Hugh Palliser
Encyclopedia
Admiral Sir Hugh Palliser, 1st Baronet (26 February 1723 – 9 March 1796) was an officer of the British
Royal Navy
during the Seven Years' War
and the American Revolutionary War
. During the latter he came into a famous dispute with Augustus Keppel
over the Battle of Ushant
which led to Palliser being court-martialled, although he was subsequently acquitted.
, in the North Riding of Yorkshire
. The family had estates in Yorkshire and Ireland. His parents died when he was still young, so he and his sisters were (probably) raised by relatives on his mother's side. He entered the navy in 1735 as a midshipman
on HMS Aldborough commanded by his uncle Nicholas Robinson. He followed his uncle to HMS Kennington in 1737, and then to HMS Tiger
and HMS Essex
.
Palliser passed his lieutenant's examination on 12 May 1741 and was promoted to the rank on 18 September 1741. He continued to serve aboard Essex, at first under Robinson, and after he was superseded, under Captain Richard Norris, the son of Sir John Norris. On 3 July 1746 he was placed in command of HMS Weazel. On 25 November of that year he was appointed post-captain
of HMS Captain
, sailing for the West Indies with the broad pennant
of Commodore
Edward Legge. Legge died on 19 September 1747, and Palliser transferred to HMS Sutherland
. Six months later an accidental fire in that ship's arms chest wounded Palliser; a ball
entered his back and exited his groin; another ball struck his right hip; a third ball struck his left shoulder. Two men were killed in the explosion, and Palliser returned to England to recover. He recovered, though he remained lame in his left leg, and suffered perpetual and sometimes excruciating pain, to which his death was eventually attributed. He was appointed to the frigate HMS Sheerness
in December 1748, and sailed her to the East Indies
to bring the commanders there news of the peace. He was part of Edward Boscawen
's squadron on the Coromandel coast
from July 1749, returning to Britain to pay off Sheerness in April 1750. Palliser was next appointed to , the guardship at Chatham
. Shortly afterwards he was moved to the 20-gun , and while in that command he was arrested by Scottish authorities for refusing to let one of his seamen be taken from the ship on what turned out to be a forged letter of indenture. Palliser was held for several days in the Tolbooth
Jail in Edinburgh
until released by the Lords of Sessions, who invoked their authority to supersede that of the judge of the vice-admiralty court in Edinburgh.
In early 1753 Palliser was appointed captain of the 50-gun , but soon afterwards was returned to a convoy consisting of Seahorse and , to protect transports being used to move two British Army regiments to the Colonies to be used against the French forces there. He sailed in January 1755, but chose to sail far south of the usual route. Going as far south as the Tropic of Cancer
, he avoided the usual stormy and rough crossing, which won him significant notoriety and praise from governmental authorities.
. That ship engaged and defeated the French 50-gun Duc d'Aquitain off Ushant
on 30 May 1757. After that battle Eagle returned to port for repairs, and Palliser moved to command of the 74-gun HMS Shrewsbury
, part of the Channel Fleet
under George Anson
.
In that ship in July 1758 he grounded and captured several French ships near Brest
. In 1759 Palliser participated in the successful British capture
of Quebec City
, commanding the seamen who landed and took possession of Lower Town. In 1760 Palliser was sent to the Mediterranean Sea
to chase a small French squadron which had slipped out of the port at Toulon
. He bottled the French boats up at several ports in Turkey
. In 1762 Palliser commanded a four-ship armada dispatched to retake St. Johns, Newfoundland, but the area was already in British control when he arrived following the Battle of Signal Hill
.
Palliser actively supported the fisheries as a source of trained seamen for the Royal Navy. As such he took active steps to enforce the provisions of Treaty of Paris (1763)
restricting French access to their specific fishing rights. He also sought to restrict further settlement of Newfoundland, so to encourage the British based industry.
Palliser remained Governor of Newfoundland until 1768. In 1770 Commodore Palliser was appointed Comptroller of the Navy
, and in that same year was elected an elder brother of the Trinity House
, which oversees British lighthouse
s and provides general expertise to the government on naval matters.
In 1773 Palliser was made Baronet
. In 1774 he was elected to Parliament
for the Borough
of Scarborough. In 1775 he achieved flag rank when promoted to rear-admiral
. Under the Earl of Sandwich
he became one of the Lords of the Admiralty and received the sinecure of Lieutenant-General of Marines. In 1775 he initiated legislation to encourage ship fisheries, known as Palliser’s Act but titled "The Act for the Encouragement of the Ship Fishery".
