Admiral Adam Duncan, 1st Viscount Duncan,
KB (1 July 17314 August 1804) was a British admiral who
defeated
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*''The Defeated
''The Defeated'', al ...
the
Dutch
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fleet off
Camperdown on 11 October 1797. This victory is considered one of the most significant actions in
naval history
Naval warfare is combat in and on the sea, the ocean, or any other battlespace involving a major body of water such as a large lake or wide river. Mankind has fought battles on the sea for more than 3,000 years. Even in the interior of large lan ...
.
Life
Adam was the second son of Alexander Duncan,
Baron of Lundie, Angus, (d. May 1777)
Provost of Dundee, and his wife (and first cousin once removed) Helen, daughter of John Haldane of
Gleneagles. He was born at
Dundee. In 1746, after receiving his education in
Dundee, he entered the
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy (RN) is the United Kingdom's naval warfare force. Although warships were used by English and Scottish kings from the early medieval period, the first major maritime engagements were fought in the Hundred Years' War against ...
on board the
sloop ''Trial'', under Captain Robert Haldane, with whom, in and afterwards in , he continued until the peace in 1748. In 1749 he was appointed to , then commissioned for service in the
Mediterranean
The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the Mediterranean Basin and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Western Europe, Western and Southern Europe and Anatolia, on the south by North Africa ...
, by the Hon.
Augustus Keppel (afterwards Viscount Keppel), with whom he was afterwards in on the coast of
North America, and was confirmed in the rank of
lieutenant
A lieutenant ( , ; abbreviated Lt., Lt, LT, Lieut and similar) is a commissioned officer rank in the armed forces of many nations.
The meaning of lieutenant differs in different militaries (see comparative military ranks), but it is often ...
on 10 January 1755.
Seven Years War
In August 1755 he followed Keppel to , and in January 1756 to
''Torbay'', in which he continued until his promotion to commander's rank on 21 September 1759, and during this time was present in
the expedition
''The Expedition'' is the live album by the American metal band Kamelot, released in October 2000 through Noise Records. The last three tracks are rare studio recordings: "We Three Kings" (instrumental) and "One Day" are additional material fro ...
to
Basque Roads in 1757, at the
reduction of Gorée in 1758, and in the blockade of
Brest
Brest may refer to:
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*Br ...
in 1759, up to within two months of the
Battle of Quiberon Bay
The Battle of Quiberon Bay (known as ''Bataille des Cardinaux'' in French) was a decisive naval engagement during the Seven Years' War. It was fought on 20 November 1759 between the Royal Navy and the French Navy in Quiberon Bay, off the coast ...
, from which his promotion just excluded him.
From October 1759 to April 1760 he had command of ''Royal Exchange'', a hired vessel employed in petty convoy service with a miscellaneous ship's company, consisting to a large extent of boys and foreigners, many of whom (he reported) could not speak English, and all impressed with the idea that as they had been engaged by the merchants from whom the ship was hired they were not subject to naval discipline. It would seem that a misunderstanding with the merchants on this point was the cause of the ship's being put out of commission after a few months.
As a
commander Duncan had no further service, but on 25 February 1761 he was posted and appointed to , fitting for Keppel's
broad pennant
A broad pennant is a triangular swallow-tailed naval pennant flown from the masthead of a warship afloat or a naval headquarters ashore to indicate the presence of either:
(a) a Royal Navy officer in the rank of Commodore, or
(b) a U.S. Na ...
. In her he had an important share in the
reduction of Belle Île in June 1761, and of
Havana
Havana (; Spanish: ''La Habana'' ) is the capital and largest city of Cuba. The heart of the La Habana Province, Havana is the country's main port and commercial center. in August 1762. He returned to Britain in 1763, and, notwithstanding his repeated request, had no further employment for many years.
Peacetime
During this time he lived principally at
Dundee, and married on 6 June 1777 Henrietta, daughter of
Robert Dundas of Arniston, Lord President of the
Court of Session. It would seem that his alliance with this influential family obtained him the employment which he had been vainly seeking during fifteen years. Towards the end of 1778 he was appointed to , from which he was almost immediately moved into .
In January 1779 he sat as a member of the
court-martial of
Admiral Keppel for the poor performance of the
Channel Fleet during the
First Battle of Ushant
The Battle of Ushant (also called the First Battle of Ushant) took place on 27 July 1778, and was fought during the American Revolutionary War between French and British fleets west of Ushant, an island at the mouth of the English Channel off ...
