Vice-Admiral Sir Robert Lewis Fitzgerald (1776 – 17 January 1844) was a British naval officer of the 18th and 19th centuries. He served throughout the

French Revolutionary Wars 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 ...

, most notably commanding the

bomb vessel A bomb vessel, bomb ship, bomb ketch, or simply bomb was a type of wooden sailing naval ship. Its primary armament was not cannons ( long guns or carronades) – although bomb vessels carried a few cannons for self-defence – but mortars mounte ...

HMS ''Vesuvius'', but illness made him unable to go to sea during the

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 ...

, with Fitzgerald instead commanding the

Isle of Wight The Isle of Wight ( ) is a county in the English Channel, off the coast of Hampshire, from which it is separated by the Solent. It is the largest and second-most populous island of England. Referred to as 'The Island' by residents, the Isle of ...

sea fencibles The Sea Fencibles were naval fencible (a shortening of ''defencible'') units established to provide a close-in line of defence and obstruct the operation of enemy shipping, principally during the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars. The ea ...

. Made a superannuated

rear-admiral Rear admiral is a senior naval flag officer rank, equivalent to a major general and air vice marshal and above that of a commodore and captain, but below that of a vice admiral. It is regarded as a two star "admiral" rank. It is often regarded ...

in 1825, he was restored as a vice-admiral in 1840.

Early life

Robert Lewis Fitzgerald was born in 1776, descending from a younger branch of the ancient house of

Leinster Leinster ( ; ga, Laighin or ) is one of the provinces of Ireland, situated in the southeast and east of Ireland. The province comprises the ancient Kingdoms of Meath, Leinster and Osraige. Following the 12th-century Norman invasion of Ir ...

.Marshall, Naval Biography, p. 181

Naval career

Fitzgerald joined 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 ...

in March 1786 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 ...

on board the

frigate A frigate () is a type of warship. In different eras, the roles and capabilities of ships classified as frigates have varied somewhat. The name frigate in the 17th to early 18th centuries was given to any full-rigged ship built for speed and ...

HMS ''Winchelsea'' commanded by

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 ...

. With ''Winchelsea'' Fitzgerald spent three years on the Newfoundland Station. After this he served on the flagship of Rear-Admiral

Philip Affleck Admiral Philip Affleck ( December 21, 1799) was an admiral in the Royal Navy. He was the younger brother of Sir Edmund Affleck. Affleck held various commands throughout the latter half of the 18th Century, most notably as commander-in-chief ...

, HMS ''Centurion'', on the

Jamaica Station Jamaica station is a major train station of the Long Island Rail Road located in Jamaica, Queens, New York City. With weekday ridership exceeding 200,000 passengers, it is the largest transit hub on Long Island, the fourth-busiest rail station ...

. In 1794 Fitzgerald took part in the Invasion of Guadeloupe while serving on HMS ''Boyne''. In February he was promoted to

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 sub ...

and moved from ''Boyne'' to the recently captured

ship-sloop In the 18th century and most of the 19th, a sloop-of-war in the Royal Navy was a warship with a single gun deck that carried up to eighteen guns. The rating system covered all vessels with 20 guns and above; thus, the term ''sloop-of-war'' enc ...

HMS ''Avenger''. Fitzgerald served on board ''Avenger'' until she returned to England under Edward Griffith in September.Marshall, Naval Biography, p. 182 After this he gained employment on board the

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 ...

HMS ''London'', the flagship of Rear-Admiral

John Colpoys Admiral Sir John Colpoys, (''c.'' 1742 – 4 April 1821) was an officer of the British Royal Navy who served in three wars but is most notable for being one of the catalysts of the Spithead Mutiny in 1797 after ordering his marines to fire o ...

