William Peere Williams-Freeman
Encyclopedia
William Peere Williams-Freeman (6 January 1742 - 11 February 1832) (born William Peere Williams) was an officer in the Royal Navy
, eventually (many years after his retirement from the Navy) becoming admiral of the fleet
for a brief period before his death at the age of 90.
on 6 January 1742, the son of Frederick Williams, prebendary
of Peterborough
, and his wife Mary. His paternal grandfather was William Peere Williams, while his maternal grandfather was Robert Clavering
, bishop of Peterborough
, and his maternal grandmother was Mary Freeman, sister of John Cook Freeman of Fawley Court
, Buckinghamshire. William Williams was educated at Eton College
, and was entered on the books of the 100-gun HMS Royal Sovereign
, the guardship at Spithead
, in June 1757. He appears to have first gone to sea in August 1759 aboard the 74-gun HMS Magnanime under Lord Howe
. Williams saw action aboard her at the Battle of Quiberon Bay
on 20 November 1759.
, and in August 1763 joined the 50-gun HMS Romney
with Lord Colville on the Halifax
station. On 18 September 1764 he was promoted to be lieutenant of HMS Rainbow on the Virginia
station, and remained in her till she paid off in October 1766. On 26 May 1768 he was promoted to master and commander of the bomb vessel
. He became a post-captain
on 10 January 1771 and was appointed to command the 50-gun . He moved to the 28-gun on 21 March. He married shortly after this, on 20 June, after which he took Active to the West Indies. There his health gave way and in July 1773 he used his interest to get the ship sent to Newfoundland
. His health, however, did not improve, and on 11 October the station's commander, Rear-Admiral John Montagu gave him command of the 20-gun , which he brought home and paid off in February 1774.
during their encounter with the French under the comte d'Estaing
on 10 August 1778. He may have again suffered a bout of ill-health, for on 8 September he exchanged ships with Captain James Ferguson and took Ferguson's 32-gun frigate back to England to be paid off.
In April 1780 he commissioned , a new and large 36-gun frigate, carrying 18-pounders on her main-deck, and an experimental addition of six 18-pounder carronade
s to her establishment. She fell in with the French 32-gun frigate Nymphe under Captain du Rumain off Ushant
on 10 August 1780. In the ensuing action the better-armed Flora overpowered the larger French ship. The Nymphe lost sixty-three men killed and seventy-three wounded; the Flora had nine killed and twenty-seven wounded. After repulsing a French attempt to board, the British captured her. Laughton
asserts that "Such a decisive result ought to have given Williams full confidence in his novel armament, but it does not seem to have done so".
at the second relief of Gibraltar
, and was afterwards sent on to Minorca
, in company with the Captain Thomas Pakenham
's 28-gun frigate HMS Crescent
, in charge of some victuallers. As they were returning through the Straits off Ceuta
on 30 May they met two Dutch frigates of 36 guns, the Castor and the Briel. After a 2¼-hour battle (known as the Battle of Cape St Mary) the Flora captured the Castor (under Pieter Melvill van Carnbee
), but the Briel had meantime compelled the Crescent to strike her flag; the Flora hastened to her consort's assistance, and the Briel made her escape. Afterwards, on 19 June, as the two frigates and their prize were broad off Cape Finisterre
they fell in with two French 32-gun frigates, Friponne and Gloire. The Crescent and Castor had been dismasted in the former engagement and were jury-rigged with only 300 unwounded men out of a full complement of 700 over the three ships. The Castor had only a prize crew on board, who were unable to leave the pumps. Williams made the signal to separate, and left the Crescent and Castor easy prizes to the two Frenchmen. His conduct was not blamed and was not even called in question; but Laughton opines that "when we consider that the Floras broadside was nearly as heavy as those of the Friponne and Gloire together, it is impossible to avoid thinking that Williams did not understand the novel conditions in his favour".
and Hoddesdon
and in November 1821 he took the additional name of Freeman, as a condition of his inheriting the Fawley Court
estate. He rose through the ranks by his seniority, becoming Rear-Admiral on 12 April 1794, Vice-Admiral on 11 June 1795 and Admiral on 14 February 1799. On 28 June 1830, three days after the accession of William IV
, he was promoted to the rank of Admiral of the Fleet
, the king sending him, as a special compliment, a baton which had been presented to himself by George IV
. He died at Hoddesdon, Hertfordshire
, on 11 February 1832. He was buried in the family vault at Broxbourne
.
