Charles Wager
Encyclopedia
Sir Charles Wager was a British Admiral and First Lord of the Admiralty between 1733 and 1742.
Despite heroic active service and steadfast administration and diplomatic service, Wager's reputation has suffered from a profoundly mistaken idea that the navy was then at a low ebb. In reality its numerical preponderance over other navies was greater than at any other time in the century, and its dockyard facilities, overseas bases (Wager was much involved in the development of new bases in the Caribbean), victualling organization, and central co-ordination were by far the most elaborate and advanced. Although British warship design was inferior to French in some respects, the real problem was an insufficiency of the versatile and seaworthy 60-gun ships, a class that Wager's Admiralty had chosen to augment during the 1730s but, as wartime experience would show, not aggressively enough.
, Cheltenham.
His father commanded the Yarmouth
in the fleet that brought Charles II
to England and quickly proved to be a capable, trustworthy, well-liked officer of the Royal Navy. He dined at the home of Samuel Pepys
who remarked in his diary "A brave, stout fellow this Captain is, and I think very honest.". Two years after the elder Wager's death, Samuel Pepys heard a friend who had been at Tangier contrast his conduct with that of others who had served in the Strait of Gibraltar
, remarking, as Pepys noted, "that above all Englishmen that ever was there, there never was any man that behaved himself like poor Charles Wager, whom the very Moores do mention with teares sometimes". Prudence re-married after his father’s death to Alexander Parker
, a Quaker and London merchant. There was already an older sister, Prudence, and the marriage produced six more children. The young Charles found himself lacking the advantages of patronage and parentage, necessary for advancement in the Royal Navy
of that time, due to his maternal grandfather's dismissal from the navy following the restoration and his father’s untimely death.
Wager was apprenticed to a Quaker merchant captain of New England
named John Hull of Barnstable, Massachusetts
who operated a transatlantic shipping service. Wager's mother was a witness when John Hull
married Alice Teddeman in the London Quaker Meeting in 1684. When Dr Teddeman Hull, their oldest son, visited London in 1742 he had a letter of introduction from Governor Richard Ward of Rhode Island which stated that he was "the son of Captain John Hull, late of this colony, under whom Sir Charles Wager was educated". It was while working with the Quaker John Hull that Wager displayed the strength of character that ultimately brought him to the attention of the Navy. During one of many transatlantic voyages the vessel which Hull was commanding with Wager as understudy was waylaid by a French privateer and told to "strike
". Hull could not fight due to his religious convictions but equally was loath to surrender his valuable vessel and cargo and so he turned to his right hand man. The young Wager did not share his patron's religion and had no such compunctions, and so it was Wager, "who accepted the encounter, and falling to work with the Frenchman, soon obliged him to sheer off."
on 1 August 1689. By 1691 he had become first lieutenant of the Dreadnought
(64 guns). On 8 December that year he married Martha Earning (b. 1664×6, d. 1748), daughter of Anthony Earning, a Commonwealth navy captain who went into the East India Company
's service after 1660 and died while captain of the George in the Indian Ocean. Wager was in the Britannia
, Admiral Edward Russell
's flagship, in 1692, took part in the battle of Barfleur
, and was made post captain on 7 June.
The year 1693 saw Wager in command of the Samuel and Henry (44 guns), in which he convoyed the New England trade. He was captain of the Newcastle
(48 guns) in 1694, and in 1695, after a month in the Mary, he was re-assigned to the Woolwich
(54 guns). In early March 1696 the Woolwich
was watching Dunkirk against a rumoured invasion. A month later Wager moved to the Greenwich
(50 guns) and commanded a small squadron for convoying the tobacco trade home from the Chesapeake
. He stayed in the Greenwich
until she was paid off in late 1699. He lived at Watergate cottages, Kilminorth near West Looe on half pay whilst his ship was under repair in Plymouth
. He immediately became a freeman of that borough. As he informed the Admiralty in June 1700, his residence was only "about ten miles from his Majesty's Yard at Plymouth" and he could "be at London in four or five days, if required". Eight months later, in February 1701, he was appointed to the Medway
(64 guns). In the mobilization of January 1702 for the War of the Spanish Succession
he was assigned to the Hampton Court
(70 guns) and remained her captain for the next five years. He commanded a squadron of four of the line and two frigates that cruised between Cape Barfleur
and the Isle of Batz
in early 1703. Later that year he went to the Mediterranean and in October he came under the command of Admiral George Byng (later Lord Torrington). Captains Wager and John Baker were the men Byng sent ashore to carry out negotiations and witness the signing of the England's re-negotiated treaty with the Dey of Algiers. Going again to the Mediterranean in 1704, Wager was with the fleet under Sir George Rooke that captured Gibraltar
. The Hampton Court
was on detached service and missed the battle off Malaga, but she was present at the capture of Barcelona
in 1705. After wintering with Sir John Leake's squadron at Lisbon, Wager took part in the relief of Barcelona
and the winning over of Ibiza and Majorca before returning home with Leake in late 1706.
As a senior captain, who had commanded detached squadrons, Wager was a logical choice for the West Indies command. Appointed in January 1707, he left Spithead
in the Expedition
(70 guns) on 28 March and reached Jamaica
on 22 June. A French squadron under Admiral Ducasse
was known to be coming from Europe, and Wager's initial deployments were designed to gain intelligence of its arrival and protect trade. He learned in December that Ducasse had gone to Havana
, far to leeward; thus the French squadron (ten of the line) could neither surprise Jamaica nor shield the galleons of the Spanish treasure fleet
at the isthmus, and if those galleons were to follow their usual practice of returning to Cartagene de Indias
before proceeding to Havana, Wager would have a chance to intercept them after they loaded Peruvian silver at Portobelo. The Expedition
(70 guns), Kingston
(60 guns), and Portland
(50 guns) plus a fireship left Port Royal in time to attain, on 23 May 1708, a position about 36 miles west of Cartegena. There followed the action which was later called Wager's Action, in which one treasure ship was destroyed and one was captured, while the others escaped into Cartagena harbour. The proceeds of his capture meant that he returned to England a rich man. He also came home a rear-admiral, the promotion having occurred by seniority on 19 November 1707. His wealth stemmed chiefly from the silver on the captured galleon, its value estimated at over £60,000 in addition to his flag share of other prizes taken in the West Indies. The action against the galleons made him a hero and he was knighted on 8 December 1709. At Portsmouth he was nominated for a by-election to parliament and was elected on 23 January 1710.
landslide in the election of 1710 Wager was re-elected to the Portsmouth seat, but the Tory
-dominated house overturned the result on petition. As a firm Whig he could no longer expect an important command so he prepared to spend the rest of his life ashore in contrast to the previous twenty years of almost continual sea service. Although there is no record of his residing again at Kilminorth he served as MP for West Looe
from 1713 to 1715.
