Sir Thomas Pye ( β 26 December 1785) was an admiral 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 served 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 (1756β1763) 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 (1754β ...
, and the
American War of Independence
The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 β 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 ...
. He was briefly
Member of Parliament
A member of parliament (MP) is the representative in parliament of the people who live in their electoral district. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, this term refers only to members of the lower house since upper house members of ...
for
Rochester
Rochester may refer to:
Places Australia
* Rochester, Victoria
Canada
* Rochester, Alberta
United Kingdom
*Rochester, Kent
** City of Rochester-upon-Medway (1982β1998), district council area
** History of Rochester, Kent
** HM Prison ...
, and served as commander of several of the navy's principal stations and ports.
Born into a family with powerful political connections, Pye used these to rise rapidly through the ranks, and to receive employments in periods of peace. He commanded a number of ships during the War of the Austrian Succession, and was appointed commander-in-chief in the
Leeward Islands
french: Γles-Sous-le-Vent
, image_name =
, image_caption = ''Political'' Leeward Islands. Clockwise: Antigua and Barbuda, Guadeloupe, Saint kitts and Nevis.
, image_alt =
, locator_map =
, location = Caribbean SeaNorth Atlantic Ocean
, coor ...
, but a fit of temper when he was superseded almost cost him his career. Charged with disobeying orders and other infractions, Pye returned to Britain, where he was able to use his connections, and the absence of the experienced naval officers, to ensure a lenient outcome to his
court martial
A court-martial or court martial (plural ''courts-martial'' or ''courts martial'', as "martial" is a postpositive adjective) is a military court or a trial conducted in such a court. A court-martial is empowered to determine the guilt of memb ...
. Despite this he remained unemployed during the Seven Years' War, though he reached flag rank.
Pye did not receive active postings until the end of the Seven Years' War, when he commanded several of the navy's dockyards, and even returned to the Leeward Islands to take up his old post. A brief foray into politics proved lacklustre, he made no impact in parliament, and alienated his constituents. His position as
commander-in-chief at Portsmouth during the American War of Independence brought the opportunity for rewards. The fleet was
reviewed by
the King, and Pye received promotion and a
knighthood
A knight is a person granted an honorary title of knighthood by a head of state (including the Pope) or representative for service to the monarch, the church or the country, especially in a military capacity. Knighthood finds origins in the Gr ...
. He retired after the end of the war and died two years later. He had conducted a long-running affair with the novelist
Anna Maria Bennett
Anna Maria Bennett (ca. 1750 β 12 February 1808) was a Welsh novelist who wrote in English. Some sources give her name as Agnes Maria Bennett. Her best-known work is the epistolary novel '' Agnes de-Courci'' (1789).Available from Chawton Hous ...
, and left two children by her, including a daughter who became the famous actress
Harriet Pye Bennett.
Family and early life
Thomas Pye was born c. 1708/9, the second son of Henry Pye of
Faringdon House
Faringdon House is a Grade I listed 14,510 square feet house in Faringdon, Oxfordshire, England. It was built in about 1770β1785 for the Poet Laureate Sir Henry James Pye.
It became the country home of Lord Berners, who inherited it in 1918. ...
in
Berkshire
Berkshire ( ; in the 17th century sometimes spelt phonetically as Barkeshire; abbreviated Berks.) is a historic county in South East England. One of the home counties, Berkshire was recognised by Queen Elizabeth II as the Royal County of Berk ...
(now
Oxfordshire
Oxfordshire is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the north west of South East England. It is a mainly rural county, with its largest settlement being the city of Oxford. The county is a centre of research and development, primarily ...
) and his wife, Anne, daughter of Sir Benjamin Bathurst of
Cirencester
Cirencester (, ; see below for more variations) is a market town in Gloucestershire, England, west of London. Cirencester lies on the River Churn, a tributary of the River Thames, and is the largest town in the Cotswolds. It is the home of ...
in
Gloucestershire
Gloucestershire ( abbreviated Glos) is a county in South West England. The county comprises part of the Cotswold Hills, part of the flat fertile valley of the River Severn and the entire Forest of Dean.
The county town is the city of Gl ...
