William Carnegie, 7th Earl Of Northesk
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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 ...
William Carnegie, 7th Earl of Northesk (10 April 1756 – 28 May 1831) 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 who served in the
American Revolutionary War The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was the armed conflict that comprised the final eight years of the broader American Revolution, in which Am ...
and
French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars The French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars (sometimes called the Great French War or the Wars of the Revolution and the Empire) were a series of conflicts between the French and several European monarchies between 1792 and 1815. They encompas ...
. While in command of HMS ''Monmouth'' he was caught in the
Nore Mutiny 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 d ...
of 1797 and was the officer selected to relay the demands of the mutineers to
George III George III (George William Frederick; 4 June 173829 January 1820) was King of Great Britain and King of Ireland, Ireland from 25 October 1760 until his death in 1820. The Acts of Union 1800 unified Kingdom of Great Britain, Great Britain and ...
. He most notably served as third-in-command of the
Mediterranean Fleet The British Mediterranean Fleet, also known as the Mediterranean Station, was a formation of the Royal Navy. The Fleet was one of the most prestigious commands in the navy for the majority of its history, defending the vital sea link between ...
at the
Battle of Trafalgar The Battle of Trafalgar was a naval engagement that took place on 21 October 1805 between the Royal Navy and a combined fleet of the French Navy, French and Spanish Navy, Spanish navies during the War of the Third Coalition. As part of Na ...
in HMS ''Britannia''. He later became
Rear-Admiral of the United Kingdom Rear-Admiral of the United Kingdom is a now honorary office generally held by a senior (possibly retired) Royal Navy admiral, though the current incumbent is a retired Royal Marine General. Despite the title, the Rear-Admiral of the United Ki ...
and
Commander-in-Chief, Plymouth The Commander-in-Chief, Plymouth, was a senior commander of the Royal Navy for hundreds of years. Plymouth Command was a name given to the units, establishments, and staff operating under the admiral's command. Between 1845 and 1896, this offi ...
.


Early life

Carnegie was born in
Hampshire Hampshire (, ; abbreviated to Hants.) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South East England. It is bordered by Berkshire to the north, Surrey and West Sussex to the east, the Isle of Wight across the Solent to the south, ...
on 10 April 1756 as the second son of Admiral
George Carnegie, 6th Earl of Northesk Admiral George Carnegie, 6th Earl of Northesk (2 August 1716 – 22 January 1792) was a Scottish naval officer and peer. He was the son of David Carnegie, 4th Earl of Northesk and Lady Margaret Wemyss and was born on 2 August 1716. A career Roya ...
and his wife Lady Anne Leslie, eldest daughter of
Alexander Leslie, 5th Earl of Leven Alexander Leslie, 5th Earl of Leven (28 May 1695 – 2 September 1754) was a Scottish aristocrat. Early life He was the son of David Leslie, 3rd Earl of Leven (1660–1728) and Lady Anne Wemyss (1675–1702). His mother was the eldest daughte ...
.Breen, "Carnegie, William", ODNB


