George Eyre
Encyclopedia
Sir George Eyre, KCB
, KCMG
(d. 15 February 1839) was an officer of the Royal Navy
who saw service during the American War of Independence and the French Revolutionary
and Napoleonic Wars
, eventually rising to the rank of Vice-Admiral of the Red
.
Eyre served with James King in the Caribbean during the American War of Independence, seeing action in a number of engagements. With the conclusion of the war he was based at times at Halifax
and later off the South American coast and in the Mediterranean. With the outbreak of the French Revolutionary Wars Eyre served in the Mediterranean and was involved in the Siege of Toulon
, before being given his first command, the 14-gun brig-sloop . The command was short-lived, and Speedy was chased down and captured by a large French fleet. Taken into captivity Eyre and his men endured harsh conditions until being exchanged back to Britain. Acquitted for the loss of his ship and given a new command Eyre went out to the West Indies, but returned to Britain in 1799 and saw little further employment until 1806, when he joined the Mediterranean fleet and was active off the coast of Spain, supporting Spanish resistance to the French.
In 1809 he went to the Adriatic and took part in the campaign
there, helping to capture several islands. He launched an assault on Santa Maura and was wounded during the operations. After participating in the blockade of Corfu
he returned to the Spanish coast and resumed operations there in support of the Spanish partisans. Returning to England again in 1811 he went ashore and was not actively employed for the rest of the Napoleonic Wars, though he received a knighthood and was later appointed a Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath. He returned to service in 1823, commanding the South American station during a time of particular diplomatic difficulties, and on returning home in 1826 retired ashore owing to illness. He died in 1839.
in a number of parliaments, and his wife, Judith Letitia. George's elder brother, Anthony Hardolph Eyre, also entered politics and represented Nottinghamshire
during the 1800s. George attended Harrow School
and after spending several months at an academy in Chelsea
, entered the navy in 1782. His first ship was the 44-gun , under the command of Captain James King. They went out to Jamaica
escorting a convoy, and remained in the area for the rest of the American War of Independence.
On 2 March 1783, while sailing in company with , two ships were discovered anchored in Turks Island
passage. On being spotted the two ships cut their cables and stood to the southwest, upon which Resistance promptly gave chase. The rearmost ship, carrying 20 guns, sprang her main topmast, and surrendered after Resistance came up and fired a broadside. She then gave chase to the other, carrying 28 guns, and after enduring fire from her stern chasers, came alongside and the Frenchman promptly surrendered. The ships were discovered to be two transports that had taken troops to Turks Island, garrisoning it with 530 men. One of the ships, the 28-gun Coquette was commanded by the Marquis de Grasse, nephew of the Comte de Grasse
. One or two days later Resistance fell in with a small squadron under Captain Horatio Nelson
, consisting of , , and the armed ship Barrington. Nelson decided to attack the recently garrisoned Turks Island, and 250 men were landed under the cover of supporting fire from the ships. The French were found to be heavily entrenched, and the British withdrew after being unable to dislodge them.
With the end of the war Eyre returned to England with King aboard , but soon rejoined the Resistance and went out to Halifax
to join Sir Charles Douglas
. As Douglas' flagship
spent most of her time in port, Eyre was sent out to cruise on other ships, including under Captain Stanhope, and under Captain Thomas Foley. Eyre returned to Britain with Resistance in 1786, and the following year joined the 44-gun under Captain Francis Parry. Parry went out as commodore to Guinea
, but ill-health obliged him to resign his command, and Eyre went to Newfoundland aboard Captain Trigge's . Eyre joined Admiral Lord Howe's
flagship during the Spanish Armament, and in November 1790 was promoted to lieutenant. He then joined under Captain Edward Thornbrough
, and after Scipio was paid off, under Captain Robert Stopford, in which he sailed to the Mediterranean.
On the outbreak of war with France in 1793 Eyre was appointed to , the flagship of Rear-Admiral John Gell
, a relation of Eyre's. He was present at the capture of a French Privateer and her Spanish registered prize St Jago. St George went on to join Admiral Lord Hood's
fleet at Gibraltar
, and went with him to Toulon
. Eyre took an active part in the Siege of Toulon
, volunteering to command the detachment of marines
landed from St George and sent to defend Fort La Malgue. He went from there to command the battery at Fort Pharon, and after some time attracted Hood's attention with his good service. Hood appointed him to his flagship . After the fall of Toulon and the British evacuation he was advanced to commander and appointed to command the sloop
, succeeding Commander George Cockburn
, who had been appointed to command . He assisted in the capture of Bastia
, and was then ordered to join off Nice
.
which declared that 'no quarter should be given to either the English or the Hanoverians'. Eyre replied that they had not, on which he was told by Martin that "...I must tell you that it is now un guerre d'mort [a war to the death]; and if I had been the first to come alongside of you, I should have instantly sent you to the bottom." At this point the main British fleet was seen approaching, and Eyre was hurried back to the first ship he had been brought onto, and the French hurried into Gourjean roads, taking Speedy and the captured British crew with them.
