Mark Robinson (Royal Navy officer)
Encyclopedia
Admiral Mark Robinson was an officer of the Royal Navy
, one of several members of the Robinson family to serve at sea.
He entered the Royal Navy in 1736, at the age of 14 and was examined for his lieutenancy on 14 May 1747, after having been promoted to the rank of Fourth Lieutenant of the HMS Vigilante on
30 March 1746.
After serving as Lieutenant on several ships, Mark Robinson was promoted to
Captain of the 70-gun third rate HMS Vanguard
on 13 August 1760. In the mid-1770s he was Captain of the 64-gun, 3rd-rate HMS Worcester
.
During the American Revolutionary War
he participated in several fleet actions against the French. As captain of the Worcester he was at the First Battle of Ushant on 27 July 1778. The Worcester was heavily engaged in the rear division under command of Sir Hugh Palliser
. Subsequently he was made Captain of the HMS Shrewsbury
in March 1779. He participated in the Battle of Martinique (1780)
17 April 1780, under Sir Samuel Hood
and the French Admiral comte de Guichen
. Robinson led the division under Rear Admiral Drake, losing six men killed, and fourteen wounded.
He distinguished himself at the Battle of the Chesapeake
on 5 September 1781. In the course of the engagement, the Shrewsbury lost fourteen men killed, and fifty-two wounded, including Robinson, who lost a leg from cannon shot. Unable to return to sea, he was granted a pension. When he became, by seniority, entitled to a flag, he was placed on the list of superannuated rear admirals. At the time of his death, he was the senior Rear Admiral in the Royal Navy.
Nelson was to subsequently write about this period: "But although my age might have been a sufficient cause for not entrusting me with the charge of a Watch, yet Captain Robinson used to say,'he felt as easy when I was upon deck,as any Officer in the ship".
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...
, one of several members of the Robinson family to serve at sea.
He entered the Royal Navy in 1736, at the age of 14 and was examined for his lieutenancy on 14 May 1747, after having been promoted to the rank of Fourth Lieutenant of the HMS Vigilante on
30 March 1746.
After serving as Lieutenant on several ships, Mark Robinson was promoted to
Captain of the 70-gun third rate HMS Vanguard
HMS Vanguard (1748)
HMS Vanguard was a 70-gun third rate ship of the line of the Royal Navy, launched on 16 April 1748. She was built by Philemon Ewer at his East Cowes yard on the Isle of Wight to the draught specified by the 1745 Establishment, at a cost of £8,009...
on 13 August 1760. In the mid-1770s he was Captain of the 64-gun, 3rd-rate HMS Worcester
HMS Worcester (1769)
HMS Worcester was a 64-gun third rate ship of the line of the Royal Navy, launched on 17 October 1769 at Portsmouth, and was the fourth ship to bear the name.In 1783, Worcester took part in the Battle of Cuddalore....
.
During 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...
he participated in several fleet actions against the French. As captain of the Worcester he was at the First Battle of Ushant on 27 July 1778. The Worcester was heavily engaged in the rear division under command 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...
. Subsequently he was made Captain of the 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....
in March 1779. He participated in the Battle of Martinique (1780)
Battle of Martinique (1780)
The Battle of Martinique, also Combat de la Dominique, took place on April 17, 1780 during the American War of Independence in the West Indies between the British Royal Navy and the French Navy.-Origins:...
17 April 1780, under Sir Samuel Hood
Samuel Hood, 1st Viscount Hood
Samuel Hood, 1st Viscount Hood was a British Admiral known particularly for his service in the American War of Independence and French Revolutionary Wars...
and the French Admiral comte de Guichen
Luc Urbain de Bouexic, comte de Guichen
Luc Urbain de Bouëxic, comte de Guichen - French admiral; entered the navy in 1730 as "garde de la Marine," the first rank in the corps of royal officers.His promotion was not rapid...
. Robinson led the division under Rear Admiral Drake, losing six men killed, and fourteen wounded.
He distinguished himself at the Battle of the Chesapeake
Battle of the Chesapeake
The Battle of the Chesapeake, also known as the Battle of the Virginia Capes or simply the Battle of the Capes, was a crucial naval battle in the American War of Independence that took place near the mouth of Chesapeake Bay on 5 September 1781, between a British fleet led by Rear Admiral Sir Thomas...
on 5 September 1781. In the course of the engagement, the Shrewsbury lost fourteen men killed, and fifty-two wounded, including Robinson, who lost a leg from cannon shot. Unable to return to sea, he was granted a pension. When he became, by seniority, entitled to a flag, he was placed on the list of superannuated rear admirals. At the time of his death, he was the senior Rear Admiral in the Royal Navy.
Robinson and Horatio Nelson
Nelson served under Robinson on the Worcester as acting fourth lieutenant (8 October 1776 – April 1777). The experience of escorting convoys in the wintery seas to and from Gibraltar completed Nelson's midshipman training. On the Worcester's return to England on 3 April, Nelson then completed his lieutenancy examination on 9 April.Nelson was to subsequently write about this period: "But although my age might have been a sufficient cause for not entrusting me with the charge of a Watch, yet Captain Robinson used to say,'he felt as easy when I was upon deck,as any Officer in the ship".
External links
- "Mark Robinson letter National Archives"
- http://www.gutenberg.org/etext/16602 Gutenberg on line edition of A. T Mahan's works