John Leveson-Gower (1740-1792)
Encyclopedia
John Leveson-Gower was an officer of the Royal Navy
and a politician. He saw service during the Seven Years' War
and the American War of Independence, rising to the rank of rear-admiral
. He also sat as Member of Parliament
for several constituencies, and was a junior Lord of the Admiralty.
, by his third wife Mary, widow of Anthony Grey, earl Harold
. His half-brother, Granville Leveson-Gower
, inherited his father's earldom and would use his political influence to help John's career. John was privately educated and then entered the navy, receiving his lieutenant
's commission in 1758. His first command was the fireship , in which he saw action at the Battle of Lagos
on 18 August 1759, serving under Admiral Edward Boscawen
. Leveson-Gower was advanced to the rank of post captain on 30 June 1760 and took the 32-gun to the Mediterranean to serve under Sir Charles Saunders. While commanding Quebec he captured the 18-gun French privateer
Phoenix in December 1760 off Cape Palos
.
Leveson-Gower then commanded the 64-gun , sailing her to Guinea
and the West Indies in 1765. Later he commanded the frigates and , and finally the guardship at Plymouth
in 1774. He was appointed to command the 74-gun in the English Channel
in 1775, where he captured several American ships. He was present at the Battle of Ushant
on 17 July 1778, where he strongly supported Admiral Augustus Keppel
, Valiant sustaining casualties of six killed and twenty-six wounded. He gave evidence at Keppel's subsequent court martial, defending his admiral's actions, and resigned his command afterwards.
in March 1782 and was appointed first captain of under Lord Howe
, and served in that capacity both in the Channel, and later on at the relief of Gibraltar
and the skirmish off Cape Spartel
. From January to April 1783 and again from December 1783 to July 1788 Gower was one of the junior lords of the admiralty with Lord Howe. He resigned after the formation of the Shelburne Ministry
in April, but rejoined when the Pitt Ministry
was formed. He continued at the Admiralty
with the Earl of Chatham
until January 1790. During this time he hoisted a broad pennant in in 1785, for a summer cruise around Great Britain with Prince William Henry
; and was commodore
in in 1787, in command of the Channel Squadron. He was returned as the member for Appleby
in 1784, sitting until 1790. He was elected to Newcastle under Lyme
that year and spoke four times on Admiralty matters in Parliament.
On 24 September 1787 he was advanced to be rear-admiral of the blue, and in the following summer hoisted his flag again in Edgar in the Channel. In 1788 he took an enlarged squadron to the West Indies. During the Spanish armament in 1790 he was again first captain to Lord Howe, and in 1791 was selected as one of the rear-admirals to serve under Admiral Lord Hood
in the fleet assembling to counter Russian aggression. The threat passed however and the fleet was disbanded.
, and was buried on 23 August at Barkham
parish church, Berkshire
. He had married Frances, eldest daughter of Admiral the Hon. Edward Boscawen
on 5 July 1773. They had several sons, including John, who became a general and MP, Edward
, who became a rear-admiral, and Augustus, who became a captain.
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...
and a politician. He saw 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 War of Independence, rising to the rank of 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....
. He also sat 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 several constituencies, and was a junior Lord of the Admiralty.
Family and early life
John was born on 11 July 1740, the second son of John, first earl GowerJohn Leveson-Gower, 1st Earl Gower
John Leveson-Gower, 1st Earl Gower PC , known as The Baron Gower from 1709 to 1754, was a British Tory politician, one of the first Tories to enter government in the 18th century.- Background :...
, by his third wife Mary, widow of Anthony Grey, earl Harold
Anthony Grey, Earl of Harold
Anthony Grey, 3rd Baron Lucas, styled Earl of Harold was a British peer and courtier.Grey was the eldest son of Henry Grey, 1st Duke of Kent and his wife, Jemima Crew. His maternal grandparents were Thomas Crew, 2nd Baron Crew and Anne Armyne...
. His half-brother, Granville Leveson-Gower
Granville Leveson-Gower, 1st Marquess of Stafford
Granville Leveson-Gower, 1st Marquess of Stafford PC , known as Viscount Trentham from 1746 to 1754 and as The Earl Gower from 1754 to 1786, was a British politician.-Background:...
, inherited his father's earldom and would use his political influence to help John's career. John was privately educated and then entered the navy, receiving his 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...
's commission in 1758. His first command was the fireship , in which he saw action at the Battle of Lagos
Battle of Lagos
The naval Battle of Lagos between Britain and France took place on August 19, 1759 during the Seven Years' War off the coasts of Spain and Portugal, and is named after Lagos, Portugal. For the British, it was part of the Annus Mirabilis of 1759.-Origins:...
on 18 August 1759, serving under 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...
. Leveson-Gower was advanced to the rank of post captain on 30 June 1760 and took the 32-gun to the Mediterranean to serve under Sir Charles Saunders. While commanding Quebec he captured the 18-gun French 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...
Phoenix in December 1760 off Cape Palos
Cape Palos
Cape Palos is a cape in the Spanish municipality of Cartagena, in the region of Murcia. It is part of a small range of volcanic mounts that form a small peninsula. The Mediterranean islands of Grosa and the group known as the Hormigas Islands are part of this range, as well as the islands in the...