Naval career


Early career

Carnegie entered the
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 ...
in 1771 on board the
third-rate In the rating system of the Royal Navy, a third rate was a ship of the line which from the 1720s mounted between 64 and 80 guns, typically built with two gun decks (thus the related term two-decker). Rating When the rating system was f ...
HMS ''Albion''. Subsequently he served on the
frigate A frigate () is a type of warship. In different eras, the roles and capabilities of ships classified as frigates have varied. The name frigate in the 17th to early 18th centuries was given to any full-rigged ship built for speed and maneuvera ...
HMS ''Southampton'' in home waters, where he assisted in transporting the
Queen of Denmark The monarchy of Denmark is a constitutional institution and a historic office of the Kingdom of Denmark. The Kingdom includes Denmark proper and the autonomous territories of the Faroe Islands and Greenland. The Kingdom of Denmark was alrea ...
across the
English Channel The English Channel, also known as the Channel, is an arm of the Atlantic Ocean that separates Southern England from northern France. It links to the southern part of the North Sea by the Strait of Dover at its northeastern end. It is the busi ...
, and in the
post ship Post ship was a designation used in the Royal Navy during the second half of the 18th century and the Napoleonic Wars to describe a sixth-rate ship (see rating system of the Royal Navy) that was smaller than a frigate (in practice, carrying ...
HMS ''Squirrel, in which he sailed for
Jamaica Jamaica is an island country in the Caribbean Sea and the West Indies. At , it is the third-largest island—after Cuba and Hispaniola—of the Greater Antilles and the Caribbean. Jamaica lies about south of Cuba, west of Hispaniola (the is ...
in 1774 while still a
midshipman A midshipman is an officer of the lowest Military rank#Subordinate/student officer, rank in the Royal Navy, United States Navy, and many Commonwealth of Nations, Commonwealth navies. Commonwealth countries which use the rank include Royal Cana ...
.Winfield, ''British Warships 1714-1792'', p. 895Winfield, ''British Warships 1714-1792'', p. 1227 In early 1777 he was made an
acting Acting is an activity in which a story is told by means of its enactment by an actor who adopts a character—in theatre, television, film, radio, or any other medium that makes use of the mimetic mode. Acting involves a broad range of sk ...
lieutenant A lieutenant ( , ; abbreviated Lt., Lt, LT, Lieut and similar) is a Junior officer, junior commissioned officer rank in the armed forces of many nations, as well as fire services, emergency medical services, Security agency, security services ...
in HMS ''Nonsuch'' before being confirmed as a lieutenant on 7 December in HMS ''Apollo'' on the
North American Station The North America and West Indies Station was a formation or command of the United Kingdom's Royal Navy stationed in North American waters from 1745 to 1956, with main bases at the Imperial fortresses of Bermuda and Halifax, Nova Scotia. The ...
.Winfield, ''British Warships 1714-1792'', p. 928Marshall, ''Royal Naval Biography'', p. 199 Carnegie served on ''Apollo'' for just under two years before joining the flagship of Rear-Admiral Sir
John Lockhart-Ross Vice-Admiral Sir John Lockhart-Ross, 6th Baronet (11 November 1721 – 9 June 1790), known as John Lockhart from 1721 to 1760, was an officer of the Royal Navy who saw service during the War of the Austrian Succession, Seven Years' War, and the ...
, the
ship of the line A ship of the line was a type of naval warship constructed during the Age of Sail from the 17th century to the mid-19th century. The ship of the line was designed for the naval tactics in the Age of Sail, naval tactic known as the line of battl ...
HMS ''Royal George''. In ''Royal George'' he joined the fleet of Admiral Sir
George Rodney Admiral (Royal Navy), Admiral George Brydges Rodney, 1st Baron Rodney, Order of the Bath, KB (baptism, bap. 13 February 1718 – 24 May 1792), was a Royal Navy officer, politician and colonial administrator. He is best known for his commands ...
sent to relieve the
siege of Gibraltar There have been fourteen recorded sieges of Gibraltar. Although the peninsula of Gibraltar is only long and wide, it occupies an extremely strategic location on the southern Iberian coast at the western entrance to the Mediterranean Sea. Its ...
. On their way towards Gibraltar the fleet fought the
action of 8 January 1780 The action of 8 January 1780 was a naval encounter off Cape Finisterre between a British Royal Naval fleet under Admiral Sir George Rodney, and a fleet of Spanish merchants sailing in convoy with seven warships of the Guipuzcoan Caracas Compa ...
, where they captured a large Spanish convoy. Carnegie subsequently participated in the Battle of Cape St. Vincent on 16 January which cleared the way for the British fleet, allowing them to successfully reach Gibraltar on 25 January. In early 1780 he joined the newly recommissioned HMS ''Sandwich'', flagship of Rodney, sailing for 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, ...
.Winfield, ''British Warships 1714-1792'', p. 142 On 17 April Carnegie was present during the Battle of Martinique where the twenty ships of the line of Rodney fought the twenty-three ships of the line of the Comte de Guichen.Trew, ''Rodney and the Breaking of the Line'', p. 59 While the battle itself was inconclusive, ''Sandwich'' fought alone against de Guichen's flagship ''Couronne'' and two of her consorts for an hour and a half, taking a great amount of damage.Trew, ''Rodney and the Breaking of the Line'', p. 64 For his service during the battle Carnegie was promoted to
commander Commander (commonly abbreviated as Cmdr.) is a common naval officer rank as well as a job title in many army, armies. Commander is also used as a rank or title in other formal organizations, including several police forces. In several countri ...
by Rodney, although his rank was only confirmed on 10 September. In January 1781 Carnegie assumed as his first command the
fire ship A fire ship or fireship is a large wooden vessel set on fire to be used against enemy ships during a ramming attack or similar maneuver. Fireships were used to great effect against wooden ships throughout naval military history up until the ad ...
HMS ''Blast''. In early 1782 he transferred commands to the 20-gun HMS ''Saint Eustatius'' which had been taken at the
capture of Sint Eustatius The Capture of Sint Eustatius took place in February 1781 during the Fourth Anglo-Dutch War when British Army and naval forces under Lieutenant-General Sir John Vaughan and Admiral George Rodney seized the Dutch-owned Caribbean island of Si ...
, at which Carnegie was present.Winfield, ''British Warships 1714-1792'', p. 1349Winfield, ''British Warships 1714-1792'', p. 1273


