Thomas Byam Martin
Encyclopedia
Admiral Sir Thomas Byam Martin, GCB
(25 July 1773 – 25 October 1854) was a highly influential British Royal Navy
officer who served at sea during the French Revolutionary
and Napoleonic Wars
and then as a naval administrator until his death in 1854. Martin also sat in Parliament for 14 years and was an outspoken critic of government attempts to reduce the Navy budget which ultimately saw him dismissed in 1831 by his old friend King William IV
.
During his many years of service, Martin was credited with reforming and modernising the Royal Navy and, for over fifty years after his death, having theretofore been its most effective administrator . Despite his entrenched conservative views, Martin was open to new technologies and worked closely with administrators, shipbuilders and serving officers to convert the fleet from the huge battlefleets of the Napoleonic era to and effective force for colonial and commercial expeditions and defence. He died in 1854 during the Crimean War
, still working as a staff officer at Portsmouth
.
later MP for Southampton
and a baronet
and his wife Eliza Anne Gillman, née Parker. Martin's father, Sir Henry Martin, a younger half-brother of Samuel Martin MP
, was for many years naval commissioner at Portsmouth
and Comptroller of the Navy
. Martin's grandfather, Samuel Martin, was a well-known Antigua, West Indies, planter.
Thomas was educated privately at Fresford, before attending Southampton Grammar School and later the Royal Grammar School
in Guildford
. During his education, he was also enrolled on the books of several Navy ships, a custom of the period to ensure that when he was old enough to go to sea he already would have the requisite "experience" to be considered for promotion early.
In 1785, Martin joined the Royal Naval College, Portsmouth and the following year went to sea for the first time as a captain's servant aboard HMS Pegasus, captained by Prince William Henry
, later King William IV. Martin remained with the Prince when he transferred to HMS Andromeda in 1788 and in 1790 was briefly aboard HMS Southampton
before becoming a lieutenant on HMS Canada
. In the next two years he saw brief service on both HMS Inconstant
and HMS Juno
before becoming commander
in HMS Tisiphone in the Mediterranean at the outbreak of the French Revolutionary Wars
.
, a frigate
recently captured from the French, as a Post captain. Two year later, Martin was transferred to the Channel Fleet
and stationed off Ireland
in HMS Santa Margarita, in which he captured the French frigate Tamise
on 8 June 1796. In the engagement, Tamise was badly damaged and suffered heavy casualties while Santa Margaritas losses were only two killed and three wounded.
During most of 1797, Martin was in the West Indies as captain of HMS Tamar in which he captured nine privateers and late in the year he commanded the return journey of HMS Dictator before taking over the newly captured HMS Fisgard. In October 1798, Fisgard was among those ships deployed to prevent the planned French invasion of Ireland during the Irish Rebellion of 1798
which was defeated at the Battle of Tory Island
. Fisgard was not present at the battle, being stationed off Brest
to intercept returning French ships. On 20 October the Immortalité
was sighted pursued and captured in a sharp action in which both ships suffered heavy casualties.
In 1798, Martin married Catherine Fanshawe, daughter of Captain Robert Fanshawe, commissioner at Plymouth
. The couple had six children and all three of their sons later served in the armed forces, two of whom; William
and Henry, later became admirals. The third, Robert, died as a British Army
Lieutenant colonel
in 1846. Following his marriage, Martin returned to naval service and was actively employed under Sir John Borlase Warren
off the French coast, capturing merchant vessels, privateers and warships.
During the Peace of Amiens, Martin was given command of HMS Impetueux, a ship of the line
, and in her was instrumental in rescuing survivors from the wreck of HMS Venerable
in 1804. In 1807 he moved to command the second rate HMS Prince of Wales
in the Channel Fleet and in 1808 HMS Implacable
in the Baltic Sea
. In Implacable, Martin was attached to the Swedish Navy
and participated in the capture and destruction of the Russian ship of the line Sewolod (Vsevolod)
, for which he was awarded the Cross of the Order of the Sword
by the Swedish King Gustaf IV Adolf. In 1810 he briefly served in the Mediterranean as Admiral Cuthbert Collingwood's replacement but he returned to the Baltic in 1811, when as a rear-admiral he assisted in the defence of Riga
against La Grande Armée
during the French invasion of Russia
.