Eyre and the crew were landed and marched to Antibes
, where they were imprisoned with the crew of a Sardinian
frigate that had been captured the day before Speedy. The crew had been imprisoned on Martin's flagship Sans Culotte
and had been severely treated, with their captain, Ross, not being allowed to wash or shave. The British were placed in a dungeon at Antibes, with only straw to lie on, awaiting the decision of the authorities. After three weeks in this state, they were marched to Aix-en-Provence
and were confined in the prison there. After a month imprisoned in Aix, Maximilien Robespierre
fell and the Reign of Terror
came to an end. The British were paroled. Eyre and the officers were taken to Romans
, in Dauphiné
where Eyre remained until May 1795 when he was released in exchange
for a French officer. He faced a court-martial for the loss of Speedy, but was honourably acquitted.
on 6 June 1796 and given command of the 20-gun . He went out with Sir Hugh Cloberry Christian
to the West Indies and took part in the reduction of Saint Lucia
. While there he was appointed by Sir Hyde Parker to command the 44-gun and carried out a number of cruises, capturing several prizes and winning himself riches and recognition. While cruising off Puerto Rico
on 11 July 1798 Eyre located five merchant ships at anchor under a shore battery at Aguada
, and decided to attempt to capture or destroy them. The ship's boats were sent in under Lieutenants Good and Holman while Regulus and a prize schooner
stood close by to support them. The wind failed however, and neither ship could get near enough to support them, but Lieutenant Good pressed on, and boarded the ships. With no wind he was unable to bring them all out, and so destroyed the two he was unable to sail out. British casualties, despite being under fire for the whole operation, amounted to one man wounded. Eyre returned to Britain in September 1799, transporting Vice-Admiral Richard Rodney Bligh.
Eyre was then unemployed for a while, with the exception of a brief period in temporary command of from 11 February to 18 March 1801, succeeding Thomas Hardy and in turn being succeeded by William Wolseley. He finally received a posting in July 1806 when he was appointed to the 64-gun , but was soon moved to command the newly-built 74-gun . Magnificent initially served with the Channel Fleet
, which was then under Admiral Lord St Vincent
, before going out to the Bay of Biscay
with Sir Eliab Harvey's
squadron. Eyre moved to the Mediterranean in June 1807, coming under Lord Collingwood's
orders while based off Cadiz
. With the Spanish rising on 2 May 1808
and the surrender of the French squadron in Cadiz on 14 June, Collingwood sent Eyre to patrol off Toulon. Shortly afterwards he was sent to Rosas to support the Spanish there, and several days later evacuated Lord Cochrane
and his garrison from Fort Trinidad.
's squadron and assist in the capture of Cephalonia, Zante and Cerigo, part of a long running campaign in the Adriatic
. Santa Maura initially remained in French hands, and became a base for small cruisers which were an annoyance to the British forces. Eyre resolved to attack and capture it and together with General John Oswald
and troops of the 35th Regiment of Foot
made a landing on 22 March 1810. The French withdrew to a citadel, protected by three redoubts, which the British attacked. During the heavy fighting Eyre was hit in the head by a musket ball and knocked to the ground, narrowly avoiding death as three other balls passed through his clothing. Eyre handed over command of the expedition to Captain James Brisbane
of HMS Belle Poule while he recovered, and was well enough to resume command on 25 March. The British forced the French to surrender on 16 April, the British casualties being seven dead and 39 wounded. Eyre was personally thanked by Admirals Sir George Martin
and Sir Charles Cotton
, and the Lords of the Admiralty.
With the islands secure Eyre enforced the blockade of Corfu
. On 6 February 1811 he encountered an enemy relief convoy bound from Otranto
to Corfu, consisting of 25 ships. Eyre captured 22 of them, carrying grain, ordnance and 500 troops. Eyre also stationed several frigates in the northern part of the Adriatic under the command of Captain William Hoste
. Hoste went on to win a significant victory over a French squadron under Bernard Dubourdieu
at the Battle of Lissa
. Eyre spent a total of two years commanding the station, the time spent almost constantly at sea, only briefly putting into port to refit and replenish supplies. He was succeeded in the post by Captain Charles Rowley
and went to join the fleet of Toulon. On the occasion of his departure his subordinate, James Brisbane wrote
, and Eyre was sent to the Spanish coast to support the Spanish forces fighting the French. Eyre was particularly active off the coast of Valencia and evacuated the garrison of Oropesa del Mar
, earning the thanks of General Joaquín Blake y Joyes
. On being ordered back to England in 1811 Pellew also wrote a private letter of thanks, following on from his earlier declaration that 'I have to express my complete approbation of Captain Eyre's methods, and have much satisfaction of employing the services of that most excellent officer in the aid of the Valencia patriots.' Eyre arrived in England in 1812, his health having been affected by his five years on a foreign station, and requested and received permission to go ashore. As a mark of his services in the Adriatic and off Spain he was knighted by King George III
. Eyre was appointed a Colonel of Marines on 4 June 1814 and was nominated as a Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath
following the expansion of the order on 12 January 1815.