Following the death of Queen Anne
, Wager was still listed as a Rear Admiral and he was ordered to take charge of the ships at Portsmouth
, and in later to go out to the Strait of Gibraltar
and assume command of the Mediterranean Fleet. However, he opted to become Comptroller of the Navy
and three years later, in March 1718, he moved to the Board of Admiralty, where he remained for 24 years, almost to the end of his life. In 1720 Wager leased Hollybush, a stately brick house, situated at the south-east corner of Parson's Green
, Fulham. He remained on the list of admirals and advanced by seniority. In 1722 he was appointed to take a squadron to Lisbon but the mission was cancelled. His flag was eventually hoisted again in 1726 to take command of a large battle fleet sent to the Baltic to protect Sweden and Denmark from the threat of a recently mobilized Russian fleet. Stopping first at Copenhagen
, he met with the court and completed arrangements for co-operation with the Danish navy. His report of 30 April 1726 evoked a glowing response from the secretary of state, Viscount Townshend:
"his Majesty has commanded me to let you know from Him, that he was before persuaded you was a very good Admiral, but he now sees that you are likewise an able Minister. All the answers you gave to the questions proposed to you at the Conference with the Danish Council were extremely right."
After calling on the Swedish court, Wager took his twenty ships of the line to Reval. He had orders to engage and destroy the Russian fleet if it came out. A frustrated and angry tsarina felt compelled to demobilize it instead. To reassure Sweden the British fleet stayed at Reval all summer, losing many men to sickness, and did not enter the Thames until 1 November 1726. He was at sea again soon afterwards when he arrived off Gibraltar
2 February 1727 with six ships of the line, two cruisers, two bomb-vessels, and additional troops for the garrison. The fleet helped cover the land approaches, Wager ordered two frigates and a bomb-vessel to "the back of the Hill",thus ensuring re-supply for the garrison. Although Britain and Spain were undoubtedly at war the actions were usually cautious and desultory except in early May when there was a furious artillery exchange. It was chiefly a naval war, with prizes taken. The main burden was borne by Francis Hosier
's fleet in the Caribbean. The Spanish king agreed to a cessation of arms in mid-June, but gave no indication of actually yielding. Finally, in early March 1728, Spain agreed to a convention and Wager's fleet could be ordered home; he arrived on 9 April after sixteen months abroad.
Wager resumed his regular attendance at the Admiralty board, but again in May 1729 he was ordered to take command of thirty-three ships, which were soon joined by fourteen Dutch. This huge squadron never left Spithead and was popularly ridiculed as the "stay-at-home fleet". It was assembled because the court of Spain was acting as if the convention meant nothing the fleet remained in readiness until it was learned that Spain would sign a firm treaty.
The provisions of this treaty
confirmed the Spanish queen's title to certain parts of Italy, a right to install Spanish garrisons was also obtained. It seemed advisable to have a strong British fleet alongside the Spanish when the troops were to be landed at Leghorn. Thus Wager's flag was hoisted on the Namur
(90 guns) and the British fleet entered Cadiz
Bay on 1 August 1731, and, after much grand entertainment, moved into the Mediterranean. The mission at Leghorn was incident free but much delayed, so that Wager did not return to England until 10 December 1731. Upon arrival he reported his sense of "pleasure to have a success where doubtful". This was to prove his last sea service.
Between April 1726 and December 1731 Wager had spent as many months flying his flag as he spent ashore. The missions he was asked to execute all involved diplomatic discretion as well as strategic acumen. This Leghorn mission was a good example of the duality of role that Wager was capable of.
In 1732, in a letter to a Gloucestershire acquaintance from the Admiralty office, he remarked that for many years he had been inclined to retire. "But", he continued, "I have been sent on several expeditions (not by my own choice), wherein I have succeeded so well, as to have the King's approbation, and very like may be put, in case of a Vacancy, at the head of this Board."
Evidently he believed that his elevation, if it occurred, would stem from his dual role as a fleet commander and diplomat, not his long experience in naval administration.
Besides administrative capacity, Wager brought some important assets to the office. His character as a trusted senior admiral tended to subdue the incipient factions of the officer corps. An example of his candid professionalism was the strong plea he made to leading ministers in December 1738 that Edward Vernon
should be given the West Indies command this in spite of Vernon’s unrelenting opposition to him in parliament. He describe himself as a “Parliament man” to Sir Robert Walpole and in Wager Walpole proved to have a personal friend and a staunchly loyal spokesman in the House of Commons who was well liked, well informed, and widely trusted. It seems that when anyone in government needed an opinion on maritime geography, seaborne commerce or colonial circumstance Wager was asked. Many of his responses, most of them written in his own hand, have survived (Vernon–Wager MSS).
Upon the outbreak of the so called “War of Jenkin’s ear
” in 1739 the problem rapidly grew severe, and Wager, strongly encouraged by Admiral Sir John Norris, pressed for legislative measures; the government introduced bills to facilitate naval manning and Walpole supported them, but parliament would not pass anything meaningful.
The strategy for defeating Spain, insisted the Duke of Newcastle, called for capturing a major objective in the West Indies. This meant that large fleet and army had to be sent to a region where tropical diseases were rife. Wager was not confident, he well knew the price of delay in that climate, his favourite strategy was to threaten the Peruvian coast from the “South Sea”. Hence the famous voyage
of Commodore George Anson
, who sailed from England in 1740, was a result of Wager's advocacy. Even before the expedition to the west Indies left England the typhus epidemic of 1740, the worst of the century, ravaged newly recruited seamen and spread through the fleet, seriously aggravating the manning problem and delaying departure. Predictably the assault on Cartagena failed mainly because the forces succumbed to further tropical disease.
The profound disappointment of a public that had never doubted success was played upon by the fervid opposition to Walpole, and eventually Wager's reputation was injured although this was to occur long after his death.
