Edward Knowles (Royal Navy officer)
Encyclopedia
Edward Knowles was an officer of the Royal Navy
, who saw service during the Seven Years War.
Knowles was born into a distinguished naval family, with his father rising to the rank of admiral and receiving a baronet
cy for his services. Edward followed him into the navy, and served with several important officers in operations during the Seven Years' War, which he spent mostly in North American waters. He supported the sieges of Louisbourg
and Quebec
and made the acquaintance of the natural philosopher John Robison
, who spent some time as his mathematics tutor.
Knowles was eventually promoted to command his own ship, an elderly and much reworked vessel, which already had a reputation for being difficult to steer. He set off in poor weather to deliver important despatches to the British commands in the Bay of Biscay
but never returned. His ship was presumed to have foundered at sea with the loss of all hands.
Charles Knowles and Mary Alleyne, the sister of John Alleyne
. His father became a noted naval officer, rising to the rank of admiral and receiving a baronet
cy for his services to his country. Edward attended Eton College
and then followed his father into the navy. He first served with a colleague of his father, Captain Richard Howe
, of . He afterwards went out with Admiral Sir Charles Saunders to the Siege of Louisbourg
in February 1759, aboard the 90-gun . Accompanying him as his personal mathematics tutor was John Robison
, who spent the next few years with Edward, and would later serve with his father as a personal secretary. At Louisbourg Knowles took part in the assault on the 64-gun French ship Prudent, anchored in the harbour, and was later promoted to lieutenant
during the voyage and operations to capture Quebec
. He transferred to the 100-gun HMS Royal William
to serve his commission.
Royal Caroline, which had been fitted with a poop deck
, which consequently made it difficult to wear
ship. Knowle's tutor Robison had initially hoped to be made purser
of the ship, but found her small size less congenial than the larger men of war he had served on, and left after seeing some service in the Bay of Biscay
and Lisbon
. After some time in command of HMS Peregrine, Knowles was promoted and a commission made out for him as post captain by the Admiralty
. It never reached him.
and Lisbon, and Knowles was entrusted with the task. He rendezvoused with the fleet under Commodore Augustus Keppel
off Belle Isle and passed on the news. Keppel attempted to persuade Knowles not to put to sea again owing to the stormy weather, but Knowles convinced Keppel to allow him to continue on. Keppel relented, and Peregrine put to sea. She was never seen again. It was assumed that she had foundered with the loss of all hands on or sometime after 28 December 1761.
, Edward's half brother. A posthumous portrait of Edward was commissioned from Francis Cotes
, based on a silhouette
and a description from his father.
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 saw service during the Seven Years War.
Knowles was born into a distinguished naval family, with his father rising to the rank of admiral and receiving a baronet
Baronet
A baronet or the rare female equivalent, a baronetess , is the holder of a hereditary baronetcy awarded by the British Crown...
cy for his services. Edward followed him into the navy, and served with several important officers in operations during the Seven Years' War, which he spent mostly in North American waters. He supported the sieges of Louisbourg
Siege of Louisbourg (1758)
The Siege of Louisbourg was a pivotal battle of the Seven Years' War in 1758 which ended the French colonial era in Atlantic Canada and led directly to the loss of Quebec in 1759 and the remainder of French North America the following year.-Background:The British government realized that with the...
and Quebec
Battle of the Plains of Abraham
The Battle of the Plains of Abraham, also known as the Battle of Quebec, was a pivotal battle in the Seven Years' War...
and made the acquaintance of the natural philosopher John Robison
John Robison (physicist)
John Robison FRSE was a Scottish physicist and mathematician. He was a professor of philosophy at the University of Edinburgh....
, who spent some time as his mathematics tutor.
Knowles was eventually promoted to command his own ship, an elderly and much reworked vessel, which already had a reputation for being difficult to steer. He set off in poor weather to deliver important despatches to the British commands in the Bay of Biscay
Bay of Biscay
The Bay of Biscay is a gulf of the northeast Atlantic Ocean located south of the Celtic Sea. It lies along the western coast of France from Brest south to the Spanish border, and the northern coast of Spain west to Cape Ortegal, and is named in English after the province of Biscay, in the Spanish...
but never returned. His ship was presumed to have foundered at sea with the loss of all hands.
Family and early life
Edward Knowles was born in 1744, the only son from the marriage of CaptainCaptain (Royal Navy)
Captain is a senior officer rank of the Royal Navy. It ranks above Commander and below Commodore and has a NATO ranking code of OF-5. The rank is equivalent to a Colonel in the British Army or Royal Marines and to a Group Captain in the Royal Air Force. The rank of Group Captain is based on the...
Charles Knowles and Mary Alleyne, the sister of John Alleyne
Sir John Alleyne, 1st Baronet
Sir John Gay Alleyne, 1st Baronet was a baronet and Barbadian politician.-Background:Alleyne descended from the first settlers on Barbados and was born at St James as second son of John Alleyne and his wife Mary Terrill, daughter of William Terrill...
. His father became a noted naval officer, rising to the rank of admiral and receiving a baronet
Baronet
A baronet or the rare female equivalent, a baronetess , is the holder of a hereditary baronetcy awarded by the British Crown...
cy for his services to his country. Edward attended Eton College
Eton College
Eton College, often referred to simply as Eton, is a British independent school for boys aged 13 to 18. It was founded in 1440 by King Henry VI as "The King's College of Our Lady of Eton besides Wyndsor"....
and then followed his father into the navy. He first served with a colleague of his father, Captain Richard Howe
Richard Howe, 1st Earl Howe
Admiral of the Fleet Richard Howe, 1st Earl Howe KG was a British naval officer, notable in particular for his service during the American War of Independence and French Revolutionary Wars. He was the brother of William Howe and George Howe.Howe joined the navy at the age of thirteen and served...