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...
, eventually (many years after his retirement from the Navy) becoming admiral of the fleet
Admiral of the Fleet (Royal Navy)
Admiral of the fleet is the highest rank of the British Royal Navy and other navies, which equates to the NATO rank code OF-10. The rank still exists in the Royal Navy but routine appointments ceased in 1996....
for a brief period before his death at the age of 90.
Family and early life
Williams was born in PeterboroughPeterborough
Peterborough is a cathedral city and unitary authority area in the East of England, with an estimated population of in June 2007. For ceremonial purposes it is in the county of Cambridgeshire. Situated north of London, the city stands on the River Nene which flows into the North Sea...
on 6 January 1742, the son of Frederick Williams, prebendary
Prebendary
A prebendary is a post connected to an Anglican or Catholic cathedral or collegiate church and is a type of canon. Prebendaries have a role in the administration of the cathedral...
of Peterborough
Peterborough Cathedral
Peterborough Cathedral, properly the Cathedral Church of St Peter, St Paul and St Andrew – also known as Saint Peter's Cathedral in the United Kingdom – is the seat of the Bishop of Peterborough, dedicated to Saint Peter, Saint Paul and Saint Andrew, whose statues look down from the...
, and his wife Mary. His paternal grandfather was William Peere Williams, while his maternal grandfather was Robert Clavering
Robert Clavering
-Life:He graduated B.A. from the University of Edinburgh, and then went to Lincoln College, Oxford. He was Fellow and tutor of University College, in 1701. In 1714 he was rector of Bocking. In 1715 he became Regius Professor of Hebrew and canon of Christ Church, Oxford.He became rector of Marsh...
, bishop of Peterborough
Bishop of Peterborough
The Bishop of Peterborough is the ordinary of the Church of England Diocese of Peterborough in the Province of Canterbury.The diocese covers the counties of Northamptonshire, Rutland and the Soke of Peterborough in Cambridgeshire...
, and his maternal grandmother was Mary Freeman, sister of John Cook Freeman of Fawley Court
Fawley Court
Fawley Court is a country house standing on the banks of the River Thames at Fawley in the English county of Buckinghamshire, just north of Henley-on-Thames. The former deer park extended over the border into Oxfordshire...
, Buckinghamshire. William Williams was educated at Eton College
Eton College
Eton College, often referred to simply as Eton, is a British independent school for boys aged 13 to 18. It was founded in 1440 by King Henry VI as "The King's College of Our Lady of Eton besides Wyndsor"....
, and was entered on the books of the 100-gun HMS Royal Sovereign
HMS Royal Sovereign (1701)
HMS Royal Sovereign was a 100-gun first rate ship of the line of the Royal Navy, built at Woolwich Dockyard and launched in July 1701. She had been built using some of the salvageable timbers from the previous , which had been destroyed by fire in 1697....
, the guardship at Spithead
Spithead
Spithead is an area of the Solent and a roadstead off Gilkicker Point in Hampshire, England. It is protected from all winds, except those from the southeast...
, in June 1757. He appears to have first gone to sea in August 1759 aboard the 74-gun HMS Magnanime under Lord Howe
Richard Howe, 1st Earl Howe
Admiral of the Fleet Richard Howe, 1st Earl Howe KG was a British naval officer, notable in particular for his service during the American War of Independence and French Revolutionary Wars. He was the brother of William Howe and George Howe.Howe joined the navy at the age of thirteen and served...
. Williams saw action aboard her at 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...
on 20 November 1759.
First commands
In September 1762 Williams followed Howe to the 80-gun HMS Princess AmeliaHMS Princess Amelia (1757)
HMS Princess Amelia was an 80-gun third rate ship of the line of the Royal Navy, built at Woolwich Dockyard to the draught specified by the 1745 Establishment, and launched on 7 March 1757....
