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 ...
Wolfran Cornewall (about 1653 – 21 January 1720) was an officer in 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 ...
.
Origins
He was born about 1653, the fifth son of
Humphrey Cornewall MP and his wife Theophila Skynner (1622–1718).
Career
Cornewall began his career in the army, joining the
Duke of Monmouth
Duke is a male title either of a monarch ruling over a duchy, or of a member of royalty, or nobility. As rulers, dukes are ranked below emperors, kings, grand princes, grand dukes, and sovereign princes. As royalty or nobility, they are ranke ...
's Regiment as an
Ensign
An ensign is the national flag flown on a vessel to indicate nationality. The ensign is the largest flag, generally flown at the stern (rear) of the ship while in port. The naval ensign (also known as war ensign), used on warships, may be differ ...
on 12 June 1679, transferring to
Colonel Kirke's Regiment in
Tangier
Tangier ( ; ; ar, طنجة, Ṭanja) is a city in northwestern Morocco. It is on the Moroccan coast at the western entrance to the Strait of Gibraltar, where the Mediterranean Sea meets the Atlantic Ocean off Cape Spartel. The town is the capi ...
in 1681.
He seems also to have served in the navy around this time, being appointed
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 ...
aboard
HMS ''Tyger'' on 30 January 1682.
Returning to the army, he was appointed Ensign in the Duke of York's Regiment on 2 May 1684 before transferring to the cavalry as a
Cornet
The cornet (, ) is a brass instrument similar to the trumpet but distinguished from it by its conical bore, more compact shape, and mellower tone quality. The most common cornet is a transposing instrument in B, though there is also a sopr ...
in the
Royal Horse Guards
The Royal Regiment of Horse Guards (The Blues) (RHG) was a Cavalry regiments of the British Army, cavalry regiment of the British Army, part of the Household Cavalry.
Raised in August 1650 at Newcastle upon Tyne and County Durham by Arthur Hase ...
later that year. In 1687 he was promoted to the rank of
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 the same regiment.
[
By 1688 he had switched back to the navy, and was given command of on 23 August that year. On 26 November 1688 he was briefly appointed to , before being put in charge of on 23 December 1688. The following year he escorted convoys to ]Ireland
Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean, in north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel, the Irish Sea, and St George's Channel. Ireland is the s ...
, then in the grip of the Williamite War
The Williamite War in Ireland (1688–1691; ga, Cogadh an Dá Rí, "war of the two kings"), was a conflict between Jacobite supporters of deposed monarch James II and Williamite supporters of his successor, William III. It is also called th ...
. In April 1689 the ''Swallow'' escorted a convoy under the orders of Colonel Cunningham in a landing of two regiments at Derry
Derry, officially Londonderry (), is the second-largest city in Northern Ireland and the fifth-largest city on the island of Ireland. The name ''Derry'' is an anglicisation of the Old Irish name (modern Irish: ) meaning 'oak grove'. The ...
, and was a member of the council of war
A council of war is a term in military science that describes a meeting held to decide on a course of action, usually in the midst of a battle. Under normal circumstances, decisions are made by a commanding officer, optionally communicated ...
that decided to abandon the expedition. In late May and early June the ''Swallow'', together with HMS ''Bonaventure'' and HMS ''Dartmouth'') escorted a convoy under the orders of Major-General
Major general (abbreviated MG, maj. gen. and similar) is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. The disappearance of the "sergeant" in the title explains the apparent confusion of a ...
Percy Kirke. In September Cornewall came ashore and took part as a volunteer assaulting the breach during the Siege of Cork
The siege of Cork took place during the Williamite war in Ireland in the year of 1690, shortly after the Battle of the Boyne when James II attempted to retake the English throne from King William III.
In a combined land and sea operation, Wi ...
under the orders of the then Earl of Marlborough
Earl of Marlborough is a title that has been created twice, both times in the Peerage of England. The first time in 1626 in favour of James Ley, 1st Baron Ley and the second in 1689 for John Churchill, 1st Baron Churchill the future Duke of Marl ...
