march november english officer royal_navy joined navy aged years seeing action pirates leaving joining merchant navy traded glorious revolution returned royal_navy commissioned fought france years war serving later commanding english vessels taking battles went achieve fame campaigns pirates laying siege fighting west indies france war spanish succession fame success earned public notoriety promotion admiral involved incident action august number captains refused support commanding squadron ships instigated trial later imprisonment execution number captains involved live results events contributed notoriety led references subsequent popular culture family early years born son william recorded exact time date birth noon march date local historical accounts published biography publication records short biography entitled life exploits admiral born sea kings naval heroes records father died young account describes father service army charles dying teens writes father fact uncle thomas executed born asserts death uncle father family association charles years following execution ensured family brought low lack possessions writes turned career sea naval career early years entered royal_navy april aged years master mate aboard gun hms command captain whilst fitting portsmouth sailed mediterranean promoted rank vice admiral whilst serving commander chief mediterranean admiral sir period english fleet action pirates north_africa actively european shipping captured warship later commissioned royal_navy distinguished number actions vessels won approval return england appointed acting commander chief master aboard hms june remain african coast number successive captains achieve flag rank including impressed help advance career action august time warship golden horse engaged command captain arrived scene surrendered dispute arose question prize money shared comments crew adventure repetition eventually came booth knowledge captain brought court martial revealed repeating words ordered months pay amounting adventure crew ask captain booth pardon board majesty ship bristol declaring intent speaking words commanders present boat crew ship company merchant trading returned england paid november left navy entered merchant service sailing merchant vessel london bristol ports italy spain tough merchant owner commander frigate named trading levant commanded merchant vessel aboard attacked pirate mounted successful defence beat attack claimed cut heads thirteen slain aboard ship took claim reward skull cap coated set silver bearing inscription adventure captain gift referred speaks history dictionary relates story return navy returned navy glorious revolution recorded commission post lieutenant june command captain command came september year appointed captain transferred october november post master attendant chatham dockyard moved master attendant dockyard early march post intermittently held years master summer old commander lord assigned act master fleet took english defeat battle head defeat held circumstances led highly regarded specialist navigation evidence given july preliminary investigation strongly favoured old patron testify court martial december year continued aboard sovereign summer master fleet time admiral aboard worked closely old colleague serving russell captain russell clerk advised russell passage inside sands downs linked dutch forces served master fleet battles battles returned resume duties master attendant spending brief period helping oversee repairs fleet pay upgraded master attendant paid master addition master attendant wage presumably special services bomb returned active naval service september joining second engineer ordnance jointly commanding flotilla bomb vessels attack went aboard gun began bombardment november continued intermittently november large sent harbour attempt bring alongside town walls ran aground set fire exploded despite failure initial plan considerable damage forces able fort disabled carrying artillery prisoners away bringing dissatisfied overall result initiated court martial captain accusing bringing ship closer conviction mortars proved experience led promoted similar flotilla time deployed command vice admiral number converted merchant vessels rigged like designed explode burn assigned support expedition hand preparing vessels operation worked closely principal ordnance attacking fleet covered fleet downs attack planned september french able block entrance port preventing squadron entering storm disrupted operations drew instead sailed carried bombardment september returned downs resumed duties spent december organising convoy fleet merchant vessels sail rise admiral soon sea march appointed commander chief majesty ships coast france squadron highly successful taking number french merchants early april bringing england prizes recommended lord berkeley served saint promoted rear admiral opportunity meantime appointed command gun hms northumberland soon joined volunteer fourteen year old son named sailed berkeley dutch lieutenant admiral intending operate operations conducted area moved command direct operations english dutch warships english bomb vessels seventeen small boats vessels began operations arrival saint july remaining action evening day withdrew having achieved decisive result houses destroyed damage loss bomb vessels given bomb vessels seven frigates dispatched coast attacked july bombs hours departed having set town public private reception outcome operations left tense relationship immediate superiors berkeley accused excessive actions believed led failure attack hand widely lauded fearless attacks bomb vessels berkeley wrote july captain know difference small obligation called printed papers famous captain suppose little play fool guess letters farther business time wrong kind man admiralty approved conduct ordered paid rear admiral time employed summer coast france reward good service appointed grand committee men oversee plans december issue dragged admiralty stepped finally promoted appointed commander chief squadron rear admiral blue duration present expedition moved aboard gun orders protect english dutch shipping especially squadron successful pursuit usually escaping force drew near appointed command squadron december carried number cruises march august protecting allied trade escorting merchant fleets port activities marked english