Captain Edward Rotheram
CB (27 December 1753 – 6 November 1830) was a senior officer of the British
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 F ...
, who served for many years during the
American War of Independence
The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was a major war of the American Revolution. Widely considered as the war that secured the independence of t ...
,
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 French First Republic, France against Ki ...
and
Napoleonic Wars
The Napoleonic Wars (1803–1815) were a series of major global conflicts pitting the French Empire and its allies, led by Napoleon I, against a fluctuating array of European states formed into various coalitions. It produced a period of Fren ...
. During his service, Rotheram saw action at several major naval engagements, including as a lieutenant at the
Glorious First of June
The Glorious First of June (1 June 1794), also known as the Fourth Battle of Ushant, (known in France as the or ) was the first and largest fleet action of the naval conflict between the Kingdom of Great Britain and the First French Republic ...
in 1794 and as captain of
HMS ''Royal Sovereign'' at the
Battle of Trafalgar
The Battle of Trafalgar (21 October 1805) was a naval engagement between the British Royal Navy and the combined fleets of the French and Spanish Navies during the War of the Third Coalition (August–December 1805) of the Napoleonic Wars (180 ...
in 1805. Although he was highly praised for his actions at both battles, he was not well regarded in the service, being once described by his admiral at Trafalgar,
Cuthbert Collingwood
Vice Admiral Cuthbert Collingwood, 1st Baron Collingwood (26 September 1748 – 7 March 1810) was an admiral of the Royal Navy, notable as a partner with Lord Nelson in several of the British victories of the Napoleonic Wars, and frequently as ...
, as "a man of no talent as a sea officer" and "a stupid man".
Rotheram gained a reputation as a difficult officer to serve with, and he rapidly alienated his fellow officers and the sailors who served under him. Ultimately this character trait resulted in his removal from service and overlooking for promotion in 1808 after being court martialled for inappropriate behaviour towards junior officers. The rest of his life was spent requesting the
Admiralty
Admiralty most often refers to:
*Admiralty, Hong Kong
* Admiralty (United Kingdom), military department in command of the Royal Navy from 1707 to 1964
*The rank of admiral
* Admiralty law
Admiralty can also refer to:
Buildings
*Admiralty, Tr ...
, often in an aggressive manner, for both further service and the rewards he felt were his due.
Early career
Rotheram was born in 1753 at
Hexham
Hexham ( ) is a market town and civil parishes in England, civil parish in Northumberland, England, on the south bank of the River Tyne, formed by the confluence of the North Tyne and the South Tyne at Warden, Northumberland, Warden nearby, and ...
in
Northumberland
Northumberland () is a county in Northern England, one of two counties in England which border with Scotland. Notable landmarks in the county include Alnwick Castle, Bamburgh Castle, Hadrian's Wall and Hexham Abbey.
It is bordered by land on ...
the son of Dr. John Rotheram, a local physician, and his wife Catherine Roberts. Rotheram was the second of the couple's seven children, his older brother being
John Rotherham
John Rotherham or Rotheram (c.1750–1804) was an 18th-century British physician and scientist.
Life
He was born around 1750 in Hexham in northern England, the son of Catherine Roberts and her husband Dr John Rotheram. He was the eldest br ...
.
He was educated, with his brothers, at
Head School in
Newcastle-Upon-Tyne
Newcastle upon Tyne ( RP: , ), or simply Newcastle, is a city and metropolitan borough in Tyne and Wear, England. The city is located on the River Tyne's northern bank and forms the largest part of the Tyneside built-up area. Newcastle is als ...
, where the family moved when Edward was seven.
[Rotheram, Edward](_blank)
''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography
The ''Dictionary of National Biography'' (''DNB'') is a standard work of reference on notable figures from British history, published since 1885. The updated ''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography'' (''ODNB'') was published on 23 September ...
'', C. H. H. Owen, retrieved 14 March 2008 His elder brother
John Rotheram
John Rotheram (1725–1789) was an English cleric, known as a theological writer.
Life
The second of the three sons of the Rev. William Rotherham (as the father spelt his name), who master of the free grammar school of Haydon Bridge, Northumber ...
was later a senior professor in natural philosophy at
St Andrew's University
(Aien aristeuein)
, motto_lang = grc
, mottoeng = Ever to ExcelorEver to be the Best
, established =
, type = Public research university
Ancient university
, endowment ...
