Frederick Whitworth Aylmer, 6th Baron Aylmer
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Admiral Admiral is one of the highest ranks in many 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. Admiral is ranked above vice admiral and below admiral of ...
Frederick Whitworth Aylmer, 6th Baron Aylmer (12 October 1777 – 5 March 1858) was a British
Royal Navy The Royal Navy (RN) is the naval warfare force of the United Kingdom. It is a component of His Majesty's Naval Service, and its officers hold their commissions from the King of the United Kingdom, King. Although warships were used by Kingdom ...
officer who fought in the
French Revolutionary Wars The French Revolutionary Wars () were a series of sweeping military conflicts resulting from the French Revolution that lasted from 1792 until 1802. They pitted French First Republic, France against Kingdom of Great Britain, Great Britain, Habsb ...
and the
Napoleonic Wars {{Infobox military conflict , conflict = Napoleonic Wars , partof = the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars , image = Napoleonic Wars (revision).jpg , caption = Left to right, top to bottom:Battl ...
, eventually rising to the rank of admiral. He was born on 12 October 1777 in Twyford, Hampshire, into a naval family which included his great-great-grandfather, Admiral Matthew Aylmer. Aylmer went to sea at thirteen years of age, and in 1798, as a lieutenant, served aboard HMS ''Swiftsure'' at the
Battle of the Nile The Battle of the Nile (also known as the Battle of Aboukir Bay; ) was fought between the Royal Navy and the French Navy at Abu Qir Bay, Aboukir Bay in Ottoman Egypt, Egypt between 1–3 August 1798. It was the climax of the Mediterranean ca ...
. In 1805, he made
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and in 1809 was appointed to a frigate in the
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, where he took part in raids on the north coast of
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. Aylmer is primarily known as the commander of the force that penetrated the
Gironde Gironde ( , US usually , ; , ) is the largest department in the southwestern French region of Nouvelle-Aquitaine. Named after the Gironde estuary, a major waterway, its prefecture is Bordeaux. In 2019, it had a population of 1,623,749.
in July 1815, as part of a wider British strategy to rally French royalists against Napoleon. In 1816, commanding the heavy frigate HMS ''Severn'', Aylmer took part in the Bombardment of Algiers, and was subsequently awarded the
Companion of the Order of the Bath Companion may refer to: Relationships Currently * Any of several interpersonal relationships such as friend or acquaintance * A domestic partner, akin to a spouse * Sober companion, an addiction treatment coach * Companion (caregiving), a caregi ...
, the royal order of St Ferdinand and of Merit and the royal military order of St Fernando.


Personal life

Born in Twyford, near Winchester in Hampshire on 12 October 1777, Fredrick Whitworth Aylmer was the great-great-grandson of Admiral Matthew Aylmer, the grandson of Captain Henry Aylmer and cousin to Admiral John Aylmer.Tracy (p.18) Fredrick's father was Sir Henry Aylmer, 4th Lord Aylmer and his mother was Catharine Whitworth.


