Robert Mends
Encyclopedia
Captain Sir Robert Mends (c. 1767 – 4 September 1823) was a prominent British Royal Navy
officer of the late eighteenth and early nineteenth century, who lost an arm in the American War of Independence, caught in an explosion at the Battle of Groix
in 1795 and wounded again at the Action of 6 April 1809
. In 1815 he was made a Spanish knight for his services in the Peninsular War
and was awarded a pension of £300 a year from the British government. He remained in service at the end of the Napoleonic Wars
and in 1821 was made commodore on the West African station, on which he died in 1823.
family in the late 1760s, probably 1767. He joined the Royal Navy
in 1779, serving on HMS Culloden
under Captain George Balfour during the American War of Independence. Mends was almost instantly in action, Culloden fighting at the Battle of Cape St Vincent and at the Great Siege of Gibraltar
in 1780. The following year, Mends joined the frigate
HMS Guadeloupe and was in action at the Battle of Cape Henry
in March 1781 before participating in the Siege of Yorktown
. During the fighting, Guadeloupe was destroyed and Mends wounded in the right arm and left knee. Although his leg wound healed, Mends' arm had to be amputated. He was awarded a pension of £7 a year to compensate for his lost limb.
Recovering from his wounds, Mends joined HMS Conqueror
and fought at the Battle of Dominica, where he was again seriously wounded after being struck in the head by a wooden splinter. Mends remained in service at the end of the war and joined HMS Grampus in 1786, under Commodore Edward Thompson
off the African coast. In 1789 he was promoted to lieutenant and spent time on the brig
HMS Childers in the English Channel
. At the outbreak of the French Revolutionary Wars
in 1793, Mends was serving on the ship of the line HMS Colossus
in the Mediterranean and was present at the Siege of Toulon
. In 1795, Colossus joined the Channel Fleet
and fought at the Battle of Groix
, at which Mends was caught in a large explosion that left him very badly burned.
Recovering from his injuries, Mends was promoted commander and took charge of the 16-gun brig HMS Diligence
in the West Indies. In May 1800 he was made a post captain and served in a number of ships, including HMS Abergavenny, HMS Thunderer
, HMS Quebec and HMS Nereide, before the Peace of Amiens in 1802. After the outbreak of the Napoleonic Wars
in 1803, Mends was made commander of the Dublin sea fencibles and in 1808 given command of the frigate HMS Arethusa
in the Bay of Biscay
. In Arethusa, Mends served on the blockade of the Northern Spanish ports during the Peninsular War
and fought at the Action of 6 April 1809
, in which Mends was wounded again.
Between 1808 and 1811, Mends operated extensively against French held harbours and coastal shipping on the Northern Spanish coast. His operations were a serious nuisance to the French and he was consequently thanked by the Spanish Junta
and made a nominal Spanish Major General. Between 1811 and 1814, Mends was recalled to Britain and served as superintendent of the prison hulks in Portsmouth
harbour. In 1815, at the end of the Napoleonic Wars, Mends was made a knight of the Spanish Order of Charles III, a title he was permitted to wear in British service, but which did not grant him the privileges of a British knight. The following year his pension was increased to £300 a year. In 1821, Mends became commander in chief of the West African Station in the frigate HMS Iphigenia
, later transferring to HMS Owen Glendower
.
Mends died in September 1823, succumbing to fever on Owen Glendower off the Gold Coast
. His eldest son died three months later on the same commission at Sierra Leone
. Mends had married in 1802 and had two other sons, Captain James Augustus Mends, who died in 1875 and Vice-Admiral George Clarke Mends who died in 1885. His younger brother, William Bowen Mends, also joined the Navy and died as a full admiral in 1864, while his nephew Admiral Sir William Robert Mends
died in 1897.
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 of the late eighteenth and early nineteenth century, who lost an arm in the American War of Independence, caught in an explosion at the Battle of Groix
Battle of Groix
The Second Battle of Groix was a naval engagement that took place on 23 June 1795 during the French Revolutionary War off the west coast of France....
in 1795 and wounded again at the Action of 6 April 1809
Action of 6 April 1809
The Action of 6 May 1809 was a small naval battle fought between the French frigate and several British frigates, principally , as part of the blockade of Brest, France during the Napoleonic Wars...
