Hugh Downman
Encyclopedia
Hugh Downman 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 Admiral
.
Downman spent most of the American War of Independence as a midshipman
, with a spell in French captivity after his ship was wrecked off the coast of Ushant
while chasing an enemy frigate. He was promoted to lieutenant shortly before the outbreak of the French Revolutionary Wars and served with distinction during operations in the Mediterranean. Downman served under several Admirals, and fought with Jervis
at Battle of Cape St Vincent. Shortly after the battle he was rewarded with his own command, going on to capture several privateer
s and fighting off an attack by a larger vessel. Promoted to post-captain
and given a frigate to command, he operated in the Mediterranean and performed services for the nobles and monarchs of the Italian states. Downman went on to command several ships of the line
, often as a flag-captain, and took part in the capture of the Cape Colony
and operations
on the Río de la Plata
.
Left without active employment after the end of the wars with France, he briefly returned to service in 1824. before being promoted to flag rank the following year. Downman continued to rise through the ranks, reaching the rank of full admiral before his death in 1858.
, Devon
around 1765. His uncle was Dr Hugh Downman, a physician and poet, who obtained for his nephew an offer to serve aboard the 32-gun as a midshipman
. Downman took up the offer, joining the ship, which was then under the command of Captain Mitchell Graham, on 10 October 1776. He served aboard Thetis for the next two years, leaving the ship in August 1778 and joining . The Arethusa was wrecked off Ushant
on 19 March 1779 while chasing a French ship, and Downman and the rest of the crew were taken prisoner by the French. Exchanged
in January 1780 Downman went on to serve aboard under Captain Samuel Marshall, before moving into the 74-gun in May 1782. Edgar at this time was flying the broad pennant
of Commodore
William Hotham
, and in October that year was part of the fleet sent out under Lord Howe
to relieve Gibraltar
. In the brief encounter with the Spanish fleet that followed on 20 October Edgar had six men wounded.
under Commodore William Cornwallis
. Cornwallis promoted him to lieutenant while serving in the East Indies on 5 March 1790. He returned to England at the start of 1793. With the commencement of the French Revolutionary Wars, Downman joined the 74-gun and went out to the Mediterranean, where served with Commodore Robert Linzee
's squadron. He was present at the occupation of Toulon
and assisted in the attack on the tower and redoubt at Fornelli in September 1793. While helping in the reduction of Corsica
, Downman cut out
a French gunboat
from under the guns of a battery at St Fiorenzo, and later led a party of 100 seamen and marines
in scaling a cliff to place a gun overlooking the enemy's defences. For these actions he received the thanks of Lieutenant-General David Dundas
.
Linzee was advanced to rear-admiral on 11 April 1794 and shifted his flag to the 98-gun , bringing Downman with him as his second lieutenant. He was then moved into the 100-gun , the flagship
of Admiral Lord Hood
, and returned with Hood to England. Hood was preparing to return to the Mediterranean aboard Victory, when on 2 May he was ordered to strike his flag
. Victory then went out to the Mediterranean as a private ship
, whereupon she became the flagship of Rear-Admiral Robert Mann, and then Sir John Jervis
. Under Mann Downman saw action at the Naval Battle of Hyères Islands
on 13 July 1795, and under Jervis he was at the Battle of Cape St Vincent on 14 February 1797.
. He made several cruises with Speedy, capturing a number of enemy vessels. On 3 February 1798 she encountered the large enemy privateer
Papillon, mounting 18 guns and carrying 160 men, while sailing off Vigo
. The Papillon attacked Speedy, which had a reduced crew owing to her master
Mr Marshall, and 12 men, being absent in command of a prize Speedy had taken earlier. The two ships fought each other for two days, and by the second Downman had exhausted his supply of shot, and resorted to firing nails and pieces of iron hoop at his opponent. Having observed the difficulty his captain was in, Master Marshall secured the Spanish crew of his prize below deck, and then took the prize crew off in a small boat to come to Downman's assistance. After a fierce fight the Papillon was driven off, with Speedy suffering losses of five killed and four wounded. Downman then recaptured his prize that the master had been compelled to abandon, and returned to Lisbon
to carry out repairs. During his time in command of Speedy Downman captured five privateers, altogether mounting 17 guns and 28 swivels, and carrying 162 men. For his efforts protecting British trade out of Oporto, the merchants presented him with a letter of thanks, and a piece of plate valued at £50.
