John MacBride (Royal Navy officer)
Encyclopedia
John MacBride was an officer of the Royal Navy
and a politician who saw service during the Seven Years' War
, the American War of Independence and the French Revolutionary Wars
, eventually rising to the rank of Admiral of the Blue
.
MacBride entered the navy after serving on merchant vessels and distinguished himself in a number of actions during the Seven Years' War, including cutting out a privateer
, which secured him the rank of post-captain
by the end of the conflict. He was instrumental in establishing and securing a British settlement on the Falkland Islands
in the years of peace which followed, and also performed service to the Royal Family
by transporting the King's
sister, Caroline Matilda. Still in active service by the outbreak of war with the American colonies, MacBride took command of a ship of the line
and saw action in engagements under Keppel
and Rodney
. He was also active against privateers, capturing the Comte d'Artois in a heated battle off the Irish coast. Further service followed with Parker's
fleet against the Dutch and with Barrington
in the Channel
.
MacBride ended the war serving ashore in Ireland, and in 1784 embarked on a political career, becoming MP
for Plymouth
. Promoted to flag rank with the outbreak of war with Revolutionary France, he commanded squadrons off the enemy coasts, and transported troops to support land operations on the continent. His last active service was in 1795, though he was promoted to Admiral of the Blue shortly before his death in 1800.
around 1735, the second son of the Presbyterian
minister Robert MacBride. The MacBrides moved to Ireland
shortly after John's birth, when Robert became minister of Ballymoney
, in County Antrim
. John's brother, David MacBride, became a noted medical writer. John MacBride initially went to sea with the merchant service in 1751, and joined the navy as an able seaman
three years later, in 1754. He served first aboard the 24-gun in the West Indies for a number of years, before returning to British wars and serving aboard , the flagship
in the Downs
for a few months.
MacBride passed his lieutenant's examination on 6 October 1758, and received his commission on 27 October. He was moved into the hired cutter , and in August 1761 came across a French privateer
anchored in the Dunkirk roadstead
. MacBride made contact with the frigate and asked her captain for four armed and manned boats. Maidstones captain readily agreed, and at 10 o'clock that night the boats left the British ships and approached the privateer with muffled oars. They came within pistol shot and hailed the French vessel, and on receiving no reply, boarded her. The British boarded on both sides of the vessel, and carried the ship with two men wounded. MacBride himself shot and killed the French lieutenant as he aimed a gun at the British boat. The total French losses were two dead and five wounded. Having secured the vessel, the British took her out to sea under the guns of a French battery.
MacBride's good service brought him a promotion to master and commander on 7 April 1762, and an appointment to command the fireship . From there he moved to command the sloop
on 27 May 1763, still at the rank of commander. After some time spent on the Home station, MacBride received a promotion to post-captain
on 20 June 1765, and took command of the 30-gun . This was followed in August 1765 with command of the 32-gun , and a mission to establish a colony on the Falkland Islands
.
, made several cruises in the surrounding waters, and in December came across the French settlement. In a cordial meeting MacBride informed the French governor M. de Neville of the British claim, which the French politely rejected. Unbeknownst to both de Neville and MacBride, Louis Antoine de Bougainville
, who had established the French settlement, had agreed to sell the colony to Spain. The resulting tensions between the Spanish and British claims would nearly lead to war in 1770
, but in the meantime MacBride returned home, reporting the situation to the government. He later published a 13-page monograph
, probably in 1770, entitled A Journal of the Winds and Weather...at Falkland Islands from 1 February 1766 to 19 January 1767.
. He spent several years aboard Seaford, before transferring to take command of the 32-gun in March 1771, followed by the 32-gun in August that year. He was in command of Southampton in May 1772 when he received orders to command a small squadron tasked with transporting Caroline Matilda, former Queen
of Denmark and Norway
and sister of King George III
, from Elsinore
to Stadt. The squadron consisted of Southampton, and two of MacBride's former commands, Seaford, and Cruizer. In April 1773 he took command of .
on 28 July 1778, but did not become heavily engaged in the confused action. In the ensuing argument over the outcome of the battle, MacBride gave evidence in favour of Admiral Keppel
that was an important factor in Keppel's acquittal at his court-martial. MacBride was less supportive of Sir Hugh Palliser
. He remained in command of Bienfaisant, and in December joined Sir George Rodney
's fleet to relieve Gibraltar
. During the voyage the British fleet came across a Spanish convoy transporting naval stores from San Sebastián
to Cádiz
, and engaged it
. The British succeeded in capturing the convoy, while MacBride distinguished himself in engaging the Spanish flagship Guipuscoana
, which surrendered to him.
