Marriott Arbuthnot
Encyclopedia
Admiral Mariot Arbuthnot (1711 – 31 January 1794) was a British
admiral
, who commanded the Royal Navy
's North American station during the American War for Independence.
. Shortly afterwards he became captain of the .
, he commanded the , one of the ships employed under Commodore Robert Duff in the blockade of Quiberon Bay
, and was present at the total defeat of the French on 20 November. Towards the end of the war he commanded . In 1770 he was made captain of .
. He was Lieutenant Governor of Nova Scotia
, 1776-78. He was replaced in this role by Richard Hughes
. It may have been about then that an armed schooner
was named Arbuthnot
after him. On 19 March 1779, he was made Vice Admiral of the Blue, and on 2 May 1779 took command of . That same year he took up his appointment as commander-in-chief
on the North American Station. Soon after arriving at his destination, he was blockaded in New York City
harbour by the French fleet under Count d'Estaing
.
In December 1779, Arbuthnot conveyed the troops of Sir Henry Clinton to Charleston, South Carolina
, and cooperated with him in laying siege to that city
. The surrender document signed by prominent citizens was addressed to him and Clinton. On 26 September 1780 he was promoted to Vice Admiral of the White. On 13 March 1781, he fought the French Newport squadron, at the Battle of Cape Henry
, before returning to England.
That he was ignorant of the discipline of his profession was proved by his altercation with Sir George Rodney
; that he was destitute of even a rudimentary knowledge of naval tactics
was shown by his absurd conduct of the Battle of Cape Henry
; and, for the rest, he appears in contemporary stories (cf. Morning Chronicle, 18 May 1781) as a coarse, blustering, foul-mouthed bully, and, in history, as a sample of the extremity to which the maladministration of Lord Sandwich
had reduced the British Navy.
Admiral Arbuthnot was the nephew of Dr. John Arbuthnot
, the satirist and mathematician.
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Kingdom of Great Britain
The former Kingdom of Great Britain, sometimes described as the 'United Kingdom of Great Britain', That the Two Kingdoms of Scotland and England, shall upon the 1st May next ensuing the date hereof, and forever after, be United into One Kingdom by the Name of GREAT BRITAIN. was a sovereign...
admiral
Admiral
Admiral is the rank, or part of the name of the ranks, of the highest naval officers. It is usually considered a full admiral and above vice admiral and below admiral of the fleet . It is usually abbreviated to "Adm" or "ADM"...
, who commanded 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...
's North American station during the American War for Independence.
Early life
A native of Weymouth, England, Arbuthnot was the son of Robert Arbuthnot and Sarah, née Bury. Robert's father was the son of the Rev. Robert Arbuthnot, minister of Crichton & Cranston. Mariot Arbuthnot entered the Royal Navy in the late 1720s, became a lieutenant in 1739, and commander in 1746. In 1746 he was commander of the sloop , which captured two French privateers while employed as a cruiser in the channel. He was appointed post captain in 1747. On 22 June 1747 he became captain of the frigateFrigate
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"...
. Shortly afterwards he became captain of the .
Seven Years War
In 1757 he became chief officer of the . In 1759, during the Seven Years' WarSeven Years' War
The Seven Years' War was a global military war between 1756 and 1763, involving most of the great powers of the time and affecting Europe, North America, Central America, the West African coast, India, and the Philippines...
, he commanded the , one of the ships employed under Commodore Robert Duff in the blockade of Quiberon Bay
Battle of Quiberon Bay
The naval Battle of Quiberon Bay took place on 20 November 1759 during the Seven Years' War in Quiberon Bay, off the coast of France near St. Nazaire...
, and was present at the total defeat of the French on 20 November. Towards the end of the war he commanded . In 1770 he was made captain of .
American War of Independence
From 1775 to 1778, he was naval commissioner resident at Halifax, Nova ScotiaCity 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 was Lieutenant Governor of Nova Scotia
Lieutenant Governor of Nova Scotia
The Lieutenant Governor of Nova Scotia is the viceregal representative in Nova Scotia of the Canadian monarch, Queen Elizabeth II, who operates distinctly within the province but is also shared equally with the ten other jurisdictions of Canada and resides predominantly in her oldest realm, the...
, 1776-78. He was replaced in this role by Richard Hughes
Richard Hughes (lieutenant governor)
Admiral Sir Richard Hughes, 2nd Baronet was a British naval commander.-Naval career:Hughes was probably born in London, England, and entered the Portsmouth Naval Academy in 1739. He served on a number of ships in various locations during his naval career, including from 1763 to 1766...