on 26 December 1798 and was appointed to command the 32-gun , a frigate that had recently been captured
from the Spanish. On 28 November that year Santa Dorothea, operating in company with , and captured the 16-gun San Leon on the Lisbon
station. Captain William Brown was to have succeeded Downman in 1799, but he was given another ship instead, and Downman retained Santa Dorothea. He cut out vessels from Bordiguera on 11 January 1800 and Hospitallier on 11 February 1800, before taking command of a small squadron blockading Savona
. The town surrendered after 41 days, on 15 May. Downman then destroyed all the fortifications on the Gulf of Spezia. He went on to land the Duke of Savoy
at Naples
and evacuated the gallery of Florence
to Sicily
, ahead of the invading French. For his services to the monarchies of Italy he received several presents of money and rings. In July 1801 he conveyed troops to Egypt and received the Order of the Crescent
. Also during this time Downman captured three vessels sailing from Egypt carrying General Dessaix
and some of Napoleon's
staff.
on the Lisbon station. Downman was flag-captain to Saumarez until Caesar was paid off at Portsmouth
on 23 July 1802. Saumarez then requested Downman to serve as his flag-captain aboard the 50-gun on the Guernsey
station, where he spent the next 14 months. In November 1805 he took command of the 64-gun , flying the broad pennant of Commodore Sir Home Popham
. He was supported the operations under Lieutenant-General Sir David Baird
to capture the Cape Colony
, and landed in Table Bay
at the head of a party of marines and two howitzer
s. He was sent home with the despatches announcing the capture of the colony, after which he was sent out to the Rio de la Plata
, where he resumed command of his old ship, Diomede. Downman supported the British assaults
, and was present at the capture of Montevideo
. After this he returned home, carrying General William Beresford
. Diomede was paid off in September 1807, and Downman went ashore.
s moored at Portsmouth, a task he carried out until January 1811, when he was given another seagoing command, the 74-gun and attached to the fleet in the North Sea
. He took part in the destruction of the 40-gun French frigate Amazone off Cape Barfleur, conveyed a fleet of East Indiamen
to Madeira
and carried out cruises in the North Sea. In November 1813 he landed marines at Scheveningen in support of the Prince of Orange
, and went on to visit Spitsbergen
. Princess Carolina was paid off in 1814 and Downman spent the next ten years with no active service.
, Hampshire
.
Downman married Dorothea Palmer, the youngest daughter of Peter Palmer of Portsmouth on 23 June 1803. The couple had a son, the Reverend Hugh Downman, and two daughters, Dorothea Frances and Caroline. Caroline married Edward Hale and had two sons, Henry George Hale who joined the navy, and William Godfrey Hale, who joined the army. Henry Hale distinguished himself in the Baltic campaign during the Crimean War
and was twice mentioned in despatches by Vice-Admiral Richard Saunders Dundas
. Lieutenant-General T. Downman, superintendent at Woolwich, was a first-cousin of Admiral Hugh Downman.
Politically Downman was an ardent supporter of Whig Charles James Fox
and opposed the Melvilles, Henry
and his son Robert
, who were for a number of years powerful at the Admiralty
. Downman attributed this political interest as being the cause of his period of unemployment after having reached flag-rank. He was described as a "strict disciplinarian, but an accomplished gentleman; well-read...[and] temperate..." Whilst serving in the Mediterranean he was apparently especially disliked by Emma Hamilton
, with Downman's obituary noting that "from this fact some slight judgement of his character may be formed."
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 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...
.
Downman spent most of the American War of Independence as a midshipman
Midshipman
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...
, with a spell in French captivity after his ship was wrecked off the coast of Ushant
Ushant
Ushant is an island at the south-western end of the English Channel which marks the north-westernmost point of metropolitan France. It belongs to Brittany and is in the traditional region of Bro-Leon. Administratively, Ushant is a commune in the Finistère department...
while chasing an enemy frigate. He was promoted to lieutenant shortly before the outbreak of the French Revolutionary Wars and served with distinction during operations in the Mediterranean. Downman served under several Admirals, and fought with Jervis
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...
at Battle of Cape St Vincent. Shortly after the battle he was rewarded with his own command, going on to capture several privateer
Privateer
A privateer is a private person or ship authorized by a government by letters of marque to attack foreign shipping during wartime. Privateering was a way of mobilizing armed ships and sailors without having to spend public money or commit naval officers...
s and fighting off an attack by a larger vessel. 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:...
and given a frigate to command, he operated in the Mediterranean and performed services for the nobles and monarchs of the Italian states. Downman went on to command several ships of the line
Ship of the line
A ship of the line was a type of naval warship constructed from the 17th through the mid-19th century to take part in the naval tactic known as the line of battle, in which two columns of opposing warships would manoeuvre to bring the greatest weight of broadside guns to bear...