Career

Aylmer joined the navy shortly after his thirteenth birthday, as a captain's servant to John Manley, on board the 32-gun frigate, HMS ''Syren'', in the
Channel Channel, channels, channeling, etc., may refer to: Geography * Channel (geography), a landform consisting of the outline (banks) of the path of a narrow body of water. Australia * Channel Country, region of outback Australia in Queensland and pa ...
. Aylmer was rated as a midshipman in September 1791 before following his captain to the newly built, 38-gun, HMS ''Apollo'' on the Irish station in 1794. Promoted to lieutenant in December 1796, Aylmer transferred to HMS ''Swiftsure'' the following January, and sailed to the Mediterranean under Captain
Benjamin Hallowell Carew Admiral Sir Benjamin Hallowell Carew (born Benjamin Hallowell; ?1 January 1761 – 2 September 1834) was a senior officer in the Royal Navy. He was one of the select group of officers, referred to by Lord Nelson as his " Band of Brothers", who s ...
, where he participated in the
Battle of the Nile The Battle of the Nile (also known as the Battle of Aboukir Bay; ) was fought between the Royal Navy and the French Navy at Abu Qir Bay, Aboukir Bay in Ottoman Egypt, Egypt between 1–3 August 1798. It was the climax of the Mediterranean ca ...
. It was ''Swiftsure'', in the company of HMS ''Alexander'', that first discovered the French fleet in
Aboukir Bay The Abū Qīr Bay (sometimes transliterated Abukir Bay or Aboukir Bay) (; transliterated: Khalīj Abū Qīr) is a spacious bay on the Mediterranean Sea near Alexandria in Egypt, lying between the Rosetta mouth of the Nile and the town of Abu Qir ...
on 1 August 1798. Later, during the battle, ''Swiftsure'' anchored between ''Orient'' and ''Franklin'', and fired into both until ''Orient'' caught alight and exploded. In January 1802, following a protracted period of shore leave, Aylmer returned to the Mediterranean, joining Lord Keith's squadron as commander of the 18-gun sloop ''Delight''. In 1803, he returned to home waters, serving in the Channel and off Cadiz under Sir John Orde, in another 18-gun sloop, ''Wasp''. Aylmer made
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on 18 May 1805 but was not given a command until 1809 when he was appointed to the 32-gun frigate ''Narcissus'' and employed in the Channel under Lord Gambier. In January-February 1810 ''Narcissus'' recaptured two merchant vessels, and captured two French privateers, ''Duguay Trouin'' and . Aylmer had an important role in a combined operation against
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the following July. In an attempt to draw French troops from the country’s interior; 500 Spanish soldiers and a battalion of British seamen and marines from ''Narcissus'', HMS ''Amazon'' and HMS ''Arethusa'', landed on the beach west of town, which they then took without loss. The allies held the town for three days against a force of 700 to 800 French troops before retiring on 8 July, after putting around 150 of the enemy out of action, and destroying the guns of the forts at Santoña and Laredo.


North America

In September 1813, Aylmer was appointed to the newly constructed HMS ''Pactolus'', and in August 1814 was part of a small squadron under Sir Thomas Masterman Hardy comprising ''Ramillies'', ''Dispatch'', ''Terror'' and herself, which took part in the bombardment of
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. On 9 August, after the town was shown to be manufacturing arms and assisting in the destruction of British ships off the coast of New London, the brig, ''Dispatch'' anchored close to a shore battery and opened fire. The water was too shallow for the other ships to lend their support, and the brig was recalled after two men were killed and twelve more injured. On 11 August, ''Ramillies'' and ''Pactolus'' came inshore as close as the depth of water would allow and discharged their guns. The town was forced to evacuate, and after inflicting much damage the British squadron sailed off.


The Gironde

In July 1815, Aylmer commanded a small force which sailed up the
Gironde Gironde ( , US usually , ; , ) is the largest department in the southwestern French region of Nouvelle-Aquitaine. Named after the Gironde estuary, a major waterway, its prefecture is Bordeaux. In 2019, it had a population of 1,623,749.
and entered
Bordeaux Bordeaux ( ; ; Gascon language, Gascon ; ) is a city on the river Garonne in the Gironde Departments of France, department, southwestern France. A port city, it is the capital of the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region, as well as the Prefectures in F ...
, which although garrisoned by Imperial troops was largely sympathetic to the Royalist cause. Aylmer's ship, ''Pactolus'', arrived at the mouth of the estuary on 3 July and immediately an Aide-de-Camp was despatched under a flag of truce, to open a dialogue with General
Bertrand Clausel Bertrand, Comte Clauzel (; 12 December 1772 – 21 April 1842), was a French soldier who served in the French Revolutionary Wars, Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, Napoleonic wars. He saw service in the Low Countries, Italy, Haiti, and Spain, wh ...
, who was commanding the armies in the area. Shortly after, the 36-gun , under Captain Edmund Palmer, arrived with arms and supplies for the RoyalistsWinfield (p.185) and when it became apparent that Clausel was not going to negotiate, Palmer and Aylmer decided to try and open a line of communication with the Royalist supporters directly. The initial plan was to enter the river on 11 July 1815 but the attempt was postponed when five vessels were spotted making out to sea and the British were obliged to pursue them. Later that night, after discovering that the ships had sailed in response to the recent lifting of an embargo, the British re-assembled to await favourable winds and tide. On 13 July, the small squadron comprising ''Pactolus'' and ''Hebrus'', each with a transport in tow, together with ''Falmouth'', entered the mouth of the estuary and soon after doing so were met by a delegate from
Royan Royan (; in the Saintongeais dialect; ) is a commune and town in the south-west of France, in the Departments of France, department of Charente-Maritime in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region. Capital of the Côte de Beauté, Royan is one of the mai ...
who gave an undertaking that the town’s guns would not fire upon them, providing the courtesy was reciprocated. Although the fort at
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did open fire, the British did not retaliate and after anchoring, a delegation, headed by the Comte de Lasteur, was sent to once again try and establish contact with Clausel while ''Falmouth'' was sent home with dispatches for Lord Keith. Aylmer thought it prudent to destroy all enemy forts and guns within range of the river in order to secure a line of retreat, and so set about putting the batteries of Royan out of action. This was not popular with the town's residents but they were pacified by the two French nobles, the Compte de la Tour and Baron de Montalembert, who were aiding the British with their mission. During the night, the Republican troops abandoned the fort at Verdon enabling the British to dismantle it the following day. On the 16th, the British sailed further up the river towards Castillon having destroyed the forts of Verdon, Royan de Lousac and Miche, and 70 other pieces of artillery along the mouth of the estuary. When the British arrived at Castillon, Aylmer received a communication from Clausel notifying him of an armistice. Palmer, who had sailed directly to Bordeaux in ''Hebrus'', arrived on 22 July to find the city under the Bourbon flag.


