Charles Brisbane
Encyclopedia
Sir Charles Brisbane KCB
(c.
1769 – December 1829) was an officer of the Royal Navy
who served during the American War of Independence, and with distinction under Lords Hood
and Nelson
.
He took part in the capture in 1796
of three Dutch
East Indiamen in Saldanha Bay
, the capture
of the Spanish frigate Pomona off Havana
, Cuba
in 1806 and then in 1807 the island of Curaçao
was captured under his command. He was made governor of St. Vincent
in 1808, and served as such until his death in 1829.
1769, the fourth but eldest surviving son of Admiral John Brisbane. He was entered on board , commanded by his father, in 1779. He was present at the action of 8 January 1780
, and the relief of the Great Siege of Gibraltar
in January 1780, and later served in the West Indies. At the end of 1781 he was placed on board with Captain Henry Savage, and was present at the Battle of the Saintes
off Dominica
, on 12 April 1782, where he was badly wounded by a splinter.
He continued serving during the peace, and after the Spanish armament in 1790 was promoted to the rank of lieutenant on 22 November. In 1793 he was aboard the frigate , in which he went out to the Mediterranean, and was employed on shore at Toulon
during the occupation of the city
, and afterwards in Corsica
, both at the siege of Saint-Florent
and at the siege of Bastia
. Brisbane was under the immediate orders of Captain Horatio Nelson, and like him sustained the loss of an eye from a severe wound in the head inflicted by the small fragments of an iron shot. He then served for a short time in , bearing the flag of Admiral Lord Hood
, by whom he was promoted to the command of the sloop on 1 July 1794, and served in her during the remainder of that and the following year in the squadron acting in the Gulf of Genoa
, under the immediate orders of Nelson.
s to Barbados
. On his way there he fell in with a Dutch squadron, which he kept company with, sending the transports on by themselves; finding that the Dutch were bound for the Cape of Good Hope
, he carried the intelligence to Sir George Elphinstone, the commander-in-chief on that station, acting contrary to the orders under which he had sailed. After the capture of the Dutch ships
in Saldanha Bay
on 18 August 1796, he was promoted by Sir George to the command of one of them; he had previously, 22 July, been promoted by Sir John Jervis
, the commander-in-chief in the Mediterranean, under whose orders he had sailed, and he also received the thanks of the admiralty.
He continued on the Cape station in command of the frigate , and was in her at Saint Helena
when a mutiny broke out on board. This he quelled decisively, and he was shortly afterwards recalled to the Cape to take command of , Rear-Admiral Thomas Pringle's
flagship, on board which also there had been mutineers. In the course of 1798 he returned to England with Pringle in command of the frigate , and in 1801 was appointed to the frigate , one of the squadron off Brest
, under Admiral William Cornwallis
.
, and she was got off only by throwing all her guns overboard. In this defenceless condition she fell in with a Spanish ship of line off Havana
; but this enemy ran in under the guns of Morro Castle
. Having refitted at Jamaica
, the Arethusa was in August again off Havana, and on the 23rd, in company with the 44-gun , captured the Spanish frigate Pomona, anchored near a battery, and supported by ten gunboats. The gunboats were all destroyed and the battery blown up, apparently by some accident to the furnaces for heating shot, by which the Arethusa had been set on fire; she had two men killed, and thirty-two, including Captain Brisbane, wounded.
On 1 January 1807 Brisbane, still in Arethusa, with three other frigates, having been sent off Curaçao
, reduced the forts and captured the island from the Dutch. For his success on this occasion Brisbane was knighted, and he, as well as the other three captains, received a gold medal
. He continued in command of the Arethusa till near the end of 1808, when he was transferred to the 74-gun , but was almost immediately afterwards appointed governor of the island of Saint Vincent. He held the post, without any further service at sea, until his death on the island in December 1829. On 2 January 1815 he had been nominated a KCB
, and attained his flag rank on 12 August 1819.
, and left several children.
Order of the Bath
The Most Honourable Order of the Bath is a British order of chivalry founded by George I on 18 May 1725. The name derives from the elaborate mediæval ceremony for creating a knight, which involved bathing as one of its elements. The knights so created were known as Knights of the Bath...
(c.
Circa
Circa , usually abbreviated c. or ca. , means "approximately" in the English language, usually referring to a date...
1769 – December 1829) was an officer of the Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
who served during the American War of Independence, and with distinction under Lords Hood
Samuel Hood, 1st Viscount Hood
Samuel Hood, 1st Viscount Hood was a British Admiral known particularly for his service in the American War of Independence and French Revolutionary Wars...
and Nelson
Horatio Nelson, 1st Viscount Nelson
Horatio Nelson, 1st Viscount Nelson, 1st Duke of Bronté, KB was a flag officer famous for his service in the Royal Navy, particularly during the Napoleonic Wars. He was noted for his inspirational leadership and superb grasp of strategy and unconventional tactics, which resulted in a number of...
.
He took part in the capture in 1796
Battle of Saldanha Bay (1796)
The designation Battle of Saldanha Bay refers to the surrender without a fight of a squadron of the navy of the Batavian Republic under the command of Rear-Admiral Engelbertus Lucas to a Royal Navy squadron under the command of Vice-Admiral George Elphinstone at Saldanha Bay on August 17,...
of three Dutch
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
East Indiamen in Saldanha Bay
Saldanha Bay
Saldanha Bay is a natural harbour on the south-western coast of South Africa, north west of Cape Town. The town that developed on the northern shore of the bay, also called Saldanha, was incorporated with five other towns into the Saldanha Bay Local Municipality in 2000. The current population of...
, the capture
Action of 23 August 1806
The Action of 23 August 1806 was a minor naval battle of the Napoleonic wars, fought off the coast of Spanish Cuba near the port of Havana. The Spanish frigate Pomona was captured by the frigates HMS Anson and HMS Arethusa under the commands of Captain Charles Lydiard and Charles Brisbane...
of the Spanish frigate Pomona off Havana
Havana
Havana is the capital city, province, major port, and leading commercial centre of Cuba. The city proper has a population of 2.1 million inhabitants, and it spans a total of — making it the largest city in the Caribbean region, and the most populous...
, Cuba
Cuba
The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
in 1806 and then in 1807 the island of Curaçao
Curaçao
Curaçao is an island in the southern Caribbean Sea, off the Venezuelan coast. The Country of Curaçao , which includes the main island plus the small, uninhabited island of Klein Curaçao , is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands...
was captured under his command. He was made governor of St. Vincent
Saint Vincent (island)
Saint Vincent is a volcanic island in the Caribbean. It is the largest island of the chain called Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. It is located in the Caribbean Sea, between Saint Lucia and Grenada. It is composed of partially submerged volcanic mountains...
in 1808, and served as such until his death in 1829.
Family and early life
Charles Brisbane was born circaCirca
Circa , usually abbreviated c. or ca. , means "approximately" in the English language, usually referring to a date...
1769, the fourth but eldest surviving son of Admiral John Brisbane. He was entered on board , commanded by his father, in 1779. He was present at the action of 8 January 1780
Action of 8 January 1780
The Action of 8 January 1780 was a naval encounter off Cape Finisterre between a British Royal Naval fleet under Admiral Sir George Rodney, and a fleet of Spanish merchants sailing in convoy with seven warships of the Caracas Company, under the command of Commodore Don Juan Augustin de Yardi....
, and the relief of the Great Siege of Gibraltar
Great Siege of Gibraltar
The Great Siege of Gibraltar was an unsuccessful attempt by Spain and France to capture Gibraltar from the British during the American War of Independence. This was the largest action fought during the war in terms of numbers, particularly the Grand Assault of 18 September 1782...
in January 1780, and later served in the West Indies. At the end of 1781 he was placed on board with Captain Henry Savage, and was present at the Battle of the Saintes
Battle of the Saintes
The Battle of the Saintes took place over 4 days, 9 April 1782 – 12 April 1782, during the American War of Independence, and was a victory of a British fleet under Admiral Sir George Rodney over a French fleet under the Comte de Grasse forcing the French and Spanish to abandon a planned...
off Dominica
Dominica
Dominica , officially the Commonwealth of Dominica, is an island nation in the Lesser Antilles region of the Caribbean Sea, south-southeast of Guadeloupe and northwest of Martinique. Its size is and the highest point in the country is Morne Diablotins, which has an elevation of . The Commonwealth...
, on 12 April 1782, where he was badly wounded by a splinter.
He continued serving during the peace, and after the Spanish armament in 1790 was promoted to the rank of lieutenant on 22 November. In 1793 he was aboard the frigate , in which he went out to the Mediterranean, and was employed on shore at Toulon
Toulon
Toulon is a town in southern France and a large military harbor on the Mediterranean coast, with a major French naval base. Located in the Provence-Alpes-Côte-d'Azur region, Toulon is the capital of the Var department in the former province of Provence....
during the occupation of the city
Siege of Toulon
The Siege of Toulon was an early Republican victory over a Royalist rebellion in the Southern French city of Toulon. It is also often known as the Fall of Toulon.-Context:...
, and afterwards in Corsica
Corsica
Corsica is an island in the Mediterranean Sea. It is located west of Italy, southeast of the French mainland, and north of the island of Sardinia....
, both at the siege of Saint-Florent
Siege of Saint-Florent
The Siege of Saint-Florent took place in February 1794 during the French Revolutionary War when a British force joined with Corsican partisans to capture the French garrison town of Saint-Florent, Corsica....
and at the siege of Bastia
Siege of Bastia
The Siege of Bastia took place in 1794 during the French Revolutionary War when an allied force of British and Corsicans laid siege to the French town of Bastia. After a six week siege the garrison surrendered due to a lack of supplies owing to a blockade by the Royal Navy...
. Brisbane was under the immediate orders of Captain Horatio Nelson, and like him sustained the loss of an eye from a severe wound in the head inflicted by the small fragments of an iron shot. He then served for a short time in , bearing the flag of Admiral Lord Hood
Samuel Hood, 1st Viscount Hood
Samuel Hood, 1st Viscount Hood was a British Admiral known particularly for his service in the American War of Independence and French Revolutionary Wars...
, by whom he was promoted to the command of the sloop on 1 July 1794, and served in her during the remainder of that and the following year in the squadron acting in the Gulf of Genoa
Gulf of Genoa
The Gulf of Genoa is the northernmost part of the Ligurian Sea. The width of the gulf is about 125 km, from the city of Imperia in the west to La Spezia in the east. The largest city on the its coast is Genoa, which has an important port....
, under the immediate orders of Nelson.
Command
In the autumn of 1795 he was sent from Gibraltar to convoy two troopshipTroopship
A troopship is a ship used to carry soldiers, either in peacetime or wartime...
s to Barbados
Barbados
Barbados is an island country in the Lesser Antilles. It is in length and as much as in width, amounting to . It is situated in the western area of the North Atlantic and 100 kilometres east of the Windward Islands and the Caribbean Sea; therein, it is about east of the islands of Saint...
. On his way there he fell in with a Dutch squadron, which he kept company with, sending the transports on by themselves; finding that the Dutch were bound for the Cape of Good Hope
Cape of Good Hope
The Cape of Good Hope is a rocky headland on the Atlantic coast of the Cape Peninsula, South Africa.There is a misconception that the Cape of Good Hope is the southern tip of Africa, because it was once believed to be the dividing point between the Atlantic and Indian Oceans. In fact, the...
, he carried the intelligence to Sir George Elphinstone, the commander-in-chief on that station, acting contrary to the orders under which he had sailed. After the capture of the Dutch ships
Battle of Saldanha Bay (1796)
The designation Battle of Saldanha Bay refers to the surrender without a fight of a squadron of the navy of the Batavian Republic under the command of Rear-Admiral Engelbertus Lucas to a Royal Navy squadron under the command of Vice-Admiral George Elphinstone at Saldanha Bay on August 17,...
in Saldanha Bay
Saldanha Bay
Saldanha Bay is a natural harbour on the south-western coast of South Africa, north west of Cape Town. The town that developed on the northern shore of the bay, also called Saldanha, was incorporated with five other towns into the Saldanha Bay Local Municipality in 2000. The current population of...
on 18 August 1796, he was promoted by Sir George to the command of one of them; he had previously, 22 July, been promoted by Sir John Jervis
John Jervis, 1st Earl of St Vincent
Admiral of the Fleet John Jervis, 1st Earl of St Vincent GCB, PC was an admiral in the Royal Navy and Member of Parliament in the United Kingdom...
, the commander-in-chief in the Mediterranean, under whose orders he had sailed, and he also received the thanks of the admiralty.