, often as a flag-captain, and took part in the capture of the Cape Colony
Cape Colony
The Cape Colony, part of modern South Africa, was established by the Dutch East India Company in 1652, with the founding of Cape Town. It was subsequently occupied by the British in 1795 when the Netherlands were occupied by revolutionary France, so that the French revolutionaries could not take...
and operations
British invasions of the Río de la Plata
The British invasions of the Río de la Plata were a series of unsuccessful British attempts to seize control of the Spanish colonies located around the La Plata Basin in South America . The invasions took place between 1806 and 1807, as part of the Napoleonic Wars, when Spain was an ally of...
on the Río de la Plata
Río de la Plata
The Río de la Plata —sometimes rendered River Plate in British English and the Commonwealth, and occasionally rendered [La] Plata River in other English-speaking countries—is the river and estuary formed by the confluence of the Uruguay River and the Paraná River on the border between Argentina and...
.
Left without active employment after the end of the wars with France, he briefly returned to service in 1824. before being promoted to flag rank the following year. Downman continued to rise through the ranks, reaching the rank of full admiral before his death in 1858.
Family and early life
Hugh Downman was born in PlymptonPlympton
Plympton, or Plympton Maurice or Plympton St Maurice or Plympton St Mary or Plympton Erle, in south-western Devon, England is an ancient stannary town: an important trading centre in the past for locally mined tin, and a former seaport...
, Devon
Devon
Devon is a large county in southwestern England. The county is sometimes referred to as Devonshire, although the term is rarely used inside the county itself as the county has never been officially "shired", it often indicates a traditional or historical context.The county shares borders with...
around 1765. His uncle was Dr Hugh Downman, a physician and poet, who obtained for his nephew an offer to serve aboard the 32-gun as a midshipman
Midshipman
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...
. Downman took up the offer, joining the ship, which was then under the command of Captain Mitchell Graham, on 10 October 1776. He served aboard Thetis for the next two years, leaving the ship in August 1778 and joining . The Arethusa was wrecked off Ushant
Ushant
Ushant is an island at the south-western end of the English Channel which marks the north-westernmost point of metropolitan France. It belongs to Brittany and is in the traditional region of Bro-Leon. Administratively, Ushant is a commune in the Finistère department...
on 19 March 1779 while chasing a French ship, and Downman and the rest of the crew were taken prisoner by the French. Exchanged
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...
in January 1780 Downman went on to serve aboard under Captain Samuel Marshall, before moving into the 74-gun in May 1782. Edgar at this time was flying the broad pennant
Broad pennant
A broad pennant is a swallow-tailed tapering flag flown from the masthead of a ship to indicate the presence of a commodore on board. It is so called because its dimensions are roughly 2:3....
of Commodore
Commodore (Royal Navy)
Commodore is a rank of the Royal Navy above Captain and below Rear Admiral. It has a NATO ranking code of OF-6. The rank is equivalent to Brigadier in the British Army and Royal Marines and to Air Commodore in the Royal Air Force.-Insignia:...
William Hotham
William Hotham, 1st Baron Hotham
Admiral William Hotham, 1st Baron Hotham was an officer in the Royal Navy. He was the son of Sir Beaumont Hotham , a lineal descendant of Sir John Hotham....
, and in October that year was part of the fleet sent out under Lord Howe
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...
to relieve 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...
. In the brief encounter with the Spanish fleet that followed on 20 October Edgar had six men wounded.
French Revolutionary Wars
Little is known of Downman's activities during the years of peace that followed, until his appearance in February 1789 with the fleet despatched to the East IndiesEast 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...
under Commodore William Cornwallis
William Cornwallis
Admiral the Honourable Sir William Cornwallis GCB was a Royal Navy officer who fought in the Napoleonic Wars. He was the brother of Charles Cornwallis, the 1st Marquess Cornwallis, governor-general of India...
