Harry Powlett, 6th Duke of Bolton
Encyclopedia
Admiral
Harry Powlett, 6th Duke of Bolton PC (6 November 1720 – 25 December 1794) was a British nobleman and naval officer.
He was the second son of Harry Powlett, 4th Duke of Bolton
and Catherine Parry. Educated at Winchester
(1728–1729), he joined the Royal Navy
, becoming a lieutenant
aboard Shrewsbury
on 4 March 1740. He was promoted to captain
of the Port Mahon on 15 July 1740, and was moved to Oxford
in July 1741. While commanding Oxford, he took part in the Battle of Toulon
, and later gave damaging evidence against Richard Lestock
.
He was moved to Sandwich
in March 1745, and shortly thereafter to Ruby
. Ruby, with Defiance
and Salisbury
, was dispatched from Plymouth
to the fleet off Brest
on 11 April 1746. Before finding the fleet under Admiral William Martin
on 22 May, he was able to capture the French frigate
Embuscade. He was given command of Exeter
in November 1746 and was sent to the East Indies
to serve under Rear-Admiral Thomas Griffin
and Admiral Edward Boscawen
. He was employed by Boscawen at the Siege of Pondicherry to take soundings off Pondicherry, in order to arrange the dispositions of the naval blockade of the town.
Upon returning to England in April 1750, Captain Powlett charged Griffin with misconduct for failing to engage eight French ships at Cuddalore
, a decision which had been generally unpopular among Griffin's captains. Griffin was, indeed, found guilty of negligence, and suspended from his rank for a time. He, in turn, court-martial
ed Powlett on charges including cowardice, which Powlett attempted to escape by going on half-pay
. Meanwhile, he entered the House of Commons
in 1751 as Member of Parliament
for Christchurch
. On 7 May 1752, he married Mary Nunn (died 1764), by whom he had one daughter:
Despite Powlett's evasions, he was court-martialled on 1 September 1752, but Griffin's charges failed for want of evidence, and he was acquitted. The incident proved somewhat sensational, and concluded in a duel between the two officers in 1756 on Blackheath
. He was appointed to command Somerset
in January 1753.
Both Powlett's rapid rise to a captaincy and his willingness to engage in courts martial of his superiors were a result of his patronage connections. His father's support of Walpole had made him a Lord of the Admiralty in 1733, which he retained until 1742. Even after leaving the Admiralty, the Bolton political connections remained sufficiently strong to ensure his continued promotion. However, he had apparently already become a figure of satire: he is believed to have inspired the character of "Captain Whiffle" in The Adventures of Roderick Random
(1748).
In 1754, he became known as Lord Harry Powlett on his father's accession to the Dukedom, and replaced his elder brother Charles
in the family constituency of Lymington
. Appointed to command Barfleur
on 4 February 1755, he petitioned the Duke of Newcastle
, then Prime Minister, for promotion to flag rank, on the strength of his family's support of the government. However, a damaging accident to his reputation occurred soon after, while acting with Admiral Hawke
's fleet off France. Sent on 22 August 1755 to chase a sail to the south-east, he became detached from the fleet. While waiting at the rendezvous on 25 August, the ship's carpenter
reported Barfleur' s sternpost
to be dangerously loose, and Powlett returned to Spithead
for repairs. In October, he was court-martialled for separating from the fleet and returning to port without justification. He was admonished on the first charge and acquitted on the second, the carpenter being dismissed as incompetent; but it was popularly felt that the carpenter had been scapegoated, and Powlett hereafter received the sobriquet of Captain Stern-post.
Notwithstanding this incident, the Bolton influence proved irresistible, and he was promoted Rear Admiral
on 4 June 1756 and Vice-Admiral of the White on 14 February 1758. Feeling ran strongly against him, despite his promotions, and he never again received a naval command, despite the outbreak of the Seven Years' War
. Supposedly, Boscawen requested his appointment as his second-in-command in 1756, but it was refused by George II
, who shared in the general low opinion of Powlett. In 1761, he again changed constituencies, and was returned as MP for Winchester.
His wife died in 1764, and on 8 April 1765, he married Katherine Lowther (died 21 March 1809), daughter of Robert Lowther, by whom he had two daughters:
A lukewarm supporter of the government, he was intermittently at odds with George Grenville
. However, upon succeeding to the dukedom in July 1765 by his brother's suicide, he threw off his political connections and became a supporter of the crown alone. Bolton was sworn of the Privy Council on 10 December 1766. He was given the sinecure post of Vice-Admiral of Dorset and Hampshire (held by several Dukes of Bolton) in 1767, and promoted Admiral of the Blue on 18 October 1770 and Admiral of the White on 31 March 1775.