On 16 January the fleet again encountered Spanish ships, this time off Cape St. Vincent
. The Spanish fleet, under Admiral Juan de Lángara
, were engaged in the Battle of Cape St. Vincent
, and again MacBride was in the thick of the action. He took his ship in to engage the San Domingo, with the Bienfaisant narrowly escaping significant damage after her opponent blew up. He then went on to chase down and capture Lángara's flagship, the 80-gun Fenix
. MacBride sent Lieutenant Thomas Louis
aboard to take possession, but as a smallpox
outbreak was raging on the Bienfaisant, MacBride did not take the usual step of transferring some of the captured officers and men aboard his own ship. Instead he reached an agreement with de Lángara, that should the ships encounter an French or Spanish force, he would allow the Fenix to be defended against them. If the Bienfaisant escaped but the Fenix was retaken, de Lángara and his men would consider themselves to still be prisoners of war, but if Fenix escaped and Bienfaisant was taken, then de Lángara and his men would be freed. In any event both ships made it to Gibraltar without incident, after which MacBride was given the honour of taking Rodney's despatches back to Britain. MacBride set off at once, but was delayed by adverse winds. Consequently his despatches arrived several days after an identical set had reached London, delivered by Captain Edward Thomson, who had left Rodney later than MacBride, but who had had a faster voyage.
to cruise off the Irish south coast. MacBride was ordered to sail in company with the 44-gun and to capture the dangerous vessel. After several days in search of the vessel, a mysterious sail was finally sighted early on 13 August, chasing after some of the ships of a convoy departing from Cork
. MacBride ranged up and fell in with the unidentified ship, which hoisted English colours. Both ships came within pistol shot, and it was not until there was some communication between the two ships, that MacBride could be satisfied of her identity. By now the two ships were so close, with Bienfaisant off the Comte de'Artoiss bow, that neither ship could bring their main guns to bear. Instead both ships opened fire with musket
s until MacBride could manoeuvre away and a general action ensued. After an hour and ten minutes the French vessel surrendered, having had 21 killed and 35 wounded, while Bienfaisant had three killed and 20 wounded. The Charon had only joined the action towards the end of the engagement and had a single man wounded. The capture had an unusual sequel, for just over a year later, and under a different captain, Bienfaisant captured another privateer, this time named Comtesse d'Artois.
In a further coincidence MacBride was appointed in January 1781 to command the 40-gun , a former French ship captured in 1780 by . MacBride served in the North Sea
with Sir Hyde Parker's
fleet, and fought against the Dutch at the Battle of Dogger Bank
on 5 August 1781. After the battle Parker temporarily moved MacBride into the 80-gun , whose captain, John MacCartney, had been killed during the battle. MacBride resumed command of Artois after the fleet's return to port, and continued to cruise in the North Sea. On 3 December he engaged and captured two large 24-gun Dutch privateers, the Hercules
and Mars
. Nine men were killed and fifteen wounded on Mars, while 13 were killed and 20 wounded on Hercules. Artois had one man killed and six wounded.
By 1782 MacBride was operating in the Channel, and in April was sent out as a scout ahead of the main force under Admiral Samuel Barrington
, which aimed to intercept a French squadron that had left Brest bound for the East Indies
. He sighted the force on 20 April and alerted Barrington. The British moved in and that day and the following captured over half of the French force. After this success MacBride was appointed to the Irish station in June, where he worked in the impress service
while Artois cruised under her first lieutenant.
for Plymouth
, holding the seat until 1790. He gave several speeches on naval matters, and sat on the Duke of Richmond's
commission into the defences of Portsmouth
and Plymouth
between 1785 and 1786. He opposed a plan for fortifying the naval dockyards, both on the commission and in parliament. In 1788 he returned to an active, though not a sea-going command, when he took over the Plymouth guardship, the 74-gun . By 1790, with the threat of the Spanish Armament looming, MacBride took Cumberland to Torbay
to join the fleet assembling there under Lord Howe
.
after the French retreat in early 1793, and in October transported reinforcements under General Sir Charles Grey
to assist in the defence of Dunkirk. He took command of the 36-gun at the end of the year and sailed from Portsmouth on 1 December carrying an army under the Earl of Moira
to support French royalists in Brittany
and Normandy
.