to take command of the Cape
and St Helena stations, but was unable to accept owing to matters of a personal nature. In 1823 he was able to accept the offer of the command of the South American station, at a time when several of the former Spanish colonies were declaring independence. Eyre was able to successfully manage delicate diplomatic and military duties, and was able to protect British rights and possessions in the area during periods of upheaval. His actions in the region included signing treaties with Spain
and Portugal
involving the prevention of illegal slave trafficking. He stepped down after the expiration of his posting and was succeeded by Admiral Sir Robert Otway
.
on 10 December 1826, and was almost immediately offered command of a squadron fitting out for Lisbon
. The changes in climate had brought on an attack of gout
, and on being informed that as Sir Thomas Hardy's squadron was already on the spot, he was at liberty to refuse the offer. Eyre did so, and retired ashore. He appears to have had no further commands, and was advanced to vice-admiral in 1830. He had married Georgiana Cooke, the daughter of Sir George Cooke, 7th Baronet, at Doncaster
on 1 November 1800, with whom he had a family of eight children, including two sons named George-Hardolf and William. Sir George Eyre died on 15 February 1839 at the rectory, Carlton
, Derbyshire
.
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...
, KCMG
Order of St Michael and St George
The Most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint George is an order of chivalry founded on 28 April 1818 by George, Prince Regent, later George IV of the United Kingdom, while he was acting as Prince Regent for his father, George III....
(d. 15 February 1839) was an officer of 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...
who saw service during the American War of Independence and 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...
, eventually rising to the rank of Vice-Admiral of the Red
Admiral (United Kingdom)
Admiral is a senior rank of the Royal Navy of the United Kingdom, which equates to the NATO rank code OF-9, outranked only by the rank Admiral of the Fleet...
.
Eyre served with James King in the Caribbean during the American War of Independence, seeing action in a number of engagements. With the conclusion of the war he was based at times at Halifax
City of Halifax
Halifax is a city in Canada, which was the capital of the province of Nova Scotia and shire town of Halifax County. It was the largest city in Atlantic Canada until it was amalgamated into Halifax Regional Municipality in 1996...
and later off the South American coast and in the Mediterranean. With the outbreak of the French Revolutionary Wars Eyre served in the Mediterranean and was involved in the Siege of Toulon
Siege of Toulon
The Siege of Toulon was an early Republican victory over a Royalist rebellion in the Southern French city of Toulon. It is also often known as the Fall of Toulon.-Context:...
, before being given his first command, the 14-gun brig-sloop . The command was short-lived, and Speedy was chased down and captured by a large French fleet. Taken into captivity Eyre and his men endured harsh conditions until being exchanged back to Britain. Acquitted for the loss of his ship and given a new command Eyre went out to the West Indies, but returned to Britain in 1799 and saw little further employment until 1806, when he joined the Mediterranean fleet and was active off the coast of Spain, supporting Spanish resistance to the French.
In 1809 he went to the Adriatic and took part in the campaign
Adriatic campaign of 1807–1814
The Adriatic campaign was a minor theatre of war during the Napoleonic Wars in which a succession of small British Royal Navy squadrons and independent cruisers harried the combined naval forces of the First French Empire, the Kingdom of Italy, the Illyrian Provinces and the Kingdom of Naples...
there, helping to capture several islands. He launched an assault on Santa Maura and was wounded during the operations. After participating in the blockade of Corfu
Corfu
Corfu is a Greek island in the Ionian Sea. It is the second largest of the Ionian Islands, and, including its small satellite islands, forms the edge of the northwestern frontier of Greece. The island is part of the Corfu regional unit, and is administered as a single municipality. The...
he returned to the Spanish coast and resumed operations there in support of the Spanish partisans. Returning to England again in 1811 he went ashore and was not actively employed for the rest of the Napoleonic Wars, though he received a knighthood and was later appointed a Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath. He returned to service in 1823, commanding the South American station during a time of particular diplomatic difficulties, and on returning home in 1826 retired ashore owing to illness. He died in 1839.
Family and early life
George Eyre was born the fourth and youngest son of politician Anthony Eyre, who had represented the constituency of BoroughbridgeBoroughbridge (UK Parliament constituency)
Boroughbridge was a parliamentary borough in Yorkshire from 1553 until 1832, when it was abolished under the Great Reform Act. Throughout its existence it was represented by two Members of Parliament in the House of Commons....
in a number of parliaments, and his wife, Judith Letitia. George's elder brother, Anthony Hardolph Eyre, also entered politics and represented Nottinghamshire
Nottinghamshire (UK Parliament constituency)
Nottinghamshire was a county constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of England then of the Parliament of Great Britain from 1707 to 1800 and of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1801 to 1832...
during the 1800s. George attended Harrow School
Harrow 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 after spending several months at an academy in Chelsea
Chelsea, London
Chelsea is an area of West London, England, bounded to the south by the River Thames, where its frontage runs from Chelsea Bridge along the Chelsea Embankment, Cheyne Walk, Lots Road and Chelsea Harbour. Its eastern boundary was once defined by the River Westbourne, which is now in a pipe above...