. In 1815 he was made a Spanish knight for his services in the Peninsular War
Peninsular War
The Peninsular War was a war between France and the allied powers of Spain, the United Kingdom, and Portugal for control of the Iberian Peninsula during the Napoleonic Wars. The war began when French and Spanish armies crossed Spain and invaded Portugal in 1807. Then, in 1808, France turned on its...
and was awarded a pension of £300 a year from the British government. He remained in service at the end of the 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 in 1821 was made commodore on the West African station, on which he died in 1823.
Life
Robert Mends was born into a prominent PembrokeshirePembrokeshire
Pembrokeshire is a county in the south west of Wales. It borders Carmarthenshire to the east and Ceredigion to the north east. The county town is Haverfordwest where Pembrokeshire County Council is headquartered....
family in the late 1760s, probably 1767. He 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...
in 1779, serving on HMS Culloden
HMS Culloden (1776)
HMS Culloden was a 74-gun third-rate ship of the line of the Royal Navy, built at Deptford Dockyard, England, and launched on 18 May 1776...
under Captain George Balfour during the American War of Independence. Mends was almost instantly in action, Culloden fighting at the Battle of Cape St Vincent and at the Great Siege of Gibraltar
Great Siege of Gibraltar
The Great Siege of Gibraltar was an unsuccessful attempt by Spain and France to capture Gibraltar from the British during the American War of Independence. This was the largest action fought during the war in terms of numbers, particularly the Grand Assault of 18 September 1782...
in 1780. The following year, Mends joined 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 Guadeloupe and was in action 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...
in March 1781 before participating in the Siege of Yorktown
Siege of Yorktown
The Siege of Yorktown, Battle of Yorktown, or Surrender of Yorktown in 1781 was a decisive victory by a combined assault of American forces led by General George Washington and French forces led by the Comte de Rochambeau over a British Army commanded by Lieutenant General Lord Cornwallis...
. During the fighting, Guadeloupe was destroyed and Mends wounded in the right arm and left knee. Although his leg wound healed, Mends' arm had to be amputated. He was awarded a pension of £7 a year to compensate for his lost limb.
Recovering from his wounds, Mends joined HMS Conqueror
HMS Conqueror (1773)
HMS Conqueror was a 74-gun third rate ship of the line of the Royal Navy, launched on 10 October 1773 at Plymouth.She was broken up in 1794....
and fought at the Battle of Dominica, where he was again seriously wounded after being struck in the head by a wooden splinter. Mends remained in service at the end of the war and joined HMS Grampus in 1786, under Commodore Edward Thompson
Edward Thompson (Royal Navy officer)
Edward Thompson was an English Royal Navy officer who rose to the rank of commodore, known also as as a literary figure with the nickname "Poet Thompson".-Life:...
off the African coast. In 1789 he was promoted to lieutenant and spent time on 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...
HMS Childers 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...
. 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, Mends was serving on the ship of the line HMS Colossus
HMS Colossus (1787)
HMS Colossus was a 74-gun third-rate ship of the line of the Royal Navy. She was launched at Gravesend on 4 April 1787 and lost on 10 December 1798.-Early history:...
in the Mediterranean and was present at the Siege of Toulon
Siege of Toulon
The Siege of Toulon was an early Republican victory over a Royalist rebellion in the Southern French city of Toulon. It is also often known as the Fall of Toulon.-Context:...
. In 1795, Colossus joined 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...
and fought at the Battle of Groix
Battle of Groix
The Second Battle of Groix was a naval engagement that took place on 23 June 1795 during the French Revolutionary War off the west coast of France....
, at which Mends was caught in a large explosion that left him very badly burned.
