Jahleel Brenton
Encyclopedia
Sir Jahleel Brenton, 1st baronet, KCB
(22 August 1770 – 3 April 1844) was a British
admiral born in Newport, Rhode Island
, British North America
.
family which suffered the loss of most of its property in the American Revolution
. He was a lieutenant in the Royal Navy
when the war began, and emigrated with his family to the United Kingdom in 1780.
Apart from Jahleel, the eldest, two Brenton sons entered the Royal Navy: Captain Edward Pelham Brenton
(1774–1839), and James Wallace Brenton, who was killed young in 1799 while attacking a Spanish
privateer near Barcelona
in the boats of , of which he was lieutenant.
in which was commanded by his father, and then in . At the end of the American War of Independence in 1783, Jahleel was sent to the maritime school at Chelsea
.
In 1787 Jahleel joined which was however paid off soon after his arrival and he moved to where he took part in surveys of the coastline of Nova Scotia
. In 1789, his time as a midshipman nearly expired, he joined and in March 1790 passed his examination for the rank of Lieutenant.
navy against the Russia
ns in the Gulf of Finland
, accepting a Lieutenant's commission in the Swedish Navy. He served in the ship Konig Adolf Frederic, the flagship of Admiral Modee. He saw service in the Battle of Svensksund
for a short time before moving to the brig
as Second Lieutenant, eventually being made First Lieutenant. Speedy was paid off in 1791 and Brenton moved again, to the Trepassey, a small 42-ton cutter stationed at Newfoundland.
In early 1794 Brenton returned to England, and became Second Lieutenant of , a 28-gun ship, which spent much of its time patrolling the coast of Flanders
. Towards the end of 1795 Brenton was forced to leave the ship due to illness caused by the bad weather conditions in which the Sybil had been cruising.
The Aigle meanwhile having been sunk, Brenton was made first Lieutenant of the Barfleur, moving in 1797 to , and spend the winter of 1797-98 surveying the River Tagus
between Lisbon
and Salvatierra
.
In 1798 he was appointed Commander of HMS Speedy, and won much distinction in actions with Spanish gunboats in the Straits of Gibraltar in 1799.
In 1800 he attained the rank of Post-captain
, and had the good fortune to serve as Flag captain
to Sir James (afterwards Lord) Saumarez
. During the peace of Amiens he married Miss Stewart, a lady belonging to a loyalist family of Nova Scotia whom he had first met during his earlier service on the North American Station.
Following the renewal of hostilities with France, he commanded a succession of frigates. On July 2, 1803 while commanding HMS Minerve
the ship ran aground near Cherbourg, France. Minerve came under fire from shore batteries and all attempts to refloat her having failed, Brenton was obliged to surrender. He was imprisoned at until 1806, during which time his wife joined him. Having eventually been exchanged (freed in return for the release of a French prisoner) he was appointed to in 1807.
Brenton's most brilliant action was fought with a squadron of French ships at Naples
on 1 May 1810. He was severely wounded during the battle, and Joachim Murat
, the then king of Naples, later praised his conduct.
in 1812 and KCB in 1815. After his recovery from his wounds he was found to be unfit for service at sea, and so was made Commissioner of the dockyard at Port Mahon
, and then at the Cape of Good Hope
, and was afterwards lieutenant governor of Greenwich Hospital till 1840. He attained flag rank in 1830.
In his later years he took an active part in philanthropic
work in association with his brother, Captain Edward Pelham Brenton, who had seen much service, but is best remembered by his writings on naval and military history, Naval History of Great Britain from the Year 1783 to 1822 (1823), and The Life and Correspondence of John, Earl of St Vincent (1838).
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...
(22 August 1770 – 3 April 1844) was a British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
admiral born in Newport, Rhode Island
Newport, Rhode Island
Newport is a city on Aquidneck Island in Newport County, Rhode Island, United States, about south of Providence. Known as a New England summer resort and for the famous Newport Mansions, it is the home of Salve Regina University and Naval Station Newport which houses the United States Naval War...
, British North America
British North America
British North America is a historical term. It consisted of the colonies and territories of the British Empire in continental North America after the end of the American Revolutionary War and the recognition of American independence in 1783.At the start of the Revolutionary War in 1775 the British...
.
