George Duff
Encyclopedia
Captain George Duff RN
(c. 1 February 1764 – 21 October 1805) was a British naval officer during the American War of Independence, the French Revolutionary Wars
and the Napoleonic Wars
, who was killed by a cannon ball at the battle of Trafalgar
.
, Scotland
, the son of Banff Sheriff Clerk James Duff (1729–1804) by his marriage to Helen Skene 1734–1764, he was a kinsman (first cousin once removed) to the second
and third
Earls of Fife
.
George Duff had a passion for the sea from early childhood, stowing away on a merchant ship for a voyage when not yet a teenager. At thirteen he joined his great uncle Captain (later Admiral) Robert Duff in the Mediterranean, and was commissioned lieutenant at sixteen, breaking several fleet regulations but made possible by his uncle's interest in his career. During these years, Duff saw action thirteen times on both sides of the Atlantic, including at the Great Siege of Gibraltar
and culminating in the battle of the Saintes
in 1782 when he was serving on .
) in Edinburgh
, and that his son Norwich Duff
(later to become an admiral in his own right) was born. In the next ten years, Duff commanded , and all very capably, but without winning the acclaim of some of his contemporaries, particularly those in the Mediterranean under Nelson.
Duff was a proud Scotsman as well as a strict disciplinarian. He enforced cleanliness parades every week, and made every effort to make sure that as many Scots as possible served on his ships, although he never gave them preferential treatment over their English comrades. He was also a devoted husband and wrote lengthy letters to his wife during every journey. He and his wife felt that the letters were so personal that they destroyed them after reading, and so the only survivor is his final letter home, which Sophia reportedly was unable to destroy.
Following the Peace of Amiens, Duff was given , something of a celebrity ship in the Royal Navy following her duel with the French Hercule
in 1799 in which both her captain Alexander Hood
and his French counterpart were killed. Rapidly moulding the ship with his own brand of Scottish discipline, Duff took her to join the fleet off Cadiz
at the beginning of October and instantly became friends with Nelson, despite their vastly different characters. Such was Duff's reputation, that Nelson entrusted him with the command of the inshore squadron, a force which watched the harbour entrance for an enemy appearance. The job was dangerous due to the proximity of the shore, and unpleasant because ships stationed at this point were exposed to the enemy themselves and the threat of failure if the enemy were able to escape. Duff handled the job excellently however, and on the 21 October reported that the enemy had left Cadiz and were heading out to sea.
:
and Pluton
, a cannon ball from the former raked the quarter-deck and struck Captain Duff at the base of the neck, severing his head completely and killing him instantly. The crew were undismayed however, carrying the headless corpse around the deck and giving three cheers in memory of their captain, before replacing him where he fell and covering him with a Union Flag. Command of the Mars devolved on the first lieutenant William Hennah
who performed a good service and was promoted as a reward.
on the wall on the south side of a passage, next to Nelson's tomb where it can still be seen. George, his mother-in-law Anne (née Fotheringham) and Norwich were all painted by Sir Henry Raeburn
.
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...
(c. 1 February 1764 – 21 October 1805) was a British naval officer during the American War of Independence, 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 the 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...
, who was killed by a cannon ball 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 ....
.
Early life
Born at BanffBanff, Aberdeenshire
Banff is a town in the Banff and Buchan area of Aberdeenshire, Scotland. Banff is situated on Banff Bay and faces the town of Macduff across the estuary of the River Deveron...
, Scotland
Scotland
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...
, the son of Banff Sheriff Clerk James Duff (1729–1804) by his marriage to Helen Skene 1734–1764, he was a kinsman (first cousin once removed) to the second
James Duff, 2nd Earl Fife
James Duff, 2nd Earl Fife was a Scottish Earl, Baron and Minister of Parliament.-Heritage:James Duff was second son of William Duff, 1st Earl Fife, and Jean Grant , his fathers second wife. His father, son of William Duff of Dipple, co. Banff, was M.P...
and third
Alexander Duff, 3rd Earl Fife
Alexander Duff, 3rd Earl Fife was a Scottish nobleman.Duff was the son of William Duff, 1st Earl Fife and younger brother of James Duff, 2nd Earl Fife....
Earls of Fife
Earl of Fife
The Earl of Fife or Mormaer of Fife referred to the Gaelic comital lordship of Fife which existed in Scotland until the early 15th century....
.
George Duff had a passion for the sea from early childhood, stowing away on a merchant ship for a voyage when not yet a teenager. At thirteen he joined his great uncle Captain (later Admiral) Robert Duff in the Mediterranean, and was commissioned lieutenant at sixteen, breaking several fleet regulations but made possible by his uncle's interest in his career. During these years, Duff saw action thirteen times on both sides of the Atlantic, including at the Great Siege of Gibraltar
Great Siege of Gibraltar
The Great Siege of Gibraltar was an unsuccessful attempt by Spain and France to capture Gibraltar from the British during the American War of Independence. This was the largest action fought during the war in terms of numbers, particularly the Grand Assault of 18 September 1782...
and culminating in the battle of the Saintes
Battle of the Saintes
The Battle of the Saintes took place over 4 days, 9 April 1782 – 12 April 1782, during the American War of Independence, and was a victory of a British fleet under Admiral Sir George Rodney over a French fleet under the Comte de Grasse forcing the French and Spanish to abandon a planned...
in 1782 when he was serving on .
