Robert Carthew Reynolds
Encyclopedia
Rear-Admiral Robert Carthew Reynolds (bap. 30 July 1745 – 24 December 1811) was a long serving and widely respected officer of the British Royal Navy
who served in four separate major wars in a 52 year career. During this time he saw only one major battle, although was engaged in one of the most noted frigate actions of the French Revolutionary Wars
, the destruction of the Droits de l'Homme
, in which his own frigate was driven ashore and wrecked. Reynolds died in 1811 during a great storm in late December, which scattered his convoy and wrecked three ships of the line including his own flagship HMS St George
. Over 2,000 British sailors, including Reynolds, were drowned.
in 1745. His exact date of birth is unknown, but he was baptised on 30 July to parents John and Elizabeth Reynolds. Robert Reynolds joined the Royal Navy
at 14, under Captain George Edgcumbe in HMS Hero
during the Seven Years War. A few months after joining the ship, Hero was engaged in the Battle of Quiberon Bay
at which a French fleet was destroyed. Although there is no direct proof of his presence at the action, it is likely that Reynolds was on board and witnessed the engagement first hand. Reynolds remained with the ship for several years and during the 1760s served on HMS Brilliant
, HMS Pearl and HMS Venus
, becoming a midshipman
and passing the lieutenant's exam in 1770.
Due to the restrictions in the size of the peacetime navy, Reynolds was not actually promoted to lieutenant until 1777, following the outbreak of the American Revolutionary War
. Reynolds saw action in the war, remaining aboard HMS Royal George
, HMS Barfleur
and HMS Britannia
in the Channel Fleet
until 1783 when he sailed for the West Indies as commander of the storeship HMS Dolphin. In 1786 he took over the sloop HMS Echo on the Newfoundland Station and in 1788 returned to Europe, being promoted and made temporary captain of HMS Barfleur at the Spanish emergency in 1790.
near Truro
and given command of the frigate
HMS Druid
. A year later he moved to HMS Amazon
, in which he served under Sir Edward Pellew in HMS Indefatigable
. In Pellew's squadron, Reynolds participated in the capture of the French frigate Unité. He was still under Pellew in the Action of 13 January 1797
when Amazon, in company with HMS Indefatigable, engaged and drove ashore the much larger French ship of the line
Droits de l'Homme
. In the heavy storm in which the battle was fought, Amazon became unmanageable and was also wrecked, although the frigate was beached and all but six of her men survived, unlike her larger opponent which was run on a sandbar and destroyed with hundreds of lives lost.
Reynolds and his crew were made prisoners on reaching the shore, but less than a year later he was exchanged
and returned to Britain, being honourably acquitted at a court-martial into the loss of his ship. Reynolds was given command of the large prize frigate HMS Pomone and in her operated in the Bay of Biscay
during which time he captured several enemy privateers, including the Cheri in 1798. In 1800 when he was given command of the ship of the line HMS Cumberland
. In 1801, Reynolds transferred to HMS Orion
, but was placed in reserve during the Peace of Amiens, being given command of the Cornish sea fencibles until 1804. In the same year his eldest son, also named Robert, was killed in action with the French off Martinique
. His younger son Barrington Reynolds
also served in the Royal Navy and later became a highly-respected admiral in his own right.
, moving soon afterwards into HMS Princess Royal
in which he remained until 1807. In 1808 Reynolds was made a rear-admiral, and in 1810 was ordered to the Baltic Sea
as second-in-command to James Saumarez. Reynolds raised his flag in HMS St George
. He remained in the Baltic until 1811, when on 1 November he took command of a large convoy from Hanö
to England. The weather was extremely bad, and the convoy failed to pass through the Skagerrak
three times before managing in mid-November. As they sheltered close to Jutland
, storms drove dozens of the convoy ashore, and one loose merchant ship collided with St George, tearing away anchors and beaching the flagship, which was badly damaged.
