George Blagdon Westcott
Encyclopedia
George Blagdon Westcott was an officer of the Royal Navy
. He served during the American Revolutionary
and the French Revolutionary Wars
, eventually rising to the rank of Captain
. He was one of Vice-Admiral Horatio Nelson's
Band of Brothers
at the Battle of the Nile
in 1798, in which battle he was killed.
, Devon
, and was baptised on 24 April 1753. He joined the Navy sometime between 1765 and 1768, and by 1768 he was serving as master's mate
aboard the frigate
. He spent five years aboard the Solebay, rising to the rank of midshipman
, and spending time under George Vandeput
. He then moved aboard , where he spent the next three years under Samuel Barrington
and John Leveson-Gower
. He passed his lieutenant's examination on 10 January 1776 and received his promotion to that rank on 6 August 1777, moving aboard . Under her captain, Samuel Granston Goodall, the Valiant was present at the First Battle of Ushant
on 27 July 1778, after which Westcott and the Valiant joined the fleet under Sir Charles Hardy
in 1779. He was present with Vice-admiral George Darby
's fleet when they relieved Gibraltar
in April 1781.
In November that year Westcott moved aboard , then the flagship
of Rear-admiral Richard Kempenfelt
. He was then present at Kempenfelt's victory at the Second Battle of Ushant
on 12 December 1781. Wescott returned to Gibraltar under Lord Howe
, and was then in action again at the Battle of Cape Spartel
in October 1782. He briefly served aboard , before becoming first lieutenant of between 1786 and 1787. The Salisbury was at that time the flagship of Commodore John Elliot.
. He was promoted to captain
on 1 October 1790, and became flag captain
aboard . When the London was paid off in late 1791, Westcott went onto half-pay until becoming Rear-admiral Benjamin Caldwell
's flag captain aboard in September 1793. Westcott was then present at the Glorious First of June
in 1794, afterwards following Caldwell aboard . He went to the West Indies, but returned with Sir John Laforey
in June 1796. Majestic then joined the Channel Fleet
, and was present at the Spithead Mutiny in April and May 1797. Majestic then joined John Jervis
off Cadiz
, where Westcott was ordered to take her to join Vice-admiral Nelson in the Mediterranean. Nelson was searching for the French fleet under Vice-Admiral François-Paul Brueys d'Aigalliers
.
When Nelson located the French fleet at anchor at Aboukir Bay
, he quickly ordered the British into the attack. The Majestic was towards the rear of the British line, and did not come into action until late in the battle. In the darkness and smoke she collided with the Heureux
and became entangled in her rigging. Trapped for several minutes, the Majestic suffered heavy casualties. Westcott was hit by a musket ball in the throat and killed. The Majestic’s first lieutenant, Robert Cuthbert took over and continued the battle. Cuthbert was confirmed as acting captain by Nelson the day after the battle.
Collingwood
wrote of him:
Westcott was buried at sea. A monument to his memory was erected in St Paul's Cathedral
, and another in the church in his birthplace at Honiton. In January 1801, Nelson was passing through Honiton, on his way to take up a new command at Plymouth
. Nelson invited his nearest surviving family to breakfast, and presented Mrs. Westcott with his own Nile medal, saying, "You will not value it less because Nelson has worn it." On 17 January 1801 he wrote to Lady Hamilton:
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...
. He served during the American Revolutionary
American Revolutionary War
The American Revolutionary War , the American War of Independence, or simply the Revolutionary War, began as a war between the Kingdom of Great Britain and thirteen British colonies in North America, and ended in a global war between several European great powers.The war was the result of the...
and the French Revolutionary Wars
French Revolutionary Wars
The French Revolutionary Wars were a series of major conflicts, from 1792 until 1802, fought between the French Revolutionary government and several European states...
, eventually rising to the rank of Captain
Captain (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...
. He was one of Vice-Admiral Horatio Nelson's
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...
Band of Brothers
Nelson's Band of Brothers
Band of Brothers was a phrase used by Rear-Admiral Horatio Nelson to refer to the captains under his command just prior to and at the Battle of the Nile in 1798. The phrase, taken from Shakespeare's Henry V, later came to be more generally applied to his relationship with the captains and men under...
at the Battle of the Nile
Battle of the Nile
The Battle of the Nile was a major naval battle fought between British and French fleets at Aboukir Bay on the Mediterranean coast of Egypt from 1–3 August 1798...
in 1798, in which battle he was killed.