, entered the navy in 1782. His first ship was the 44-gun , under the command of Captain James King. They went out to 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...
escorting a convoy, and remained in the area for the rest of the American War of Independence.
On 2 March 1783, while sailing in company with , two ships were discovered anchored in Turks Island
Grand Turk Island
Grand Turk Island is an island in the Turks and Caicos Islands. It is the largest island in the Turks Islands with . It contains the territory's capital, Cockburn Town and the JAGS McCartney International Airport...
passage. On being spotted the two ships cut their cables and stood to the southwest, upon which Resistance promptly gave chase. The rearmost ship, carrying 20 guns, sprang her main topmast, and surrendered after Resistance came up and fired a broadside. She then gave chase to the other, carrying 28 guns, and after enduring fire from her stern chasers, came alongside and the Frenchman promptly surrendered. The ships were discovered to be two transports that had taken troops to Turks Island, garrisoning it with 530 men. One of the ships, the 28-gun Coquette was commanded by the Marquis de Grasse, nephew of the Comte de Grasse
François Joseph Paul de Grasse
Lieutenant Général des Armées Navales François-Joseph Paul, marquis de Grasse Tilly, comte de Grasse was a French admiral. He is best known for his command of the French fleet at the Battle of the Chesapeake, which led directly to the British surrender at Yorktown...
. One or two days later Resistance fell in with a small squadron under Captain Horatio Nelson
Horatio Nelson, 1st Viscount Nelson
Horatio Nelson, 1st Viscount Nelson, 1st Duke of Bronté, KB was a flag officer famous for his service in the Royal Navy, particularly during the Napoleonic Wars. He was noted for his inspirational leadership and superb grasp of strategy and unconventional tactics, which resulted in a number of...
, consisting of , , and the armed ship Barrington. Nelson decided to attack the recently garrisoned Turks Island, and 250 men were landed under the cover of supporting fire from the ships. The French were found to be heavily entrenched, and the British withdrew after being unable to dislodge them.
With the end of the war Eyre returned to England with King aboard , but soon rejoined the Resistance and went out to Halifax
City of Halifax
Halifax is a city in Canada, which was the capital of the province of Nova Scotia and shire town of Halifax County. It was the largest city in Atlantic Canada until it was amalgamated into Halifax Regional Municipality in 1996...
to join Sir Charles Douglas
Sir Charles Douglas, 1st Baronet
Rear Admiral Sir Charles Douglas, 1st Baronet of Carr was a descendant of the Earls of Morton and a distinguished British naval officer...
. As Douglas' flagship
Flagship
A flagship is a vessel used by the commanding officer of a group of naval ships, reflecting the custom of its commander, characteristically a flag officer, flying a distinguishing flag...
spent most of her time in port, Eyre was sent out to cruise on other ships, including under Captain Stanhope, and under Captain Thomas Foley. Eyre returned to Britain with Resistance in 1786, and the following year joined the 44-gun under Captain Francis Parry. Parry went out as commodore to Guinea
Guinea
Guinea , officially the Republic of Guinea , is a country in West Africa. Formerly known as French Guinea , it is today sometimes called Guinea-Conakry to distinguish it from its neighbour Guinea-Bissau. Guinea is divided into eight administrative regions and subdivided into thirty-three prefectures...
, but ill-health obliged him to resign his command, and Eyre went to Newfoundland aboard Captain Trigge's . Eyre joined Admiral Lord Howe's
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...
flagship during the Spanish Armament, and in November 1790 was promoted to lieutenant. He then joined under Captain Edward Thornbrough
Edward Thornbrough
Admiral Sir Edward Thornbrough, GCB was a senior, long-serving veteran officer of the British Royal Navy during the late eighteenth and early nineteenth century. He saw action in the American Revolutionary War, the French Revolutionary Wars and the Napoleonic Wars, being wounded several times and...
, and after Scipio was paid off, under Captain Robert Stopford, in which he sailed to the Mediterranean.
French Revolutionary Wars
John Gell (Royal Navy officer)
Admiral John Gell was from the Gell and Eyre families of Hopton Hall in Derbyshire. He served with the Royal Navy, fighting in India and taking part in the occupation of Toulon.Gell was a commander in the Royal Navy for over...
, a relation of Eyre's. He was present at the capture of a French Privateer and her Spanish registered prize St Jago. St George went on to join Admiral Lord Hood's
Samuel Hood, 1st Viscount Hood
Samuel Hood, 1st Viscount Hood was a British Admiral known particularly for his service in the American War of Independence and French Revolutionary Wars...
fleet at 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...