Following this service he took command of a small squadron in the Western Approaches
, flying his flag in a number of different vessels, including the sloop , the 74-gun and the 64-gun . The squadron did not achieve any significant successes, and MacBride had the misfortune to break his leg while mounting his horse, forcing him to temporarily relinquish his duties. He was promoted to rear-admiral of the red on 11 April, and on 4 July to vice-admiral of the blue. Promoted to vice-admiral of the white on 1 June 1795, MacBride became commander of the squadron in the North Sea assigned to watch the Dutch fleet in the Texel
, flying his flag in the 74-gun . He stepped down from the post in late 1795, and was not actively employed at sea again. He was promoted to admiral of the blue on 14 February 1799. Admiral John MacBride died of a paralytic seizure at the Spring Garden Coffee House, London
on 17 February 1800.
, Norfolk
on 14 July 1774. Their son, John David MacBride, became principal of Magdalen Hall, Oxford
. MacBride's daughter, Charlotte, married Admiral Willoughby Thomas Lake
in 1795.
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 who 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...
, the American War of Independence and the French Revolutionary Wars
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...
, eventually rising to the rank of Admiral of the Blue
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...
.
MacBride entered the navy after serving on merchant vessels and distinguished himself in a number of actions during the Seven Years' War, including cutting out a 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...
, which secured him the rank of 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:...
by the end of the conflict. He was instrumental in establishing and securing a British settlement on the Falkland Islands
Falkland Islands
The Falkland Islands are an archipelago in the South Atlantic Ocean, located about from the coast of mainland South America. The archipelago consists of East Falkland, West Falkland and 776 lesser islands. The capital, Stanley, is on East Falkland...
in the years of peace which followed, and also performed service to the Royal Family
British Royal Family
The British Royal Family is the group of close relatives of the monarch of the United Kingdom. The term is also commonly applied to the same group of people as the relations of the monarch in her or his role as sovereign of any of the other Commonwealth realms, thus sometimes at variance with...
by transporting the King's
George III of the United Kingdom
George III was King of Great Britain and King of Ireland from 25 October 1760 until the union of these two countries on 1 January 1801, after which he was King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland until his death...
sister, Caroline Matilda. Still in active service by the outbreak of war with the American colonies, MacBride took command of a ship 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...
and saw action in engagements under 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...
and Rodney
George Brydges Rodney, 1st Baron Rodney
George Brydges Rodney, 1st Baron Rodney, KB was a British naval officer. He is best known for his commands in the American War of Independence, particularly his victory over the French at the Battle of the Saintes in 1782...
. He was also active against privateers, capturing the Comte d'Artois in a heated battle off the Irish coast. Further service followed with Parker's
Sir Hyde Parker, 5th Baronet
Vice-Admiral Sir Hyde Parker, 5th Baronet was a British naval commander.Parker was born at Tredington, Gloucestershire. His father, a clergyman, was a son of Sir Henry Parker. His paternal grandfather had married a daughter of Alexander Hyde, Bishop of Salisbury. He began his career at sea in the...
fleet against the Dutch and with Barrington
Samuel Barrington
Rear Admiral Samuel Barrington RN was a British admiral.Samuel was the fourth son of John Shute Barrington, 1st Viscount Barrington of Beckett Hall at Shrivenham in Berkshire...
in the 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...
.
MacBride ended the war serving ashore in Ireland, and in 1784 embarked on a political career, becoming MP
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 Plymouth
Plymouth (UK Parliament constituency)
Plymouth was a parliamentary borough in Devon, which elected two Members of Parliament to the House of Commons in 1298 and again from 1442 until 1918, when the borough was merged with the neighbouring Devonport and the combined area divided into three single-member constituencies.-In the...
. Promoted to flag rank with the outbreak of war with Revolutionary France, he commanded squadrons off the enemy coasts, and transported troops to support land operations on the continent. His last active service was in 1795, though he was promoted to Admiral of the Blue shortly before his death in 1800.
