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John Talbot (Royal Navy officer)
Encyclopedia
Admiral Sir John Talbot, GCB
(c. 1769 – 7 July 1851) was a senior British Royal Navy
officer who served in the French Revolutionary
and Napoleonic Wars
and was engaged in several prominent single ship actions, all of which were successful. Later, during the War of 1812
, Talbot was engaged in blockading the Connecticut
coast and following the war retired to his country seat, never returning to service.
Talbot's most famous actions were the capture of the French frigate
Ville de Milan in 1805 while commander of and the capture of the ship of the line
Rivoli
in the Adriatic Sea
on her maiden voyage, during Battle of Pirano. During the latter engagement Talbot was badly wounded and was subsequently presented with a gold medal for his success.
near Dublin. His mother would become Baroness Talbot
in 1831, the title passing to his elder brothers Richard and subsequently James. A younger brother was Thomas Talbot
, a Canadian politician of the early nineteenth century.
Talbot entered the Navy in 1784, joining Horatio Nelson's ship in the West Indies. In the following years he moved to and at Portsmouth
and he was promoted lieutenant in 1790 while aboard . At the outbreak of the French Revolutionary Wars
in 1793, Talbot was attached to under Samuel Hood
in the Mediterranean. In the next two years, he moved between and and aboard the latter he was involved in the capture of the frigate Gloire
in April 1796. Talbot sailed the captured Gloire to Britain, where he was promoted to commander
and took over the sloop
.
for the Battle of the Îles Saint-Marcouf
in 1798, although the lack of wind prevented her from engaging the French attackers. In 1801 Talbot transferred to in Ireland
.
At the resumption of the conflict following the Peace of Amiens in 1804, Talbot took over on the Halifax Station. In February 1805 Leander discovered the French frigate Ville de Milan
and the British HMS Cleopatra
, which the French ship had captured the day before. Both ships were badly damaged and as a result Leander was able to outrun them and capture them without a fight. For this success, Talbot was moved to the ship of the line and then in which he participated in the Dardanelles Operation
under John Thomas Duckworth
.
In 1809, Talbot took command of , in which he would remain for the rest of his career. In February 1812, Victorious was dispatched to the Adriatic Sea
, to intercept the French ship of the line Rivoli recently constructed at Venice
. Talbot discovered the French ship with a small escort on her maiden voyage on 22 February and immediately engaged
. The ensuing five hour duel caused heavy casualties on both ships, including Talbot who was badly wounded in the head by a large splinter. When Rivoli surrendered, she was found to have 400 of her crew, approximately half, killed or wounded. Both battered ships were returned to Britain, where they were repaired and Rivoli rejoined the Royal Navy.
during the opening months of the War of 1812
. For the next two years Talbot cruised off New London, Connecticut
, blockading the port and preventing its use by American shipping. In the summer of 1814, Victorious was sent north to defend the whalers
of the Davis Strait
in the Arctic
from American privateers. During this service, Victorious was badly holed by a rock and was forced to return to Britain. With the end of the Napoleonic Wars, Victorious was paid off.
in Dorset
and married Maria Julia Everard, daughter of Lord Arundell, with whom he would have two sons and five daughters. In 1815 he was made a Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath and in 1819 was promoted to rear-admiral. For the next thirty years, Talbot lived as a country gentleman, steadily advancing in rank until at his death in 1851 he was a full admiral and a Knight Grand Cross of 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...
(c. 1769 – 7 July 1851) was a senior 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...
officer who served in the French Revolutionary
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...
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...
and was engaged in several prominent single ship actions, all of which were successful. Later, during the War of 1812
War of 1812
The War of 1812 was a military conflict fought between the forces of the United States of America and those of the British Empire. The Americans declared war in 1812 for several reasons, including trade restrictions because of Britain's ongoing war with France, impressment of American merchant...
, Talbot was engaged in blockading the Connecticut
Connecticut
Connecticut is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, and the state of New York to the west and the south .Connecticut is named for the Connecticut River, the major U.S. river that approximately...
coast and following the war retired to his country seat, never returning to service.
Talbot's most famous actions were the capture of the French 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"...
Ville de Milan in 1805 while commander of and the capture of 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...