. He was the great grandson of
Robert Pye, the parliamentarian, and was uncle of
Henry James Pye
Henry James Pye (; 20 February 1745 – 11 August 1813) was an English poet, and Poet Laureate from 1790 until his death. His appointment owed nothing to poetic achievement, and was probably a reward for political favours. Pye was merely a ...
, the
poet laureate
A poet laureate (plural: poets laureate) is a poet officially appointed by a government or conferring institution, typically expected to compose poems for special events and occasions. Albertino Mussato of Padua and Francesco Petrarca (Petrarch) ...
. Through his mother, Pye was related to
Allen Bathurst, 1st Earl Bathurst
Allen Bathurst, 1st Earl Bathurst, (16 November 168416 September 1775), of Bathurst in the County of Sussex, known as The Lord Bathurst from 1712 to 1772, was a British Tory politician. Bathurst sat in the English and British House of Commons f ...
, a powerful politician who would use his influence to speed Pye's rise through the ranks.
Pye passed his lieutenant's examination on 12 June 1734 and joined the 48-gun
HMS ''Preston'', under Captain Charles Cotterell, on 18 April 1735 as her third lieutenant. His service was initially spent off the British coast, until transferring to the 60-gun , still under Cotterell, and moving to the
Tagus
The Tagus ( ; es, Tajo ; pt, Tejo ; see #Name, below) is the longest river in the Iberian Peninsula. The river rises in the Montes Universales near Teruel, in mid-eastern Spain, flows , generally west with two main south-westward sections ...
.
He was then aboard the 60-gun , serving in the Mediterranean, before being promoted to his first command, that of the 24-gun , on 13 April 1741.
First commands
![Admiral Thomas Mathews](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/87/Admiral_Thomas_Mathews.jpg)
He spent the rest of the year being stationed in British waters, after which he joined 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 ...
's fleet, and returned to the Mediterranean.
Mathews sent Pye into the
Adriatic Sea
The Adriatic Sea () is a body of water separating the Italian Peninsula from the Balkan Peninsula. The Adriatic is the northernmost arm of the Mediterranean Sea, extending from the Strait of Otranto (where it connects to the Ionian Sea) to t ...
to disrupt supplies being sent to the Spanish Army in Italy 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 ...
. Pye was then appointed by Mathews to command the 80-gun in August 1744, and he remained in the Mediterranean after Mathews's recall, serving under Vice-Admiral
Henry Medley
Henry Medley (1687 β 5 August 1747) was an officer of the Royal Navy, rising to the rank of vice-admiral.
Life
Medley entered the Royal Navy in 1703, and in 1706 was midshipman of the 80-gun with Captain Price at the relief of Barcelona. ...
and providing support to the Austrian army off the south of France.
Pye returned to England in March 1748, and though the signing of the
Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle in October that year ended the war, he was able to use his connections to secure peacetime employment.
He commanded first the 50-gun , which he took out to North America, and then the 44-gun , which he commissioned in April 1749 and sailed to the west coast of Africa.
He took the 44-gun out to
Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia ( ; ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada. It is one of the three Maritime provinces and one of the four Atlantic provinces. Nova Scotia is Latin for "New Scotland".
Most of the population are native Eng ...
in June 1751, returning to Britain later that year, before being appointed to the 50-gun in February 1752 to become commander-in-chief in the
Leeward Islands Station
The Leeward Islands Station originally known as the Commander-in-Chief at Barbadoes and the Leeward Islands was a formation or command of the Kingdom of Great Britain and then the United Kingdom's Royal Navy stationed at English Harbour, Antigua, L ...
.
Disobeying orders and court martial
Pye was commander of the station until his replacement,
Commodore
Commodore may refer to:
Ranks
* Commodore (rank), a naval rank
** Commodore (Royal Navy), in the United Kingdom
** Commodore (United States)
** Commodore (Canada)
** Commodore (Finland)
** Commodore (Germany) or ''Kommodore''
* Air commodore ...
Thomas Frankland, arrived to supersede him in October 1755. Pye, reportedly angry at this, refused to strike his broad pennant, upon which Frankland reprimanded him for disobeying a superior officer.
Frankland brought various other charges against Pye, accusing him of 'financial irregularities, interfering with the purchase of naval stores...', and with having damaged ''Advice'' by '...removing parts of her timbers for an unnecessary survey.'
