took the Alcide, a French ship of 64 guns, off the coast of Newfoundland. A powerful fleet being prepared, in 1757, under
the command of sir Edward Hawke, to make an attack
upon the French coast, captain Howe was appointed to the
Magnanime, in which ship he battered the fort on the
island of Aix till it surrendered. In 1758 he was appointed
commodore of a small squadron, which sailed to annoy tke
enemy on their coasts. This he effected with his usual
success at St. Malo, where an hundred sail of ships and
several magazines were destroyed; and the heavy gale
blowing into shore, which rendered it impracticable for
the troops to land, alone prevented the executing a similar
mischief in the town and harbour of Cherbourg. On the
1st of July he returned to St. Helen’s. This expedition
was soon followed by another, when prince Edward, afterwards duke of York, was entrusted to the care of commodore Howe, on board his ship the Essex. The fleet sailed
on the 1st of August 1758, and on the 6th came to an
anchor in the Bay of Cherbourg; the town was taken, and
the bason destroyed. The commodore, with his royal
midshipman on board, next sailed to St. Malo; and as his
instructions were to keep the coast of France in continual
alarm, he very effectually obeyed them. The unsuccessful affair of St. Cas followed. But never was courage,
skill, or humanity, more powerfully or successfully displayed than on this occasion. He went in person in his
barge, which was rowed through the thickest fire, to save
the retreating soldiers; the rest of the fleet, inspired hy
his conduct, followed his example, and at least seven hundred men were preserved, by his exertions, from the fire
of the enemy or the fury of the waves. In July in the
same year (1758), his elder brother, who was serving his
country with equal ardour and heroism in America, found
an early grave. That brave and admirable officer was killed in a skirmish between the advanced guard of the French,
and the troops commanded by general Abercrombie, in the
expedition against Ticonderago. Commodore Howe then
succeeded to the titles and property of his family. In the
following year (1759), lord Howe was employed in the Channel, on board his old ship the Magnanime but no opportunity offered- to distinguish himself till the month of November, when the French fleet, under Conflans, was defeated. When he was presented to the king by sir Edward
Hawke on this occasion, his majesty said, “Your life, my
lord, has been one continued series of services to your
country.
” In March I advised his
majesty to make the promotion. 1 have tried my lord
Howe on fmportant occasions; he never asked me how he
was to execute any service, but always went and performed
it.
” In
Upon his return home, he was appointed rear- admiral of the Blue, and vice-admiral of the same squadron; but declined
Upon his return home, he was appointed rear-admiral of
the Blue, and vice-admiral of the same squadron; but declined the honour of knighthood, which, however, he accepted the following year, when he was engaged with admiral Rooke in taking Gibraltar. Soon after this he particularly distinguished himself in the general engagement
off Malaga; and, being left with a winter-guard at Lisbon
for those parts, he relieved Gibraltar in 1705, which the
French had besieged by sea, and the Spaniards by land,
and reduced to the last extremity. He arrived Oct. 29,
and so opportunely for the besieged, that two days would,
in all probability, have decided their fate; but this was
prevented by sir John’s seasonable arrival. In Feb. 1705,
he received a commission, appointing him vice-admiral of
the white, and, in March, relieved Gibraltar a second time.
On March 6 he set sail for that place; and, on the 10th,
attacked five ships of the French fleet coming out of the
Bay, of whom two were taken, two more run ashore, and
were destroyed; and baron Pointi died soon after of the
wounds he received in the battle. The rest of the French
fleet, having intelligence of sir John’s coming, had left
the Bay the day before his arrival there. He had no sooner
anchored, but he received the letter inserted below from
the prince of Hesse : his highness also presented him
with a gold cup on the occasion. This blow struck a panic
along the whole coast, of which sir John received the
following account, in a letter from Mr. Hill, envoy to the
court of Savoy: “I can tell you,
” says he, “your late
success against Mr. Pointi put all the French coast into a
great consternation, as if you were come to scour the whole
Mediterranean. All the ships of war that were in the road
of Toulon were hauled into the harbour; and nothing durst
look out for some days.