He was fit enough to command the king's channel crossings in 1740 and 1741. (Wager's decision to turn back to Holland on a stormy night in December 1736 had probably saved the whole entourage.) not too shabby for a supposed smallpox ridden drunk who had not worn very well. Rumours that he was inattentive may be offset by his record of steady attendance at the board, cabinet meetings, in parliament, and by much else.
As so often happens in history an abundance of skill is turned, by fate, into the final instrument of downfall. The king insisted on having Wager see him across the water in May 1741 this was unfortunate politically because the voyage coincided with the Westminster election. Wager was still popular and his presence during the polling might have prevented the surprise nomination of Edward Vernon
who was in the West Indies and knew nothing about it. As it happened the bailiff pre-emptively closed the poll, thus provoking a riot and inviting a challenge. The fiasco, which culminated in a voiding of the election on a very close vote in the House of Commons, contributed notably to Walpole's loss of parliamentary control and the subsequent resignation by Wager as first lord in January 1742 when it became clear that Walpole was arranging to leave office.
, a handsome sinecure which served as a pension. He remained in parliament, having been elected for West Looe. He was reportedly living at Stanley House, Chelsea, when he died, peacefully, on 24 May 1743.
His chief heir was Charles Bolton, son of his sister, Prudence. His widow, Martha, was executor. They had no children, but numerous relatives, many stemming from his half-sisters, all of whom he is said to have helped financially or by appropriate patronage recommendations. Yet Wager was also known for spreading his generosity very widely, to individuals in need as well as philanthropic organizations, for example he was patron of the “Cockney Feast” held in the east end of London. An inscription on the ninth bell at the church of St Dunstan's, Stepney
reads “To the honour of Sir. Chas. Wager Knt., First Lord of the Admiralty 1729, Patron of the Stepney or Cockney's Feast, instituted at Ratcliffin the year 1674, and discontinued 1784. John Matthews, Esq., Treasurer, T. Mears & Sons fecit. 1806.”
When Wager died Horace Walpole
, first observed that he had “left the fairest character”, a judgement supported by all of the surviving evidence. A remembrance recorded many years later by Arthur Onslow
, the respected speaker of the Commons, remains highly instructive:” He was of the most gentle and humane disposition I ever knew, and spent almost the whole he got in generous acts of charity and compassion. I had a long and intimate acquaintance with him, and have seen where his temper has been tried by much provocation, but I never saw him discomposed. He had a very good understanding, great plainness of manners, and a steadiness of courage that no danger could daunt, with the same calmness in it that he shewed in the most ordinary acts of his life. He was indeed a person of most extraordinary worth, and the world bore him a respect that was due to it. His father was a captain of a man of war before the restoration, and very likely after that: but dying when this son was young, and the mother marrying a Quaker, he was bred up among that people; by which he acquired the simplicity of his manners, and had much of their fashion in his speech as well as carriage. And all this, with his particular roughness of countenance, made the softness of his nature still more pleasing, because unexpected at first.”
Francis Gashry, long his right-hand man of business, in 1747, erected the monument by the artist Peter Scheemakers
in Westminster Abbey, and he was buried in the north cross of the abbey on 30 May.The bas-relief shows his famous naval engagement, with the inscription "The destroying & taking the SPANISH GALLEONS A.D. 1708".
Lady Wager died on 7 April 1748 and was buried next to him.
Archives
Despite heroic active service and steadfast administration and diplomatic service, Wager's reputation has suffered from a profoundly mistaken idea that the navy was then at a low ebb. In reality its numerical preponderance over other navies was greater than at any other time in the century, and its dockyard facilities, overseas bases (Wager was much involved in the development of new bases in the Caribbean), victualling organization, and central co-ordination were by far the most elaborate and advanced. Although British warship design was inferior to French in some respects, the real problem was an insufficiency of the versatile and seaworthy 60-gun ships, a class that Wager's Admiralty had chosen to augment during the 1730s but, as wartime experience would show, not aggressively enough.
Early life
Born in Rochester, Kent, after the death of his father Captain Charles Wager (b. 1630), on 24 February 1666. His father had started life in the merchant service and then gained advancement in the navy of the Commonwealth. His mother was Prudence (b. 1640/41), daughter of Vice-Admiral William Goodson, who became a renowned officer in the navy of the time. Wager remarked in 1731, "On both sides I am related to the navy". His paternal grandfather was John Wager (d. 1656) of St Margaret's, Rochester, who became a mariner after migrating from Charlton KingsCharlton Kings
Charlton Kings is a suburb of Cheltenham in Gloucestershire, England. The area constitutes a civil parish. Prior to the Local Government Act 1972 coming into force on April 1, 1974, it had been an urban district...
, Cheltenham.
His father commanded the Yarmouth
HMS Yarmouth (1653)
Yarmouth was a 44-gun fourth-rate frigate of the English Royal Navy, originally built for the navy of the Commonwealth of England at Great Yarmouth under the 1652 Programme, and launched in 1653...
in the fleet that brought Charles II
Charles II of England
Charles II was monarch of the three kingdoms of England, Scotland, and Ireland.Charles II's father, King Charles I, was executed at Whitehall on 30 January 1649, at the climax of the English Civil War...
to England and quickly proved to be a capable, trustworthy, well-liked officer of the Royal Navy. He dined at the home of Samuel Pepys
Samuel Pepys
Samuel Pepys FRS, MP, JP, was an English naval administrator and Member of Parliament who is now most famous for the diary he kept for a decade while still a relatively young man...
who remarked in his diary "A brave, stout fellow this Captain is, and I think very honest.". Two years after the elder Wager's death, Samuel Pepys heard a friend who had been at Tangier contrast his conduct with that of others who had served in the Strait of Gibraltar
Strait of Gibraltar
The Strait of Gibraltar is a narrow strait that connects the Atlantic Ocean to the Mediterranean Sea and separates Spain in Europe from Morocco in Africa. The name comes from Gibraltar, which in turn originates from the Arabic Jebel Tariq , albeit the Arab name for the Strait is Bab el-Zakat or...
, remarking, as Pepys noted, "that above all Englishmen that ever was there, there never was any man that behaved himself like poor Charles Wager, whom the very Moores do mention with teares sometimes". Prudence re-married after his father’s death to Alexander Parker
Alexander Parker (Quaker)
Alexander Parker was a Quaker preacher and author.He was born on 21 June 1628 at Chipping, Lancashire, England the son of Robert Parker...