Family and early life
John MacBride was born in ScotlandScotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
around 1735, the second son of the Presbyterian
Presbyterianism
Presbyterianism refers to a number of Christian churches adhering to the Calvinist theological tradition within Protestantism, which are organized according to a characteristic Presbyterian polity. Presbyterian theology typically emphasizes the sovereignty of God, the authority of the Scriptures,...
minister Robert MacBride. The MacBrides moved to Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
shortly after John's birth, when Robert became minister of Ballymoney
Ballymoney
Ballymoney is a small town in County Antrim, Northern Ireland. It had a population of 9,021 people in the 2001 Census. It is currently served by Ballymoney Borough Council....
, in County Antrim
County Antrim
County Antrim is one of six counties that form Northern Ireland, situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland. Adjoined to the north-east shore of Lough Neagh, the county covers an area of 2,844 km², with a population of approximately 616,000...
. John's brother, David MacBride, became a noted medical writer. John MacBride initially went to sea with the merchant service in 1751, and joined the navy as an able seaman
Able seaman
An able seaman is an unlicensed member of the deck department of a merchant ship. An AB may work as a watchstander, a day worker, or a combination of these roles.-Watchstander:...
three years later, in 1754. He served first aboard the 24-gun in the West Indies for a number of years, before returning to British wars and serving aboard , 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...
in the Downs
The Downs
The Downs are a roadstead or area of sea in the southern North Sea near the English Channel off the east Kent coast, between the North and the South Foreland in southern England. In 1639 the Battle of the Downs took place here, when the Dutch navy destroyed a Spanish fleet which had sought refuge...
for a few months.
MacBride passed his lieutenant's examination on 6 October 1758, and received his commission on 27 October. He was moved into the hired cutter , and in August 1761 came across a 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...
anchored in the Dunkirk roadstead
Roadstead
A roadstead is a place outside a harbor where a ship can lie at anchor. It is an enclosed area with an opening to the sea, narrower than a bay or gulf. It has a surface that cannot be confused with an estuary. It can be created artificially by jetties or dikes...
. MacBride made contact with the frigate and asked her captain for four armed and manned boats. Maidstones captain readily agreed, and at 10 o'clock that night the boats left the British ships and approached the privateer with muffled oars. They came within pistol shot and hailed the French vessel, and on receiving no reply, boarded her. The British boarded on both sides of the vessel, and carried the ship with two men wounded. MacBride himself shot and killed the French lieutenant as he aimed a gun at the British boat. The total French losses were two dead and five wounded. Having secured the vessel, the British took her out to sea under the guns of a French battery.
MacBride's good service brought him a promotion to master and commander on 7 April 1762, and an appointment to command the fireship . From there he moved to command 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...
on 27 May 1763, still at the rank of commander. After some time spent on the Home station, MacBride received a promotion 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:...
on 20 June 1765, and took command of the 30-gun . This was followed in August 1765 with command of the 32-gun , and a mission to establish a colony on the Falkland Islands
Falkland Islands
The Falkland Islands are an archipelago in the South Atlantic Ocean, located about from the coast of mainland South America. The archipelago consists of East Falkland, West Falkland and 776 lesser islands. The capital, Stanley, is on East Falkland...
.
Falkland Islands
MacBride arrived with Jason, and the storeship , in January 1766, with orders to secure a settlement and to inform any existing inhabitants that the islands were a British possession. The British consolidated Port EgmontPort Egmont
Port Egmont was the first British settlement in the Falkland Islands, on Saunders Island.-History:Port Egmont was established in on 25 January 1765, by an expedition led by Commodore John Byron consisting of the boats , and...
, made several cruises in the surrounding waters, and in December came across the French settlement. In a cordial meeting MacBride informed the French governor M. de Neville of the British claim, which the French politely rejected. Unbeknownst to both de Neville and MacBride, Louis Antoine de Bougainville
Louis Antoine de Bougainville
Louis-Antoine, Comte de Bougainville was a French admiral and explorer. A contemporary of James Cook, he took part in the French and Indian War and the unsuccessful French attempt to defend Canada from Britain...
, who had established the French settlement, had agreed to sell the colony to Spain. The resulting tensions between the Spanish and British claims would nearly lead to war in 1770
Falklands Crisis (1770)
The Falklands Crisis of 1770 was a diplomatic standoff between Britain and Spain over possession of the Falkland Islands in the South Atlantic Ocean. These events were nearly the cause of a war between France, Spain and Britain — the countries poised to dispatch armed fleets to contest the barren...