Family and early life
Westcott's year of birth is unknown, but appears to have been between 1752 and 1753, and was likely in 1753. He was the son of a baker in HonitonHoniton
Honiton is a town and civil parish in East Devon, situated close to the River Otter, north east of Exeter in the county of Devon. The town's name is pronounced in two ways, and , each pronunciation having its adherents...
, Devon
Devon
Devon is a large county in southwestern England. The county is sometimes referred to as Devonshire, although the term is rarely used inside the county itself as the county has never been officially "shired", it often indicates a traditional or historical context.The county shares borders with...
, and was baptised on 24 April 1753. He joined the Navy sometime between 1765 and 1768, and by 1768 he was serving as master's mate
Master's mate
Master's mate is an obsolete rating which was used by the Royal Navy, United States Navy and merchant services in both countries for a senior petty officer who assisted the master...
aboard the frigate
Frigate
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"...
. He spent five years aboard the Solebay, rising to the rank of 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...
, and spending time under George Vandeput
George Vandeput
Admiral George Vandeput was an English naval officer, the illegitimate son of Sir George Vandeput, 2nd Baronet and an unknown mother.-Naval career:...
. He then moved aboard , where he spent the next three years under Samuel Barrington
Samuel Barrington
Rear Admiral Samuel Barrington RN was a British admiral.Samuel was the fourth son of John Shute Barrington, 1st Viscount Barrington of Beckett Hall at Shrivenham in Berkshire...
and John Leveson-Gower
John Leveson-Gower (1740-1792)
John Leveson-Gower was an officer of the Royal Navy and a politician. He saw service during the Seven Years' War and the American War of Independence, rising to the rank of rear-admiral...
. He passed his lieutenant's examination on 10 January 1776 and received his promotion to that rank on 6 August 1777, moving aboard . Under her captain, Samuel Granston Goodall, the Valiant was present at the First Battle of Ushant
Battle of Ushant (1778)
The Battle of Ushant took place on 27 July 1778, during the American War of Independence, fought between French and British fleets 100 miles west of Ushant, a French island at the mouth of the English Channel off the north-westernmost point of France...
on 27 July 1778, after which Westcott and the Valiant joined the fleet under Sir Charles Hardy
Charles Hardy
Admiral of the Fleet Sir Charles Hardy was a Royal Navy officer and colonial governor of New York.-Early career:Born at Portsmouth, the son of a vice admiral, Charles Hardy joined the Royal Navy as a volunteer in 1731....
in 1779. He was present with Vice-admiral George Darby
George Darby
Vice Admiral George Darby was an officer in the Royal Navy. He was the second son of Jonathan Darby III Esq. , of Leap Castle, in King's County, Ireland.-Early career:Darby joined the Royal Navy as a volunteer...
's fleet when they relieved 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 April 1781.
In November that year Westcott moved aboard , then the flagship
Flagship
A flagship is a vessel used by the commanding officer of a group of naval ships, reflecting the custom of its commander, characteristically a flag officer, flying a distinguishing flag...
of Rear-admiral Richard Kempenfelt
Richard Kempenfelt
Richard Kempenfelt was a British rear-admiral who gained a reputation as a naval innovator. He is best known for his victory against the French at the Second Battle of Ushant and for his death when the HMS Royal George accidentally sank at Portsmouth the following year.He was born at Westminster...
. He was then present at Kempenfelt's victory at the Second Battle of Ushant
Battle of Ushant (1781)
The Second Battle of Ushant was a naval battle fought between French and British squadrons near Ushant on 12 December 1781, during the American War of Independence.-Battle:...
on 12 December 1781. Wescott returned to Gibraltar under Lord 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...
, and was then in action again at the Battle of Cape Spartel
Battle of Cape Spartel
The Battle of Cape Spartel was an indecisive naval battle between a Franco-Spanish fleet under Admiral Luis de Córdova y Córdova and a British fleet under Admiral Richard Howe...
in October 1782. He briefly served aboard , before becoming first lieutenant of between 1786 and 1787. The Salisbury was at that time the flagship of Commodore John Elliot.
Command
On 1 December 1787 Westcott was promoted to commander and between 1789 and 1790 had command of the sloopSloop-of-war
In the 18th and most of the 19th centuries, a sloop-of-war was a warship with a single gun deck that carried up to eighteen guns. As the rating system covered all vessels with 20 guns and above, this meant that the term sloop-of-war actually encompassed all the unrated combat vessels including the...