, of . He afterwards went out with Admiral Sir Charles Saunders to the Siege of Louisbourg
Siege of Louisbourg (1758)
The Siege of Louisbourg was a pivotal battle of the Seven Years' War in 1758 which ended the French colonial era in Atlantic Canada and led directly to the loss of Quebec in 1759 and the remainder of French North America the following year.-Background:The British government realized that with the...
in February 1759, aboard the 90-gun . Accompanying him as his personal mathematics tutor was John Robison
John Robison (physicist)
John Robison FRSE was a Scottish physicist and mathematician. He was a professor of philosophy at the University of Edinburgh....
, who spent the next few years with Edward, and would later serve with his father as a personal secretary. At Louisbourg Knowles took part in the assault on the 64-gun French ship Prudent, anchored in the harbour, and was later promoted to lieutenant
Lieutenant
A lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer in many nations' armed forces. Typically, the rank of lieutenant in naval usage, while still a junior officer rank, is senior to the army rank...
during the voyage and operations to capture Quebec
Battle of the Plains of Abraham
The Battle of the Plains of Abraham, also known as the Battle of Quebec, was a pivotal battle in the Seven Years' War...
. He transferred to the 100-gun HMS Royal William
HMS Prince (1670)
HMS Prince was a 100-gun first rate ship of the line of the Royal Navy, built by Phineas Pett II at Deptford Dockyard and launched in 1670. A contemporary shipyard model and a drawing by Willem van de Velde the Elder give a good impression how she looked...
to serve his commission.
Command
After his extended service in North America, Knowles was promoted to commander and appointed to the sloop HMS Peregrine in 1761. Peregrine was the former royal yachtRoyal Yacht
A royal yacht is a ship used by a monarch or a royal family. If the monarch is an emperor the proper term is imperial yacht. Most of them are financed by the government of the country of which the monarch is head...
Royal Caroline, which had been fitted with a poop deck
Poop deck
In naval architecture, a poop deck is a deck that forms the roof of a cabin built in the rear, or "aft", part of the superstructure of a ship.The name originates from the French word for stern, la poupe, from Latin puppis...
, which consequently made it difficult to wear
Jibe
A jibe or gybe is a sailing maneuver where a sailing vessel turns its stern through the wind, such that the wind direction changes from one side of the boat to the other...
ship. Knowle's tutor Robison had initially hoped to be made purser
Purser
The purser joined the warrant officer ranks of the Royal Navy in the early fourteenth century and existed as a Naval rank until 1852. The development of the warrant officer system began in 1040 when five English ports began furnishing warships to King Edward the Confessor in exchange for certain...
of the ship, but found her small size less congenial than the larger men of war he had served on, and left after seeing some service in the Bay of Biscay
Bay of Biscay
The Bay of Biscay is a gulf of the northeast Atlantic Ocean located south of the Celtic Sea. It lies along the western coast of France from Brest south to the Spanish border, and the northern coast of Spain west to Cape Ortegal, and is named in English after the province of Biscay, in the Spanish...
and Lisbon
Lisbon
Lisbon is the capital city and largest city of Portugal with a population of 545,245 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Lisbon extends beyond the administrative city limits with a population of 3 million on an area of , making it the 9th most populous urban...
. After some time in command of HMS Peregrine, Knowles was promoted and a commission made out for him as post captain by the Admiralty
Admiralty
The Admiralty was formerly the authority in the Kingdom of England, and later in the United Kingdom, responsible for the command of the Royal Navy...
. It never reached him.
Final voyage
The imminent declaration of war with Spain necessitated the sending of despatches to the British commands at Belle IsleBelle Île
Belle-Île or Belle-Île-en-Mer is a French island off the coast of Brittany in the département of Morbihan, and the largest of Brittany's islands. It is 14 km from the Quiberon peninsula.Administratively, the island forms a canton: the canton of Belle-Île...
and Lisbon, and Knowles was entrusted with the task. He rendezvoused with the fleet under Commodore Augustus Keppel
Augustus Keppel, 1st Viscount Keppel
Admiral Augustus Keppel, 1st Viscount Keppel PC was an officer of the Royal Navy during the Seven Years' War and the War of American Independence...
off Belle Isle and passed on the news. Keppel attempted to persuade Knowles not to put to sea again owing to the stormy weather, but Knowles convinced Keppel to allow him to continue on. Keppel relented, and Peregrine put to sea. She was never seen again. It was assumed that she had foundered with the loss of all hands on or sometime after 28 December 1761.
Legacy
Knowles predeceased his father, the baronetcy was therefore inherited by Sir Charles Knowles's second son, CharlesSir Charles Knowles, 2nd Baronet
Sir Charles Henry Knowles, 2nd Baronet GCB was an officer of the Royal Navy, who saw service during the American War of Independence, and the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, eventually rising to the rank of Admiral...
, Edward's half brother. A posthumous portrait of Edward was commissioned from Francis Cotes
Francis Cotes
Francis Cotes was an English painter, one of the pioneers of English pastel painting, and a founder member of the Royal Academy in 1768.-Life and work:...
, based on a silhouette
Silhouette
A silhouette is the image of a person, an object or scene consisting of the outline and a basically featureless interior, with the silhouetted object usually being black. Although the art form has been popular since the mid-18th century, the term “silhouette” was seldom used until the early decades...
and a description from his father.