St George was refloated and underwent a month of repairs, escorted by ships of the line HMS Defence
and HMS Cressy
. On 17 December the battered flagship returned to sea, Reynolds hoping to reach Britain before the weather worsened further. Seven days later however, on Christmas Eve
, the remains of the convoy was struck by the biggest storm in the North Sea
in many years. St George, Defence and numerous other ships were flung onto the reefs on Jutland's western coast, where they were broken up by the heavy seas. Of St George's 850 crew only 12 survived, Reynolds was not among them. All but six of Defence's crew were drowned and only Cressy escaped the disaster. Hours later another large British convoy was driven onto the Haak Sands off the Texel
, bringing the death toll in the Royal Navy alone to over 2,000. Reynolds's last moments were recorded by survivor John Anderson, who recounted that the admiral had remained below decks after the ship had struck and was only brought on deck, having been seriously injured, when the sea flooded his cabin. Just a few hours later he was dead, succumbing to exposure with over 500 of his crew. An attempt was made some days later to recover his remains, but they were not found, the deck having been washed away by the high seas. His remains are probably interred with the other bodies which washed ashore over the next weeks in an area now known as "Dead Men's Dunes".
was built by Rear-Admiral Robert Carthew Reynolds (d. 1811) and was the residence of his son Barrington Reynolds. This house replaced an older one at least going back as far as the 17th century.
A fine monument in St Clement parish church commemorates the Rear-Admiral: it is from the studio of Micali, Leghorn, and shows a young soldier and two women, the soldier points to a monument with a naval battle, above is the portrait medallion. Arthur Mee suggests that the figures represent his children but if he had two sons this is unlikely. His eldest son predeceased him on active service during the Napoleonic Wars; his second son Barrington suffered in his youth from severe bouts of ill-health.
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...
who served in four separate major wars in a 52 year career. During this time he saw only one major battle, although was engaged in one of the most noted frigate actions 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...
, the destruction of the Droits de l'Homme
French ship Droits de l'Homme (1794)
The Droits de l'Homme was a 74-gun ship of the line of the French Navy during the French Revolution.The Droits de l'Homme, was involved in the Action of 6 November 1794, chasing the British 74s Canada and Alexander...
, in which his own frigate was driven ashore and wrecked. Reynolds died in 1811 during a great storm in late December, which scattered his convoy and wrecked three ships of the line including his own flagship HMS St George
HMS St George (1785)
HMS St George was a 98-gun second rate ship of the line of the Royal Navy, launched on 14 October 1785 at Portsmouth. In 1793 she captured one of the richest prizes ever. She then participated in the Naval Battle of Hyères Islands in 1795 and took part in the Battle of Copenhagen in 1801...
. Over 2,000 British sailors, including Reynolds, were drowned.
Early career
Reynolds was born in the village of Lamorran in CornwallCornwall
Cornwall is a unitary authority and ceremonial county of England, within the United Kingdom. It is bordered to the north and west by the Celtic Sea, to the south by the English Channel, and to the east by the county of Devon, over the River Tamar. Cornwall has a population of , and covers an area of...
in 1745. His exact date of birth is unknown, but he was baptised on 30 July to parents John and Elizabeth Reynolds. Robert Reynolds joined 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...
at 14, under Captain George Edgcumbe in HMS Hero
HMS Hero (1759)
HMS Hero was a 74-gun third rate ship of the line of the Royal Navy, designed by Sir Thomas Slade and launched on 28 March 1759 from Plymouth Dockyard. She was the only ship built to her draught....
during the Seven Years War. A few months after joining the ship, Hero was engaged in the Battle 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...
at which a French fleet was destroyed. Although there is no direct proof of his presence at the action, it is likely that Reynolds was on board and witnessed the engagement first hand. Reynolds remained with the ship for several years and during the 1760s served on HMS Brilliant
HMS Brilliant (1757)
HMS Brilliant was one of the three 36-gun Venus-class fifth-rate frigates of the Royal Navy. She was launched in 1757 and served until sold in 1776.- References :...
, HMS Pearl and HMS Venus
HMS Venus (1758)
HMS Venus was the name ship of the 36-gun Venus-class fifth-rate frigates of the Royal Navy. She was launched in 1758 and served for more than half a century until paid off in 1809, although she was reduced from 36 guns to 32 guns in 1792....
