William Carnegie, 7th Earl of Northesk
Encyclopedia
Admiral William Carnegie GCB
, 7th Earl of Northesk (10 April 1756 – 28 May 1831) was born in Hampshire
to Admiral George Carnegie, 6th Earl of Northesk
and Anne Melville.
and the ship of the line
, being involved in the Battle of Martinique
in 1780 under Admiral Rodney. His good conduct during the engagement was recognised by Rodney, who promoted Carnegie to commander
and then aided his rise to Post captain in 1782, whereupon he was given command of the frigate .
Ten years later at the outbreak of the French Revolutionary War, Carnegie had acceded to the earldom and became the Earl of Northesk
, being given the new ship of the line to command in 1796 and having as his first lieutenant Charles Bullen
, the start of an excellent professional partnership and close personal friendship. The following year he was caught up in the Nore mutiny but was released by the mutineers to take their demands to London
. Like many in the fleet, Northesk had some sympathy with the initial stages of the mutiny, and so when the demands were refused, he resigned his position as untenable following his failure to restore order on his ship or gain concessions from the government.
Reinstated by the Admiralty
in 1803 with full seniority as a rear-admiral, Northesk was given the 100 gun first rate as his flagship, and after a brief period in the Channel Fleet, was sent south with Sir Robert Calder
to join the blockading squadrons off Spain. With him went Captain Bullen. He missed the Calder's action
in 1805, and joined Nelson's fleet off Cadiz
that same year. As the inevitable Battle off Cape Trafalgar
came closer, Northesk was largely left out of the planning of the encounter, partly because he was the third most senior admiral present behind Nelson and Collingwood and partly because unlike most of the captains at the battle, Northesk had never worked with Nelson before and was not a member of the famous Band of Brothers.
Nonetheless, when battle came Northesk was ready and although his slow ship took sometime to reach the fighting, he was heavily engaged with the enormous Spanish 130 gun ship Santissima Trinidad
, the Britannia suffering 52 casualties in the battle. He was greatly rewarded for his service in action, but like many Trafalgar captains, never served at sea again as sufficiently senior posts could not be found abroad. He was however initiated into the Order of the Bath
, eventually reaching the position of Knight Grand Cross. He also reached the rank of full admiral, the ceremonial post of Rear-Admiral of Great Britain and was made Commander-in-Chief, Plymouth
later in his career. He died in 1831 in London
and was buried alongside Nelson and Collingwood in the crypt at St Paul's Cathedral
, where his tomb can still be seen.
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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...
, 7th Earl of Northesk (10 April 1756 – 28 May 1831) was born in Hampshire
Hampshire
Hampshire is a county on the southern coast of England in the United Kingdom. The county town of Hampshire is Winchester, a historic cathedral city that was once the capital of England. Hampshire is notable for housing the original birthplaces of the Royal Navy, British Army, and Royal Air Force...
to Admiral George Carnegie, 6th Earl of Northesk
George Carnegie, 6th Earl of Northesk
Admiral George Carnegie, 6th Earl of Northesk was born the son of David Carnegie, 4th Earl of Northesk and Lady Margaret Wemyss on 2 August 1716. He died on 20 January 1792 at age 75....
and Anne Melville.
Naval career
Following his father into the navy in 1771, Carnegie served in the American War of Independence on the frigateFrigate
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"...
and 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...
, being involved in the Battle of Martinique
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:...
in 1780 under Admiral Rodney. His good conduct during the engagement was recognised by Rodney, who promoted Carnegie to commander
Commander
Commander is a naval rank which is also sometimes used as a military title depending on the individual customs of a given military service. Commander is also used as a rank or title in some organizations outside of the armed forces, particularly in police and law enforcement.-Commander as a naval...
and then aided his rise to Post captain in 1782, whereupon he was given command of the frigate .
Ten years later at the outbreak of the French Revolutionary War, Carnegie had acceded to the earldom and became the Earl of Northesk
Earl of Northesk
Earl of Northesk is a title in the Peerage of Scotland. It was created in 1662 for John Carnegie, who notably served as Sheriff of Forfarshire. He was given the subsidiary title of Lord Rosehill and Eglismauldie at the same time. Carnegie had already been created Earl of Ethie and Lord Lour in...
, being given the new ship of the line to command in 1796 and having as his first lieutenant Charles Bullen
Charles Bullen
Sir Charles Bullen GCB GCH was a highly efficient and successful naval officer who served in the Royal Navy during the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars and distinguished himself at the Glorious First of June, the battle of Camperdown and the battle of Trafalgar.-Career:Born in Newcastle in...
