Edward Codrington
Encyclopedia
Admiral
Sir Edward Codrington GCB
RN
(27 April 1770 – 28 April 1851) was a British
admiral
, hero of the Battle of Trafalgar
and the Battle of Navarino
.
, and entered the Royal Navy
in July 1783. He served off the Eastern Seaboard of the United States, in the Mediterranean and in home waters, until he was promoted to lieutenant
on 28 May 1793, when Lord Howe
selected him to be signal lieutenant on the flagship of the Channel
fleet at the beginning of the French Revolutionary Wars
. In that capacity he served on the 100-gun during the operations which culminated in the battle of the Glorious First of June.
As a reward for his actions at the battle, on the 7 October 1794 he was promoted to commander
, and on the 6 April 1795 attained the rank of Post-Captain
and the command of the 22-gun from which he observed the Battle of Groix
. His next command was the frigate whom he commanded in the Channel and off the coast of Portugal
, until she was paid off in 1797. Following this, Codrington spent a period largely on land and on half-pay for some years. In December 1802 he married Jane Hall, an English woman from Kingston, Jamaica
, and remained without a ship until the Peace of Amiens came to a close in 1803.
s for some time before being given the ship of the line
HMS Orion
in the spring of 1805 which was attached to Admiral Nelson's fleet off Cadiz
in the blockade of the combined fleet. Codrington and Orion were engaged at the Battle of Trafalgar
on 21 October 1805, where Orion was stationed to the rear of the northern division and therefore took two hours to reach battle. Once there, Codrington ignored all other ships and focused entirely on closing with a hitheroto unengaged French ship, the Swiftsure, forcing her to surrender. He then attacked but failed to capture the Spanish flagship Principe de Asturias
before moving on to the Intrepide
, the only ship of the northern division to return. Orion, with other ships, dismasted and then sailed round her firing continually until she surrendered.
For the next several years, Codrington fought alongside the Spanish against the French in the Mediterranean Sea, commanding a squadron which harried French shipping and made numerous coastal raids. he also supported the disastrous Walcheren expedition in 1809. In 1814 he was promoted to the rank of rear admiral
, at which time he was serving off the coast of North America
as captain of the fleet to Vice Admiral Sir Alexander Cochrane
during the operations against Washington
, Baltimore and New Orleans
during the War of 1812
. In recognition of this service, in 1815 he was made a Knight Commander of the Bath
and then a vice admiral
on the 10 July 1821. He was also elected a fellow of the Royal Society in February, 1822.
In December 1826 Codrington was appointed Commander-in-Chief, Mediterranean Fleet
and sailed on the 1 February 1827. From that date until his recall on the 21 June 1828 he was engaged in the arduous duties imposed on him by the Greek War of Independence
, which had led to anarchy
in occupied Greece
and surrounding areas. His orders were to enforce a peaceful solution on the situation in Greece, but Codrington was unfortunately not known for his diplomacy, and on 20 October 1827 he destroyed the Turkish
and Egypt
ian fleet at the Battle of Navarino
while in command of a combined British, French and Russia
n fleet.
After the battle Codrington went to Malta
to refit his ships. He remained there till May 1828, when he sailed to join his French and Russian colleagues on the coast of the Morea
. They endeavoured to enforce the evacuation of the peninsula by Ibrahim Pasha
peacefully. The Pasha made diplomatic difficulties,which came in the form of continuous genocide
against the Greeks
of Morea
who were to be replaced with Muslims from Africa
and on the 25th of July the three admirals agreed that Codrington should go to Alexandria to obtain Ibrahims recall by his father Mehemet Ali. Codrington had heard on the 22 June of his own supersession, but, as his successor had not arrived, he carried out the arrangement made on the 25 July, and his presence at Alexandria led to the treaty of the 6 August 1828, by which the evacuation of the Morea
was settled. His services were recognized by the grant of the Grand Cross of the Bath, but there is no doubt that the British government was embarrassed by his heavy-handed gunboat diplomacy
and not too impressed by the further weakening of Russia's main opponent, the Ottomans.