. Edward Rotheram went to sea at a young age, joining a
collier sailing from
Newcastle Newcastle usually refers to:
*Newcastle upon Tyne, a city and metropolitan borough in Tyne and Wear, England
*Newcastle-under-Lyme, a town in Staffordshire, England
*Newcastle, New South Wales, a metropolitan area in Australia, named after Newcastle ...
and serving aboard merchant ships for several years.
[White, p. 112] In 1777 however, Rotheram joined the Royal Navy as a
midshipman
A midshipman is an officer of the lowest rank, in the Royal Navy, United States Navy, and many Commonwealth navies. Commonwealth countries which use the rank include Canada (Naval Cadet), Australia, Bangladesh, Namibia, New Zealand, South Afr ...
during the
American Revolutionary War
The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was a major war of the American Revolution. Widely considered as the war that secured the independence of t ...
.
Initially serving on
HMS ''Centaur'', Rotheram moved to
HMS ''Barfleur'' in 1780 and
HMS ''Monarch'' shortly afterwards as a lieutenant, serving under
Lord Howe.
''Monarch'' was heavily engaged in the West Indian campaign during the latter stages of the war, and Rotheram saw action at the
Battle of Martinique in 1780, the
Battle of the Chesapeake
The Battle of the Chesapeake, also known as the Battle of the Virginia Capes or simply the Battle of the Capes, was a crucial naval battle in the American Revolutionary War that took place near the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay on 5 September 17 ...
in 1781 and the
Battle of St Kitts
The Battle of Saint Kitts, also known as the Battle of Frigate Bay, was a naval battle fought on 25 and 26 January 1782 during the American Revolutionary War between a British fleet under Rear Admiral Sir Samuel Hood and a larger French fleet u ...
and the
Battle of the Saintes
The Battle of the Saintes (known to the French as the Bataille de la Dominique), also known as the Battle of Dominica, was an important naval battle in the Caribbean between the British and the French that took place 9–12 April 1782. The Brit ...
in 1782. Following the end of the war at the start of 1783, Rotheram returned to Britain as a reserve officer on half-pay.
Lieutenant and commander
In 1785, Rotheram married Dorothy Harle of Newcastle, with whom he had three daughters. He returned to naval service in 1787 aboard
HMS ''Bombay Castle'' and over the next four years moved between
HMS ''Culloden'' and
HMS ''Vengeance'', all in the
Channel Fleet
The Channel Fleet and originally known as the Channel Squadron was the Royal Navy formation of warships that defended the waters of the English Channel from 1854 to 1909 and 1914 to 1915.
History
Throughout the course of Royal Navy's history the ...
. In 1792 Rotheram was made first lieutenant of HMS ''Culloden'' and was still in this position when 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 French First Republic, France against Ki ...
broke out a year later.
[James, Vol. 1, p. 180] ''Culloden'' was part of the Channel Fleet under Rotheram's old commander Lord Howe, and the ship was captained by
Isaac Schomberg
Captain Isaac Schomberg (27 March 1753 – 21 January 1813) was a highly controversial officer of the British Royal Navy whose constant disputes with senior officers resulted in courts-martial, lawsuits and the eventual stagnation of his care ...
during the
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 t ...
, in which Howe pursued a French fleet deep into the Atlantic, bringing it to battle at the
Glorious First of June
The Glorious First of June (1 June 1794), also known as the Fourth Battle of Ushant, (known in France as the or ) was the first and largest fleet action of the naval conflict between the Kingdom of Great Britain and the First French Republic ...
.
''Culloden'' was not closely engaged in the opening stages of the battle, for which Schomberg would later be heavily criticised.
[Schomberg, Isaac](_blank)
''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography
The ''Dictionary of National Biography'' (''DNB'') is a standard work of reference on notable figures from British history, published since 1885. The updated ''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography'' (''ODNB'') was published on 23 September ...
'', C. H. H. Owen, retrieved 14 March 2008 Rotheram, however, gained acclaim in the battle's aftermath by organising the ''Cullodens boats and the boats of other nearby ships into a rescue party that saved hundreds of French sailors from the sinking
''Vengeur du Peuple''. In recognition for this operation, Rotheram was promoted
commander
Commander (commonly abbreviated as Cmdr.) is a common naval officer rank. Commander is also used as a rank or title in other formal organizations, including several police forces. In several countries this naval rank is termed frigate captain.