, a Quaker and London merchant. There was already an older sister, Prudence, and the marriage produced six more children. The young Charles found himself lacking the advantages of patronage and parentage, necessary for advancement in 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...
of that time, due to his maternal grandfather's dismissal from the navy following the restoration and his father’s untimely death.
Wager was apprenticed to a Quaker merchant captain of New England
New England
New England is a region in the northeastern corner of the United States consisting of the six states of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut...
named John Hull of Barnstable, Massachusetts
Barnstable, Massachusetts
Barnstable is a city, referred to as the Town of Barnstable, in the U.S. state of Massachusetts and the county seat of Barnstable County. Barnstable is the largest community, both in land area and population, on Cape Cod. The town contains seven villages within its boundaries...
who operated a transatlantic shipping service. Wager's mother was a witness when John Hull
John Hull (merchant)
John Hull was the leading merchant and mintmaster of the Massachusetts Bay Colony. He married Judith Quincy , daughter of Judith Pares John Hull (18 December 1624 – 1 October 1683) was the leading merchant and mintmaster of the Massachusetts Bay Colony. He married Judith Quincy (1626–1695),...
married Alice Teddeman in the London Quaker Meeting in 1684. When Dr Teddeman Hull, their oldest son, visited London in 1742 he had a letter of introduction from Governor Richard Ward of Rhode Island which stated that he was "the son of Captain John Hull, late of this colony, under whom Sir Charles Wager was educated". It was while working with the Quaker John Hull that Wager displayed the strength of character that ultimately brought him to the attention of the Navy. During one of many transatlantic voyages the vessel which Hull was commanding with Wager as understudy was waylaid by a French privateer and told to "strike
Striking the colors
Striking the colors is the universally recognized indication of surrender, particularly for ships at sea. Surrender is dated from the time the ensign is struck.-In international law:# "Colors. A national flag . The colors . ....
". Hull could not fight due to his religious convictions but equally was loath to surrender his valuable vessel and cargo and so he turned to his right hand man. The young Wager did not share his patron's religion and had no such compunctions, and so it was Wager, "who accepted the encounter, and falling to work with the Frenchman, soon obliged him to sheer off."
Early naval career (1689–1709)
The earliest record of Wager's naval service is his listing as lieutenant of the frigate ForesightHMS Foresight (1650)
Foresight was a 40-gun fourth-rate frigate of the English Royal Navy, originally built for the navy of the Commonwealth of England at Deptford, and launched in 1650. By 1677 her armament had been increased to 48 guns.Foresight was wrecked in 1698....
on 1 August 1689. By 1691 he had become first lieutenant of the Dreadnought
HMS Dreadnought (1691)
HMS Dreadnought was a 64-gun third rate ship of the line of the Royal Navy, launched at Blackwall Yard in 1691. She was reduced to a fourth rate in 1697....
(64 guns). On 8 December that year he married Martha Earning (b. 1664×6, d. 1748), daughter of Anthony Earning, a Commonwealth navy captain who went into the East India Company
East India Company
The East India Company was an early English joint-stock company that was formed initially for pursuing trade with the East Indies, but that ended up trading mainly with the Indian subcontinent and China...
's service after 1660 and died while captain of the George in the Indian Ocean. Wager was in the Britannia
HMS Britannia (1682)
HMS Britannia was a 100-gun first rate ship of the line of the Royal Navy, built by Phineas Pett II at Chatham Dockyard, and launched in 1682....
, Admiral Edward Russell
Edward Russell, 1st Earl of Orford
Admiral of the Fleet Edward Russell, 1st Earl of Orford, PC was the First Lord of the Admiralty under King William III.-Naval career:...
's flagship, in 1692, took part in the battle of Barfleur
Battle of Barfleur
This article deals in detail with the action on 19 May 1692. For an overview of the battle, its background and aftermath, see Battles of Barfleur and La Hogue...
, and was made post captain on 7 June.
The year 1693 saw Wager in command of the Samuel and Henry (44 guns), in which he convoyed the New England trade. He was captain of the Newcastle
HMS Newcastle (1653)
Newcastle was a 44-gun fourth-rate frigate of the English Royal Navy, originally built for the navy of the Commonwealth of England by Phineas Pett II at Ratcliffe, and launched in May 1653. By 1677 her armament had been increased to 54 guns....
(48 guns) in 1694, and in 1695, after a month in the Mary, he was re-assigned to the Woolwich
HMS Woolwich (1675)
HMS Woolwich was a 54-gun fourth rate ship of the line of the Royal Navy, built by Phineas Pett III at Woolwich Dockyard and launched in 1675. She underwent a rebuild in 1702....
(54 guns). In early March 1696 the Woolwich
HMS Woolwich (1675)
HMS Woolwich was a 54-gun fourth rate ship of the line of the Royal Navy, built by Phineas Pett III at Woolwich Dockyard and launched in 1675. She underwent a rebuild in 1702....
was watching Dunkirk against a rumoured invasion. A month later Wager moved to the Greenwich
HMS Greenwich (1666)
HMS Greenwich was a 54-gun fourth-rate ship of the line of the Royal Navy, built by Christopher Pett at Woolwich Dockyard and launched in 1666....
(50 guns) and commanded a small squadron for convoying the tobacco trade home from the Chesapeake
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...
. He stayed in the Greenwich
HMS Greenwich (1666)
HMS Greenwich was a 54-gun fourth-rate ship of the line of the Royal Navy, built by Christopher Pett at Woolwich Dockyard and launched in 1666....
until she was paid off in late 1699. He lived at Watergate cottages, Kilminorth near West Looe on half pay whilst his ship was under repair in 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...
. He immediately became a freeman of that borough. As he informed the Admiralty in June 1700, his residence was only "about ten miles from his Majesty's Yard at Plymouth" and he could "be at London in four or five days, if required". Eight months later, in February 1701, he was appointed to the Medway
HMS Medway (1693)
HMS Medway was a 60-gun fourth rate ship of the line of the Royal Navy, launched at Sheerness Dockyard on 20 September 1693.Medway, together with Chatam and Triton, captured Auguste on 19 August 1705....