, and went with him to Toulon
Toulon
Toulon is a town in southern France and a large military harbor on the Mediterranean coast, with a major French naval base. Located in the Provence-Alpes-Côte-d'Azur region, Toulon is the capital of the Var department in the former province of Provence....
. Eyre took an active part in the Siege of Toulon
Siege of Toulon
The Siege of Toulon was an early Republican victory over a Royalist rebellion in the Southern French city of Toulon. It is also often known as the Fall of Toulon.-Context:...
, volunteering to command the detachment of marines
Royal Marines
The Corps of Her Majesty's Royal Marines, commonly just referred to as the Royal Marines , are the marine corps and amphibious infantry of the United Kingdom and, along with the Royal Navy and Royal Fleet Auxiliary, form the Naval Service...
landed from St George and sent to defend Fort La Malgue. He went from there to command the battery at Fort Pharon, and after some time attracted Hood's attention with his good service. Hood appointed him to his flagship . After the fall of Toulon and the British evacuation he was advanced to commander and appointed to command the sloop
Sloop-of-war
In the 18th and most of the 19th centuries, a sloop-of-war was a warship with a single gun deck that carried up to eighteen guns. As the rating system covered all vessels with 20 guns and above, this meant that the term sloop-of-war actually encompassed all the unrated combat vessels including the...
, succeeding Commander George Cockburn
George Cockburn
Admiral of the Fleet Sir George Cockburn, 10th Baronet GCB was a British naval commander of the late 18th through the mid-19th centuries. He held important commands during the Napoleonic Wars and the War of 1812 and eventually rose to become Admiral of the Fleet and First Sea Lord.-Naval...
, who had been appointed to command . He assisted in the capture of Bastia
Bastia
Bastia is a commune in the Haute-Corse department of France located in the northeast of the island of Corsica at the base of Cap Corse. It is also the second-largest city in Corsica after Ajaccio and the capital of the department....
, and was then ordered to join off Nice
Nice
Nice is the fifth most populous city in France, after Paris, Marseille, Lyon and Toulouse, with a population of 348,721 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Nice extends beyond the administrative city limits with a population of more than 955,000 on an area of...
.
Capture
While making his way there he ran into the French fleet on 9 June, the French having sailed from Toulon some days earlier and headed east along the coast. Despite pressing on sail Speedy was overrun and captured. Eyre was taken aboard one of the French ships, and later transferred to the flagship of the fleet's commander, Rear-Admiral Pierre Martin. Martin asked him if he had heard of the decree from the National ConventionNational Convention
During the French Revolution, the National Convention or Convention, in France, comprised the constitutional and legislative assembly which sat from 20 September 1792 to 26 October 1795 . It held executive power in France during the first years of the French First Republic...
which declared that 'no quarter should be given to either the English or the Hanoverians'. Eyre replied that they had not, on which he was told by Martin that "...I must tell you that it is now un guerre d'mort [a war to the death]; and if I had been the first to come alongside of you, I should have instantly sent you to the bottom." At this point the main British fleet was seen approaching, and Eyre was hurried back to the first ship he had been brought onto, and the French hurried into Gourjean roads, taking Speedy and the captured British crew with them.
Eyre and the crew were landed and marched to Antibes
Antibes
Antibes is a resort town in the Alpes-Maritimes department in southeastern France.It lies on the Mediterranean in the Côte d'Azur, located between Cannes and Nice. The town of Juan-les-Pins is within the commune of Antibes...
, where they were imprisoned with the crew of a Sardinian
Kingdom of Sardinia
The Kingdom of Sardinia consisted of the island of Sardinia first as a part of the Crown of Aragon and subsequently the Spanish Empire , and second as a part of the composite state of the House of Savoy . Its capital was originally Cagliari, in the south of the island, and later Turin, on the...
frigate that had been captured the day before Speedy. The crew had been imprisoned on Martin's flagship Sans Culotte
French ship Orient (1791)
The Dauphin-Royal was an Océan class 118-gun ship of the line of the French Navy.During the French Revolution, she was renamed Sans-Culotte in September 1792, and eventually Orient in May 1795....
and had been severely treated, with their captain, Ross, not being allowed to wash or shave. The British were placed in a dungeon at Antibes, with only straw to lie on, awaiting the decision of the authorities. After three weeks in this state, they were marched to Aix-en-Provence
Aix-en-Provence
Aix , or Aix-en-Provence to distinguish it from other cities built over hot springs, is a city-commune in southern France, some north of Marseille. It is in the region of Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, in the département of Bouches-du-Rhône, of which it is a subprefecture. The population of Aix is...
and were confined in the prison there. After a month imprisoned in Aix, Maximilien Robespierre
Maximilien Robespierre
Maximilien François Marie Isidore de Robespierre is one of the best-known and most influential figures of the French Revolution. He largely dominated the Committee of Public Safety and was instrumental in the period of the Revolution commonly known as the Reign of Terror, which ended with his...
fell and the Reign of Terror
Reign of Terror
The Reign of Terror , also known simply as The Terror , was a period of violence that occurred after the onset of the French Revolution, incited by conflict between rival political factions, the Girondins and the Jacobins, and marked by mass executions of "enemies of...
came to an end. The British were paroled. Eyre and the officers were taken to Romans
Romans-sur-Isère
Romans-sur-Isère or Romans is a commune in the Drôme department in southeastern France.-Geography:...