, and in August 1763 joined the 50-gun HMS Romney
HMS Romney (1762)
HMS Romney was a 50-gun fourth rate of the Royal Navy. She served during the American War of Independence, and the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars in a career that spanned forty years....
with Lord Colville on the Halifax
City 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...
station. On 18 September 1764 he was promoted to be lieutenant of HMS Rainbow on the Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
station, and remained in her till she paid off in October 1766. On 26 May 1768 he was promoted to master and commander of the bomb vessel
Bomb vessel
A bomb vessel, bomb ship, bomb ketch, or simply bomb was a type of wooden sailing naval ship. Its primary armament was not cannon —although bomb vessels carried a few cannon for self-defence—but rather mortars mounted forward near the bow and elevated to a high angle, and projecting their fire in a...
. He became a post-captain
Post-Captain
Post-captain is an obsolete alternative form of the rank of captain in the Royal Navy.The term served to distinguish those who were captains by rank from:...
on 10 January 1771 and was appointed to command the 50-gun . He moved to the 28-gun on 21 March. He married shortly after this, on 20 June, after which he took Active to the West Indies. There his health gave way and in July 1773 he used his interest to get the ship sent to Newfoundland
Newfoundland and Labrador
Newfoundland and Labrador is the easternmost province of Canada. Situated in the country's Atlantic region, it incorporates the island of Newfoundland and mainland Labrador with a combined area of . As of April 2011, the province's estimated population is 508,400...
. His health, however, did not improve, and on 11 October the station's commander, Rear-Admiral John Montagu gave him command of the 20-gun , which he brought home and paid off in February 1774.
America and the Atlantic
In March 1777 he commissioned , in which he joined Lord Howe on the North America station, and was with the fleet off Rhode IslandRhode Island
The state of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, more commonly referred to as Rhode Island , is a state in the New England region of the United States. It is the smallest U.S. state by area...
during their encounter with the French under the comte 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...
on 10 August 1778. He may have again suffered a bout of ill-health, for on 8 September he exchanged ships with Captain James Ferguson and took Ferguson's 32-gun frigate back to England to be paid off.
In April 1780 he commissioned , a new and large 36-gun frigate, carrying 18-pounders on her main-deck, and an experimental addition of six 18-pounder carronade
Carronade
The carronade was a short smoothbore, cast iron cannon, developed for the Royal Navy by the Carron Company, an ironworks in Falkirk, Scotland, UK. It was used from the 1770s to the 1850s. Its main function was to serve as a powerful, short-range anti-ship and anti-crew weapon...
s to her establishment. She fell in with the French 32-gun frigate Nymphe under Captain du Rumain off Ushant
Ushant
Ushant is an island at the south-western end of the English Channel which marks the north-westernmost point of metropolitan France. It belongs to Brittany and is in the traditional region of Bro-Leon. Administratively, Ushant is a commune in the Finistère department...
on 10 August 1780. In the ensuing action the better-armed Flora overpowered the larger French ship. The Nymphe lost sixty-three men killed and seventy-three wounded; the Flora had nine killed and twenty-seven wounded. After repulsing a French attempt to board, the British captured her. Laughton
John Knox Laughton
Sir John Knox Laughton Kt was a British naval historian and arguably the first to argue for the importance of the subject as an independent field of study...
asserts that "Such a decisive result ought to have given Williams full confidence in his novel armament, but it does not seem to have done so".
Mediterranean
In March 1781 the Flora was with the fleet under Vice-Admiral George DarbyGeorge Darby
Vice Admiral George Darby was an officer in the Royal Navy. He was the second son of Jonathan Darby III Esq. , of Leap Castle, in King's County, Ireland.-Early career:Darby joined the Royal Navy as a volunteer...
at the second relief 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...
, and was afterwards sent on to Minorca
Minorca
Min Orca or Menorca is one of the Balearic Islands located in the Mediterranean Sea belonging to Spain. It takes its name from being smaller than the nearby island of Majorca....
, in company with the Captain Thomas Pakenham
Thomas Pakenham (Royal Navy officer)
Sir Thomas Pakenham GCB , styled The Honourable from birth to 1820, was a British naval officer and politician.Pakenham, third son of Thomas Pakenham, 1st Baron Longford , was born in 1757. He entered the Royal Navy in 1771 on board the , with Captain John MacBride, with whom he moved to the in 1773...
's 28-gun frigate HMS Crescent
HMS Crescent (1779)
HMS Crescent was a 28-gun Enterprise-class sixth-rate frigate of the Royal Navy. The Crescent was first commissioned in about September 1779 under the command of Captain Charles Hope.- References :...