(64 guns). In the mobilization of January 1702 for the War of the Spanish Succession
War of the Spanish Succession
The War of the Spanish Succession was fought among several European powers, including a divided Spain, over the possible unification of the Kingdoms of Spain and France under one Bourbon monarch. As France and Spain were among the most powerful states of Europe, such a unification would have...
he was assigned to the Hampton Court
HMS Hampton Court (1678)
HMS Hampton Court was a 70-gun third rate ship of the line of the Royal Navy, launched at Deptford Dockyard in 1678.She underwent a rebuild in 1701 at Blackwall Yard, remaining a 70-gun third rate...
(70 guns) and remained her captain for the next five years. He commanded a squadron of four of the line and two frigates that cruised between Cape Barfleur
Barfleur
Barfleur is a commune in the Manche department in the Basse-Normandie region in north-western France.-Middle Ages:In the Middle Ages Barfleur was one of the chief ports of embarkation for England....
and the Isle of Batz
Île de Batz
The Île de Batz is an island off Roscoff in Brittany, France. Administratively, it is a commune in the Finistère department of Brittany in north-western France.-Population:...
in early 1703. Later that year he went to the Mediterranean and in October he came under the command of Admiral George Byng (later Lord Torrington). Captains Wager and John Baker were the men Byng sent ashore to carry out negotiations and witness the signing of the England's re-negotiated treaty with the Dey of Algiers. Going again to the Mediterranean in 1704, Wager was with the fleet under Sir George Rooke that captured Gibraltar
Capture of Gibraltar
The Capture of Gibraltar by the Anglo-Dutch forces of the Grand Alliance occurred between 1–3 August 1704 during the War of the Spanish Succession. Since the beginning of the war the Allies had been looking for a harbour in the Iberian Peninsula to control the Strait of Gibraltar and facilitate...
. The Hampton Court
HMS Hampton Court (1678)
HMS Hampton Court was a 70-gun third rate ship of the line of the Royal Navy, launched at Deptford Dockyard in 1678.She underwent a rebuild in 1701 at Blackwall Yard, remaining a 70-gun third rate...
was on detached service and missed the battle off Malaga, but she was present at the capture of Barcelona
Siege of Barcelona (1705)
The Siege of Barcelona took place between 14 September and 19 October 1705 during the War of the Spanish Succession when an Allied army supporting the Austrian pretender to the Spanish throne led by Lord Peterborough captured the city of Barcelona from its Franco-Spanish Bourbonic defenders.An...
in 1705. After wintering with Sir John Leake's squadron at Lisbon, Wager took part in the relief of Barcelona
Siege of Barcelona (1706)
The Siege of Barcelona took place between 3 and 27 April 1706 during the War of the Spanish Succession when a Franco- Spanish army led by Phillip V laid siege to Barcelona in an attempt to recapture it following its fall to an English-led Allied army the previous year.The siege was abandoned,...
and the winning over of Ibiza and Majorca before returning home with Leake in late 1706.
As a senior captain, who had commanded detached squadrons, Wager was a logical choice for the West Indies command. Appointed in January 1707, he left 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 the Expedition
HMS Expedition (1679)
HMS Expedition was a 70-gun third-rate ship of the line of the Royal Navy, launched at Portsmouth Dockyard in 1679.Expedition was rebuilt as a 70-gun third rate in 1699 at Chatham Dockyard. She was rebuilt for a second time as a 70-gun third rate to the 1706 Establishment at Portsmouth Dockyard,...
(70 guns) on 28 March and reached Jamaica
Jamaica
Jamaica is an island nation of the Greater Antilles, in length, up to in width and 10,990 square kilometres in area. It is situated in the Caribbean Sea, about south of Cuba, and west of Hispaniola, the island harbouring the nation-states Haiti and the Dominican Republic...
on 22 June. A French squadron under Admiral Ducasse
Jean du Casse
Jean Baptiste du Casse was a French Buccaneer and Admiral.In his youth, he was not allowed into the French Navy because his parents were Huguenots...
was known to be coming from Europe, and Wager's initial deployments were designed to gain intelligence of its arrival and protect trade. He learned in December that Ducasse had gone to Havana
Havana
Havana is the capital city, province, major port, and leading commercial centre of Cuba. The city proper has a population of 2.1 million inhabitants, and it spans a total of — making it the largest city in the Caribbean region, and the most populous...
, far to leeward; thus the French squadron (ten of the line) could neither surprise Jamaica nor shield the galleons of the Spanish treasure fleet
Spanish treasure fleet
The Spanish treasure fleets was a convoy system adopted by the Spanish Empire from 1566 to 1790...
at the isthmus, and if those galleons were to follow their usual practice of returning to Cartagene de Indias
Cartagena, Colombia
Cartagena de Indias , is a large Caribbean beach resort city on the northern coast of Colombia in the Caribbean Coast Region and capital of Bolívar Department...
before proceeding to Havana, Wager would have a chance to intercept them after they loaded Peruvian silver at Portobelo. The Expedition
HMS Expedition (1679)
HMS Expedition was a 70-gun third-rate ship of the line of the Royal Navy, launched at Portsmouth Dockyard in 1679.Expedition was rebuilt as a 70-gun third rate in 1699 at Chatham Dockyard. She was rebuilt for a second time as a 70-gun third rate to the 1706 Establishment at Portsmouth Dockyard,...
(70 guns), Kingston
HMS Kingston (1697)
HMS Kingston was a 60-gun fourth rate ship of the line of the Royal Navy, built by Frame in Hull and launched on 13 March 1697. She had an eventful career, taking part in numerous engagements.-Career:...
(60 guns), and Portland
HMS Portland (1693)
HMS Portland was a 50-gun fourth rate ship of the line of the Royal Navy, launched at Woolwich Dockyard on 28 March 1693.She was rebuilt according to the 1719 Establishment at Portsmouth, and was relaunched on 25 February 1723....
(50 guns) plus a fireship left Port Royal in time to attain, on 23 May 1708, a position about 36 miles west of Cartegena. There followed the action which was later called Wager's Action, in which one treasure ship was destroyed and one was captured, while the others escaped into Cartagena harbour. The proceeds of his capture meant that he returned to England a rich man. He also came home a rear-admiral, the promotion having occurred by seniority on 19 November 1707. His wealth stemmed chiefly from the silver on the captured galleon, its value estimated at over £60,000 in addition to his flag share of other prizes taken in the West Indies. The action against the galleons made him a hero and he was knighted on 8 December 1709. At Portsmouth he was nominated for a by-election to parliament and was elected on 23 January 1710.