, becoming a 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 passing the lieutenant's exam in 1770.
Due to the restrictions in the size of the peacetime navy, Reynolds was not actually promoted to lieutenant until 1777, following the outbreak of the American Revolutionary War
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...
. Reynolds saw action in the war, remaining aboard HMS Royal George
HMS Royal George (1756)
HMS Royal George was a 100-gun first-rate ship of the line of the Royal Navy, built at Woolwich Dockyard and launched on 18 February 1756...
, HMS Barfleur
HMS Barfleur (1768)
HMS Barfleur was a 90-gun second-rate ship of the line of the Royal Navy, designed by Sir Thomas Slade on the lines of the 100-gun ship Royal William, and launched at Chatham Dockyard on 30 July 1768, at a cost of £49,222. In about 1780, she had another eight guns added to her quarterdeck, making...
and HMS Britannia
HMS Britannia (1762)
HMS Britannia was a 100-gun first rate ship of the line of the Royal Navy. She was ordered on 25 April 1751 from Portsmouth Dockyard to the draught specified in the 1745 Establishment. Her keel was laid down on 1 July 1751 and she was launched on 19 October 1762. The cost of building and fitting...
in 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...
until 1783 when he sailed for the West Indies as commander of the storeship HMS Dolphin. In 1786 he took over the sloop HMS Echo on the Newfoundland Station and in 1788 returned to Europe, being promoted and made temporary captain of HMS Barfleur at the Spanish emergency in 1790.
Wars with France
In 1795, Reynolds was called out of half-pay in PenairSt Clement, Cornwall
St Clement is a civil parish and village in Cornwall, United Kingdom. It is situated southeast of Truro in the valley of the Tresillian River. There is a smaller village at Malpas in the south of the parish...
near Truro
Truro
Truro is a city and civil parish in Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. The city is the centre for administration, leisure and retail in Cornwall, with a population recorded in the 2001 census of 17,431. Truro urban statistical area, which includes parts of surrounding parishes, has a 2001 census...
and given command of 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"...
HMS Druid
HMS Druid (1783)
HMS Druid was a 32-gun Hermione-class fifth-rate frigate of the Royal Navy, launched in 1783 at Bristol. She served in the French Revolutionary Wars and the Napoleonic Wars, capturing numerous small prizes. One of her commanders, Captain Phillip Broke, described Druid as a "point of honour ship",...
. A year later he moved to HMS Amazon
HMS Amazon (1795)
HMS Amazon, was a 36-gun frigate, built at Rotherhithe by Wells & Co. in 1795 to a design by Sir William Rule. She was the first of a class of four frigates....
, in which he served under Sir Edward Pellew in HMS Indefatigable
HMS Indefatigable (1784)
HMS Indefatigable was one of the Ardent class 64-gun third-rate ships-of-the-line designed by Sir Thomas Slade in 1761 for the Royal Navy. She had a long career under several distinguished commanders, serving throughout the French Revolutionary Wars and the Napoleonic Wars...
. In Pellew's squadron, Reynolds participated in the capture of the French frigate Unité. He was still under Pellew in the Action of 13 January 1797
Action of 13 January 1797
The Action of 13 January 1797 was a small naval battle fought between a French ship of the line and two British frigates off the coast of Brittany during the French Revolutionary Wars. During the action the frigates successfully outmanoeuvred the much larger French vessel and drove it on shore in...
when Amazon, in company with HMS Indefatigable, engaged and drove ashore the much larger French 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...
Droits de l'Homme
French ship Droits de l'Homme (1794)
The Droits de l'Homme was a 74-gun ship of the line of the French Navy during the French Revolution.The Droits de l'Homme, was involved in the Action of 6 November 1794, chasing the British 74s Canada and Alexander...
. In the heavy storm in which the battle was fought, Amazon became unmanageable and was also wrecked, although the frigate was beached and all but six of her men survived, unlike her larger opponent which was run on a sandbar and destroyed with hundreds of lives lost.