In 1778, he went into opposition with the government over its handling of the American Revolution
, and joined Vice-Admiral Bristol
in opposing the court-martial of Admiral Keppel
. His political activity diminished after 1780, although in 1782 he was appointed Governor of the Isle of Wight and Lord Lieutenant of Hampshire
. He died at Hackwood House on 25 December 1794, and his dukedom became extinct. His distant cousin George Paulet
succeeded to the Marquessate of Winchester and other titles, while Bolton Castle
and most of his estates devolved upon his brother's natural daughter Jean Browne-Powlett, wife of Thomas Orde
who adopted the additional surname of Powlett.
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"...
Harry Powlett, 6th Duke of Bolton PC (6 November 1720 – 25 December 1794) was a British nobleman and naval officer.
He was the second son of Harry Powlett, 4th Duke of Bolton
Harry Powlett, 4th Duke of Bolton
Harry Powlett, 4th Duke of Bolton PC , known until 1754 as Lord Harry Powlett, was a British nobleman and Whig politician, the second son of Charles Paulet, 2nd Duke of Bolton and Frances Ramsden...
and Catherine Parry. Educated at Winchester
Winchester College
Winchester College is an independent school for boys in the British public school tradition, situated in Winchester, Hampshire, the former capital of England. It has existed in its present location for over 600 years and claims the longest unbroken history of any school in England...
(1728–1729), he joined 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...
, becoming a 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...
aboard Shrewsbury
HMS Shrewsbury (1695)
HMS Shrewsbury was a three-decker 80-gun third rate ship of the line of the Royal Navy, launched at Portsmouth Dockyard on 6 February 1695.Shrewsbury narrowly escaped destruction on the Goodwin Sands during the Great Storm on 26 November 1703...
on 4 March 1740. He was promoted to captain
Captain (Royal Navy)
Captain is a senior officer rank of the Royal Navy. It ranks above Commander and below Commodore and has a NATO ranking code of OF-5. The rank is equivalent to a Colonel in the British Army or Royal Marines and to a Group Captain in the Royal Air Force. The rank of Group Captain is based on the...
of the Port Mahon on 15 July 1740, and was moved to Oxford
HMS Oxford (1674)
HMS Oxford was a 54-gun fourth rate ship of the line of the Royal Navy, built by Francis Baylie in Bristol and launched in June 1674. Her guns comprised twenty-two 24-pounders on the lower deck, with twenty-two large sakers on the upper deck and ten smaller sakers on the quarter deck.On 23...
in July 1741. While commanding Oxford, he took part in the Battle of Toulon
Battle of Toulon (1744)
The naval Battle of Toulon or Battle of Cape Sicié took place on 22 February 1744 in the Mediterranean Sea off the coast of Toulon, France. A combined Franco-Spanish fleet fought off Britain's Mediterranean fleet...
, and later gave damaging evidence against Richard Lestock
Richard Lestock
Richard Lestock was an officer in the Royal Navy, eventually rising to the rank of Admiral. He fought in a number of battles, and was a controversial figure, most remembered for his part in the defeat at the Battle of Toulon, and the subsequent court-martial.-Family and early years:Lestock is...
.
He was moved to Sandwich
HMS Sandwich (1679)
HMS Sandwich was a 90-gun second rate ship of the line of the Royal Navy, launched in 1679 at Harwich.She underwent a rebuild at Chatham Dockyard, from where she was relaunched on 21 April 1712 as a 90-gun second rate built to the 1706 Establishment...
in March 1745, and shortly thereafter to Ruby
HMS Ruby (1745)
HMS Ruby was a 50-gun fourth rate ship of the line of the Royal Navy, built at Bursledon in Hampshire to the dimensions specified in the 1741 proposals of the 1719 Establishment, and launched on 3 August 1745.Ruby was broken up in 1765....
. Ruby, with Defiance
HMS Defiance (1744)
HMS Defiance was a 58-gun fourth rate ship of the line of the Royal Navy, built to the dimensions laid out in the 1741 proposals of the 1719 Establishment at Deptford, and launched on 12 October 1744....
and Salisbury
HMS Salisbury (1746)
HMS Salisbury was a 50-gun fourth rate ship of the line of the Royal Navy. She was built during the War of the Austrian Succession and went on to see action in the Seven Years' War, serving in the East Indies....