” In short, the effect at Gibraltar
was, that the enemy, in a few days, entirely raised the siege,
and marched off, leaving only a detachment at some distance
to observe the garrison; so that this important place was
secured from any farther attempts of the enemy. There
are but few instances in which the sea and land officers
agreed so well together in an expedition, and sacrificed all
private views and passions to a disinterested regard for the
public good.
In April 1797, sir Horatio Nelson hoisted his flag as rear admiral of the blue, and was detached to bring down the garrison of
In April 1797, sir Horatio Nelson hoisted his flag as rear admiral of the blue, and was detached to bring down the garrison of Porto-Ferraio, and on May 28 he shifted his flag from the Captain to the Theseus, and was appointed to the command of the inner squadron at the blockade of Cadiz. During this service, his personal courage was, if possible, more conspicuous than at any other period of his former history. In the attack on the Spanish gun-boats, July 3, 1797, he was boarded in his barge, with only its usual complement of ten men and the coxswain, accompanied by captain Freemantle. The commander of the Spanish gun-boats, Don Miguel Tregovia, in a barge rowed by 26 oars, having 3O men, including officers, made a most desperate effort tooverpower sir Horatio Nelson and his brave companions; but after a long and doubtful conflict, the whole of the Spaniards were either killed or wounded, and Nelson brought off the launch. On the 15th of July, he was detached with a small squadron to make an attack on the town of Santa Cruz, in the island of Teneriffe, where it was imagined a Manilla ship had landed an immense treasure. The rear-admiral, on his arrival before the town, lost no time in directing 1000 men, including marines, to be prepared for landing from the ships, under the direction of captains Trowbridge, Hood, Thomson, Freemantle, Bowen, Miller, and Waller, who volunteered their services. The boats of the squadron being manned, the landing was effected in the night, and th party were in full possession of Santa Cruz in about seven hours; but, finding it impracticable to storm the citadel, they prepared for their retreat, which was allowed by the Spaniards unmolested, agreeably to the stipulations made with captain Trowbridge. It was on this occasion that our gallant hero, in stepping out of the boat, received a shot through the right elbow, which rendered amputation necessary.
re is nothing in you, or your conduct, that I wish otherwise.” He was now raised to the rank of vice- admiral of the blue, and soon after hoisted his flag on board the San
After the appointment of lord Keith to the command of
the Mediterranean fleet, lord Nelson made preparations to
return, and proceeding in company with sir William and
lady Hamilton, to Trieste, he travelled through Germany
to Hamburgh, every where received with distinguished
honours. He embarked at Cuxhaven, and landed at Yarmouth on the sixth of November 1800, after an absence
from his native country of three years. In the following
January he received orders to embark again, and it was
during this short interval that he formally separated from
lady Nelson. Some of his last words to her were, “I call
God to witness, that there is nothing in you, or your conduct, that I wish otherwise.
” He was now raised to the
rank of vice-admiral of the blue, and soon after hoisted
his flag on board the San Josef of 112 guns, his own
prize at the battle of cape St. Vincent. About this time
the emperor Paul of Russia had renewed the northern
confederacy, the express and avowed object of which was
to set limits to the naval supremacy of England. A resolution being taken by the English cabinet to attempt its
dissolution, a formidable fleet was fitted out for the North
Seas, under sir Hyde Parker, in which lord Nelson consented to go second in command. Having shifted his flag
to the St. George of 98 guns, he sailed with the fleet in
the month of March, and on the 30th of that same month
he led the way through the Sound, which was passed without any loss. But the battle of Copenhagen gave occasion
for an equal display of lord Nelson’s talents as that of the
Nile. The Danes were well prepared for defence. Upwards
of two hundred pieces of cannon were mounted upon the
crown batteries at the entrance of the harbour, and a line
of twenty-five two-deckers, frigates, and floating batteries,
was moored across its mouth. An attack being determined
upon, the conduct of it was entrusted to lord Nelson; the
action was fought on the second of April; Nelson had with
him twelve ships of the line, with all the frigates and small
craft, the remainder of the fleet was with the commander
in chief, about four miles off. The combat which succeeded was one of the most terrible on record. Nelson
himself said, that of all the engagements in which he had
borne a part, it was the most terrible. It began at ten in
the morning, and at one victory had not declared itself. A
shot through the main-mast knocked a few splinters about
the admiral “It is warm work,
” said he, “and this may
be the last day to any of us in a moment; but, mark you, I
would not be elsewhere for thousands.