Claiming that he would not be able to receive a fair hearing in the Caribbean, Pye instead returned to Britain, causing a bureaucratic quandary as since he should have been tried there, 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 ...
officials for a time did nothing. They eventually convened a
court martial
A court-martial or court martial (plural ''courts-martial'' or ''courts martial'', as "martial" is a postpositive adjective) is a military court or a trial conducted in such a court. A court-martial is empowered to determine the guilt of memb ...
from 1 to 4 March 1748, but the senior naval officers at the time,
Lord Anson
Admiral of the Fleet George Anson, 1st Baron Anson, (23 April 1697 β 6 June 1762) was a Royal Navy officer. Anson served as a junior officer during the War of the Spanish Succession and then saw active service against Spain at the Batt ...
and
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 ...
were at sea and could not be present.
Pye used his political connections again to his advantage, putting pressure on the civilian members of the board, and while he was duly reprimanded for the lesser charges Frankland brought, he was not charged with disobeying his superior.
Flag rank
Pye was promoted according to his seniority to
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 ...
on 5 July 1758, but received no active employment during the
Seven Years' War
The Seven Years' War (1756β1763) 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 (1754β ...
.
He became
commander-in-chief at Plymouth in June 1763
during the subsequent peace, and was promoted to
vice-admiral on 21 October that year. He returned to his old post as commander-in-chief of the Leeward Islands Station between 1766 and 1769, at first with the 32-gun as his
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 ...
, followed by the 50-gun .
Pye briefly entered politics on returning to Britain, being elected to parliament as
Member
Member may refer to:
* Military jury, referred to as "Members" in military jargon
* Element (mathematics), an object that belongs to a mathematical set
* In object-oriented programming, a member of a class
** Field (computer science), entries in ...
for
Rochester
Rochester may refer to:
Places Australia
* Rochester, Victoria
Canada
* Rochester, Alberta
United Kingdom
*Rochester, Kent
** City of Rochester-upon-Medway (1982β1998), district council area
** History of Rochester, Kent
** HM Prison ...
on 9 May 1771. No records exist of him ever speaking in the
House of Commons
The House of Commons is the name for the elected lower house of the bicameral parliaments of the United Kingdom and Canada. In both of these countries, the Commons holds much more legislative power than the nominally upper house of parliament. ...
, and he was defeated at the next
general election
A general election is a political voting election where generally all or most members of a given political body are chosen. These are usually held for a nation, state, or territory's primary legislative body, and are different from by-elections ( ...
, on 7 October 1774, having apparently alienated his constituents.
Pye became
commander-in-chief at Portsmouth on 9 May 1771, a post he held for most of the
American War of Independence
The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 β 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 ...
in two periods of office. During the first he oversaw the fleet during
King George III's review
A review is an evaluation of a publication, product, service, or company or a critical take on current affairs in literature, politics or culture. In addition to a critical evaluation, the review's author may assign the work a content rating, ...
at
Spithead
Spithead is an area of the Solent and a roadstead off Gilkicker Point in Hampshire, England. It is protected from all winds except those from the southeast. It receives its name from the Spit, a sandbank stretching south from the Hampshire ...
on 22 June 1773. As a reward for his services Pye was knighted by the King on the deck of the Portsmouth
guardship
A guard ship is a warship assigned as a stationary guard in a port or harbour, as opposed to a coastal patrol boat, which serves its protective role at sea.
Royal Navy
In the Royal Navy of the eighteenth century, peacetime guard ships were usual ...
, the 98-gun , on 24 June 1773.
At the same time the King ordered Pye promoted to
admiral
Admiral is one of the highest ranks in some navies. In the Commonwealth nations and the United States, a "full" admiral is equivalent to a "full" general in the army or the air force, and is above vice admiral and below admiral of the fleet, ...
.
Pye was replaced as commander-in-chief at Portsmouth on 18 May 1774, being succeeded by
Sir James Douglas James Douglas may refer to:
Scottish noblemen
Lords of Angus
* James Douglas, 3rd Earl of Angus (1426β1446), Scottish nobleman
* James Douglas, Earl of Angus (1671β1692), son of the 2nd Marquess of Douglas
Lords of Douglas
* James Douglas, ...
, but resumed the command on 27 May 1777.
