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Richard Parker (British sailor)
Encyclopedia
Richard Parker was an English sailor executed for his role as president of the so-called "Floating Republic", a naval mutiny
in the Royal Navy
which took place at the Nore
between 12 May and 16 June 1797.
, the son of a successful baker, and was apprenticed as a navigator in 1779. From 1782 until 1793 he served on various ships of the Royal Navy
mainly in the Mediterranean and India
service, achieving the rank of master's mate
and a probationary period as lieutenant. However on the ship Assurance he was goaded into an act of mild insubordination by an established lieutenant who informed on him resulting in his being court-martialled in December 1793. As a result he was disrated and eventually discharged from the Navy in November 1794. He returned to Exeter, reuniting with his wife Anne, but fell into debt and was jailed in Edinburgh
in early 1797. After three weeks in jail, he accepted a quota of £20 in return for reenlistment in the navy, his despair at the prospect such that he attempted suicide on the way to the embarkation point at Sheerness
by flinging himself overboard.
, one of bases of the North Sea
fleet, Parker was assigned to the ship which was widely regarded as one of the worst in terms of its squalid and overcrowded conditions. It was on the Sandwich on 12 May that the Nore mutiny
broke out which Parker played no role in organizing but he was soon invited by the delegates of the mutiny to join them and was even sooner appointed President of the Delegates due to his obvious intelligence, education and empathy with the suffering of the sailors.
His degree of control over the direction of the mutiny was limited and his role of President largely symbolic, mainly involving processions of delegates boats between the ships for communication and morale purposes. Despite the chaotic nature and his ill-defined powers, Parker did manage to exert control during the mutiny as on 2 June when the sloop Hound arrived at the Nore and was boarded by a party of delegates. The crew and commander violently resisted the delegates but Parker’s arrival and display of authority quickly forced the Captain to submit and join the mutiny. During the mutineers' blockade of the Thames
, only ships bearing a pass signed by Parker were to be allowed to pass without being stopped and searched.
to whom he handed a petition and a form of ultimatum that their grievances be addressed within a period of 54 hours, after which he warned "such steps by the Fleet will be taken as will astonish their dear countrymen". The increasing tension led to the desertion of the mutiny by several ships and even some of the radical delegates began to sense the end and fled abroad. The fear that the by now thoroughly demonized Parker would also escape led to a reward of £500 being posted for his arrest.
When the delegates' deadline passed without reply, Parker ordered that the fleet sail for Texel
on the morning of 9 June. However, no ship moved when the signal to sail was given and the mutiny was effectively over. Parker was arrested on 13 June, brought to Sheerness
under heavy guard, court-martialled and executed on board the Sandwich amid much ceremony on 30 June.
His body was not publicly gibbet
ted after death, contrary to the wishes of King George III. Parker's wife Anne, who had worked tirelessly to prevent his execution, later rescued his body from an unconsecrated burial ground and smuggled it into London, where crowds gathered to see it. After receiving Christian rites, it was buried in the grounds
of St Mary Matfelon
Church, Whitechapel
.
Spithead and Nore mutinies
The Spithead and Nore mutinies were two major mutinies by sailors of the Royal Navy in 1797. There were also discontent and minor incidents on ships in other locations in the same year. They were not violent insurrections, being more in the nature of strikes, demanding better pay and conditions...
in 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...
which took place at the Nore
Nore
The Nore is a sandbank at the mouth of the Thames Estuary, England. It marks the point where the River Thames meets the North Sea, roughly halfway between Havengore Creek in Essex and Warden Point in Kent....
between 12 May and 16 June 1797.
Early life and career
He was born in ExeterExeter
Exeter is a historic city in Devon, England. It lies within the ceremonial county of Devon, of which it is the county town as well as the home of Devon County Council. Currently the administrative area has the status of a non-metropolitan district, and is therefore under the administration of the...
, the son of a successful baker, and was apprenticed as a navigator in 1779. From 1782 until 1793 he served on various ships 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...
mainly in the Mediterranean and India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
service, achieving the rank of master's mate
Master's mate
Master's mate is an obsolete rating which was used by the Royal Navy, United States Navy and merchant services in both countries for a senior petty officer who assisted the master...
and a probationary period as lieutenant. However on the ship Assurance he was goaded into an act of mild insubordination by an established lieutenant who informed on him resulting in his being court-martialled in December 1793. As a result he was disrated and eventually discharged from the Navy in November 1794. He returned to Exeter, reuniting with his wife Anne, but fell into debt and was jailed 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...
in early 1797. After three weeks in jail, he accepted a quota of £20 in return for reenlistment in the navy, his despair at the prospect such that he attempted suicide on the way to the embarkation point at Sheerness
Sheerness
Sheerness is a town located beside the mouth of the River Medway on the northwest corner of the Isle of Sheppey in north Kent, England. With a population of 12,000 it is the largest town on the island....
by flinging himself overboard.