. During the course of the trial Duncan objected several times to stop the prosecutor in irrelevant and in
leading question
In common law systems that rely on testimony by witnesses, a leading question is a question that suggests a particular answer and contains information the examiner is looking to have confirmed. The use of leading questions in court to elicit tes ...
s, or in perversions of answers. The
Admiralty
Admiralty most often refers to:
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*The rank of admiral
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* Admiralty, Traf ...
was therefore desirous that he should not sit on the court-martial of Sir
Hugh Palliser
Admiral Sir Hugh Palliser, 1st Baronet (26 February 1723 – 19 March 1796) was a Royal Navy officer. As captain of the 58-gun HMS ''Eagle'' he engaged and defeated the French 50-gun ''Duc d'Aquitain'' off Ushant in May 1757 during the Seven Y ...
for failure to obey orders during the same battle. The court-martial was set for April. The day before the assembling of the court the admiralty sent down orders for ''Monarch'' to go to
St. Helens. Her crew, however, refused to weigh the anchor until they were paid their advance; and as this could not be done in time, ''Monarch'' was still in
Portsmouth
Portsmouth ( ) is a port and city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire in southern England. The city of Portsmouth has been a unitary authority since 1 April 1997 and is administered by Portsmouth City Council.
Portsmouth is the most dens ...
harbour when the signal for the court-martial was made; so that, sorely against the wishes of the admiralty, Duncan sat on this court-martial also.
During the summer of 1779 ''Monarch'' was attached to the
Channel fleet under Sir
Charles Hardy
Sir Charles Hardy (c. 1714 – 18 May 1780) was a Royal Navy officer and politician who sat in the House of Commons between 1764 and 1780. He served as colonial governor of New York from 1755 to 1757.
Early career
Born at Portsmouth, the ...
; in December was one of the squadron with which
Rodney sailed for the
relief
Relief is a sculptural method in which the sculpted pieces are bonded to a solid background of the same material. The term '' relief'' is from the Latin verb ''relevo'', to raise. To create a sculpture in relief is to give the impression that th ...
of
Gibraltar
)
, anthem = " God Save the King"
, song = " Gibraltar Anthem"
, image_map = Gibraltar location in Europe.svg
, map_alt = Location of Gibraltar in Europe
, map_caption = United Kingdom shown in pale green
, mapsize =
, image_map2 = Gib ...
, and had a prominent share in
the action off St. Vincent on 16 January 1780. On returning to Britain Duncan quit ''Monarch'', and had no further command until after the change of Ministry in March 1782, when Keppel became
first lord of the admiralty
The First Lord of the Admiralty, or formally the Office of the First Lord of the Admiralty, was the political head of the English and later British Royal Navy. He was the government's senior adviser on all naval affairs, responsible for the di ...
. He was then appointed to of 90 guns, and commanded her during the year in the Grand Fleet under
Howe
Howe may refer to:
People and fictional characters
* Howe (surname), including a list of people and fictional characters
* Howe Browne, 2nd Marquess of Sligo (1788–1845), Irish peer and colonial governor
Titles
* Earl Howe, two titles, an ext ...
, at the relief of Gibraltar in October, and the encounter with the allied fleet off
Cape Spartel. He afterwards succeeded Sir
John Jervis in command of , and after the peace commanded as guardship at
Portsmouth
Portsmouth ( ) is a port and city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire in southern England. The city of Portsmouth has been a unitary authority since 1 April 1997 and is administered by Portsmouth City Council.
Portsmouth is the most dens ...
for three years. He attained flag rank on 24 September 1787, became
vice admiral 1 February 1793, and was promoted to
admiral 1 June 1795. In February 1795 he was appointed
Commander-in-Chief, North Sea, and hoisted his flag on board .
In action with the Dutch
![Admiral Duncan addressing his crew](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/44/Admiral_Duncan_addressing_his_crew.jpg)
During the first two years of Duncan's command the work was limited to enforcing a rigid blockade of the enemy's coast, but in the spring of 1797 it became more important from the knowledge that the Dutch fleet in the
Texel
Texel (; Texels dialect: ) is a municipality and an island with a population of 13,643 in North Holland, Netherlands. It is the largest and most populated island of the West Frisian Islands in the Wadden Sea. The island is situated north of Den ...
was getting ready for sea.
