99-746: Admiral Sir Robert Calder, 1st Baronet , KCB (2 July 1745 – 31 August 1818) was a Royal Navy officer who served in the Seven Years' War , the American Revolutionary War , the French Revolutionary Wars and the Napoleonic Wars . For much of his career he was regarded as a dependable officer, and spent several years as Captain of the Fleet under Admiral Sir John Jervis . However, he
198-606: A Vice-Admiral , was despatched with a small squadron in pursuit of a French force under Admiral Ganteaume , conveying supplies to the French in Egypt. In this he was unsuccessful, and returning home at the peace he struck his flag. He had at this time become regarded as one of the Royal Navy's foremost experts on maneuvering by signal-flag and in administering a large fleet. In 1801 he quarreled with Admiral Sir John Duckworth over
297-452: A broad band with three narrower bands. In 2001 the number of stars on the shoulder board was increased to four, reflecting the equivalence to the OF-9 four-star ranks of other countries. Prior to 1864 the Royal Navy was divided into coloured squadrons which determined his career path. The command flags flown by an Admiral changed a number of times during this period, there was no Admiral of
396-464: A cautious character, he abandoned the blockade and sailed in search of a French squadron under Admiral Zacharie Allemand , which had been reported by a frigate off Madeira on 30 November, on his own initiative. While searching for the French, which eventually eluded him, he came across another French squadron on 25 December, consisting of six sail of the line and a frigate. This was the squadron under Contre-Admiral Jean-Baptiste Willaumez , heading for
495-621: A court martial for having abandoned his post off Cadiz without orders to do so. Duckworth was appointed second in command of the Mediterranean Fleet in 1805 primarily on consideration by the Admiralty of having a senior officer in the forthcoming operations with the Imperial Russian Navy . Sailing in the 100-gun first-rate HMS Royal George with eight ships of the line and four smaller vessels, he arrived at
594-612: A fact that Calder could not have been aware of at the time but certainly could have been when he made his defence some months later). Nelson, prior to his death, wrote to the Second Naval Lord, that while he was sympathetic to Calder, "He appears to have had the ships at Ferrol more in his head than the ones in sight...he lays stress upon other considerations than fighting the enemy's squadron, if he could have done it, which he denies to be possible . I have ventured to recommend to Calder to keep to that; prove it, and his character
693-616: A long and distinguished service with the Royal Navy. He was buried on 9 September at the church in Topsham , where he was laid to rest in the family vault , with his coffin covered with crimson velvet studded with 2,500 silvered nails to resemble a ship's planking . When in England for winters during his term as Governor of Newfoundland, Duckworth lived on a property called Weare House of Weare Park in Topsham, Devon . He had purchased
792-453: A post considered one of semi-retirement by his successor, Lord Exmouth . However, on 26 June that year it became a centre of attention due to the visit by HMS Bellerophon bearing Napoleon to his final exile, with Duckworth being the last senior British officer to speak with him before his departure on board HMS Northumberland . Duckworth died at his post on the base in 1817 at 1 o'clock, after several months of illness; after
891-538: A publication now in the public domain : Laughton, John Knox (1886). " Calder, Robert (1745–1818) ". In Stephen, Leslie (ed.). Dictionary of National Biography . Vol. 8. London: Smith, Elder & Co. Admiral (Royal Navy) Admiral is a senior rank of the Royal Navy , which equates to the NATO rank code OF-9 , outranked only by the rank of admiral of the fleet . Royal Navy officers holding
990-561: A salute. San Domingo was added to Duckworth's coat of arms as words; a British sailor was added to the supporters of the Arms in 1814. A promotion to vice-admiral of the white in April 1806 followed, along with the presentation of a sword of honour by the House of Assembly of Jamaica, while his naval feats were acknowledged with several honours, including a sword of honour by the corporation of
1089-574: A severe reprimand for not having done his utmost to renew the engagement on 24 July, and never served at sea again. However, he was not without his defenders. Both the Duke of Norfolk and the Earl of Romney spoke on his behalf in Parliament and, prior to his death in 1808, his brother-in-law, Admiral Robert Roddam wrote that were it not for Calder's action at Cape Finisterre, Nelson would not have had
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#17327874800901188-801: A son and a daughter. After some time in North America, where Duckworth was court-martialled for negligence after an accident at Rhode Island on 18 January 1777 left five men dead, the Diamond was sent to join Vice-Admiral John Byron 's fleet in the West Indies . Byron transferred him to his own ship, HMS Princess Royal , in March 1779, and Duckworth was present aboard her at the Battle of Grenada on 6 July 1779. Duckworth
1287-644: A trade convoy. In the years of peace before the French Revolution he was a captain of the 74-gun HMS Bombay Castle , lying at Plymouth. Fighting against France, Duckworth distinguished himself both in European waters and in the Caribbean. He was initially in command of the 74-gun HMS Orion from 1793 and served in the Channel Fleet under Admiral Lord Howe . He was in action at