Historian Sean Cadigan, author of Hope and Deception in Conception Bay (1995), has since linked Palliser's Act with the high-valuation of women's labour in 18th Century Newfoundland. Given that Palliser's Act required producers to pre-pay their labourers for the fishing season, producers developed little incentive to hire outside of their families: hired labour was high risk because pre-paid wages reduced producers' margin for gain (or loss). As such, Palliser's Act inspired the merger of household labour with the market, making women's work essential to the economic success of the colony.
In 1778 Palliser was promoted again to Vice-Admiral of the Blue
.
under Admiral Augustus Keppel. On 27 July 1778 in the First Battle of Ushant
, the Channel Fleet fought an inconclusive battle with the French fleet. The battle’s outcome led to personal acrimony between Palliser and Keppel, resulted in their individual courts martial and increased divisiveness in the Navy. Palliser was forced to resign from Parliament and his other posts.
The July 1778 Battle of Ushant came about when the British fleet found that it had become located between the French ships and their home ports. Seeing the sudden advantage, Keppel ordered that a battle line be formed and an attack made. Palliser's ship was badly damaged in the ensuing fray, and when Keppel hoisted the signal to reform the battle line, Palliser's division was some distance away, so a frigate was dispatched to give the instruction. Due to the battle damage, Palliser's division was unable to comply until later in the evening, when it was too late to continue the battle, and the French withdrew to Brest. Both sides later claimed victory, and Keppel issued a dispatch which commended all his officers for their conduct in the action.
Palliser heard rumours that Keppel had intimated in private conversations that Palliser's absence had been the cause of the inconclusive outcome, so Palliser wrote a paper defending his actions. An anonymous letter to a London newspaper accused Palliser of disobedience in the battle, and he called on Keppel to refute the allegation. When no public refutation was forthcoming, Palliser demanded that a court martial be held to try Keppel on charges of "misconduct and neglect of duty" (which carried a death sentence if proved). Keppel's court martial was held at Portsmouth in January 1779, and he was acquitted after 27 days, the court finding that the charges against him had been brought with malicious intent and were unfounded. The court-martial outcome meant ruin for Palliser. He was defended by Lord Sandwich
, but still had to resign from Parliament and as Lieutenant-General of the Marines. He then demanded that a court martial be convened against him so that he could present his version of events during his defence. The court martial was convened, and he was acquitted after 21 days. However, he was censured in that he had failed to inform his superior officer of the battle damage in a timely manner.
After his acquittal Palliser hoped to be reinstated in Lt.-General of Marines. Instead, in 1780 he was appointed Governor of Greenwich Hospital by Lord Sandwich, and was again elected to Parliament for Huntingdon
(1780–1784). In 1787 he was promoted to the rank of Admiral.
James Cook
, a fellow Yorkshireman, first served under Palliser as Master's Mate of HMS Eagle from 1755 to 1758. Palliser would have supported his elevation to Master in 1757. Both were present at the siege of Quebec where Cook charted the approach to the city and the landing area. Following the Treaty of Paris
, Cook was charged with surveying Newfoundland. As Governor, Palliser actively supported Cook’s work and assisted in the publication of his acclaimed map of Newfoundland. During his term as Comptroller, Palliser supported Cook’s first command of exploration in 1768, and his subsequent voyages. Cook named Cape Palliser
, Palliser Bay
and Palliser Isles after his "worthy friend". On Cook's death, Palliser erected a memorial to Cook on his estate (The Vache
).
and was buried at St Giles.
|-
Kingdom of Great Britain
The former Kingdom of Great Britain, sometimes described as the 'United Kingdom of Great Britain', That the Two Kingdoms of Scotland and England, shall upon the 1st May next ensuing the date hereof, and forever after, be United into One Kingdom by the Name of GREAT BRITAIN. was a sovereign...
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...
during 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...
and the American Revolutionary War
American Revolutionary War
The American Revolutionary War , the American War of Independence, or simply the Revolutionary War, began as a war between the Kingdom of Great Britain and thirteen British colonies in North America, and ended in a global war between several European great powers.The war was the result of the...