, and in 1813 he visited the Duke of Wellington
's headquarters in Spain
to co-ordinate army and navy supply requirements and operations. In 1815 at the war's end, Martin was made Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath and deputy comptroller of the navy, advancing to full comptroller
the following year, a position he maintained until 1831. In this role, Martin dominated naval strategy, reducing the fleet from the enormous size deployed against the French to a much more streamlined service geared toward protecting merchant trade and the British Empire
. He also focused heavily on retaining well-stocked and highly trained dockyards capable of responding rapidly to any international emergency.
Martin's strong pro-Tory
political views eventually caused his downfall, when he used his position in the navy and his parliamentary seat for Plymouth
to publicly criticise the Whig government of Earl Grey
. Infuriated, Grey and Sir James Graham approached Martin's old friend King William IV
for a solution, resulting in Martin's dismissal for insubordination.
Martin, who in the intervening years had become a full admiral
and a Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath entered semi-retirement to care for his frequently ill wife. He was made Vice-Admiral of the United Kingdom
in 1847 and in 1849 became an Admiral of the Fleet. In the approach to the Crimean War
he returned to service at Portsmouth
planning the Baltic Campaign and investigating the possibilities of poison gas weapons. He died in this service at the admiral superintendent's house on 21 October 1854. His death was widely mourned and it has been said that his career as naval comptroller "forms a high point in the history of British naval administration".
and never married, while a visitor at the Devonshire house of her sister Mrs Pollexfen Bastard
, assembled the rhyme about her sister's housekeeper for the entertainment of fellow guests though she may not be responsible for the first few lines. It was so successful she published it in 1805 as The Comic Adventures of Old Mother Hubbard and her Dog
.
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...
(25 July 1773 – 25 October 1854) was a highly influential 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 at sea during 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 then as a naval administrator until his death in 1854. Martin also sat in Parliament for 14 years and was an outspoken critic of government attempts to reduce the Navy budget which ultimately saw him dismissed in 1831 by his old friend King William IV
William IV of the United Kingdom
William IV was King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and of Hanover from 26 June 1830 until his death...
.
During his many years of service, Martin was credited with reforming and modernising the Royal Navy and, for over fifty years after his death, having theretofore been its most effective administrator . Despite his entrenched conservative views, Martin was open to new technologies and worked closely with administrators, shipbuilders and serving officers to convert the fleet from the huge battlefleets of the Napoleonic era to and effective force for colonial and commercial expeditions and defence. He died in 1854 during the Crimean War
Crimean War
The Crimean War was a conflict fought between the Russian Empire and an alliance of the French Empire, the British Empire, the Ottoman Empire, and the Kingdom of Sardinia. The war was part of a long-running contest between the major European powers for influence over territories of the declining...
, still working as a staff officer 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...
.
Early life
Martin was born in 1773, the third son of Henry MartinSir Henry Martin, 1st Baronet
Captain Henry Martin, 1st Baronet was a naval commander whose final appointment was Comptroller of the Navy 1790–1794.Martin was born at Shroton House, Dorset, 29 August 1733...
later MP for Southampton
Southampton (UK Parliament constituency)
Southampton was a parliamentary constituency which was represented in the British House of Commons. Centred on the town of Southampton, it returned two Members of Parliament from 1295 until it was abolished for the 1950 general election....
and a baronet
Martin Baronets
There have been four Baronetcies created for persons with the surname Martin, one in the Baronetage of England, one in the Baronetage of Great Britain and two in the Baronetage of the United Kingdom. All four creations are extinct....
and his wife Eliza Anne Gillman, née Parker. Martin's father, Sir Henry Martin, a younger half-brother of Samuel Martin MP
Samuel Martin (Secretary to the Treasury)
Samuel Martin was a British politician and administrator.-Family:He was the son of Samuel Martin, the leading plantation owner on the West Indies island of Antigua, where he was born, and eldest half-brother of Sir Henry Martin, 1st Baronet , for many years naval commissioner at Portsmouth and...
, was for many years naval commissioner 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 Comptroller of the Navy
Third Sea Lord
The Third Sea Lord and Controller of the Navy was formerly the Naval Lord and member of the Board of Admiralty responsible for procurement and matériel in the British Royal Navy...
. Martin's grandfather, Samuel Martin, was a well-known Antigua, West Indies, planter.
Thomas was educated privately at Fresford, before attending Southampton Grammar School and later the Royal Grammar School
Royal Grammar School, Guildford
The Royal Grammar School is a selective English independent day school for boys in Guildford, Surrey. The school dates its founding to the death of Robert Beckingham in 1509 who left provision in his will to 'make a free scole at the Towne of Guldford'; in 1512 a governing body was set up to form...
in Guildford
Guildford
Guildford is the county town of Surrey. England, as well as the seat for the borough of Guildford and the administrative headquarters of the South East England region...