, but in the meantime MacBride returned home, reporting the situation to the government. He later published a 13-page monograph
Monograph
A monograph is a work of writing upon a single subject, usually by a single author.It is often a scholarly essay or learned treatise, and may be released in the manner of a book or journal article. It is by definition a single document that forms a complete text in itself...
, probably in 1770, entitled A Journal of the Winds and Weather...at Falkland Islands from 1 February 1766 to 19 January 1767.
Interwar years
After his return to Britain MacBride was given command of the 22-gun in August 1767 and employed to cruise in the English ChannelEnglish 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...
. He spent several years aboard Seaford, before transferring to take command of the 32-gun in March 1771, followed by the 32-gun in August that year. He was in command of Southampton in May 1772 when he received orders to command a small squadron tasked with transporting Caroline Matilda, former Queen
Queen consort
A queen consort is the wife of a reigning king. A queen consort usually shares her husband's rank and holds the feminine equivalent of the king's monarchical titles. Historically, queens consort do not share the king regnant's political and military powers. Most queens in history were queens consort...
of Denmark and Norway
Denmark–Norway
Denmark–Norway is the historiographical name for a former political entity consisting of the kingdoms of Denmark and Norway, including the originally Norwegian dependencies of Iceland, Greenland and the Faroe Islands...
and sister of King George III
George III of the United Kingdom
George III was King of Great Britain and King of Ireland from 25 October 1760 until the union of these two countries on 1 January 1801, after which he was King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland until his death...
, from Elsinore
Elsinore
Helsingør is a city and the municipal seat of Helsingør municipality on the northeast coast of the island of Zealand in eastern Denmark. Helsingør has a population of 46,279 including the southern suburbs of Snekkersten and Espergærde...
to Stadt. The squadron consisted of Southampton, and two of MacBride's former commands, Seaford, and Cruizer. In April 1773 he took command of .
American War of Independence
With the outbreak of war with the American colonies, MacBride was appointed to take command of the 64-gun on 6 November 1776. He was present at the Battle of UshantBattle 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 28 July 1778, but did not become heavily engaged in the confused action. In the ensuing argument over the outcome of the battle, MacBride gave evidence in favour of Admiral Keppel
Augustus Keppel, 1st Viscount Keppel
Admiral Augustus Keppel, 1st Viscount Keppel PC was an officer of the Royal Navy during the Seven Years' War and the War of American Independence...
that was an important factor in Keppel's acquittal at his court-martial. MacBride was less supportive of Sir Hugh Palliser
Hugh Palliser
Admiral Sir Hugh Palliser, 1st Baronet was an officer of the British Royal Navy during the Seven Years' War and the American Revolutionary War...
. He remained in command of Bienfaisant, and in December joined Sir George Rodney
George Brydges Rodney, 1st Baron Rodney
George Brydges Rodney, 1st Baron Rodney, KB was a British naval officer. He is best known for his commands in the American War of Independence, particularly his victory over the French at the Battle of the Saintes in 1782...
's fleet 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...
. During the voyage the British fleet came across a Spanish convoy transporting naval stores from San Sebastián
San Sebastián
Donostia-San Sebastián is a city and municipality located in the north of Spain, in the coast of the Bay of Biscay and 20 km away from the French border. The city is the capital of Gipuzkoa, in the autonomous community of the Basque Country. The municipality’s population is 186,122 , and its...
to Cádiz
Cádiz
Cadiz is a city and port in southwestern Spain. It is the capital of the homonymous province, one of eight which make up the autonomous community of Andalusia....
, and engaged it
Action of 8 January 1780
The Action of 8 January 1780 was a naval encounter off Cape Finisterre between a British Royal Naval fleet under Admiral Sir George Rodney, and a fleet of Spanish merchants sailing in convoy with seven warships of the Caracas Company, under the command of Commodore Don Juan Augustin de Yardi....
. The British succeeded in capturing the convoy, while MacBride distinguished himself in engaging the Spanish flagship Guipuscoana
HMS Prince William (1780)
HMS Prince William was a 64-gun third-rate ship of the line of the Royal Navy. She had previously been the Guipuzcoano, an armed merchantmen of the Spanish Compañía Guipuzcoana de Caracas....
, which surrendered to him.