Admiral and diplomat
Despite a ToryTory
Toryism is a traditionalist and conservative political philosophy which grew out of the Cavalier faction in the Wars of the Three Kingdoms. It is a prominent ideology in the politics of the United Kingdom, but also features in parts of The Commonwealth, particularly in Canada...
landslide in the election of 1710 Wager was re-elected to the Portsmouth seat, but the Tory
Tory
Toryism is a traditionalist and conservative political philosophy which grew out of the Cavalier faction in the Wars of the Three Kingdoms. It is a prominent ideology in the politics of the United Kingdom, but also features in parts of The Commonwealth, particularly in Canada...
-dominated house overturned the result on petition. As a firm Whig he could no longer expect an important command so he prepared to spend the rest of his life ashore in contrast to the previous twenty years of almost continual sea service. Although there is no record of his residing again at Kilminorth he served as MP for West Looe
West Looe (UK Parliament constituency)
West Looe was a rotten borough represented in the House of Commons of England from 1535 to 1707, in the House of Commons of Great Britain from 1797 to 1800, and in the House of Commons of the United Kingdom from 1801 to 1832. It elected two Members of Parliament by the bloc vote system of election...
from 1713 to 1715.
Following the death of Queen Anne
Anne of Great Britain
Anne ascended the thrones of England, Scotland and Ireland on 8 March 1702. On 1 May 1707, under the Act of Union, two of her realms, England and Scotland, were united as a single sovereign state, the Kingdom of Great Britain.Anne's Catholic father, James II and VII, was deposed during the...
, Wager was still listed as a Rear Admiral and he was ordered to take charge of the ships 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 in later to go out to the Strait of Gibraltar
Strait of Gibraltar
The Strait of Gibraltar is a narrow strait that connects the Atlantic Ocean to the Mediterranean Sea and separates Spain in Europe from Morocco in Africa. The name comes from Gibraltar, which in turn originates from the Arabic Jebel Tariq , albeit the Arab name for the Strait is Bab el-Zakat or...
and assume command of the Mediterranean Fleet. However, he opted to become 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...
and three years later, in March 1718, he moved to the Board of Admiralty, where he remained for 24 years, almost to the end of his life. In 1720 Wager leased Hollybush, a stately brick house, situated at the south-east corner of Parson's Green
Parsons Green
Parsons Green is an area in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham.The mainly residential area is named after the village green now called Parsons Green Park where the vicar of Fulham used to live...
, Fulham. He remained on the list of admirals and advanced by seniority. In 1722 he was appointed to take a squadron to Lisbon but the mission was cancelled. His flag was eventually hoisted again in 1726 to take command of a large battle fleet sent to the Baltic to protect Sweden and Denmark from the threat of a recently mobilized Russian fleet. Stopping first at Copenhagen
Copenhagen
Copenhagen is the capital and largest city of Denmark, with an urban population of 1,199,224 and a metropolitan population of 1,930,260 . With the completion of the transnational Øresund Bridge in 2000, Copenhagen has become the centre of the increasingly integrating Øresund Region...
, he met with the court and completed arrangements for co-operation with the Danish navy. His report of 30 April 1726 evoked a glowing response from the secretary of state, Viscount Townshend:
"his Majesty has commanded me to let you know from Him, that he was before persuaded you was a very good Admiral, but he now sees that you are likewise an able Minister. All the answers you gave to the questions proposed to you at the Conference with the Danish Council were extremely right."
After calling on the Swedish court, Wager took his twenty ships of the line to Reval. He had orders to engage and destroy the Russian fleet if it came out. A frustrated and angry tsarina felt compelled to demobilize it instead. To reassure Sweden the British fleet stayed at Reval all summer, losing many men to sickness, and did not enter the Thames until 1 November 1726. He was at sea again soon afterwards when he arrived off Gibraltar
Gibraltar
Gibraltar is a British overseas territory located on the southern end of the Iberian Peninsula at the entrance of the Mediterranean. A peninsula with an area of , it has a northern border with Andalusia, Spain. The Rock of Gibraltar is the major landmark of the region...
2 February 1727 with six ships of the line, two cruisers, two bomb-vessels, and additional troops for the garrison. The fleet helped cover the land approaches, Wager ordered two frigates and a bomb-vessel to "the back of the Hill",thus ensuring re-supply for the garrison. Although Britain and Spain were undoubtedly at war the actions were usually cautious and desultory except in early May when there was a furious artillery exchange. It was chiefly a naval war, with prizes taken. The main burden was borne by Francis Hosier
Francis Hosier
Francis Hosier was a British Vice-Admiral. He was lieutenant in Rooke's flagship at the Battle of Barfleur in 1693. He captured the Heureux off Cape Clear in 1710 and distinguished himself in action with the Spanish off Cartagena in 1711...
's fleet in the Caribbean. The Spanish king agreed to a cessation of arms in mid-June, but gave no indication of actually yielding. Finally, in early March 1728, Spain agreed to a convention and Wager's fleet could be ordered home; he arrived on 9 April after sixteen months abroad.
Wager resumed his regular attendance at the Admiralty board, but again in May 1729 he was ordered to take command of thirty-three ships, which were soon joined by fourteen Dutch. This huge squadron never left Spithead and was popularly ridiculed as the "stay-at-home fleet". It was assembled because the court of Spain was acting as if the convention meant nothing the fleet remained in readiness until it was learned that Spain would sign a firm treaty.
The provisions of this treaty
Treaty of Seville (1729)
The Treaty of Seville was signed on 9 November 1729 between Great Britain, France, and Spain, concluding the Anglo-Spanish War .Preliminary discussions had already taken place between Britain and Spain at the Convention of Pardo and the Congress of Soissons...
confirmed the Spanish queen's title to certain parts of Italy, a right to install Spanish garrisons was also obtained. It seemed advisable to have a strong British fleet alongside the Spanish when the troops were to be landed at Leghorn. Thus Wager's flag was hoisted on the Namur
HMS Namur (1697)
HMS Namur was a 90-gun second rate ship of the line of the Royal Navy, launched at Woolwich Dockyard in 1697.On 11 June 1723 she was ordered to be taken to pieces and rebuilt at Deptford, according to the 1719 Establishment. She was relaunched on 13 September 1729. In 1745, she was razeed to 74...