.
Leveson-Gower then commanded the 64-gun , sailing her to Guinea
Guinea
Guinea , officially the Republic of Guinea , is a country in West Africa. Formerly known as French Guinea , it is today sometimes called Guinea-Conakry to distinguish it from its neighbour Guinea-Bissau. Guinea is divided into eight administrative regions and subdivided into thirty-three prefectures...
and the West Indies in 1765. Later he commanded the frigates and , and finally the guardship 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...
in 1774. He was appointed to command the 74-gun in the English Channel
English Channel
The English Channel , often referred to simply as the Channel, is an arm of the Atlantic Ocean that separates southern England from northern France, and joins the North Sea to the Atlantic. It is about long and varies in width from at its widest to in the Strait of Dover...
in 1775, where he captured several American ships. He was present at 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...
on 17 July 1778, where he strongly supported Admiral 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...
, Valiant sustaining casualties of six killed and twenty-six wounded. He gave evidence at Keppel's subsequent court martial, defending his admiral's actions, and resigned his command afterwards.
Further commands
Leveson-Gower returned to service after the fall of the North MinistryNorth Ministry
The North Ministry governed the Kingdom of Great Britain from 1770 until 1782. Overseeing in this time the Falklands Crisis, the Gordon Riots and much of the American War of Independence. It was headed by the Tory politician Lord North and served under George III.-Membership:...
in March 1782 and was appointed first captain of 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...
, and served in that capacity both in the Channel, and later on at the relief of 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...
and the skirmish off Cape Spartel
Battle of Cape Spartel
The Battle of Cape Spartel was an indecisive naval battle between a Franco-Spanish fleet under Admiral Luis de Córdova y Córdova and a British fleet under Admiral Richard Howe...
. From January to April 1783 and again from December 1783 to July 1788 Gower was one of the junior lords of the admiralty with Lord Howe. He resigned after the formation of the Shelburne Ministry
Shelburne Ministry
This is a list of the principal holders of government office during the premiership of William Petty, 2nd Earl of Shelburne, July 1782 to April 1783....
in April, but rejoined when the Pitt Ministry
First Pitt the Younger Ministry
-The initial ministry:For the first several days of the ministry, Lord Temple held both the secretaryships of state.-Changes:*March, 1784 - The Duke of Rutland becomes Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland, remaining also Lord Privy Seal....
was formed. He continued 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...
with the Earl of Chatham
John Pitt, 2nd Earl of Chatham
General John Pitt, 2nd Earl of Chatham, KG, PC was a British peer and soldier.-Career:He was the eldest son of William Pitt the Elder and an elder brother of William Pitt the Younger...
until January 1790. During this time he hoisted a broad pennant in in 1785, for a summer cruise around Great Britain with Prince William Henry
William IV of the United Kingdom
William IV was King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and of Hanover from 26 June 1830 until his death...
; and was 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:...
in in 1787, in command of the Channel Squadron. He was returned as the member for Appleby
Appleby (UK Parliament constituency)
Appleby was a parliamentary constituency in the former county of Westmorland in England. It existed for two separate periods: from 1295 to 1832, and from 1885 to 1918....
in 1784, sitting until 1790. He was elected to Newcastle under Lyme
Newcastle-under-Lyme (UK Parliament constituency)
Newcastle-under-Lyme is a borough 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.- History :...
that year and spoke four times on Admiralty matters in Parliament.
On 24 September 1787 he was advanced to be rear-admiral of the blue, and in the following summer hoisted his flag again in Edgar in the Channel. In 1788 he took an enlarged squadron to the West Indies. During the Spanish armament in 1790 he was again first captain to Lord Howe, and in 1791 was selected as one of the rear-admirals to serve under 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...
in the fleet assembling to counter Russian aggression. The threat passed however and the fleet was disbanded.
Death and issue
He died of a stroke while shaving on 15 August 1792 at his house at Bill Hill, WokinghamWokingham
Wokingham is a market town and civil parish in Berkshire in South East England about west of central London. It is about east-southeast of Reading and west of Bracknell. It spans an area of and, according to the 2001 census, has a population of 30,403...
, and was buried on 23 August at Barkham
Barkham
Barkham is a village and civil parish about south-west of the centre of Wokingham in Berkshire.-Geography:The old part of Barkham is the small settlement by the parish church at and close to Barkham Street...
parish church, Berkshire
Berkshire
Berkshire is a historic county in the South of England. It is also often referred to as the Royal County of Berkshire because of the presence of the royal residence of Windsor Castle in the county; this usage, which dates to the 19th century at least, was recognised by the Queen in 1957, and...
. He had married Frances, eldest daughter of Admiral the Hon. 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...
on 5 July 1773. They had several sons, including John, who became a general and MP, Edward
Edward Leveson-Gower
Edward Frederick Leveson-Gower DL, JP , styled The Honourable from birth, was a British barrister and Liberal politician...
, who became a rear-admiral, and Augustus, who became a captain.