The situation was one of extreme difficulty, for
the mutiny which had paralysed the fleet at the
Nore broke out also amongst the crews under Duncan, and kept him for some weeks in enforced inactivity. Duncan's personal influence and some happy displays of his vast personal strength held the crew of ''Venerable'' to their duty; but with one other exception, that of , the ships refused to quit their anchorage at
Yarmouth, leaving ''Venerable'' and ''Adamant'' alone to keep up the pretence of the blockade.
Fortunately the Dutch were not at the time ready for sea; and when they were ready and anxious to sail, with thirty thousand troops, for the invasion of
Ireland
Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...
, a persistent westerly wind detained them in harbour until they judged that the season was too far advanced. For political purposes, however, the French Revolutionaries who controlled the government in Holland (despite the contrary opinion of their admiral,
De Winter), ordered him to put to sea in the early days of October.
Duncan, with the main body of the fleet, was at the time lying at
Great Yarmouth revictualling, the Texel being watched by a small squadron under Captain
Henry Trollope
Admiral Sir Henry Trollope, GCB (20 April 1756 – 2 November 1839) was an officer of the British Royal Navy.
Early life
Henry Trollope was born the son of the Reverend John Trollope of Bucklebury on 20 April 1756. His paternal grandfather, als ...
in , from whom he received early information of the Dutch being at sea. He at once weighed anchor, and with a fair wind approached the Dutch coast, saw that the fleet was not returned to the Texel, and steering towards the south sighted it on the morning of 11 October about seven miles from the shore and nearly halfway between the villages of
Egmont and
Camperdown. The wind was blowing straight on shore, and though the Dutch forming their line to the north preserved a bold front, it was clear that if the attack was not made promptly they would speedily get into shoal water, where no attack would be possible. Duncan at once realised the necessity of cutting off their retreat by getting between them and the land. At first he was anxious to bring up his fleet in a compact body, for his numbers were at best equal to those of the Dutch; but seeing the absolute necessity of immediate action, without waiting for the ships astern to come up, without waiting to form line of battle, and with the fleet in very irregular order of sailing, in two groups, led respectively by himself in ''Venerable'' and Vice-admiral
Richard Onslow in ''Monarch'', he made the signal to pass through the enemy's line and engage to leeward.
It was a bold departure from the absolute rule laid down in the ''Fighting Instructions,'' still new, though warranted by the more formal example of
Howe
Howe may refer to:
People and fictional characters
* Howe (surname), including a list of people and fictional characters
* Howe Browne, 2nd Marquess of Sligo (1788–1845), Irish peer and colonial governor
Titles
* Earl Howe, two titles, an ext ...
on
1 June 1794; and on this occasion, as on the former, was crowned with complete success. The engagement was long and bloody; for though Duncan, by passing through the enemy's line, had prevented their untimely retreat, he had not advanced further in tactical science, and the battle was fought out on the primitive principles of ship against ship, the advantage remaining with those who were the better trained to the great gun exercise, though the Dutch inflicted great loss on the Royal navy.
It had been proposed to De Winter to make up for the want of skill by firing shell from the lower deck guns, and some experiments had been made during the summer which showed that the idea was feasible. However, want of familiarity with an arm so new and so dangerous presumably prevented its being acted on in the battle.
Rewards
The news of the victory was received in Britain with the warmest enthusiasm. It was the first certain sign that the mutinies of the summer had not destroyed the power and the prestige of the Royal Navy. Duncan was at once (21 October) raised to the peerage as Viscount Duncan, of Camperdown, and Baron Duncan, of Lundie in the Shire of Perth (with which came the lands now known as
Camperdown Park
Camperdown Country Park, often known as just Camperdown Park, is a public park in the Camperdown area of Dundee, Scotland. The park comprises the former grounds of Camperdown House, a 19th-century mansion, which was bought by the city in 1946. ...
in Dundee), and there was a strong feeling that the reward was inadequate. Even as early as 18 October his aunt, Lady Mary Duncan, wrote to
Henry Dundas
Henry Dundas, 1st Viscount Melville, PC, FRSE (28 April 1742 – 28 May 1811), styled as Lord Melville from 1802, was the trusted lieutenant of British Prime Minister William Pitt and the most powerful politician in Scotland in the late 18t ...