After his return home Codrington spent some time in defending himself, and then in leisure abroad. He commanded a training squadron in the Channel in 1831 and became a full admiral on the 10th of January 1837. He was elected Member of Parliament
for Devonport in 1832, and sat for that constituency until he accepted the Chiltern Hundreds
in 1839. From November 1839 to December 1842 he was Commander-in-Chief, Portsmouth
. Codrington died in London
on the 28th of April 1851. He left two sons, both of whom achieved distinction in the British armed forces. Sir William Codrington (1804–1884) was a commander in the Crimean War
. Sir Henry Codrington
(1808–1877), a naval officer, became an Admiral of the Fleet
.
Codrington was buried in St Peter's Church, Eaton Square, but due to shoddy maintenance work in 1953 and a large fire in 1987, there is no remaining trace of his tombstone or body. Plaques to his memory can be found in St Paul's Cathedral
, All Saints Church, Dodington
close to the family home, and there is a large obelisk
dedicated to the memory of him and the other officers at Navarino at Pylos
in Greece.
Research at St. Peter's Church in October 2005 revealed that in 1954 the remains were buried at Brookwood cemetery in Surrey, plot number 70.
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Admiral
Admiral is the rank, or part of the name of the ranks, of the highest naval officers. It is usually considered a full admiral and above vice admiral and below admiral of the fleet . It is usually abbreviated to "Adm" or "ADM"...
Sir Edward Codrington GCB
Order of the Bath
The Most Honourable Order of the Bath is a British order of chivalry founded by George I on 18 May 1725. The name derives from the elaborate mediæval ceremony for creating a knight, which involved bathing as one of its elements. The knights so created were known as Knights of the Bath...
RN
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...
(27 April 1770 – 28 April 1851) was a British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
admiral
Admiral
Admiral is the rank, or part of the name of the ranks, of the highest naval officers. It is usually considered a full admiral and above vice admiral and below admiral of the fleet . It is usually abbreviated to "Adm" or "ADM"...
, hero of the Battle of Trafalgar
Battle of Trafalgar
The Battle of Trafalgar was a sea battle fought between the British Royal Navy and the combined fleets of the French Navy and Spanish Navy, during the War of the Third Coalition of the Napoleonic Wars ....
and the Battle of Navarino
Battle of Navarino
The naval Battle of Navarino was fought on 20 October 1827, during the Greek War of Independence in Navarino Bay , on the west coast of the Peloponnese peninsula, in the Ionian Sea. A combined Ottoman and Egyptian armada was destroyed by a combined British, French and Russian naval force...
.
Early life and career
The youngest of three brothers born to an aristocratic, landowning family, Codrington was educated by an uncle named Mr Bethell. He was sent for a short time to HarrowHarrow School
Harrow School, commonly known simply as "Harrow", is an English independent school for boys situated in the town of Harrow, in north-west London.. The school is of worldwide renown. There is some evidence that there has been a school on the site since 1243 but the Harrow School we know today was...
, and entered 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...
in July 1783. He served off the Eastern Seaboard of the United States, in the Mediterranean and in home waters, until he was promoted to lieutenant
Lieutenant
A lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer in many nations' armed forces. Typically, the rank of lieutenant in naval usage, while still a junior officer rank, is senior to the army rank...
on 28 May 1793, when 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...
selected him to be signal lieutenant on the flagship of the Channel
English Channel
The English Channel , often referred to simply as the Channel, is an arm of the Atlantic Ocean that separates southern England from northern France, and joins the North Sea to the Atlantic. It is about long and varies in width from at its widest to in the Strait of Dover...
fleet at the beginning 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...
. In that capacity he served on the 100-gun during the operations which culminated in the battle of the Glorious First of June.