. During his education, he was also enrolled on the books of several Navy ships, a custom of the period to ensure that when he was old enough to go to sea he already would have the requisite "experience" to be considered for promotion early.
In 1785, Martin joined the Royal Naval College, Portsmouth and the following year went to sea for the first time as a captain's servant aboard HMS Pegasus, captained by Prince William Henry
William IV of the United Kingdom
William IV was King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and of Hanover from 26 June 1830 until his death...
, later King William IV. Martin remained with the Prince when he transferred to HMS Andromeda in 1788 and in 1790 was briefly aboard HMS Southampton
HMS Southampton (1757)
HMS Southampton was the name ship of the 32-gun Southampton-class fifth-rate frigates of the Royal Navy. She was launched in 1757 and served for more than half a century until wrecked in 1812.- Fate :...
before becoming a lieutenant on HMS Canada
HMS Canada (1765)
HMS Canada was a 74-gun third rate ship of the line of the Royal Navy, launched on 17 September 1765 at Woolwich Dockyard.On 2 May 1781, Canada engaged and captured the Spanish ship Santa Leocadia, of 34 guns....
. In the next two years he saw brief service on both HMS Inconstant
HMS Inconstant (1783)
HMS Inconstant was a 36-gun Perseverance class fifth rate frigate of the Royal Navy. She had a successful career serving in the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, capturing three French warships during the French Revolutionary naval campaigns, the Curieux, the Unité, and the former British...
and HMS Juno
HMS Juno (1780)
HMS Juno was a Royal Navy 32-gun Amazon-class fifth rate. This frigate served during the American War of Independence, and the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars.-Construction and commissioning:...
before becoming 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...
in HMS Tisiphone in the Mediterranean 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...
.
War Service
In November 1793, Martin moved to HMS ModesteHMS Modeste (1793)
HMS Modeste was a 36-gun fifth rate frigate of the Royal Navy. She had previously been a ship of the French Navy under the name Modeste. Launched in France in 1786, she served during the first actions of the French Revolutionary Wars until being captured while in harbour at Genoa, in circumstances...
, a 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"...
recently captured from the French, as a Post captain. Two year later, Martin was transferred to 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 stationed off 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...
in HMS Santa Margarita, in which he captured the French frigate Tamise
HMS Thames (1758)
HMS Thames was a 32-gun Richmond-class fifth-rate frigate of the Royal Navy built by Henry Adams and launched at Bucklers Hard in 1758. She served in several wars, including for some four years in French service after her capture. She was recaptured in 1796 and was broken up in 1803.-British...
on 8 June 1796. In the engagement, Tamise was badly damaged and suffered heavy casualties while Santa Margaritas losses were only two killed and three wounded.
During most of 1797, Martin was in the West Indies as captain of HMS Tamar in which he captured nine privateers and late in the year he commanded the return journey of HMS Dictator before taking over the newly captured HMS Fisgard. In October 1798, Fisgard was among those ships deployed to prevent the planned French invasion of Ireland during the Irish Rebellion of 1798
Irish Rebellion of 1798
The Irish Rebellion of 1798 , also known as the United Irishmen Rebellion , was an uprising in 1798, lasting several months, against British rule in Ireland...
which was defeated at the Battle of Tory Island
Battle of Tory Island
The Battle of Tory Island, was a naval action of the French Revolutionary Wars, fought on 12 October 1798 between French and British squadrons off the northwest coast of Donegal, then in the Kingdom of Ireland...
. Fisgard was not present at the battle, being stationed off Brest
Brest, France
Brest is a city in the Finistère department in Brittany in northwestern France. Located in a sheltered position not far from the western tip of the Breton peninsula, and the western extremity of metropolitan France, Brest is an important harbour and the second French military port after Toulon...
to intercept returning French ships. On 20 October the Immortalité
French frigate Immortalité (1795)
The Immortalité was a Romaine class frigate of the French Navy.She took part in the Expédition d'Irlande, and was captured shortly after the Battle of Tory Island by HMS Fisgard...
was sighted pursued and captured in a sharp action in which both ships suffered heavy casualties.
In 1798, Martin married Catherine Fanshawe, daughter of Captain Robert Fanshawe, commissioner at Plymouth
Plymouth
Plymouth is a city and unitary authority area on the coast of Devon, England, about south-west of London. It is built between the mouths of the rivers Plym to the east and Tamar to the west, where they join Plymouth Sound...