, was dispatched from Plymouth
Plymouth
Plymouth is a city and unitary authority area on the coast of Devon, England, about south-west of London. It is built between the mouths of the rivers Plym to the east and Tamar to the west, where they join Plymouth Sound...
to the fleet off Brest
Brest, France
Brest is a city in the Finistère department in Brittany in northwestern France. Located in a sheltered position not far from the western tip of the Breton peninsula, and the western extremity of metropolitan France, Brest is an important harbour and the second French military port after Toulon...
on 11 April 1746. Before finding the fleet under Admiral William Martin
William Martin (Royal Navy officer)
William Martin was an officer of the Royal Navy who saw service during the Wars of the Spanish and the Austrian Successions.Martin rose from obscure origins to see service during the War of the Spanish Succession...
on 22 May, he was able to capture the French 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"...
Embuscade. He was given command of Exeter
HMS Exeter (1697)
HMS Exeter was a 60-gun fourth rate ship of the line of the Royal Navy, launched at Portsmouth Dockyard on 26 May 1697.She was involved in repeated actions against the French, in 1702 off Newfoundland, and in 1705 when she captured the frigate Thétis. She was in the Mediterranean in 1711, and at...
in November 1746 and was sent to the East Indies
East Indies
East Indies is a term used by Europeans from the 16th century onwards to identify what is now known as Indian subcontinent or South Asia, Southeastern Asia, and the islands of Oceania, including the Malay Archipelago and the Philippines...
to serve under Rear-Admiral Thomas Griffin
Thomas Griffin
Thomas Griffin was an eighteenth and nineteenth century politician, lawyer and judge from Virginia.Born in Yorktown, Virginia, Griffin pursued in classical studies before studying law. After being admitted to the bar, Griffin practiced law as well as engaging in agricultural pursuits...
and Admiral Edward Boscawen
Edward Boscawen
Admiral Edward Boscawen, PC was an Admiral in the Royal Navy and Member of Parliament for the borough of Truro, Cornwall. He is known principally for his various naval commands throughout the 18th Century and the engagements that he won, including the Siege of Louisburg in 1758 and Battle of Lagos...
. He was employed by Boscawen at the Siege of Pondicherry to take soundings off Pondicherry, in order to arrange the dispositions of the naval blockade of the town.
Upon returning to England in April 1750, Captain Powlett charged Griffin with misconduct for failing to engage eight French ships at Cuddalore
Cuddalore
Cuddalore is a fast growing industrial city and headquarter of Cuddalore district in the Tamil Nadu state of southern India. Located south of Pondicherry on the coast of Bay of Bengal, Cuddalore has a large number of industries which employ a great deal of the city's population.Cuddalore is known...
, a decision which had been generally unpopular among Griffin's captains. Griffin was, indeed, found guilty of negligence, and suspended from his rank for a time. He, in turn, court-martial
Court-martial
A court-martial is a military court. A court-martial is empowered to determine the guilt of members of the armed forces subject to military law, and, if the defendant is found guilty, to decide upon punishment.Most militaries maintain a court-martial system to try cases in which a breach of...
ed Powlett on charges including cowardice, which Powlett attempted to escape by going on half-pay
Half-pay
In the British Army and Royal Navy of the 18th, 19th and early 20th centuries, half-pay referred to the pay or allowance an officer received when in retirement or not in actual service....
. Meanwhile, he entered the House of Commons
British House of Commons
The House of Commons is the lower house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, which also comprises the Sovereign and the House of Lords . Both Commons and Lords meet in the Palace of Westminster. The Commons is a democratically elected body, consisting of 650 members , who are known as Members...
in 1751 as Member of Parliament
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 Christchurch
Christchurch (UK Parliament constituency)
Christchurch is a parliamentary constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Centred on the town of Christchurch in Dorset, it elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election....
. On 7 May 1752, he married Mary Nunn (died 1764), by whom he had one daughter:
- Lady Maria Henrietta Powlett (died 30 March 1779), married John Montagu, 5th Earl of SandwichJohn Montagu, 5th Earl of SandwichJohn Montagu, 5th Earl of Sandwich PC , styled Viscount Hinchingbrooke until in 1792, was a British peer and Tory politician.-Background and education:...