As a reward for his actions at the battle, on the 7 October 1794 he was promoted to commander
Commander
Commander is a naval rank which is also sometimes used as a military title depending on the individual customs of a given military service. Commander is also used as a rank or title in some organizations outside of the armed forces, particularly in police and law enforcement.-Commander as a naval...
, and on the 6 April 1795 attained the rank of 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:...
and the command of the 22-gun from which he observed the Battle of Groix
Battle of Groix
The Second Battle of Groix was a naval engagement that took place on 23 June 1795 during the French Revolutionary War off the west coast of France....
. His next command was the frigate whom he commanded in the Channel and off the coast of Portugal
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
, until she was paid off in 1797. Following this, Codrington spent a period largely on land and on half-pay for some years. In December 1802 he married Jane Hall, an English woman from Kingston, Jamaica
Kingston, Jamaica
Kingston is the capital and largest city of Jamaica, located on the southeastern coast of the island. It faces a natural harbour protected by the Palisadoes, a long sand spit which connects the town of Port Royal and the Norman Manley International Airport to the rest of the island...
, and remained without a ship until the Peace of Amiens came to a close in 1803.
Service in the Napoleonic Wars and the War of 1812
On the renewal of hostilities with France he remained in frigateFrigate
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"...
s for some time before being given the ship of the line
Ship of the line
A ship of the line was a type of naval warship constructed from the 17th through the mid-19th century to take part in the naval tactic known as the line of battle, in which two columns of opposing warships would manoeuvre to bring the greatest weight of broadside guns to bear...
HMS Orion
HMS Orion (1787)
HMS Orion was a 74-gun third rate ship of the line of the Royal Navy, launched at Deptford on 1 June 1787 to the design of the , by William Bately...
in the spring of 1805 which was attached to Admiral Nelson's fleet 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 the blockade of the combined fleet. Codrington and Orion were engaged at the Battle of Trafalgar
Battle of Trafalgar
The Battle of Trafalgar was a sea battle fought between the British Royal Navy and the combined fleets of the French Navy and Spanish Navy, during the War of the Third Coalition of the Napoleonic Wars ....
on 21 October 1805, where Orion was stationed to the rear of the northern division and therefore took two hours to reach battle. Once there, Codrington ignored all other ships and focused entirely on closing with a hitheroto unengaged French ship, the Swiftsure, forcing her to surrender. He then attacked but failed to capture the Spanish flagship Principe de Asturias
Spanish ship Principe de Asturias
A number of ships of the Armade España have been named Principe de Astorias, including -...
before moving on to the Intrepide
French ship Intrépide
Intrépide was a 74-gun third-rate ship of the line of the French navy. She was originally built at Ferrol, Spain in 1799 as the Spanish ship of the line Intrepido, and later was sold to France in 1800....
, the only ship of the northern division to return. Orion, with other ships, dismasted and then sailed round her firing continually until she surrendered.
For the next several years, Codrington fought alongside the Spanish against the French in the Mediterranean Sea, commanding a squadron which harried French shipping and made numerous coastal raids. he also supported the disastrous Walcheren expedition in 1809. In 1814 he was promoted to the rank of rear admiral
Rear Admiral
Rear admiral is a naval commissioned officer rank above that of a commodore and captain, and below that of a vice admiral. It is generally regarded as the lowest of the "admiral" ranks, which are also sometimes referred to as "flag officers" or "flag ranks"...
, at which time he was serving off the coast of North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
as captain of the fleet to Vice Admiral Sir Alexander Cochrane
Alexander Cochrane
Admiral Sir Alexander Forrester Inglis Cochrane GCB RN was a senior Royal Navy commander during the Napoleonic Wars.-Naval career:...
during the operations against Washington
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
, Baltimore and New Orleans
New Orleans, Louisiana
New Orleans is a major United States port and the largest city and metropolitan area in the state of Louisiana. The New Orleans metropolitan area has a population of 1,235,650 as of 2009, the 46th largest in the USA. The New Orleans – Metairie – Bogalusa combined statistical area has a population...
