In November 1798 a British expedition captured the island of Menorca (historically called "Minorca" by the British) from
Spain
, image_flag = Bandera de España.svg
, image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg
, national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond")
, national_anthem = (English: "Royal March")
, i ...
. A large force under General
Charles Stuart landed on the island and forced its Spanish garrison to surrender in eight days with only some bloodshed. The British occupied the island for four years, using it as a major naval base, before handing it back to Spain following the
Treaty of Amiens
The Treaty of Amiens (french: la paix d'Amiens, ) temporarily ended hostilities between France and the United Kingdom at the end of the War of the Second Coalition. It marked the end of the French Revolutionary Wars; after a short peace it s ...
.
Background
The island had traditionally belonged to Spain, but was captured in 1708 by the British and was subsequently ceded to Britain by Spain under
Article XI of the
Treaty of Utrecht
The Peace of Utrecht was a series of peace treaties signed by the belligerents in the War of the Spanish Succession, in the Dutch city of Utrecht between April 1713 and February 1715. The war involved three contenders for the vacant throne ...
(1713). The British retained their possession until 1783 when it was returned to Spain at the
Treaty of Paris Treaty of Paris may refer to one of many treaties signed in Paris, France:
Treaties
1200s and 1300s
* Treaty of Paris (1229), which ended the Albigensian Crusade
* Treaty of Paris (1259), between Henry III of England and Louis IX of France
* Trea ...
. During their occupation the British had used it as a naval base, but it was extremely vulnerable to capture by Spanish or French forces as shown by two separate sieges in
1756
Events
January–March
* January 16 – The Treaty of Westminster is signed between Great Britain and Prussia, guaranteeing the neutrality of the Kingdom of Hanover, controlled by King George II of Great Britain.
*February 7 ...
and
1781
Events
January–March
* January – William Pitt the Younger, later Prime Minister of Great Britain, enters Parliament, aged 21.
* January 1 – Industrial Revolution: The Iron Bridge opens across the River Severn in E ...
.
While Britain and Spain had initially entered the
French Revolutionary War
The French Revolutionary Wars (french: Guerres de la Révolution française) were a series of sweeping military conflicts lasting from 1792 until 1802 and resulting from the French Revolution. They pitted France against Britain, Austria, Prussia ...
as allies, in 1796 Spain had switched to supporting France and had gone to war with Britain. The British attempted to assert their authority over the Mediterranean but had a shortage of usable bases. After the failure to establish a British presence in
Corsica, other targets such as
Menorca
Menorca or Minorca (from la, Insula Minor, , smaller island, later ''Minorica'') is one of the Balearic Islands located in the Mediterranean Sea belonging to Spain. Its name derives from its size, contrasting it with nearby Majorca. Its capi ...
,
Malta
Malta ( , , ), officially the Republic of Malta ( mt, Repubblika ta' Malta ), is an island country in the Mediterranean Sea. It consists of an archipelago, between Italy and Libya, and is often considered a part of Southern Europe. It lies ...
and
Elba
Elba ( it, isola d'Elba, ; la, Ilva) is a Mediterranean island in Tuscany, Italy, from the coastal town of Piombino on the Italian mainland, and the largest island of the Tuscan Archipelago. It is also part of the Arcipelago Toscano Nationa ...
were considered. Once the French Mediterranean Fleet had been
destroyed in Aboukir Bay,
Earl St Vincent
Viscount St Vincent, of Meaford in the County of Stafford, is a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. It was created on 27 April 1801 for the noted naval commander John Jervis, Earl of St Vincent, with remainder to his nephews William H ...
was determined to restore British hegemony in the Mediterranean. To ensure this, his fleet needed a base with a well protected deep water harbour that could not be assaulted by land. The best island harbour in the Western Mediterranean was at
Port Mahon
A port is a maritime facility comprising one or more wharves or loading areas, where ships load and discharge cargo and passengers. Although usually situated on a sea coast or estuary, ports can also be found far inland, such as Ham ...
on Menorca, where a large modern dockyard included a careening wharf, extensive storehouses and a purpose-built naval hospital. At the end of October St Vincent decided to send an expedition against Menorca, which departed on 19 October 1798.