. The couple had six children and all three of their sons later served in the armed forces, two of whom; William
Sir William Martin, 4th Baronet
Admiral Sir William Fanshawe Martin, 4th Baronet GCB , was a senior British naval officer.-Naval career:...
and Henry, later became admirals. The third, Robert, died as a British Army
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
Lieutenant colonel
Lieutenant colonel
Lieutenant colonel is a rank of commissioned officer in the armies and most marine forces and some air forces of the world, typically ranking above a major and below a colonel. The rank of lieutenant colonel is often shortened to simply "colonel" in conversation and in unofficial correspondence...
in 1846. Following his marriage, Martin returned to naval service and was actively employed under Sir John Borlase Warren
John Borlase Warren
Sir John Borlase Warren, 1st Baronet , was an English admiral, politician and diplomat. Born in Stapleford, Nottinghamshire, he was the son and heir of John Borlase Warren of Stapleford and Little Marlow...
off the French coast, capturing merchant vessels, privateers and warships.
During the Peace of Amiens, Martin was given command of HMS Impetueux, a 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...
, and in her was instrumental in rescuing survivors from the wreck of HMS Venerable
HMS Venerable (1784)
HMS Venerable was a 74-gun third rate ship of the line of the Royal Navy, launched on 19 April 1784 at Blackwall Yard.In 1797, Venerable served as Admiral Duncan's flagship at the Battle of Camperdown....
in 1804. In 1807 he moved to command the second rate HMS Prince of Wales
HMS Prince of Wales (1794)
HMS Prince of Wales was a 98-gun second rate ship of the line of the Royal Navy, launched on 28 June 1794 at Portsmouth.She was present at the Battle of Groix in 1795, and served as the flagship of Admiral Robert Calder at the Battle of Cape Finisterre in 1805. Prince of Wales was not present at...
in the Channel Fleet and in 1808 HMS Implacable
HMS Implacable (1805)
HMS Implacable was a 74-gun third rate of the Royal Navy. She was originally the French Navy's Téméraire-class ship of the line Duguay-Trouin, launched in 1800....
in 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...
. In Implacable, Martin was attached to the Swedish Navy
Swedish Navy
The Royal Swedish Navy is the naval branch of the Swedish Armed Forces. It is composed of surface and submarine naval units – the Fleet – as well as marine units, the so-called Amphibious Corps .In Swedish, vessels of the Swedish Navy are given the prefix "HMS," short for Hans/Hennes...
and participated in the capture and destruction of the Russian ship of the line Sewolod (Vsevolod)
Russian ship Vsevolod (1796)
The Russian ship Vsevolod was a 74-gun ship of the line launched in 1796. She served in the North Sea and the Baltic until the British 74-gun third rates Implacable and Centaur destroyed her in 1808 during the Anglo-Russian War .-Service:On 3 July 1798 Vsevolod was at Arkhangel’sk, serving as...
, for which he was awarded the Cross of the Order of the Sword
Order of the Sword
The Order of the Sword is a Swedish order of chivalry created by King Frederick I of Sweden on February 23, 1748, together with the Order of the Seraphim and the Order of the Polar Star.Awarded to officers, and originally intended as an award for bravery and particularly long or useful service, it...
by the Swedish King Gustaf IV Adolf. In 1810 he briefly served in the Mediterranean as Admiral Cuthbert Collingwood's replacement but he returned to the Baltic in 1811, when as a rear-admiral he assisted in the defence of Riga
Riga
Riga is the capital and largest city of Latvia. With 702,891 inhabitants Riga is the largest city of the Baltic states, one of the largest cities in Northern Europe and home to more than one third of Latvia's population. The city is an important seaport and a major industrial, commercial,...
against La Grande Armée
La Grande Armée
The Grande Armée first entered the annals of history when, in 1805, Napoleon I renamed the army that he had assembled on the French coast of the English Channel for the proposed invasion of Britain...
during the French invasion of Russia
French invasion of Russia
The French invasion of Russia of 1812 was a turning point in the Napoleonic Wars. It reduced the French and allied invasion forces to a tiny fraction of their initial strength and triggered a major shift in European politics as it dramatically weakened French hegemony in Europe...
.