Post-Captain

On 7 April 1782 Carnegie was promoted to
post captain Post-captain or post captain is an obsolete alternative form of the rank of captain in the Royal Navy. The term "post-captain" was descriptive only; it was never used as a title in the form "Post-Captain John Smith". The term served to di ...
and given command of the frigate HMS ''Enterprise'' which had newly arrived on station in the
Leeward Islands The Leeward Islands () are a group of islands situated where the northeastern Caribbean Sea meets the western Atlantic Ocean. Starting with the Virgin Islands east of Puerto Rico, they extend southeast to Guadeloupe and its dependencies. In Engl ...
from England.Winfield, ''British Warships 1714-1792'', p. 1090 On 4 October ''Enterprise'' captured the American 22-gun
privateer A privateer is a private person or vessel which engages in commerce raiding under a commission of war. Since robbery under arms was a common aspect of seaborne trade, until the early 19th century all merchant ships carried arms. A sovereign o ...
''Mohawk'' off
Cape Ann Cape Ann is a rocky peninsula in northeastern Massachusetts on the Atlantic Ocean. It is about northeast of Boston and marks the northern limit of Massachusetts Bay. Cape Ann includes the city of Gloucester and the towns of Essex, Man ...
, which was taken into service as HMS ''Mohawk''. At the end of the
American Revolutionary War The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was the armed conflict that comprised the final eight years of the broader American Revolution, in which Am ...
in 1783, Carnegie sailed ''Enterprise'' to England where he paid her off in May 1784. With the Royal Navy at peace, Carnegie was left unemployed. His elder brother David died in 1788 leaving him his father's heir and holding the courtesy title of Lord Rosehill. In 1790 he briefly took command of the frigate HMS ''Heroine'' during the
Spanish Armament The Nootka Crisis, also known as the Spanish Armament, was an international incident and political dispute between Spain and Great Britain triggered by a series of events revolving around sovereignty claims and rights of navigation and trade. It ...
, relinquishing command when that threat diminished. On 22 January 1792 Carnegie's father died, leaving him to inherit as
Earl of Northesk Earl of Northesk is a title in the Peerage of Scotland. It was created in 1662 for John Carnegie, 1st Earl of Northesk, John Carnegie, who notably served as Sheriff of Forfarshire. He was given the subsidiary title of Lord Rosehill and Eglismau ...
. Carnegie continued his stint of brief frigate commands into 1793, taking command of HMS ''Beaulieu'' in January and sailing her to the Leeward Islands before returning to England later in the year in HMS ''Andromeda'' escorting a convoy.Winfield, ''British Warships 1714-1792'', p. 984Winfield, ''British Warships 1714-1792'', p. 1017 His next true command was of the brand new 64-gun third rate HMS ''Monmouth'' from September 1796, with
Charles Bullen Admiral Sir Charles Bullen (10 September 1769 – 2 July 1853) was a highly efficient and successful naval officer who served in the Royal Navy during the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars and distinguished himself at the Glorious First ...
as his
first lieutenant First lieutenant is a commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces; in some forces, it is an appointment. The rank of lieutenant has different meanings in different military formations, but in most forces it is sub-divided into a se ...
.Winfield, ''British Warships 1793-1817'', p. 260Marshall, ''Royal Naval Biography'', p. 591 Carnegie and ''Monmouth'' were assigned to the
North Sea Fleet The North Sea Fleet (NSF; ), concurrently the Northern Theater Command Navy (), is one of the three fleets of China's People's Liberation Army Navy. Headquartered in Qingdao, Shandong, the fleet provides naval forces to the Northern Theater Comma ...
