John Pasco
Encyclopedia
Rear-Admiral John Pasco served in the Royal Navy
between 1784 and 1853, eventually rising to the rank of Rear Admiral
. He acted as signal officer on board HMS Victory
at the Battle of Trafalgar
and notably advised on the wording of Nelson
's famous signal "England expects that every man will do his duty
".
), spending about 12 months on duty in the West Indies and along the coast of North America. He served on various ships after 1787 and by 1790 he had risen to the rank of Midshipman
under Captain John Manley on . He continued serving on various ships as Midshipman and Master's Mate
until 1795, mainly in the English Channel
and West Indies.
On 15 July 1795 he was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant
and assigned to . In 1796 he joined under Lancelot Skynner (who, three years later, captained on her last voyage). During his service aboard the Beaulieu he assisted in the capture of St Lucia and on 27 December 1799 he became first Lieutenant
aboard the . In 1801, still serving on Immortalite he volunteered to command a boat to cut out the French corvette
La Chevrette from Camaret Bay
on the north coast of Brittany
, but bad sailing conditions put pay to the plan.
On 7 April 1803 he was assigned to Nelson's flagship Victory. While serving on Victory he assisted in the capture of the French 32-gun frigate
Embuscade
, was involved in the blockade of Toulon
and pursued the French squadrons in the West Indies.
Nelson appointed Pasco as signal officer. In this role he was to hoist the famous signal "England expects that every man will do his duty
".
Nelson asked Pasco to send the message "England confides that every man will do his duty". Pasco suggested "expects" be substituted for "confides", since the former was in the signal book, whereas confides would have to be spelt out letter-by-letter. Nelson quickly agreed to the change, Pasco recorded:
Nelson then ordered "Engage the enemy more closely" to be sent. Pasco ran it up and it remained flying until shot away in the battle. Pasco was severely wounded in the right side and arm with grapeshot
early in the engagement and was carried below decks.
It was Nelson's personal practice to assign the officer first on his list for promotion to the role of signal officer, and the second on his list to the position of First Lieutenant. John Quilliam
, the Sixth Lieutenant, was appointed to the position of First Lieutenant vacated by Pasco's promotion to signal officer during the battle. It is likely that Pasco would have been advanced, but Nelson's death meant standard Navy traditions were followed rather than his personal preferences - Quilliam was promoted to Captain while Pasco and the other lieutenants were only made up to Commander
.
At Nelson's state funeral in January 1806 Pasco was given the honour of accompanying the coffin to St Paul's Cathedral with some of the other officers (and one warrant officer) from the Victory.
. During the voyage he was noted to show an eagerness in pursuing and engaging any unknown ships, perhaps in an attempt to provide for his growing family from the spoils (his wife and two of his children accompanied him on the voyage). On his return he was appointed to the where on 3 April 1811 he was appointed Captain. Stationed in Halifax
, he captured several French and American vessels including in August 1811, an American slave schooner named Severn which was converted to a very successful British privateer named Liverpool Packet
. In June 1815 he assumed command of the in Lisbon
and 20 August 1815, served on stationed in the English Channel. During this last appointment he took several smuggling vessels. Rota was paid off on 2 September 1818 and Pasco remained without a ship for almost 30 years, although on 19 February 1842 he was selected as a recipient of the Captain's Good Service Pension. In 1843 he was married again, to Eliza, the widow of the Royal Marine, Captain Weaver.
In 1846 he was placed in command of Victory at Portsmouth
and was promoted to Rear Admiral
(of the Blue) on 22 September 1847, Rear Admiral (of the White) on 9 October 1849 and Rear Admiral (of the Red) sometime in 1852. He died in East Stonehouse on 16 November 1853.
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...
between 1784 and 1853, eventually rising to the rank of Rear Admiral
Rear Admiral
Rear admiral is a naval commissioned officer rank above that of a commodore and captain, and below that of a vice admiral. It is generally regarded as the lowest of the "admiral" ranks, which are also sometimes referred to as "flag officers" or "flag ranks"...