, at that time secretary of state for war: ''Report says my nephew is only made a Viscount. Myself it is nothing, but the whole nation thinks the least you can do is to give him an English earldom. … Am sure were this properly represented to our good king, who esteems a brave, religious man like himself, would be of my opinion. …''. It was not, however, until 1831, many years after Duncan's death, that his son, then bearing his title, was raised to the dignity of an earl, and his other children to the rank and precedence of the children of an earl.
Duncan was awarded the
Large Naval Gold Medal and an annual pension of £3,000, to himself and the next two heirs to his title – this was the biggest pension ever awarded by the
British government. Additionally, he was given the freedom of several cities, including Dundee and
London
London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...
.
Death
![Statue of Admiral Duncan, Dundee](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/ca/Statue_of_Admiral_Duncan%2C_Dundee.jpg)
Duncan continued in command of the North Sea fleet until 1801, but without any further opportunity of distinction. Three years later, 4 August 1804, he died quite suddenly, aged seventy-three, at the inn at
Cornhill, a village on the border, where he had stopped for the night on his journey to
Edinburgh
Edinburgh ( ; gd, Dùn Èideann ) is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 council areas. Historically part of the county of Midlothian (interchangeably Edinburghshire before 1921), it is located in Lothian on the southern shore of t ...
(ib. 252) and was buried in
Lundie west of Dundee.
Memorial
There is a memorial to him within
St Paul's Cathedral.
Character
Duncan was of size and strength almost gigantic. He is described as in height, and of corresponding breadth. When a young lieutenant walking through the streets of Chatham, his grand figure and handsome face attracted crowds of admirers, and to the last he is spoken of as singularly handsome.
Nelson
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* ''Nelson'' (1918 film), a historical film directed by Maurice Elvey
* ''Nelson'' (1926 film), a historical film directed by Walter Summers
* ''Nelson'' (opera), an opera by Lennox Berkeley to a lib ...
wrote to Duncan's son,
Henry
Henry may refer to:
People
*Henry (given name)
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* Henry Lau, Canadian singer and musician who performs under the mononym Henry
Royalty
* Portuguese royalty
** King-Cardinal Henry, King of Portugal
** Henry, Count of Portugal, ...
, a fellow Royal Navy officer, on 4 October 1804, including a newspaper with the account of Duncan's death, "There is no man who more sincerely laments the heavy loss you have sustained than myself; but the name of Duncan will never be forgot by Britain, and in particular by its navy, in which service the remembrance of your worthy father will, I am sure, grow up in you. I am sorry not to have a good sloop to give you, but still an opening offers which I think will insure your confirmation as a commander".
Family
Duncan's uncle was
Sir William Duncan, physician-extraordinary to
King George III
George III (George William Frederick; 4 June 173829 January 1820) was King of Great Britain and of Ireland from 25 October 1760 until the union of the two kingdoms on 1 January 1801, after which he was King of the United Kingdom of Great Br ...
and first of the
Duncan baronets. On 6 June 1777 Duncan married Henrietta (1749–1832), daughter of
Robert Dundas of Arniston, Lord President of the
Court of Session. On his death Duncan left a family of four daughters and two sons. His eldest son succeeded to the peerage and later became
Earl of Camperdown
Earl of Camperdown, of Lundie in the County of Forfar and of Gleneagles in the County of Perth, was a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. It was created in 1831 for Robert Haldane-Duncan, 2nd Viscount Duncan. He was the son of the no ...
; the second son,
Henry
Henry may refer to:
People
*Henry (given name)
* Henry (surname)
* Henry Lau, Canadian singer and musician who performs under the mononym Henry
Royalty
* Portuguese royalty
** King-Cardinal Henry, King of Portugal
** Henry, Count of Portugal, ...
, died a captain in the navy and
K.C.H. in 1835.
His sister Margaret was mother to
James Haldane Tait who served under him several times and rose to the rank of Rear Admiral.
Henrietta and her children are buried in
Canongate Kirk
The Kirk of the Canongate, or Canongate Kirk, serves the Parish of Canongate in Edinburgh's Old Town, in Scotland. It is a congregation of the Church of Scotland. The parish includes the Palace of Holyroodhouse and the Scottish Parliament. It i ...
yard in
Edinburgh
Edinburgh ( ; gd, Dùn Èideann ) is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 council areas. Historically part of the county of Midlothian (interchangeably Edinburghshire before 1921), it is located in Lothian on the southern shore of t ...
east of the church.