, in charge of some victuallers. As they were returning through the Straits off Ceuta
Ceuta
Ceuta is an autonomous city of Spain and an exclave located on the north coast of North Africa surrounded by Morocco. Separated from the Iberian peninsula by the Strait of Gibraltar, Ceuta lies on the border of the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean. Ceuta along with the other Spanish...
on 30 May they met two Dutch frigates of 36 guns, the Castor and the Briel. After a 2¼-hour battle (known as the Battle of Cape St Mary) the Flora captured the Castor (under Pieter Melvill van Carnbee
Pieter Melvill van Carnbee (1743-1810)
Pieter baron Melvill van Carnbee was a Dutch naval officer from a military family of Scottish descent, who rose to the rank of vice admiral. His name was sometimes spelled Melville van Carnbée. His grandson Pieter Melvill van Carnbee was a notable geographer.-Life:He is most noted for his...
), but the Briel had meantime compelled the Crescent to strike her flag; the Flora hastened to her consort's assistance, and the Briel made her escape. Afterwards, on 19 June, as the two frigates and their prize were broad off Cape Finisterre
Cape Finisterre
right|thumb|300px|Position of Cape Finisterre on the [[Iberian Peninsula]]Cape Finisterre is a rock-bound peninsula on the west coast of Galicia, Spain....
they fell in with two French 32-gun frigates, Friponne and Gloire. The Crescent and Castor had been dismasted in the former engagement and were jury-rigged with only 300 unwounded men out of a full complement of 700 over the three ships. The Castor had only a prize crew on board, who were unable to leave the pumps. Williams made the signal to separate, and left the Crescent and Castor easy prizes to the two Frenchmen. His conduct was not blamed and was not even called in question; but Laughton opines that "when we consider that the Floras broadside was nearly as heavy as those of the Friponne and Gloire together, it is impossible to avoid thinking that Williams did not understand the novel conditions in his favour".
Later life
In April 1782 Williams went on half-pay, and had no further service. He retired to his estates at Henley-on-ThamesHenley-on-Thames
Henley-on-Thames is a town and civil parish on the River Thames in South Oxfordshire, England, about 10 miles downstream and north-east from Reading, 10 miles upstream and west from Maidenhead...
and Hoddesdon
Hoddesdon
Hoddesdon is a town in the English county of Hertfordshire, situated in the Lea Valley. The town grew up as a coaching stop on the route between Cambridge and London. It is located southeast of Hertford, north of Waltham Cross and southwest of Bishop's Stortford. At its height during the 18th...
and in November 1821 he took the additional name of Freeman, as a condition of his inheriting the Fawley Court
Fawley Court
Fawley Court is a country house standing on the banks of the River Thames at Fawley in the English county of Buckinghamshire, just north of Henley-on-Thames. The former deer park extended over the border into Oxfordshire...
estate. He rose through the ranks by his seniority, becoming Rear-Admiral on 12 April 1794, Vice-Admiral on 11 June 1795 and Admiral on 14 February 1799. On 28 June 1830, three days after the accession of 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...
, he was promoted to the rank of Admiral of the Fleet
Admiral of the Fleet (Royal Navy)
Admiral of the fleet is the highest rank of the British Royal Navy and other navies, which equates to the NATO rank code OF-10. The rank still exists in the Royal Navy but routine appointments ceased in 1996....
, the king sending him, as a special compliment, a baton which had been presented to himself by George IV
George IV of the United Kingdom
George IV was the King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and also of Hanover from the death of his father, George III, on 29 January 1820 until his own death ten years later...
. He died at Hoddesdon, Hertfordshire
Hertfordshire
Hertfordshire is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England. The county town is Hertford.The county is one of the Home Counties and lies inland, bordered by Greater London , Buckinghamshire , Bedfordshire , Cambridgeshire and...
, on 11 February 1832. He was buried in the family vault at Broxbourne
Broxbourne
Broxbourne is a commuter town in the Broxbourne borough of Hertfordshire in the East of England with a population of 13,298 in 2001.It is located 17.1 miles north north-east of Charing Cross in London and about a mile north of Wormley and south of Hoddesdon...
.