. In ''London'' Fitzgerald took part in the

Battle of Groix The Battle of Groix was a large naval engagement which took place near the island of Groix off the Biscay coast of Brittany on 23 June 1795 ( 5 messidor an III) during the French Revolutionary Wars. The battle was fought between elements of the ...

on 23 June 1795 where three French

ships 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 colum ...

were captured. In February 1797 Fitzgerald was promoted to

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. ...

and took command of HMS ''Vesuvius'', an 8-gun

. He bombarded

Le Havre Le Havre (, ; nrf, Lé Hâvre ) is a port city in the Seine-Maritime department in the Normandy region of northern France. It is situated on the right bank of the estuary of the river Seine on the Channel southwest of the Pays de Caux, very cl ...

while in a squadron commanded by Sir Richard Strachan before taking part in the

action of 30 May 1798 The action of 30 May 1798 was a minor naval engagement between a small British squadron and a small French squadron off the coast of Normandy, France during the French Revolutionary Wars. A British blockade, blockading force, which had been con ...

, where he assisted in destroying the French 36-gun

corvette A corvette is a small warship. It is traditionally the smallest class of vessel considered to be a proper (or " rated") warship. The warship class above the corvette is that of the frigate, while the class below was historically that of the slo ...

''Confiante''.James, Naval History, p. 133 Fitzgerald and ''Vesuvius'' were then sent to the

Mediterranean Sea 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 and Southern Europe and Anatolia, on the south by North Africa, and on the ea ...

. He was promoted to

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) ...

on 24 December 1798 and in February 1799 was given command of HMS ''Tonnant'', which had been taken by the British at the

Battle of the Nile The Battle of the Nile (also known as the Battle of Aboukir Bay; french: Bataille d'Aboukir) was a major naval battle fought between the British Royal Navy and the Navy of the French Republic at Aboukir Bay on the Mediterranean coast off the ...

.Schomberg, Naval Chronology, p. 377 Fitzgerald sailed ''Tonnant'' to

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 then back to England where she was laid up in ordinary.Michael Phillip
''Tonnant'' (80) (1798)
Michael Phillips' Ships of the Old Navy. Retrieved 13 April 2021. In early 1801 Fitzgerald was given command of the 32-gun

HMS ''Triton'' 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 ...

.Winfield, British Warships, p. 478Michael Phillip
''Triton'' (32) (1796)
Michael Phillips' Ships of the Old Navy. Retrieved 13 April 2021. He took the French letter of marque ''Le Jeune Theodore'' on 15 September, and ''Triton'' was

paid off Ship commissioning is the act or ceremony of placing a ship in active service and may be regarded as a particular application of the general concepts and practices of project commissioning. The term is most commonly applied to placing a warship 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 ...

on 9 April 1802. After 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 ...

ended on 18 May 1803 Fitzgerald looked to continue his naval service, but issues with his health meant that he was unable to secure an appointment at sea. Instead Fitzgerald was assigned as senior officer of the

Sea Fencibles The Sea Fencibles were naval fencible (a shortening of ''defencible'') units established to provide a close-in line of defence and obstruct the operation of enemy shipping, principally during the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars. The ea ...

on the

, and commanded the naval district between

Kidwelly Kidwelly ( cy, Cydweli) is a town and community in Carmarthenshire, southwest Wales, approximately northwest of the most populous town in the county, Llanelli. In the 2001 census the community of Kidwelly returned a population of 3,289, inc ...

and Cardigan in

Wales Wales ( cy, Cymru ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by England to the Wales–England border, east, the Irish Sea to the north and west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the ...

. In July 1816 the Commissioners of the Navy attempted to elect Fitzgerald to the position of Governor of the

Royal Naval Asylum The Royal Naval Asylum was an educational institution, founded under the name The British National Endeavour in 1798, by a Mr Andrew Thompson who strongly excited the charity of the British population by his ideas for a small "industrial school" ...

, a large school. He was elected incorrectly and the appointment did not take place. In June 1825 Fitzgerald was made a superannuated

. This meant that he received the pay and title of a rear-admiral, but would not obtain further promotion by seniority. In January 1835 Fitzgerald was made a

Knight Commander of the Royal Guelphic Order The Royal Guelphic Order (german: Königliche Guelphen-Orden), sometimes referred to as the Hanoverian Guelphic Order, is a Hanoverian order of chivalry instituted on 28 April 1815 by the Prince Regent (later King George IV). It takes its name ...

