Herbert Sawyer
Encyclopedia
Admiral Sir Herbert Sawyer KCB
(fl.
1783 – 1833) was an officer of the Royal Navy
who saw service during the American Revolution
, the French Revolutionary War, the War of 1812
and the Napoleonic Wars
. He eventually rose to the rank of Admiral
.
and followed his father into the navy. He saw service during the American Revolution, serving with his father who (by this time) was a captain
and commanded a number of ships during the war. By the end of the war, the younger Sawyer was in command of the sloop
. He was promoted to Post-Captain
in 1789 and took command of the 28-gun frigate
. He served aboard her on the North American Station, operating off Newfoundland. His father was the commander of the base at Halifax
during this time.
's fleet. On Sawyer's return to Britain, he was put in charge of the payment of ships based at Plymouth
, a job he held until he was promoted to rear-admiral on 2 October 1807. By early 1810, he was made second-in-command of Portsmouth dockyard
and, by the end of the year, was again promoted; this time to the rank of vice-admiral. In 1810 he was appointed to the post of commander-in-chief of the North American Station - his father's old command - which he held during the War of 1812
before relinquishing it in 1813. He then became commander-in-chief of the base at Cork
. He became a Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath
on 2 January 1815 and was promoted to Admiral of the White in 1825. He died in Bath, Somerset
in 1833.
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...
(fl.
Floruit
Floruit , abbreviated fl. , is a Latin verb meaning "flourished", denoting the period of time during which something was active...
1783 – 1833) 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 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...
, the French Revolutionary War, the War of 1812
War of 1812
The War of 1812 was a military conflict fought between the forces of the United States of America and those of the British Empire. The Americans declared war in 1812 for several reasons, including trade restrictions because of Britain's ongoing war with France, impressment of American merchant...
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...
. He eventually rose to the rank of Admiral
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...
.
Family and early life
Sawyer was born the eldest son of Admiral Herbert SawyerHerbert Sawyer (1730 - 1798)
Herbert Sawyer was an officer of the Royal Navy who saw service during the Seven Years War, the American Revolution and the French Revolutionary War...
and followed his father into the navy. He saw service during the American Revolution, serving with his father who (by this time) was a 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...
and commanded a number of ships during the war. By the end of the war, the younger Sawyer was in command of 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...
. He was promoted to Post-Captain
Post-Captain
Post-captain is an obsolete alternative form of the rank of captain in the Royal Navy.The term served to distinguish those who were captains by rank from:...
in 1789 and took command of the 28-gun 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"...
. He served aboard her on the North American Station, operating off Newfoundland. His father was the commander of the base 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...
during this time.
Service in the wars
On the outbreak of the war with France in 1793, Sawyer was commander of , moving to the 64-gun in 1795. He sailed with Nassau as part of the North Sea Fleet until 1797 when he took command of the 74-gun . By 1799, he was commander of where he remained until the spring of 1801. He then moved aboard and sailed to the West Indies with Sir Robert CalderRobert Calder
Admiral Sir Robert Calder, 1st Baronet, KCB was a British naval officer who served in the Seven Years' War, the American Revolutionary War, the French Revolutionary Wars and the Napoleonic Wars.-Early life:...
's fleet. On Sawyer's return to Britain, he was put in charge of the payment of ships based at 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...
, a job he held until he was promoted to rear-admiral on 2 October 1807. By early 1810, he was made second-in-command of Portsmouth dockyard
HMNB Portsmouth
Her Majesty's Naval Base Portsmouth is one of three operating bases in the United Kingdom for the British Royal Navy...
and, by the end of the year, was again promoted; this time to the rank of vice-admiral. In 1810 he was appointed to the post of commander-in-chief of the North American Station - his father's old command - which he held during the War of 1812
War of 1812
The War of 1812 was a military conflict fought between the forces of the United States of America and those of the British Empire. The Americans declared war in 1812 for several reasons, including trade restrictions because of Britain's ongoing war with France, impressment of American merchant...
before relinquishing it in 1813. He then became commander-in-chief of the base at Cork
Cork (city)
Cork is the second largest city in the Republic of Ireland and the island of Ireland's third most populous city. It is the principal city and administrative centre of County Cork and the largest city in the province of Munster. Cork has a population of 119,418, while the addition of the suburban...
. He became 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...
on 2 January 1815 and was promoted to Admiral of the White in 1825. He died in Bath, Somerset
Somerset
The ceremonial and non-metropolitan county of Somerset in South West England borders Bristol and Gloucestershire to the north, Wiltshire to the east, Dorset to the south-east, and Devon to the south-west. It is partly bounded to the north and west by the Bristol Channel and the estuary of the...
in 1833.