” Just at this
moment sir Hyde Parker made signal for the action to
cease. It was reported to him, but he continued pacing
the deck, and appeared to take no notice of it. The signal-lieutenant asked if he should repeat it. “No,
” replied Nelson, “acknowledge it.
” Presently he called to
know if the signal for close action was still hoisted, and
being answered in the affirmative, he said, “Mind you
keep it so.
” About two o'clock, great part of the Danish
line had ceased to fire, and the victory was complete, yet
it was difficult to take possession of the vanquished ships,
on account of the fire from the shore, which was still kept
up. At this critical period, with great presence of mind,
he sent the following note to the crown prince of Denmark
“Lord Nelson has directions to spare Denmark when no
longer resisting but, if the firing is continued on the part
of Denmark, lord Nelson must be obliged to set on fire all
the floating-batteries he has taken, without having the
power of saving the brave Danes who had defended them.
”
This immediately produced a treaty, which ended the dispute, and annihilated the northern confederacy. For this
service lord Nelson was raised to the rank of a viscount.
His last effort, in this war, was an attack on the preparations making at Boulogne, for the invasion of England;
but, after the loss of many brave men on our side, the
enterprize proved unsuccessful, from the situation of the
harbour.
cawen, to attempt a descent on the coast of France, near Rochefort; and in 1759 he was advanced rear- admiral of the blue. In this same year he was sent to bombard Havre
, a celebrated naval commander, was the second son of Henry Rodney, esq. of
Walton on Thames, and Mary, eldest daughter and coheir to sir Henry Newton, knight, envoy- extraordinary to
Genoa, LL. D. judge of the high-court of admiralty, and
chancellor of the diocese of London. His father, as a naval officer, commanded the yacht in which king George I.
attended by the duke of Chandos, used to embark in going
to or coming from Hanover, and in consequence, asked
leave that his son might be called George Brydges. He
was born in Dec. 1717. At the desire, or by the command, of his royal and noble god-fathers, he entered early
into the navy, and in 1742 he was lieutenant in the Namur,
commanded by admiral Matthews. In November of the
same year, he was promoted by the admiral to the command of ili Plymouth, of shrty gtttts; on returning home
he was removed into the Sheerness, a small frigate; and
in 174i he was npp.iinied to the command of the Lucliowcastle, of furty-iour guns. In this ship he does not appear
to have continued long, for in May 1746, he was captain
of the Eagle, a new ship of sixty guns, then employed as
a cruiser on the Irish station. While here he captured two
large privateers. He continued in the Eagle during the
remainder of the war, and was one of the commanders
under the orders of rear-admiral Hawke, when in 1747 he
defeated L'Etendiere’s squadron. On this occasion capt.
