Edward Brace
Encyclopedia
Rear Admiral
Sir Edward Brace, KCB
(bap. 2 June 1770 – 26 December 1843) was a senior officer of the British Royal Navy
during the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars
. Most of his career was spent as a successful independent captain, and he was three times involved in successful actions against French or Dutch frigates, resulting in rapid promotion. After the end of the Napoleonic Wars, Brace commanded the first rate HMS Impregnable
at the Bombardment of Algiers in 1816, but made a serious mistake in his navigation and exposed his ship to the port's defences unnecessarily. As a result he suffered 210 casualties and his career suffered as a result. Despite this setback, he continued to rise during the 1820s and gradually became an admiral and a knight. In the 1830s he was made commander in chief at the Nore
and died on station in 1843.
HMS Artois as a captain's servant, progressing through the ranks until entered as a midshipman
in 1785. In 1787, Brace joined HMS Victory
before moving to HMS Gorgon, HMS Edgar and then HMS Crown
over the following year. In 1790 he sailed for the East Indies and there served on HMS Minerva
and HMS Ariel, returning to Europe in 1792 as a lieutenant. In January 1793, Brace moved to HMS Iris and in 1794 joined the ship of the line
HMS Polyphemus
, based at Cork
. In 1795 he was briefly given an independent command in the cutter HMS Hazard
, but returned to Polyphemus within the year. Polyphemus was then heavily engaged in the Expédition d'Irlande
during the winter of 1796–1797, when a French invasion fleet was broken up by storms off Southern Ireland. Polyphemus was able to chase and capture the frigate Tartu
5 January.
In consequence of the capture, Brace was given command of the brig
HMS Kangaroo in June 1797 and in October 1798 was heavily involved in the events surrounding the Battle of Tory Island
, bringing warning to the squadron at Cork of the approaching French fleet and subsequently assisting in the capture of the frigate Loire
as the French fleet broke up in the aftermath of the battle. In 1800, Brace was promoted to post captain and the same year married Elizabeth Fisher in Brockhampton
. In 1801 he took command of the second rate HMS Neptune
, the flagship of Vice-Admiral James Gambier and in 1802 moved to command HMS Camilla
before returning to Gambier's service on HMS Isis
off Newfoundland later in the same year.
In 1803, Brace took command of HMS Dreadnought
, flagship of Admiral William Cornwallis
in the Channel Fleet
and a few months later took an independent command in the frigate HMS Castor
. In 1805 he moved to Isis again and then to HMS Virginie. While serving off Ireland in May 1808, Virginie encountered and defeated a Dutch frigate name Gelderland at the Action of 19 May 1808. In May 1810 Virginie was paid off and Brace appointed to HMS St Albans
off Cadiz
. In March 1811, Brace was in command of the transports bringing Lieutenant-General Thomas Graham
's soldiers to Tarifa
and managed to land his military stores in heavy surf, allowing him to participate in the successful Battle of Barrossa. In December 1811, Brace moved to HMS Berwick
and for the next three years operated against the French, Spanish and Italian coasts, including the capture of the cities of Genoa
and Gaeta
.
At the end of the Napoleonic Wars
, Brace remained in service and took command of the second rate HMS Impregnable
under Rear-Admiral David Milne
, participating in the Bombardment of Algiers in 1816. During the battle, Brace miscalculated the position of his ship and anchored too close to the gun batteries defending the port, preventing his men from depressing their guns sufficiently to inflict any damage on the fort while coming under heavy bombardment themselves. Impregnable suffered 210 casualties in the engagement and Brace was blamed for the losses and refused any form of reward from the British government. Instead he was awarded the Military William Order and the Order of Saints Maurice and Lazarus
from the Dutch and Sardinian governments and later presented with the Order of Charles III by the Spanish government for his services during the Peninsula War in 1811.
Despite the setback to his career at Algiers
, Brace continued to slowly rise, becoming a rear-admiral in 1830 and knighted in the Order of the Bath
in 1834, although he was denied any sea-going commands. In 1838 he became a vice-admiral and in 1841 he was appointed Commander-in-Chief, The Nore, where he died in 1843.
