![Sharpham House - geograph](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/15/Sharpham_House_-_geograph.org.uk_-_532199.jpg)
Philemon Pownoll (c. 1734 – 15 June 1780) of
Sharpham
Sharpham is a village and civil parish on the Somerset Levels near Street and Glastonbury in the Mendip district of Somerset, England.
It is located near the River Brue.
Governance
The parish council has responsibility for local issues, i ...
in the parish of
Ashprington
Ashprington is a village and civil parish in the South Hams district of Devon, England. The village is not far from the River Dart, but high above it, and is about three miles south of Totnes. There is a local pub, hotel and phonebox. The ci ...
in Devon, England, was an officer of 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 F ...
who saw service during the
War of the Austrian Succession
The War of the Austrian Succession () was a European conflict that took place between 1740 and 1748. Fought primarily in Central Europe, the Austrian Netherlands, Italy, the Atlantic and Mediterranean, related conflicts included King George's W ...
, the
Seven Years' War
The Seven Years' War (1756–1763) was a global conflict that involved most of the European Great Powers, and was fought primarily in Europe, the Americas, and Asia-Pacific. Other concurrent conflicts include the French and Indian War (1754†...
and 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 ...
, rising to the rank of
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) ...
.
Pownoll was born the son of a leading shipwright, and entered the navy in the last year of the
War of the Austrian Succession
The War of the Austrian Succession () was a European conflict that took place between 1740 and 1748. Fought primarily in Central Europe, the Austrian Netherlands, Italy, the Atlantic and Mediterranean, related conflicts included King George's W ...
. After several years service he rose through the ranks to his own command in time for the outbreak of the
Seven Years' War
The Seven Years' War (1756–1763) was a global conflict that involved most of the European Great Powers, and was fought primarily in Europe, the Americas, and Asia-Pacific. Other concurrent conflicts include the French and Indian War (1754†...
. Commanding a
sloop
A sloop is a sailboat with a single mast typically having only one headsail in front of the mast and one mainsail aft of (behind) the mast. Such an arrangement is called a fore-and-aft rig, and can be rigged as a Bermuda rig with triangular sa ...
he took part in the capture of one of the most valuable prizes taken in the entire conflict, and became immensely wealthy overnight from his success. He married and settled on his estate, but despite his riches, chose to return to active service on the outbreak of 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 ...
. During his time as a frigate captain he acted as a mentor to future star captains
Edward Pellew
Admiral Edward Pellew, 1st Viscount Exmouth, GCB (19 April 1757 – 23 January 1833) was a British naval officer. He fought during the American War of Independence, the French Revolutionary Wars, and the Napoleonic Wars. His younger brother ...
and
John Borlase Warren
Admiral Sir John Borlase Warren, 1st Baronet (2 September 1753 – 27 February 1822) was a British Royal Navy officer, diplomat and politician who sat in the House of Commons between 1774 and 1807.
Naval career
Born in Stapleford, Nottinghamsh ...
.
His service in North America was marked with successes in supporting and conveying troops, and engaging in larger fleet actions such as the relief 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 ...
. He took part in a hard-fought action against a French
privateer
A privateer is a private person or ship that engages in maritime warfare under a commission of war. Since robbery under arms was a common aspect of seaborne trade, until the early 19th century all merchant ships carried arms. A sovereign or deleg ...
in 1779, and received a musket ball to the chest, which remained with him for the rest of his life. He again engaged a heavily armed privateer the following year, and this time was killed by a cannonball in the heat of the action, which was brought to a successful conclusion by his first lieutenant. His death was marked with tributes from the leading naval figures of his age, including Admiral
John Jervis and Edward Pellew.
Family and early life
Pownoll was born in
Plymouth
Plymouth () is a port city and unitary authority in South West England. It is located on the south coast of Devon, approximately south-west of Exeter and south-west of London. It is bordered by Cornwall to the west and south-west.