1386-592: Is general ; and in the Royal Air Force , it is air chief marshal . The title admiral was not used in Europe until the mid-13th century and did not reach England before the end of that century. Similarly, although some royal vessels are attested under King John , the English long depended upon levies of their subjects' vessels for any major naval expeditions. Nonetheless, historians have sometimes extended
1485-546: Is chiefly remembered for his controversial actions following the Battle of Cape Finisterre in 1805 which resulted in his court-martial. Though he was removed from his sea command, he was retained in the Navy and later served as Commander-in-Chief of the base at Plymouth. Robert Calder was born in Elgin , Scotland on 2 July 1745, second son to Sir James Calder and Alice Hughes, daughter of Rear-Admiral Robert Hughes . His father
1584-425: Is retrieved". Ultimately, Calder's defence rested on the discretion of a commander in battle, rather than in the physical impossibility of rejoining battle, contrary to Nelson's suggestions. However, in the time between the battle at Finisterre and his court-martial, Trafalgar had been fought, Nelson had been killed and the threat of invasion by Napoleon forever ended. Therefore, as Calder later lamented, he had fought
1683-460: The Prince of Wales , even though battle was imminent. The court-martial was held on 23 December 1805, being judged by, among others Admiral George Montague (serving as President of the court-martial) and future-Rear Admiral James Bisset . Calder's defence rested primarily on that the consequences of a defeat would have outweighed the fruits of a victory: despite his tactical success on 22 July, he
1782-535: The Cape of Good Hope , and pursued by Rear-Admiral Sir Richard Strachan . Duckworth gave chase and came within seven miles of the enemy, but at that point his ships being well separated, to the dismay and disappointment of the men, he decided not to risk engaging and abandoned the pursuit. Duckworth then set sail for the Leeward Islands to take on water, dispatching the 74-gun HMS Powerful to reinforce
1881-595: The City of London . A great dinner was also held in his honour as the Mansion House . On his return to England, Duckworth was granted a substantial pension of £1,000 by an act of Parliament , and the freedom of the city of London. Santo Domingo was the last significant fleet action of the Napoleonic Wars which, despite negative claims made about his personality, displayed Duckworth's understanding of
1980-615: The Exploits River in 1810 to explore the region of the Beothuk settlements. As the governor and station naval commander, Duckworth had to contend with American concerns over the issues of "Free Trade and Sailor's Rights." His orders and instructions to captains under his command were therefore directly concerned with fishing rights of US vessels on the Grand Banks , the prohibition of United States trade with British colonials,
2079-598: The Glorious First of June . Duckworth was one of few commanders specifically mentioned by Howe for their good conduct, and one of eighteen commanders honoured with the Naval Gold Medal , and the thanks of both Houses of Parliament . He was appointed to command the 74-gun HMS Leviathan in early 1794, and went out to the West Indies where he served under Rear-Admiral Sir William Parker . He
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#17327874800902178-696: The Plymouth Dockyards could not make Royal George ready to sail in time, and Duckworth was directed to raise his flag in HMS Superb , with Captain Richard Keats as his flag-captain. Keats was to have been Nelson's second. The Superb was exiting the Channel when she intercepted the Pickle carrying news of the victory and of Nelson's death and did not arrive off Cadiz until well after
2277-663: The Thames to Scotland. This was part of an effort by Edward I to establish a permanent official staff, even if a permanent naval force was not yet considered necessary. Leybourne's immediate purview was subsequently divided into the roles of Admiral of the West and Admiral of the South while Botetourt's became the Admiral of the North ; the first and last merged as the Admiral of
2376-923: The action at Point Pisquies (Nagara Burun), a part of the British force encountered the Ottoman fleet which engaged first. One 64-gun ship of the line, four 36-gun frigates, five 12-gun corvettes, one 8-gun brig, and a gunboat were forced ashore and burnt by the part of the British fleet. The British fleet consisted of HMS Standard , under Captain Thomas Harvey , HMS Thunderer , under Captain John Talbot , HMS Pompee , under flag captain Richard Dacres, and HMS Repulse , under Captain Arthur Kaye Legge , as well as
2475-453: The brig HMS Drake , hired armed brig Fanny , schooner HMS Eclair , and tender Alexandria . Aside from the territory and prisoners taken during the operation, Duckworth's force took two Swedish merchantmen, a Danish ship (in ballast), three small French vessels, one privateer brig (12-guns), one captured English ship, a merchant-brig, four small schooners, and a sloop. From 1803 until 1804, Duckworth assumed command as
2574-529: The marines . The marines were commanded by Captain Nicholls of HMS Standard who had also boarded the Turkish ship of the line. There were eight 32 lb and 24 lb brass guns and the rest firing marble shot weighing upwards of 200 pounds. On 20 February, the British squadron under Duckworth, having joined Smith with the second division of ships under command of Rear-Admiral Sir Thomas Louis , reached
