Sir Albemarle Bertie, 1st Baronet
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Admiral
Sir Albemarle Bertie, 1st Baronet, KCB
, was a long-serving and at time controversial officer of the British Royal Navy
who saw extensive service in his career but also courted controversy with several of his actions.
Bertie won recognition for unsuccessfully defending his ship against superior odds in the American Revolutionary War
. He was later criticised however for failing to close with the enemy at the Glorious First of June
and later for pulling rank on a subordinate officer just days before the capture of the French island of Mauritius
and taking credit for the victory. Despite these controversies, Bertie was rewarded for his service with a baronetcy and the Order of the Bath
, retiring in 1813 to his country estate at Donnington, Berkshire
.
, a court martial at which Commander Bertie (as he by then was), was called on to give evidence in 1779. The intervening two years had been highly eventful, Bertie spending most of it as a prisoner of war
in France after his frigate
HMS Fox
had been taken by the larger French Junon
.
Following his exchange and appearance as a witness, Bertie spent two years without a ship, due to the shortage of available positions for young officers during the American Revolutionary War. In 1782, after a change of government, Bertie was reinstated and made captain of the small frigate HMS Crocodile. He remained in service throughout the 1780s, marrying Emma Heywood of Maristow in Devon. Emma predeceased him and the couple had two daughters, although nothing is known of his marriage, including the date.
before progressing to captain of a ship of the line
, HMS Edgar
in 1792. The following year he took over HMS Thunderer
in Lord Howe
's Channel Fleet. With Thunderer and Howe, Bertie participated in the Atlantic campaign of May 1794
and the culminating Glorious First of June
. Howe omitted Bertie from his dispatches of the battle and Bertie was not awarded a commemorative medal like many of the other captains. His failure to close with the French fleet was later cited against him.
For the next ten years Bertie remained with the Channel Fleet on uneventful blockade duty, serving under Sir John Borlase Warren
and commanding HMS Thunderer, HMS Renown
, HMS Windsor
and HMS Malta
on this duty. In 1804, Bertie was promoted to rear-admiral, climbing the ranks over the next three years until he was senior enough to become admiral in charge of the Cape of Good Hope
station off South Africa
. Bertie served off South Africa for the next two years, suddenly sailing in late 1810 to take over the operations to invade Mauritius
and seize it from the French. Most of the fighting had already been concluded by Admiral William O'Bryen Drury
before Bertie's arrival and Drury was furious at Bertie's behaviour, writing several strong letters to the Admiralty
in protest.
Bertie returned to Britain in 1811 and endured a brief political storm over his actions at Mauritius, which had been criticised by his fellow senior officer on the island Lord Minto
. Angered, Bertie requested court martial to defend his conduct but was firmly refused by the Admiralty, which did not wish for another scandal. A change of government the following year changed the political situation however and Bertie was returned to favour and presented with a baronetcy as reward for the capture of Mauritius, Drury having died in the meantime.
in Berkshire
, Bertie continued to be promoted post-retirement, finishing as a full admiral. He was also made a Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath on the restructuring of the orders of knighthood in 1815. He died in 1824 after ten years retirement. As he had no male heirs, his baronetcy became extinct.
Admiral
Admiral is the rank, or part of the name of the ranks, of the highest naval officers. It is usually considered a full admiral and above vice admiral and below admiral of the fleet . It is usually abbreviated to "Adm" or "ADM"...
Sir Albemarle Bertie, 1st Baronet, KCB
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...
, was a long-serving and at time controversial officer of the British 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...
who saw extensive service in his career but also courted controversy with several of his actions.
Bertie won recognition for unsuccessfully defending his ship against superior odds in 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 was later criticised however for failing to close with the enemy at 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...
and later for pulling rank on a subordinate officer just days before the capture of the French island of Mauritius
Mauritius
Mauritius , officially the Republic of Mauritius is an island nation off the southeast coast of the African continent in the southwest Indian Ocean, about east of Madagascar...
and taking credit for the victory. Despite these controversies, Bertie was rewarded for his service with a baronetcy and 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...
, retiring in 1813 to his country estate at Donnington, Berkshire
Donnington, Berkshire
Donnington is a village in the civil parish of Shaw-cum-Donnington just north of the town of Newbury in Berkshire, England.Donnington Castle, a ruined medieval castle of some historical significance, is in the village. Donnington Hospital almshouses, established in 1393, are the oldest charity in...
.
American Revolutionary War
Albemarle Bertie was born in 1755 and much of his childhood is undocumented. It is not even clear when he entered the Navy, although he was gazetted lieutenant in December 1777 aged 22, quite a bit older than most of his contemporaries. Within a year of promotion, Bertie had witnessed combat on a repeating frigate at the First Battle of Ushant, a brief and inconclusive action which resulted in a court martial for Admiral Hugh PalliserHugh 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...
, a court martial at which Commander Bertie (as he by then was), was called on to give evidence in 1779. The intervening two years had been highly eventful, Bertie spending most of it as a prisoner of war
Prisoner of war
A prisoner of war or enemy prisoner of war is a person, whether civilian or combatant, who is held in custody by an enemy power during or immediately after an armed conflict...
in France after his frigate
Frigate
A frigate is any of several types of warship, the term having been used for ships of various sizes and roles over the last few centuries.In the 17th century, the term was used for any warship built for speed and maneuverability, the description often used being "frigate-built"...
HMS Fox
HMS Fox (1773)
HMS Fox was a 28-gun Enterprise-class sixth-rate frigate of the Royal Navy. The Fox was first commissioned in October 1775 under the command of Captain Patrick Fotheringham.-Fate:...
had been taken by the larger French Junon
French frigate Junon (1778)
The Junon was a 32-gun Charmante class frigate of the French NavyShe took part in the Battle of Ushant under Admiral d'Orvilliers. She captured HMS Fox on 11 September 1778....
