David Ewen Bartholomew
Encyclopedia
Captain David Ewen Bartholomew, CB (c. 1767/1768 – 19 February 1821) was an officer of the British Royal Navy
and Merchant Navy
, who rose from a poor background to become a post captain and prominent surveyor and cartographer, who was the first British man to map numerous sections of the South American, Arabian and African coastlines. During his career, Bartholomew was twice seized by press gang
s and forced to serve as a sailor in the Navy, the second occasion at the orders of Lord St Vincent
following an argument. This incident provoked outrage at St Vincent's abuse of his authority and resulted in Bartholomew's promotion and employment as a surveyor. He was so successful that in 1818 he was given command of the frigate
HMS Leven
on which he was ordered to survey the African coast. Many of his fellow officers later became prominent geographers of the early nineteenth century, although Bartholomew died while still on the service, after falling ill with tuberculosis
.
, Bartholomew joined the Merchant Navy
at a young age and became a highly experienced sailor, travelling to the Baltic Sea
and the West Indies, working on hired merchant ships during campaigns against French islands there at the outbreak of the French Revolutionary Wars
. He later served on Greenland
whalers
, but in 1795 was seized by a press gang
at Wapping
and forcibly recruited into the Royal Navy. Due a superior education (although where he obtained this education is unknown), Bartholomew was rapidly promoted to midshipman
, serving in numerous theatres and becoming a favourite of Admiral Sir Home Riggs Popham
. Bartholomew was present at the surrender of the Dutch fleet in 1799, on HMS Romney
in the East Indies and in 1802 was in charge of the ships chronometers during a voyage to the Red Sea
. The Peace of Amiens in the same year saw a reduction in the Navy and Bartholomew was placed in reserve.
, and often visited the Admiralty
in the hope of securing an appointment aboard a ship. Infuriated at Batholomew's insistence, St Vincent, a bitter personal and professional rival of Popham ordered Bartholomew seized and press ganged for a second time. Placed aboard HMS Inflexible
, Bartholomew was rapidly reinstated to his rank and a storm of protest was directed at St Vincent, who had overstepped his authority and the custom of the day by ordering the impressment of a commissioned officer after a personal disagreement. When St Vincent was forced from office in April 1804, Bartholomew was fully reinstated to his rank and seniority and rejoined Popham on HMS Antelope during operations against Boulogne-sur-Mer
. The same year his case was heard in Parliament, where St Vincent's actions were roundly condemned as being detrimental to the practices and morale of the Navy.
In 1805, probably due to his notoriety in the aftermath of the impressment scandal, Batholomew was promoted to lieutenant and served aboard HMS Diadem
during the capture of the Cape of Good Hope
in 1806. Later in the year, during Popham's disastrous expedition against Buenos Aires
, Bartholomew was detached to conduct the first British surveys of the River Plate
. In 1808, transferred to the sloop Sapphire, Bartholomew accompanied HMS Nereide under Captain Robert Corbet
on a mission to transport a new ambassador to Persia. During the operation, Corbet abandoned Sapphire and another sloop Sylph in the Persian Gulf
. Batholomew's ship cruised the Persian coastline making an extensive survey, against the first by a British explorer in the region. The area was a dangerous pirate haven however and Sylph was captured and her crew massacred before Corbet returned. An expeditionary force was later despatched
to the region but found itself in unfamiliar waters due to a lack of reliable charts. Bartholomew's maps of the region were published in 1810 as a direct consequence.