Cape St. Vincent
Cape St. Vincent , next to the Sagres Point, on the so-called Costa Vicentina , is a headland in the municipality of Sagres, in the Algarve, southern Portugal.- Description :This cape is the southwesternmost point in Portugal...
. The Spanish fleet, under Admiral Juan de Lángara
Juan de Lángara
Juan Francisco de Lángara y Huarte was a Spanish naval officer and Minister of Marine.-Life and career:He was born at Coruña, Galicia, the son of a renowned Basque family...
, were engaged in the Battle of Cape St. Vincent
Battle of Cape St. Vincent (1780)
The naval Battle of Cape St Vincent, took place off the coast of Portugal on 16 January 1780 during the American War of Independence. A British fleet under Admiral Sir George Rodney defeated a Spanish squadron under Don Juan de Lángara. The battle is sometimes referred to as the Moonlight Battle,...
, and again MacBride was in the thick of the action. He took his ship in to engage the San Domingo, with the Bienfaisant narrowly escaping significant damage after her opponent blew up. He then went on to chase down and capture Lángara's flagship, the 80-gun Fenix
Spanish ship Fenix (1749)
Fenix was an 80-gun ship of the line of the Spanish Navy, launched in 1749. She fought at the Battle of Cape St Vincent on 16 January 1780, as the flagship of Admiral Juan de Lángara....
. MacBride sent Lieutenant Thomas Louis
Thomas Louis
Rear-Admiral Sir Thomas Louis, 1st Baronet was an officer of the British Royal Navy who served in three wars and saw numerous actions, notably as one of Horatio Nelson's "Band of Brothers" in the Mediterranean in 1798 who commanded ships at the Battle of the Nile...
aboard to take possession, but as a smallpox
Smallpox
Smallpox was an infectious disease unique to humans, caused by either of two virus variants, Variola major and Variola minor. The disease is also known by the Latin names Variola or Variola vera, which is a derivative of the Latin varius, meaning "spotted", or varus, meaning "pimple"...
outbreak was raging on the Bienfaisant, MacBride did not take the usual step of transferring some of the captured officers and men aboard his own ship. Instead he reached an agreement with de Lángara, that should the ships encounter an French or Spanish force, he would allow the Fenix to be defended against them. If the Bienfaisant escaped but the Fenix was retaken, de Lángara and his men would consider themselves to still be prisoners of war, but if Fenix escaped and Bienfaisant was taken, then de Lángara and his men would be freed. In any event both ships made it to Gibraltar without incident, after which MacBride was given the honour of taking Rodney's despatches back to Britain. MacBride set off at once, but was delayed by adverse winds. Consequently his despatches arrived several days after an identical set had reached London, delivered by Captain Edward Thomson, who had left Rodney later than MacBride, but who had had a faster voyage.
MacBride and the Artois connection
Rodney's fleet returned to Britain in March, and MacBride rejoined the Bienfaisant. In early August a large French privateer, the 64-gun Comte d'Artois, was reported to have sailed from BrestBrest, 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...
to cruise off the Irish south coast. MacBride was ordered to sail in company with the 44-gun and to capture the dangerous vessel. After several days in search of the vessel, a mysterious sail was finally sighted early on 13 August, chasing after some of the ships of a convoy departing from 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...
. MacBride ranged up and fell in with the unidentified ship, which hoisted English colours. Both ships came within pistol shot, and it was not until there was some communication between the two ships, that MacBride could be satisfied of her identity. By now the two ships were so close, with Bienfaisant off the Comte de'Artoiss bow, that neither ship could bring their main guns to bear. Instead both ships opened fire with musket
Musket
A musket is a muzzle-loaded, smooth bore long gun, fired from the shoulder. Muskets were designed for use by infantry. A soldier armed with a musket had the designation musketman or musketeer....
s until MacBride could manoeuvre away and a general action ensued. After an hour and ten minutes the French vessel surrendered, having had 21 killed and 35 wounded, while Bienfaisant had three killed and 20 wounded. The Charon had only joined the action towards the end of the engagement and had a single man wounded. The capture had an unusual sequel, for just over a year later, and under a different captain, Bienfaisant captured another privateer, this time named Comtesse d'Artois.
