Sir Samuel Cornish, 1st Baronet (c. 1715 – 30 October 1770) was a British naval commander who fought in 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 conquered Manila on 6 October 1762.
Early career
Cornish joined the Navy in 1728, and having been promoted to lieutenant in 1739, he served at
Cartagena in 1741.
[Sir Samuel Cornish at Oxford Dictionary of National Biography]
/ref> In 1742 he became flag captain of HMS ''Namur'' under Vice-Admiral Thomas Mathews
Thomas Mathews (October 16762 October 1751) was a British officer of the Royal Navy, who rose to the rank of admiral.
Mathews joined the navy in 1690 and saw service on a number of ships, including during the Nine Years' War and the War of the ...
and served with him 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 and Southern Europe and Anatolia, on the south by North Africa, and on the e ...
.[ He was given command of HMS ''Guernsey'' later that year and commissioned HMS ''Stirling Castle'' in 1755.][ In 1758 he transferred to HMS ''Union''.][
He was elected a ]Fellow of the Royal Society
Fellowship of the Royal Society (FRS, ForMemRS and HonFRS) is an award granted by the judges of the Royal Society of London to individuals who have made a "substantial contribution to the improvement of natural science, natural knowledge, incl ...
in 1749.
Seven Years' War
In 1759 Samuel Cornish took part in some battles against the French. When Spain entered the war early in 1762 Cornish was appointed Commander of an East Indies Squadron, who, together with soldiers of the 79th Regiment under William Draper were ordered to attack the Spaniards in the Philippines.[
In the following Battle of Manila the city was taken after a siege of 10 days. This victory made Cornish a very rich man.][
He saw no further service after this battle. He became vice-admiral in October 1762,][ was MP for New Shoreham between 1765 and 1770 and was created a baronet in 1766, a title which became extinct upon his death.][
In 1765 Cornish purchased Tofte Manor, ]Sharnbrook
Sharnbrook is a village and civil parish located in the Borough of Bedford in Bedfordshire, England.
The settlement was recorded in the Domesday Book of 1086 as a parish within the Hundred of Willey but was probably first developed in Saxon ti ...
, in Bedfordshire
Bedfordshire (; abbreviated Beds) is a ceremonial county in the East of England. The county has been administered by three unitary authorities, Borough of Bedford, Central Bedfordshire and Borough of Luton, since Bedfordshire County Council wa ...
.Tofte Manor, Sharnbrook, in Bedfordshire
He left his large fortune to his nephew Captain Samuel Pitchford,[ who at the head of HMS America, had also taken part in the capture of Manila.
The town Cornish in ]New Hampshire
New Hampshire is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Massachusetts to the south, Vermont to the west, Maine and the Gulf of Maine to the east, and the Canadian province of Quebec t ...
was named after him.
References
External links
NY Times
*
, -
1710s births
1770 deaths
Royal Navy personnel of the Seven Years' War
Baronets in the Baronetage of Great Britain
Members of the Parliament of Great Britain for English constituencies
Royal Navy vice admirals
Year of birth uncertain
Fellows of the Royal Society
British MPs 1761–1768
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