In July 1809, Bartholomew was given command of a transport during the Walcheren campaign
and in 1810 commanded a gunboat off Cadiz
in support of allied forces in the Peninsula War. In May 1811 he took over the brig
HMS Richmond. On Richmond, Bartholomew attacked and defeated a French privateer
Intrépide in February 1812 and was subsequently promoted to commander. In 1814, Bartholomew was in command of the rocket ship HMS Erebus
off the United States
during the War of 1812
. In Erebus, Bartholomew was part of James Alexander Gordon
's successful campaign to attack Alexandria, Virginia
by sailing up the Potomac River
. He then operated off Georgia and participated in the attack on the St. Marys River
. For his services in America. Bartholomew was promoted to post captain and made a Companion of the Order of the Bath.
off the West coast of Africa
, charged with preparing detailed and accurate charts of the region. Leven' s officers were all young geographers, many of whom would later achieve prominence in the field, including Alexander Vidal
, William Mudge
, Alexander Becher and George Frazer. Bartholomew had successfully surveyed the Azores
, stretches of West Africa and was working on the Cape Verde Islands when he fell ill with tuberculosis
in 1821 and died at Porto Praya on Santiago
. The expedition to West Africa was taken over by William Fitzwilliam Owen
, but by its completion in 1825, over half the crew had died from tropical illnesses, including Bartholomew and his teenage son George, who died on Leven in 1819. He has been described as "One of the unsung heroes of the surveying service" and is also considered exceptional for his rise from an impressed sailor to post captain at a time when this was almost impossible to achieve.
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...
and Merchant Navy
Merchant Navy
The Merchant Navy is the maritime register of the United Kingdom, and describes the seagoing commercial interests of UK-registered ships and their crews. Merchant Navy vessels fly the Red Ensign and are regulated by the Maritime and Coastguard Agency...
, who rose from a poor background to become a post captain and prominent surveyor and cartographer, who was the first British man to map numerous sections of the South American, Arabian and African coastlines. During his career, Bartholomew was twice seized by press gang
Press gang
Press gang may refer to:*Impressment, the practice of 'pressing' men into military service*Press Gang, the British children's television series...
s and forced to serve as a sailor in the Navy, the second occasion at the orders of Lord St Vincent
John Jervis, 1st Earl of St Vincent
Admiral of the Fleet John Jervis, 1st Earl of St Vincent GCB, PC was an admiral in the Royal Navy and Member of Parliament in the United Kingdom...
following an argument. This incident provoked outrage at St Vincent's abuse of his authority and resulted in Bartholomew's promotion and employment as a surveyor. He was so successful that in 1818 he was given command of the frigate
Frigate
A frigate is any of several types of warship, the term having been used for ships of various sizes and roles over the last few centuries.In the 17th century, the term was used for any warship built for speed and maneuverability, the description often used being "frigate-built"...
HMS Leven
HMS Leven (1813)
HMS Leven, was a 20-gun sixth-rate post ship of the Cyrus class, of the Royal Navy. She was built in Ipswich, and launched on 23 December 1813. She was notable as the survey ship that mapped large stretches of the coast of Africa in a voyage from 1821 to 1826 under the command of Captain William...
on which he was ordered to survey the African coast. Many of his fellow officers later became prominent geographers of the early nineteenth century, although Bartholomew died while still on the service, after falling ill with tuberculosis
Tuberculosis
Tuberculosis, MTB, or TB is a common, and in many cases lethal, infectious disease caused by various strains of mycobacteria, usually Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Tuberculosis usually attacks the lungs but can also affect other parts of the body...
.
Early life
Born into a poor family in Linlithgowshire in ScotlandScotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
, Bartholomew joined the Merchant Navy
Merchant Navy
The Merchant Navy is the maritime register of the United Kingdom, and describes the seagoing commercial interests of UK-registered ships and their crews. Merchant Navy vessels fly the Red Ensign and are regulated by the Maritime and Coastguard Agency...
at a young age and became a highly experienced sailor, travelling to 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...
and the West Indies, working on hired merchant ships during campaigns against French islands there 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...
. He later served on Greenland
Greenland
Greenland is an autonomous country within the Kingdom of Denmark, located between the Arctic and Atlantic Oceans, east of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago. Though physiographically a part of the continent of North America, Greenland has been politically and culturally associated with Europe for...
whalers
Whalers
Whalers may refer to:* Danbury Whalers,US ice-hockey team in the Federal Hockey League* Eden Whalers, Australian Rules Football team* Hartford Whalers, former US ice-hockey team* New Bedford Whalers, name of three US soccer teams...