Despite Powlett's evasions, he was court-martialled on 1 September 1752, but Griffin's charges failed for want of evidence, and he was acquitted. The incident proved somewhat sensational, and concluded in a duel between the two officers in 1756 on Blackheath
Blackheath, London
Blackheath is a district of South London, England. It is named from the large open public grassland which separates it from Greenwich to the north and Lewisham to the west...
. He was appointed to command Somerset
HMS Somerset (1748)
HMS Somerset was a 70-gun third-rate ship of the line of the Royal Navy, built at Chatham Dockyard to the draught specified by the 1745 Establishment, and launched on 18 July 1748. She was the third vessel of the Royal Navy to bear the name. Somerset was involved in several notable battles of the...
in January 1753.
Both Powlett's rapid rise to a captaincy and his willingness to engage in courts martial of his superiors were a result of his patronage connections. His father's support of Walpole had made him a Lord of the Admiralty in 1733, which he retained until 1742. Even after leaving the Admiralty, the Bolton political connections remained sufficiently strong to ensure his continued promotion. However, he had apparently already become a figure of satire: he is believed to have inspired the character of "Captain Whiffle" in The Adventures of Roderick Random
The Adventures of Roderick Random
The Adventures of Roderick Random is a picaresque novel by Tobias Smollett, first published in 1748. It is partially based on Smollett's experience as a naval-surgeon’s mate in the British Navy, especially during Battle of Cartagena de Indias in 1741...
(1748).
In 1754, he became known as Lord Harry Powlett on his father's accession to the Dukedom, and replaced his elder brother Charles
Charles Powlett, 5th Duke of Bolton
Charles Powlett, 5th Duke of Bolton, KCB, PC , styled Marquess of Winchester from 1754 to 1759, was a British soldier, nobleman and Whig politician. He was the eldest son of Harry Powlett, 4th Duke of Bolton and Catherine Parry.Educated at Winchester, he joined the British Army and became a...
in the family constituency of Lymington
Lymington (UK Parliament constituency)
Lymington was a parliamentary borough in Hampshire, which elected two Members of Parliament to the House of Commons from 1584 until 1868, and then one member from 1868 until 1885, when the borough was abolished.-1584-1640:- 1640-1868 :...
. Appointed to command Barfleur
HMS Barfleur (1697)
HMS Barfleur was a 90-gun second rate ship of the line of the Royal Navy, launched at Deptford Dockyard on 10 August 1697.She was rebuilt according to the 1706 Establishment at Deptford, relaunching on 27 June 1716. Barfleur was hulked in 1764, and eventually broken up in 1783....
on 4 February 1755, he petitioned the Duke of Newcastle
Thomas Pelham-Holles, 1st Duke of Newcastle-upon-Tyne
Thomas Pelham-Holles, 1st Duke of Newcastle-upon-Tyne and 1st Duke of Newcastle-under-Lyne, KG, PC was a British Whig statesman, whose official life extended throughout the Whig supremacy of the 18th century. He is commonly known as the Duke of Newcastle.A protégé of Sir Robert Walpole, he served...
, then Prime Minister, for promotion to flag rank, on the strength of his family's support of the government. However, a damaging accident to his reputation occurred soon after, while acting with Admiral Hawke
Edward Hawke, 1st Baron Hawke
Admiral of the Fleet Edward Hawke, 1st Baron Hawke KB, PC was an officer of the Royal Navy. He is best remembered for his service during the Seven Years' War, particularly his victory over a French fleet at the Battle of Quiberon Bay in 1759, preventing a French invasion of Britain...
's fleet off France. Sent on 22 August 1755 to chase a sail to the south-east, he became detached from the fleet. While waiting at the rendezvous on 25 August, the ship's carpenter
Carpenter
A carpenter is a skilled craftsperson who works with timber to construct, install and maintain buildings, furniture, and other objects. The work, known as carpentry, may involve manual labor and work outdoors....
reported Barfleur
Sternpost
A sternpost is the upright structural member or post at the stern of a ship or a boat, to which are attached the transoms and the rearmost left corner part of the stern...
to be dangerously loose, and Powlett returned to Spithead
Spithead
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...
for repairs. In October, he was court-martialled for separating from the fleet and returning to port without justification. He was admonished on the first charge and acquitted on the second, the carpenter being dismissed as incompetent; but it was popularly felt that the carpenter had been scapegoated, and Powlett hereafter received the sobriquet of Captain Stern-post.