Plymouth ...
circa 1734, the son of master shipwright
Israel Pownoll (d.1779), who had built a large number of warships for the Royal Navy over his career.
Israel Pownoll served as master shipwright of the dockyard at Plymouth between 1762 and 1765, and of
Chatham
Chatham may refer to:
Places and jurisdictions Canada
* Chatham Islands (British Columbia)
* Chatham Sound, British Columbia
* Chatham, New Brunswick, a former town, now a neighbourhood of Miramichi
* Chatham (electoral district), New Brunswic ...
from 1775 until his death.
He owned property in the
Shadwell
Shadwell is a district of East London, England, in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets , east of Charing Cross. It lies on the north bank of the Thames between Wapping (to the west) and Ratcliff (to the east). This riverside location has meant ...
and
Clerkenwell
Clerkenwell () is an area of central London, England.
Clerkenwell was an ancient parish from the mediaeval period onwards, and now forms the south-western part of the London Borough of Islington.
The well after which it was named was redisco ...
areas of
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 ...
, suggesting that the family descended from the Independent seamen and merchants who were numerous in the Shadwell and
Wapping
Wapping () is a district in East London in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. Wapping's position, on the north bank of the River Thames, has given it a strong maritime character, which it retains through its riverside public houses and steps, ...
area at the time, and had connections with
New England
New England is a region comprising six states in the Northeastern United States: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont. It is bordered by the state of New York to the west and by the Canadian provinces ...
. The naval antiquary
Edward Hawke Locker
Edward Hawke Locker (9 October 1777, in East Malling, Kent – 16 October 1849, in Iver, Buckinghamshire) was an English watercolourist (producing works now in the V&A and British Museum) and administrator of the Royal Naval Hospital, Greenwi ...
later described Philemon as 'a Gentleman of American extraction'.
Philemon Pownoll entered the navy in about 1748, joining the 64-gun . He passed his lieutenant's examination on 7 April 1755, at which point his age was recorded as 'upwards of twenty', and was promoted to lieutenant on 7 October 1755.
He was at first appointed to be second lieutenant of the 60-gun , and was later moved to the 100-gun .
Pownoll continued to serve in the Navy with the outbreak of the
Seven Years' War
The Seven Years' War (1756–1763) was a global conflict that involved most of the European Great Powers, and was fought primarily in Europe, the Americas, and Asia-Pacific. Other concurrent conflicts include the French and Indian War (1754†...
, and in 1758 was moved to the 90-gun . ''Namur'' was at this time the
flagship
A flagship is a vessel used by the commanding officer of a group of naval ships, characteristically a flag officer entitled by custom to fly a distinguishing flag. Used more loosely, it is the lead ship in a fleet of vessels, typically the fi ...
of Admiral
Edward Boscawen
Admiral of the Blue Edward Boscawen, PC (19 August 171110 January 1761) was a British admiral in the Royal Navy and Member of Parliament for the borough of Truro, Cornwall, England. He is known principally for his various naval commands during ...
, who became Pownoll's patron and rapidly promoted him from fourth to first lieutenant, and then on 6 August 1759 to commander of the sloop .
Command
Pownoll commanded ''Favourite'' for the next two years, and in mid-1761 was sailing as part of a squadron off
Cadiz under Captain Charles Proby, consisting of the 74-gun ships and and the 44-gun .
Two French ships, the 64-gun ''Achille'' and the frigate ''Bouffonne'' escaped the port on 16 July, but were chased down and brought to action the following day by the British squadron. After a fierce fight, both ships were captured.
Pownoll was still in command by May 1762, when ''Favourite'' was one of the ships sent by Admiral
Sir Charles Saunders to guard
Cape St Vincent
Cape St. Vincent ( pt, Cabo de São Vicente, ) is a headland in the municipality of Vila do Bispo, in the Algarve, southern Portugal. It is the southwesternmost point of Portugal and of mainland Europe.
History
Cape St. Vincent was already sacr ...
.