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...
with Sir Hyde Parker's
Sir Hyde Parker, 5th Baronet
Vice-Admiral Sir Hyde Parker, 5th Baronet was a British naval commander.Parker was born at Tredington, Gloucestershire. His father, a clergyman, was a son of Sir Henry Parker. His paternal grandfather had married a daughter of Alexander Hyde, Bishop of Salisbury. He began his career at sea in the...
fleet, and fought against the Dutch at the Battle of Dogger Bank
Battle of Dogger Bank (1781)
The naval Battle of the Dogger Bank took place on 5 August 1781 during the Fourth Anglo-Dutch War, part of the American War of Independence, in the North Sea...
on 5 August 1781. After the battle Parker temporarily moved MacBride into the 80-gun , whose captain, John MacCartney, had been killed during the battle. MacBride resumed command of Artois after the fleet's return to port, and continued to cruise in the North Sea. On 3 December he engaged and captured two large 24-gun Dutch privateers, the Hercules
HMS Pylades (1781)
HMS Pylades was an 18-gun Dutch-built brig-sloop of the Royal Navy. She was originally built as the privateer Hercules, and was captured by the British in 1781. She went on to serve during the Fourth Anglo-Dutch War and the subsequent years of peace.The privateer was one of two captured in the...
and Mars
HMS Orestes (1781)
HMS Orestes was an 18-gun Dutch-built brig-sloop of the Royal Navy. She was originally built as the privateer Mars, and was captured by the British in 1781. She went on to serve during the Fourth Anglo-Dutch War and the French Revolutionary Wars.The privateer was one of two captured in the North...
. Nine men were killed and fifteen wounded on Mars, while 13 were killed and 20 wounded on Hercules. Artois had one man killed and six wounded.
By 1782 MacBride was operating in the Channel, and in April was sent out as a scout ahead of the main force under Admiral Samuel Barrington
Samuel Barrington
Rear Admiral Samuel Barrington RN was a British admiral.Samuel was the fourth son of John Shute Barrington, 1st Viscount Barrington of Beckett Hall at Shrivenham in Berkshire...
, which aimed to intercept a French squadron that had left Brest bound for 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...
. He sighted the force on 20 April and alerted Barrington. The British moved in and that day and the following captured over half of the French force. After this success MacBride was appointed to the Irish station in June, where he worked in the impress service
Impressment
Impressment, colloquially, "the Press", was the act of taking men into a navy by force and without notice. It was used by the Royal Navy, beginning in 1664 and during the 18th and early 19th centuries, in wartime, as a means of crewing warships, although legal sanction for the practice goes back to...
while Artois cruised under her first lieutenant.
Years of peace
At the end of the war with America, MacBride left the Artois, but in June was able to obtain command of the 32-gun . He commanded her until the end of the year, after which he was temporarily unemployed at sea. MacBride took this opportunity to enter politics, and in 1784 he was elected as MPMember 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 Plymouth
Plymouth (UK Parliament constituency)
Plymouth was a parliamentary borough in Devon, which elected two Members of Parliament to the House of Commons in 1298 and again from 1442 until 1918, when the borough was merged with the neighbouring Devonport and the combined area divided into three single-member constituencies.-In the...
, holding the seat until 1790. He gave several speeches on naval matters, and sat on the Duke of Richmond's
Charles Lennox, 3rd Duke of Richmond
Field Marshal Charles Lennox, 3rd Duke of Richmond, 3rd Duke of Lennox, 3rd Duke of Aubigny, KG, PC, FRS , styled Earl of March until 1750, was a British politician and office holder noteworthy for his advanced views on the issue of parliamentary reform...
commission into the defences of 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...
and 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...
between 1785 and 1786. He opposed a plan for fortifying the naval dockyards, both on the commission and in parliament. In 1788 he returned to an active, though not a sea-going command, when he took over the Plymouth guardship, the 74-gun . By 1790, with the threat of the Spanish Armament looming, MacBride took Cumberland to Torbay
Torbay
Torbay is an east-facing bay and natural harbour, at the western most end of Lyme Bay in the south-west of England, situated roughly midway between the cities of Exeter and Plymouth. Part of the ceremonial county of Devon, Torbay was made a unitary authority on 1 April 1998...
to join the fleet assembling there 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...
.