Rear Admiral (Royal Navy)
Rear Admiral is a flag officer rank of the British Royal Navy. It is immediately superior to Commodore and is subordinate to Vice Admiral. It is a two-star rank and has a NATO ranking code of OF-7....
Sir Edward Brace, 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...
(bap. 2 June 1770 – 26 December 1843) was a senior officer of the British 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...
during the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars
Napoleonic Wars
The Napoleonic Wars were a series of wars declared against Napoleon's French Empire by opposing coalitions that ran from 1803 to 1815. As a continuation of the wars sparked by the French Revolution of 1789, they revolutionised European armies and played out on an unprecedented scale, mainly due to...
. Most of his career was spent as a successful independent captain, and he was three times involved in successful actions against French or Dutch frigates, resulting in rapid promotion. After the end of the Napoleonic Wars, Brace commanded the first rate HMS Impregnable
HMS Impregnable
Two ships and two establishments of the Royal Navy have been named HMS Impregnable:-Ships: was a 98-gun second rate. This ship of the line was launched in 1786 and wrecked in 1799. was a 98-gun second-rate launched in 1810...
at the Bombardment of Algiers in 1816, but made a serious mistake in his navigation and exposed his ship to the port's defences unnecessarily. As a result he suffered 210 casualties and his career suffered as a result. Despite this setback, he continued to rise during the 1820s and gradually became an admiral and a knight. In the 1830s he was made commander in chief at the Nore
Nore
The Nore is a sandbank at the mouth of the Thames Estuary, England. It marks the point where the River Thames meets the North Sea, roughly halfway between Havengore Creek in Essex and Warden Point in Kent....
and died on station in 1843.
Life
Edward Brace was born in June 1770, the son of Francis Brace of Stagbatch. Aged 11 he was entered on the books of the frigateFrigate
A frigate is any of several types of warship, the term having been used for ships of various sizes and roles over the last few centuries.In the 17th century, the term was used for any warship built for speed and maneuverability, the description often used being "frigate-built"...
HMS Artois as a captain's servant, progressing through the ranks until entered as a midshipman
Midshipman
A midshipman is an officer cadet, or a commissioned officer of the lowest rank, in the Royal Navy, United States Navy, and many Commonwealth navies. Commonwealth countries which use the rank include Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, India, Pakistan, Singapore, Sri Lanka and Kenya...
in 1785. In 1787, Brace joined HMS Victory
HMS Victory
HMS Victory is a 104-gun first-rate ship of the line of the Royal Navy, laid down in 1759 and launched in 1765. She is most famous as Lord Nelson's flagship at the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805....
before moving to HMS Gorgon, HMS Edgar and then HMS Crown
HMS Crown (1782)
HMS Crown was a 64-gun third rate ship of the line of the Royal Navy, launched on 15 March 1782 at Blackwall Yard.She was converted to serve as a prison ship in 1798, and was broken up in 1816....
over the following year. In 1790 he sailed for the East Indies and there served on HMS Minerva
HMS Minerva (1780)
HMS Minerva was a 38-gun fifth-rate Royal Navy frigate. The first of four Minerva-class frigates, she was launched on 3 June 1780, and commissioned soon thereafter. In 1798 she was renamed Pallas and employed as a troopship...
and HMS Ariel, returning to Europe in 1792 as a lieutenant. In January 1793, Brace moved to HMS Iris and in 1794 joined the ship of the line
Ship of the line
A ship of the line was a type of naval warship constructed from the 17th through the mid-19th century to take part in the naval tactic known as the line of battle, in which two columns of opposing warships would manoeuvre to bring the greatest weight of broadside guns to bear...
HMS Polyphemus
HMS Polyphemus (1782)
HMS Polyphemus, a 64-gun third-rate ship of the line of the Royal Navy, launched on 27 April 1782 at Sheerness. She was the first ship of the Royal Navy named for Polyphemus the Cyclops.-Baltic service:...
, based at Cork
Cork (city)
Cork is the second largest city in the Republic of Ireland and the island of Ireland's third most populous city. It is the principal city and administrative centre of County Cork and the largest city in the province of Munster. Cork has a population of 119,418, while the addition of the suburban...
