Francis Wheler
Sir Francis Wheler | |
---|---|
Born | 1656 |
Died | February 19, 1694 HMS Sussex, off Gibraltar | (aged 37–38)
Allegiance | Kingdom of England |
Service/ | Royal Navy |
Rank | Rear-Admiral of the Red |
Commands held | HMS Nonsuch HMS Kingfisher HMS Tyger HMS Centurion HMS Kent HMS Albemarle Jamaica Station |
Battles/wars | Nine Years' War
|
Awards | Knight Bachelor |
Sir Francis Wheler (sometimes spelt Wheeler) (1656 – 19 February 1694) was an officer of the Royal Navy who served during the Nine Years' War.
Wheler spent the early part of his career in the Mediterranean, eventually being promoted to command his own ships, and being particularly active against the
Family and early life
Francis Wheler was born in 1656, a younger son of
Wheler took command of
Command and flag rank
In July Torrington gave Wheler command of a squadron of eleven ships and sent him to blockade Brest. While off the port he captured a French warship and 26 other vessels, many of them carrying stores and ammunition for the
Codrington then proposed an attack on Guadeloupe, but Wheler had orders to leave the West Indies by May, and was doubtful that the inexperienced and sickly troops would have much chance of success.[6] Wheler sailed to Boston, arriving there on 12 June, and proposing to the governor there, Sir William Phips, an attack on Quebec.[6] Phips demurred, on the grounds that there were no troops available.[8] While anchored at Boston he had invited Reverend Cotton Mather to come out to his ships to read a sermon to the men.[9] Mather had been rowed out on Phips's barge, but had become seasick and had turned back. Instead Mather gave a sermon in his meeting house on shore, which was attended by a number of the British commanders, including Wheler.[9]
Wheler then took his fleet to
Voyage to the Mediterranean
The fleet, consisting of twenty ships of the line and frigates was ready by November but were detained in port by contrary winds until 27 December.[6] He was finally able to sail from Plymouth, and was joined on 29 December by a merchant convoy, which he escorted as far as Cape Finisterre. With him were Vice-Admiral Sir Thomas Hopsonn, Rear-Admiral John Nevell and a Dutch squadron under Gerard Callenburgh.[6] French vessels were sighted on a number of occasions, but managed to outsail the British ships Wheler sent to chase them.[10] Wheler was reluctant to separate his squadron after the disaster that had befallen George Rooke some months previously, where part of his scattered convoy had been captured by the French.[6]
Wheler reached
Family and issue
In 1685 Wheler married Arabella, daughter of Sir Clifford Clifton, 3rd Bt. and his wife Frances Finch, and by her he had three boys and a girl, the latter named Anna-Sophia. The eldest boy was named Charles, and with Anna-Sophia was mentioned in Wheler's will of 1692.[6] These presumably died young, as later records mention only two surviving children; the second son, named William, and a third son, named Francis, who was probably born in either 1693 or 1694.[6] William's son, Francis, produced a daughter named Jane who married Henry Hood, 2nd Viscount Hood, becoming the mother of Samuel Hood, 2nd Baron Bridport.[6]
Notes
- ^ a b c d e "Wheler, Sir Francis (1656–1694)". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. Vol. 60. 1893. p. 444.
- ^ a b c d Campbell. The naval history of Great Britain. p. 140.
- ^ a b c Campbell. The naval history of Great Britain. p. 141.
- ^ a b c d e f Campbell. The naval history of Great Britain. p. 142.
- ^ Cundall, p. xx
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u "Wheler, Sir Francis (1656–1694)". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. Vol. 60. 1893. p. 445.
- ^ Black. Britain as a military power. p. 119.
- ^ Black. Britain as a military power. p. 118.
- ^ a b Roach. The Salem witch trials. p. 407.
- ^ a b Campbell. The naval history of Great Britain. p. 143.
- ^ a b Campbell. The naval history of Great Britain. p. 144.
References
- Black, Jeremy (1999). Britain as a military power, 1688-1815. London: Routledge. ISBN 1-85728-772-X.
- Campbell, John; Stockdale, John Joseph (1818). The naval history of Great Britain: commencing with the earliest period of history, and continued to the expedition against Algiers, under the command of Lord Exmouth, in 1816. Including the history and lives of British admirals. Vol. 3. London: Baldwyn and co.
- Cundall, Frank (1915). Historic Jamaica. West India Committee.
- Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. Vol. 60. Oxford University Press.
- Roach, Marilynne K. (2004). The Salem witch trials: a day-by-day chronicle of a community under siege. Taylor Trade Publications. ISBN 1-58979-132-0.