Rivoli
French ship Rivoli (1810)
The Rivoli was a Téméraire class ship of the line of the French Navy.Rivoli was built in Venice, whose harbour was too shallow for a 74 to exit. To allow her to depart, a system of external ballasts, known as Chameaux , was added to improved her Buoyancy...
in the Adriatic Sea
Adriatic Sea
The Adriatic Sea is a body of water separating the Italian Peninsula from the Balkan peninsula, and the system of the Apennine Mountains from that of the Dinaric Alps and adjacent ranges...
on her maiden voyage, during Battle of Pirano. During the latter engagement Talbot was badly wounded and was subsequently presented with a gold medal for his success.
Early life
Talbot was born in approximately 1769, the son of Richard and Margaret Talbot of MalahideMalahide
Malahide is a coastal suburban town, near Dublin city, located in the administrative county of Fingal, within the traditional County Dublin, Ireland. It has a village-like centre and extensive residential areas to the south, west and northwest.-Name:...
near Dublin. His mother would become Baroness Talbot
Baron Talbot of Malahide
Baron Talbot of Malahide, in the County of Dublin, is a title in the Peerage of Ireland. It was created in 1831 for Margaret Talbot, widow of Richard Talbot, heir of the ancient Lords of Malahide. She was succeeded by their eldest son, the second Baron. In 1839 he was created Baron Furnival, of...
in 1831, the title passing to his elder brothers Richard and subsequently James. A younger brother was Thomas Talbot
Thomas Talbot (Upper Canada)
Colonel Thomas Talbot was born at Malahide Castle in Ireland near Dublin He was the fourth son of Richard Talbot and his wife Margaret Talbot, 1st Baroness Talbot of Malahide...
, a Canadian politician of the early nineteenth century.
Talbot entered the Navy in 1784, joining Horatio Nelson's ship in the West Indies. In the following years he moved to and 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 he was promoted lieutenant in 1790 while aboard . At the outbreak of 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...
in 1793, Talbot was attached to under Samuel Hood
Samuel Hood, 1st Viscount Hood
Samuel Hood, 1st Viscount Hood was a British Admiral known particularly for his service in the American War of Independence and French Revolutionary Wars...
in the Mediterranean. In the next two years, he moved between and and aboard the latter he was involved in the capture of the frigate Gloire
French ship Gloire
A number of ships of the French Navy have born the name Gloire . Among them:* Gloire, launched in 1778, captured by the British in 1795 and put into service as until she was sold in 1802....
in April 1796. Talbot sailed the captured Gloire to Britain, where he was promoted 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...
and took over the sloop
Sloop
A sloop is a sail boat with a fore-and-aft rig and a single mast farther forward than the mast of a cutter....
.
Post-captain
In August Talbot was promoted to post captain in the sixth rate in which he remained for four years in the West Indies and English Channel. During this period he captured numerous enemy merchant ships. Eurydice was present at the Saint Marcou IslandsÎles Saint-Marcouf
Îles Saint-Marcouf are a group of two small uninhabited islands off the coast of Normandy, France. They lie in the Baie de la Seine region of the English Channel and are 6.5 kilometres east of the coast of the Cotentin peninsula at Ravenoville and 13 kilometres from the island of Tatihou...
for the Battle of the Îles Saint-Marcouf
Battle of the Îles Saint-Marcouf
The Battle of the Îles Saint-Marcouf was an engagement fought off the Îles Saint-Marcouf near the Cotentin peninsula on the Normandy coast of France in May 1798 during the French Revolutionary Wars. In 1795 a British garrison was placed on the islands, which operated as a resupply base for Royal...
in 1798, although the lack of wind prevented her from engaging the French attackers. In 1801 Talbot transferred to in Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
.
At the resumption of the conflict following the Peace of Amiens in 1804, Talbot took over on the Halifax Station. In February 1805 Leander discovered the French frigate Ville de Milan
HMS Milan (1805)
HMS Milan was a 38-gun fifth rate frigate of the Royal Navy. She had previously been the Ville de Milan, a 40-gun frigate of the French Navy, but served for only a year before being chased down and engaged by the smaller 32-gun frigate...
and the British HMS Cleopatra
HMS Cleopatra (1779)
HMS Cleopatra was a 32-gun Amazon-class fifth rate frigate of the Royal Navy. She had a long career, seeing service during the Fourth Anglo-Dutch War, and the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars. During the latter wars she fought two notable engagements with larger French opponents...