(90 guns) and the British fleet entered Cadiz
Cádiz
Cadiz is a city and port in southwestern Spain. It is the capital of the homonymous province, one of eight which make up the autonomous community of Andalusia....
Bay on 1 August 1731, and, after much grand entertainment, moved into the Mediterranean. The mission at Leghorn was incident free but much delayed, so that Wager did not return to England until 10 December 1731. Upon arrival he reported his sense of "pleasure to have a success where doubtful". This was to prove his last sea service.
Between April 1726 and December 1731 Wager had spent as many months flying his flag as he spent ashore. The missions he was asked to execute all involved diplomatic discretion as well as strategic acumen. This Leghorn mission was a good example of the duality of role that Wager was capable of.
In 1732, in a letter to a Gloucestershire acquaintance from the Admiralty office, he remarked that for many years he had been inclined to retire. "But", he continued, "I have been sent on several expeditions (not by my own choice), wherein I have succeeded so well, as to have the King's approbation, and very like may be put, in case of a Vacancy, at the head of this Board."
Evidently he believed that his elevation, if it occurred, would stem from his dual role as a fleet commander and diplomat, not his long experience in naval administration.
First Lord of the Admiralty
When Lord Torrington died in January 1733, Under-Secretary Delafaye reported to a colleague: “Every body looks upon Sir Charles Wager as the person who will now be at the head of the affairs of the navy; as indeed I may say he has been for some time”. It seems that Wager's administrative knowledge and talent did matter. The official appointment as first lord was dated 21 June 1733. He was also nominated and elected MP for Westminster in 1734.Besides administrative capacity, Wager brought some important assets to the office. His character as a trusted senior admiral tended to subdue the incipient factions of the officer corps. An example of his candid professionalism was the strong plea he made to leading ministers in December 1738 that Edward Vernon
Edward Vernon
Edward Vernon was an English naval officer. Vernon was born in Westminster, England and went to Westminster School. He joined the Navy in 1700 and was promoted to Lieutenant in 1702 and served on several different ships for the next five years...
should be given the West Indies command this in spite of Vernon’s unrelenting opposition to him in parliament. He describe himself as a “Parliament man” to Sir Robert Walpole and in Wager Walpole proved to have a personal friend and a staunchly loyal spokesman in the House of Commons who was well liked, well informed, and widely trusted. It seems that when anyone in government needed an opinion on maritime geography, seaborne commerce or colonial circumstance Wager was asked. Many of his responses, most of them written in his own hand, have survived (Vernon–Wager MSS).
The Manning problem
One of the great unsolved problems of Wager's term in office was the manning of the fleet. In May 1731 Wager had remarked: “we have no difficulty but in getting men; ... our Country being such a free Country, that every man does what he pleases: by reason of which, this Nation will be lossd [sic] one time or other, if it won't admit of a remedy.”Upon the outbreak of the so called “War of Jenkin’s ear
War of Jenkins' Ear
The War of Jenkins' Ear was a conflict between Great Britain and Spain that lasted from 1739 to 1748, with major operations largely ended by 1742. Its unusual name, coined by Thomas Carlyle in 1858, relates to Robert Jenkins, captain of a British merchant ship, who exhibited his severed ear in...
” in 1739 the problem rapidly grew severe, and Wager, strongly encouraged by Admiral Sir John Norris, pressed for legislative measures; the government introduced bills to facilitate naval manning and Walpole supported them, but parliament would not pass anything meaningful.
The strategy for defeating Spain, insisted the Duke of Newcastle, called for capturing a major objective in the West Indies. This meant that large fleet and army had to be sent to a region where tropical diseases were rife. Wager was not confident, he well knew the price of delay in that climate, his favourite strategy was to threaten the Peruvian coast from the “South Sea”. Hence the famous voyage
George Anson's voyage around the world
While Great Britain was at war with Spain in 1740, Commodore George Anson led a squadron of eight ships on a mission to disrupt or capture Spain's Pacific possessions...
of Commodore 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...
, who sailed from England in 1740, was a result of Wager's advocacy. Even before the expedition to the west Indies left England the typhus epidemic of 1740, the worst of the century, ravaged newly recruited seamen and spread through the fleet, seriously aggravating the manning problem and delaying departure. Predictably the assault on Cartagena failed mainly because the forces succumbed to further tropical disease.
The profound disappointment of a public that had never doubted success was played upon by the fervid opposition to Walpole, and eventually Wager's reputation was injured although this was to occur long after his death.
Reputation
It has been claimed that the navy was ill prepared for war prior to 1739 and that the lack of preparation was mainly due to Wager’s incompetence because of his age. Typical of these criticisms is repeated in the 1959 History of the British Navy “The leading figures in 1739 , at the top because they were old , were Sir Richard(sic) Wager and Sir John Norris” and continuing to refer to Wager “He was seventy four-a great age for those heavy-drinking, smallpox ridden days-and he had not worn particularly well.” These Claims, which seem to have emerged long after his death, can neither be proved nor disproved, but may be doubted. A captain who attended the great debate of 13 February 1741 on whether to petition the king to remove Walpole from office observed: ‘Sir Charles Wager is as Hearty as I ever knew Him, spoke in the motion ... at four in the morning, tho He had been there from seven the morning before’. On that occasion Wager issued a challenge, saying that if there were any mismanagements ‘in the Office of Admiralty, He and the rest of the Board ought to answer it at their own peril, and not Sir Robert’He was fit enough to command the king's channel crossings in 1740 and 1741. (Wager's decision to turn back to Holland on a stormy night in December 1736 had probably saved the whole entourage.) not too shabby for a supposed smallpox ridden drunk who had not worn very well. Rumours that he was inattentive may be offset by his record of steady attendance at the board, cabinet meetings, in parliament, and by much else.