. Cornwallis promoted him to lieutenant while serving in the East Indies on 5 March 1790. He returned to England at the start of 1793. With the commencement of the French Revolutionary Wars, Downman joined the 74-gun and went out to the Mediterranean, where served with Commodore Robert Linzee
Robert Linzee
Robert Linzee was an officer of the Royal Navy who served during the American Revolutionary War, the French Revolutionary War, and the Napoleonic War....
's squadron. He was present at the occupation 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:...
and assisted in the attack on the tower and redoubt at Fornelli in September 1793. While helping in the reduction of Corsica
Corsica
Corsica is an island in the Mediterranean Sea. It is located west of Italy, southeast of the French mainland, and north of the island of Sardinia....
, Downman cut out
Boarding (attack)
Boarding, in its simplest sense, refers to the insertion on to a ship's deck of individuals. However, when it is classified as an attack, in most contexts, it refers to the forcible insertion of personnel that are not members of the crew by another party without the consent of the captain or crew...
a French gunboat
Gunboat
A gunboat is a naval watercraft designed for the express purpose of carrying one or more guns to bombard coastal targets, as opposed to those military craft designed for naval warfare, or for ferrying troops or supplies.-History:...
from under the guns of a battery at St Fiorenzo, and later led a party of 100 seamen and 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...
in scaling a cliff to place a gun overlooking the enemy's defences. For these actions he received the thanks of Lieutenant-General David Dundas
Sir David Dundas, 1st Baronet
General Sir David Dundas, 1st Baronet, GCB was a British general who served as Commander-in-Chief of the Forces from 1809 to 1811.-Military service:...
.
Linzee was advanced to rear-admiral on 11 April 1794 and shifted his flag to the 98-gun , bringing Downman with him as his second lieutenant. He was then moved into the 100-gun , the 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...
of Admiral Lord Hood
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...
, and returned with Hood to England. Hood was preparing to return to the Mediterranean aboard Victory, when on 2 May he was ordered to strike his flag
Striking the colors
Striking the colors is the universally recognized indication of surrender, particularly for ships at sea. Surrender is dated from the time the ensign is struck.-In international law:# "Colors. A national flag . The colors . ....
. Victory then went out to the Mediterranean as a private ship
Private ship
Private ship is a term used in the British Royal Navy to describe that status of a commissioned warship in active service that is not currently serving as the flagship of a flag officer . The term in no way implies any type of private ownership of the vessel, but is more akin to private...
, whereupon she became the flagship of Rear-Admiral Robert Mann, and then Sir John Jervis
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...
. Under Mann Downman saw action at the Naval Battle of Hyères Islands
Naval Battle of Hyères Islands
The Naval Battle of Hyères Islands was fought on 13 July 1795 off the Hyères Islands, a group of islands off the French Mediterranean coast, about 25 km east of Toulon. The battle was fought between the van of a British fleet chasing the French squadron, and the French rear...
on 13 July 1795, and under Jervis he was at the Battle of Cape St Vincent on 14 February 1797.
Speedy
Several months after Cape St Vincent, on 20 July, Downman was promoted to the rank of commander and appointed to command the 14-gun brigBrig
A brig is a sailing vessel with two square-rigged masts. During the Age of Sail, brigs were seen as fast and manoeuvrable and were used as both naval warships and merchant vessels. They were especially popular in the 18th and early 19th centuries...
. He made several cruises with Speedy, capturing a number of enemy vessels. On 3 February 1798 she encountered the large enemy privateer
Privateer
A privateer is a private person or ship authorized by a government by letters of marque to attack foreign shipping during wartime. Privateering was a way of mobilizing armed ships and sailors without having to spend public money or commit naval officers...
Papillon, mounting 18 guns and carrying 160 men, while sailing off Vigo
Vigo
Vigo is a city and municipality in north-west Spain, in Galicia, situated on the ria of the same name on the Atlantic Ocean.-Population:...
. The Papillon attacked Speedy, which had a reduced crew owing to her master
Master (naval)
The master, or sailing master, was a historic term for a naval officer trained in and responsible for the navigation of a sailing vessel...