Rodney behaved with much spirit, and may be said to have
then laid the foundation of that popularity he afterwards in
so high a degree possessed. On the conclusion of the war
he was, in March 1749, appointed to the Rainbow, a fourth
rate, and in May following was nominated governor and
commander-in-chief in and over the island of Newfoundland. Immediately afterwards he proceeded thither with
the small squadron annually sent there in time of peace,
for the protection of the fishery. Some time after his return in 1753 he married Miss Compton, daughter of Charles
Compton, esq. and sister to Spencer, then earl of Northampton. In 1757 he was engaged, under the command
of admirals Hawke and Boscawen, to attempt a descent on
the coast of France, near Rochefort; and in 1759 he was
advanced rear-admiral of the blue. In this same year he
was sent to bombard Havre de Grace, where a large force
was collected for the purpose of attempting an invasion of
this country. He executed the trust committed to him so
completely, that the town itself was several times on fire,
and the magazines of stores and ammunition burnt with
fury upwards of six hours, notwithstanding the exertions
used to extinguish it. Thus had admiral Rodney the happiness of totally frustrating the design of the French court;
and so completely did he destroy their preparations, that
the fort itself, as a naval arsenal, was no longer during the
war in a state to annoy Great Britain. In 1761 admiral
Rodney was very instrumental in the capture of the islands
of St Pierre, Granada, St. Lucia, and St. Vincent, when
the whole Caribbees came into the possession of the English. For his skill and bravery in the war, he was, after
the conclusion of it, raised to the dignity of a baronet. In
1768, after an expensive, and to sir George Rodney a
ruinous, contest with Mr. Howe, he was elected member
of parliament for Northampton. In the month of October
1770 he was progressively advanced to be vice-admiral of
the white and red squadrons, and in the month of August
1771, to be rear-admiral of Great Britain. In the very
arly part of this year he resigned the mastership of Greenwich hospital, to which he had been appointed in 1765,
and was immediately after made commander-in-chief on
the Jamaica station, whither he repaired, having his flag
on board the Princess Amelia of 80 guns. The appointment of this ship to that service was intended as a particular and pointed compliment, it being extremely unusual to
send a three-decked ship on that station, except in time of
actual war. It is said the command in India was offered to
him, which he declined, entertaining hopes of being appointed governor of Jamaica in case of the death of sir
William Trelawney; but in this he was disappointed. After
his return to England at the expiration of the time allotted
for the continuance of his command, he retired to France,
where he lived some years in obscurity, hoping to retrieve
the losses he had suffered at the Northampton election. It
is said that the French king wished to take advantage of
his pecuniary embarrassments, and through the duke de
Biron made him the most unbounded offers if he would
quit the English for the French service. In reply to this
proposal he said,“My distresses, sir, it is true, have driven
me from the bosom of my country, but no temptation can
estrange me from her service. Had this offer been voluntary on your part, I should have deemed it an insult, but I
am glad to learn it proceeds from a source that can do no
wrong.
” The duke was so struck with the patriotism of
the admiral, that he became attached to him as a friend,
and is said to have advanced him a sum of money to revisit
England, and solicit a command.
sed with his diligence and dexterity, that he did him the honour to deliver him a commission of rear- admiral of the blue with his own hand. Just before the king set out
, an eminent English admiral, was born near Clay, in Norfolk, about 1650, of parents
in middling circumstances, and put apprentice to some
mechanic trade, to which he applied himself for som.e time.
He is said to have early discovered an inclination for the
naval service, and at length went to sea, under the protection of sir Christopher Mynns, as a cabbin-boy, and applying himself very assiduously to the study of navigation, became an able seaman, and quickly arrived at preferment.
In 1674, our merchants in the Mediterranean being very
much distressed by the piratical state of Tripoly, a strong
squadron was sent into those parts under the command of
sir John Narborough, who arrived before Tripoly in the
spring of the year, and found considerable preparations for
defence. Being, according to the nature of his instructions,
desirous to try negotiation rather than force, he thought
proper to send Shovel, now a lieutenant, to demand satisfaction for what was past, and security for the time to
come. Shovel went on shore, and delivered his message
with great spirit; but the Dey, despising his youth, treated
him with much disrespect, and sent him back with an indefinite answer. Shovel, on his return to the admiral, acquainted him with some remarks he had made on shore.
Sir John sent him back with another message, and well
furnished him with proper rules for conducting his inquiries and observations. The Dey’s behaviour was worse the
second time, which Shovel made a pretence for delaying
his departure that he might complete his observations.
