Captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police department, election precinct, e ...

Thomas Durell (1685-1741) was a British naval officer most famous for his role in the capture of the Spanish ship ''Princesa''.

Early life

Thomas Durell was born in 1685 to John Durell, who was the Lieutenant-Bailiff of

Jersey Jersey ( , ; nrf, Jèrri, label=Jèrriais ), officially the Bailiwick of Jersey (french: Bailliage de Jersey, links=no; Jèrriais: ), is an island country and self-governing Crown Dependencies, Crown Dependency near the coast of north-west F ...

and Ann Dumaresq, who was the daughter of

Elias Dumaresq, 3rd Seigneur of Augrès Elias Dumaresq, Seigneur of Augres, 3rd Seigneur of Augrès (c. 1620-1677) was born to Abraham Dumaresq, 2nd Seigneur of Augrès and Susan de Carteret daughter of Philippe de Carteret I, Philippe de Carteret I, 2nd Seigneur of Sark and his wife Ra ...

Early career

Durell 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 1697 and 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 ...

in 1705 after passing the lieutenant's examination. He 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. ...

in 1716 and was later given command of the 42-gun HMS ''Speedwell''. 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) ...

in 1720.

Nova Scotia

After the

Peace of Utrecht The Peace of Utrecht was a series of peace treaties signed by the belligerents in the War of the Spanish Succession, in the Dutch city of Utrecht between April 1713 and February 1715. The war involved three contenders for the vacant throne of ...

, which ended the

War of the Spanish Succession The War of the Spanish Succession was a European great power conflict that took place from 1701 to 1714. The death of childless Charles II of Spain in November 1700 led to a struggle for control of the Spanish Empire between his heirs, Phil ...

, the British gained control of part of the

Acadia Acadia (french: link=no, Acadie) was a colony of New France in northeastern North America which included parts of what are now the Maritime provinces, the Gaspé Peninsula and Maine to the Kennebec River. During much of the 17th and early ...

n lands in modern-day

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 ...

. Durell who was in command of HMS ''Seahorse'' under the orders of General

Richard Philipps General Richard Philipps (1661 – 14 October 1750) was said to have been in the employ of William III as a young man and for his service gained the rank of captain in the British army. He served at the Battle of the Boyne in 1690 and promoted ...

, who was the

Governor of Nova Scotia The following is a list of the governors and lieutenant governors of Nova Scotia. Though the present day office of the lieutenant governor in Nova Scotia came into being only upon the province's entry into Canadian Confederation in 1867, the po ...

, surveyed the coasts and harbours of the newly acquired colony. This service was vital to the British governors; Durell's surveys were later used to create maps of Nova Scotia and the greater area. For Durell's services there is an island named in his honour near

Canso, Nova Scotia Canso is a community in Guysborough County, on the north-eastern tip of mainland Nova Scotia, Canada, next to Chedabucto Bay. In January 2012, it ceased to be a separate town and as of July 2012 was amalgamated into the Municipality of the Di ...

named Durell's Island.

Capture of ''Princesa''

During the

War of Austrian Succession War is an intense armed conflict between states, governments, societies, or paramilitary groups such as mercenaries, insurgents, and militias. It is generally characterized by extreme violence, destruction, and mortality, using regular o ...

, Durell took part in the action of 8 April 1740. Durell, who commanded HMS ''Kent'', fought alongside Captain Covill Mayne who commanded HMS ''Lenox'' and Captain Lord Augustus Fitzroy who commanded HMS ''Orford''. Together the ships fought at close range with the Spanish man of war ''Princesa'', which was captured and became HMS ''Princess''. During the battle Durell injured his hand.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Durell, Thomas 18th-century Royal Navy personnel People from Saint Helier 1685 births 1741 deaths