Thomas Pitt, 2nd Baron Camelford
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Captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader or highest rank officer of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police depa ...
Thomas Pitt, 2nd Baron Camelford (19 February 1775 – 10 March 1804) was a
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 and explorer who participated in the
Vancouver Expedition The Vancouver Expedition (1791–1795) was a four-and-a-half-year voyage of exploration and diplomacy, commanded by Captain George Vancouver of the Royal Navy. The British expedition circumnavigated the globe and made contact with five continen ...
and feuded with its leader,
George Vancouver Captain (Royal Navy), Captain George Vancouver (; 22 June 1757 – 10 May 1798) was a Royal Navy officer and explorer best known for leading the Vancouver Expedition, which explored and charted North America's northwestern West Coast of the Uni ...
, during and after the expedition.


Early life

Pitt was born at
Boconnoc Boconnoc () is a civil parishes in England, civil parish in Cornwall, England, United Kingdom, approximately east of the town of Lostwithiel. According to the UK census 2011, 2011 census the parish had a population of 96. The parish is rural ...
, Cornwall, the only son of
Thomas Pitt, 1st Baron Camelford Thomas Pitt, 1st Baron Camelford (3 March 1737 – 19 January 1793) was a British politician who sat in the House of Commons from 1761 until 1784 when he was raised to the peerage as Baron Camelford. He was an art connoisseur. Early life Pit ...
and Anne, daughter of London merchant and politician Pinckney Wilkinson. He had a sister, Anne. His early years were spent in Switzerland. He was later educated at
Charterhouse School Charterhouse is a Public school (United Kingdom), public school (English independent boarding school for pupils aged 13–18) in Godalming, Surrey, England. Founded by Thomas Sutton in 1611 on the site of the old Carthusian monastery in Charter ...
. He spent a number of years there which he regarded as the happiest of his life. Having developed a love of the sea, when his father tried to have him transferred to another English public school, he refused to attend. Instead he decided to join the navy. In the autumn of 1781, while he was under seven years of age, his name was borne on the books of HMS ''Tobago'', but he most likely entered the navy, in actuality, some years later. Pitt was on , under Captain
Edward Riou Edward Riou Fellow of the Royal Society, FRS (20 November 17622 April 1801) was an officer of the Royal Navy who served during the French Revolutionary Wars under several of the most distinguished naval officers of his age and won fame and hono ...
in 1789–90 when ''Guardian'' struck an
iceberg An iceberg is a piece of fresh water ice more than long that has broken off a glacier or an ice shelf and is floating freely in open water. Smaller chunks of floating glacially derived ice are called "growlers" or "bergy bits". Much of an i ...
near the
Cape of Good Hope The Cape of Good Hope ( ) is a rocky headland on the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic coast of the Cape Peninsula in South Africa. A List of common misconceptions#Geography, common misconception is that the Cape of Good Hope is the southern tip of Afri ...
; most of the crew elected to leave the ship, but with Pitt and the remaining crew's assistance, Riou managed to bring her into
Table Bay Table Bay (Afrikaans: ''Tafelbaai'') is a natural bay on the Atlantic Ocean overlooked by Cape Town and is at the northern end of the Cape Peninsula, which stretches south to the Cape of Good Hope. It was named because it is dominated by the fl ...
.