naval expedition war carried reconnaissance activities french fleet port brest july resuming patrol operations time concert number dutch ships der goes end war september appointment west indies commander chief king ships west_indies march instructed tackle issue piracy sailed november leg taking portsmouth sailing protection pirates sailing north_atlantic carry experiments observe magnetic variations finally reached barbados february moved spanish main aboard flagship gun hms gloucester threatened governor blockade compelled restore english merchant ships detained ships intended expedition scottish scheme ships impossible colonists saved time counter english government desire end scottish efforts west_indies governors received orders assist colony sailed far north newfoundland order drive pirates away evaded capture returned england summer appointed command fleet downs served summer command admiral sir promoted rear admiral red april followed vice admiral blue june flew flag gun hms spanish treasure fleet west_indies peace increasingly uneasy english government concerned possible fate spanish silver fleet arrive european waters america worried french intercept ships use treasure war preparations issued secret instructions find fleet seize bring england taking care squadron detached september sailed west_indies arriving november jamaica station mid december remained months joined vessels captain rear admiral promoted vice admiral white january war spanish succession broken news declaration reached july detached ships search port louis hispaniola french squadron admiral believed port voyage raid english dutch shipping left took squadron sailed anticipating find bring battle time reached hispaniola departed force subsequently sighted french august sailing french transports warships carrying guns commanded seven ships carrying guns english forces heavily scattered light winds meant slow achieve form collective order afternoon partial engagement fought lasting hours nightfall caused fleets temporarily break action quickly revealed breakdown discipline captains intended gun captain lead line battle maintaining station decided lead pulled ahead followed gun captain maintained contact french night ships refused close chase ensued august aboard making active efforts bring french battle times bore fire entire squadron disabled august ordered retire port royal french resumed action morning august entire squadron closing astern pounding hit chain shot broke leg carried determined continue pursuit despite wounds despite captain arrival board attempting persuade abandon pursuit summoned council war captains agreed signing paper drafted declared believed days battle squadron lacked men continue little chance decisive action men exhausted general lack ammunition ships rigging masts badly damaged winds generally variable recommended breaking action following french situation improved seen behaviour reason believe design country opportunity happened french destroyed admiral ordered squadron return jamaica arrival ordered captains imprisoned awaiting trial court martial received letter engagement sir little hopes monday cabin pleased god order captains deserted hang god deserve trial captains acting rear admiral returned port royal having spent days cruising hispaniola preparations trial begin captain died commanded hms remaining captains appeared court martial convened held october injuries passed role presiding court present trial court found captain guilty breach orders neglect duty ill signed paper consultation obliged admiral chase fight condemned shot hms windsor found guilty breach orders initially sentenced signing captains resolution personally declared fought sentences lord high admiral sentences deferred chance examine proceedings consideration january allowed sentences proceed constable wade returned england prisoners constable imprisoned queen pardoned wade shot aboard hms bristol april anchored captain controversy slowly began develop events august supporters wade sought discredit publishing account action death burial died port royal kingston jamaica november reported cause death wound leg received battle set perfection aggravated discontent mind threw sort melancholy ended life buried november chancel kingston marble slab later laid grave coat arms inscribed body admiral white true pattern lost life defence november 4th 52nd year age wound received engagement lamented secretary state lord nottingham wrote january news death reached london inform queen extremely pleased conduct offended officers deserted betrayed cabinet preparing promote vice admiral white dispatch transport troops newfoundland personal life legacy married woman named martha died return england couple seven children including daughter martha sons richard john son solomon baptised died infancy records sons named richard born kent daughter named son john went serve royal_navy family lived parish saints married said stayed behaviour signed year lease june house belonging months later wrote friend complaining let house captain seeing everyday expenses want tenant january arrived london study british entourage provided reside stay russians spent months london leaving tour country promptly asked treasury order able recover losses complained russians caused considerable damage house furniture broke lost destroyed instructed survey property declared entirely ruined lost fine paintings fine designs relating sea personal property treasury eventually allowed payment compensation brave fame led entering popular culture monument sculptor erected public subscription commemorating daring heroic exploits long rendered point nelson times gun ship line battleships named named tavern admiral mother live romantic adventure novel titled chapter old sea dog number real life admiral public houses world institutions borne incident august took hold popular imagination celebrated song musical theme forms arrangements english composer based originally arranged military band second movement english folk song suite subsequently arranged orchestra composer song survived period different air rhythm known admiral sung begins sailed virginia popular culture captain prominently mentioned sea song business usual album australian rock group pub novel named admiral ostensibly context pub mentioned song london english new wave duo specific general
John Benbow