Invasion
The expeditionary force arrived off Menorca on 7 November and St Vincent detached three ships of the line, , , and three frigates and several smaller vessels and transports to the island under Rear Admiral
John Thomas Duckworth
Sir John Thomas Duckworth, 1st Baronet, GCB (9 February 174831 August 1817) was an officer of the Royal Navy, serving during the Seven Years' War, the American War of Independence, the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic wars, as the Governor ...
, carrying a small army under Colonel
Charles Stuart.
[James, p. 196] A force was put ashore at the
Addya Creek and destroyed a Spanish artillery position and from there a Spanish attack was driven off. Over the next two days the army continued inland, a force of 300 men under
Colonel Paget managed to gain control of
Fort Charles allowing the British fleet to enter the harbour and anchor there while the main army received the surrender of town after town, including
Fournella
Fornells is a village located in a bay in the north of the Balearic island of Menorca, Spain. Fornells is estimated to have a population of about 1000 people which increases in the summer due to tourism. Fornells' native people are known as ''For ...
, which overlooked the island's principal protected anchorage and then
Mercadal
Es Mercadal is a town and municipality in northern Menorca in the Spanish Balearic Islands.
Etymology
The name "Mercadal" derives from the Latin language ''mercatum'', meaning "market". In 1301, King James II of Majorca
James II ( ca, Jau ...
.
On 11 November a Spanish squadron of four frigates attempted to disrupt operations, but a swift counterattack by Duckworth's ships drove them off.
Stuart had moved his army to harass
Ciudadella by the 14th. After offering only token resistance the Spanish governor, Juan Nepomuceno de Quesada surrendered Ciudadela on 16 November and control of the island was ceded to British forces.
[Clowes, p. 378] Around 4,000 Spanish troops fell into British hands, as well as a large amount of supplies and weaponry. In addition, four Spanish frigates, ''Flora'' and ''Proserpina'' (40 guns) and ''Casilda'' and ''Pomona'' (38 guns), were captured along with their crews.
[Clowes, p. 378]
Aftermath
The British converted the island into one of their principal Mediterranean bases. Many expeditions were launched from the island, and
Thomas Cochrane, in particular, used the island as a base for his operations along the Spanish Coast. Charles Stuart served as the
Governor of Menorca
Below is a list of (known) governors of Menorca from the time of the British occupation in 1708 until the British relinquished control of the island for the last time in 1802.
Background
It was commonplace for governors to be absent from the isla ...
between 1798 and 1800, with
Henry Edward Fox
General Henry Edward Fox (4 March 1755 – 18 July 1811) was a British Army general who served brief spells as Governor of Minorca and Governor of Gibraltar.
Family
He was a son of Henry Fox, 1st Baron Holland and Lady Caroline Lennox (1723–1 ...
taking over the post thereafter.
The
Treaty of Amiens
The Treaty of Amiens (french: la paix d'Amiens, ) temporarily ended hostilities between France and the United Kingdom at the end of the War of the Second Coalition. It marked the end of the French Revolutionary Wars; after a short peace it s ...
agreed in 1802, called for the return of Menorca to Spain as a condition as what was hoped for a lasting peace in Europe. The return of Menorca and other Mediterranean bases was bitterly opposed by many officers, including
Horatio Nelson who appeared in the
House of Lords
The House of Lords, also known as the House of Peers, is the upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Membership is by appointment, heredity or official function. Like the House of Commons, it meets in the Palace of Westminste ...
to speak against the prospect. In spite of this opposition, the Treaty was concluded, and the British commander
Richard Bickerton oversaw the British evacuation.
[Knight p.442]
The peace rapidly broke down, but no effort was made to recover Menorca as major bases had been established in other ports.
References
Bibliography
* Harvey, Robert.''Cochrane: The Life and Exploits of a Fighting Captain''. Constable & Robinson, 2000.
* Knight, Roger.''The Pursuit of Victory: The Life and Achievements of Horatio Nelson''. Penguin Books, 2006.
Further reading
The Naval History of Great Britain (Vol II) : Capture of Minorca
{{DEFAULTSORT:Menorca, Capture of 1798
Conflicts in 1798
Capture
Mediterranean campaign of 1798
Battles of the French Revolutionary Wars
Battles involving Great Britain
Battles involving Spain
1798 in Spain
Amphibious operations
Amphibious operations involving the Great Britain
Invasions by Great Britain