Royal Navy officer
Curtis Barnett |
|---|
Commander-in-Chief, East Indies |
| Battles/wars |
|
|---|
Curtis Barnett (died 2 May 1746), was an officer of the
Commander-in-Chief, East Indies. He served with moderate success, but died after a short illness on board a British ship at
Fort St. David,
Cuddalore in 1746.
Family and early life
Barnett was reputedly the son of Benjamin Barnett, first lieutenant of
Great Storm of 1703. Curtis Barnett's date of birth and his early service is not recorded; but he was already a lieutenant of some standing when, in 1726, he was appointed to
HMS Torbay,
Sir Charles Wager's flagship in the Baltic cruise of that year, during which he seems to have served on the personal staff of the admiral,
[2] in a capacity afterwards known as a flag-lieutenancy.
In the summer of 1730 Barnett was appointed to command the
rover, only to be forced to apologize after a short action. Barnett continued in
Bideford as part of the
Mediterranean Fleet for three years, returning home in August 1734; and in the following February commissioned the 60-gun
HMS Nottingham, for service as a
guard ship in
the Downs.
[2]Later commands
On 1 August 1737 he turned over to the 60-gun
Cadiz. In July 1741 he was detached with the 40-gun ships
HMS Folkeston and
Faversham to cruise in the Straits; and on the night of 25 July chased and came up with three French men-of-war homeward bound from the
West Indies — the 60-gun
Borée, 40-gun
Aquilon, and 26-gun
Flore. Barnett hailed the
Aquilon; she replied they were French from
Martinique. Barnett suspected that they were Spaniards. So, after repeated warnings, he fired into the
Aquilon; she replied with a
broadside, and a sharp action began. The
Folkestone only was in company; but about daybreak the
Faversham came up, when the Frenchmen brought to, and hoisted their colours. Barnett on this sent a boat on board the
Borée, to explain to the French commodore, M. de Caylus, that what had happened was due to the captain of the
Aquilon, who had behaved with great want of politeness. M. de Caylus, after some discussion, said that from the manner of the English attack he had concluded there was war between the two countries, and desired the
Dragon's officer to declare, on his honour, that there was not; and so the ships separated.
[2] It was an unfortunate affair; but there is no reason to suppose it other than a mistake on both sides.
When Haddock was compelled by ill-health to leave the fleet, the command devolved for a short time on Rear-Admiral Richard Lestock, between whom and Barnett a difference of opinion gave rise to a correspondence which, viewed by the light of after events, seems to have an almost prophetic significance. It would appear that in manœuvring the fleet, the Dragon and some of the other ships had not got into their station with that quickness which the admiral wished, and he accordingly wrote a severe reprimand to their respective captains, on 14 April 1742.[2] Barnett replied that it was an understood thing that the ships kept with their own divisions. Lestock, in reply, asked, 'Is it your duty to see two-thirds of the squadron sacrificed to the enemy when you could and did not join in the battle? Such an account would tell but ill to our country after the loss of a battle; but I hope such a thing can never happen to an Englishman.'
Commodore
A few months afterwards Dragon returned to England, and in March 1742–3 Barnett was appointed to
East Indiamen, richly laden from China. The governor of Batavia readily bought them for 92,000l., cash down, which was at once shared out amongst the ships' companies.
[2] But with these captures the war in Indian seas was for the time ended. The French had no ships of war to fight with, no more merchant ships to seize, and Barnett's force was not equal to any operations on shore, even if he had been instructed or advised to attempt them.
Last command
The year 1745 was spent in a vague cruise in the Bay of Bengal, backwards and forwards from Ceylon to the mouths of the Ganges; and though two 50-gun ships, HMS Harwich and Winchester, came out as a reinforcement, Deptford and one of the frigates were sent home with a convoy. For the time being the war was at a standstill; and a few weeks before a French squadron appeared on the station, Barnett died onboard Harwich at Fort St. David, Cuddalore, on 2 May 1746, after a few days' sickness. He had married, on 13 May 1725, Elizabeth, a daughter of Benjamin Rosewell, Esq., and had two surviving sons, Charles (1733–1811), later of Stratton Park, Biggleswade, and Benjamin (1735–1805), a banker, ancestor of the Barnetts of Glympton Park.[1]
References
This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: "Barnett, Curtis". Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co. 1885–1900.
|
|---|
| International | |
|---|
| National | |
|---|
| Other | |
|---|
This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: "Barnett, Curtis". Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co. 1885–1900.