.
Following his exchange and appearance as a witness, Bertie spent two years without a ship, due to the shortage of available positions for young officers during the American Revolutionary War. In 1782, after a change of government, Bertie was reinstated and made captain of the small frigate HMS Crocodile. He remained in service throughout the 1780s, marrying Emma Heywood of Maristow in Devon. Emma predeceased him and the couple had two daughters, although nothing is known of his marriage, including the date.
French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars
In 1790 at the Spanish armament, Bertie gained command of the frigate HMS LatonaHMS Latona (1779)
HMS Latona was a 38-gun, 18-pounder gun armed fifth-rate frigate of the Royal Navy. She was designed by the senior surveyor John Williams. In this era it was common for each surveyor to produce independent designs for new ship types, and this design was a counterpoint to Edward Hunt's HMS Minerva;...
before progressing to captain 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...
, HMS Edgar
HMS Edgar (1779)
HMS Edgar was a 74-gun third-rate ship of the line of the Royal Navy, that saw service in the American Revolutionary, French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars...
in 1792. The following year he took over HMS Thunderer
HMS Thunderer (1783)
HMS Thunderer was a 74-gun third rate ship of the line of the Royal Navy, built at the Wells brother's shipyard in Rotherhithe and launched on 13 November 1783...
in 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...
's Channel Fleet. With Thunderer and Howe, Bertie participated in the Atlantic campaign of May 1794
Atlantic campaign of May 1794
The Atlantic campaign of May 1794 was a series of operations conducted by the British Royal Navy's Channel Fleet against the French Navy's Atlantic Fleet, with the aim of preventing the passage of a strategically important French grain convoy travelling from the United States to France...
and the culminating 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...
. Howe omitted Bertie from his dispatches of the battle and Bertie was not awarded a commemorative medal like many of the other captains. His failure to close with the French fleet was later cited against him.
For the next ten years Bertie remained with the Channel Fleet on uneventful blockade duty, serving under Sir John Borlase Warren
John Borlase Warren
Sir John Borlase Warren, 1st Baronet , was an English admiral, politician and diplomat. Born in Stapleford, Nottinghamshire, he was the son and heir of John Borlase Warren of Stapleford and Little Marlow...
and commanding HMS Thunderer, HMS Renown
HMS Renown (1798)
HMS Renown was a 74-gun third-rate ship of the line of the Royal Navy. She was to have been named HMS Royal Oak, but the name was changed to Renown on 15 February 1796....
, HMS Windsor
HMS Windsor (1695)
HMS Windsor was a 60-gun fourth rate ship of the line of the Royal Navy, launched at Deptford on 31 October 1695.On 18 November 1725 she was ordered to be taken to pieces and rebuilt according to the 1719 Establishment at Deptford, and she was relaunched on 27 October 1729...
and HMS Malta
HMS Malta (1800)
HMS Malta was an 80-gun third rate ship of the line of the Royal Navy. She had previously served with the French Navy as the Tonnant-class Guillaume Tell, but was captured in the Mediterranean in 1800 by a British squadron enforcing the blockade of Malta...
on this duty. In 1804, Bertie was promoted to rear-admiral, climbing the ranks over the next three years until he was senior enough to become admiral in charge of the Cape of Good Hope
Cape of Good Hope
The Cape of Good Hope is a rocky headland on the Atlantic coast of the Cape Peninsula, South Africa.There is a misconception that the Cape of Good Hope is the southern tip of Africa, because it was once believed to be the dividing point between the Atlantic and Indian Oceans. In fact, the...
station off South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
. Bertie served off South Africa for the next two years, suddenly sailing in late 1810 to take over the operations to invade Mauritius
Mauritius
Mauritius , officially the Republic of Mauritius is an island nation off the southeast coast of the African continent in the southwest Indian Ocean, about east of Madagascar...
and seize it from the French. Most of the fighting had already been concluded by Admiral William O'Bryen Drury
William O'Bryen Drury
Rear-Admiral William O'Bryen Drury was a senior officer of the British Royal Navy during the Napoleonic Wars. Drury served as commander of the ship of the line HMS Powerful during the French Revolutionary Wars, during which he was heavily engaged at the Battle of Camperdown, at which a Dutch fleet...
before Bertie's arrival and Drury was furious at Bertie's behaviour, writing several strong letters to 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...
in protest.
Bertie returned to Britain in 1811 and endured a brief political storm over his actions at Mauritius, which had been criticised by his fellow senior officer on the island Lord Minto
Gilbert Elliot-Murray-Kynynmound, 1st Earl of Minto
Gilbert Elliot-Murray-Kynynmound, 1st Earl of Minto PC , known as Sir Gilbert Elliott between 1777 and 1797 and as The Lord Minto between 1797 and 1813, was a Scottish politician diplomat....
. Angered, Bertie requested court martial to defend his conduct but was firmly refused by the Admiralty, which did not wish for another scandal. A change of government the following year changed the political situation however and Bertie was returned to favour and presented with a baronetcy as reward for the capture of Mauritius, Drury having died in the meantime.
Retirement
Retiring to his country estate at DonningtonDonnington, Berkshire
Donnington is a village in the civil parish of Shaw-cum-Donnington just north of the town of Newbury in Berkshire, England.Donnington Castle, a ruined medieval castle of some historical significance, is in the village. Donnington Hospital almshouses, established in 1393, are the oldest charity in...
in 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...
, Bertie continued to be promoted post-retirement, finishing as a full admiral. He was also made a Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath on the restructuring of the orders of knighthood in 1815. He died in 1824 after ten years retirement. As he had no male heirs, his baronetcy became extinct.