On his return he assured the admiral it was very practicable to burn the ships in the harbour, notwithstanding their
lines and forts: accordingly, in the night of the 4th of
March, Shovel, with all the boats in the fleet, filled with
combustibles, went boldly into the harbour, and destroyed
the vessels in it, after which he returned safe to the fleet,
without the loss of a single man; and the Tripolines were so
disconcerted at the boldness and success of the attack, as
immediately to sue for peace. Of this affair sir John Narborough gave so honourable account in all his letters, that
the next year Shovel had the command given him of the
Sapphire, a fifth rate; whence he was not long after *e*
moved into the James galley, a fourth rate, in which he
continued till the death of Charles II. Although he was
known to be unfriendly to the arbitrary measures of James
II. yet that prince continued to employ him, and he was
preferred to the Dover, in which situation he was when the
Revolution took place, and heartily concurred in that event.
In 1689, he was in the first battle, that of Bantry-bay, in
the Edgar, a third-rate; and so distinguished himself by
courage and conduct, that when king William came down
to Portsmouth, he conferred on him the honour of knighthood. In 1690, he was employed in conveying king YVilr
liam and his army into Ireland, who was so highly pleased
with his diligence and dexterity, that he did him the honour to deliver him a commission of rear-admiral of the
blue with his own hand. Just before the king set out for
Holland, in 1692, he made him rear-admiral of the red, at
the same time appointing him commander of the squadron
that was to convoy him thither. On his return, Shovel joined
admiral Russell with the grand fleet, and had a share in the
glory of the victory at La Hogue. When it was thought proper that the fleet should be put under command of joint admirals in the succeeding year, he was one; and, as Campbell says, “if there had been nothing more than this joint
commission, we might well enough account from thence
for the misfortunes which happened in our affairs at sea,
during the year 1693.
” The joint admirals were of different parties; but as they were all good seamen, and probably meant well to their country, though they did not agree
in the manner of serving it, it is most likely, “that, upon
mature consideration of the posture things were then in,
the order they had received from court, and the condition
of the fleet, which was not either half manned or half victualled, the admirals might agree that a cautious execution
of the instructions which they had received was a method
as safe for the nation, and more so for themselves, than
any other they could take.
” On this occasion sir Cloudesley Shovel was at first an object of popular odium; but
when the affair came to be strictly investigated in parliament, he gave so clear and satisfactory an account of the
matter, that it satisfied the people that the commanders
were not to blame; and that if there was treachery, it must
have originated in persons in office at home. The character of sir Cloude&ley remaining unimpeached, we find him.
again at sea, in 1694, under lord Berkley, in the expedition
to Camaret-bay, in which he distinguished himself by his
dextrous embarkation of the land forces, when they sailed
on that unfortunate expedition; as also when, on their return to England, it was deemed necessary to send the fleet
again upon the coast of France, to bombard Dieppe, and
other places. In 1702 he was sent to bring the spoils of
the Spanish and French fleets from Vigo, after the capture
of that place by sir George Rooke. In 1703, he commanded the grand fleet up the Streights; where he protected our trade, and did all that was possible to be done
for the relief of the protestants then in arms in the Cevenues; and countenanced such of the Italian powers as
were inclined to favour the allies. In 1704 he was sent,
with a powerful squadron, to join sir George liooke, who
commanded a grand fleet in the Mediterranean, and had
his share in the action off Malaga. Upon his return he
was presented to the queen by prince George, as lord high
admiral, and met with a very gracious reception; and was
next year employed as commander in chief. In 1705, when
k was thought necessary to send both a fleet and army to
Spain, sir Cloudesley accepted the command of the fleet
jointly with the earls of Peterborough and Monmouth, which
sailed to Lisbon, thence to Catalonia, and arrived before
Barcelona on the 12th of August and it was chiefly through
his activity, in furnishing guns for the batteries, and men ta
play them, and assisting with his advice, that the place
was taken.
