George Johnstone (Royal Navy officer)
George Johnstone | |
---|---|
3rd Governor of British West Florida | |
In office Oct 1764 – Jan 1767 | |
Preceded by | Robert Farmar |
Succeeded by | Montfort Browne |
Personal details | |
Born | 1730 Dumfriesshire, Scotland |
Died | 24 May 1787 (aged 56–57) Hotwells, Bristol |
Nationality | British |
Relations |
|
Military service | |
Allegiance | Great Britain |
Branch/service | Royal Navy |
Years of service | 1744–1787 |
Rank | Commodore |
Commands | |
Battles/wars |
|
George Johnstone (1730 – 24 May 1787) was a
Johnstone was born into a gentry family in 1730, and embarked on a naval career. Early in his service there occurred several incidents which revealed both positive and negative aspects of his character. He was involved in encounters with the enemy where he was praised for his bravery, and incidents where he was censured for disobedience. He rose through the ranks to his own commands and had some success with small cruisers against enemy merchants and privateers. After the end of the Seven Years' War he had made friends with several powerful figures, and was appointed Governor of West Florida. He achieved a measure of success in the delicate operations of running a new colony, but ultimately clashed with his political masters and failed to cultivate support amongst the wider sections of colonial society. Returning to Britain he became active in politics, supporting conciliatory measures for the Americans, and the removal of government interference from the affairs of the East India Company. His stance on the former led to his appointment as a member of the Carlisle Peace Commission, but he was accused of offering bribes and the Americans would have nothing to do with him.
Returning to active naval service with a lucrative posting as commodore, he cruised with success off Portugal, and was then entrusted with a secret mission to capture the Cape Colony from the Dutch Republic. While en route to the Cape, he was surprised by a French force sent to thwart his goal, and though he fought it off at the Battle of Porto Praya, he allowed the French to push on and reinforce the Cape. Thwarted in his mission, he had some consolation in discovering a valuable fleet of Dutch merchants, and capturing most of them. Returning to politics in England after the war he spoke on a number of issues, but was not asked to join an administration. He became a director of the East India Company towards the end of his life, before illness forced him to retire from business and politics shortly before his death in 1787.
Family and early life
George Johnstone was born in 1730 in Dumfriesshire the fourth son of Sir James Johnstone, 3rd Baronet of Westerhall, Dumfries, and his wife Barbara Murray, the oldest sister of the literary patron Patrick Murray, 5th Lord Elibank.[1] He was a younger brother of William Johnstone (later Sir William Pulteney),[1] and an older brother of the East India Company official John Johnstone (1734–1795).[2]
War of the Austrian Succession and Seven Years' War
He began his career at sea in the
Johnstone went on to serve aboard HMS Dreadnought, seeing action at the Battle of Cap-Français on 21 October 1757 and receiving praise for his bravery from the squadron's commander, Commodore Arthur Forrest. Johnstone however made an enemy of Rear-Admiral Thomas Cotes as a result of a dispute over prize money.[1] His combative nature was also demonstrated in 1758 when, while serving as first lieutenant aboard HMS Trial, he demanded a court martial of his captain Thomas Cookson for alleged incompetence in sailing the ship. The proposed court martial was dismissed out of hand by Admiralty.[4] Despite these incidents, Johnstone was briefly made acting captain of the 70-gun HMS Essex in June 1759.[5]
By 1759 Johnstone, by now in poor health, found himself without a ship. After a period of delays, the
Governor of West Florida
Johnstone was appointed colonial governor of West Florida in November 1763 by the Prime Minister, John Stuart, 3rd Earl of Bute.[1] Johnstone was friends at the time with the dramatist and fellow Scot John Home, who was Bute's secretary. Johnstone was one of several Scots appointed by Bute to govern all four of the new British colonies, which provoked much criticism from the opposition. Johnstone became notorious for cudgelling a writer for The North Briton over his comments on Bute's appointments.[1] Johnstone took up his position eagerly, feeling that his new province's strategic location would give it a profitable future, and envisaging West Florida as 'The Emporium of the New World'.[1]
He arrived at his capital,
British politics
He returned to
Johnstone supported the
The Carlisle Peace Commission