Algiers

In February 1816, Aylmer was given command of the 38-gun, Endymion-class frigate, HMS ''Severn'' and on 27 August took part in the attack on
Algiers Algiers is the capital city of Algeria as well as the capital of the Algiers Province; it extends over many Communes of Algeria, communes without having its own separate governing body. With 2,988,145 residents in 2008Census 14 April 2008: Offi ...
by an Anglo-Dutch force.Tracy (p.19) A British fleet under
Edward Pellew Admiral Edward Pellew, 1st Viscount Exmouth, GCB (19 April 1757 – 23 January 1833) was a Royal Navy officer and politician. He fought during the American War of Independence, the French Revolutionary Wars, and the Napoleonic Wars. His younge ...
, comprising six line-of-battle ships, four frigates, nine smaller warships, a naval transport, a sloop and a despatch-vessel, left
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at 12.00 on 28 July.James (Vol.VI p.398) On 9 August they arrived off Gibraltar where they joined a Dutch squadron of five frigates and a
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 sloo ...
. The combined fleet was kept in the bay by bad weather until 13 August when Commander James Murray arrived in the 18-gun HMS ''Satelitte'' and the fleet was given a detailed plan of action and information regarding the city's defences.James (Vol.VI p.399) The city was shown to be heavily defended with more than 1,000 guns. The harbour wall alone was mounting more than 220 guns, the vast majority being between 18 and 32-pounders. The harbour entrance was guarded by another three batteries to the southwest, the largest being the Fish Market battery of 15 guns in three tiers, and it was this battery that Aylmer in ''Severn'' was charged with destroying.James (Vol.VI p.401)James (Vol.VI p.402) Spreading south, along the coast, were a number of other batteries and, on the opposite side of the bay, facing the harbour entrance, a fort. These coastal defences mounted a further 60 to 70 guns. Inland, on the areas of higher ground stood various other batteries and a further fort. The northern side of the city was not so well defended with fewer than a hundred cannon but the depth of water on this side made an approach impossible. The harbour itself contained four heavy frigates, five large
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 sloo ...
s and between 30 and 40 smaller armed vessels, and 40,000 extra men had been brought in to protect the city.James (Vol.VI p.400) Late morning, the following day, the wind was favourable and the Anglo-Dutch force, minus the 10-gun ''Jasper'' which was sent off with despatches, set sail for the port of Algiers. In the evening of 16 August 200 miles from its destination, the fleet encountered HMS ''Prometheus'', whose captain, William Dashwood, was able to confirm that Pellew's intelligence was accurate. Having been forced to tack against contrary winds for much of the remaining journey, the fleet did not come within sight of the city until dawn on 27 August. Aylmer's ship, ''Severn'' was selected to tow a boat closer in, from where a delegate with a list of demands would then be rowed ashore. The demands included the abolition of Christian slavery, the release of all Christian slaves and the repayment of the money recently taken to secure the liberty of Neopolitan and Sardinian slaves. Having been promised a reply within two hours, and having still not received one by 14:00, the British delegate, Lieutenant Burgess, returned to ''Severn'' and Pellew then gave the order for the fleet to take up position. Pellew's ship, Queen Charlotte, anchored at the head of the
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and almost immediately came under fire. The remaining four British battleships, ''Superb'', ''Minden'', ''Albion'' and ''Impregnable'' engaged the guns on the harbour wall while the three frigates, ''Glasgow'', ''Severn'' and ''Leander'' attacked the shore batteries, with ''Severn'' concentrating her fire on the largest at the fish market.James (Vol.VI pp.402–403) The smaller vessels were expected to take up position where convenient, except the bomb ketches which targeted the harbour and town from some 2,000 yards out.James (Vol.VI p.405) The Dutch squadron was sent against the batteries to the south of the city.James (Vol.VI p.403) By 19:00, HMS ''Leander'' had been so badly shot up, she was unable to keep station and only by running a cable to ''Severn'', could she bring her guns to bear. The bombardment continued until 22:00 when Pellew ordered a withdrawal which, owing to the light winds and damage incurred by much of the fleet, took almost four hours to complete. By this time, most of the Algerian guns had been silenced, parts of the city were in flame and much of the shipping in the harbour was destroyed.James (Vol.VI p.405) Aylmer's crew suffered three dead and 34 wounded in the action.James (Vol.VI p.406) Total British losses were 128 killed and 690 wounded. The Dutch had 13 killed and 52 wounded. Accounts of the Algerian losses vary between 4,000 and 7,000 dead and wounded.James (Vol.VI p.407) At dawn, Burgess was sent back to repeat the demands. He was met by an Algerian frigate captain who claimed that an answer had been sent the previous day but no one was found to receive it, and that the dey was ready to agree terms.James (Vol.VI p.408) On the afternoon of 29 August the first of several meetings took place which culminated in the dey agreeing to the release of 1200 Christian slaves into British custody, an undertaking to abolish the practice of slavery, the repayment of 382,500 dollars to Naples and Sicily, peace with the king of the Netherlands, compensation amounting to 30,000 dollars for the destruction of the British consul's property, together with a public apology for detaining him.James (Vol.VI p.409) For his services, Aylmer was made a
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. He was also awarded the royal order of St Ferdinand and of Merit for transporting freed Italian slaves to Naples together with the sum of money repaid by the Algerians. Spain also honoured him as a knight of the royal military order of St Fernando.