, in Dauphiné
Dauphiné
The Dauphiné or Dauphiné Viennois is a former province in southeastern France, whose area roughly corresponded to that of the present departments of :Isère, :Drôme, and :Hautes-Alpes....
where Eyre remained until May 1795 when he was released in exchange
Prisoner exchange
A prisoner exchange or prisoner swap is a deal between opposing sides in a conflict to release prisoners. These may be prisoners of war, spies, hostages, etc...
for a French officer. He faced a court-martial for the loss of Speedy, but was honourably acquitted.
West Indies
Eyre was next appointed to command the sloop , before being made post-captainPost-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:...
on 6 June 1796 and given command of the 20-gun . He went out with Sir Hugh Cloberry Christian
Hugh Cloberry Christian
Sir Hugh Cloberry Christian KB was an officer of the Royal Navy who saw service during the American War of Independence, and the French Revolutionary Wars....
to the West Indies and took part in the reduction of Saint Lucia
Saint Lucia
Saint Lucia is an island country in the eastern Caribbean Sea on the boundary with the Atlantic Ocean. Part of the Lesser Antilles, it is located north/northeast of the island of Saint Vincent, northwest of Barbados and south of Martinique. It covers a land area of 620 km2 and has an...
. While there he was appointed by Sir Hyde Parker to command the 44-gun and carried out a number of cruises, capturing several prizes and winning himself riches and recognition. While cruising off Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of both the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.Puerto Rico comprises an...
on 11 July 1798 Eyre located five merchant ships at anchor under a shore battery at Aguada
Aguada, Puerto Rico
Aguada is a municipality of Puerto Rico, located in the western coastal valley region bordering the Atlantic Ocean, west of Rincón, Aguadilla and Moca; and north of Anasco. It is part of the Aguadilla-Isabela-San Sebastián Metropolitan Statistical Area...
, and decided to attempt to capture or destroy them. The ship's boats were sent in under Lieutenants Good and Holman while Regulus and a prize schooner
Schooner
A schooner is a type of sailing vessel characterized by the use of fore-and-aft sails on two or more masts with the forward mast being no taller than the rear masts....
stood close by to support them. The wind failed however, and neither ship could get near enough to support them, but Lieutenant Good pressed on, and boarded the ships. With no wind he was unable to bring them all out, and so destroyed the two he was unable to sail out. British casualties, despite being under fire for the whole operation, amounted to one man wounded. Eyre returned to Britain in September 1799, transporting Vice-Admiral Richard Rodney Bligh.
Spanish coast
Channel Fleet
The Channel Fleet was the Royal Navy formation of warships that defended the waters of the English Channel from 1690 to 1909.-History:The Channel Fleet dates back at least to 1690 when its role was to defend England against the French threat under the leadership of Edward Russell, 1st Earl of...
, which was then under Admiral 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...
, before going out to the Bay of Biscay
Bay of Biscay
The Bay of Biscay is a gulf of the northeast Atlantic Ocean located south of the Celtic Sea. It lies along the western coast of France from Brest south to the Spanish border, and the northern coast of Spain west to Cape Ortegal, and is named in English after the province of Biscay, in the Spanish...
with Sir Eliab Harvey's
Eliab Harvey
Admiral Sir Eliab Harvey, GCB was an eccentric and hot-tempered officer of the Royal Navy during the French Revolutionary and the Napoleonic Wars who was as distinguished for his gambling and dueling as for his military record...
squadron. Eyre moved to the Mediterranean in June 1807, coming under Lord Collingwood's
Cuthbert Collingwood, 1st Baron Collingwood
Vice Admiral Cuthbert Collingwood, 1st Baron Collingwood was an admiral of the Royal Navy, notable as a partner with Lord Nelson in several of the British victories of the Napoleonic Wars, and frequently as Nelson's successor in commands.-Early years:Collingwood was born in Newcastle upon Tyne...
orders while based 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....
. With the Spanish rising on 2 May 1808
Dos de Mayo Uprising
On the second of May , 1808, the people of Madrid rebelled against the occupation of the city by French troops, provoking a brutal repression by the French Imperial forces and triggering the Peninsular War.-Background:...
and the surrender of the French squadron in Cadiz on 14 June, Collingwood sent Eyre to patrol off Toulon. Shortly afterwards he was sent to Rosas to support the Spanish there, and several days later evacuated Lord Cochrane
Thomas Cochrane, 10th Earl of Dundonald
Admiral Thomas Cochrane, 10th Earl of Dundonald, 1st Marquess of Maranhão, GCB, ODM , styled Lord Cochrane between 1778 and 1831, was a senior British naval flag officer and radical politician....
and his garrison from Fort Trinidad.