Mr Marshall, and 12 men, being absent in command of a prize Speedy had taken earlier. The two ships fought each other for two days, and by the second Downman had exhausted his supply of shot, and resorted to firing nails and pieces of iron hoop at his opponent. Having observed the difficulty his captain was in, Master Marshall secured the Spanish crew of his prize below deck, and then took the prize crew off in a small boat to come to Downman's assistance. After a fierce fight the Papillon was driven off, with Speedy suffering losses of five killed and four wounded. Downman then recaptured his prize that the master had been compelled to abandon, and returned to 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...
to carry out repairs. During his time in command of Speedy Downman captured five privateers, altogether mounting 17 guns and 28 swivels, and carrying 162 men. For his efforts protecting British trade out of Oporto, the merchants presented him with a letter of thanks, and a piece of plate valued at £50.
Santa Dorothea
As a reward for his good service Downman was advanced to 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 26 December 1798 and was appointed to command the 32-gun , a frigate that had recently been captured
Action of 15 July 1798
The Action of 15 July 1798 was a minor naval battle of the French Revolutionary Wars, fought off the Spanish Mediterranean coast by the Royal Navy ship of the line HMS Lion under Captain Manley Dixon and a squadron of four Spanish Navy frigates under Commodore Don Felix O'Neil...
from the Spanish. On 28 November that year Santa Dorothea, operating in company with , and captured the 16-gun San Leon on the 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...
station. Captain William Brown was to have succeeded Downman in 1799, but he was given another ship instead, and Downman retained Santa Dorothea. He cut out vessels from Bordiguera on 11 January 1800 and Hospitallier on 11 February 1800, before taking command of a small squadron blockading Savona
Savona
Savona is a seaport and comune in the northern Italian region of Liguria, capital of the Province of Savona, in the Riviera di Ponente on the Mediterranean Sea....
. The town surrendered after 41 days, on 15 May. Downman then destroyed all the fortifications on the Gulf of Spezia. He went on to land the Duke of Savoy
Victor Emmanuel I of Sardinia
Victor Emmanuel I was the Duke of Savoy and King of Sardinia from 1802 to 1821, and Jacobite Pretender from 1819 until his death.-Biography:...
at Naples
Naples
Naples is a city in Southern Italy, situated on the country's west coast by the Gulf of Naples. Lying between two notable volcanic regions, Mount Vesuvius and the Phlegraean Fields, it is the capital of the region of Campania and of the province of Naples...
and evacuated the gallery of Florence
Florence
Florence is the capital city of the Italian region of Tuscany and of the province of Florence. It is the most populous city in Tuscany, with approximately 370,000 inhabitants, expanding to over 1.5 million in the metropolitan area....
to Sicily
Sicily
Sicily is a region of Italy, and is the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea. Along with the surrounding minor islands, it constitutes an autonomous region of Italy, the Regione Autonoma Siciliana Sicily has a rich and unique culture, especially with regard to the arts, music, literature,...
, ahead of the invading French. For his services to the monarchies of Italy he received several presents of money and rings. In July 1801 he conveyed troops to Egypt and received the Order of the Crescent
Order of the Crescent
The Imperial Order of the Crescent was a chivalric order of the Ottoman Empire. It was instituted in 1799 by Sultan Selim III when he wished to reward Horatio Nelson, an Anglican Christian, for his victory at the Battle of the Nile...
. Also during this time Downman captured three vessels sailing from Egypt carrying General Dessaix
Joseph Marie, Count Dessaix
Joseph Marie, Count Dessaix was a French general.He was born at Thonon in Savoy...
and some of Napoleon's
Napoleon I of France
Napoleon Bonaparte was a French military and political leader during the latter stages of the French Revolution.As Napoleon I, he was Emperor of the French from 1804 to 1815...
staff.