The Vancouver Expedition

On 13 March 1791, Pitt came aboard to participate in the
Vancouver Expedition The Vancouver Expedition (1791–1795) was a four-and-a-half-year voyage of exploration and diplomacy, commanded by Captain George Vancouver of the Royal Navy. The British expedition circumnavigated the globe and made contact with five continen ...
of diplomacy and exploration. All officer berths having been filled, he signed on as an able seaman. A friend of the family, Lt. Zachary Mudge, was informally requested to watch over the unruly 16-year-old. When the expedition reached
Tahiti Tahiti (; Tahitian language, Tahitian , ; ) is the largest island of the Windward Islands (Society Islands), Windward group of the Society Islands in French Polynesia, an overseas collectivity of France. It is located in the central part of t ...
, Pitt was
flogged Flagellation (Latin , 'whip'), flogging or whipping is the act of beating the human body with special implements such as whips, rods, switches, the cat o' nine tails, the sjambok, the knout, etc. Typically, flogging has been imposed on a ...
for trying to trade a piece of broken barrel-hoop for the romantic favours of an island woman. Vancouver had given strict orders against romancing the natives, since such escapades had played a major role in the Mutiny on the ''Bounty''; in addition, any captain was required to punish pilferage. Pitt was flogged again for unauthorised trade with Indians at Port Stewart and then again for breaking the
binnacle A binnacle () is a waist-high case or stand on the deck of a ship, generally mounted in front of the helmsman, in which navigational instruments are placed for easy and quick reference as well as to protect the delicate instruments. Its traditio ...
glass while skylarking with another gentleman. Finally he was placed in irons for being found sleeping on watch, and served this sentence with common seamen. No-one on the expedition could have known that Pitt had become a member of the House of Lords after his father had died on 19 June 1793, but his subsequent conduct leaves no doubt that he resented being disciplined by the 'low-born' Vancouver. When left the expedition to return home in 1793, Vancouver sent Pitt with her, along with a letter to
Evan Nepean Sir Evan Nepean, 1st Baronet, PC FRS (9 July 1752 – 2 October 1822)Sparrow (n.d.) was a British politician and colonial administrator. He was the first of the Nepean baronets. Family Nepean was born at St. Stephens near Saltash, Cornwal ...
complaining of his conduct. Pitt left ''Daedalus'' in
Hawaii Hawaii ( ; ) is an island U.S. state, state of the United States, in the Pacific Ocean about southwest of the U.S. mainland. One of the two Non-contiguous United States, non-contiguous U.S. states (along with Alaska), it is the only sta ...
, found his way to
Malacca Malacca (), officially the Historic State of Malacca (), is a States and federal territories of Malaysia, state in Malaysia located in the Peninsular Malaysia#Other features, southern region of the Malay Peninsula, facing the Strait of Malacca ...
and joined as an able seaman on 8 December 1794. He was soon appointed acting lieutenant, and then participated in the capture of Malacca on 17 August 1795, when he led the boarding party that took over the Dutch East Indies Company's ship , stranded in the mud. On 24 November 1795 was summarily discharged and left to find his own way home. He took passage in the ''Union'', which was cast away on the coast of
Ceylon Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, also known historically as Ceylon, is an island country in South Asia. It lies in the Indian Ocean, southwest of the Bay of Bengal, separated from the Indian subcontinent, ...
. He eventually made his way to Europe. Meanwhile, Vancouver had completed his expedition and returned to England in 1795. Pitt's allies, including his cousin, Prime Minister
William Pitt the Younger William Pitt (28 May 1759 – 23 January 1806) was a British statesman who served as the last prime minister of Kingdom of Great Britain, Great Britain from 1783 until the Acts of Union 1800, and then first Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, p ...
, treated Vancouver badly enough. However Thomas Pitt took a more direct role; on 29 August 1796 he sent Vancouver a letter heaping many insults on the head of his former captain, and challenging him to a duel. Vancouver gravely replied that he was unable "in a private capacity to answer for his public conduct in his official duty" and offered instead to submit to formal examination by
flag officer A flag officer is a commissioned officer in a nation's armed forces senior enough to be entitled to fly a flag to mark the position from which that officer exercises command. Different countries use the term "flag officer" in different ways: * ...
s. Pitt chose instead to stalk Vancouver, ultimately assaulting him on a London street corner. The terms of their legal dispute required both parties to keep the peace, but nothing stopped his civilian brother Charles from interposing and giving Pitt blow after blow until onlookers restrained the attacker. Charges and counter-charges flew in the press, with the wealthy Camelford faction having the greater firepower until Vancouver, ailing from his long naval service, died.


Later life

Pitt was promoted to the rank of lieutenant on 7 April 1797 and was appointed acting commander of over the head of her first-lieutenant, Charles Peterson, who was his senior. A contemporary account describes Pitt as being of eccentric appearance during this period of his life; dressing in a shabby lieutenant's uniform with buttons turned green with
verdigris Verdigris () is a common name for any of a variety of somewhat toxic copper salt (chemistry), salts of acetic acid, which range in colour from green to a blue-green, bluish-green depending on their chemical composition.H. Kühn, Verdigris and Cop ...
, topped by an oversized gold-laced hat. In 1798 Lieutenant Peterson transferred away from ''Favourite'' and was assigned command of HMS ''Perdrix'' in 1798. Both ships were at dock in
Antigua Antigua ( ; ), also known as Waladli or Wadadli by the local population, is an island in the Lesser Antilles. It is one of the Leeward Islands in the Caribbean region and the most populous island of the country of Antigua and Barbuda. Antigua ...
when the young officers quarreled over rank. Peterson drew up his men to resist, but Pitt walked up to him, and on Peterson's thrice refusing to obey his orders, shot him dead. Pitt was court-martialled but, probably because England was currently in a panic over the recent
Spithead and Nore mutinies The Spithead and Nore mutinies were two major mutinies by sailors of the Royal Navy in 1797. They were the first in an increasing series of outbreaks of maritime radicalism in the Atlantic World. Despite their temporal proximity, the mutinies ...
, acquitted. In October 1798, Pitt was appointed to HMS ''Charon''. The following January, he was arrested as a result of attempting an unauthorised visit to France, a nation with which England was at war. Angered, Pitt quit the Navy and returned to London. There, Pitt seems not to have moderated his conduct. On 17 May 1799 he was fined for knocking a man down stairs in a quarrel. In January 1802, when he refused to illuminate his house to celebrate the peace with France, an angry mob smashed his darkened windows; he fought the mob until subdued. In 1799 he contributed £1,500 to the establishment of a school by William Nicholson (the chemist) at 10
Soho Square Soho Square is a garden square in Soho, London, hosting since 1954 a ''de facto'' public park leasehold estate, let by the Soho Square Garden Committee to Westminster City Council. It was originally called King Square after Charles II of Engla ...
. Reputedly, he performed other philanthropic acts, insisting on anonymity. He would visit the Seven Dials area of London under an assumed name and somewhat in disguise, looking to assist poor people "ashamed to beg". The same account reports that Pitt was actually of a mild disposition, and was not on the look-out for reasons to take offence.


