George Martin (Royal Navy officer)
Berkeley Square, Westminster | |
---|---|
Allegiance | United Kingdom |
Service/ | Royal Navy |
Years of service | 1776 – 1847 |
Rank | Admiral of the Fleet |
Commands held | HMS Tobago HMS Preston HMS Porcupine HMS Magicienne HMS Irresistible HMS Northumberland HMS Colossus HMS Glory HMS Barfleur Portsmouth Command |
Battles/wars |
|
Awards | Naval Gold Medal Knight Bachelor Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath Knight Grand Cross of the Order of St Michael and St George Knight of the Order of Saint Januarius |
George Martin was born into an important naval dynasty, related to the Rowley family, and the grandson of Admiral of the Fleet
Family and early life
George Martin was born in 1764, the son of William Martin, a
American War of Independence
Martin saw action at the
He was then transferred to serve aboard the 90-gun HMS Sandwich, until moving ashore on 30 September 1781.[1] Martin was then promoted to commander and appointed to his first command on 9 March 1782, taking over the sloop Tobago.[2] A further promotion to post-captain followed soon after as he took command of the 50-gun HMS Preston on 17 March 1783.[1][2] With the draw-down of the navy following the end of the war, Martin sailed Preston back to Britain, and paid her off on 2 April 1784.[1][2]
The peace, and the French Revolutionary Wars
West Indies
Martin spent five years without a ship, but returned to service with an appointment to command the 24-gun HMS Porcupine on 9 July 1789.[1][2] He was active off the coast of Ireland until paying her off on 21 August 1792.[1] The outbreak of the French Revolutionary Wars offered further opportunities for employment, and on 12 March 1793 he took command of the 32-gun HMS Magicienne and joined the squadron based at Jamaica.[1][2] After his return to England Martin was transferred to take command of the 74-gun HMS Irresistible on 8 February 1795, after her previous captain, Richard Grindall, had been injured at the Battle of Groix.[4] In November Martin was assigned to escort an expedition to the Leeward Islands under Vice-Admiral Sir John Laforey, with a military force commanded by Lieutenant-General Sir Ralph Abercromby.[4] The expedition was forced back to port by violent storms, while a second attempt under Rear-Admiral Hugh Cloberry Christian in December suffered the same fate.[4] The expedition sailed again in March the following year, and succeeded in reaching the West Indies in April, where Irresistible covered the landing of troops.[4] Later that year Irresistible helped to chase the 36-gun French Perçante ashore off San Domingo.[4]
Cape St Vincent
Returning to British waters Martin was assigned to
Ninfa and Santa Elena
Martin and Irresistible remained off the Iberian coast, enforcing the blockade of
Mediterranean
Martin was assigned to serve with the
Napoleonic Wars
Finisterre and flag rank
Returning to service with the resumption of hostilities in 1803, Martin took command of the 74-gun
Mediterranean command
Martin oversaw the capture of the Italian islands of
Last years at sea
Martin returned to England and went ashore on striking his flag on 14 October 1810. He returned to sea in 1812, flying his flag aboard the 78-gun
Postwar
Martin continued to serve in the navy after the end of the Napoleonic Wars. Advanced to full admiral on 19 July 1821,[23] he was appointed Commander-in-Chief, Portsmouth on 27 March 1824, with his flag aboard the 100-gun HMS Victory.[2][17] He stepped down from the position on 30 April 1827, and on 23 January 1833 was appointed Rear-Admiral of the United Kingdom.[2][17][24] He became Vice-Admiral of the United Kingdom in April 1834,[25] a post he held until November 1846. He was appointed a Knight Grand Cross of the Order of St Michael and St George on 17 May 1837 in recognition for his services against the French at Malta, and was promoted to Admiral of the Fleet on 9 November 1846.[26][27] He briefly became Vice-Admiral of the United Kingdom again on 10 July 1847[28] until his death later that month.[26] Martin also served for some time as the vice-president of the Naval Charitable Society.[17]
Personal life, and death
Martin married twice, the first time on 3 April 1804 to Harriet Bentinck, the sister of Vice-Admiral William Bentinck.[17] Harriet died on 15 October 1806, and Martin remarried, uniting with Ann Locke on 2 June 1815.[17] Ann died on 1 March 1842, neither marriages having produced any children.[17][26] Admiral of the Fleet Sir George Martin died on 28 July 1847 in Berkeley Square, Westminster at the age of 83.[17][26] His sword is currently held in the collections of the National Maritime Museum.[29]
Notes
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z Tracy. Who's who in Nelson's Navy. p. 241.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x "Martin, Sir George (1764–1847)". Dictionary of National Biography. 1896. p. 276.
