John Pilfold
Encyclopedia
Captain John Pilfold, RN, CB
(before 20 January 1769 – 12 July 1834) was an officer of the Royal Navy
whose solid naval career during the French Revolutionary
and Napoleonic Wars
was most noted for his command of the ship of the line
HMS Ajax
in Nelson's division at the battle of Trafalgar
whilst only a lieutenant.
At age ten, his mother died, and two years later he joined the Royal Navy
.
John Pilfold's older brother Charles inherited the farm and later became an apprentice butcher at the age of 17. Charles later preceded John and became acting Lieutenant in the Navy serving under Lord Nelson. In 1782 he met Nelson again in New York. Soon he was promoted to full Lieutenant. On 17 December 1791 Charles made his last voyage to China
. He died on 28 August 1792, on Oceana. The cause of death was unknown.
of the day, joining a ship aged 13 and slowly learning his trade as a midshipman
in HMS Crown
under the capable guidance of William Cornwallis
.
In October 1788 Pilfold was promoted to Midshipman
. Later that month he went to sea under the command of Sir William Cornwallis to the East Indies
, returning in May 1792.
Arriving home, John found his father had died in 1790 and that his estate, Effingham East Court Manor, had been sold.
The following year France
declared war on England
.
He distinguished himself in the battle of the Glorious First of June
in 1794, and was specially recommended by his dying captain John Harvey of HMS Brunswick
for his bravery and competence.
This brought him to the attention of Admiral Howe
, who summond him to his flagship, HMS Queen Charlotte
. Howe promoted him to Lieutenant, and assigned to HMS Russell
. He was again heavily engaged with the enemy on 23 June 1795 when he was aboard during the battle of Groix
in which three enemy ships were taken. Russell lost three men killed and ten wounded.
As a reward he was posted to the 18-gun sloop HMS Kingfisher, and made some money from prizes captured during operations off the Spanish and Portuguese coasts, sailing from Lisbon
. He was also instrumental in preventing a local outbreak of mutiny following the larger rebellions at home at Spithead and the Nore in 1797. In 1798, he was transferred to another big ship, the 74-gun HMS Impetueux; he gained some notoriety in 1800 by leading a raiding party into the Morbihan
River and destroying a dozen French ships and wrecking port facilities in the river. A notorious and wealthy first lieutenant, Pilfold met and married Mary Anne Horner during the Peace of Amiens, but was back aboard ship in 1803 moving from HMS Hindostan
to HMS Dragon
and from there to the Ajax, which was then commanded by Captain William Brown.
Ajax was engaged at the battle of Cape Finisterre
. Brown was embroiled in the scandal which followed and resulted in the court martial of the admiral in charge, Sir Robert Calder
. Called home to give evidence at the trial, Brown placed Pilfold in charge of the Ajax, which joined Nelson's fleet during the blockade of Cadiz
. On 21 October, Ajax was sixth in Nelson's line, and was heavily engaged with the Intrépide
and Argonauta, fighting them both to a standstill and remarkably only suffering two dead and nine wounded during the whole engagement. Pilfold returned home to rapturous praise in December 1805, and was promoted to Post Captain at Christmas, followed over the next ten years by further rewards, including his own coat of arms and initiation into the Order of the Bath
on 4 June 1815.
Pilfold however never again commanded at sea, as a ship was not provided for him, and he gradually gave up ambitions of further promotion and retired to Wales
and Devon
with his family. There he divided his time between farming, minor shore-based naval appointments and funding the lifestyle of his nephew, the poet Percy Bysshe Shelly.
He died in 1834, two years after his wife and three years after a debilitating stroke
which left him "quite childish". He was buried at St George’s Church, Plymouth
, but the churchyard containing his tombstone was destroyed by German bombers in the Blitz
in 1941 and it is now a car park with no indication who lies buried beneath it.
Order of the Bath
The Most Honourable Order of the Bath is a British order of chivalry founded by George I on 18 May 1725. The name derives from the elaborate mediæval ceremony for creating a knight, which involved bathing as one of its elements. The knights so created were known as Knights of the Bath...
(before 20 January 1769 – 12 July 1834) was an officer of the Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
whose solid naval career during the French Revolutionary
French Revolutionary Wars
The French Revolutionary Wars were a series of major conflicts, from 1792 until 1802, fought between the French Revolutionary government and several European states...
and Napoleonic Wars
Napoleonic Wars
The Napoleonic Wars were a series of wars declared against Napoleon's French Empire by opposing coalitions that ran from 1803 to 1815. As a continuation of the wars sparked by the French Revolution of 1789, they revolutionised European armies and played out on an unprecedented scale, mainly due to...
was most noted for his command of the 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...