, but in 1795 was seized by a press gang
Press gang
Press gang may refer to:*Impressment, the practice of 'pressing' men into military service*Press Gang, the British children's television series...
at Wapping
Wapping
Wapping is a place in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets which forms part of the Docklands to the east of the City of London. It is situated between the north bank of the River Thames and the ancient thoroughfare simply called The Highway...
and forcibly recruited into the Royal Navy. Due a superior education (although where he obtained this education is unknown), Bartholomew was rapidly promoted to midshipman
Midshipman
A midshipman is an officer cadet, or a commissioned officer of the lowest rank, in the Royal Navy, United States Navy, and many Commonwealth navies. Commonwealth countries which use the rank include Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, India, Pakistan, Singapore, Sri Lanka and Kenya...
, serving in numerous theatres and becoming a favourite of Admiral Sir Home Riggs Popham
Home Riggs Popham
Admiral Sir Home Riggs Popham KCB was a British Royal Naval Commander who saw service during the French Revolutionary Wars and the Napoleonic Wars...
. Bartholomew was present at the surrender of the Dutch fleet in 1799, on 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....
in the East Indies and in 1802 was in charge of the ships chronometers during a voyage to the Red Sea
Red Sea
The Red Sea is a seawater inlet of the Indian Ocean, lying between Africa and Asia. The connection to the ocean is in the south through the Bab el Mandeb strait and the Gulf of Aden. In the north, there is the Sinai Peninsula, the Gulf of Aqaba, and the Gulf of Suez...
. The Peace of Amiens in the same year saw a reduction in the Navy and Bartholomew was placed in reserve.
Advancement
Frustrated at his lack of employment, Bartholomew wrote eight letters to the First Lord of the Admiralty Lord St VincentJohn Jervis, 1st Earl of St Vincent
Admiral of the Fleet John Jervis, 1st Earl of St Vincent GCB, PC was an admiral in the Royal Navy and Member of Parliament in the United Kingdom...
, and often visited the Admiralty
Admiralty
The Admiralty was formerly the authority in the Kingdom of England, and later in the United Kingdom, responsible for the command of the Royal Navy...
in the hope of securing an appointment aboard a ship. Infuriated at Batholomew's insistence, St Vincent, a bitter personal and professional rival of Popham ordered Bartholomew seized and press ganged for a second time. Placed aboard HMS Inflexible
HMS Inflexible (1780)
HMS Inflexible was a 64-gun third rate ship of the line of the Royal Navy, launched on 7 March 1780 at Harwich.In 1783, she fought in the Battle of Cuddalore, and in 1807 was present at the Battle of Copenhagen joining on 7 August off Helsingor .Inflexible became a storeship in 1793, and was...
, Bartholomew was rapidly reinstated to his rank and a storm of protest was directed at St Vincent, who had overstepped his authority and the custom of the day by ordering the impressment of a commissioned officer after a personal disagreement. When St Vincent was forced from office in April 1804, Bartholomew was fully reinstated to his rank and seniority and rejoined Popham on HMS Antelope during operations against Boulogne-sur-Mer
Boulogne-sur-Mer
-Road:* Metropolitan bus services are operated by the TCRB* Coach services to Calais and Dunkerque* A16 motorway-Rail:* The main railway station is Gare de Boulogne-Ville and located in the south of the city....
. The same year his case was heard in Parliament, where St Vincent's actions were roundly condemned as being detrimental to the practices and morale of the Navy.