- ^ "Martin, William (1696–1756)". Dictionary of National Biography. 1896. p. 299.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j Goodwin. Nelson's Ships. p. 275.
- ^ Fremont-Barnes. The Royal Navy: 1793-1815. p. 81.
- ^ Adkin. The Trafalgar Companion. p. 160.
- ^ Colledge. Ships of the Royal Navy. p. 154.
- ^ a b c d Winfield. British Warships of the Age of Sail: 1793–1817. p. 62.
- ^ Winfield. British Warships of the Age of Sail: 1793–1817. p. 39.
- ^ Goodwin. The Ships of Trafalgar. p. 72.
- ^ Winfield. British Warships of the Age of Sail: 1793–1817. p. 23.
- ^ Fremont-Barnes. The Royal Navy: 1793-1815. p. 84.
- ^ "No. 15859". The London Gazette. 5 November 1805. p. 1375.
- ^ Burke. Celebrated Naval and Military Trials. p. 363.
- ^ Winfield. British Warships of the Age of Sail: 1793–1817. p. 49.
- ^ Winfield. British Warships of the Age of Sail: 1793–1817. p. 21.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m Tracy. Who's who in Nelson's Navy. p. 242.
- ^ "No. 16391". The London Gazette. 28 July 1810. p. 1118.
- ^ a b Winfield. British Warships of the Age of Sail: 1793–1817. p. 64.
- ^ Winfield. British Warships of the Age of Sail: 1793–1817. p. 76.
- ^ "No. 16972". The London Gazette. 4 January 1815. p. 19.
- ^ "No. 17682". The London Gazette. 20 February 1821. p. 449.
- ^ "No. 17727". The London Gazette. 20 July 1821. p. 1511.
- ^ "No. 19016". The London Gazette. 25 January 1833. p. 170.
- ^ "No. 19146". The London Gazette. 15 April 1834. p. 676.
- ^ a b c d "Martin, Sir George (1764–1847)". Dictionary of National Biography. 1896. p. 277.
- ^ "No. 20660". The London Gazette (Supplement). 10 November 1846. p. 3994.
- ^ "No. 20753". The London Gazette. 13 July 1847. p. 2559.
- ^ "Sword (WPN1149)". Collections Online. National Maritime Museum. Archived from the original on 19 February 2009. Retrieved 27 June 2009.
References
- Adkin, Mark (2007). The Trafalgar Companion: A Guide to History's Most Famous Sea Battle and the Life of Admiral Lord Nelson. London: Aurum Press. ISBN 978-1-84513-018-3.
- Burke, Peter (1866). Celebrated Naval and Military Trials. W.H. Allen.
- ISBN 978-1-86176-281-8.
- Fremont-Barnes, Gregory (2007). The Royal Navy: 1793-1815. Oxford: Osprey Publishing. ISBN 978-1-84603-138-0.
- Goodwin, Peter (2002). Nelson's Ships: A History of the Vessels in Which he Served:1771-1805. London: Stackpole Books. ISBN 0-8117-1007-6.
- Goodwin, Peter (2005). The Ships of Trafalgar: The British, French and Spanish Fleets: October 1805. London: Conway Maritime Press. ISBN 1-84486-015-9.
- doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/18181. (Subscription or UK public library membershiprequired.)
- McGregor, Robert (2004). "Rowley, William (c.1690–1768)". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/24228. (Subscription or UK public library membershiprequired.)
- Laughton, John Knox (1893). Lee, Sidney (ed.). Dictionary of National Biography. Vol. 36. London: Smith, Elder & Co. . In
- Tracy, Nicholas (2006). Who's who in Nelson's Navy: 200 Naval Heroes. London: Chatham Publishing. ISBN 1-86176-244-5.
- Winfield, Rif (2007). British Warships of the Age of Sail 1793–1817: Design, Construction, Careers and Fates. Seaforth. ISBN 978-1-86176-246-7.
See also
- O'Byrne, William Richard (1849). John Murray – via Wikisource. . .