Smith Child (Royal Navy officer)
Encyclopedia
Smith Child was an officer in the Royal Navy
. He served in the Seven Years' War
, the American War of Independence, and the French Revolutionary Wars
, rising to the rank of admiral. He also established a pottery
manufactory in Tunstall, Staffordshire
.
, Smith Child entered the Royal Navy in 1747 through a connection between his father (also named Smith Child) and First Lord of the Admiralty George Anson
. Serving first aboard , he rose through the ranks, seeing service in the Seven Years' War
supporting the Siege of Louisbourg
in 1758 and the Siege of Pondicherry
in 1760.
In 1763 he established a pottery
-manufactory in Tunstall, Staffordshire
, and married Margaret Roylance of Newfield, Staffordshire the following year, acquiring a significant estate from her family. They had two sons; one was lost at sea, and the other died two years before his father.
By the American War of Independence he had been promoted to captain. He was in command of HMS Europe
as part of Admiral Marriot Arbuthnot's fleet in the March 1781 Battle of Cape Henry
, in which the British fought off a French fleet attempting to enter Chesapeake Bay
, and again later that year in the critical Battle of the Chesapeake
in early September, in which the British lost control of the bay, enabling the Franco-American victory at Yorktown
.
In November 1795 he was given command of the HMS Commerce de Marseille
, a French ship that had been given over to the Royal Navy in the 1793 Siege of Toulon
. The ship, originally a 118-gun three-decker, had been converted to a store and transport ship, and was loaded with 1,000 men and stores for transport to the West Indies. In somewhat poor condition, she was further damaged in a storm not long after sailing, and Child was forced to return to Portsmouth
.
Child was promoted to Vice Admiral of the Blue in February 1799, but saw no further action. He died in 1813, two years after his son John. As a result, he willed his estate to his grandson, Smith Child
. He is buried at St. Margaret's Church in Wolstanton
. In 1893 a clocktower was erected in Tunstall commemorating his civic contributions.
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...
. He served in the Seven Years' War
Seven 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...
, the American War of Independence, and 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...
, rising to the rank of admiral. He also established a pottery
Pottery
Pottery is the material from which the potteryware is made, of which major types include earthenware, stoneware and porcelain. The place where such wares are made is also called a pottery . Pottery also refers to the art or craft of the potter or the manufacture of pottery...
manufactory in Tunstall, Staffordshire
Tunstall, Staffordshire
Tunstall is an area in Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, England. It was one of the original six towns that federated to form the city. Tunstall is the most northern town of the city of Stoke-on-Trent....
.
Biography
Born into a well-to-do family from Audley, StaffordshireAudley, Staffordshire
Audley is a rural village approximately four miles north west of the town of Newcastle-under-Lyme in Staffordshire, England. It is the centre of Audley Rural parish....
, Smith Child entered the Royal Navy in 1747 through a connection between his father (also named Smith Child) and First Lord of the Admiralty George Anson
George Anson, 1st Baron Anson
Admiral of the Fleet George Anson, 1st Baron Anson PC, FRS, RN was a British admiral and a wealthy aristocrat, noted for his circumnavigation of the globe and his role overseeing the Royal Navy during the Seven Years' War...
. Serving first aboard , he rose through the ranks, seeing service in the Seven Years' War
Seven 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...
supporting the Siege of Louisbourg
Siege of Louisbourg (1758)
The Siege of Louisbourg was a pivotal battle of the Seven Years' War in 1758 which ended the French colonial era in Atlantic Canada and led directly to the loss of Quebec in 1759 and the remainder of French North America the following year.-Background:The British government realized that with the...
in 1758 and the Siege of Pondicherry
Siege of Pondicherry (1760)
The 1760–1761 Siege of Pondicherry was a conflict in the Third Carnatic War, part of the global Seven Years' War. Lasting from 4 September 1760 to 15 January 1761, British land and naval forces besieged and eventually compelled the surrender French forces defending the French colonial outpost of...
in 1760.
In 1763 he established a pottery
Pottery
Pottery is the material from which the potteryware is made, of which major types include earthenware, stoneware and porcelain. The place where such wares are made is also called a pottery . Pottery also refers to the art or craft of the potter or the manufacture of pottery...
-manufactory in Tunstall, Staffordshire
Tunstall, Staffordshire
Tunstall is an area in Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, England. It was one of the original six towns that federated to form the city. Tunstall is the most northern town of the city of Stoke-on-Trent....
, and married Margaret Roylance of Newfield, Staffordshire the following year, acquiring a significant estate from her family. They had two sons; one was lost at sea, and the other died two years before his father.
By the American War of Independence he had been promoted to captain. He was in command of HMS Europe
HMS Europa (1765)
HMS Europa was a 64-gun third rate ship of the line of the Royal Navy, launched on 21 April 1765 at Lepe, Hampshire. She was renamed HMS Europe in 1778, and spent the rest of her career under this name....
as part of Admiral Marriot Arbuthnot's fleet in the March 1781 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 which the British fought off a French fleet attempting to enter Chesapeake Bay
Chesapeake Bay
The Chesapeake Bay is the largest estuary in the United States. It lies off the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by Maryland and Virginia. The Chesapeake Bay's drainage basin covers in the District of Columbia and parts of six states: New York, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, and West...
, and again later that year in the critical Battle of the Chesapeake
Battle of the Chesapeake
The Battle of the Chesapeake, also known as the Battle of the Virginia Capes or simply the Battle of the Capes, was a crucial naval battle in the American War of Independence that took place near the mouth of Chesapeake Bay on 5 September 1781, between a British fleet led by Rear Admiral Sir Thomas...
in early September, in which the British lost control of the bay, enabling the Franco-American victory at 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...
.
In November 1795 he was given command of the HMS Commerce de Marseille
French ship Commerce de Marseille (1788)
The Commerce de Marseille was a 118-gun ship of the line of the French Navy, lead ship of the Océan class.Commerce de Marseille was offered to the King by the Commerce Chamber of Marseille. Built on state-of-the-art plans by Sané, she was dubbed the "finest ship of the century"...
, a French ship that had been given over to the Royal Navy in the 1793 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:...
. The ship, originally a 118-gun three-decker, had been converted to a store and transport ship, and was loaded with 1,000 men and stores for transport to the West Indies. In somewhat poor condition, she was further damaged in a storm not long after sailing, and Child was forced to return to 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...
.
Child was promoted to Vice Admiral of the Blue in February 1799, but saw no further action. He died in 1813, two years after his son John. As a result, he willed his estate to his grandson, Smith Child
Sir Smith Child, 1st Baronet
Sir Smith Child, 1st Baronet was a Conservative Party politician in the United Kingdom.He was born at Newfield hall, Tunstall, Staffordshire the son of John George Child and the grandson of Admiral Smith Child...
. He is buried at St. Margaret's Church in Wolstanton
Wolstanton
Wolstanton is a suburban area on the outskirts of Newcastle-under-Lyme, Staffordshire.-History:Historically, Wolstanton was a place in its own right. It is mentioned in the Domesday book where it is listed amongst the lands belonging to the King. The land consisted of work for 2 ploughs, 14...
. In 1893 a clocktower was erected in Tunstall commemorating his civic contributions.