Reynolds and his crew were made prisoners on reaching the shore, but less than a year later he was exchanged
Prisoner exchange
A prisoner exchange or prisoner swap is a deal between opposing sides in a conflict to release prisoners. These may be prisoners of war, spies, hostages, etc...
and returned to Britain, being honourably acquitted at a court-martial into the loss of his ship. Reynolds was given command of the large prize frigate HMS Pomone and in her operated in the Bay of Biscay
Bay of Biscay
The Bay of Biscay is a gulf of the northeast Atlantic Ocean located south of the Celtic Sea. It lies along the western coast of France from Brest south to the Spanish border, and the northern coast of Spain west to Cape Ortegal, and is named in English after the province of Biscay, in the Spanish...
during which time he captured several enemy privateers, including the Cheri in 1798. In 1800 when he was given command of the ship of the line HMS Cumberland
HMS Cumberland (1774)
HMS Cumberland was a 74-gun third rate ship of the line of the Royal Navy, launched on 29 March 1774 at Deptford Dockyard.She participated in the Battle of Cape St Vincent in 1780, and in the Battle of Cuddalore in 1783....
. In 1801, Reynolds transferred to HMS Orion
HMS Orion (1787)
HMS Orion was a 74-gun third rate ship of the line of the Royal Navy, launched at Deptford on 1 June 1787 to the design of the , by William Bately...
, but was placed in reserve during the Peace of Amiens, being given command of the Cornish sea fencibles until 1804. In the same year his eldest son, also named Robert, was killed in action with the French off Martinique
Martinique
Martinique is an island in the eastern Caribbean Sea, with a land area of . Like Guadeloupe, it is an overseas region of France, consisting of a single overseas department. To the northwest lies Dominica, to the south St Lucia, and to the southeast Barbados...
. His younger son Barrington Reynolds
Barrington Reynolds
Admiral Sir Barrington Reynolds, GCB , was a senior and long-serving officer of the British Royal Navy who went to sea with his father aged only nine during the French Revolutionary Wars and was captured by the French aged eleven...
also served in the Royal Navy and later became a highly-respected admiral in his own right.
Christmas storm of 1811
In 1804 Reynolds returned to the sea in HMS DreadnoughtHMS Dreadnought (1801)
HMS Dreadnought was a Royal Navy 98-gun second rate. This ship of the line was launched at Portsmouth at midday on Saturday, 13 June 1801, after she had spent 13 years on the stocks...
, moving soon afterwards into HMS Princess Royal
HMS Princess Royal (1773)
HMS Princess Royal was a 90-gun second rate ship of the line of the Royal Navy, launched on 18 October 1773 at Portsmouth. During her career she was upgraded to a 98-gun ship, by the addition of eight 12 pdr guns to her quarterdeck....
in which he remained until 1807. In 1808 Reynolds was made a rear-admiral, and in 1810 was ordered to the Baltic Sea
Baltic Sea
The Baltic Sea is a brackish mediterranean sea located in Northern Europe, from 53°N to 66°N latitude and from 20°E to 26°E longitude. It is bounded by the Scandinavian Peninsula, the mainland of Europe, and the Danish islands. It drains into the Kattegat by way of the Øresund, the Great Belt and...
as second-in-command to James Saumarez. Reynolds raised his flag in HMS St George
HMS St George (1785)
HMS St George was a 98-gun second rate ship of the line of the Royal Navy, launched on 14 October 1785 at Portsmouth. In 1793 she captured one of the richest prizes ever. She then participated in the Naval Battle of Hyères Islands in 1795 and took part in the Battle of Copenhagen in 1801...