Johnstone's stance on conciliation probably led to his selection by North to form part of the peace commission sent to America in 1778 under
In 1779 Johnstone was offered, and accepted, a post as commodore of the Lisbon Station , despite his previous attacks on the ministry, and his support for conciliation over military intervention. He justified himself with the argument that since France had entered the war on the American side, he could no longer support staying out of the war.[1] He was promised an assignment on the Portuguese station, before which he cruised off the French coast in his flagship HMS Romney, looking for evidence of invasion preparations.[1] It soon became known that the French and Spanish fleets intended to unite and form a large single fleet to invade England. Johnstone took Romney to join Admiral Sir Charles Hardy's Channel Fleet, and pressed him to seek battle.[1] Hardy instead preferred to avoid action at first, wearing down the enemy fleet at sea while his own continued to refit and resupply from the naval bases along the English coast. Hardy's tactics were successful, and rather than confront a fresh and well-equipped British fleet, the enemy armada abandoned their plans and returned to French ports.[1]
Johnstone went on to cruise off the Portuguese coast, making several captures that brought him a sizeable sum of prize money.[1] In particular Romney, while cruising with HMS Tartar and HMS Rattlesnake, chased down and captured the 34-gun Spanish frigate Santa Margarita on 11 November 1779.[7][10] The following year his ships captured the 38-gun Artois on 3 July 1780, and the 18-gun Perle on 6 July 1780, both off Cape Finisterre.[7][10] Despite these successes he still tried to maintain his influence in politics, suggesting that Spain be offered Gibraltar in exchange for leaving the war, but achieved no apparent backing or result.[1]
Assignment to the Cape
Johnstone was then given command of a squadron that was assigned to carry out an expedition to the
Battle of Porto Praya
Johnstone at first made for the
Recovering from their initial shock the British soon began to fight back effectively. Captain Ward of HMS Hero took men from nearby ships and used them to bring his ship into range of the French, whereupon he boarded Artésien, killed her captain, Cardaillac, and took twenty-five of her men away as prisoners.[15] After two hours of heavy cannonading the French found themselves in a dangerous position, as Annibal lost her mizzen mast, followed shortly afterwards by her main and foremasts. She had by now sustained casualties of two hundred dead or wounded, and with the British preparing to board her, Suffren decided to retreat.[15] He brought Héros in to tow Annibal to safety and made for the open sea, taking with him as prizes the East Indiamen Hinchinbroke and Fortitude, the fireship Infernal, and the storeship Edward.[15] Johnstone immediately ordered a pursuit, but his heavily damaged ships took some time to get out of the harbour, by which time Suffren's fleet had disappeared.[14] The British ships taken by Suffren were all recaptured over the next few days, as they were considered too badly damaged to be of use and were abandoned. Though Johnstone had beaten off the superior French force, the race was now on for the Cape. Johnstone assumed that Suffren would either make for the West Indies or Brazil to refit and resupply, but was mistaken. Suffren simply rigged temporary masts on Annibal and made for the Cape.[14] Johnstone stayed at Porto Praya to carry out repairs, thus abandoning any chance of beating Suffren to his destination.[14]
Arrival at the Cape and Saldanha Bay
Johnstone's forces arrived at the Cape, where he sent HMS Active ahead to reconnoitre. Active found a Dutch merchant, the Held Woltemande, which had recently departed the Cape, and after fooling her into thinking Active was a French frigate, captured her.
Having failed in his objective to capture the Cape, Johnstone decided to send the troops and supplies on to the East Indies station, detaching his best warships under Captain James Alms of HMS Monmouth to escort them, while he returned to Britain with the ships Romney, Jupiter, Diana, Jason, Terror, Infernal, one light cruiser, two victuallers, and the Dutch prizes.[19] He stopped on his voyage home at Lisbon, where he married Charlotte Dee, daughter of the British vice-consul, on 31 January 1782.[1]
Aftermath and return to politics
Johnstone attempted to place much of the blame for his delay in chasing the French on a subordinate, Captain Evelyn Sutton of HMS Isis, and deprived him of his command and substantial prize money. Sutton was arrested and court-martialed, but acquitted.