Early life
Jahleel Brenton was the son of Rear-Admiral Jahleel Brenton (1729–1802), who belonged to a loyalistLoyalist (American Revolution)
Loyalists were American colonists who remained loyal to the Kingdom of Great Britain during the American Revolutionary War. At the time they were often called Tories, Royalists, or King's Men. They were opposed by the Patriots, those who supported the revolution...
family which suffered the loss of most of its property in the American Revolution
American Revolution
The American Revolution was the political upheaval during the last half of the 18th century in which thirteen colonies in North America joined together to break free from the British Empire, combining to become the United States of America...
. He was a lieutenant in 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...
when the war began, and emigrated with his family to the United Kingdom in 1780.
Apart from Jahleel, the eldest, two Brenton sons entered the Royal Navy: Captain Edward Pelham Brenton
Edward Pelham Brenton
Captain Edward Pelham Brenton was an officer of the British Royal Navy during the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars who military career was relatively quiet, apart from involvement in the capture of Martinique in 1809...
(1774–1839), and James Wallace Brenton, who was killed young in 1799 while attacking a Spanish
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
privateer near Barcelona
Barcelona
Barcelona is the second largest city in Spain after Madrid, and the capital of Catalonia, with a population of 1,621,537 within its administrative limits on a land area of...
in the boats of , of which he was lieutenant.
Naval service
Jahleel first went to sea in 1781, serving as midshipmanMidshipman
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 which was commanded by his father, and then in . At the end of the American War of Independence in 1783, Jahleel was sent to the maritime school at Chelsea
Chelsea, London
Chelsea is an area of West London, England, bounded to the south by the River Thames, where its frontage runs from Chelsea Bridge along the Chelsea Embankment, Cheyne Walk, Lots Road and Chelsea Harbour. Its eastern boundary was once defined by the River Westbourne, which is now in a pipe above...
.
In 1787 Jahleel joined which was however paid off soon after his arrival and he moved to where he took part in surveys of the coastline of Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the most populous province in Atlantic Canada. The name of the province is Latin for "New Scotland," but "Nova Scotia" is the recognized, English-language name of the province. The provincial capital is Halifax. Nova Scotia is the...
. In 1789, his time as a midshipman nearly expired, he joined and in March 1790 passed his examination for the rank of Lieutenant.
Foreign service
Seeing no chance of promotion or employment during the state of peace existing at the time, he went with other English naval officers to serve in the SwedishSweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
navy against the Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
ns in the Gulf of Finland
Gulf of Finland
The Gulf of Finland is the easternmost arm of the Baltic Sea. It extends between Finland and Estonia all the way to Saint Petersburg in Russia, where the river Neva drains into it. Other major cities around the gulf include Helsinki and Tallinn...
, accepting a Lieutenant's commission in the Swedish Navy. He served in the ship Konig Adolf Frederic, the flagship of Admiral Modee. He saw service in the Battle of Svensksund
Battle of Svensksund (1790)
The Battle of Svensksund was a naval battle fought in the Gulf of Finland outside the present day city of Kotka on 9 July 1790. The Swedish naval forces dealt the Russian fleet a devastating defeat that resulted in an end to the Russo-Swedish War of 1788–90...
Return to England
He returned to England in 1790 as there was a possibility of war between Britain and Spain. Receiving his commission as Lieutenant, he joined the Assurance, a troopshipTroopship
A troopship is a ship used to carry soldiers, either in peacetime or wartime...
for a short time before moving to 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...
as Second Lieutenant, eventually being made First Lieutenant. Speedy was paid off in 1791 and Brenton moved again, to the Trepassey, a small 42-ton cutter stationed at Newfoundland.
In early 1794 Brenton returned to England, and became Second Lieutenant of , a 28-gun ship, which spent much of its time patrolling the coast of Flanders
Flanders
Flanders is the community of the Flemings but also one of the institutions in Belgium, and a geographical region located in parts of present-day Belgium, France and the Netherlands. "Flanders" can also refer to the northern part of Belgium that contains Brussels, Bruges, Ghent and Antwerp...
. Towards the end of 1795 Brenton was forced to leave the ship due to illness caused by the bad weather conditions in which the Sybil had been cruising.