French Revolutionary Wars
MacBride was promoted to rear-admiral on 1 February 1793, as part of the general promotion following the outbreak of war. He became commander-in-chief on the Downs station, commanding a frigate squadron with his flag in Cumberland, later transferring his flag to the 32-gun . He took possession of OstendOstend
Ostend is a Belgian city and municipality located in the Flemish province of West Flanders. It comprises the boroughs of Mariakerke , Stene and Zandvoorde, and the city of Ostend proper – the largest on the Belgian coast....
after the French retreat in early 1793, and in October transported reinforcements under General Sir Charles Grey
Charles Grey, 1st Earl Grey
Charles Grey, 1st Earl Grey, KB PC was one of the most important British generals of the 18th century. He was the fourth son of Sir Henry Grey, 1st Baronet, of Howick in Northumberland. He served in the Seven Years' War, American War of Independence and French Revolutionary War...
to assist in the defence of Dunkirk. He took command of the 36-gun at the end of the year and sailed from Portsmouth on 1 December carrying an army under the Earl of Moira
Francis Rawdon-Hastings, 1st Marquess of Hastings
Francis Edward Rawdon-Hastings, 1st Marquess of Hastings KG PC , styled The Honourable Francis Rawdon from birth until 1762 and as The Lord Rawdon between 1762 and 1783 and known as The Earl of Moira between 1793 and 1816, was an Irish-British politician and military officer who served as...
to support French royalists in Brittany
Brittany
Brittany is a cultural and administrative region in the north-west of France. Previously a kingdom and then a duchy, Brittany was united to the Kingdom of France in 1532 as a province. Brittany has also been referred to as Less, Lesser or Little Britain...
and Normandy
Normandy
Normandy is a geographical region corresponding to the former Duchy of Normandy. It is in France.The continental territory covers 30,627 km² and forms the preponderant part of Normandy and roughly 5% of the territory of France. It is divided for administrative purposes into two régions:...
.
Following this service he took command of a small squadron in the Western Approaches
Western Approaches
The Western Approaches is a rectangular area of the Atlantic ocean lying on the western coast of Great Britain. The rectangle is higher than it is wide, the north and south boundaries defined by the north and south ends of the British Isles, the eastern boundary lying on the western coast, and the...
, flying his flag in a number of different vessels, including the sloop , the 74-gun and the 64-gun . The squadron did not achieve any significant successes, and MacBride had the misfortune to break his leg while mounting his horse, forcing him to temporarily relinquish his duties. He was promoted to rear-admiral of the red on 11 April, and on 4 July to vice-admiral of the blue. Promoted to vice-admiral of the white on 1 June 1795, MacBride became commander of the squadron in the North Sea assigned to watch the Dutch fleet in the Texel
Texel
Texel is a municipality and an island in the Netherlands, in the province of North Holland. It is the biggest and most populated of the Frisian Islands in the Wadden Sea, and also the westernmost of this archipelago, which extends to Denmark...
, flying his flag in the 74-gun . He stepped down from the post in late 1795, and was not actively employed at sea again. He was promoted to admiral of the blue on 14 February 1799. Admiral John MacBride died of a paralytic seizure at the Spring Garden Coffee House, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
on 17 February 1800.
Family and issue
MacBride married early in his career, but no details are known, other than that his wife was the daughter of a naval officer. She is presumed to have died, for MacBride married Ursula Folkes, eldest daughter of William Folkes of Hillington HallHillington, Norfolk
Hillington is a civil parish in the English county of Norfolk.It covers an area of and had a population of 287 in 123 households as of the 2001 census.For the purposes of local government, it falls within the district of King's Lynn and West Norfolk....
, Norfolk
Norfolk
Norfolk is a low-lying county in the East of England. It has borders with Lincolnshire to the west, Cambridgeshire to the west and southwest and Suffolk to the south. Its northern and eastern boundaries are the North Sea coast and to the north-west the county is bordered by The Wash. The county...
on 14 July 1774. Their son, John David MacBride, became principal of Magdalen Hall, Oxford
Oxford
The city of Oxford is the county town of Oxfordshire, England. The city, made prominent by its medieval university, has a population of just under 165,000, with 153,900 living within the district boundary. It lies about 50 miles north-west of London. The rivers Cherwell and Thames run through...
. MacBride's daughter, Charlotte, married Admiral Willoughby Thomas Lake
Willoughby Thomas Lake
Admiral Sir Willoughby Thomas Lake KCB was a Royal Navy officer who went on to be Commander-in-Chief, North American Station.-Naval career:...
in 1795.