Death and legacy
George Johnstone died at Hotwells, Bristol, possibly from Hodgkin's disease, on 24 May 1787.[1] He was survived by his wife Charlotte, by whom he had one son, John Lowther Johnstone. He also had four illegitimate children, including George Johnstone (1764–1813), who became an MP.[22]
John later succeeded his uncle,
Notes
a. ^ de la Motte was later uncovered, and tried for treason. Found guilty, he was executed at Tyburn on 27 July 1781.[11]
b. ^ The death of sitting MP Peregrine Cust on 2 January 1785 forced a by-election. Harcourt was declared duly elected by a majority of 17 votes when the polls closed after five days on 9 February (118 votes to 101), but a petition led to an investigation that uncovered evidence of bribery and corruption. Harcourt was declared not to have been elected, and Johnstone took the seat in his stead.[21][23]
Citations
- ^ doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/14960. (Subscription or UK public library membershiprequired.)
- ^ Haden-Guest, Edith (1964). L. Namier; J. Brooke (eds.). "JOHNSTONE, John (1734-95), of Denovan and Alva, Stirling". The History of Parliament: the House of Commons 1754-1790. Boydell and Brewer. Retrieved 19 June 2014.
- ^ a b Ralfe. The Naval Biography of Great Britain. p. 364.
- JSTOR 30147364.
- ^ Winfield. British Warships in the Age of Sail. p. 46.
- ^ Winfield. British Warships in the Age of Sail. p. 304.
- ^ a b c d Charnock. Biographia Navalis. p. 497.
- ^ Winfield. British Warships in the Age of Sail. p. 252.
- ^ Ralfe. The Naval Biography of Great Britain. p. 365.
- ^ a b Winfield. British Warships in the Age of Sail. p. 148.
- ^ a b c d e Couzens. Battles of South Africa. p. 18.
- ^ JSTOR 1777505.
- ^ JSTOR 1777505.
- ^ a b c d Couzens. Battles of South Africa. p. 19.
- ^ JSTOR 1777505.
- JSTOR 1777505.
- ^ JSTOR 1777505.
- ^ a b Couzens. Battles of South Africa. p. 20.
- ^ JSTOR 1777505.
- ^ Winfield. British Warships in the Age of Sail. p. 150.
- ^ a b Cobbett. Cobbett's Parliamentary History of England. p. 788.
- ^ Stokes, Winifred; Thorne, R. G. (1986). R. Thorne (ed.). "JOHNSTONE, George (1764-1813), of Hanover Square, Mdx". The History of Parliament: the House of Commons 1790-1820. Cambridge University Press. Retrieved 18 June 2014.
- ^ Burke. Annual Register. p. 225.
References
- Annual Register. Vol. 27. Longmans Green and Co.
- Charnock, John (1798). Biographia Navalis: or, Impartial Memoirs of the Lives and Characters of Officers of the Navy of Great Britain, From the Year 1660 to the Present Time; Drawn From the Most Authentic Sources, and Disposed in a Chronological Arrangement. Vol. 6. R. Faulder.
- Cobbett, William (1815). Cobbett's Parliamentary History of England: From the Norman Conquest, in 1066 to the year 1803 .... Comprising the period from the third of December 1783, to the first of February 1785. Vol. 24. Bagshaw.
- Couzens, Tim (2004). Battles of South Africa. New Africa Books. ISBN 0-86486-621-6.
- Fabel, Robin F. A. (2004). "Johnstone, George (1730–1787)". doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/14960. (Subscription or UK public library membershiprequired.)
- Ralfe, James (1828). The Naval Biography of Great Britain: Consisting of Historical Memoirs of Those Officers of the British Navy who Distinguished Themselves During the Reign of His Majesty George III. Vol. 1. Whitmore & Fenn.
- Theal, George McCall (2010). History and Ethnography of Africa South of the Zambesi, from the Settlement of the Portuguese at Sofala in September 1505 to the Conquest of the Cape Colony by the British in September 1795. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-1-108-02334-4.
- Winfield, Rif (2007). ISBN 978-1-84415-700-6.