.[
In 1690 he was given command of and took part in the Battle of Beachy Head on 30 June, at which action he "behaved with the greatest gallantry."][ Despite this, he somehow inspired the disfavour of William III and was removed from his command, causing ]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, ...
Edward Russell to write to the King on his behalf:
I have a request to make you on behalf of Capt. (Wolfran) Cornwall, one of the officers on whom you showed your displeasure, in giving command to dispossess him of his ship, which has been so great a punishment to him. He is not only a very good officer, but an extremely gallant gentleman. I hope you will allow me to put him into a noble ship for this summer's service. He was one of the first sea officers I trusted with your coming over, and he is a man of merit, and I will answer for the character I have given him.
The request was granted, and Cornewall was given command of in 1691. The following year he commanded and was engaged at the Battle of Barfleur
The action at Barfleur was part of the battle of Barfleur-La Hougue during the War of the Grand Alliance. A French fleet under Anne Hilarion de Tourville was seeking to cover an invasion of England by a French army to restore James II to the ...
on 19 May 1692. Still aboard this vessel the following year, he was one of the seconds to Vice admiral Matthew Aylmer.[ In recognition of his services, he was given command of a troop of his old regiment, the Royal Horse Guards, in 1693.][
In 1694][ he was given his final command, the 100 gun ]first-rate
In the rating system of the British Royal Navy used to categorise sailing warships, a first rate was the designation for the largest ships of the line. Originating in the Jacobean era with the designation of Ships Royal capable of carrying a ...
, and was second-in-command
Second-in-command (2i/c or 2IC) is a title denoting that the holder of the title is the second-highest authority within a certain organisation.
Usage
In the British Army or Royal Marines, the second-in-command is the deputy commander of a unit, ...
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 regard ...
Edward Whitaker in 1696. At the Peace of Ryswick
The Peace of Ryswick, or Rijswijk, was a series of treaties signed in the Dutch city of Rijswijk between 20 September and 30 October 1697. They ended the 1688 to 1697 Nine Years' War between France and the Grand Alliance, which included England ...
in 1697 he retired, and lived out his life on a pension
A pension (, from Latin ''pensiō'', "payment") is a fund into which a sum of money is added during an employee's employment years and from which payments are drawn to support the person's retirement from work in the form of periodic payments ...
equivalent to a first-rate captain's pay.[
]
Marriage and children
Cornewall married twice. His first wife was Elizabeth Humfrey, with whom he had a daughter:[
* Rose Cornewall, married Robert Forder and was the maternal grandmother of ]Charles Wolfran Cornwall
Charles Wolfran Cornwall (15 June 1735 – 2 January 1789) was a British politician who sat in the House of Commons from 1768 to 1789. He was Speaker of the House of Commons from 1780 to 1789.
Origins and early life
Charles Wolfran Cornwall w ...
.
His second wife was Elizabeth Devereux (d. 1741) with whom he had two more daughters:[
* Amarantha Cornewall (1700–1785), married Colonel Charles Jenkinson (1693–1750) and was mother of ]Charles Jenkinson, 1st Earl of Liverpool
Charles Jenkinson, 1st Earl of Liverpool, PC (26 April 172917 December 1808), known as Lord Hawkesbury between 1786 and 1796, was a British statesman. He was the father of Prime Minister Robert Jenkinson, 2nd Earl of Liverpool.
Early years, f ...
* Bette Cornewall (b. 1705)
His great-grandson was Robert Jenkinson, the 23rd Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
The prime minister of the United Kingdom is the head of government of the United Kingdom. The prime minister advises the sovereign on the exercise of much of the royal prerogative, chairs the Cabinet and selects its ministers. As modern p ...
.
He died on 21 January 1720,[ and is commemorated with a stone in the nave of ]Bath Abbey
The Abbey Church of Saint Peter and Saint Paul, commonly known as Bath Abbey, is a parish church of the Church of England and former Benedictines, Benedictine monastery in Bath, Somerset, Bath, Somerset, England. Founded in the 7th century, it ...
.[
]
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Cornewall, Wolfran
1650s births
1720 deaths
Royal Navy officers
17th-century Royal Navy personnel
Soldiers of the Tangier Garrison