Naval career
With a reputation thus secured and plenty of family interest in his career, Duff had little difficulty progressing, being promoted to commander in 1790 and then Post Captain in 1793, a meteoric rise resulting from the growth of the Navy in the build up to war during this period. It was at this time that he married his childhood sweetheart, Sophia Dirom (sister of Alexander DiromAlexander Dirom
General Alexander Dirom. Born 21 May 1757. Died Annan 6 October 1830. He was appointed Ensign in the 61st Regiment of Foot on the 8th Dec. 1778 and Lt. in the 88th Foot 13th Oct. 1779. He served with the regiment in Barbados and Jamaica as Military Secretary to the GoC and Major of Brigade...
) in Edinburgh
Edinburgh
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...
, and that his son Norwich Duff
Norwich Duff
Admiral Norwich Duff was a Royal Navy officer.The son of Captain George Duff RN, and Sophia Dirom, he was born at 9 South Castle Street, Edinburgh. He entered the Royal Navy in July 1805, just before his 13th birthday, serving aboard his father's ship HMS Mars as a midshipman...
(later to become an admiral in his own right) was born. In the next ten years, Duff commanded , and all very capably, but without winning the acclaim of some of his contemporaries, particularly those in the Mediterranean under Nelson.
Duff was a proud Scotsman as well as a strict disciplinarian. He enforced cleanliness parades every week, and made every effort to make sure that as many Scots as possible served on his ships, although he never gave them preferential treatment over their English comrades. He was also a devoted husband and wrote lengthy letters to his wife during every journey. He and his wife felt that the letters were so personal that they destroyed them after reading, and so the only survivor is his final letter home, which Sophia reportedly was unable to destroy.
Following the Peace of Amiens, Duff was given , something of a celebrity ship in the Royal Navy following her duel with the French Hercule
French ship Hercule
Nineteen ships of the French Navy have borne the name Hercule, in honour of the Roman hero Hercules:* Hercule , a 38-gun ship of the line* Soleil , a 36-gun ship of the line rename Hercule in 1671...
in 1799 in which both her captain Alexander Hood
Alexander Hood (captain)
Captain Alexander Hood was an officer of the Royal Navy, one of several members of the Hood family to serve at sea.-Career:...
and his French counterpart were killed. Rapidly moulding the ship with his own brand of Scottish discipline, Duff took her to join the 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....
at the beginning of October and instantly became friends with Nelson, despite their vastly different characters. Such was Duff's reputation, that Nelson entrusted him with the command of the inshore squadron, a force which watched the harbour entrance for an enemy appearance. The job was dangerous due to the proximity of the shore, and unpleasant because ships stationed at this point were exposed to the enemy themselves and the threat of failure if the enemy were able to escape. Duff handled the job excellently however, and on the 21 October reported that the enemy had left Cadiz and were heading out to sea.
Trafalgar
When the battle began, Mars was stationed directly astern of and was ordered by Nelson to attempt to overtake Collingwood's flagship if he was able. Collingwood however was a good enough seaman to prevent this from happening and so the Mars was the second ship to enter the enemy lines. During this approach, which due to poor wind had been conducted at walking speed, Duff was able to write a final note home to his wife, which he entrusted to his thirteen-year-old son, who was aboard serving as a midshipmanMidshipman
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...
:
"Dearest Sophia, I have just time to tell you we are going into Action with the Combined Fleet. I hope and trust in God that we shall all behave as becomes us, and that I may yet have the happiness of taking my beloved wife and children in my arms. Norwich is quite well and happy. I have, however, ordered him off the quarter-deck. Yours ever, and most truly, George"
Death
Duff did not see more than the few opening shots of the battle, for as Mars engaged the French FougueuxFrench ship Fougueux
The Fougueux was a Téméraire class 74-gun French ship of the line built at Lorient from 1784 to 1785 by engineer Segondat.She took part in the Battle of Trafalgar, firing the first shot of the battle upon HMS Royal Sovereign. She later attempted to come to the aid of the Redoutable by engaging HMS...
and Pluton
French ship Pluton (1804)
Pluton was a 74-gun French ship of the line built at Toulon.It took part in the Battle of Trafalgar under Captain Julien Cosmao escaped to Cádiz with other ships. Two days later, on 23 October 1805, she was the flagship of the counter-attack from Cádiz, together with Indomptable, Neptune, Rayo, and...
, a cannon ball from the former raked the quarter-deck and struck Captain Duff at the base of the neck, severing his head completely and killing him instantly. The crew were undismayed however, carrying the headless corpse around the deck and giving three cheers in memory of their captain, before replacing him where he fell and covering him with a Union Flag. Command of the Mars devolved on the first lieutenant William Hennah
William Hennah
Captain William Hennah, RN, CB was British naval officer, whose largely undistinguished career was suddenly highlighted by his assumption of command of HMS Mars at the battle of Trafalgar in 1805 upon the death of that ship's captain, George Duff, who was decapitated by a cannon ball.- Early...
who performed a good service and was promoted as a reward.
Burial and memorial
Following the battle, Duff was buried at sea with his shipmates, 28 of whom had been killed and 69 wounded in the fight. Both Collingwood and young Norwich Duff wrote letters of consolation to Sophia Duff, and Captain Duff was mentioned with honour alongside Nelson and John Cooke in the official report of the battle. Honours and money from the Patriotic Fund were granted to the widow and Norwich remained in sea service, retiring many years later as an admiral. A large marble monument to Captain Duff was raised in St Paul's CathedralSt 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...
on the wall on the south side of a passage, next to Nelson's tomb where it can still be seen. George, his mother-in-law Anne (née Fotheringham) and Norwich were all painted by Sir Henry Raeburn
Henry Raeburn
Sir Henry Raeburn was a Scottish portrait painter, the first significant Scottish portraitist since the Act of Union 1707 to remain based in Scotland.-Biography:...
.
Further reading
- The Trafalgar Captains, Colin White and the 1805 Club, Chatham Publishing, London, 2005, ISBN 1-86176-247-X