The Nore mutiny
Upon his arrival at the NoreNore
The Nore is a sandbank at the mouth of the Thames Estuary, England. It marks the point where the River Thames meets the North Sea, roughly halfway between Havengore Creek in Essex and Warden Point in Kent....
, one of bases of the North Sea
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...
fleet, Parker was assigned to the ship which was widely regarded as one of the worst in terms of its squalid and overcrowded conditions. It was on the Sandwich on 12 May that the Nore mutiny
Spithead and Nore mutinies
The Spithead and Nore mutinies were two major mutinies by sailors of the Royal Navy in 1797. There were also discontent and minor incidents on ships in other locations in the same year. They were not violent insurrections, being more in the nature of strikes, demanding better pay and conditions...
broke out which Parker played no role in organizing but he was soon invited by the delegates of the mutiny to join them and was even sooner appointed President of the Delegates due to his obvious intelligence, education and empathy with the suffering of the sailors.
His degree of control over the direction of the mutiny was limited and his role of President largely symbolic, mainly involving processions of delegates boats between the ships for communication and morale purposes. Despite the chaotic nature and his ill-defined powers, Parker did manage to exert control during the mutiny as on 2 June when the sloop Hound arrived at the Nore and was boarded by a party of delegates. The crew and commander violently resisted the delegates but Parker’s arrival and display of authority quickly forced the Captain to submit and join the mutiny. During the mutineers' blockade of the Thames
River Thames
The River Thames flows through southern England. It is the longest river entirely in England and the second longest in the United Kingdom. While it is best known because its lower reaches flow through central London, the river flows alongside several other towns and cities, including Oxford,...
, only ships bearing a pass signed by Parker were to be allowed to pass without being stopped and searched.
Crisis and collapse
On 6 June he organized a meeting of delegates with Lord NortheskWilliam Carnegie, 7th Earl of Northesk
Admiral William Carnegie GCB, 7th Earl of Northesk was born in Hampshire to Admiral George Carnegie, 6th Earl of Northesk and Anne Melville.-Naval career:...
to whom he handed a petition and a form of ultimatum that their grievances be addressed within a period of 54 hours, after which he warned "such steps by the Fleet will be taken as will astonish their dear countrymen". The increasing tension led to the desertion of the mutiny by several ships and even some of the radical delegates began to sense the end and fled abroad. The fear that the by now thoroughly demonized Parker would also escape led to a reward of £500 being posted for his arrest.
When the delegates' deadline passed without reply, Parker ordered that the fleet sail for 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...
on the morning of 9 June. However, no ship moved when the signal to sail was given and the mutiny was effectively over. Parker was arrested on 13 June, brought to Sheerness
Sheerness
Sheerness is a town located beside the mouth of the River Medway on the northwest corner of the Isle of Sheppey in north Kent, England. With a population of 12,000 it is the largest town on the island....
under heavy guard, court-martialled and executed on board the Sandwich amid much ceremony on 30 June.
His body was not publicly gibbet
Gibbet
A gibbet is a gallows-type structure from which the dead bodies of executed criminals were hung on public display to deter other existing or potential criminals. In earlier times, up to the late 17th century, live gibbeting also took place, in which the criminal was placed alive in a metal cage...
ted after death, contrary to the wishes of King George III. Parker's wife Anne, who had worked tirelessly to prevent his execution, later rescued his body from an unconsecrated burial ground and smuggled it into London, where crowds gathered to see it. After receiving Christian rites, it was buried in the grounds
Altab Ali Park
Altab Ali Park is a small park on Adler Street, White Church Lane and Whitechapel High Street, London E1; formerly known as St. Mary's Park it is the site of the old 14th Century white chapel, St. Mary Matfelon, from which the area of Whitechapel gets its name. Having been destroyed in The Blitz...
of St Mary Matfelon
St Mary Matfelon
The St Mary Matfelon church, popularly known as St Mary's, Whitechapel, was an Anglican church in Whitechapel, London. It was situated on Whitechapel Road.-History:...
Church, Whitechapel
Whitechapel
Whitechapel is a built-up inner city district in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets, London, England. It is located east of Charing Cross and roughly bounded by the Bishopsgate thoroughfare on the west, Fashion Street on the north, Brady Street and Cavell Street on the east and The Highway on the...
.