, which the French ship had captured the day before. Both ships were badly damaged and as a result Leander was able to outrun them and capture them without a fight. For this success, Talbot was moved to the ship of the line and then in which he participated in the Dardanelles Operation
Dardanelles Operation
The Dardanelles Operation was the Royal Navy's unsuccessful attempt to impose British demands on the Ottoman Empire as part of the Anglo-Turkish War ....
under John Thomas Duckworth
John Thomas Duckworth
Admiral Sir John Thomas Duckworth, 1st Baronet, GCB was a British naval officer, serving during the American War of Independence, the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, as the Governor of Newfoundland during the War of 1812, and a member of the British House of Commons during his...
.
In 1809, Talbot took command of , in which he would remain for the rest of his career. In February 1812, Victorious was dispatched to the Adriatic Sea
Adriatic Sea
The Adriatic Sea is a body of water separating the Italian Peninsula from the Balkan peninsula, and the system of the Apennine Mountains from that of the Dinaric Alps and adjacent ranges...
, to intercept the French ship of the line Rivoli recently constructed at Venice
Venice
Venice is a city in northern Italy which is renowned for the beauty of its setting, its architecture and its artworks. It is the capital of the Veneto region...
. Talbot discovered the French ship with a small escort on her maiden voyage on 22 February and immediately engaged
Action of 22 February 1812
The Battle of Pirano on 22 February 1812 was a minor naval action of the Adriatic campaign of the Napoleonic Wars fought between a British and a French ship of the line in the vicinity of the town of Piran in Adriatic Sea. The French Rivoli, named for Napoleon's victory 15 years earlier, had been...
. The ensuing five hour duel caused heavy casualties on both ships, including Talbot who was badly wounded in the head by a large splinter. When Rivoli surrendered, she was found to have 400 of her crew, approximately half, killed or wounded. Both battered ships were returned to Britain, where they were repaired and Rivoli rejoined the Royal Navy.
War of 1812
Talbot, recovered from his wound, was presented with a gold medal and in November 1812 took the repaired Victorious to the West Indies and then to the Eastern Seaboard of the United StatesUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
during the opening months of the War of 1812
War of 1812
The War of 1812 was a military conflict fought between the forces of the United States of America and those of the British Empire. The Americans declared war in 1812 for several reasons, including trade restrictions because of Britain's ongoing war with France, impressment of American merchant...
. For the next two years Talbot cruised off New London, Connecticut
New London, Connecticut
New London is a seaport city and a port of entry on the northeast coast of the United States.It is located at the mouth of the Thames River in New London County, southeastern Connecticut....
, blockading the port and preventing its use by American shipping. In the summer of 1814, Victorious was sent north to defend the whalers
Whalers
Whalers may refer to:* Danbury Whalers,US ice-hockey team in the Federal Hockey League* Eden Whalers, Australian Rules Football team* Hartford Whalers, former US ice-hockey team* New Bedford Whalers, name of three US soccer teams...
of the Davis Strait
Davis Strait
Davis Strait is a northern arm of the Labrador Sea. It lies between mid-western Greenland and Nunavut, Canada's Baffin Island. The strait was named for the English explorer John Davis , who explored the area while seeking a Northwest Passage....
in the Arctic
Arctic
The Arctic is a region located at the northern-most part of the Earth. The Arctic consists of the Arctic Ocean and parts of Canada, Russia, Greenland, the United States, Norway, Sweden, Finland, and Iceland. The Arctic region consists of a vast, ice-covered ocean, surrounded by treeless permafrost...
from American privateers. During this service, Victorious was badly holed by a rock and was forced to return to Britain. With the end of the Napoleonic Wars, Victorious was paid off.
Retirement
Talbot never again took an active post in the Navy either at sea or on shore. He retired to his estate at Rhode Hill near Lyme RegisLyme Regis
Lyme Regis is a coastal town in West Dorset, England, situated 25 miles west of Dorchester and east of Exeter. The town lies in Lyme Bay, on the English Channel coast at the Dorset-Devon border...
in Dorset
Dorset
Dorset , is a county in South West England on the English Channel coast. The county town is Dorchester which is situated in the south. The Hampshire towns of Bournemouth and Christchurch joined the county with the reorganisation of local government in 1974...
and married Maria Julia Everard, daughter of Lord Arundell, with whom he would have two sons and five daughters. In 1815 he was made a Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath and in 1819 was promoted to rear-admiral. For the next thirty years, Talbot lived as a country gentleman, steadily advancing in rank until at his death in 1851 he was a full admiral and a Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath.