Francis Laforey
Encyclopedia
Admiral Sir Francis Laforey, 2nd Baronet, KCB
(31 December 1767 – 17 June 1835) was an officer of the British Royal Navy
during the French Revolutionary
and Napoleonic Wars
, whose distinguished service record included numerous frigate
commands in Home waters and in the West Indies. He is best known however for his service in command of the ship of the line
HMS Spartiate at the Battle of Trafalgar
in 1805. During the action, Laforey was heavily engaged and his ship suffered heavy casualties. Five years after Tafalgar, Laforey was promoted to rear-admiral and commanded the Leeward Islands
squadron, before retiring in 1814.
Son of the notable and highly controversial naval officer Sir John Laforey
, Francis Laforey joined the Navy at a young age and enjoyed patronage throughout his career. His exploits in command of frigates during the French Revolutionary Wars
and his capture of Dutch colonies in South America garnered wealth and esteem among his colleagues, and his later success as a battleship captain only continued this trend.
Born in 1767 in Virginia
into wealthy and respectable family, Laforey was destined to go to sea from an early age, his father being an officer himself, later to become Admiral Sir John Laforey, 1st Baronet of Whitby
. Francis' father was a senior government official in Antigua
at the time, and the family moved there soon afterwards, thus avoiding the American War of Independence, although the senior Laforey was heavily involved due to his naval duties. Sent to sea in the early 1780s as a teenager, Francis' rise was rapid due to his father's local influence, meaning that by 1791 Laforey was already a commander
with his own sloop, HMS Fairy
.
At the outbreak of war in 1793, John Laforey realised the excellent opportunity the unprepared French possessions in the Caribbean made, and so marshalled local troops and volunteers and captured the island of Tobago
within days. Sending his son to London
with the dispatches and evidence of his success was also a very intelligent move, because Francis was then rewarded in the customary manner for such messengers of success, with a promotion to Post Captain . Francis made the most of this opportunity using his new command, the frigate HMS Carysfort
, to recapture HMS Castor
from her French captors at the frigate action of 29 May 1794
. He then had to pursue a lengthy but ultimately successful lawsuit against the Admiralty
for the prize money
from the capture, which they had denied on very questionable technical grounds.
Fortunately, the Admiralty bore Laforey no ill will, and gave him the larger frigate HMS Aimable in 1795, which he used to take his father back to Antigua, where he was now the military governor of the Leeward Islands
. Using his position to aid his son's career, Sir John put Francis in command of the ship of the line
HMS Scipio
and made him second in command of the successful invasions of Demerara
, Essequibo
and Berbice
. Recrossing the Atlantic the following year whilst transporting his dying father back to England, Francis inherited the baronetcy halfway across and was given the frigate HMS Hydra
soon afterwards, using her with much success for two years on the French coast, before returning to the Caribbean and having further success there. In 1800 he again travelled to England, to take command of the ship of the line HMS Powerful
, which he commanded in the Baltic, Mediterranean and again in the West Indies until the Peace of Amiens.
When war was once again declared, Laforey was instructed to command HMS Spartiate, one of Nelson's spoils from the battle of the Nile
. In 1804 he joined this admiral's hunt across the Atlantic for the French fleet under Admiral Villeneuve when it arrived in the West Indies, and accompanied it back to the blockade off Cadiz
, where he was embroiled in the battle of Trafalgar on the 21 October 1805. The Spartiate was frustratingly trapped at the rear of Nelson's division, and was unabel to reach the battle until several hours had passed. As Spartiate and her companion HMS Minotaur
arrived in battle they found themselves alone against the van squadron of Admiral Dumanoir le Pelley
, consisting of the French ships Formidable
, Duguay-Trouin
, Scipion and Mont Blanc and the Spanish Neptuno
. Such was the rate of fire the two ships put up however, that the Formidable turned and fled after taking hits, and the other three French ships followed her, leaving the Neptuno under Commodore Cayetano Valdés y Flores
to sail alone against the two 74 gun ships. She was soon captured and Laforey, whose ship had only suffered 23 casualties, was well placed to aid other captains during the ensuing storm.
Spartiate was amongst those ships which returned to London for Nelson's funeral, Laforey being the flag bearer walking behind the coffin. Unlike many Trafalgar officers, Laforey remained with his ship, returning to the Mediterranean, where he participated in several blockades under Collingwood, before being made rear-admiral himself in 1810 and taking up his father's old post of military commander in chief of the Leeward Islands. He returned home in 1814 and the following year was made a Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath , living in quiet retirement at Brighton
until his death in 1835 as a full Admiral. He was buried in the northern extension of St Nicholas Churchyard in Brighton where his headstone (now moved from its original location and laid flat) remains. Francis Laforey never married or had children, and so the baronetcy became extinct upon his death.
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...
(31 December 1767 – 17 June 1835) was an officer of the British Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
during the French Revolutionary
French Revolutionary Wars
The French Revolutionary Wars were a series of major conflicts, from 1792 until 1802, fought between the French Revolutionary government and several European states...
and Napoleonic Wars
Napoleonic Wars
The Napoleonic Wars were a series of wars declared against Napoleon's French Empire by opposing coalitions that ran from 1803 to 1815. As a continuation of the wars sparked by the French Revolution of 1789, they revolutionised European armies and played out on an unprecedented scale, mainly due to...
, whose distinguished service record included numerous 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"...
commands in Home waters and in the West Indies. He is best known however for his service in command of 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 Spartiate 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 ....
in 1805. During the action, Laforey was heavily engaged and his ship suffered heavy casualties. Five years after Tafalgar, Laforey was promoted to rear-admiral and commanded the Leeward Islands
Leeward Islands
The Leeward Islands are a group of islands in the West Indies. They are the northern islands of the Lesser Antilles chain. As a group they start east of Puerto Rico and reach southward to Dominica. They are situated where the northeastern Caribbean Sea meets the western Atlantic Ocean...
squadron, before retiring in 1814.
Son of the notable and highly controversial naval officer Sir John Laforey
John Laforey
Sir John Laforey, 1st Baronet was a senior and controversial British naval officer of the 18th century whose extensive career was spent mainly on the North American and West Indian stations...
, Francis Laforey joined the Navy at a young age and enjoyed patronage throughout his career. His exploits in command of frigates during 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...
and his capture of Dutch colonies in South America garnered wealth and esteem among his colleagues, and his later success as a battleship captain only continued this trend.
Born in 1767 in Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
into wealthy and respectable family, Laforey was destined to go to sea from an early age, his father being an officer himself, later to become Admiral Sir John Laforey, 1st Baronet of Whitby
Whitby
Whitby is a seaside town, port and civil parish in the Scarborough borough of North Yorkshire, England. Situated on the east coast of Yorkshire at the mouth of the River Esk, Whitby has a combined maritime, mineral and tourist heritage, and is home to the ruins of Whitby Abbey where Caedmon, the...
. Francis' father was a senior government official in Antigua
Antigua
Antigua , also known as Waladli, is an island in the West Indies, in the Leeward Islands in the Caribbean region, the main island of the country of Antigua and Barbuda. Antigua means "ancient" in Spanish and was named by Christopher Columbus after an icon in Seville Cathedral, Santa Maria de la...
at the time, and the family moved there soon afterwards, thus avoiding the American War of Independence, although the senior Laforey was heavily involved due to his naval duties. Sent to sea in the early 1780s as a teenager, Francis' rise was rapid due to his father's local influence, meaning that by 1791 Laforey was already a 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...
with his own sloop, HMS Fairy
HMS Fairy
Several ships of the Royal Navy have been named HMS Fairy:, a 16-gun Swan class ship sloop, built in 1778 at Sheerness, and broken up in 1811., an 18-gun , built in 1812 at Bideford and broken up in 1821., a 10-gun , built in 1826 at Chatham, and lost in 1840., a built by Fairfields, launched on...