2673-581: The prize money estimated at £75,000. In June 1800 he sailed to take up his post as the newly appointed Commander-in-Chief at Barbados and the Leeward Islands Station , succeeding Lord Hugh Seymour . Duckworth was nominated a Knight Companion of the most Honourable Military Order of the Bath in 1801 (and installed in 1803), for the capture of the islands of St. Bartholomew , St. Martin , St. Thomas, St. John and St. Croix and defeat of
2772-400: The shore artillery , he nevertheless took no action until 11 February 1807 and spent some time in the strait waiting for a favourable wind. In the evening of the same day Blackwood's ship, HMS Ajax accidentally caught fire while at anchor off Tenedos, and was destroyed, although her captain and most of the crew were saved and redistributed among the fleet. Finally, on 19 February, at
2871-453: The 18th century, the original nine ranks began to be filled by more than one man per rank, although the rank of admiral of the red was always filled by only one man and was known as Admiral of the Fleet . After the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805 the rank of admiral of the red was introduced. The number of officers holding each rank steadily increased throughout the 18th and early 19th centuries. In 1769 there were 29 admirals of various grades; by
2970-663: The 70-gun Nassau , in the American theatre of the Seven Years' War . En route to England, in September 1759, Nassau was dismasted in a storm and arrived at her destination with nine foot of water in her hold. As a midshipman, Calder received £1,800 in prize money for his part in the capture of the Spanish treasure ship Hermione on 21 May 1762 (an exceptionally large prize), and was subsequently promoted to lieutenant. At that rank, he served aboard HMS Essex , under Captain
3069-446: The 74-gun ship HMS Theseus , which formed part of Lord Howe 's fleet. He was appointed in 1796 Captain of the Fleet to Admiral John Jervis aboard HMS Victory , and saw action at the Battle of Cape St Vincent on 14 February 1797. After the battle, he was selected by Jervis to carry the dispatches announcing the victory back to Britain, and was knighted by George III on 3 March 1797 for his services. He also received
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3168-692: The Admiral. In England, The Duckworth House is in Kent St, Portsmouth PO1 to be found not far from the Portsmouth Historic Dockyard complex. The memorial to Admiral John Thomas Duckworth in the south transept of St Margaret's Church, Topsham, was erected by his wife, Susannah née Buller, daughter of William Buller, Bishop of Exeter. The memorial describes him as Admiral of the White Squadron of his Majesty's Fleet and depicts
3267-515: The Army. He was promoted to rear-admiral of the white on 14 February 1799 following Minorca's capture , and "Minorca" was later inscribed on his coat of arms . In June his squadron of four ships captured Courageux . In April 1800 was in command of the blockading squadron off Cadiz , and intercepted a large and rich Spanish convoy from Lima off Cadiz, consisting of two frigates (both taken as prizes) and eleven merchant vessels, with his share of
3366-549: The Channel Fleet, found no complaint with his performance: Calder was shortly thereafter given command of a twenty ship force to continue in the effort to bring the Franco-Spanish fleet to battle. These twenty ships would later form the nucleus of the British fleet at Trafalgar, when they were absorbed into the smaller squadron commanded by Lord Nelson. One of the primary reasons for the public outcry against Calder
3465-506: The East Indies squadron. There, at Saint Kitts , he was joined on 21 January 1806 by the 74-gun ships HMS Northumberland and HMS Atlas commanded by Sir Alexander Cochrane , and on 1 February a brig Kingfisher commanded by Nathaniel Day Cochrane , which brought news of French at San Domingo . The French had a squadron of five ships: the 120-gun Imperial , two 84-gun and two 74-gun ships and two frigates, under
3564-415: The Fleet rather than Algernon Frederick Rous de Horsey , who as senior active admiral nearing the age limit would customarily have received the promotion; John Baird became an Admiral; James Erskine a vice-admiral; and Harry Rawson a rear-admiral. Ironically, all these younger men would die at least a decade before de Horsey. In the time before squadron distinctions were removed or age limits instituted,
3663-463: The French ships were driven ashore and burnt with three others captured. Only the French frigates escaped. Despite this, it is thought that Duckworth was lucky to have with him captains who were used to working together instinctively and who consistent with the Nelson approach, had no need to wait for any central direction from the Admiral and the credit for the victory was due more to the initiative of
3762-459: The Hon. George Faulkner , in the Caribbean. In 1780 he attained the rank of master and commander, later post-captain . He commanded the frigate HMS Diana of the Channel fleet at Spithead under Rear Admiral Richard Kempenfelt , and acquitted himself honourably in the various services to which he was called, but for a long time had no opportunity of distinguishing himself. In 1794 he commanded