On 15 May ''Favourite'' was sailing in company with Captain
Herbert Sawyer's frigate off Cape St Mary, when a Spanish ship was sighted and chased down. Once captured she was found to be the Spanish register ship ''Hermione'', which had sailed from
Lima
Lima ( ; ), originally founded as Ciudad de Los Reyes (City of The Kings) is the capital and the largest city of Peru. It is located in the valleys of the Chillón River, Chillón, RÃmac River, RÃmac and LurÃn Rivers, in the desert zone of t ...
on 6 January bound for Cadiz with a valuable cargo of bags of dollars, gold coin, ingots of gold and silver, cocoa, and blocks of tin.
The ''Hermione'' was taken into
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 eventually condemned as a prize, with her contents, hull, and fittings valued at £519,705 10s. 0d., approximately £ at today's prices. Pownoll and Sawyer each received captain's shares of the
prize money
Prize money refers in particular to naval prize money, usually arising in naval warfare, but also in other circumstances. It was a monetary reward paid in accordance with the prize law of a belligerent state to the crew of a ship belonging to t ...
of £64,872, approximately £ at today's prices, amounting to one of the largest individual sums obtained in the period.
The ordinary seamen received £480 each, equivalent to thirty years' wages.
Coincidentally Sawyer and Pownoll had been courting two sisters, the daughters of a
Lisbon
Lisbon (; pt, Lisboa ) is the capital and largest city of Portugal, with an estimated population of 544,851 within its administrative limits in an area of 100.05 km2. Grande Lisboa, Lisbon's urban area extends beyond the city's administr ...
merchant, but had been rejected for their lack of funds. Now suddenly extremely wealthy, the two captains married the sisters.
Pownoll used his money to buy an estate at
Sharpham
Sharpham is a village and civil parish on the Somerset Levels near Street and Glastonbury in the Mendip district of Somerset, England.
It is located near the River Brue.
Governance
The parish council has responsibility for local issues, i ...
in the parish of
Ashprington
Ashprington is a village and civil parish in the South Hams district of Devon, England. The village is not far from the River Dart, but high above it, and is about three miles south of Totnes. There is a local pub, hotel and phonebox. The ci ...
in Devon, where he built a large mansion house, surviving today, designed by
Robert Taylor, with gardens designed by
Capability Brown
Lancelot Brown (born c. 1715–16, baptised 30 August 1716 – 6 February 1783), more commonly known as Capability Brown, was an English gardener and landscape architect, who remains the most famous figure in the history of the English la ...
.
It was about this time that he commissioned a portrait from
Sir Joshua Reynolds
Sir Joshua Reynolds (16 July 1723 – 23 February 1792) was an English painter, specialising in portraits. John Russell said he was one of the major European painters of the 18th century. He promoted the "Grand Style" in painting which depend ...
.
Continued service
Despite his immense wealth Pownoll returned to naval service in late 1774, shortly after the outbreak of 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 ...
. For this he was praised by
John Montagu, 4th Earl of Sandwich
John Montagu, 4th Earl of Sandwich, PC, FRS (13 November 1718 – 30 April 1792) was a British statesman who succeeded his grandfather Edward Montagu, 3rd Earl of Sandwich as the Earl of Sandwich in 1729, at the age of ten. During his life ...
in the
House of Lords
The House of Lords, also known as the House of Peers, is the Bicameralism, upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Membership is by Life peer, appointment, Hereditary peer, heredity or Lords Spiritual, official function. Like the ...
.
Pownoll was given command of the 32-gun in December, and prepared her for a voyage to North America.
While mustering his crew, a young midshipman was recommended to him by
Hugh Boscawen, 2nd Viscount Falmouth
General Hugh Boscawen, 2nd Viscount Falmouth (20 March 1707 – 4 February 1782), styled The Honourable Hugh Boscawen between 1720 and 1734, was a British soldier and politician.
Boscawen was the eldest son of Hugh Boscawen, 1st Viscount Falmouth, ...