. In 1795 he was briefly given an independent command in the cutter HMS Hazard
HMS Hazard (1794)
HMS Hazard was an 16-gun Royal Navy Cormorant class ship-sloop built by Josiah & Thomas Brindley at Frindsbury, Kent, and launched in 1794. She served in the French Revolutionary Wars and throughout the Napoleonic Wars...
, but returned to Polyphemus within the year. Polyphemus was then heavily engaged in the Expédition d'Irlande
Expédition d'Irlande
The Expédition d'Irlande was an unsuccessful attempt by the First French Republic during the French Revolutionary Wars to assist the outlawed Society of United Irishmen, a popular rebel Irish republican group, in their planned rebellion against British rule...
during the winter of 1796–1797, when a French invasion fleet was broken up by storms off Southern Ireland. Polyphemus was able to chase and capture the frigate Tartu
French frigate Uranie (1791)
Uranie was a frigate of the French Navy launched in 1788. She took part in a frigate action in 1793, capturing HMS Thames, and was renamed Tartu in honour of her captain, Jean-François Tartu, who was killed in the action. She was herself captured in 1797...
5 January.
In consequence of the capture, Brace was given command of the brig
Brig
A brig is a sailing vessel with two square-rigged masts. During the Age of Sail, brigs were seen as fast and manoeuvrable and were used as both naval warships and merchant vessels. They were especially popular in the 18th and early 19th centuries...
HMS Kangaroo in June 1797 and in October 1798 was heavily involved in the events surrounding the Battle of Tory Island
Battle of Tory Island
The Battle of Tory Island, was a naval action of the French Revolutionary Wars, fought on 12 October 1798 between French and British squadrons off the northwest coast of Donegal, then in the Kingdom of Ireland...
, bringing warning to the squadron at Cork of the approaching French fleet and subsequently assisting in the capture of the frigate Loire
French frigate Loire (1797)
The Loire was a 44-gun frigate of the French Navy.-French service and capture:She took part in the Expédition d'Irlande, and in the Battle of Tory Island, where she battled , , and . After the battle, Loire and Sémillante escaped into Black Sod Bay, where they hoped to hide until they had a clear...
as the French fleet broke up in the aftermath of the battle. In 1800, Brace was promoted to post captain and the same year married Elizabeth Fisher in Brockhampton
Brockhampton
Brockampton is the name of several villages in England:*Brockhampton, Gloucestershire*Brockhampton, Hampshire*Brockhampton, Bringsty in Herefordshire*Brockhampton-by-Ross in Herefordshire...
. In 1801 he took command of the second rate HMS Neptune
HMS Neptune (1797)
HMS Neptune was a 98-gun second rate ship of the line of the Royal Navy. She served on a number of stations during the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars and was present at the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805....
, the flagship of Vice-Admiral James Gambier and in 1802 moved to command HMS Camilla
HMS Camilla (1776)
HMS Camilla was a Royal Navy 20-gun Sphinx-class post ship. Camilla was built in Chatham Dockyard to a design by John Williams and launched in 1776...
before returning to Gambier's service on HMS Isis
HMS Isis (1774)
HMS Isis was a 50-gun Portland-class fourth-rate of the Royal Navy. She saw service during the American War of Independence, and the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars....
off Newfoundland later in the same year.
In 1803, Brace took command of HMS Dreadnought
HMS Dreadnought (1801)
HMS Dreadnought was a Royal Navy 98-gun second rate. This ship of the line was launched at Portsmouth at midday on Saturday, 13 June 1801, after she had spent 13 years on the stocks...
, flagship of 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...
in the Channel Fleet
Channel Fleet
The Channel Fleet was the Royal Navy formation of warships that defended the waters of the English Channel from 1690 to 1909.-History:The Channel Fleet dates back at least to 1690 when its role was to defend England against the French threat under the leadership of Edward Russell, 1st Earl of...
and a few months later took an independent command in the frigate HMS Castor
HMS Castor (1785)
HMS Castor was a 32-gun Amazon-class fifth-rate frigate of the Royal Navy. She served during the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars. The French briefly captured her during the Atlantic Campaign of May 1794 but she spent just 20 days in French hands as a British ship retook her before her...