3861-769: The Legislative Assembly of Jamaica presented Duckworth with a ceremonial sword and a gold scabbard, inscribed with a message of thanks. The merchants of Kingston provided a second gift, an ornamental tea kettle signifying Duckworth's defence of sugar and tea exports. Both sword and kettle were subsequently gifted to the National Maritime Museum in Greenwich. Duckworth remained in Jamaica until 1805, returning to England that April aboard HMS Acasta . On his return to England again, he
3960-565: The North and West in 1364; and from 1408–1414 they were all reunited as the High Admiral of England, Ireland, and Aquitaine , the forerunner to the present Lord High Admiral . (During this process, the short-lived post of Admiral of the Narrow Seas was used in 1412 and 1413. It was subsequently revived from 1523 to 1688.) The first royal commission as Admiral to a naval officer was granted in 1303 to Gervase Alard . By 1344, it
4059-567: The Ottoman capital, but had to engage in fruitless negotiations with the Sultan's representatives, advised by Napoleon's ambassador Sébastiani , and with the accompanying British ambassador Charles Arbuthnot and Russian plenipotentiary Andrey Italinski, the latter being carried aboard on HMS Endymion , under the command of Captain Thomas Bladen Capel , due to the secret instructions that were issued as part of his orders for
Robert Calder - Misplaced Pages Continue
4158-686: The Red rank until that post was introduced in 1805 prior to this the highest rank an admiral could attain to was Admiral of the White who then flew the Cross of St George . The next promotion step up from that was to Admiral of the Fleet. [REDACTED] Media related to Admirals of the United Kingdom at Wikimedia Commons Sir John Duckworth, 1st Baronet Admiral Sir John Thomas Duckworth, 1st Baronet , GCB (9 February 1748 – 31 August 1817)
4257-716: The Swedish and Danish forces stationed there on 20 March 1801. Lieutenant-General Thomas Trigge commanded the ground troops, which consisted of two brigades under Brigadier-Generals Fuller and Frederick Maitland , of 1,500 and 1,800 troops respectively. These included the 64th Regiment of Foot (Lieutenant-Colonel Edward Pakenham ), and the 2nd and 8th West Indies Regiments, two detachments of Royal Artillery, and two companies of sailors, each of about 100 men. The ships involved, in addition to Leviathan , included HMS Andromeda , HMS Unite , HMS Coromandel , HMS Proselyte , HMS Amphitrite , HMS Hornet ,
4356-670: The allies lost 158 dead and 320 wounded. After four hours, as night fell, Calder gave orders to discontinue the action. Over the following two days, the fleets remained close to one another, but did not re-engage. Calder focused on protecting his newly won prizes, while the French Admiral Villeneuve declined to force another engagement. Villeneuve left on 24 July, sailing to Ferrol, and eventually Cádiz, instead of resuming his course to Brest. Villeneuve had failed in all his objectives: he had landed no troops in Ireland, and
4455-441: The battle under one set of standards and been tried against another. The nation had become "infected" and "drunk with success" from Nelson's victories. The battle, which might have won Calder an earldom in 1795, was deemed a failure in 1805 when judged against the stunning successes of the previous ten years, especially Trafalgar. The trial resulted in an acquittal on the charges of cowardice and disaffection. However, Calder received
4554-435: The battle. On the basis of the writings of ships boy Edward Trelawney some have said the delay was due to Duckworth's refusal to sail from Portsmouth until his favourite musicians had arrived from another ship. Correspondence between Duckworth and the Admiralty confirms his upset at being required to sail ‘without his comforts’, but that his final orders were not issued until 28 October when Superb had finally been released from
4653-614: The blockade of Ferrol as a prelude to his invasion, the Admiralty ordered Rear-Admiral Charles Stirling to join Calder and intercept the Franco-Spanish fleet on their passage to Brest . The approach of the enemy was concealed by fog. Finally, on 22 July 1805, the fleets came into sight. The allies outnumbered the British, but Calder ordered his fleet into action. In the ensuing Battle of Cape Finisterre , fifteen British ships engaged twenty French and Spanish ships and captured two. The British losses were 39 officers and men killed and 159 wounded;
4752-464: The close of the Napoleonic Wars in 1816 there were 190 admirals in service. Thereafter the number of admirals was reduced and in 1853 there were 79 admirals. Although admirals were promoted according to strict seniority, appointments to command were made at the discretion of the Board of Admiralty . As there were invariably more admirals in service than there were postings, many admirals remained unemployed, especially in peacetime. The organisation of
4851-400: The command of Vice-Admiral Corentin Urbain Leissègues which escaped from Brest and sought to reinforce the French forces at San Domingo with about 1,000 troops. Arriving at San Domingo on 6 February 1806, Duckworth found the French squadron with its transports anchored in the Occa bay . The French commander immediately hurried to sea, forming a line of battle as they went. Duckworth gave