Death

Pitt's life came to an end when he quarrelled with his friend, Captain Best R.N., over a report that the latter had made an uncomplimentary remark about Pitt to a lady whose favours Pitt was then enjoying but who had previously been Best's mistress. Learning of this, Pitt challenged Best and insulted him. The following morning, they met again at a coffee house and Best asked Pitt to withdraw his remarks based upon their former friendship; he refused, possibly knowing that Best's famous skill with the pistol would leave him open to accusations of cowardice. On 7 March 1804, they duelled in a meadow – adjacent to the grounds of
Holland House Holland House, originally known as Cope Castle, was an early Jacobean architecture, Jacobean country house in Kensington, London, situated in a country estate that is now Holland Park. It was built in 1605 by the diplomat Sir Walter Cope. The b ...
– with pistols; Pitt missed; Best did not. The bullet had passed through Pitt's fifth rib, the right lobe of his lungs, and finally into the sixth vertebra of his spine. Following the duel, both Best and his second departed. Pitt's second and the local gardeners carried Pitt to the nearby Little Holland House, where surgeon Simon Nickolson examined him. Pitt had been left paralysed and his chest cavity was filled with blood. He died from his wounds three days later. The then owner of the house, Lord Holland, erected an antique Roman altar on the spot where Camelford fell, inscribed with the legend "HOC DIS MAN. VOTO DISCORDIAM DEPRECAMUR." Pitt's will made clear that Best was not to be charged in the event of his death. It also pledged £1000 to the city of Berne, Switzerland. Camelford having no known heir, the title became extinct. The attitude of the public toward this violent and unrestrained man may be shown by a quip of the day. His will had directed that his body be buried on the island St. Pierre, Lake Biel, in Switzerland, a place dear to his childhood, but the war delayed this. The body was therefore embalmed and placed in a crypt at St Anne's Church, Soho, whence it disappeared without explanation.The Passing Parade –
John Doremus John Doremus (August 3, 1931 in Sapulpa, Oklahoma – July 6, 1995 in Naperville, Illinois) was an American radio personality, best known for his radio syndication of ''Passing Parade, The Passing Parade'', a series of short stories of remarka ...
. Evenings with George Illich, Radio 2CH, 20:40 30 November 2009.
This became the object of humour, with wits merrily quipping "What has become of Lord Camelford's body?"


Insanity

Throughout Pitt's life, many thought him to be mad due to his violent nature. He had a strong sense of honour, and was frequently embroiled in violence, which was ultimately the cause of his death. Furthermore, there was rarely a time in his later life when Pitt was not engaged in some legal battle. Following his death, his wish to leave £1000 to the city of Berne was viewed by one acquaintance as "proof of his madness". When a full-length biography of Pitt was published in 1978, author Nikolai Tolstoy gave it the title ''The Half-Mad Lord'' in reference to this characteristic.


Ships

When Camelford died, three whalers that he owned or part-owned – , (or ''Willding''), and – passed to Lord Grenville, a relative by marriage, who sold them when they returned from their voyages.


Citations


References

* * *Tolstoy, Nikolai (1978) ''The Half-Mad Lord: Thomas Pitt, 2nd Baron Camelford, 1775-1804''. (London, Jonathan Cape). *White, T H (1952) ''The Scandalmonger''. (London, Jonathan Cape); see Chapter Two, 'A Struggle of Sentiment' which is devoted to exploring Lord Camelford's character.


External links


Thomas Pitt, 2nd Baron Camelford
illustrations in the National Portrait Gallery * (includes an informative note on Lord Camelford) {{DEFAULTSORT:Camelford, Thomas Pitt, 2nd Baron 1775 births 1804 deaths Barons Camelford People from Cornwall People educated at Charterhouse School
Thomas Thomas may refer to: People * List of people with given name Thomas * Thomas (name) * Thomas (surname) * Saint Thomas (disambiguation) * Thomas Aquinas (1225–1274) Italian Dominican friar, philosopher, and Doctor of the Church * Thomas the A ...
Duelling fatalities Burials at St Anne's Church, Soho