of Admiral Adam Duncan the same year.Marshall, ''Royal Naval Biography'', p. 200 On 12 May 1797 many ships of the fleet including ''Monmouth'' were at the
Nore The Nore is a long sandbank, bank of sand and silt running along the south-centre of the final narrowing of the Thames Estuary, England. Its south-west is the very narrow Nore Sand. Just short of the Nore's easternmost point where it fades int ...
when the
Nore Mutiny 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 d ...
began. Carnegie was confined to his cabin by his mutinous crew, until 6 June when he was brought before the committee of delegates that the mutineers had set up on ''Sandwich''. Carnegie was selected by the committee to carry their terms to the king because of his reputation as a friend to seamen. While refusing to guarantee any success, Carnegie agreed to convey the terms and left the Nore for London. He took the mutineers' terms to
the Admiralty The Admiralty was a department of the Government of the United Kingdom that was responsible for the command of the Royal Navy. Historically, its titular head was the Lord High Admiral – one of the Great Officers of State. For much of its h ...
from where the
First Lord of the Admiralty First Lord of the Admiralty, or formally the Office of the First Lord of the Admiralty, was the title of the political head of the English and later British Royal Navy. He was the government's senior adviser on all naval affairs, responsible f ...
Lord Spencer took him to the king. The demands were rejected, and a different officer returned to the mutineers with the reply. Soon after the mutiny ended Carnegie resigned his command of ''Monmouth'' and thus missed the
Battle of Camperdown The Battle of Camperdown (Dutch language, Dutch: ''Zeeslag bij Kamperduin'') was fought on 11 October 1797 between the Royal Navy's Commander-in-Chief, North Sea, North Sea Fleet under Admiral Adam Duncan, 1st Viscount Duncan, Adam Duncan and a ...
. He stayed unemployed for four years. In October 1800 he was given command of the 98-gun
second-rate In the rating system of the Royal Navy used to categorise sailing warships, a second-rate was a ship of the line which by the start of the 18th century mounted 90 to 98 guns on three gun decks; earlier 17th-century second rates had fewer guns ...
HMS ''Prince'' in the
Channel Fleet The Channel Fleet and originally known as the Channel Squadron was the Royal Navy formation of warships that defended the waters of the English Channel from 1854 to 1909 and 1914 to 1915. History Throughout the course of Royal Navy's history th ...
.Winfield, ''British Warships 1714-1792'', p. 169 He commanded ''Prince'' until she was paid off at the start of the
Peace of Amiens The Treaty of Amiens (, ) temporarily ended hostilities between France, the Spanish Empire, and the United Kingdom at the end of the War of the Second Coalition. It marked the end of the French Revolutionary Wars; after a short peace it set t ...
in April 1802. The Peace expired in May 1803 and Carnegie was given the 100-gun
first-rate In the rating system of the 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 at least ...
HMS ''Britannia'' in June to again serve in the Channel Fleet of Admiral
William Cornwallis Admiral Sir William Cornwallis, (20 February 17445 July 1819) was a Royal Navy officer. He was the brother of Charles Cornwallis, 1st Marquess Cornwallis, British commander at the siege of Yorktown. Cornwallis took part in a number of decisive ...
at the blockade of Brest.Winfield, ''British Warships 1714-1792'', p. 90 Towards the end of the year ''Britannia'' was stationed near the
Isle of Wight The Isle of Wight (Help:IPA/English, /waɪt/ Help:Pronunciation respelling key, ''WYTE'') is an island off the south coast of England which, together with its surrounding uninhabited islets and Skerry, skerries, is also a ceremonial county. T ...
to protect against possible invasion from France.Marshall, ''Royal Naval Biography'', p. 201