4950-452: The commander-in-chief of the Jamaica Station , during which time he directed the operations which led to the surrender of General Rochambeau and the French army, following the successful Blockade of Saint-Domingue . Duckworth was promoted to vice-admiral of the blue on 23 April 1804, and he was appointed a Colonel of Marines. He succeeded in capturing numerous enemy vessels and 5,512 French prisoners of war. In recognition of his service,
5049-410: The concept of yellow admirals (formally known as granting an officer the position of "Rear-Admiral without distinction of squadron"), being captains promoted to flag rank on the understanding that they would immediately retire on half-pay . This was the navy's first attempt at superannuating older officers. During the Interregnum , the rank of admiral was replaced by that of general at sea . In
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#17327874800905148-451: The concept of an English navy and its supposed admirals and lord high admirals back as far as Alfred the Great , counting several kings as themselves admirals, along with various dukes and earls who commanded fleets at prominent engagements such as Hubert de Burgh off Sandwich in 1217 . Other lists begin their count at King Henry III 's appointment of Sir Richard de Lucy on 28 August 1223 or 29 August 1224. A similar commission
5247-448: The death of James Hawkins-Whitshed resulted in ten men moving up to higher ranks. In 1996, the rank of admiral of the fleet was put in abeyance in peacetime, except for members of the Royal family but was resurrected on an honorary basis in 2014 for the appointment of Lord Boyce . Admirals of the fleet continue to hold their rank on the active list for life. The current ranks are rear admiral, vice admiral, admiral and admiral of
5346-409: The docks after an urgent refit. They did not arrive off Cadiz until 15 November, after the Battle of Trafalgar had been fought. Duckworth was then ordered to take command of the West Indies squadron involved in the blockade of Cadiz, with seven sail of the line, consisting of five 74-gun ships, the 80-gun HMS Canopus and the 64-gun HMS Agamemnon , and two frigates. Although known for
5445-462: The fleet his deputy, the vice admiral , would be in the leading portion or van . Below him was another admiral at the rear of the fleet, called rear admiral . Promotion up the ladder was in accordance with seniority in the rank of post-captain , and rank was held for life, so the only way to be promoted was for the person above on the list to die or resign. In 1747 the Admiralty restored an element of merit selection to this process by introducing
5544-413: The fleet into coloured squadrons was finally abandoned in 1864. The Red Ensign was allocated to the Merchant Navy , the White Ensign became the flag of the Royal Navy, and the Blue Ensign was allocated to the naval reserve and naval auxiliary vessels. The 18th- and 19th-century Royal Navy also maintained a positional rank known as port admiral . A port admiral was typically a veteran captain who served as
5643-401: The fleet under Sir Edward Hawke , and Duckworth was present at the Battle of Quiberon Bay on 20 November 1759. On 5 April 1764, he joined the 50-gun HMS Guernsey at Chatham , after leaving HMS Prince of Orange , to serve with Admiral Hugh Palliser , then Governor of Newfoundland. He served aboard HMS Princess Royal , on which he suffered a concussion when he was hit by
5742-417: The fleet, also known as flag ranks because admirals, known as flag officers , are entitled to fly a personal flag . An admiral of the fleet flies a Union Flag at the masthead, while an admiral flies a St George's cross (red cross on white). Vice admirals and rear admirals fly a St George's cross with one or two red discs in the hoist, respectively. The rank of admiral itself is shown in its sleeve lace by
5841-425: The frigate HMS Active , under Captain Richard Hussey Mowbray, under the command of Rear-Admiral Sir Sidney Smith, commanding the rear division. They took one corvette and one gunboat , and the flags of the Turkish Vice-Admiral and Captain Pasha in the process, with adjacent fortifications destroyed by landing parties from HMS Thunderer , HMS Pompée , and HMS Repulse , while its 31 guns were spiked by
5940-425: The great names of the Royal Navy during the later 18th and early 19th centuries, he fought almost all of Britain's enemies on the seas at one time or another, including a Dardanelles operation that would be remembered a century later during the First World War . He was in command at the Battle of San Domingo , the last great fleet action of the Napoleonic Wars. Born in Leatherhead , Surrey , England, Duckworth
6039-481: The head of another sailor, decapitated by a cannonball . He spent some months as an acting lieutenant, and was confirmed in the rank on 14 November 1771. He then spent three years aboard the 74-gun HMS Kent , the Plymouth guardship , under Captain Charles Fielding . Fielding was given command of the frigate HMS Diamond in early 1776, and he took Duckworth with him as his first lieutenant . Duckworth married Anne Wallis in July 1776, with whom he had
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#17327874800906138-399: The house in 1804 and rebuilt over several years. His property, and half of the golf course that the Exeter Golf and Country Club now occupies, was the largest US Navy Supply Depot in the south of England during the Second World War , with some later retained for use by a UK MOD Naval Store. During the Second World War one Royal Navy warship, the destroyer HMS Duckworth was named after