. During the latter he came into a famous dispute with Augustus 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...
over the Battle of Ushant
Battle of Ushant (1778)
The Battle of Ushant took place on 27 July 1778, during the American War of Independence, fought between French and British fleets 100 miles west of Ushant, a French island at the mouth of the English Channel off the north-westernmost point of France...
which led to Palliser being court-martialled, although he was subsequently acquitted.
Early life
Palliser was the only son of Hugh Palliser and Mary Robinson. at Kirk DeightonKirk Deighton
Kirk Deighton is a village and civil parish in the Harrogate district of North Yorkshire, England. It is situated to the immediate north west of Wetherby and near the A1. The village has a population of less than 500 people. Kirk Deighton is set along the county border line between West Yorkshire...
, in the North Riding of Yorkshire
North Riding of Yorkshire
The North Riding of Yorkshire was one of the three historic subdivisions of the English county of Yorkshire, alongside the East and West Ridings. From the Restoration it was used as a Lieutenancy area. The three ridings were treated as three counties for many purposes, such as having separate...
. The family had estates in Yorkshire and Ireland. His parents died when he was still young, so he and his sisters were (probably) raised by relatives on his mother's side. He entered the navy in 1735 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...
on HMS Aldborough commanded by his uncle Nicholas Robinson. He followed his uncle to HMS Kennington in 1737, and then to HMS Tiger
HMS Tyger (1647)
HMS Tyger, often spelled Tiger, was a 38-gun fourth rate frigate of the Royal Navy, built by Peter Pett II at Woolwich and launched in 1647. The term 'frigate' during the period of this ship referred to a method of construction, rather than a role which did not develop until the following century...
and HMS Essex
HMS Essex (1679)
HMS Essex was a 70-gun third rate ship of the line of the Royal Navy, launched at Blackwall Yard in 1679.She was rebuilt at Rotherhithe in 1700, retaining her 70-gun armament. She underwent a second rebuild in 1713, and on 20 May 1736 she was ordered to be taken to pieces and rebuilt at Woolwich as...
.
Palliser passed his lieutenant's examination on 12 May 1741 and was promoted to the rank on 18 September 1741. He continued to serve aboard Essex, at first under Robinson, and after he was superseded, under Captain Richard Norris, the son of Sir John Norris. On 3 July 1746 he was placed in command of HMS Weazel. On 25 November of that year he was appointed 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:...
of HMS Captain
HMS Captain (1678)
HMS Captain was a 70-gun third rate ship of the line of the Royal Navy, launched at Woolwich Dockyard in 1678.She underwent her first rebuild at Portsmouth Dockyard, where she was reconstructed as a 70-gun third rate built to the 1706 Establishment, and relaunched on 6 July 1708...
, sailing for the West Indies with 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:...
Edward Legge. Legge died on 19 September 1747, and Palliser transferred to HMS Sutherland
HMS Sutherland (1741)
HMS Sutherland was a 50-gun fourth rate ship of the line of the Royal Navy, built at Rotherhithe according to the dimensions laid out in the 1733 proposals of the 1719 Establishment, and launched on 15 October 1741....
. Six months later an accidental fire in that ship's arms chest wounded Palliser; a ball
Round shot
Round shot is a solid projectile without explosive charge, fired from a cannon. As the name implies, round shot is spherical; its diameter is slightly less than the bore of the gun it is fired from.Round shot was made in early times from dressed stone, but by the 17th century, from iron...
entered his back and exited his groin; another ball struck his right hip; a third ball struck his left shoulder. Two men were killed in the explosion, and Palliser returned to England to recover. He recovered, though he remained lame in his left leg, and suffered perpetual and sometimes excruciating pain, to which his death was eventually attributed. He was appointed to the frigate HMS Sheerness
HMS Sheerness (1743)
HMS Sheerness was a 24-gun sixth rate launched in 1744. She captured the Jacobite Le Prince Charles on 26 March 1746 in the Kyle of Tongue. She later captured the French Auguste off Spain on 18 August 1756.She was sold in 1768....
in December 1748, and sailed her 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 bring the commanders there news of the peace. He was part of 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...
's squadron on the Coromandel coast
Coromandel Coast
The Coromandel Coast is the name given to the southeastern coast of the Indian Subcontinent between Cape Comorin and False Divi Point...
from July 1749, returning to Britain to pay off Sheerness in April 1750. Palliser was next appointed to , the guardship at Chatham
Chatham Dockyard
Chatham Dockyard, located on the River Medway and of which two-thirds is in Gillingham and one third in Chatham, Kent, England, came into existence at the time when, following the Reformation, relations with the Catholic countries of Europe had worsened, leading to a requirement for additional...