Admiral

Carnegie was promoted to
rear-admiral Rear admiral is a flag officer rank used by English-speaking navies. In most European navies, the equivalent rank is called counter admiral. Rear admiral is usually immediately senior to commodore and immediately below vice admiral. It is ...
on 23 April 1804 as a
rear-admiral of the white Rear-Admiral of the White was a senior rank of the Royal Navy of the United Kingdom, immediately outranked by the rank Rear-admiral of the red (see order of precedence below). Royal Navy officers currently holding the ranks of commodore, rear ...
, keeping ''Britannia'' as his flagship and taking Charles Bullen as his
flag captain In the Royal Navy, a flag captain was the captain of an admiral's flagship. During the 18th and 19th centuries, this ship might also have a " captain of the fleet", who would be ranked between the admiral and the "flag captain" as the ship's "Firs ...
.Marshall, ''Royal Naval Biography'', p. 202 He stayed on the Brest blockade until detached with Vice-Admiral
Robert Calder Admiral Sir Robert Calder, 1st Baronet, (2 July 174531 August 1818) was a Royal Navy officer who served in the Seven Years' War, the American Revolutionary War, the French Revolutionary Wars and the Napoleonic Wars. For much of his career he w ...
and twenty ships of the line to reinforce the fleet of Vice-Admiral
Cuthbert Collingwood Vice Admiral Cuthbert Collingwood, 1st Baron Collingwood (26 September 1748 – 7 March 1810) was an admiral of the Royal Navy. Collingwood was born in Newcastle upon Tyne and later lived in Morpeth, Northumberland. He entered the Royal Navy at ...
at
Cádiz Cádiz ( , , ) is a city in Spain and the capital of the Province of Cádiz in the Autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Andalusia. It is located in the southwest of the Iberian Peninsula off the Atlantic Ocean separated fr ...
in August 1805, where the combined fleet of Admiral
Pierre-Charles Villeneuve Pierre-Charles-Jean-Baptiste-Silvestre de Villeneuve (; 31 December 1763 – 22 April 1806) was a French Navy officer who served during the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars. He was in command of a French and Spanish fleet which was ...
was sheltering.Lee, ''Nelson and Napoleon'', p. 283 By October Carnegie was third in command of the
Mediterranean Fleet The British Mediterranean Fleet, also known as the Mediterranean Station, was a formation of the Royal Navy. The Fleet was one of the most prestigious commands in the navy for the majority of its history, defending the vital sea link between ...
commanded by Vice-Admiral
Lord Nelson Horatio Nelson, 1st Viscount Nelson, 1st Duke of Bronte ( – 21 October 1805) was a Royal Navy officer whose leadership, grasp of strategy and unconventional tactics brought about a number of decisive British naval victories during the French ...
off Cádiz. The combined fleet sailed on 18 October and the British fleet came up with them on 21 October to fight what would become the
Battle of Trafalgar The Battle of Trafalgar was a naval engagement that took place on 21 October 1805 between the Royal Navy and a combined fleet of the French Navy, French and Spanish Navy, Spanish navies during the War of the Third Coalition. As part of Na ...
.Schom, ''Trafalgar: Countdown to Battle'', pp. 301-6 Nelson looked to pierce the combined fleet with two columns and for this purpose ''Britannia'' was in the
windward In geography and seamanship, windward () and leeward () are directions relative to the wind. Windward is ''upwind'' from the point of reference, i.e., towards the direction from which the wind is coming; leeward is ''downwind'' from the point ...