. He was promoted to captain
Captain (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...
on 1 October 1790, and became flag captain
Flag captain
In the Royal Navy, a flag captain was the captain of an admiral's flagship. During the 18th and 19th centuries, this ship might also have a "captain of the fleet", who would be ranked between the admiral and the "flag captain" as the ship's "First Captain", with the "flag captain" as the ship's...
aboard . When the London was paid off in late 1791, Westcott went onto half-pay until becoming Rear-admiral Benjamin Caldwell
Benjamin Caldwell
Admiral Sir Benjamin Caldwell, GCB was a senior and highly experienced British Royal Navy officer of the eighteenth century whose many victories and achievements were overshadowed by his acrimonious departure from the Navy during the French Revolutionary Wars after highly publicised disputes with...
's flag captain aboard in September 1793. Westcott was then present at the Glorious First of June
Glorious First of June
The Glorious First of June [Note A] of 1794 was the first and largest fleet action of the naval conflict between the Kingdom of Great Britain and the First French Republic during the French Revolutionary Wars...
in 1794, afterwards following Caldwell aboard . He went to the West Indies, but returned with Sir John Laforey
John Laforey
Sir John Laforey, 1st Baronet was a senior and controversial British naval officer of the 18th century whose extensive career was spent mainly on the North American and West Indian stations...
in June 1796. Majestic then joined 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 was present at the Spithead Mutiny in April and May 1797. Majestic then joined 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...
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....
, where Westcott was ordered to take her to join Vice-admiral Nelson in the Mediterranean. Nelson was searching for the French fleet under Vice-Admiral François-Paul Brueys d'Aigalliers
François-Paul Brueys d'Aigalliers
Vice-Admiral François-Paul Brueys d'Aigalliers, Comte de Brueys was the French commander in the Battle of the Nile, in which the French Revolutionary Navy was defeated by Royal Navy forces under Admiral Horatio Nelson. The British victory helped to ensure their naval supremacy throughout the...
.
Death
When Nelson located the French fleet at anchor at Aboukir Bay
Abu Qir Bay
The Abū Qīr Bay is a spacious bay on the Mediterranean Sea in Egypt, lying between Abu Qir and the Rosetta mouth of the Nile. It contains a natural gas field, discovered in the 1970s.On August 1, 1798, Horatio Nelson fought the Battle of the Nile, often referred to as the "Battle of Aboukir Bay"...
, he quickly ordered the British into the attack. The Majestic was towards the rear of the British line, and did not come into action until late in the battle. In the darkness and smoke she collided with the Heureux
French ship Heureux (1783)
The Heureux was a Centaure class 74-gun ship of the line of the French Navy.She cruised in the Mediterranean in 1794 and 1795.Under Captain Jean-Pierre Etienne, she took part in the Expedition to Egypt, and in the Battle of the Nile. The first ship to spot the British fleet on 1 August, Heureux...
and became entangled in her rigging. Trapped for several minutes, the Majestic suffered heavy casualties. Westcott was hit by a musket ball in the throat and killed. The Majestic’s first lieutenant, Robert Cuthbert took over and continued the battle. Cuthbert was confirmed as acting captain by Nelson the day after the battle.
Collingwood
Cuthbert Collingwood, 1st Baron Collingwood
Vice Admiral Cuthbert Collingwood, 1st Baron Collingwood was an admiral of the Royal Navy, notable as a partner with Lord Nelson in several of the British victories of the Napoleonic Wars, and frequently as Nelson's successor in commands.-Early years:Collingwood was born in Newcastle upon Tyne...
wrote of him:
A good officer and a worthy man; but, if it was a part of our condition to choose a day to die on, where could he have found one so memorable, so eminently distinguished among great days?
Westcott was buried at sea. A monument to his memory was erected in St Paul's Cathedral
St Paul's Cathedral
St Paul's Cathedral, London, is a Church of England cathedral and seat of the Bishop of London. Its dedication to Paul the Apostle dates back to the original church on this site, founded in AD 604. St Paul's sits at the top of Ludgate Hill, the highest point in the City of London, and is the mother...
, and another in the church in his birthplace at Honiton. In January 1801, Nelson was passing through Honiton, on his way to take up a new command at Plymouth
Plymouth
Plymouth is a city and unitary authority area on the coast of Devon, England, about south-west of London. It is built between the mouths of the rivers Plym to the east and Tamar to the west, where they join Plymouth Sound...
. Nelson invited his nearest surviving family to breakfast, and presented Mrs. Westcott with his own Nile medal, saying, "You will not value it less because Nelson has worn it." On 17 January 1801 he wrote to Lady Hamilton:
At Honiton I visited Captain Westcott's mother — poor thing, except from the bounty of government and Lloyd's, in very low circumstances. The brother is a tailor, but had they been chimney-sweepers it was my duty to show them respect.