, the brother of Pownoll's old patron, Admiral Edward Boscawen. Possibly out of consideration to his debt to the admiral, Pownoll agreed to take him on.
The young midshipman was
Edward Pellew
Admiral Edward Pellew, 1st Viscount Exmouth, GCB (19 April 1757 – 23 January 1833) was a British naval officer. He fought during the American War of Independence, the French Revolutionary Wars, and the Napoleonic Wars. His younger brother ...
, who had been turned out of his previous ship, , after a quarrel with her captain, John Stott, but went on to become one of the great naval commanders of his age. Pownoll and his officers oversaw the fitting out of their ship, which almost ended in disaster when a storm in February 1775 swept ''Blonde'' from her moorings at Chatham and nearly wrecked her, the ship being saved by Pownoll's prompt action.
''Blonde'' sailed for North America in April that year, in company with the frigate , and via St Helen's, where they collected a convoy of twenty transports carrying troops under General
John Burgoyne
General John Burgoyne (24 February 1722 – 4 August 1792) was a British general, dramatist and politician who sat in the House of Commons from 1761 to 1792. He first saw action during the Seven Years' War when he participated in several batt ...
.
During the voyage Burgoyne was alarmed to see a midshipman on a
yardarm
A yard is a spar on a mast from which sails are set. It may be constructed of timber or steel or from more modern materials such as aluminium or carbon fibre. Although some types of fore and aft rigs have yards, the term is usually used to desc ...
balancing on his head. Pownoll reassured him that it was just one of Pellew's antics, and that 'should
efall, he would only go under the ship's hull and come up on the other side.'
Later in the voyage Pellew jumped overboard to save a man's life, and was reprimanded for his actions by Pownoll, though he later shed tears when talking about it with his fellow officers and called Pellew 'a noble fellow.'
Pellew and Pownoll served at the
relief of Quebec.
Pownoll returned to North America in April 1776, and was active against American shipping, capturing the
privateer
A privateer is a private person or ship that engages in maritime warfare under a commission of war. Since robbery under arms was a common aspect of seaborne trade, until the early 19th century all merchant ships carried arms. A sovereign or deleg ...
''Freedom'' on 16 September 1777, and the privateer ''True Blue'' on 27 January 1778.
In January 1777 Pownoll was appointed to command the 32-gun
HMS ''Apollo'', and brought Pellew with him to his new command.
By now a popular figure with his men, Pownoll was able to write to Lord Sandwich that he was '...happily situated in a fine ship & exceedingly well manned with all volunteers except 15 landsmen I received from Admiral Amherst to complete my compliment not having time to do it myself.'
''Apollo'' served for a time as
Lord Howe's flagship from August 1778, and had returned to be refitted and
coppered at Plymouth in December that year. Returning to active service in January, on 31 January 1779 she engaged the 26-gun French frigate ''Oiseau'' off the
Brittany
Brittany (; french: link=no, Bretagne ; br, Breizh, or ; Gallo language, Gallo: ''Bertaèyn'' ) is a peninsula, Historical region, historical country and cultural area in the west of modern France, covering the western part of what was known ...
coast in a hard-fought action that left both Pownoll and the French commander wounded.
Pownoll was hit in the chest by a musket ball, which remained lodged there for the remainder of his life.
''Apollo'' was repaired at Plymouth, and returned to sea later in 1779, joining the fleet under Admiral
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 ...
.
Pownoll captured the 14-gun ''Mutine'' on 2 October 1779, and joined Reynolds's squadron later that month. He sailed the following year in support of
George Brydges Rodney's mission to relieve Gibraltar, and was present at the
attack on the Caracas convoy on 8 January 1780, the
Battle of Cape St. Vincent on 16/17 January, and the eventual
relief of Gibraltar
The Great Siege of Gibraltar was an unsuccessful attempt by Spain and France to capture Gibraltar from the British during the War of the American Revolution. It was the largest battle in the war by number of combatants. The American war had end ...
on 19 January.