column led by Nelson in HMS ''Victory''. ''Britannia'' was a slow ship that did not sail well, and so Nelson ordered Carnegie to 'assume a station as most convenient' during the attack, allowing him the best chance to reach the battle on time.Marshall, ''Royal Naval Biography'', p. 204 Later he was ordered to break through the enemy line behind their fourteenth ship, making ''Britannia'' the fourth ship of the windward column to join the action.Marshall, ''Royal Naval Biography'', p. 205 Upon breaking the enemy line ''Britannia'' came up with and dismasted a French 80-gun ship, and then engaged three of the enemy ships attempting to attack ''Victory''.Marshall, ''Royal Naval Biography'', pp. 206-7 ''Britannia'' fought throughout the battle and received fifty-two casualties, of which ten were killed. After the battle was won the British began to secure their
prizes A prize is an award to be given to a person or a group of people (such as sporting teams and organizations) to recognize and reward their actions and achievements.
, but a large storm meant that many of the newly captured ships had to be abandoned; Carnegie ignored Collingwood's orders to leave the
prisoners of war A prisoner of war (POW) is a person held captive by a belligerent power during or immediately after an armed conflict. The earliest recorded usage of the phrase "prisoner of war" dates back to 1610. Belligerents hold prisoners of war for a ...
on board the ship nearest to him, ''Intrépide'', and had ''Britannias boats rescue them all before
scuttling Scuttling is the act of deliberately sinking a ship by allowing water to flow into the hull, typically by its crew opening holes in its hull. Scuttling may be performed to dispose of an abandoned, old, or captured vessel; to prevent the vessel ...
the prize.Marshall, ''Royal Naval Biography'', p. 207 Carnegie continued in the fleet after the battle, having transferred his flag to the 98-gun second-rate HMS ''Dreadnought'', until March 1806.Tracy, ''Who's Who in Nelson's Navy'', p. 271. For his part in the battle, Carnegie was inducted into 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 June 1806.Syrett and DiNardo, ''Commissioned Sea Officers of the Royal Navy'', p. 333 He also received the thanks of the Houses of
Commons The commons is the cultural and natural resources accessible to all members of a society, including natural materials such as air, water, and a habitable Earth. These resources are held in common even when owned privately or publicly. Commons ...
and
Lords Lords may refer to: * The plural of Lord Places *Lords Creek, a stream in New Hanover County, North Carolina *Lord's, English Cricket Ground and home of Marylebone Cricket Club and Middlesex County Cricket Club People *Traci Lords (born 19 ...
, and the
Corporation of London The City of London Corporation, officially and legally the Mayor and Commonalty and Citizens of the City of London, is the local authority of the City of London, the historic centre of London and the location of much of the United Kingdom's fi ...
among other organisations. Carnegie was promoted to
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 ...
on 28 April 1808 and
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 4 June 1814, but like many other participants at Trafalgar did not serve again during the war. He was granted the honorary position of
Rear-Admiral of the United Kingdom Rear-Admiral of the United Kingdom is a now honorary office generally held by a senior (possibly retired) Royal Navy admiral, though the current incumbent is a retired Royal Marine General. Despite the title, the Rear-Admiral of the United Ki ...
on 21 November 1821 and from 1827 to 1830 served as
Commander-in-Chief, Plymouth The Commander-in-Chief, Plymouth, was a senior commander of the Royal Navy for hundreds of years. Plymouth Command was a name given to the units, establishments, and staff operating under the admiral's command. Between 1845 and 1896, this offi ...
.Fraser, ''History of the Carnegies'', p. 421.


Finance career

Carnegie served as the governor of the
British Linen Company The British Linen Bank was a commercial bank based in the United Kingdom. It was acquired by the Bank of Scotland in 1969 and served as the establishment's merchant bank arm from 1977 until 1999. History Foundation The Edinburgh-based British ...
from 1800 to his death in 1831. The company held an important history in the economic development of Scotland, as it stimulated industrial investment in the production of linen and spinning factories across the rural Highlands and the East Coast. By the nineteenth century, the company had undergone a full transformation from a manufacturing company into a bank.Malcolm, ''British Linen Bank'', p. 202


Political career

In 1796 Carnegie, as Earl of Northesk, was elected to serve as one of the sixteen Scottish representatives in the
Parliament of Great Britain The Parliament of Great Britain was formed in May 1707 following the ratification of the Acts of Union 1707, Acts of Union by both the Parliament of England and the Parliament of Scotland. The Acts ratified the treaty of Union which created a ...
. He subsequently took part in the parliaments of 1802, 1806, and 1830.Marshall, ''Royal Naval Biography'', pp. 200-1


Death

Carnegie died on 28 May 1831 in
Albemarle Street Albemarle Street is a street in Mayfair in central London, off Piccadilly. It has historic associations with George Gordon Byron, 6th Baron Byron, Lord Byron, whose publisher John Murray (publishing house), John Murray was based here, and Oscar ...
,
London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...
after a short illness, and was buried alongside Nelson and Collingwood in the crypt at
St Paul's Cathedral St Paul's Cathedral, formally the Cathedral Church of St Paul the Apostle, is an Anglican cathedral in London, England, the seat of the Bishop of London. The cathedral serves as the mother church of the Diocese of London in the Church of Engl ...
, where his tomb and memorial slab can still be seen.Sinclair, ''Memorials of St Paul's'', pp. 453-4


Family

He married Mary Ricketts, only daughter of William Henry Ricketts and niece of Admiral of the Fleet Lord St Vincent, on 9 December 1788 in
Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...
. They had nine children:Burke, ''Peerage and Baronetage'', p. 744 *Mary Carnegie (3 October 1789–7 March 1875) married Walter Long of Preshaw in 1810 *Midshipman George Carnegie, Lord Rosehill (3 November 1791–February 1807), lost in HMS ''Blenheim'' *Anne Letitia Carnegie (10 July 1793–25 February 1870) * William Hopetoun Carnegie, 8th Earl of Northesk (6 October 1794–5 December 1878) *Elizabeth Margaret Carnegie (15 May 1797–12 April 1886) married General Frederick Rennell Thackeray in 1825 and had eight childrenVetch, "Thackeray, Frederick Rennell", ODNB *Jane Christian Carnegie (14 November 1800 – 1 October 1840) *John Jervis Carnegie (8 July 1807–18 January 1892) *Georgina Henrietta Carnegie (2 August 1811–7 November 1827) *Admiral Swynfen Thomas Carnegie (8 March 1813–20 November 1879)


Notes and citations


Notes


Citations


References

* * Burke, John (1846) ''A Genealogical and Heraldic Dictionary of the Peerage and Baronetage of the British Empire.'' London: Henry Colburn. * Fraser, William (1867). ''History of the Carnegies, Earls of Southesk, and of their Kindred. Vol. II.'' Edinburgh: Private. * * Malcolm, Charles A (1950) ''The History of the British Linen Bank.'' Edinburgh: T & A Constable Ltd. * Marshall, John (1823) ''Royal Naval Biography: or, Memoirs of the Services of all the Flag-Officers, Superannuated Rear-Admirals, Retired-Captains, Post-Captains, and Commanders Volume 1 - Part 1.'' Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. * Sinclair, William Macdonald (1913) ''Memorials of St Paul's Cathedral.'' London: Chapman and Hall. * * Syrett, David and R.L. DiNardo (1994) ''The Commissioned Sea Officers of the Royal Navy 1660-1815.'' Aldershot: Scholar Press. * Tracy, Nicholas (2006) ''Who's Who in Nelson's Navy.'' London: Chatham Publishing, * Trew, Peter (2006) ''Rodney and the Breaking of the Line.'' Barnsley: Pen & Sword Books. * * *


Further reading

* White, Colin and the 1805 Club (2005) ''The Trafalgar Captains.'' London: Chatham Publishing.


External links

* * , - {{DEFAULTSORT:Northesk, William Carnegie, 7th Earl Of 1756 births 1831 deaths Royal Navy admirals Royal Navy personnel of the American Revolutionary War Royal Navy personnel of the French Revolutionary Wars British naval commanders of the Napoleonic Wars
William William is a masculine given name of Germanic languages, Germanic origin. It became popular in England after the Norman Conquest, Norman conquest in 1066,All Things William"Meaning & Origin of the Name"/ref> and remained so throughout the Middle ...
William 7 Burials at St Paul's Cathedral Scottish representative peers Younger sons of earls