Caesar, Diomede and Diadem
Downman then took command of the 80-gun , which was then the flagship of Sir James SaumarezJames Saumarez, 1st Baron de Saumarez
Admiral James Saumarez, 1st Baron de Saumarez , GCB was an admiral of the British Royal Navy, notable for his victory at the Battle of Algeciras.-Early life:...
on the Lisbon station. Downman was flag-captain to Saumarez until Caesar was paid off at Portsmouth
Portsmouth
Portsmouth is the second largest city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire on the south coast of England. Portsmouth is notable for being the United Kingdom's only island city; it is located mainly on Portsea Island...
on 23 July 1802. Saumarez then requested Downman to serve as his flag-captain aboard the 50-gun on the Guernsey
Guernsey
Guernsey, officially the Bailiwick of Guernsey is a British Crown dependency in the English Channel off the coast of Normandy.The Bailiwick, as a governing entity, embraces not only all 10 parishes on the Island of Guernsey, but also the islands of Herm, Jethou, Burhou, and Lihou and their islet...
station, where he spent the next 14 months. In November 1805 he took command of the 64-gun , flying the broad pennant of Commodore Sir Home Popham
Home Riggs Popham
Admiral Sir Home Riggs Popham KCB was a British Royal Naval Commander who saw service during the French Revolutionary Wars and the Napoleonic Wars...
. He was supported the operations under Lieutenant-General Sir David Baird
Sir David Baird, 1st Baronet
General Sir David Baird, 1st Baronet GCB was a British military leader.-Military career:He was born at Newbyth House in Haddingtonshire, Scotland, the son of an Edinburgh merchant family, and entered the British Army in 1772. He was sent to India in 1779 with the 73rd Highlanders, in which he...
to capture the Cape Colony
Cape Colony
The Cape Colony, part of modern South Africa, was established by the Dutch East India Company in 1652, with the founding of Cape Town. It was subsequently occupied by the British in 1795 when the Netherlands were occupied by revolutionary France, so that the French revolutionaries could not take...
, and landed in Table Bay
Table Bay
Table Bay is a natural bay on the Atlantic Ocean overlooked by Cape Town and is at the northern end of the Cape Peninsula, which stretches south to the Cape of Good Hope. It was named because it is dominated by the flat-topped Table Mountain.Bartolomeu Dias was the first European to explore this...
at the head of a party of marines and two howitzer
Howitzer
A howitzer is a type of artillery piece characterized by a relatively short barrel and the use of comparatively small propellant charges to propel projectiles at relatively high trajectories, with a steep angle of descent...
s. He was sent home with the despatches announcing the capture of the colony, after which he was sent out to the Rio de la Plata
Río de la Plata
The Río de la Plata —sometimes rendered River Plate in British English and the Commonwealth, and occasionally rendered [La] Plata River in other English-speaking countries—is the river and estuary formed by the confluence of the Uruguay River and the Paraná River on the border between Argentina and...
, where he resumed command of his old ship, Diomede. Downman supported the British assaults
British invasions of the Río de la Plata
The British invasions of the Río de la Plata were a series of unsuccessful British attempts to seize control of the Spanish colonies located around the La Plata Basin in South America . The invasions took place between 1806 and 1807, as part of the Napoleonic Wars, when Spain was an ally of...
, and was present at the capture of Montevideo
Montevideo
Montevideo is the largest city, the capital, and the chief port of Uruguay. The settlement was established in 1726 by Bruno Mauricio de Zabala, as a strategic move amidst a Spanish-Portuguese dispute over the platine region, and as a counter to the Portuguese colony at Colonia del Sacramento...
. After this he returned home, carrying General William Beresford
William Beresford, 1st Viscount Beresford
General William Carr Beresford, 1st Viscount Beresford, 1st Marquis of Campo Maior, GCB, GCH, GCTE, PC , was a British soldier and politician...
. Diomede was paid off in September 1807, and Downman went ashore.
Prison ships and Princess Charlotte
Downman's next appointment was to superintend the prison shipPrison ship
A prison ship, historically sometimes called a prison hulk, is a vessel used as a prison, often to hold convicts awaiting transportation to penal colonies. This practice was popular with the British government in the 18th and 19th centuries....
s moored at Portsmouth, a task he carried out until January 1811, when he was given another seagoing command, the 74-gun and attached to the fleet in the North Sea
North Sea
In the southwest, beyond the Straits of Dover, the North Sea becomes the English Channel connecting to the Atlantic Ocean. In the east, it connects to the Baltic Sea via the Skagerrak and Kattegat, narrow straits that separate Denmark from Norway and Sweden respectively...