6237-422: The individual British captains. His victory over the French Admiral Leissègues off the coast of Hispaniola on 6 February together with Admiral Alexander Cochrane's squadron was a fatal blow to French strategy in the Caribbean region, and played a major part in Napoleon's eventual sale of Louisiana , and withdrawal from the Caribbean. It was judged sufficiently important to have the Tower of London guns fire
6336-445: The island of Tenedos with orders to take possession of the Ottoman fleet at Constantinople , thus supporting Dmitry Senyavin 's fleet in the Dardanelles Operation . Accompanying him were some of the ablest Royal Navy officers such as Sidney Smith , Richard Dacres and Henry Blackwood but he was in doubt of having the capability to breach the shore batteries and reach the anchored Ottoman fleet. Aware of Turkish efforts to reinforce
6435-474: The largest first-rates in the Royal Navy, as commander of the Channel Fleet , In the summer of 1809 he served on the panel of judges at the Court-martial of James, Lord Gambier which assessed whether Admiral Lord Gambier had failed to support Captain Lord Cochrane at the Battle of Basque Roads in April 1809. Gambier was controversially cleared of all charges. Probably because he was thought of as irresolute and unimaginative, on 26 March 1810 Duckworth
6534-400: The line and nine frigates, all apparently ready for action in Constantinople harbour. Exasperated by Turkish intransigence, and not having a significant force to land on the shore, Duckworth decided to withdraw on 1 March after declining to take Smith's advice to bombard the Turkish Arsenal and gunpowder manufacturing works. The British fleet was subjected to shore artillery fire all the way to
6633-409: The mission, and therefore losing more time as the Turks played for time to complete their shore batteries in the hope of trapping the British squadron. Smith was joined a week later by Duckworth, who observed the four bays of the Dardanelles lined with five hundred cannon and one hundred mortars as his ships passed towards Constantinople. There he found the rest of the Turkish fleet of twelve ships of
6732-433: The mizzen stay before addressing the men in a manner intended to encourage enthusiasm for the cause in the coming battle. With the band playing ‘God save the King’ and ‘Nelson of the Nile’ the Superb having made up all ground on the fleeing enemy fired her starboard broadside as she was laid up against the Imperiale, the largest ship in the French navy. The conflict soon became general. In a severe action of two hours, two of
6831-411: The official ranks became admiral of the white and so forth, however each admiral's command flags were different and changed over time. The Royal Navy has had vice and rear admirals regularly appointed to the post since at least the 16th century. When in command of the fleet, the admiral would be in either the lead or the middle portion of the fleet. When the admiral commanded from the middle portion of
6930-412: The open sea, and sustaining casualties and damage to ships from 26-inch calibre (650 mm) guns firing 300–800 pound marble shot. Though blamed for indecisiveness, notably by Thomas Grenville , the First Lord of the Admiralty , Duckworth announced that I must, as an officer, declare to be my decided opinion that, without the cooperation of a body of land forces, it would be a wanton sacrifice of
7029-400: The opportunity to fight at Trafalgar. In time, there was a swing in public opinion back in favour of Calder, although not to the degree of the initial fury against him. Thus, when a change in government brought Charles Philip Yorke to the Admiralty, Calder's reputation was somewhat rehabilitated and he was appointed Commander-in-Chief, Plymouth in 1810. In the natural course of events, he
7128-733: The other direction, our cabinet comes to the miserable determination of sending five or six men-of-war, without soldiers, to the Dardanelles, and 5000 soldiers, without a fleet, to Alexandria. Soon after, he married again, on 14 May 1808 to Susannah Catherine Buller, a daughter of William Buller , the Bishop of Exeter . They had two sons together before his death, she survived him, dying on 27 April 1840. Duckworth's career however did not suffer greatly, and in 1808 and 1810 he went on to sail in HMS San Josef and HMS Hibernia , some of
7227-574: The payment of prize money. A court ruled in Calder's favor. In the War of the Third Coalition (1805–1806), he was in command of the squadrons blockading the ports of Rochefort and Ferrol , in which (among others) ships were being prepared for the invasion of England by Napoleon I . Calder held his position with a force greatly inferior to that of the enemy, and refused to be enticed out to sea. On it becoming known that Napoleon intended to break
7326-592: The plan of linking with the fleet at Brest , driving off the British Channel squadrons, and supporting Napoleon 's invasion of Britain came to nothing: the Armée d'Angleterre waited uselessly at Boulogne as before. In the judgment of Napoleon, his scheme of invasion was baffled by this day's action; but much indignation was felt in England at the failure of Calder to win a complete victory. However, Calder's superior, Admiral Sir William Cornwallis , Commander of
7425-556: The rank of a Colonel with the Duke of Wellington , during the Peninsular War . George Henry had been killed at the Battle of Albuera at the head of the 48th (Northamptonshire) Regiment of Foot . Sir John was created a baronet on 2 November 1813, adopting a motto Disciplina, fide, perseverantia (Discipline, fidelity, perseverance), and in January 1815 was appointed Commander-in-Chief, Plymouth 45 miles from his home;