. It may have been about then that an armed schooner
Schooner
A schooner is a type of sailing vessel characterized by the use of fore-and-aft sails on two or more masts with the forward mast being no taller than the rear masts....
was named Arbuthnot
Arbuthnot (schooner)
Arbuthnot was a British armed schooner or privateer brig named after Admiral Mariot Arbuthnot. The ship became the prize of the American ships Argo and Fair American in April 1780, during the American Revolutionary War....
after him. On 19 March 1779, he was made Vice Admiral of the Blue, and on 2 May 1779 took command of . That same year he took up his appointment as commander-in-chief
Commander-in-Chief
A commander-in-chief is the commander of a nation's military forces or significant element of those forces. In the latter case, the force element may be defined as those forces within a particular region or those forces which are associated by function. As a practical term it refers to the military...
on the North American Station. Soon after arriving at his destination, he was blockaded in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
harbour by the French fleet under Count d'Estaing
Charles Hector, comte d'Estaing
Jean Baptiste Charles Henri Hector, comte d'Estaing was a French general, and admiral. He began his service as a soldier in the War of the Austrian Succession, briefly spending time as a prisoner of war of the British during the Seven Years' War...
.
In December 1779, Arbuthnot conveyed the troops of Sir Henry Clinton to Charleston, South Carolina
Charleston, South Carolina
Charleston is the second largest city in the U.S. state of South Carolina. It was made the county seat of Charleston County in 1901 when Charleston County was founded. The city's original name was Charles Towne in 1670, and it moved to its present location from a location on the west bank of the...
, and cooperated with him in laying siege to that city
Siege of Charleston
The Siege of Charleston was one of the major battles which took place towards the end of the American Revolutionary War, after the British began to shift their strategic focus towards the American Southern Colonies. After about six weeks of siege, Continental Army Major General Benjamin Lincoln...
. The surrender document signed by prominent citizens was addressed to him and Clinton. On 26 September 1780 he was promoted to Vice Admiral of the White. On 13 March 1781, he fought the French Newport squadron, at the Battle of Cape Henry
Battle of Cape Henry
The Battle of Cape Henry was a naval battle in the American War of Independence which took place near the mouth of Chesapeake Bay on 16 March 1781 between a British squadron led by Vice Admiral Mariot Arbuthnot and a French fleet under Admiral Charles René Dominique Sochet, Chevalier Destouches...
, before returning to England.
Later life
He advanced by seniority to become, on 1 February 1793, Admiral of the Blue. He died in London the following year, leaving two sons, John and Charles.That he was ignorant of the discipline of his profession was proved by his altercation with Sir George Rodney
George Brydges Rodney, 1st Baron Rodney
George Brydges Rodney, 1st Baron Rodney, KB was a British naval officer. He is best known for his commands in the American War of Independence, particularly his victory over the French at the Battle of the Saintes in 1782...
; that he was destitute of even a rudimentary knowledge of naval tactics
Naval tactics in the Age of Sail
Naval tactics in the Age of Sail were used from the early 17th century onward when sailing ships replaced oared galleys. These were used until the 1860s when steam-powered ironclad warships rendered sailing line of battle ships obsolete.-Early history:...
was shown by his absurd conduct of the Battle of Cape Henry
Battle of Cape Henry
The Battle of Cape Henry was a naval battle in the American War of Independence which took place near the mouth of Chesapeake Bay on 16 March 1781 between a British squadron led by Vice Admiral Mariot Arbuthnot and a French fleet under Admiral Charles René Dominique Sochet, Chevalier Destouches...
; and, for the rest, he appears in contemporary stories (cf. Morning Chronicle, 18 May 1781) as a coarse, blustering, foul-mouthed bully, and, in history, as a sample of the extremity to which the maladministration of Lord Sandwich
John Montagu, 4th Earl of Sandwich
John Montagu, 4th Earl of Sandwich, PC, FRS was a British statesman who succeeded his grandfather, Edward Montagu, 3rd Earl of Sandwich, as the Earl of Sandwich in 1729, at the age of ten...
had reduced the British Navy.
Admiral Arbuthnot was the nephew of Dr. John Arbuthnot
John Arbuthnot
John Arbuthnot, often known simply as Dr. Arbuthnot, , was a physician, satirist and polymath in London...
, the satirist and mathematician.
External links
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