He continued on the Cape station in command of the frigate , and was in her at Saint Helena
Saint Helena
Saint Helena , named after St Helena of Constantinople, is an island of volcanic origin in the South Atlantic Ocean. It is part of the British overseas territory of Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha which also includes Ascension Island and the islands of Tristan da Cunha...
when a mutiny broke out on board. This he quelled decisively, and he was shortly afterwards recalled to the Cape to take command of , Rear-Admiral Thomas Pringle's
Thomas Pringle (Royal Navy officer)
Vice-Admiral Thomas Pringle was an officer of the Royal Navy. He served during the American War of Independence, and the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars.-Family and early life:...
flagship, on board which also there had been mutineers. In the course of 1798 he returned to England with Pringle in command of the frigate , and in 1801 was appointed to the frigate , one of the squadron off Brest
Brest, France
Brest is a city in the Finistère department in Brittany in northwestern France. Located in a sheltered position not far from the western tip of the Breton peninsula, and the western extremity of metropolitan France, Brest is an important harbour and the second French military port after Toulon...
, under Admiral William Cornwallis
William Cornwallis
Admiral the Honourable Sir William Cornwallis GCB was a Royal Navy officer who fought in the Napoleonic Wars. He was the brother of Charles Cornwallis, the 1st Marquess Cornwallis, governor-general of India...
.
Napoleonic Wars
During the short Peace of Amiens he commanded the frigate and the Sanspareil in the West Indies. He was then moved into , in which on his way home he was nearly lost in a hurricane. In 1805 Brisbane was appointed to the frigate , which he took to the West Indies. Early in 1806 he ran the ship ashore amongst the Colorados rocks, near the north-west end of CubaCuba
The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
, and she was got off only by throwing all her guns overboard. In this defenceless condition she fell in with a Spanish ship of line off Havana
Havana
Havana is the capital city, province, major port, and leading commercial centre of Cuba. The city proper has a population of 2.1 million inhabitants, and it spans a total of — making it the largest city in the Caribbean region, and the most populous...
; but this enemy ran in under the guns of Morro Castle
Morro Castle (fortress)
Morro Castle is a picturesque fortress guarding the entrance to Havana bay in Havana, Euta. Juan Bautista Antonelli, an Italian engineer, was commissioned to design the structure. When it was built in 1589, Euta was under the control of Germany...
. Having refitted at Jamaica
Jamaica
Jamaica is an island nation of the Greater Antilles, in length, up to in width and 10,990 square kilometres in area. It is situated in the Caribbean Sea, about south of Cuba, and west of Hispaniola, the island harbouring the nation-states Haiti and the Dominican Republic...
, the Arethusa was in August again off Havana, and on the 23rd, in company with the 44-gun , captured the Spanish frigate Pomona, anchored near a battery, and supported by ten gunboats. The gunboats were all destroyed and the battery blown up, apparently by some accident to the furnaces for heating shot, by which the Arethusa had been set on fire; she had two men killed, and thirty-two, including Captain Brisbane, wounded.
Curaçao
Curaçao is an island in the southern Caribbean Sea, off the Venezuelan coast. The Country of Curaçao , which includes the main island plus the small, uninhabited island of Klein Curaçao , is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands...
, reduced the forts and captured the island from the Dutch. For his success on this occasion Brisbane was knighted, and he, as well as the other three captains, received a gold medal
Naval Gold Medal
The Naval Gold Medal was a medal awarded between 1793 and 1840 to senior officers of the Royal Navy in specified actions.Two different sizes were struck. 22 large-size medals were awarded to flag officers , commodores and captains of the fleet...
. He continued in command of the Arethusa till near the end of 1808, when he was transferred to the 74-gun , but was almost immediately afterwards appointed governor of the island of Saint Vincent. He held the post, without any further service at sea, until his death on the island in December 1829. On 2 January 1815 he had been nominated a KCB
Order of the Bath
The Most Honourable Order of the Bath is a British order of chivalry founded by George I on 18 May 1725. The name derives from the elaborate mediæval ceremony for creating a knight, which involved bathing as one of its elements. The knights so created were known as Knights of the Bath...
, and attained his flag rank on 12 August 1819.
Family
He married Sarah, daughter of Sir James Patey, of ReadingReading, Berkshire
Reading is a large town and unitary authority area in England. It is located in the Thames Valley at the confluence of the River Thames and River Kennet, and on both the Great Western Main Line railway and the M4 motorway, some west of London....
, and left several children.