Later career

Between 1830 and 1837, Aylmer served as aide-de-camp to
William IV William IV (William Henry; 21 August 1765 – 20 June 1837) was King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and King of Hanover from 26 June 1830 until his death in 1837. The third son of George III, William succeeded hi ...
. He was made a rear-admiral on 10 January 1837, a
vice-admiral Vice admiral is a senior naval flag officer rank, usually equivalent to lieutenant general and air marshal. A vice admiral is typically senior to a rear admiral and junior to an admiral. Australia In the Royal Australian Navy, the rank of vic ...
in reserve on 8 January 1848 and in full on 1 July 1851. He received a good service pension from 1 July 1851 and a Knight Commander of the
Order of the Bath The Most Honourable Order of the Bath is a British order of chivalry founded by King George I of Great Britain, George I on 18 May 1725. Recipients of the Order are usually senior British Armed Forces, military officers or senior Civil Service ...
, on 5 July 1855. Aylmer reached the rank of
admiral Admiral is one of the highest ranks in many 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. Admiral is ranked above vice admiral and below admiral of ...
on 11 September 1854 and died at his home, 20 Dawson Place, Westbourne Grove, on 5 March 1858.Tracy (p.19)


References


Bibliography

* * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Aylmer, Frederick Whitworth Aylmer, 6th Baron 1777 births 1858 deaths Royal Navy admirals British naval commanders of the Napoleonic Wars 6 Burials at Kensal Green Cemetery Royal Navy personnel of the Bombardment of Algiers (1816) Military personnel from Hampshire Knights Commander of the Order of the Bath Royal Navy personnel of the French Revolutionary Wars People from the City of Winchester Royal Navy personnel of the War of 1812