Mediterranean service
After recovering, he was appointed Second Lieutenant of , a store ship in 1796. This was considered somewhat humiliating by Brenton, after having been the Lieutenant of a frigate. However, after Alliance arrived in the Mediterranean, Brenton was appointed to . After Gibraltar was damaged by running aground and was forced to return to England for repairs, he was commissioned as First Lieutenant of . Aigle being at that time at the other end of the Mediterranean, Brenton served as a temporary lieutenant aboard during which service he saw action in the Battle of Cape St Vincent.The Aigle meanwhile having been sunk, Brenton was made first Lieutenant of the Barfleur, moving in 1797 to , and spend the winter of 1797-98 surveying the River Tagus
Tagus
The Tagus is the longest river on the Iberian Peninsula. It is long, in Spain, along the border between Portugal and Spain and in Portugal, where it empties into the Atlantic Ocean at Lisbon. It drains an area of . The Tagus is highly utilized for most of its course...
between 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...
and Salvatierra
Salvatierra
Salvatierra may refer to:* Salvatierra, Guanajuato, a municipality in the state of Guanajuato, Mexico* Salvatierra/Agurain, a municipality in the province of Álava, Basque Country, Spain* Juan María de Salvatierra , Catholic missionary...
.
In 1798 he was appointed Commander of HMS Speedy, and won much distinction in actions with Spanish gunboats in the Straits of Gibraltar in 1799.
In 1800 he attained the rank of Post-captain
Post-Captain
Post-captain is an obsolete alternative form of the rank of captain in the Royal Navy.The term served to distinguish those who were captains by rank from:...
, and had the good fortune to serve as 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...
to Sir James (afterwards Lord) Saumarez
James Saumarez, 1st Baron de Saumarez
Admiral James Saumarez, 1st Baron de Saumarez , GCB was an admiral of the British Royal Navy, notable for his victory at the Battle of Algeciras.-Early life:...
. During the peace of Amiens he married Miss Stewart, a lady belonging to a loyalist family of Nova Scotia whom he had first met during his earlier service on the North American Station.
Following the renewal of hostilities with France, he commanded a succession of frigates. On July 2, 1803 while commanding HMS Minerve
French frigate Minerve (1794)
The Minerve was a 40-gun frigate of the French Navy. She was captured twice by the British and recaptured once by the French. She therefore served under four names:*Minerve, 1794–1795*HMS Minerve, 1795–1803*Canonnière, 1803–1810...
the ship ran aground near Cherbourg, France. Minerve came under fire from shore batteries and all attempts to refloat her having failed, Brenton was obliged to surrender. He was imprisoned at until 1806, during which time his wife joined him. Having eventually been exchanged (freed in return for the release of a French prisoner) he was appointed to in 1807.
Brenton's most brilliant action was fought with a squadron of French ships at Naples
Naples
Naples is a city in Southern Italy, situated on the country's west coast by the Gulf of Naples. Lying between two notable volcanic regions, Mount Vesuvius and the Phlegraean Fields, it is the capital of the region of Campania and of the province of Naples...
on 1 May 1810. He was severely wounded during the battle, and Joachim Murat
Joachim Murat
Joachim-Napoléon Murat , Marshal of France and Grand Admiral or Admiral of France, 1st Prince Murat, was Grand Duke of Berg from 1806 to 1808 and then King of Naples from 1808 to 1815...
, the then king of Naples, later praised his conduct.
Later life
Brenton was made a BaronetBaronet
A baronet or the rare female equivalent, a baronetess , is the holder of a hereditary baronetcy awarded by the British Crown...
in 1812 and KCB in 1815. After his recovery from his wounds he was found to be unfit for service at sea, and so was made Commissioner of the dockyard at Port Mahon
Mahon
Mahón is a municipality and the capital city of the Balearic Island of Minorca , located in the eastern part of the island. Mahon has the second deepest natural harbor in the world: 5 km long and up to 900m. wide...
, and then at 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...
, and was afterwards lieutenant governor of Greenwich Hospital till 1840. He attained flag rank in 1830.
In his later years he took an active part in philanthropic
Philanthropy
Philanthropy etymologically means "the love of humanity"—love in the sense of caring for, nourishing, developing, or enhancing; humanity in the sense of "what it is to be human," or "human potential." In modern practical terms, it is "private initiatives for public good, focusing on quality of...
work in association with his brother, Captain Edward Pelham Brenton, who had seen much service, but is best remembered by his writings on naval and military history, Naval History of Great Britain from the Year 1783 to 1822 (1823), and The Life and Correspondence of John, Earl of St Vincent (1838).