. He acted as signal officer on board 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....
at the Battle of Trafalgar
Battle of Trafalgar
The Battle of Trafalgar was a sea battle fought between the British Royal Navy and the combined fleets of the French Navy and Spanish Navy, during the War of the Third Coalition of the Napoleonic Wars ....
and notably advised on the wording of 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...
's famous signal "England expects that every man will do his duty
England expects that every man will do his duty
"England expects that every man will do his duty" was a signal sent by Admiral Horatio Nelson, 1st Viscount Nelson from his flagship HMS Victory as the Battle of Trafalgar was about to commence on 21 October 1805. Trafalgar was the decisive naval engagement of the Napoleonic Wars...
".
Early life
Pasco was born on 20 December 1774 (some accounts say 29 December) and entered the Royal Navy on 4 June 1784 as Captain's Servant, on the . In 1786 he moved to , under the command of the then Prince William Henry (later William IVWilliam IV of the United Kingdom
William IV was King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and of Hanover from 26 June 1830 until his death...
), spending about 12 months on duty in the West Indies and along the coast of North America. He served on various ships after 1787 and by 1790 he had risen 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...
under Captain John Manley on . He continued serving on various ships as Midshipman and 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...
until 1795, mainly in the English Channel
English Channel
The English Channel , often referred to simply as the Channel, is an arm of the Atlantic Ocean that separates southern England from northern France, and joins the North Sea to the Atlantic. It is about long and varies in width from at its widest to in the Strait of Dover...
and West Indies.
On 15 July 1795 he was promoted to the rank of 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...
and assigned to . In 1796 he joined under Lancelot Skynner (who, three years later, captained on her last voyage). During his service aboard the Beaulieu he assisted in the capture of St Lucia and on 27 December 1799 he became first Lieutenant
First Lieutenant
First lieutenant is a military rank and, in some forces, an appointment.The rank of lieutenant has different meanings in different military formations , but the majority of cases it is common for it to be sub-divided into a senior and junior rank...
aboard the . In 1801, still serving on Immortalite he volunteered to command a boat to cut out the French corvette
Corvette
A corvette is a small, maneuverable, lightly armed warship, originally smaller than a frigate and larger than a coastal patrol craft or fast attack craft , although many recent designs resemble frigates in size and role...
La Chevrette from Camaret Bay
Camaret Bay
Camaret Bay is a small bay on the north coast of Brittany, France.In 1694 it was the site of the battle of Camaret, a naval action between French and English forces, which culminated in a disastrous amphibious landing by the English as part of an attempt to seize the nearby port of Brest.-See...
on the north coast of Brittany
Brittany
Brittany is a cultural and administrative region in the north-west of France. Previously a kingdom and then a duchy, Brittany was united to the Kingdom of France in 1532 as a province. Brittany has also been referred to as Less, Lesser or Little Britain...
, but bad sailing conditions put pay to the plan.
On 7 April 1803 he was assigned to Nelson's flagship Victory. While serving on Victory he assisted in the capture of the French 32-gun 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"...
Embuscade
French frigate Embuscade (1790)
-French service:In 1792, she escorted convoys to and from Martinique, and ferried Edmond-Charles Genêt to the USA. On 31 July 1793, she encountered and fought Boston at the Action of 31 July 1793....
, was involved in the blockade of 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....
and pursued the French squadrons in the West Indies.
Trafalgar
On the day of the Battle of TrafalgarBattle of Trafalgar
The Battle of Trafalgar was a sea battle fought between the British Royal Navy and the combined fleets of the French Navy and Spanish Navy, during the War of the Third Coalition of the Napoleonic Wars ....
Nelson appointed Pasco as signal officer. In this role he was to hoist the famous signal "England expects that every man will do his duty
England expects that every man will do his duty
"England expects that every man will do his duty" was a signal sent by Admiral Horatio Nelson, 1st Viscount Nelson from his flagship HMS Victory as the Battle of Trafalgar was about to commence on 21 October 1805. Trafalgar was the decisive naval engagement of the Napoleonic Wars...