7524-481: The ranks of rear admiral , vice admiral and admiral of the fleet are sometimes considered generically to be admirals. The rank of admiral is currently the highest rank to which a serving officer in the Royal Navy can be promoted, admiral of the fleet being in abeyance except for honorary promotions of retired officers and members of the royal family. The equivalent rank in the British Army and Royal Marines
7623-491: The role of naval strategy in the overall war by securing for Britain mastery of the sea, and thus having sea-oriented mentality having placed a British fleet in the right strategic position. Duckworth also displayed the willingness of accept changing tactics employed by Nelson, and maintained the superiority of British naval gunnery in battle. It was, however, widely thought that but for this graphic demonstration of British sea-power and significant victory he may well have faced
7722-614: The searching of ships under US flag for contraband , and the impressment of seamen for service on British vessels. He returned to Portsmouth on 28 November in HMS Antelope after escorting transports from Newfoundland. On 2 December 1812, soon after arriving in Devon, Duckworth resigned as governor after being offered a parliamentary seat for New Romney on the coast of Kent . At about this time he found out that his oldest son George Henry had been killed in action while serving in
7821-471: The shore commander of a British naval port and was in charge of supplying, refitting, and maintaining the ships docked at harbour. The problem of promoting strictly by seniority was well illustrated by the case of Provo Wallis who served (including time being carried on the books while still a child) for 96 years. When he died in 1892 four admirals under him could immediately be promoted. By request of Queen Victoria , John Edmund Commerell became Admiral of
7920-453: The signal to form two columns of four and three ships of the line. In the Battle of San Domingo, Duckworth's squadron defeated the squadron of French when Duckworth at once made the signal to attack. Keats and his crew having accompanied Nelson in the pursuit of Villeneuve to the West Indies were still lamenting having missed Trafalgar. Keats silently suspended a portrait of Nelson from
8019-458: The squadrons to attempt to force the passage After his departure from Constantinople, he commanded the squadron protecting transports of the Alexandria expedition of 1807 , but that was forced to withdraw after five months due to lack of supplies. Duckworth summed up this expedition, in reflection on the service of the year by commenting that Instead of acting vigorously in either one or
8118-644: The territory, and retaliated against the pamphleteer by disallowing his reappointment as surgeon of the local militia unit, the Loyal Volunteers of St John, which Duckworth, renamed the St John's Volunteer Rangers, and enlarged to 500 officers and militiamen for the War of 1812 with the United States. Duckworth also took an interest in bettering relationship with the local Beothuk Indians, and sponsored Lieutenant David Buchan 's expedition up
8217-547: The thanks of Parliament, and was created 1st Baronet Calder of Southwick on 22 August 1798. Parliament voted to award him an annum of £1,200, which he declined. He continued in his service as Captain of the Fleet to Jervis, now Earl of St. Vincent, when the latter hoisted his flag in HMS ; Ville de Paris as Commander of the Mediterranean Fleet. In 1799, he was promoted to rear-admiral ; and in 1804, now
8316-738: The vessel was soon to be taken under command by another flag officer. Consequently, Duckworth was able to take the goods to England as personal luggage, and Wood was forced to sail back as a passenger on his own ship. The court-martial was held on board HMS Gladiator in Portsmouth on 25 April 1805, but the charge was dropped on 7 June 1805. In 1805 the Admiralty decided that Duckworth should raise his flag aboard HMS Royal George and sail to join Vice-Admiral Horatio Nelson off Cadiz as third in command. However,
8415-545: The way For Great Marcellus, and Trafalgar's day! In May 1779 he married Amelia Mitchell only daughter of John Mitchell, esq., of Bayfield Hall, Norfolk. They had no children and his baronetcy accordingly became extinct upon his death. [REDACTED] This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain : Chisholm, Hugh , ed. (1911). " Calder, Sir Robert ". Encyclopædia Britannica (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. [REDACTED] This article incorporates text from
8514-661: Was an English officer of the Royal Navy , serving during the Seven Years' War , the American War of Independence , the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic wars, as the Governor of Newfoundland during the War of 1812 , and a member of the British House of Commons during his semi-retirement. Duckworth, a vicar's son, achieved much in a naval career that began at the age of 11. Serving with most of
8613-561: Was appointed Governor of Newfoundland and Commander-in-Chief of the Newfoundland Station 's three frigates and eight smaller vessels. Although this was a minor command in a remote station spanning from Davis Strait to the Gulf of St Lawrence , he also received a promotion to admiral of the blue , flying his flag aboard the 50-gun HMS Antelope . While serving as Governor he was attacked for his arbitrary powers over