...
on 6 July 1794 and given command of the storeship
HMS ''Camel'' in the Mediterranean Fleet. In 1797 Rotheram moved to the sloop
HMS ''Hawke'', which he commanded in the West Indies until 1800, returning to Britain in 1800 aboard
HMS ''Lapwing'' to be made a
post captain
Post-captain is an obsolete alternative form of the rank of Captain (Royal Navy), captain in the Royal Navy.
The term served to distinguish those who were captains by rank from:
* Officers in command of a naval vessel, who were (and still are) ...
.
Rotheram commanded ''Lapwing'' for the next two years, operating with the Channel Fleet and capturing several small French
prizes
A prize is an award to be given to a person or a group of people (such as sporting teams and organizations) to recognize and reward their actions and achievements. . In 1802 Rotheram returned to reserve ashore during the
Peace 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 se ...
. This retirement lasted until 1804, when Rotheram was recalled up to service as flag captain of
HMS ''Dreadnought'', a
second rate
In the rating system of the Royal Navy used to categorise sailing warships, a second-rate was a ship of the line which by the start of the 18th century mounted 90 to 98 guns on three gun decks; earlier 17th-century second rates had fewer guns ...
ship of the line
A ship of the line was a type of naval warship constructed during the Age of Sail from the 17th century to the mid-19th century. The ship of the line was designed for the naval tactic known as the line of battle, which depended on the two colu ...
that flew the flag of Vice-Admiral
Cuthbert Collingwood
Vice Admiral Cuthbert Collingwood, 1st Baron Collingwood (26 September 1748 – 7 March 1810) was an admiral of the Royal Navy, notable as a partner with Lord Nelson in several of the British victories of the Napoleonic Wars, and frequently as ...
. Collingwood and Rotheram had a poor relationship, Collingwood commenting by letter to his brother that "He
otheramis a man of no talent as a sea officer, and of little assistance to me."
Nevertheless, when Collingwood moved to
HMS ''Royal Sovereign'' in October 1805 as second-in-command of the fleet under
Lord Nelson
Vice-admiral (Royal Navy), Vice-Admiral Horatio Nelson, 1st Viscount Nelson, 1st Duke of Bronte (29 September 1758 – 21 October 1805) was a British people, British flag officer in the Royal Navy. His inspirational leadership, grasp of strate ...
blockading the Franco-Spanish fleet in
Cadiz, he brought Rotheram with him.
[James, Vol. 4, p. 18] Nelson was aware of the personal conflict between the men, and invited both Collingwood and Rotheram to dinner in a partially successful effort to reconcile them.
Trafalgar
At the
Battle of Trafalgar
The Battle of Trafalgar (21 October 1805) was a naval engagement between the British Royal Navy and the combined fleets of the French and Spanish Navies during the War of the Third Coalition (August–December 1805) of the Napoleonic Wars (180 ...
on 21 October 1805, ''Royal Sovereign'' was the first ship in Collingwood's division to breach the enemy lines, and Collingwood and Rotheram appear to have reconciled some of their differences as they cooperated well in handling the ship. Collingwood even called to his captain; "Rotheram, what would Nelson give to be here!", Nelson's
HMS ''Victory'' being several minutes behind ''Royal Sovereign'' in engaging the enemy.
Rotheram was also noted during the action for refusing to remove his full dress uniform and large cocked hat, apparel which was not only impractical in a naval engagement but which also marked him as a target for enemy snipers.
''Royal Sovereigns main opponent was the large Spanish
first rate
In the rating system of the British Royal Navy used to categorise sailing warships, a first rate was the designation for the largest ships of the line. Originating in the Jacobean era
The Jacobean era was the period in English and Scot ...