Recovering from his injuries, Mends was promoted commander and took charge of the 16-gun brig HMS Diligence
HMS Diligence
A number of ships of the Royal Navy have borne the name HMS Diligence. was a 18-gun brig sloop. She was renamed HMS Diligence before being launched in 1795. was a 17-gun Camelion class sloop laid down in 1861 but cancelled on 12 December 1863. was a destroyer depot ship, formerly the civilian...
in the West Indies. In May 1800 he was made a post captain and served in a number of ships, including HMS Abergavenny, HMS Thunderer
HMS Thunderer (1783)
HMS Thunderer was a 74-gun third rate ship of the line of the Royal Navy, built at the Wells brother's shipyard in Rotherhithe and launched on 13 November 1783...
, HMS Quebec and HMS Nereide, before the Peace of Amiens in 1802. After the outbreak of the 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...
in 1803, Mends was made commander of the Dublin sea fencibles and in 1808 given command of the frigate HMS Arethusa
HMS Arethusa (1781)
HMS Arethusa was a 38-gun Minerva-class fifth-rate frigate of the Royal Navy built at Bristol in 1781.She took part in the Action of 23 April 1794, capturing Pomone....
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...
. In Arethusa, Mends served on the blockade of the Northern Spanish ports during the Peninsular War
Peninsular War
The Peninsular War was a war between France and the allied powers of Spain, the United Kingdom, and Portugal for control of the Iberian Peninsula during the Napoleonic Wars. The war began when French and Spanish armies crossed Spain and invaded Portugal in 1807. Then, in 1808, France turned on its...
and fought at the Action of 6 April 1809
Action of 6 April 1809
The Action of 6 May 1809 was a small naval battle fought between the French frigate and several British frigates, principally , as part of the blockade of Brest, France during the Napoleonic Wars...
, in which Mends was wounded again.
Between 1808 and 1811, Mends operated extensively against French held harbours and coastal shipping on the Northern Spanish coast. His operations were a serious nuisance to the French and he was consequently thanked by the Spanish Junta
Junta (Peninsular War)
In the Napoleonic era, junta was the name chosen by several local administrations formed in Spain during the Peninsular War as a patriotic alternative to the official administration toppled by the French invaders...
and made a nominal Spanish Major General. Between 1811 and 1814, Mends was recalled to Britain and served as superintendent of the prison hulks in 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...
harbour. In 1815, at the end of the Napoleonic Wars, Mends was made a knight of the Spanish Order of Charles III, a title he was permitted to wear in British service, but which did not grant him the privileges of a British knight. The following year his pension was increased to £300 a year. In 1821, Mends became commander in chief of the West African Station in the frigate HMS Iphigenia
HMS Iphigenia (1805)
HMS Iphigenia was a Royal Navy 36-gun Perseverance-class fifth-rate frigate. She was built at Chatham Dockyard by Master Shipwright Robert Seppings....
, later transferring to HMS Owen Glendower
HMS Owen Glendower (1808)
HMS Owen Glendower was a Royal Navy 36-gun fifth-rate Apollo class frigate launched in 1808 and disposed of in 1884...
.
Mends died in September 1823, succumbing to fever on Owen Glendower off the Gold Coast
Gold Coast (region)
The Gold Coast was the region of West Africa which is now the nation of Ghana. Early uses of the term refer literally to the coast and not the interior. It was not until the 19th century that the term came to refer to areas that are far from the coast...
. His eldest son died three months later on the same commission at Sierra Leone
Sierra Leone
Sierra Leone , officially the Republic of Sierra Leone, is a country in West Africa. It is bordered by Guinea to the north and east, Liberia to the southeast, and the Atlantic Ocean to the west and southwest. Sierra Leone covers a total area of and has an estimated population between 5.4 and 6.4...
. Mends had married in 1802 and had two other sons, Captain James Augustus Mends, who died in 1875 and Vice-Admiral George Clarke Mends who died in 1885. His younger brother, William Bowen Mends, also joined the Navy and died as a full admiral in 1864, while his nephew Admiral Sir William Robert Mends
William Robert Mends
Sir William Robert Mends, GCB , was a British admiral of the Royal Navy, son of Admiral William Bowen Mends and nephew of Captain Robert Mends....
died in 1897.