HMS Ajax
HMS Ajax (1798)
HMS Ajax was an Ajax class 74-gun third rate ship of the line of the Royal Navy. She was built by John Randall & Co of Rotherhithe and launched on the Thames on 3 March 1798...
in Nelson's division at the battle of Trafalgar
Battle of Trafalgar
The Battle of Trafalgar was a sea battle fought between the British Royal Navy and the combined fleets of the French Navy and Spanish Navy, during the War of the Third Coalition of the Napoleonic Wars ....
whilst only a lieutenant.
Family background
John Pilfold's father, Charles Pilfold (1726–1790), was described as a "yeoman" and not a "gent" in his marriage registration, indicating the Pilfolds were not an arms-bearing family but freehold proprietors, although on a modest scale. Pilfold's uncle, Richard Pilfold (1677–1748), inherited Baylings Farm at Warnham, which the family had owned since the 16th century.At age ten, his mother died, and two years later he joined the Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
.
John Pilfold's older brother Charles inherited the farm and later became an apprentice butcher at the age of 17. Charles later preceded John and became acting Lieutenant in the Navy serving under Lord Nelson. In 1782 he met Nelson again in New York. Soon he was promoted to full Lieutenant. On 17 December 1791 Charles made his last voyage to China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
. He died on 28 August 1792, on Oceana. The cause of death was unknown.
Naval career
Pilfold followed the usual method of introduction to the Royal NavyRoyal 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...
of the day, joining a ship aged 13 and slowly learning his trade 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...
in HMS Crown
HMS Crown (1782)
HMS Crown was a 64-gun third rate ship of the line of the Royal Navy, launched on 15 March 1782 at Blackwall Yard.She was converted to serve as a prison ship in 1798, and was broken up in 1816....
under the capable guidance of William Cornwallis
William Cornwallis
Admiral the Honourable Sir William Cornwallis GCB was a Royal Navy officer who fought in the Napoleonic Wars. He was the brother of Charles Cornwallis, the 1st Marquess Cornwallis, governor-general of India...
.
In October 1788 Pilfold was promoted to 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...
. Later that month he went to sea under the command of Sir William Cornwallis 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...
, returning in May 1792.
Arriving home, John found his father had died in 1790 and that his estate, Effingham East Court Manor, had been sold.
The following year France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
declared war on England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
.
He distinguished himself in the battle of the Glorious First of June
Glorious First of June
The Glorious First of June [Note A] of 1794 was the first and largest fleet action of the naval conflict between the Kingdom of Great Britain and the First French Republic during the French Revolutionary Wars...
in 1794, and was specially recommended by his dying captain John Harvey of HMS Brunswick
HMS Brunswick (1790)
HMS Brunswick was a 74-gun third rate ship of the line of the Royal Navy, launched on 30 April 1790 at Deptford.On 29 October 1792, three condemned mutineers of the Mutiny on the Bounty were hanged from her yardarms....
for his bravery and competence.
This brought him to the attention of Admiral 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...
, who summond him to his flagship, HMS Queen Charlotte
HMS Queen Charlotte (1790)
HMS Queen Charlotte was a 100-gun first-rate ship of the line of the Royal Navy, launched on 15 April 1790 at Chatham. She was built to the draught of designed by Sir Edward Hunt, though with a modified armament....
. Howe promoted him to Lieutenant, and assigned to HMS Russell
HMS Russell (1764)
HMS Russell was a 74-gun third rate ship of the line of the Royal Navy, launched on 10 November 1764 at Deptford.In 1782, she was commanded by Captain James Saumarez at the Battle of the Saintes. In 1794 she was part of Admiral Howe's fleet at the Glorious First of June, and in the following year...
. He was again heavily engaged with the enemy on 23 June 1795 when he was aboard during the battle of Groix
Battle of Groix
The Second Battle of Groix was a naval engagement that took place on 23 June 1795 during the French Revolutionary War off the west coast of France....
in which three enemy ships were taken. Russell lost three men killed and ten wounded.
As a reward he was posted to the 18-gun sloop HMS Kingfisher, and made some money from prizes captured during operations off the Spanish and Portuguese coasts, sailing from Lisbon
Lisbon
Lisbon is the capital city and largest city of Portugal with a population of 545,245 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Lisbon extends beyond the administrative city limits with a population of 3 million on an area of , making it the 9th most populous urban...