Adriatic
Eyre was next appointed by Lord Collingwood to take command of the squadron in the Adriatic in April 1809, a command that then consisted of three ships of the line and seven or eight frigates. In October 1810 he was sent with Magnificent, and to join Captain John William SprangerJohn William Spranger
Rear-Admiral John William Spranger was a Royal Navy officer active during the French Revolutionary Wars and Napoleonic Wars.He was appointed Lieutenant on 23 August 1790, and Commander on 7 June 1794. In 1795, he commanded the sloop in the expedition to capture Cape Town...
's squadron and assist in the capture of Cephalonia, Zante and Cerigo, part of a long running campaign in the Adriatic
Adriatic campaign of 1807–1814
The Adriatic campaign was a minor theatre of war during the Napoleonic Wars in which a succession of small British Royal Navy squadrons and independent cruisers harried the combined naval forces of the First French Empire, the Kingdom of Italy, the Illyrian Provinces and the Kingdom of Naples...
. Santa Maura initially remained in French hands, and became a base for small cruisers which were an annoyance to the British forces. Eyre resolved to attack and capture it and together with General John Oswald
John Oswald (British Army officer)
General Sir John Oswald, GCB, GCMG was a prominent British Army officer during the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars whose service was conducted in seven different theatres of war. Oswald was born in Fife and educated in France, which gave him both excellent command of the French language...
and troops of the 35th Regiment of Foot
35th (Royal Sussex) Regiment of Foot
The 35th Regiment of Foot was an infantry regiment in the British Army. The regiment became The Royal Sussex Regiment.-History:The 35th Regiment changed its name many times during its history...
made a landing on 22 March 1810. The French withdrew to a citadel, protected by three redoubts, which the British attacked. During the heavy fighting Eyre was hit in the head by a musket ball and knocked to the ground, narrowly avoiding death as three other balls passed through his clothing. Eyre handed over command of the expedition to Captain James Brisbane
James Brisbane
Captain Sir James Brisbane, CB was a British Royal Navy officer of the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars. Although never engaged in any major actions, Brisbane served under both Lord Howe and Horatio Nelson and performed important work at the Cape of Good Hope, prior to the Battle of...
of HMS Belle Poule while he recovered, and was well enough to resume command on 25 March. The British forced the French to surrender on 16 April, the British casualties being seven dead and 39 wounded. Eyre was personally thanked by Admirals Sir George Martin
George Martin (Royal Navy officer)
Admiral of the Fleet Sir George Martin GCB, GCMG was an officer of the Royal Navy who saw service during the American War of Independence, and the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars...
and Sir Charles Cotton
Sir Charles Cotton, 5th Baronet
Sir Charles Cotton, 5th Baronet was a senior Royal Navy officer of the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars whose service continued until his death in command of the Channel Fleet from apoplexy in 1812. During his service, Cotton saw action off the Eastern Seaboard of the Thirteen Colonies and...
, and the Lords of the Admiralty.
With the islands secure Eyre enforced the blockade of Corfu
Corfu
Corfu is a Greek island in the Ionian Sea. It is the second largest of the Ionian Islands, and, including its small satellite islands, forms the edge of the northwestern frontier of Greece. The island is part of the Corfu regional unit, and is administered as a single municipality. The...
. On 6 February 1811 he encountered an enemy relief convoy bound from Otranto
Otranto
Otranto is a town and comune in the province of Lecce , in a fertile region once famous for its breed of horses.It is located on the east coast of the Salento peninsula. The Strait of Otranto, to which the city gives its name, connects the Adriatic Sea with the Ionian Sea and Italy with Albania...
to Corfu, consisting of 25 ships. Eyre captured 22 of them, carrying grain, ordnance and 500 troops. Eyre also stationed several frigates in the northern part of the Adriatic under the command of Captain William Hoste
William Hoste
Captain Sir William Hoste, 1st Baronet KCB RN , Royal Navy captain, was the son of Dixon Hoste, rector of Godwick and Tittleshall in Norfolk...
. Hoste went on to win a significant victory over a French squadron under Bernard Dubourdieu
Bernard Dubourdieu
Bernard Dubourdieu was a French rear-admiral who led the allied French-Venetian forces at the Battle of Lissa in 1811, during which he was killed....
at the Battle of Lissa
Battle of Lissa (1811)
The Battle of Lissa was a naval action fought between a British frigate squadron and a substantially larger squadron of French and Venetian frigates and smaller ships on 13 March 1811 during the Adriatic campaign of the Napoleonic Wars...