As so often happens in history an abundance of skill is turned, by fate, into the final instrument of downfall. The king insisted on having Wager see him across the water in May 1741 this was unfortunate politically because the voyage coincided with the Westminster election. Wager was still popular and his presence during the polling might have prevented the surprise nomination of Edward Vernon
Edward Vernon
Edward Vernon was an English naval officer. Vernon was born in Westminster, England and went to Westminster School. He joined the Navy in 1700 and was promoted to Lieutenant in 1702 and served on several different ships for the next five years...
who was in the West Indies and knew nothing about it. As it happened the bailiff pre-emptively closed the poll, thus provoking a riot and inviting a challenge. The fiasco, which culminated in a voiding of the election on a very close vote in the House of Commons, contributed notably to Walpole's loss of parliamentary control and the subsequent resignation by Wager as first lord in January 1742 when it became clear that Walpole was arranging to leave office.
Final years
In December 1742 Wager was appointed Treasurer of the NavyTreasurer of the Navy
The Treasurer of the Navy was an office in the British government between the mid-16th and early 19th century. The office-holder was responsible for the financial maintenance of the Royal Navy. The office was a political appointment, and frequently was held by up-and-coming young politicians who...
, a handsome sinecure which served as a pension. He remained in parliament, having been elected for West Looe. He was reportedly living at Stanley House, Chelsea, when he died, peacefully, on 24 May 1743.
His chief heir was Charles Bolton, son of his sister, Prudence. His widow, Martha, was executor. They had no children, but numerous relatives, many stemming from his half-sisters, all of whom he is said to have helped financially or by appropriate patronage recommendations. Yet Wager was also known for spreading his generosity very widely, to individuals in need as well as philanthropic organizations, for example he was patron of the “Cockney Feast” held in the east end of London. An inscription on the ninth bell at the church of St Dunstan's, Stepney
St Dunstan's, Stepney
St Dunstan's, Stepney is an Anglican Church which stands on a site which has been used for Christian worship for over a thousand years. It is located in Stepney High Street, in Stepney, London Borough of Tower Hamlets.-History:...
reads “To the honour of Sir. Chas. Wager Knt., First Lord of the Admiralty 1729, Patron of the Stepney or Cockney's Feast, instituted at Ratcliffin the year 1674, and discontinued 1784. John Matthews, Esq., Treasurer, T. Mears & Sons fecit. 1806.”
When Wager died Horace Walpole
Horace Walpole, 4th Earl of Orford
Horatio Walpole, 4th Earl of Orford was an English art historian, man of letters, antiquarian and Whig politician. He is now largely remembered for Strawberry Hill, the home he built in Twickenham, south-west London where he revived the Gothic style some decades before his Victorian successors,...
, first observed that he had “left the fairest character”, a judgement supported by all of the surviving evidence. A remembrance recorded many years later by Arthur Onslow
Arthur Onslow
Arthur Onslow was an English politician. He set a record for length of service when repeatedly elected to serve as Speaker of the House of Commons, where he was known for his integrity.-Early life and education:...
, the respected speaker of the Commons, remains highly instructive:” He was of the most gentle and humane disposition I ever knew, and spent almost the whole he got in generous acts of charity and compassion. I had a long and intimate acquaintance with him, and have seen where his temper has been tried by much provocation, but I never saw him discomposed. He had a very good understanding, great plainness of manners, and a steadiness of courage that no danger could daunt, with the same calmness in it that he shewed in the most ordinary acts of his life. He was indeed a person of most extraordinary worth, and the world bore him a respect that was due to it. His father was a captain of a man of war before the restoration, and very likely after that: but dying when this son was young, and the mother marrying a Quaker, he was bred up among that people; by which he acquired the simplicity of his manners, and had much of their fashion in his speech as well as carriage. And all this, with his particular roughness of countenance, made the softness of his nature still more pleasing, because unexpected at first.”
Francis Gashry, long his right-hand man of business, in 1747, erected the monument by the artist Peter Scheemakers
Peter Scheemakers
Peter Scheemakers was a Flemish Roman Catholic sculptor who worked for most of his life in London, Great Britain....
in Westminster Abbey, and he was buried in the north cross of the abbey on 30 May.The bas-relief shows his famous naval engagement, with the inscription "The destroying & taking the SPANISH GALLEONS A.D. 1708".
Lady Wager died on 7 April 1748 and was buried next to him.
Sources
- D. A. Baugh, ‘Sir Charles Wager’, Precursors of Nelson:
- British admirals of the eighteenth century, ed. P. Le Fevre and R. Harding (2000), 101–26
- T. Lediard,The naval history of England, 2 vols. (1735)
- TNA: PRO, SP 42/81–83
- E. Cruickshanks, ‘Wager, Charles’, HoP, Commons, 1715–54
- L. Cong., manuscript division, Vernon–Wager MSS, Peter Force collection
- J. L. Chester, ed., The marriage, baptismal and burial registers of the collegiate church or abbey of St Peter, Westminster, Harleian Society, reg. ser. 10 (1876)
- J. O. Austin, The genealogical dictionary of Rhode Island: comprising three generations of settlers who came before 1690 (1887)
- Bishop Burnet's History
- Manuscripts of the earl of Egmont: diary of Viscount Percival, afterwards first earl of Egmont, 3 vols., HMC, 63 (1920–23)
- W. Coxe, Memoirs of the life and administration of Sir Robert Walpole, earl of Orford, 3 vols. (1798)
- M. Lewis,The History of the British Navy, 1959,Geo Allen &Unwin
- The Diary Of Samuel Pepys,
- Gloucestershire notes and queries
- Quaker Anecdotes
- CUL, Cholmondeley (Houghton) MSS, 1784, 1786, 1807, 1881
- J. F. Chance, The alliance of Hanover (1923)
- G. S. Kimball, ed., The correspondence of the colonial governors of Rhode Island, 1723–1775, 2 vols. (1902–3)
- [E. Vernon], Some letters to an honest sailor (1746)
- B. Capp, Cromwell's navy: the fleet and the English revolution, 1648–1660 (1989)
- J. D. Davies, Gentlemen and tarpaulins: the officers and men of the Restoration navy (1991)
Archives
- BL, corresp. and papers, Add. MSS 19028–19031
- BL, official corresp., King's MSS 57–59
- L. Cong., corresp. and papers | BL, corresp. with duke of Newcastle, Add. MSS 32688–32992
- CUL, Cholmondeley (Houghton) MSS, letters to Walpole
- CUL, letters to Sir Robert Walpole
- L. Cong., Vernon–Wager MSS, Peter Force collection
- NMM, corresp. with Edward Vernon
- NRA, priv. coll., letters to first Earl Waldegrave