. He remained in the Baltic until 1811, when on 1 November he took command of a large convoy from Hanö
Hanö
Hanö is an island off Listerlandet peninsula, western Blekinge, Sweden.Between 1810 and 1812 the Royal Navy of the United Kingdom used the island as its base during its operations in the Baltic Sea. The "English Seamans Graveyard" is situated on the island, and still today British warships visit...
to England. The weather was extremely bad, and the convoy failed to pass through the Skagerrak
Skagerrak
The Skagerrak is a strait running between Norway and the southwest coast of Sweden and the Jutland peninsula of Denmark, connecting the North Sea and the Kattegat sea area, which leads to the Baltic Sea.-Name:...
three times before managing in mid-November. As they sheltered close to Jutland
Jutland
Jutland , historically also called Cimbria, is the name of the peninsula that juts out in Northern Europe toward the rest of Scandinavia, forming the mainland part of Denmark. It has the North Sea to its west, Kattegat and Skagerrak to its north, the Baltic Sea to its east, and the Danish–German...
, storms drove dozens of the convoy ashore, and one loose merchant ship collided with St George, tearing away anchors and beaching the flagship, which was badly damaged.
St George was refloated and underwent a month of repairs, escorted by ships of the line HMS Defence
HMS Defence (1763)
HMS Defence was a 74-gun third-rate ship of the line of the Royal Navy, launched on 31 March 1763 at Plymouth Dockyard. She was one of the most famous ships of the period, taking part in several of the most important naval battles of the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic wars...
and HMS Cressy
HMS Cressy (1810)
HMS Cressy was a 74-gun third rate ship of the line of the Royal Navy, launched on 7 March 1810 at Frindsbury.-Service:On 24 December 1811 Cressy was off the west coast of Jutland, Denmark was in the company of St George, under Rear-admiral Robert Carthew Reynolds, and Defence, when a hurricane and...
. On 17 December the battered flagship returned to sea, Reynolds hoping to reach Britain before the weather worsened further. Seven days later however, on Christmas Eve
Christmas Eve
Christmas Eve refers to the evening or entire day preceding Christmas Day, a widely celebrated festival commemorating the birth of Jesus of Nazareth that takes place on December 25...
, the remains of the convoy was struck by the biggest storm in the North Sea
North Sea
In the southwest, beyond the Straits of Dover, the North Sea becomes the English Channel connecting to the Atlantic Ocean. In the east, it connects to the Baltic Sea via the Skagerrak and Kattegat, narrow straits that separate Denmark from Norway and Sweden respectively...
in many years. St George, Defence and numerous other ships were flung onto the reefs on Jutland's western coast, where they were broken up by the heavy seas. Of St George's 850 crew only 12 survived, Reynolds was not among them. All but six of Defence's crew were drowned and only Cressy escaped the disaster. Hours later another large British convoy was driven onto the Haak Sands off the Texel
Texel
Texel is a municipality and an island in the Netherlands, in the province of North Holland. It is the biggest and most populated of the Frisian Islands in the Wadden Sea, and also the westernmost of this archipelago, which extends to Denmark...
, bringing the death toll in the Royal Navy alone to over 2,000. Reynolds's last moments were recorded by survivor John Anderson, who recounted that the admiral had remained below decks after the ship had struck and was only brought on deck, having been seriously injured, when the sea flooded his cabin. Just a few hours later he was dead, succumbing to exposure with over 500 of his crew. An attempt was made some days later to recover his remains, but they were not found, the deck having been washed away by the high seas. His remains are probably interred with the other bodies which washed ashore over the next weeks in an area now known as "Dead Men's Dunes".
Home
Penair House in the parish of St Clement, CornwallSt Clement, Cornwall
St Clement is a civil parish and village in Cornwall, United Kingdom. It is situated southeast of Truro in the valley of the Tresillian River. There is a smaller village at Malpas in the south of the parish...
was built by Rear-Admiral Robert Carthew Reynolds (d. 1811) and was the residence of his son Barrington Reynolds. This house replaced an older one at least going back as far as the 17th century.
A fine monument in St Clement parish church commemorates the Rear-Admiral: it is from the studio of Micali, Leghorn, and shows a young soldier and two women, the soldier points to a monument with a naval battle, above is the portrait medallion. Arthur Mee suggests that the figures represent his children but if he had two sons this is unlikely. His eldest son predeceased him on active service during the Napoleonic Wars; his second son Barrington suffered in his youth from severe bouts of ill-health.