Later service
Between 1812 and 1814, Martin was Second-in-Command Plymouth CommandCommander-in-Chief, Plymouth
The Commander-in-Chief, Plymouth was a senior commander of the Royal Navy for hundreds of years. Plymouth Command was a name given to the units, establishments, and staff operating under the admiral's command. In the nineteenth century the holder of the office was known as Commander-in-Chief,...
, and in 1813 he visited the Duke of Wellington
Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington
Field Marshal Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington, KG, GCB, GCH, PC, FRS , was an Irish-born British soldier and statesman, and one of the leading military and political figures of the 19th century...
's headquarters in Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
to co-ordinate army and navy supply requirements and operations. In 1815 at the war's end, Martin was made Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath and deputy comptroller of the navy, advancing to full comptroller
Third Sea Lord
The Third Sea Lord and Controller of the Navy was formerly the Naval Lord and member of the Board of Admiralty responsible for procurement and matériel in the British Royal Navy...
the following year, a position he maintained until 1831. In this role, Martin dominated naval strategy, reducing the fleet from the enormous size deployed against the French to a much more streamlined service geared toward protecting merchant trade and the British Empire
British Empire
The British Empire comprised the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom. It originated with the overseas colonies and trading posts established by England in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. At its height, it was the...
. He also focused heavily on retaining well-stocked and highly trained dockyards capable of responding rapidly to any international emergency.
Martin's strong pro-Tory
Tories (political faction)
The Tories were members of two political parties which existed, sequentially, in the Kingdom of England, the Kingdom of Great Britain and later the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from the 17th to the early 19th centuries.-Overview:...
political views eventually caused his downfall, when he used his position in the navy and his parliamentary seat for Plymouth
Plymouth (UK Parliament constituency)
Plymouth was a parliamentary borough in Devon, which elected two Members of Parliament to the House of Commons in 1298 and again from 1442 until 1918, when the borough was merged with the neighbouring Devonport and the combined area divided into three single-member constituencies.-In the...
to publicly criticise the Whig government of Earl Grey
Charles Grey, 2nd Earl Grey
Charles Grey, 2nd Earl Grey, KG, PC , known as Viscount Howick between 1806 and 1807, was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 22 November 1830 to 16 July 1834. A member of the Whig Party, he backed significant reform of the British government and was among the...
. Infuriated, Grey and Sir James Graham approached Martin's old friend King William IV
William IV of the United Kingdom
William IV was King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and of Hanover from 26 June 1830 until his death...
for a solution, resulting in Martin's dismissal for insubordination.
Martin, who in the intervening years had become a full 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"...
and a Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath entered semi-retirement to care for his frequently ill wife. He was made Vice-Admiral of the United Kingdom
Vice-Admiral of the United Kingdom
The Vice-Admiral of the United Kingdom is an honorary office generally held by a senior Royal Navy admiral. Despite the title, the Vice-Admiral of the United Kingdom is usually a full admiral. He is the official deputy to the Lord High Admiral, an honorary office vested in the Sovereign from...
in 1847 and in 1849 became an Admiral of the Fleet. In the approach to the Crimean War
Crimean War
The Crimean War was a conflict fought between the Russian Empire and an alliance of the French Empire, the British Empire, the Ottoman Empire, and the Kingdom of Sardinia. The war was part of a long-running contest between the major European powers for influence over territories of the declining...
he returned to service 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...
planning the Baltic Campaign and investigating the possibilities of poison gas weapons. He died in this service at the admiral superintendent's house on 21 October 1854. His death was widely mourned and it has been said that his career as naval comptroller "forms a high point in the history of British naval administration".
Sarah Catherine Martin
Martin's sister, Sarah Catherine (c1768-1826), who suffered the attentions of a very young Prince William HenryWilliam IV of the United Kingdom
William IV was King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and of Hanover from 26 June 1830 until his death...
and never married, while a visitor at the Devonshire house of her sister Mrs Pollexfen Bastard
John Pollexfen Bastard
John Pollexfen Bastard was a British Tory politician, landowner and colonel of the East Devonshire Militia who lived at Kitley House, Yealmpton, Devon.He married Sarah Bruton about 1780 who died in April 1808...
, assembled the rhyme about her sister's housekeeper for the entertainment of fellow guests though she may not be responsible for the first few lines. It was so successful she published it in 1805 as The Comic Adventures of Old Mother Hubbard and her Dog
Old Mother Hubbard
"Old Mother Hubbard" is an English language nursery rhyme, first printed in 1805 and among the most popular publications of the nineteenth century. The exact origin and meaning of the rhyme is disputed...
.