Heraldry
![HMS Duncan crest](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/ab/HMS_Duncan_crest.jpg)
The paternal arms of the 1st Viscount were: ''Gules, two cinquefoils in chief and a bugle horn in base argent stringed azure'' (
Clan Duncan
The personal name Duncan can be found in Scotland’s oldest records in its Gaelic form Dunchad/Donchadh/Donachie/Donnchadh and other spelling variants.
Origins
(Dunchad) Duncan, originally a forename is one of the earliest names in Scotland ...
). In the centre of his paternal coat the 1st Viscount was granted an
augmentation of honour: ''Pendant by a ribbon argent and azure from a naval crown or a gold medal thereon two figures the emblems of Victory and Britannia; Victory alighting on the prow of an antique vessel, crowning Britannia with a wreath of laurel; and below the word "Camperdown"''
Crest: ''A first rate ship of war, with masts broken, rigging torn and in disorder, floating on the sea, all proper and over, the motto "Disce Pati"'' ("learn to suffer").
Supporters: ''On the dexter side an Angel, mantle purpure; on the head a celestial crown; the right hand supporting an anchor proper; in the left a palm branch Or. On the sinister a sailor, habited and armed proper; his left hand supporting a staff, thereon hoisted a flag azure; the Dutch colours, wreathed about the middle of the staff. Motto: "Secundis Dubiisque Rectus"''
Recognition
![Adam Duncan, 1st Viscount Duncan](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/24/Adam_Duncan%2C_1st_Viscount_Duncan.jpg)
*Several ships have been named
HMS ''Duncan'', or , or after him.
*The Dundee Unit of the
Sea Cadets
Sea cadets are members of a sea cadet corps, a formal uniformed youth organisation for young people with an interest in waterborne activities and or the national navy. The organisation may be sponsored in whole or in part by the navy or a naval s ...
is named TS ''Duncan'' after him.
*A statue by Westmacott, erected at the public expense, is in St. Paul's.
*Duncan Terrace in Islington, London N1 was named after him.
*Duncan Street in Leeds town centre is named after him. The pub on this street honours him with its name and many pictures and paintings.
*The Galapagos island, now known as
Pinzón Island
Pinzón Island (Spanish: ''Isla Pinzón''), sometimes called Duncan Island (after Adam Duncan, 1st Viscount Duncan), is an island in the Galápagos Islands, Ecuador.
Pinzón is home to giant Galápagos tortoises of the endemic subspecies '' Chel ...
, was named ''Duncan Island''.
*A statue of Duncan was erected in 1997 in his birthplace, Dundee, on the corner of High Street and Commercial Street.
*Several public houses are named after him, including the
Admiral Duncan pub
The Admiral Duncan is a public house in Old Compton Street, Soho in central London that is well known as one of Soho's oldest gay pubs.
In 1999, the pub was bombed by neo-Nazi David Copeland, resulting in three people being killed and 83 bei ...
in Soho, London,
a gay pub that was the scene of a terrorist bombing in 1999.
* namesake of
Duncan's Cove, Nova Scotia
Duncans Cove is a small rural community on the Chebucto Peninsula in the Halifax Regional Municipality on the shore of the Atlantic Ocean on the Ketch Harbour Road ( Route 349), 19 kilometers from Halifax. The community is located beside Chebuc ...
Notes
References
Attribution
* Endnotes:
**Ralfe's ''Naval Biography'', i. 319;
**''Naval Chronicle'', iv. 81;
**Charnock's ''Biographia Navalis'', vi. 422;
**James's ''Naval History of Great Britain'' (edit. 1860), ii. 74;
**Keppel's ''Life of Viscount Keppel''.
Further reading
*
Rampant Scotland - Famous Scots - Adam Duncan, 1st Viscount Camperdown (1731–1804)* ''The Naval Chronicle, Volume 4'' 1800, J. Gold, London. (reissued by
Cambridge University Press
Cambridge University Press is the university press of the University of Cambridge. Granted letters patent by King Henry VIII in 1534, it is the oldest university press in the world. It is also the King's Printer.
Cambridge University Pre ...
, 2010. )
, -
{{DEFAULTSORT:Duncan Of Camperdown, Adam Duncan, 1st Viscount
1731 births
1804 deaths
People educated at the High School of Dundee
Military personnel from Dundee
D
Royal Navy personnel of the American Revolutionary War
Royal Navy personnel of the French Revolutionary Wars
Royal Navy personnel of the Seven Years' War
Viscounts in the Peerage of Great Britain
Peers of Great Britain created by George III