. Shortly afterwards he was moved to the 20-gun , and while in that command he was arrested by Scottish authorities for refusing to let one of his seamen be taken from the ship on what turned out to be a forged letter of indenture. Palliser was held for several days in the Tolbooth
Heart of Midlothian (Royal Mile)
The Heart of Midlothian is a heart-shaped mosaic built into the pavement near the West Door of St Giles High Kirk on the Royal Mile in Edinburgh, not far from Parliament House, which was the former Parliament of Scotland, and now the site of the Court of Session and Signet Library.Together with...
Jail in Edinburgh
Edinburgh
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...
until released by the Lords of Sessions, who invoked their authority to supersede that of the judge of the vice-admiralty court in Edinburgh.
In early 1753 Palliser was appointed captain of the 50-gun , but soon afterwards was returned to a convoy consisting of Seahorse and , to protect transports being used to move two British Army regiments to the Colonies to be used against the French forces there. He sailed in January 1755, but chose to sail far south of the usual route. Going as far south as the Tropic of Cancer
Tropic of Cancer
The Tropic of Cancer, also referred to as the Northern tropic, is the circle of latitude on the Earth that marks the most northerly position at which the Sun may appear directly overhead at its zenith...
, he avoided the usual stormy and rough crossing, which won him significant notoriety and praise from governmental authorities.
Seven Years' War
The ongoing friction between Britain and France ignited into open warfare in 1755. In September of that year Palliser was placed in command of the 60-gun HMS EagleHMS Eagle (1745)
HMS Eagle was a 58-gun fourth rate ship of the line of the Royal Navy, built at Harwich to the dimensions laid down in the 1741 proposals of the 1719 Establishment, and launched on 2 December 1745. Eagle is notable as being one of the ships on which James Cook began his career in the Royal Navy...
. That ship engaged and defeated the French 50-gun Duc d'Aquitain 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 30 May 1757. After that battle Eagle returned to port for repairs, and Palliser moved to command of the 74-gun HMS Shrewsbury
HMS Shrewsbury (1758)
HMS Shrewsbury was a 74-gun third rate ship of the line of the Royal Navy, launched on 23 February 1758 at Deptford.In 1783, she was condemned and scuttled....
, part of the Channel Fleet
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...
under George Anson
George Anson, 1st Baron Anson
Admiral of the Fleet George Anson, 1st Baron Anson PC, FRS, RN was a British admiral and a wealthy aristocrat, noted for his circumnavigation of the globe and his role overseeing the Royal Navy during the Seven Years' War...
.
In that ship in July 1758 he grounded and captured several French ships near 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...
. In 1759 Palliser participated in the successful British capture
Battle of the Plains of Abraham
The Battle of the Plains of Abraham, also known as the Battle of Quebec, was a pivotal battle in the Seven Years' War...
of Quebec City
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
, commanding the seamen who landed and took possession of Lower Town. In 1760 Palliser was sent to the Mediterranean Sea
Mediterranean Sea
The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean surrounded by the Mediterranean region and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Anatolia and Europe, on the south by North Africa, and on the east by the Levant...
to chase a small French squadron which had slipped out of the port at 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....
. He bottled the French boats up at several ports in Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
. In 1762 Palliser commanded a four-ship armada dispatched to retake St. Johns, Newfoundland, but the area was already in British control when he arrived following the Battle of Signal Hill
Battle of Signal Hill
The Battle of Signal Hill was a small skirmish, the last of the North American theatre of the Seven Years' War. The British under Lieutenant Colonel William Amherst forced the French to surrender St...
.
Governor of Newfoundland and subsequent service
In 1764 Palliser was named Governor and Commander-in-Chief at Newfoundland. He had under his command the 50-gun , and several frigates. His forces encountered a similar French force which was ostensibly regulating their remaining fishing grounds in the area, but Palliser perceived that they had altered their maps to show they controlled more area than had been agreed upon in the negotiations which ended the conflict in this area. The French minister in London used this clash to complain to the British government against Palliser, but he was able to produce sufficient maps and supporting material to convince his superiors of his correct actions.Palliser actively supported the fisheries as a source of trained seamen for the Royal Navy. As such he took active steps to enforce the provisions of Treaty of Paris (1763)
Treaty of Paris (1763)
The Treaty of Paris, often called the Peace of Paris, or the Treaty of 1763, was signed on 10 February 1763, by the kingdoms of Great Britain, France and Spain, with Portugal in agreement. It ended the French and Indian War/Seven Years' War...
restricting French access to their specific fishing rights. He also sought to restrict further settlement of Newfoundland, so to encourage the British based industry.