. He was also instrumental in preventing a local outbreak of mutiny following the larger rebellions at home at Spithead and the Nore in 1797. In 1798, he was transferred to another big ship, the 74-gun HMS Impetueux; he gained some notoriety in 1800 by leading a raiding party into the Morbihan
Morbihan
Morbihan is a department in Brittany, situated in the northwest of France. It is named after the Morbihan , the enclosed sea that is the principal feature of the coastline.-History:...
River and destroying a dozen French ships and wrecking port facilities in the river. A notorious and wealthy first lieutenant, Pilfold met and married Mary Anne Horner during the Peace of Amiens, but was back aboard ship in 1803 moving from HMS Hindostan
HMS Hindostan (1795)
HMS Hindostan was a 56-gun fourth-rate ship of the line of the Royal Navy. She was originally the East Indiaman Hindostan, and was bought by the Admiralty in 1795...
to HMS Dragon
HMS Dragon (1798)
HMS Dragon was a 74-gun third rate ship of the line of the Royal Navy, launched on 2 April 1798 at Rotherhithe. She was designed by Sir William Rule, and was the only ship built to her draught....
and from there to the Ajax, which was then commanded by Captain William Brown.
Ajax was engaged at the battle of Cape Finisterre
Battle of Cape Finisterre (1805)
In the Battle of Cape Finisterre off Galicia, Spain, the British fleet under Admiral Robert Calder fought an indecisive naval battle against the Combined Franco-Spanish fleet which was returning from the West Indies...
. Brown was embroiled in the scandal which followed and resulted in the court martial of the admiral in charge, Sir Robert Calder
Robert Calder
Admiral Sir Robert Calder, 1st Baronet, KCB was a British naval officer who served in the Seven Years' War, the American Revolutionary War, the French Revolutionary Wars and the Napoleonic Wars.-Early life:...
. Called home to give evidence at the trial, Brown placed Pilfold in charge of the Ajax, which joined Nelson's fleet during the blockade of Cadiz
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....
. On 21 October, Ajax was sixth in Nelson's line, and was heavily engaged with the Intrépide
French ship Intrépide
Intrépide was a 74-gun third-rate ship of the line of the French navy. She was originally built at Ferrol, Spain in 1799 as the Spanish ship of the line Intrepido, and later was sold to France in 1800....
and Argonauta, fighting them both to a standstill and remarkably only suffering two dead and nine wounded during the whole engagement. Pilfold returned home to rapturous praise in December 1805, and was promoted to Post Captain at Christmas, followed over the next ten years by further rewards, including his own coat of arms and initiation into the Order of the Bath
Order of the Bath
The Most Honourable Order of the Bath is a British order of chivalry founded by George I on 18 May 1725. The name derives from the elaborate mediæval ceremony for creating a knight, which involved bathing as one of its elements. The knights so created were known as Knights of the Bath...
on 4 June 1815.
Pilfold however never again commanded at sea, as a ship was not provided for him, and he gradually gave up ambitions of further promotion and retired to Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
and Devon
Devon
Devon is a large county in southwestern England. The county is sometimes referred to as Devonshire, although the term is rarely used inside the county itself as the county has never been officially "shired", it often indicates a traditional or historical context.The county shares borders with...
with his family. There he divided his time between farming, minor shore-based naval appointments and funding the lifestyle of his nephew, the poet Percy Bysshe Shelly.
He died in 1834, two years after his wife and three years after a debilitating stroke
Stroke
A stroke, previously known medically as a cerebrovascular accident , is the rapidly developing loss of brain function due to disturbance in the blood supply to the brain. This can be due to ischemia caused by blockage , or a hemorrhage...
which left him "quite childish". He was buried at St George’s Church, 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...
, but the churchyard containing his tombstone was destroyed by German bombers in the Blitz
The Blitz
The Blitz was the sustained strategic bombing of Britain by Nazi Germany between 7 September 1940 and 10 May 1941, during the Second World War. The city of London was bombed by the Luftwaffe for 76 consecutive nights and many towns and cities across the country followed...
in 1941 and it is now a car park with no indication who lies buried beneath it.
Biography
- The Trafalgar Captains, Colin White and the 1805 Club, Chatham Publishing, London, 2005, ISBN 1-86176-247-X
- The Life and Times of Captain John Pilfold, Hawkins, Desmond, A Horsham Museum Society Monograph, 1998