In the Battle of Cape St. Vincent Pownoll distinguished himself by engaging the Spanish ship of the line
''Monarca'' in an unequal engagement for over an hour, compelling the ''Monarca'' to strike her colours just as Rodney's flagship arrived on the scene.
[Syrett, p. 241] On 2 March 1780 the privateer ''Victoire'' was captured by ''Apollo'', and in mid June ''Apollo'' was cruising in company with the 32-gun , under Captain the
Hon. George Murray.
Last fight
On 15 June a
cutter was sighted while cruising in 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 ...
and Murray was sent to investigate it. After closing to within gunshot of the cutter by 10.30am, a large sail was observed standing off the land.
The two ships closed, tacking about to gain the
weather gauge
The weather gage (sometimes spelled weather gauge) is the advantageous position of a fighting sailing ship, sailing vessel relative to another. It is also known as "nautical gauge" as it is related to the sea shore. The concept is from the Age of S ...
, and eventually opening fire. ''Apollo''s opponent was the 26-gun French privateer ''Stanislaus'', and after a period of tacking, the two engaged in broadsides while running for
Ostend
Ostend ( nl, Oostende, ; french: link=no, Ostende ; german: link=no, Ostende ; vls, Ostende) is a coastal city and municipality, located in the province of West Flanders in the Flemish Region of Belgium. It comprises the boroughs of Mariakerk ...
.
After nearly an hour of intense cannonading Pownoll was hit by a cannon ball and killed.
Command of ''Apollo'' devolved to Pellew as the first lieutenant, who continued the fight, eventually driving the ''Stanislaus'' on shore. Apart from her captain, ''Apollo'' lost five men killed and had twenty wounded.
The ''Stanislaus'' was later recovered and brought into the navy as .
Legacy
![Philemon Pownoll memorial](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e1/Philemon_Pownoll_memorial.jpg)
Pownoll's death was widely mourned, Pellew writing in his report to 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, Traf ...
that: 'The loss of Captain Pownoll will be severely felt. The ship's company have lost a father. I have lost much more, a father and a friend united; and that friend my only one on earth. Never, my lord, was grief more poignant than that we all feel for an adored commander. Mine is inexpressible.'
Admiral
John Jervis wrote of him that he was 'the best officer, & most excellent, kind hearted man in the Profession', and claimed that he had 'lost the best Partizan, if not the best officer under every line of description in the Service'.
Edward Osler wrote in 1835 that 'St Vincent and Pownoll who were brought up under Boscawen, and received their Lieutenant's commission from him, contributed materially to form a Nelson or an Exmouth; each the founder of a school of officers, whose model is the character of their chief, and their example his successes.'
As well as Pellew,
John Borlase Warren
Admiral Sir John Borlase Warren, 1st Baronet (2 September 1753 – 27 February 1822) was a British Royal Navy officer, diplomat and politician who sat in the House of Commons between 1774 and 1807.
Naval career
Born in Stapleford, Nottinghamsh ...
served under Pownoll and went on to become a leading frigate captain, while Jervis remembered Pownoll's contribution to the navy in 1804, when he promoted Pownoll's grandson,
John Bastard.
Pellew named his eldest son
Pownoll Bastard Pellew in honour of his former captain and his family.
Notes
a. Variants of the surname include Pownall and Pownell. The ''
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 ...
'' uses 'Pownoll'.
b. ''Apollo'' had been launched in 1763 as HMS ''Glory'', but had been renamed in 1774.
c. The captured ''Oiseau'' was brought into the navy as .
Citations
References
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External links
{{DEFAULTSORT:Pownoll, Philemon
1730s births
1780 deaths
Military personnel from Plymouth, Devon
Royal Navy officers
Royal Navy personnel of the War of the Austrian Succession
Royal Navy personnel of the Seven Years' War
Royal Navy personnel of the American Revolutionary War
British military personnel killed in the American Revolutionary War