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 recognition of this service, in 1815 he was made a Knight Commander of the Bath
Order of the Bath
The Most Honourable Order of the Bath is a British order of chivalry founded by George I on 18 May 1725. The name derives from the elaborate mediæval ceremony for creating a knight, which involved bathing as one of its elements. The knights so created were known as Knights of the Bath...
and then a vice admiral
Vice Admiral
Vice admiral is a senior naval rank of a three-star flag officer, which is equivalent to lieutenant general in the other uniformed services. A vice admiral is typically senior to a rear admiral and junior to an admiral...
on the 10 July 1821. He was also elected a fellow of the Royal Society in February, 1822.
The Greek War of Independence and the Battle of Navarino
Mediterranean Fleet
Several countries have or have had a Mediterranean Fleet in their navy. See:* Mediterranean Fleet * French Mediterranean Fleet* Mediterranean Squadron * United States Sixth Fleet...
and sailed on the 1 February 1827. From that date until his recall on the 21 June 1828 he was engaged in the arduous duties imposed on him by the Greek War of Independence
Greek War of Independence
The Greek War of Independence, also known as the Greek Revolution was a successful war of independence waged by the Greek revolutionaries between...
, which had led to anarchy
Civil disorder
Civil disorder, also known as civil unrest or civil strife, is a broad term that is typically used by law enforcement to describe one or more forms of disturbance caused by a group of people. Civil disturbance is typically a symptom of, and a form of protest against, major socio-political problems;...
in occupied Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
and surrounding areas. His orders were to enforce a peaceful solution on the situation in Greece, but Codrington was unfortunately not known for his diplomacy, and on 20 October 1827 he destroyed the Turkish
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
and Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
ian fleet at the Battle of Navarino
Battle of Navarino
The naval Battle of Navarino was fought on 20 October 1827, during the Greek War of Independence in Navarino Bay , on the west coast of the Peloponnese peninsula, in the Ionian Sea. A combined Ottoman and Egyptian armada was destroyed by a combined British, French and Russian naval force...
while in command of a combined British, French and Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
n fleet.
After the battle Codrington went to Malta
Malta
Malta , officially known as the Republic of Malta , is a Southern European country consisting of an archipelago situated in the centre of the Mediterranean, south of Sicily, east of Tunisia and north of Libya, with Gibraltar to the west and Alexandria to the east.Malta covers just over in...
to refit his ships. He remained there till May 1828, when he sailed to join his French and Russian colleagues on the coast of the Morea
Morea
The Morea was the name of the Peloponnese peninsula in southern Greece during the Middle Ages and the early modern period. It also referred to a Byzantine province in the region, known as the Despotate of Morea.-Origins of the name:...
. They endeavoured to enforce the evacuation of the peninsula by Ibrahim Pasha
Ibrahim Pasha of Egypt
Ibrahim Pasha was the eldest son of Muhammad Ali, the Wāli and unrecognised Khedive of Egypt and Sudan. He served as a general in the Egyptian army that his father established during his reign, taking his first command of Egyptian forces was when he was merely a teenager...
peacefully. The Pasha made diplomatic difficulties,which came in the form of continuous genocide
Genocide
Genocide is defined as "the deliberate and systematic destruction, in whole or in part, of an ethnic, racial, religious, or national group", though what constitutes enough of a "part" to qualify as genocide has been subject to much debate by legal scholars...
against the Greeks
Greeks
The Greeks, also known as the Hellenes , are a nation and ethnic group native to Greece, Cyprus and neighboring regions. They also form a significant diaspora, with Greek communities established around the world....
of Morea
Morea
The Morea was the name of the Peloponnese peninsula in southern Greece during the Middle Ages and the early modern period. It also referred to a Byzantine province in the region, known as the Despotate of Morea.-Origins of the name:...