Palliser remained Governor of Newfoundland until 1768. In 1770 Commodore Palliser was appointed Comptroller of the Navy
Third Sea Lord
The Third Sea Lord and Controller of the Navy was formerly the Naval Lord and member of the Board of Admiralty responsible for procurement and matériel in the British Royal Navy...
, and in that same year was elected an elder brother of the Trinity House
Trinity House
The Corporation of Trinity House of Deptford Strond is the official General Lighthouse Authority for England, Wales and other British territorial waters...
, which oversees British lighthouse
Lighthouse
A lighthouse is a tower, building, or other type of structure designed to emit light from a system of lamps and lenses or, in older times, from a fire, and used as an aid to navigation for maritime pilots at sea or on inland waterways....
s and provides general expertise to the government on naval matters.
In 1773 Palliser was made Baronet
Baronet
A baronet or the rare female equivalent, a baronetess , is the holder of a hereditary baronetcy awarded by the British Crown...
. In 1774 he was elected to Parliament
Parliament of Great Britain
The Parliament of Great Britain was formed in 1707 following the ratification of the Acts of Union by both the Parliament of England and Parliament of Scotland...
for the Borough
Borough
A borough is an administrative division in various countries. In principle, the term borough designates a self-governing township although, in practice, official use of the term varies widely....
of Scarborough. In 1775 he achieved flag rank when promoted to rear-admiral
Rear Admiral (Royal Navy)
Rear Admiral is a flag officer rank of the British Royal Navy. It is immediately superior to Commodore and is subordinate to Vice Admiral. It is a two-star rank and has a NATO ranking code of OF-7....
. Under the Earl of Sandwich
John Montagu, 4th Earl of Sandwich
John Montagu, 4th Earl of Sandwich, PC, FRS was a British statesman who succeeded his grandfather, Edward Montagu, 3rd Earl of Sandwich, as the Earl of Sandwich in 1729, at the age of ten...
he became one of the Lords of the Admiralty and received the sinecure of Lieutenant-General of Marines. In 1775 he initiated legislation to encourage ship fisheries, known as Palliser’s Act but titled "The Act for the Encouragement of the Ship Fishery".
Historian Sean Cadigan, author of Hope and Deception in Conception Bay (1995), has since linked Palliser's Act with the high-valuation of women's labour in 18th Century Newfoundland. Given that Palliser's Act required producers to pre-pay their labourers for the fishing season, producers developed little incentive to hire outside of their families: hired labour was high risk because pre-paid wages reduced producers' margin for gain (or loss). As such, Palliser's Act inspired the merger of household labour with the market, making women's work essential to the economic success of the colony.
In 1778 Palliser was promoted again to Vice-Admiral of the Blue
Vice Admiral (Royal Navy)
Vice admiral is a flag officer rank of the British Royal Navy. It equates to the NATO rank code OF-8 and is immediately superior to rear admiral and is subordinate to the full admiral rank.The Royal Navy has had vice admirals since at least the 16th century...
.
Service during the American War of Independence and controversy with Admiral Keppel
In 1778 Palliser was appointed to the Channel FleetChannel 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...
under Admiral Augustus Keppel. On 27 July 1778 in the First Battle of Ushant
Battle of Ushant (1778)
The Battle of Ushant took place on 27 July 1778, during the American War of Independence, fought between French and British fleets 100 miles west of Ushant, a French island at the mouth of the English Channel off the north-westernmost point of France...
, the Channel Fleet fought an inconclusive battle with the French fleet. The battle’s outcome led to personal acrimony between Palliser and Keppel, resulted in their individual courts martial and increased divisiveness in the Navy. Palliser was forced to resign from Parliament and his other posts.