were arrived from London, he arose. On opening the packet, he found a commission appointing him vice- admiral of the blue, and commander in chief of a squadron fitting out
, esq. an admiral of distinguished bravery, was descended from an ancient family in Staffordshire, and born at Westminster on the 12th of November, 1684. His father, who was secretary of state to king William and queen Mary, gave him a good education, but never intended him for the sea-service: but, as the youth became desirous of entering on that employment, his father at last consented, and he pursued those studies which had a relation to navigation and gunnery with surprising alacrity and success. His first expedition at sea was under admiral Hopson, when the French fleet and Spanish galleons were destroyed at Vigo. In 1702, he served in an expedition to the West Indies under commodore Walker; and, in 1704, on board the fleet commanded by sir George Rooke, which convoyed the king of Spain to Lisbon, when Mr. Vernon received a hundred guineas and a ring from that monarch’s own hand. He was also at the famous battle of Malaga, the same year. In January 1705, he was appointed commander of the Dolphin; and, in 1707, commanded the Royal Oak, one of the ships sent to convoy the Lisbon fleet, which falling in with the French, three of our men of war were taken, and a fourth blown up. In 1708, Mr. Vernon commanded the Jersey, and was sent to the W'est Indies as rear-admiral under sir Charles Wager, where he took many valuable prizes, and greatly interrupted the trade of the enemy. In 1715, he commanded the Assistance, a ship of fifty guns, under sir John Norris, in an expedition to the Baltic; and, in 1726, the Grafton of seventy guns, under sir Charles Wager, in the same seas. On the accession of his late majesty George II. in 1727, Mr. Vernon was chosen member for Penryn, in Cornwall, and soon after was sent, to Gibraltar, as commander of the Grafton, to join sir Charles Wager. The next expedition in which he was engaged was that which immortalized his name. This was in 1739: he was sleeping in his bed at Chatham when the courier arrived with the news at about two in the morning; and, being informed that dispatches of the utmost importance were arrived from London, he arose. On opening the packet, he found a commission appointing him vice-admiral of the blue, and commander in chief of a squadron fitting out for destroying the settlements of the Spaniards in the West Indies, with a letter from his majesty, requiring his immediate attendance on him. Having received his instructions, he weighed anchor from Spithead on the 23d of July; and, on the 20th of November, arrived in sight of Porto Bello, with only six ships under his command. The next day he began the attack of that town; when, after a furious engagement on both sides, it was taken on the 22nd, together with a considerable number of cannon, mortars, and ammunition, and also two Spanish men of war. He then blew up the fortifications, and left the place for want of land forces sufficient to keep it; but first distributed 10,000 dollars, which had been sent to Porto-Bello for paying the Spanish troops, among the forces for their encouragement. In 1741, he made an unsuccessful attempt upon Carthagena in conjunction with general Wentworth. After his return home, the rebellion in 1745 breaking out, he was employed in guarding the coasts of Kent and Sussex; when he stationed a squadron of men of war in so happy a manner as to block up the French ports in the channel. But, soon after, complaints being made against him for superseding the orders of the lords of the admiralty, in appointing a gunner in opposition to one recommended by themselves, and for exacting too severe duty from his men, he was struck off the list of admirals; on which he retired from all public business, except attending the House of Commons as member for Ipswich in Suffolk. He died suddenly at his seat at Nacton in Suffolk, on the 29th of October, 1757, in the seventythird year of his age.
r of knighthood immediately on his return. He afterwards rose by the usual gradations to the rank of admiral of the blue, and was employed in various expeditions, but without
His behaviour on this occasion procured him the honour of knighthood immediately on his return. He afterwards rose by the usual gradations to the rank of admiral of the blue, and was employed in various expeditions, but without having any opportunity of acquiring additional distinction. In 1735 he retired altogether from active service on a pension of 600l. a year, and died in 1740.