8712-464: Was appointed commodore at Santo Domingo in August 1796. In 1798 Duckworth was in command of a small squadron of four vessels. He sailed for Minorca on 19 October 1798, where he was a joint commander with Sir Charles Stuart , initially landing his 800 troops in the bay of Addaya, and later landing sailors and marines from his ships, which included HMS Cormorant and HMS Aurora , to support
8811-537: Was called to face court-martial charges brought by Captain James Athol Wood of HMS Acasta , who claimed that Duckworth had transgressed the 18th Article of War; "Taking goods onboard other than for the use of the vessel, except gold & etc." Duckworth had apparently acquired some goods, and in wishing to transport them home in person reassigned Captain Wood to another vessel on Jamaica station knowing that
8910-560: Was given to Sir Thomas Moulton in 1264, who held the formal title of Keeper of the Sea and the Sea Ports. On 8 March 1287, Sir William de Leybourne was specifically commissioned as the Admiral of the Seas of England ( Latin : Admirallus Maris Angliae ) and, in 1294, captain of all sailors and mariners of the king's dominions. Sir John de Botetourt served under him as warden at sea from
9009-455: Was one of five sons of Sarah Johnson and the vicar Henry Duckworth A.M. of Stoke Poges, County of Buckinghamshire . The Duckworths were descended from a landed family , with Henry later being installed as Canon of Windsor . John Duckworth briefly attended Eton College , but began his naval career in 1759 at the suggestion of Edward Boscawen , when he entered the Royal Navy as a midshipman on HMS Namur . Namur later became part of
9108-424: Was only used as a rank at sea for a captain in charge of one or more fleets. In Elizabethan times the fleet grew large enough to be organised into squadrons . The squadron's admiral flew a red ensign , the vice admirals white , and the rear admirals blue on the aft mast of his ship. As the squadrons grew, each was eventually commanded by an admiral (with vice admirals and rear admirals commanding sections) and
9207-658: Was ordered to send Calder home. Calder left in early October 1805, missing the Battle of Trafalgar . Nelson wrote privately: "I should have fought the enemy, and so did my friend Calder; but who can say that he will be more successful than another?" Nelson – to whom Calder had never been close – entreated him to remain until the battle had been fought, attesting that Calder had an opportunity to vindicate any earlier conduct and silence his critics. Calder could not be dissuaded, however, and sailed to England. At Calder's request (a fact which would later negatively affect opinion against him), Nelson allowed him to return in his own 98-gun ship,
9306-647: Was promoted to commander ten days after this and given command of the sloop-of-war HMS Rover (1779) . After cruising off Martinique for a time, he was promoted to post captain on 16 June 1780 and given command of the 74-gun HMS Terrible . He returned to the Princess Royal as flag-captain to Rear-Admiral Sir Joshua Rowley , with whom he went to Jamaica. He was briefly in command of HMS Yarmouth , before moving into HMS Bristol in February 1781, and returned to England with
9405-466: Was still outnumbered, and by concentrating his fleet to meet Villeneuve, he had of necessity been forced to abandon his blockade; thus if the French ships at Rochefort and Ferrol had sailed he would have found himself between two superior foes. This defence was undermined by the fact that Calder took no steps to verify the damage inflicted on Villeneuve's fleet and that contrary winds prevented the forces at Ferrol, Rochefort and Coruna from sailing (the latter
9504-550: Was successively promoted due to seniority, eventually reaching Admiral of the Blue on 31 July 1810, and Admiral of the White on 12 April 1813. In the honors conferred on officers who fought in the Napoleonic Wars, he was created a Knight Commander, Order of the Bath on 2 January 1815. Nonetheless, his reputation never fully recovered from his court-martial. He died at Holt, near Bishop's Waltham , in Hampshire, in 1818. A testament
9603-565: Was the 3rd Baronet Calder of Muirton , who had been appointed Gentleman Usher of the Privy chamber to the queen by Lord Bute in 1761. His elder brother, who succeeded to his father's baronetcy, was Major General Sir Henry Calder. Calder was educated in Maidstone , before joining the Royal Navy in December 1758 at the age of thirteen. Calder initially served aboard his cousin's ship,
9702-444: Was the fact that his reports to Cornwallis were only partially printed for public consumption – making it thus seem as though Calder had not followed through on his own boasts. In consequence of the strong feeling against him, Calder demanded a court-martial. Admiral Horatio Nelson , who had now taken command of Calder's twenty ship fleet in addition to the force Nelson had brought back from the West Indies in his pursuit of Villeneuve,
9801-595: Was written to him in the Gloucester Journal following his death: "In ancient times, the Roman's eagle eye Was fixed on CONDUCT, not on victory; And Fabius' shield, its steady lustre pour'd 'Midst all the lightning of Marcellus' sword. Unhappy CALDER! We, like birds of night; And dazzled by an all-subduing light; Though conquest crown'd, they temperate valour weigh'd Each doubtful point – then Wisdom's voice obey'd And thou, like Fabius, didst prepare
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