In 1805, probably due to his notoriety in the aftermath of the impressment scandal, Batholomew was promoted to lieutenant and served aboard HMS Diadem
HMS Diadem (1782)
HMS Diadem was a 64-gun third rate ship of the line of the Royal Navy, launched on 19 December 1782 at Chatham. She participated in the Battle of Cape St Vincent in 1797.In 1798 she was converted to serve as a troopship...
during the capture of the Cape of Good Hope
Cape of Good Hope
The Cape of Good Hope is a rocky headland on the Atlantic coast of the Cape Peninsula, South Africa.There is a misconception that the Cape of Good Hope is the southern tip of Africa, because it was once believed to be the dividing point between the Atlantic and Indian Oceans. In fact, the...
in 1806. Later in the year, during Popham's disastrous expedition against Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires is the capital and largest city of Argentina, and the second-largest metropolitan area in South America, after São Paulo. It is located on the western shore of the estuary of the Río de la Plata, on the southeastern coast of the South American continent...
, Bartholomew was detached to conduct the first British surveys of the River Plate
Río de la Plata
The Río de la Plata —sometimes rendered River Plate in British English and the Commonwealth, and occasionally rendered [La] Plata River in other English-speaking countries—is the river and estuary formed by the confluence of the Uruguay River and the Paraná River on the border between Argentina and...
. In 1808, transferred to the sloop Sapphire, Bartholomew accompanied HMS Nereide under Captain Robert Corbet
Robert Corbet
Captain Robert Corbet RN , often spelled Corbett, was an officer of the British Royal Navy during the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars who was killed in action in highly controversial circumstances...
on a mission to transport a new ambassador to Persia. During the operation, Corbet abandoned Sapphire and another sloop Sylph in the Persian Gulf
Persian Gulf
The Persian Gulf, in Southwest Asia, is an extension of the Indian Ocean located between Iran and the Arabian Peninsula.The Persian Gulf was the focus of the 1980–1988 Iran-Iraq War, in which each side attacked the other's oil tankers...
. Batholomew's ship cruised the Persian coastline making an extensive survey, against the first by a British explorer in the region. The area was a dangerous pirate haven however and Sylph was captured and her crew massacred before Corbet returned. An expeditionary force was later despatched
Persian Gulf campaign of 1809
The Persian Gulf Campaign, in 1809, was an operation by a British Royal Navy to force Arab pirates to cease their raids on British ships in the Persian Gulf, particularly on the Persian and Arabian coasts of the Straits of Hormuz...
to the region but found itself in unfamiliar waters due to a lack of reliable charts. Bartholomew's maps of the region were published in 1810 as a direct consequence.
In July 1809, Bartholomew was given command of a transport during the Walcheren campaign
Walcheren Campaign
The Walcheren Campaign was an unsuccessful British expedition to the Netherlands in 1809 intended to open another front in the Austrian Empire's struggle with France during the War of the Fifth Coalition. Around 40,000 soldiers, 15,000 horses together with field artillery and two siege trains...
and in 1810 commanded a gunboat off 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....
in support of allied forces in the Peninsula War. In May 1811 he took over the brig
Brig
A brig is a sailing vessel with two square-rigged masts. During the Age of Sail, brigs were seen as fast and manoeuvrable and were used as both naval warships and merchant vessels. They were especially popular in the 18th and early 19th centuries...
HMS Richmond. On Richmond, Bartholomew attacked and defeated a French privateer
Privateer
A privateer is a private person or ship authorized by a government by letters of marque to attack foreign shipping during wartime. Privateering was a way of mobilizing armed ships and sailors without having to spend public money or commit naval officers...
Intrépide in February 1812 and was subsequently promoted to commander. In 1814, Bartholomew was in command of the rocket ship HMS Erebus
HMS Erebus (1807)
HMS Erebus was originally built as a Royal Navy fireship, but served as a sloop and was re-rated as such in March 1808. She served in the Baltic during the Gunboat and Anglo-Russian Wars, where in 1809 she was briefly converted to a fireship, and then served in the War of 1812. In 1814 she was...
off the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
during the War of 1812
War of 1812
The War of 1812 was a military conflict fought between the forces of the United States of America and those of the British Empire. The Americans declared war in 1812 for several reasons, including trade restrictions because of Britain's ongoing war with France, impressment of American merchant...