, the start of an excellent professional partnership and close personal friendship. The following year he was caught up in the Nore mutiny but was released by the mutineers to take their demands to 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...
. Like many in the fleet, Northesk had some sympathy with the initial stages of the mutiny, and so when the demands were refused, he resigned his position as untenable following his failure to restore order on his ship or gain concessions from the government.
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 1803 with full seniority as a rear-admiral, Northesk was given the 100 gun first rate as his flagship, and after a brief period in the Channel Fleet, was sent south with 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:...
to join the blockading squadrons off Spain. With him went Captain Bullen. He missed the Calder's action
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...
in 1805, and joined Nelson's fleet off 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....
that same year. As the inevitable Battle off Cape 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 ....
came closer, Northesk was largely left out of the planning of the encounter, partly because he was the third most senior admiral present behind Nelson and Collingwood and partly because unlike most of the captains at the battle, Northesk had never worked with Nelson before and was not a member of the famous Band of Brothers.
Nonetheless, when battle came Northesk was ready and although his slow ship took sometime to reach the fighting, he was heavily engaged with the enormous Spanish 130 gun ship Santissima Trinidad
Spanish Ship Santissima Trinidad
The Santísima Trinidad was the name of several Spanish shipsIt may refer to:* Spanish ship Santísima Trinidad * Spanish ship Nuestra Señora de la Santísima Trinidad...
, the Britannia suffering 52 casualties in the battle. He was greatly rewarded for his service in action, but like many Trafalgar captains, never served at sea again as sufficiently senior posts could not be found abroad. He was however initiated 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...
, eventually reaching the position of Knight Grand Cross. He also reached the rank of full admiral, the ceremonial post of Rear-Admiral of Great Britain and was made Commander-in-Chief, Plymouth
Commander-in-Chief, Plymouth
The Commander-in-Chief, Plymouth was a senior commander of the Royal Navy for hundreds of years. Plymouth Command was a name given to the units, establishments, and staff operating under the admiral's command. In the nineteenth century the holder of the office was known as Commander-in-Chief,...
later in his career. He died in 1831 in 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...
and was buried alongside Nelson and Collingwood in the crypt at St Paul's Cathedral
St Paul's Cathedral
St Paul's Cathedral, London, is a Church of England cathedral and seat of the Bishop of London. Its dedication to Paul the Apostle dates back to the original church on this site, founded in AD 604. St Paul's sits at the top of Ludgate Hill, the highest point in the City of London, and is the mother...
, where his tomb can still be seen.
Family
He married Mary Ricketts, daughter of William Henry Ricketts, on 9 December 1788 and had nine children:- Mary Carnegie (3 October 1789–7 March 1875) married Walter Long of PreshawWalter Long of PreshawWalter Long of Preshaw House, Hampshire, JP, DL was an English landowner.Descended from the Long family of Wiltshire, he was born at Corhampton, Hampshire, the only son of John Long and Ellen Hippesley Trenchard. He was educated at Oriel College, Oxford where he gained a BA in 1809, and MA in...
in 1810 - George Carnegie, Lord Rosehill (c. 1790 – February 1807), lost in HMS BlenheimHMS Blenheim (1761)HMS Blenheim was a 90-gun second rate ship of the line of the Royal Navy, launched on 5 July 1761 at Woolwich.-Service:Under the command of John Bazely, she took part in the Battle of Hyères Islands in 1795. Blenheim then fought at Battle of Cape St Vincent in 1797. By 1801, she had become so badly...
- William Hopetoun Carnegie, 8th Earl of NortheskWilliam Carnegie, 8th Earl of NortheskWilliam Hopetoun Carnegie, 8th Earl of Northesk was born the son of Admiral William Carnegie, 7th Earl of Northesk and Mary Ricketts on 16 October 1794. He died on 5 December 1878 at age 84....
(6 October 1794–5 December 1878) - Anne Letitia Carnegie (c. 1796–25 February 1870)
- Elizabeth Margaret Carnegie (c. 1798–12 April 1886)
- Jane Christian Carnegie (c. 1800–1 October 1840)
- John Jervis Carnegie (8 July 1807–18 January 1892)
- Georgina Henrietta Carnegie (2 August 1811–7 November 1827)
- Admiral Swynfen Thomas CarnegieSwynfen CarnegieAdmiral The Honourable Swynfen Thomas Carnegie was a Royal Navy officer who went on to be Fourth Naval Lord.-Career:...
(8 March 1813–20 November 1879)
Further reading
- The Trafalgar Captains, Colin White and the 1805 Club, Chatham Publishing, London, 2005, ISBN 1-86176-247-X
External links
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