. In 1805 he moved to Isis again and then to HMS Virginie. While serving off Ireland in May 1808, Virginie encountered and defeated a Dutch frigate name Gelderland at the Action of 19 May 1808. In May 1810 Virginie was paid off and Brace appointed to HMS St Albans
HMS St Albans (1764)
HMS St Albans was a 64-gun third rate ship of the line of the Royal Navy, launched on 12 September 1764 at Blackwall Yard, London.She served in the American War of Independence from 1777 and was part of the fleet that captured St Lucia and won victories at Battle of St. Kitts and The Saintes...
off Cadiz
Cádiz
Cadiz is a city and port in southwestern Spain. It is the capital of the homonymous province, one of eight which make up the autonomous community of Andalusia....
. In March 1811, Brace was in command of the transports bringing Lieutenant-General Thomas Graham
Thomas Graham, 1st Baron Lynedoch
General Thomas Graham, 1st Baron Lynedoch, GCB, GCMG, GCTE was a Scottish aristocrat, politician and British Army officer....
's soldiers to Tarifa
Tarifa
Tarifa is a small town in the province of Cádiz, Andalusia, on the southernmost coast of Spain. The town is located on the Costa de la Luz and across the Straits of Gibraltar facing Morocco. The municipality includes Punta de Tarifa, the southernmost point in continental Europe. There are five...
and managed to land his military stores in heavy surf, allowing him to participate in the successful Battle of Barrossa. In December 1811, Brace moved to HMS Berwick
HMS Berwick (1809)
HMS Berwick was a 74-gun third rate ship of the line of the Royal Navy, launched on 11 September 1809 at Blackwall.Berwick was broken up in 1821....
and for the next three years operated against the French, Spanish and Italian coasts, including the capture of the cities of Genoa
Genoa
Genoa |Ligurian]] Zena ; Latin and, archaically, English Genua) is a city and an important seaport in northern Italy, the capital of the Province of Genoa and of the region of Liguria....
and Gaeta
Gaeta
Gaeta is a city and comune in the province of Latina, in Lazio, central Italy. Set on a promontory stretching towards the Gulf of Gaeta, it is 120 km from Rome and 80 km from Naples....
.
Napoleonic Wars
The Napoleonic Wars were a series of wars declared against Napoleon's French Empire by opposing coalitions that ran from 1803 to 1815. As a continuation of the wars sparked by the French Revolution of 1789, they revolutionised European armies and played out on an unprecedented scale, mainly due to...
, Brace remained in service and took command of the second rate HMS Impregnable
HMS Impregnable (1810)
HMS Impregnable was a 98-gun second rate three-decker ship of the line of the Royal Navy, launched on 1 August 1810 at Chatham. She was designed by Sir William Rule, and was the only ship built to her draught...
under Rear-Admiral David Milne
David Milne (admiral)
Admiral Sir David Milne, GCB, RN was a Royal Navy admiral.-Naval career:Born in Musselburgh, East Lothian, Scotland, he entered the Royal Navy as a midshipman in 1779...
, participating in the Bombardment of Algiers in 1816. During the battle, Brace miscalculated the position of his ship and anchored too close to the gun batteries defending the port, preventing his men from depressing their guns sufficiently to inflict any damage on the fort while coming under heavy bombardment themselves. Impregnable suffered 210 casualties in the engagement and Brace was blamed for the losses and refused any form of reward from the British government. Instead he was awarded the Military William Order and the Order of Saints Maurice and Lazarus
Order of Saints Maurice and Lazarus
The Order of Saints Maurice and Lazarus is an order of chivalry awarded by the House of Savoy, the heads of which were formerly Kings of Italy...
from the Dutch and Sardinian governments and later presented with the Order of Charles III by the Spanish government for his services during the Peninsula War in 1811.
Despite the setback to his career at Algiers
Algiers
' is the capital and largest city of Algeria. According to the 1998 census, the population of the city proper was 1,519,570 and that of the urban agglomeration was 2,135,630. In 2009, the population was about 3,500,000...
, Brace continued to slowly rise, becoming a rear-admiral in 1830 and knighted in the Order of the Bath
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...
in 1834, although he was denied any sea-going commands. In 1838 he became a vice-admiral and in 1841 he was appointed Commander-in-Chief, The Nore, where he died in 1843.