who were to be replaced with Muslims from 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...
and on the 25th of July the three admirals agreed that Codrington should go to Alexandria to obtain Ibrahims recall by his father Mehemet Ali. Codrington had heard on the 22 June of his own supersession, but, as his successor had not arrived, he carried out the arrangement made on the 25 July, and his presence at Alexandria led to the treaty of the 6 August 1828, by which the evacuation of the Morea
Morea
The Morea was the name of the Peloponnese peninsula in southern Greece during the Middle Ages and the early modern period. It also referred to a Byzantine province in the region, known as the Despotate of Morea.-Origins of the name:...
was settled. His services were recognized by the grant of the Grand Cross of the Bath, but there is no doubt that the British government was embarrassed by his heavy-handed gunboat diplomacy
Gunboat diplomacy
In international politics, gunboat diplomacy refers to the pursuit of foreign policy objectives with the aid of conspicuous displays of military power — implying or constituting a direct threat of warfare, should terms not be agreeable to the superior force....
and not too impressed by the further weakening of Russia's main opponent, the Ottomans.
Later years
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
for Devonport in 1832, and sat for that constituency until he accepted the Chiltern Hundreds
Chiltern Hundreds
Appointment to the office of Crown Steward and Bailiff of the three Chiltern Hundreds of Stoke, Desborough and Burnham is a sinecure appointment which is used as a device allowing a Member of the United Kingdom Parliament to resign his or her seat...
in 1839. From November 1839 to December 1842 he was Commander-in-Chief, Portsmouth
Commander-in-Chief, Portsmouth
The Commander-in-Chief, Portsmouth was a senior commander of the Royal Navy for hundreds of years. Portsmouth Command was a name given to the units, establishments, and staff operating under the post.-History:...
. Codrington died in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
on the 28th of April 1851. He left two sons, both of whom achieved distinction in the British armed forces. Sir William Codrington (1804–1884) was a commander in the Crimean War
Crimean War
The Crimean War was a conflict fought between the Russian Empire and an alliance of the French Empire, the British Empire, the Ottoman Empire, and the Kingdom of Sardinia. The war was part of a long-running contest between the major European powers for influence over territories of the declining...
. Sir Henry Codrington
Henry Codrington
Admiral Sir Henry John Codrington KCB was a Royal Navy officer who went on to be Commander-in-Chief, Plymouth.-Naval career:...
(1808–1877), a naval officer, became an 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....
.
St Paul's Cathedral
St Paul's Cathedral, London, is a Church of England cathedral and seat of the Bishop of London. Its dedication to Paul the Apostle dates back to the original church on this site, founded in AD 604. St Paul's sits at the top of Ludgate Hill, the highest point in the City of London, and is the mother...
, All Saints Church, Dodington
All Saints Church, Dodington
All Saints Church at Dodington in the parish of Holford, Somerset, England was rebuilt and enlarged in the 15th century. It has been designated by English Heritage as a grade I listed building....
close to the family home, and there is a large obelisk
Obelisk
An obelisk is a tall, four-sided, narrow tapering monument which ends in a pyramid-like shape at the top, and is said to resemble a petrified ray of the sun-disk. A pair of obelisks usually stood in front of a pylon...
dedicated to the memory of him and the other officers at Navarino at Pylos
Pylos
Pylos , historically known under its Italian name Navarino, is a town and a former municipality in Messenia, Peloponnese, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Pylos-Nestoras, of which it is the seat and a municipal unit. It was the capital of the former...
in Greece.
Research at St. Peter's Church in October 2005 revealed that in 1954 the remains were buried at Brookwood cemetery in Surrey, plot number 70.
Further reading
- The Trafalgar Captains (2005) - Colin White and the 1805 Club, Chatham Publishing, London ISBN 1-86176-247-X
External links
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