Notwithstanding this incident, the Bolton influence proved irresistible, and he was promoted 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"...
on 4 June 1756 and Vice-Admiral of the White on 14 February 1758. Feeling ran strongly against him, despite his promotions, and he never again received a naval command, despite the outbreak of the Seven Years' War
Seven Years' War
The Seven Years' War was a global military war between 1756 and 1763, involving most of the great powers of the time and affecting Europe, North America, Central America, the West African coast, India, and the Philippines...
. Supposedly, Boscawen requested his appointment as his second-in-command in 1756, but it was refused by George II
George II of Great Britain
George II was King of Great Britain and Ireland, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg and Archtreasurer and Prince-elector of the Holy Roman Empire from 11 June 1727 until his death.George was the last British monarch born outside Great Britain. He was born and brought up in Northern Germany...
, who shared in the general low opinion of Powlett. In 1761, he again changed constituencies, and was returned as MP for Winchester.
His wife died in 1764, and on 8 April 1765, he married Katherine Lowther (died 21 March 1809), daughter of Robert Lowther, by whom he had two daughters:
- Lady Amelia Powlett, died unmarried
- Lady Catharine Margaret Powlett (1766 – 17 June 1807), married William Vane, 1st Duke of ClevelandWilliam Vane, 1st Duke of ClevelandWilliam Henry Vane, 1st Duke of Cleveland, KG was a British peer.He was born in 1766, the son of the 2nd Earl of Darlington, and was baptised at the Chapel Royal at St James's Palace...
A lukewarm supporter of the government, he was intermittently at odds with George Grenville
George Grenville
George Grenville was a British Whig statesman who rose to the position of Prime Minister of Great Britain. Grenville was born into an influential political family and first entered Parliament in 1741 as an MP for Buckingham...
. However, upon succeeding to the dukedom in July 1765 by his brother's suicide, he threw off his political connections and became a supporter of the crown alone. Bolton was sworn of the Privy Council on 10 December 1766. He was given the sinecure post of Vice-Admiral of Dorset and Hampshire (held by several Dukes of Bolton) in 1767, and promoted Admiral of the Blue on 18 October 1770 and Admiral of the White on 31 March 1775.
In 1778, he went into opposition with the government over its handling of the American Revolution
American Revolution
The American Revolution was the political upheaval during the last half of the 18th century in which thirteen colonies in North America joined together to break free from the British Empire, combining to become the United States of America...
, and joined Vice-Admiral Bristol
Augustus Hervey, 3rd Earl of Bristol
Augustus John Hervey, 3rd Earl of Bristol, PC was a British admiral and politician.-Naval career:As a young man, he entered the Navy, where his promotion was rapid...
in opposing the court-martial of Admiral Keppel
Augustus Keppel, 1st Viscount Keppel
Admiral Augustus Keppel, 1st Viscount Keppel PC was an officer of the Royal Navy during the Seven Years' War and the War of American Independence...
. His political activity diminished after 1780, although in 1782 he was appointed Governor of the Isle of Wight and Lord Lieutenant of Hampshire
Lord Lieutenant of Hampshire
This is a list of people who have served as Lord Lieutenant of Hampshire. Since 1688, all the Lords Lieutenant have also been Custos Rotulorum of Hampshire.*William Paulet, 1st Marquess of Winchester 1551–?*William Paulet, 3rd Marquess of Winchester bef...
. He died at Hackwood House on 25 December 1794, and his dukedom became extinct. His distant cousin George Paulet
George Paulet, 12th Marquess of Winchester
George Paulet, 12th Marquess of Winchester , known as George Paulet or Powlett until 1794, was an English courtier and nobleman.George was the eighth and youngest son of Norton Paulet, or Powlett , of Amport...
succeeded to the Marquessate of Winchester and other titles, while Bolton Castle
Bolton Castle
Bolton Castle in North Yorkshire, is located in Wensleydale in the Yorkshire Dales . The nearby village Castle Bolton takes its name from the castle. The castle is a Grade I listed building and a Scheduled Ancient Monument. The castle was damaged in the English Civil War, but much of it remains...
and most of his estates devolved upon his brother's natural daughter Jean Browne-Powlett, wife of Thomas Orde
Thomas Orde-Powlett, 1st Baron Bolton
Thomas Orde-Powlett, 1st Baron Bolton PC was born Thomas Orde, son of John Orde of Morpeth, Northumberland. He was educated at Eton and at King's College, Cambridge, graduating Master of Arts in 1773....
who adopted the additional surname of Powlett.