.
At the outbreak of war in 1793, John Laforey realised the excellent opportunity the unprepared French possessions in the Caribbean made, and so marshalled local troops and volunteers and captured the island of Tobago
Tobago
Tobago is the smaller of the two main islands that make up the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago. It is located in the southern Caribbean, northeast of the island of Trinidad and southeast of Grenada. The island lies outside the hurricane belt...
within days. Sending his son to 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...
with the dispatches and evidence of his success was also a very intelligent move, because Francis was then rewarded in the customary manner for such messengers of success, with a promotion to Post Captain . Francis made the most of this opportunity using his new command, the frigate HMS Carysfort
HMS Carysfort (1766)
HMS Carysfort was a 28-gun Coventry-class sixth-rate frigate of the Royal Navy. She served during the American War of Independence, the French Revolutionary and the Napoleonic Wars in a career that spanned over forty years....
, to recapture HMS Castor
HMS Castor (1785)
HMS Castor was a 32-gun Amazon-class fifth-rate frigate of the Royal Navy. She served during the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars. The French briefly captured her during the Atlantic Campaign of May 1794 but she spent just 20 days in French hands as a British ship retook her before her...
from her French captors at the frigate action of 29 May 1794
Frigate action of 29 May 1794
The frigate action of 29 May 1794—not to be confused with the much larger fleet action of 29 May 1794 that took place in the same waters at the same time—was a minor naval engagement of the French Revolutionary Wars between a Royal Navy frigate and a French Navy frigate...
. He then had to pursue a lengthy but ultimately successful lawsuit against 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...
for the prize money
Prize money
Prize money has a distinct meaning in warfare, especially naval warfare, where it was a monetary reward paid out to the crew of a ship for capturing an enemy vessel...
from the capture, which they had denied on very questionable technical grounds.
Fortunately, the Admiralty bore Laforey no ill will, and gave him the larger frigate HMS Aimable in 1795, which he used to take his father back to Antigua, where he was now the military governor of the Leeward Islands
Leeward Islands
The Leeward Islands are a group of islands in the West Indies. They are the northern islands of the Lesser Antilles chain. As a group they start east of Puerto Rico and reach southward to Dominica. They are situated where the northeastern Caribbean Sea meets the western Atlantic Ocean...
. Using his position to aid his son's career, Sir John put Francis in command of 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 Scipio
HMS Scipio (1782)
HMS Scipio was a 64-gun third rate ship of the line of the Royal Navy, launched on 22 October 1782 at Deptford. She was broken up in 1798....
and made him second in command of the successful invasions of Demerara
Demerara
Demerara was a region in South America in what is now Guyana that was colonised by the Dutch in 1611. The British invaded and captured the area in 1796...
, Essequibo
Essequibo
Essequibo may refer to:* The Essequibo River is one of the larger South American rivers located in the country of Guyana.* The former Dutch colony of Essequibo, in the region of the river...
and Berbice
Berbice
Berbice is a region along the Berbice River in Guyana, which was between 1627 and 1815 a colony of the Netherlands. After having been ceded to the United Kingdom in the latter year, it was merged with Essequibo and Demerara to form the colony of British Guiana in 1831...
. Recrossing the Atlantic the following year whilst transporting his dying father back to England, Francis inherited the baronetcy halfway across and was given the frigate HMS Hydra
HMS Hydra (1797)
HMS Hydra launched in 1797 was a fifth-rate frigate of the Royal Navy, armed with a main battery of twenty-eight 18-pounder guns.She was built to the design of the captured French frigate Melpomene .-Service:...
soon afterwards, using her with much success for two years on the French coast, before returning to the Caribbean and having further success there. In 1800 he again travelled to England, to take command of the ship of the line HMS Powerful
HMS Powerful (1783)
HMS Powerful was a 74-gun third rate ship of the line of the Royal Navy, launched on 3 April 1783 at Blackwall Yard, London.In 1805 the ship arrived too late to take part in the Battle of Trafalgar but was then detached to reinforce the East India squadron. On 13th June 1806 she captured the French...