. In Erebus, Bartholomew was part of James Alexander Gordon
James Alexander Gordon
Admiral of the Fleet Sir James Alexander Gordon, KCB, RN was a distinguished British officer in the Royal Navy. His 75 years in the service, from Midshipman to Admiral of the Fleet was unprecedented in its duration. He served in the Napoleonic Wars and the War of 1812...
's successful campaign to attack Alexandria, Virginia
Alexandria, Virginia
Alexandria is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia. As of 2009, the city had a total population of 139,966. Located along the Western bank of the Potomac River, Alexandria is approximately six miles south of downtown Washington, D.C.Like the rest of northern Virginia, as well as...
by sailing up the Potomac River
Potomac River
The Potomac River flows into the Chesapeake Bay, located along the mid-Atlantic coast of the United States. The river is approximately long, with a drainage area of about 14,700 square miles...
. He then operated off Georgia and participated in the attack on the St. Marys River
St. Marys River (Florida/Georgia)
The St. Marys River is a river in the southeastern United States. It is named after the Irish Saint Mary. From near its source in the Okefenokee Swamp, to its mouth at the Atlantic Ocean, it forms a portion of the border between the U.S. states of Georgia and Florida...
. For his services in America. Bartholomew was promoted to post captain and made a Companion of the Order of the Bath.
Geographical services
At the end of the Napoleonic Wars, Bartholomew's abilities as a surveyor and cartographer were required and he was given command of the small frigate HMS LevenHMS Leven (1813)
HMS Leven, was a 20-gun sixth-rate post ship of the Cyrus class, of the Royal Navy. She was built in Ipswich, and launched on 23 December 1813. She was notable as the survey ship that mapped large stretches of the coast of Africa in a voyage from 1821 to 1826 under the command of Captain William...
off the West coast of Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
, charged with preparing detailed and accurate charts of the region. Leven
Alexander Thomas Emeric Vidal
Alexander Thomas Emeric Vidal was an officer of the Royal Navy. He became an accomplished surveyor, and reached the rank of vice-admiral.-Early life:...
, William Mudge
William Mudge
William Mudge was an English artillery officer and surveyor, an important figure in the work of the Ordnance Survey.-Life:He was a son of Dr. John Mudge of Plymouth, by his second wife, and grandson of Zachariah Mudge, and was born at Plymouth on 1 December 1762...
, Alexander Becher and George Frazer. Bartholomew had successfully surveyed the Azores
Azores
The Archipelago of the Azores is composed of nine volcanic islands situated in the middle of the North Atlantic Ocean, and is located about west from Lisbon and about east from the east coast of North America. The islands, and their economic exclusion zone, form the Autonomous Region of the...
, stretches of West Africa and was working on the Cape Verde Islands when he fell ill with tuberculosis
Tuberculosis
Tuberculosis, MTB, or TB is a common, and in many cases lethal, infectious disease caused by various strains of mycobacteria, usually Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Tuberculosis usually attacks the lungs but can also affect other parts of the body...
in 1821 and died at Porto Praya on Santiago
Santiago, Cape Verde
Santiago , or Santiagu in Cape Verdean Creole, is the largest island of Cape Verde, its most important agricultural centre and home to half the nation’s population. At the time of Darwin's voyage it was called St. Jago....
. The expedition to West Africa was taken over by William Fitzwilliam Owen
William Fitzwilliam Owen
Vice Admiral William Fitzwilliam Owen , was a British naval officer and explorer. He is best known for his exploration of the west and east African coasts, discovery of the Seaflower Channel off the coast of Sumatra and for surveying the Canadian Great Lakes...
, but by its completion in 1825, over half the crew had died from tropical illnesses, including Bartholomew and his teenage son George, who died on Leven in 1819. He has been described as "One of the unsung heroes of the surveying service" and is also considered exceptional for his rise from an impressed sailor to post captain at a time when this was almost impossible to achieve.