. He took part in the destruction of the 40-gun French frigate Amazone off Cape Barfleur, conveyed a fleet of East Indiamen
East Indiamen
An East Indiaman was a ship operating under charter or license to any of the East India Companies of the major European trading powers of the 17th through the 19th centuries...
to Madeira
Madeira
Madeira is a Portuguese archipelago that lies between and , just under 400 km north of Tenerife, Canary Islands, in the north Atlantic Ocean and an outermost region of the European Union...
and carried out cruises in the North Sea. In November 1813 he landed marines at Scheveningen in support of the Prince of Orange
William I of the Netherlands
William I Frederick, born Willem Frederik Prins van Oranje-Nassau , was a Prince of Orange and the first King of the Netherlands and Grand Duke of Luxembourg....
, and went on to visit Spitsbergen
Spitsbergen
Spitsbergen is the largest and only permanently populated island of the Svalbard archipelago in Norway. Constituting the western-most bulk of the archipelago, it borders the Arctic Ocean, the Norwegian Sea and the Greenland Sea...
. Princess Carolina was paid off in 1814 and Downman spent the next ten years with no active service.
Later years, family and legacy
Downman briefly returned to active service in 1824, taking command of the 74-gun . He commanded her until being promoted to flag rank in May 1825. He was advanced to vice-admiral in 1837 and a full admiral in 1847. From 1851 he received a service pension of £150 a year. On 4 January 1858, he died at his seat in HambledonHambledon, Hampshire
Hambledon is a small village and civil parish in the county of Hampshire in England, situated about north of Portsmouth.Hambledon is best known as the 'Cradle of Cricket'. It is thought that Hambledon Club, one of the oldest cricket clubs known, was formed about 1750...
, Hampshire
Hampshire
Hampshire is a county on the southern coast of England in the United Kingdom. The county town of Hampshire is Winchester, a historic cathedral city that was once the capital of England. Hampshire is notable for housing the original birthplaces of the Royal Navy, British Army, and Royal Air Force...
.
Downman married Dorothea Palmer, the youngest daughter of Peter Palmer of Portsmouth on 23 June 1803. The couple had a son, the Reverend Hugh Downman, and two daughters, Dorothea Frances and Caroline. Caroline married Edward Hale and had two sons, Henry George Hale who joined the navy, and William Godfrey Hale, who joined the army. Henry Hale distinguished himself in the Baltic campaign during the Crimean War
Crimean War
The Crimean War was a conflict fought between the Russian Empire and an alliance of the French Empire, the British Empire, the Ottoman Empire, and the Kingdom of Sardinia. The war was part of a long-running contest between the major European powers for influence over territories of the declining...
and was twice mentioned in despatches by Vice-Admiral Richard Saunders Dundas
Richard Saunders Dundas
Vice Admiral The Hon. Sir Richard Saunders Dundas, KCB was a British naval officer and was the British First Sea Lord from 1857 to 1858 and again from 1859 until his death in 1861.-Early life:...
. Lieutenant-General T. Downman, superintendent at Woolwich, was a first-cousin of Admiral Hugh Downman.
Politically Downman was an ardent supporter of Whig Charles James Fox
Charles James Fox
Charles James Fox PC , styled The Honourable from 1762, was a prominent British Whig statesman whose parliamentary career spanned thirty-eight years of the late 18th and early 19th centuries and who was particularly noted for being the arch-rival of William Pitt the Younger...
and opposed the Melvilles, Henry
Henry Dundas, 1st Viscount Melville
Henry Dundas, 1st Viscount Melville PC and Baron Dunira was a Scottish lawyer and politician. He was the first Secretary of State for War and the last person to be impeached in the United Kingdom....
and his son Robert
Robert 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...
, who were for a number of years powerful at the Admiralty
Admiralty
The Admiralty was formerly the authority in the Kingdom of England, and later in the United Kingdom, responsible for the command of the Royal Navy...
. Downman attributed this political interest as being the cause of his period of unemployment after having reached flag-rank. He was described as a "strict disciplinarian, but an accomplished gentleman; well-read...[and] temperate..." Whilst serving in the Mediterranean he was apparently especially disliked by Emma Hamilton
Emma, Lady Hamilton
Emma, Lady Hamilton is best remembered as the mistress of Lord Nelson and as the muse of George Romney. She was born Amy Lyon in Ness near Neston, Cheshire, England, the daughter of a blacksmith, Henry Lyon, who died when she was two months old...
, with Downman's obituary noting that "from this fact some slight judgement of his character may be formed."