, which he commanded in the Baltic, Mediterranean and again in the West Indies until the Peace of Amiens.
When war was once again declared, Laforey was instructed to command HMS Spartiate, one of Nelson's spoils from the battle of the Nile
Battle of the Nile
The Battle of the Nile was a major naval battle fought between British and French fleets at Aboukir Bay on the Mediterranean coast of Egypt from 1–3 August 1798...
. In 1804 he joined this admiral's hunt across the Atlantic for the French fleet under Admiral Villeneuve when it arrived in the West Indies, and accompanied it back to the blockade 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....
, where he was embroiled in the battle of Trafalgar on the 21 October 1805. The Spartiate was frustratingly trapped at the rear of Nelson's division, and was unabel to reach the battle until several hours had passed. As Spartiate and her companion HMS Minotaur
HMS Minotaur (1793)
HMS Minotaur was a 74-gun third-rate ship of the line of the Royal Navy, launched on 6 November 1793 at Woolwich. She was named after the mythological bull-headed monster of Crete.-Career:...
arrived in battle they found themselves alone against the van squadron of Admiral Dumanoir le Pelley
Pierre Dumanoir le Pelley
Vice-Admiral Count Pierre-Etienne-René-Marie Dumanoir Le Pelley was a French Navy officer, best known for commanding the vanguard of the French fleet at the Battle of Trafalgar.- Early career :...
, consisting of the French ships Formidable
French ship Formidable (1795)
Formidable was an 80-gun Tonnant class ship of the line of the French navy, laid down as Figuires and renamed in 1795. She was launched at Toulon in 1795. She participated in the Battle of Algeciras, the Battle of Cape Finisterre and several other actions before the British captured her at the...
, Duguay-Trouin
HMS Implacable (1805)
HMS Implacable was a 74-gun third rate of the Royal Navy. She was originally the French Navy's Téméraire-class ship of the line Duguay-Trouin, launched in 1800....
, Scipion and Mont Blanc and the Spanish Neptuno
Spanish ship Neptuno (1795)
Neptuno was an 80-gun Montañes-class ship of the line of the Spanish Navy. She was built in 1795 and took part in the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars. She fought with the Franco-Spanish fleet in the battle of Trafalgar, and was wrecked in its aftermath.Neptuno was built at Ferrol and...
. Such was the rate of fire the two ships put up however, that the Formidable turned and fled after taking hits, and the other three French ships followed her, leaving the Neptuno under Commodore Cayetano Valdés y Flores
Cayetano Valdés y Flores
Cayetano Valdés y Flores Bazán was a commander of the Spanish Navy, explorer, and captain general who served in the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, fighting for both sides at different times due to the changing fortunes of Spain in the conflict...
to sail alone against the two 74 gun ships. She was soon captured and Laforey, whose ship had only suffered 23 casualties, was well placed to aid other captains during the ensuing storm.
Spartiate was amongst those ships which returned to London for Nelson's funeral, Laforey being the flag bearer walking behind the coffin. Unlike many Trafalgar officers, Laforey remained with his ship, returning to the Mediterranean, where he participated in several blockades under Collingwood, before being made rear-admiral himself in 1810 and taking up his father's old post of military commander in chief of the Leeward Islands. He returned home in 1814 and the following year was made a Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath , living in quiet retirement at Brighton
Brighton
Brighton is the major part of the city of Brighton and Hove in East Sussex, England on the south coast of Great Britain...
until his death in 1835 as a full Admiral. He was buried in the northern extension of St Nicholas Churchyard in Brighton where his headstone (now moved from its original location and laid flat) remains. Francis Laforey never married or had children, and so the baronetcy became extinct upon his death.
Further reading
- The Trafalgar Captains, Colin White and the 1805 Club, Chatham Publishing, London, 2005, ISBN 1-86176-247-X