".
Nelson then ordered "Engage the enemy more closely" to be sent. Pasco ran it up and it remained flying until shot away in the battle. Pasco was severely wounded in the right side and arm with grapeshot
Grapeshot
In artillery, a grapeshot is a type of shot that is not a one solid element, but a mass of small metal balls or slugs packed tightly into a canvas bag. It was used both in land and naval warfare. When assembled, the balls resembled a cluster of grapes, hence the name...
early in the engagement and was carried below decks.
It was Nelson's personal practice to assign the officer first on his list for promotion to the role of signal officer, and the second on his list to the position of First Lieutenant. John Quilliam
John Quilliam
Captain John Quilliam RN was a British Royal Navy officer and the First Lieutenant on HMS Victory at the Battle of Trafalgar. He was a farmer’s son from the Isle of Man.-Career:...
, the Sixth Lieutenant, was appointed to the position of First Lieutenant vacated by Pasco's promotion to signal officer during the battle. It is likely that Pasco would have been advanced, but Nelson's death meant standard Navy traditions were followed rather than his personal preferences - Quilliam was promoted to Captain while Pasco and the other lieutenants were only made up to Commander
Commander
Commander is a naval rank which is also sometimes used as a military title depending on the individual customs of a given military service. Commander is also used as a rank or title in some organizations outside of the armed forces, particularly in police and law enforcement.-Commander as a naval...
.
At Nelson's state funeral in January 1806 Pasco was given the honour of accompanying the coffin to St Paul's Cathedral with some of the other officers (and one warrant officer) from the Victory.
Later life and service
With no ship to command and nursing an injury, Pasco returned to land. He had married Rebecca Penfold on 1 September 1805, and would eventually have nine children with her, six sons (two of whom died as children) and three daughters. He remained without a ship on half-pay until 1808. For his injury he received a pension of £250 and a payout from the Patriotic Fund. In May 1808 he managed to obtain the command of for three months. In November 1809 he took command of travelling to New South WalesNew South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
. During the voyage he was noted to show an eagerness in pursuing and engaging any unknown ships, perhaps in an attempt to provide for his growing family from the spoils (his wife and two of his children accompanied him on the voyage). On his return he was appointed to the where on 3 April 1811 he was appointed Captain. Stationed in Halifax
City of Halifax
Halifax is a city in Canada, which was the capital of the province of Nova Scotia and shire town of Halifax County. It was the largest city in Atlantic Canada until it was amalgamated into Halifax Regional Municipality in 1996...
, he captured several French and American vessels including in August 1811, an American slave schooner named Severn which was converted to a very successful British privateer named Liverpool Packet
Liverpool Packet
Liverpool Packet was a privateer schooner from Liverpool, Nova Scotia, which captured 50 American vessels in the War of 1812. During the war the privateer ship was briefly captured by American privateers, eventually being recaptured by the British...
. In June 1815 he assumed command of the in 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 20 August 1815, served on stationed in the English Channel. During this last appointment he took several smuggling vessels. Rota was paid off on 2 September 1818 and Pasco remained without a ship for almost 30 years, although on 19 February 1842 he was selected as a recipient of the Captain's Good Service Pension. In 1843 he was married again, to Eliza, the widow of the Royal Marine, Captain Weaver.
In 1846 he was placed in command of Victory at Portsmouth
Portsmouth
Portsmouth is the second largest city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire on the south coast of England. Portsmouth is notable for being the United Kingdom's only island city; it is located mainly on Portsea Island...
and was promoted to Rear Admiral
Admiral (United Kingdom)
Admiral is a senior rank of the Royal Navy of the United Kingdom, which equates to the NATO rank code OF-9, outranked only by the rank Admiral of the Fleet...
(of the Blue) on 22 September 1847, Rear Admiral (of the White) on 9 October 1849 and Rear Admiral (of the Red) sometime in 1852. He died in East Stonehouse on 16 November 1853.