, and in November 1840 was restored to the navy list with the rank of

vice-admiral of the blue The Vice-Admiral of the Blue was a senior rank of the Royal Navy of the United Kingdom, immediately outranked by the rank Vice-Admiral of the White (see order of precedence below). Royal Navy officers currently holding the ranks of commodore, re ...

. Fitzgerald died at Bath on 17 January 1844, aged 69, as a

vice-admiral of the red Vice-admiral of the Red was a senior rank of the Royal Navy of the United Kingdom, immediately outranked by the rank admiral of the Blue (see order of precedence below). Royal Navy officers currently holding the ranks of commodore, rear admiral ...

Family

Fitzgerald had one brother, Lieutenant-Colonel James Fitzgerald of the 3rd Regiment of Foot Guards who served as an

equerry An equerry (; from French ' stable', and related to 'squire') is an officer of honour. Historically, it was a senior attendant with responsibilities for the horses of a person of rank. In contemporary use, it is a personal attendant, usually up ...

and aide-de-camp to the

Duke of York Duke of York is a title of nobility in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. Since the 15th century, it has, when granted, usually been given to the second son of English (later British) monarchs. The equivalent title in the Scottish peerage was Du ...

, as well as deputy

adjutant general An adjutant general is a military chief administrative officer. France In Revolutionary France, the was a senior staff officer, effectively an assistant to a general officer. It was a special position for lieutenant-colonels and colonels in staf ...

in the Mediterranean, and died in 1802. In August 1800 Fitzgerald married Jane Welch (died 11 May 1841 aged 63), the daughter of Richard Welch who was a former chief justice of

Jamaica Jamaica (; ) is an island country situated in the Caribbean Sea. Spanning in area, it is the third-largest island of the Greater Antilles and the Caribbean (after Cuba and Hispaniola). Jamaica lies about south of Cuba, and west of His ...

. The couple had eleven children, including: * Caroline Geraldine Fitzgerald (died 19 April 1822 aged 17) * Charlotte Mary Fitzgerald (died 30 April 1823 aged 4) * Lieutenant James Lewis Fitzgerald, a Royal Navy officer (drowned 30 April 1835 in

Algoa Bay Algoa Bay is a maritime bay in the Eastern Cape, South Africa. It is located in the east coast, east of the Cape of Good Hope. Algoa Bay is bounded in the west by Cape Recife and in the east by Cape Padrone. The bay is up to deep. The harbour c ...

serving on HMS ''Melville'' aged 29) * Georgina Favell Fitzgerald (died 19 November 1841 aged 24) * George Milner Fitzgerald (died 27 April 1843 aged 27) * Maria Phillipa Fitzgerald (died 18 July 1845 aged 33) * Reverend Captain Gerald Stephen Fitzgerald, army officer and reverend of

Highfield Church Highfield Church is a parish church in the Highfield district of Southampton, England. It is an Anglican Church in the Diocese of Winchester. History Early history The foundation stone for Highfield Church was laid on 12 September 1846 and i ...

(died 13 August 1879 aged 69) * Venerable August Otway Fitzgerald, the

Archdeacon of Wells The Archdeacon of Wells has been a senior clergy position in the Church of England Diocese of Bath and Wells sin the English reformation, before which it was part of the Roman Catholic Church. The post, having oversight over the archdeaconry of We ...

(died 24 December 1897 aged 84)

Notes and citations

Notes

Citations

References

* James, William (1859) ''The Naval History of Great Britain, Volume 2.'' Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. * Marshall, John (1824) ''Royal Naval Biography: or, Memoirs of the Services of all the Flag-Officers, Superannuated Rear-Admirals, Retired-Captains, Post-Captains, and Commanders Volume 2 – Part 1.'' Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. * *

External links

Ships of the Old Navy TONNANT

Ships of the Old Navy TRITON
{{DEFAULTSORT:Fitzgerald, Robert Lewis Royal Navy vice admirals Royal Navy personnel of the French Revolutionary Wars 1776 births 1844 deaths Knights Bachelor