''Santa Ana'', with whom she was engaged for several minutes at the start of the action without support. During this time, ''Royal Sovereign'' was at one point engaged with five different enemy ships, and suffered heavy damage and casualties during the engagement, finally subduing the 112-gun ''Santa Ana'' after a duel lasting several hours. Both ships were left unmanageable at the end of the engagement, ''Royal Sovereign'' being taken in tow by
HMS ''Euryalus'' into which Collingwood transferred his flag. ''Royal Sovereign'' had suffered nearly 150 casualties, ''Santa Ana'' over 300 by the end of the battle. ''Santa Ana'' was later abandoned by her captors and ultimately fell back into Spanish hands, but ''Royal Sovereign'' reached the safety 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 ...
soon after the battle.
In the aftermath of the action, Rotheram left ''Royal Sovereign'' to take command of
HMS ''Bellerophon'', whose captain,
John Cooke had been killed by a French sniper. Cooke had been targeted due to the dress uniform he had worn during the battle.
[White, p. 48] ''Bellerophon'' escorted ''Victory'' carrying Nelson's body back to Britain, and Rotheram carried the
guidon behind the coffin at Nelson's funeral in
London
London is the capital and 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 down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...
. Rotheram was presented with a gold medal and sword of honour in recognition of his services in the action, and continued in command of ''Bellerophon''.
Retirement
Rotheram remained in command of ''Bellerophon'' in the
English Channel
The English Channel, "The Sleeve"; nrf, la Maunche, "The Sleeve" (Cotentinais) or ( Jèrriais), (Guernésiais), "The Channel"; br, Mor Breizh, "Sea of Brittany"; cy, Môr Udd, "Lord's Sea"; kw, Mor Bretannek, "British Sea"; nl, Het Kana ...
and the
North Sea
The North Sea lies between Great Britain, Norway, Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands and Belgium. An epeiric sea on the European continental shelf, it connects to the Atlantic Ocean through the English Channel in the south and the Norwegian S ...
until 1808, when he was court martialled and reprimanded for unacceptable conduct towards his ship's junior officers and chaplain. Rotheram remained in the service, but was never again employed at sea. Collingwood summed the situation up in a letter to his sister, stating "Though I think him a stupid man I was in hope he might have gone on in the ship I put him in, which I believe was the only chance he had of being in a ship".
Although his career was over, Rotheram continued to request sea service and honours from the
Admiralty
Admiralty most often refers to:
*Admiralty, Hong Kong
* Admiralty (United Kingdom), military department in command of the Royal Navy from 1707 to 1964
*The rank of admiral
* Admiralty law
Admiralty can also refer to:
Buildings
*Admiralty, Tr ...
, becoming increasingly irate and intemperate in his demands.
At the reorganising of the knightly orders in 1815, a number of senior naval officers were given knighthoods, but Rotheram was only made a
Companion of the Order of the Bath
Companion may refer to:
Relationships Currently
* Any of several interpersonal relationships such as friend or acquaintance
* A domestic partner, akin to a spouse
* Sober companion, an addiction treatment coach
* Companion (caregiving), a caregive ...
, a step below knighthood.
He retired to
Bildeston
Bildeston is a village and civil parish in the Babergh district of Suffolk, England. Located around north of Hadleigh, in 2005 it had a population of 960, increasing to 1,054 at the 2011 Census.
History
According to Eilert Ekwall the meaning o ...
in
Suffolk
Suffolk () is a ceremonial county of England in East Anglia. It borders Norfolk to the north, Cambridgeshire to the west and Essex to the south; the North Sea lies to the east. The county town is Ipswich; other important towns include Lowes ...
and from there continued to request appointments, finally being made one of the captains of the
Greenwich Naval Hospital
Greenwich Hospital was a permanent home for retired sailors of the Royal Navy, which operated from 1692 to 1869. Its buildings, in Greenwich, London, were later used by the Royal Naval College, Greenwich and the University of Greenwich, and ar ...
in 1828.
Rotheram died at Bildeston in 1830 and was buried in the churchyard of St Mary Magdelene just outside the village, where his grave and a memorial plaque are still legible today.
[White, p. 110] Rotheram was never awarded any further honours or promoted to admiral, having lost his seniority in the court martial of 1808.
Notes
References
*
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Rotherham, Edward
1753 births
1830 deaths
Royal Navy officers
Companions of the Order of the Bath
Royal Navy captains at the Battle of Trafalgar
Royal Navy personnel of the American Revolutionary War
Royal Navy personnel of the French Revolutionary Wars
Royal Navy personnel of the Napoleonic Wars
People from Hexham
People from Bildeston