Keppel's court martial
![Bataille d Ouessant 1778](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f7/Bataille_d_Ouessant_1778.jpg)
In his capacity as senior admiral he was president at the court martial of Admiral
Augustus Keppel, which was held at Portsmouth in January 1779. He tried to avoid the duty, pleading poor health, but was compelled to take part.
Keppel was being investigated for his actions during the
Battle of Ushant, which had taken place on 27 July 1778. His subordinate, Admiral
Hugh Palliser
Admiral Sir Hugh Palliser, 1st Baronet (26 February 1723 β 19 March 1796) was a Royal Navy officer. As captain of the 58-gun HMS ''Eagle'' he engaged and defeated the French 50-gun ''Duc d'Aquitain'' off Ushant in May 1757 during the Seven Y ...
had brought charges of misconduct and neglect of duty, which the court was compelled to examine.
The court was convened aboard on 7 January, though the rest of the hearings were held at the house of the governor of the garrison.
After deliberations, the court returned its verdict on 11 February, unanimously acquitting Keppel, with Pye returning his sword with the observation that '...you will be called forth by your Sovereign to draw it once more in the defence of your country.'
Later life and family
Pye was made lieutenant-general of marines on 26 September 1780. He stepped down after the end of the American War of Independence, leaving his post as commander-in-chief at Portsmouth on 31 March 1783, and going into retirement.
He died two years later, at his home on Suffolk Street, London, on 26 December 1785.
He was survived by his daughter Mary. His wife had died in 1762, and for seventeen years he had carried out an affair with the novelist
Anna Maria Bennett
Anna Maria Bennett (ca. 1750 β 12 February 1808) was a Welsh novelist who wrote in English. Some sources give her name as Agnes Maria Bennett. Her best-known work is the epistolary novel '' Agnes de-Courci'' (1789).Available from Chawton Hous ...
, the wife of Thomas Bennett, a
customs officer
A customs officer is a law enforcement agent who enforces customs laws, on behalf of a government.
Canada
Canadian customs officers are members of the Canada Border Services Agency. It was created in 2003 and preceded by the Canada Customs and ...
.
Thomas Bennett appears to have owed Pye a sizeable sum of money, which Pye forgave in his will, bequeathing his London residence to Anna Maria. Pye and Bennett appear to have at least two children together, Thomas Pye Bennet, and
Harriet Pye Bennett, who went on to become a famous actress.
Assessment
Pye's career was advanced through his political connections, rather than talent. His temper nearly cost him his career, while he managed to make himself so unpopular with his constituents while MP for Rochester that
Philip Stephens, the
Secretary to the Admiralty
S, or s, is the nineteenth letter in the Latin alphabet, used in the modern English alphabet, the alphabets of other western European languages and others worldwide. Its name in English is ''ess'' (pronounced ), plural ''esses''.
Histor ...
, wrote to
Lord Hardwicke
Philip Yorke, 1st Earl of Hardwicke, (1 December 16906 March 1764) was an English lawyer and politician who served as Lord High Chancellor of Great Britain. He was a close confidant of the Duke of Newcastle, Prime Minister between 1754 and 1 ...
saying that the voters 'had conceived an utter aversion to our Admiral Sir Thomas Pye, and I find they would have taken anybody who offered himself in preference to him'.
He was known to junior officers as 'Goose Pye', while naval historian
Nicholas Rodger
Nicholas Andrew Martin Rodger Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries of London, FSA FRHistS British Academy, FBA (born 12 November 1949) is a historian of the Royal Navy and senior research fellow of All Souls College, Oxford.
Life and academia
Th ...
described him as 'something of a naval grotesque who aroused mingled amusement and contempt'.
Pye acknowledged his difficulty expressing himself, writing that 'I had the mortification to be neglected in my education, went to sea at 14 without any, and a man of war was my university.'
His biographer
Roger Knight
Roger David Verdon Knight (born 6 September 1946) is an English administrator, cricketer and schoolmaster. He was awarded the OBE in 2007. He is an Honorary Life Member of the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) and was President of the club from ...
described him as 'not a typical mid-eighteenth-century naval officer.'
Notes
Citations
References
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External links
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Pye, Thomas
1700s births
1785 deaths
Royal Navy admirals
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
Royal Navy officers who were court-martialled
Members of the Parliament of Great Britain for English constituencies
British MPs 1768β1774
People from Faringdon