. Eyre spent a total of two years commanding the station, the time spent almost constantly at sea, only briefly putting into port to refit and replenish supplies. He was succeeded in the post by Captain Charles Rowley
Sir Charles Rowley, 1st Baronet
Admiral Sir Charles Rowley GCB GCH was a Royal Navy officer who went on to be Commander-in-Chief, Portsmouth.-Naval career:...
and went to join the fleet of Toulon. On the occasion of his departure his subordinate, James Brisbane wrote
Return to Spain
The Mediterranean fleet was by now under Sir Edward PellewEdward Pellew, 1st Viscount Exmouth
Admiral Sir Edward Pellew, 1st Viscount Exmouth, GCB was a British naval officer. He fought during the American War of Independence, the French Revolutionary, and the Napoleonic Wars...
, and Eyre was sent to the Spanish coast to support the Spanish forces fighting the French. Eyre was particularly active off the coast of Valencia and evacuated the garrison of Oropesa del Mar
Oropesa del Mar
Oropesa del Mar is a municipality in the comarca of Plana Alta in the Valencian Community, Spain....
, earning the thanks of General Joaquín Blake y Joyes
Joaquín Blake y Joyes
Joaquín Blake y Joyes was a Spanish military officer who served with distinction in the French Revolutionary and Peninsular wars.-Early military career:...
. On being ordered back to England in 1811 Pellew also wrote a private letter of thanks, following on from his earlier declaration that 'I have to express my complete approbation of Captain Eyre's methods, and have much satisfaction of employing the services of that most excellent officer in the aid of the Valencia patriots.' Eyre arrived in England in 1812, his health having been affected by his five years on a foreign station, and requested and received permission to go ashore. As a mark of his services in the Adriatic and off Spain he was knighted by King George III
George III of the United Kingdom
George III was King of Great Britain and King of Ireland from 25 October 1760 until the union of these two countries on 1 January 1801, after which he was King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland until his death...
. Eyre was appointed a Colonel of Marines on 4 June 1814 and was nominated as a Knight Commander of the Order 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...
following the expansion of the order on 12 January 1815.
Flag rank and South America
Eyre was promoted to rear-admiral on 12 August 1819 and shortly afterwards received an offer from Lord MelvilleRobert Dundas, 2nd Viscount Melville
Robert Dundas, 2nd Viscount Melville KT, PC, FRS was a British statesman, the son of Henry Dundas, the 1st Viscount. Dundas was the Member of Parliament for Hastings in 1794, Rye in 1796 and Midlothian in 1801. He was also Keeper of the Signet for Scotland from 1800...
to take command of the Cape
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...
and St Helena stations, but was unable to accept owing to matters of a personal nature. In 1823 he was able to accept the offer of the command of the South American station, at a time when several of the former Spanish colonies were declaring independence. Eyre was able to successfully manage delicate diplomatic and military duties, and was able to protect British rights and possessions in the area during periods of upheaval. His actions in the region included signing treaties with Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
and 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...
involving the prevention of illegal slave trafficking. He stepped down after the expiration of his posting and was succeeded by Admiral Sir Robert Otway
Robert Otway
Admiral Sir Robert Waller Otway, 1st Baronet, GCB was a senior Royal Navy officer of the early nineteenth century who served extensively as a sea captain during the Napoleonic War and later supported the Brazilian cause during the Brazilian War of Independence...
.
Family and later life
Eyre returned to Britain, arriving at SpitheadSpithead
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...
on 10 December 1826, and was almost immediately offered command of a squadron fitting out for Lisbon
Lisbon
Lisbon is the capital city and largest city of Portugal with a population of 545,245 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Lisbon extends beyond the administrative city limits with a population of 3 million on an area of , making it the 9th most populous urban...
. The changes in climate had brought on an attack of gout
Gout
Gout is a medical condition usually characterized by recurrent attacks of acute inflammatory arthritis—a red, tender, hot, swollen joint. The metatarsal-phalangeal joint at the base of the big toe is the most commonly affected . However, it may also present as tophi, kidney stones, or urate...
, and on being informed that as Sir Thomas Hardy's squadron was already on the spot, he was at liberty to refuse the offer. Eyre did so, and retired ashore. He appears to have had no further commands, and was advanced to vice-admiral in 1830. He had married Georgiana Cooke, the daughter of Sir George Cooke, 7th Baronet, at Doncaster
Doncaster
Doncaster is a town in South Yorkshire, England, and the principal settlement of the Metropolitan Borough of Doncaster. The town is about from Sheffield and is popularly referred to as "Donny"...
on 1 November 1800, with whom he had a family of eight children, including two sons named George-Hardolf and William. Sir George Eyre died on 15 February 1839 at the rectory, Carlton
Carlton, Leicestershire
Carlton is a village in Leicestershire, England, close to Market Bosworth.There are four roads in Carlton: Main Street , Bosworth Road , Congerstone Lane and Shackerstone Walk .- Village...
, Derbyshire
Derbyshire
Derbyshire is a county in the East Midlands of England. A substantial portion of the Peak District National Park lies within Derbyshire. The northern part of Derbyshire overlaps with the Pennines, a famous chain of hills and mountains. The county contains within its boundary of approx...
.