The July 1778 Battle of Ushant came about when the British fleet found that it had become located between the French ships and their home ports. Seeing the sudden advantage, Keppel ordered that a battle line be formed and an attack made. Palliser's ship was badly damaged in the ensuing fray, and when Keppel hoisted the signal to reform the battle line, Palliser's division was some distance away, so a frigate was dispatched to give the instruction. Due to the battle damage, Palliser's division was unable to comply until later in the evening, when it was too late to continue the battle, and the French withdrew to Brest. Both sides later claimed victory, and Keppel issued a dispatch which commended all his officers for their conduct in the action.
Palliser heard rumours that Keppel had intimated in private conversations that Palliser's absence had been the cause of the inconclusive outcome, so Palliser wrote a paper defending his actions. An anonymous letter to a London newspaper accused Palliser of disobedience in the battle, and he called on Keppel to refute the allegation. When no public refutation was forthcoming, Palliser demanded that a court martial be held to try Keppel on charges of "misconduct and neglect of duty" (which carried a death sentence if proved). Keppel's court martial was held at Portsmouth in January 1779, and he was acquitted after 27 days, the court finding that the charges against him had been brought with malicious intent and were unfounded. The court-martial outcome meant ruin for Palliser. He was defended by Lord Sandwich
John Montagu, 4th Earl of Sandwich
John Montagu, 4th Earl of Sandwich, PC, FRS was a British statesman who succeeded his grandfather, Edward Montagu, 3rd Earl of Sandwich, as the Earl of Sandwich in 1729, at the age of ten...
, but still had to resign from Parliament and as Lieutenant-General of the Marines. He then demanded that a court martial be convened against him so that he could present his version of events during his defence. The court martial was convened, and he was acquitted after 21 days. However, he was censured in that he had failed to inform his superior officer of the battle damage in a timely manner.
After his acquittal Palliser hoped to be reinstated in Lt.-General of Marines. Instead, in 1780 he was appointed Governor of Greenwich Hospital by Lord Sandwich, and was again elected to Parliament for Huntingdon
Huntingdon (UK Parliament constituency)
Huntingdon is a county constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election....
(1780–1784). In 1787 he was promoted to the rank of Admiral.
Association with James Cook
James Cook
Captain James Cook, FRS, RN was a British explorer, navigator and cartographer who ultimately rose to the rank of captain in the Royal Navy...
, a fellow Yorkshireman, first served under Palliser as Master's Mate of HMS Eagle from 1755 to 1758. Palliser would have supported his elevation to Master in 1757. Both were present at the siege of Quebec where Cook charted the approach to the city and the landing area. Following the Treaty of Paris
Treaty of Paris (1763)
The Treaty of Paris, often called the Peace of Paris, or the Treaty of 1763, was signed on 10 February 1763, by the kingdoms of Great Britain, France and Spain, with Portugal in agreement. It ended the French and Indian War/Seven Years' War...
, Cook was charged with surveying Newfoundland. As Governor, Palliser actively supported Cook’s work and assisted in the publication of his acclaimed map of Newfoundland. During his term as Comptroller, Palliser supported Cook’s first command of exploration in 1768, and his subsequent voyages. Cook named Cape Palliser
Cape Palliser
Cape Palliser is a promontory on the southern coast of New Zealand's North Island and the southernmost point of the North Island - it is in fact considerably further south than Nelson or Blenheim in the South Island....
, Palliser Bay
Palliser Bay
Palliser Bay is located at the southern end of the North Island of New Zealand, to the southeast of Wellington. It runs for 40 kilometres along the Cook Strait coast from Turakirae Head at the southern end of the Rimutaka Ranges to Cape Palliser, the North Island's southernmost point.Inland from...
and Palliser Isles after his "worthy friend". On Cook's death, Palliser erected a memorial to Cook on his estate (The Vache
The Vache
The Vache is an estate near Chalfont St. Giles in Buckinghamshire.The Vache was the family seat of the Fleetwood family. In 1660 George Fleetwood was found guilty of the regicide of King Charles I in January 1649, and although his life was spared, his estate of The Vache was confiscated and given...
).
Death
Admiral Palliser died on 19 March 1796 in at his estate in Chalfont St GilesChalfont St Giles
Chalfont St Giles is a village and civil parish within Chiltern district in south east Buckinghamshire, England, on the edge of the Chilterns, 25 miles from London, and near Seer Green, Jordans, Chalfont St Peter, Little Chalfont and Amersham....
and was buried at St Giles.
External links
- Palliser's monument to Cook, Chalfont St.Giles
- Will of Hugh Palliser
- Biography at Government House The Governorship of Newfoundland and Labrador
|-