John MacBride (Royal Navy officer)

John MacBride (c. 1735 – 17 February 1800) was a British officer of the

MacBride entered the navy after serving on merchant vessels and distinguished himself in a number of actions during the Seven Years' War, including cutting out a

MacBride passed his lieutenant's examination on 6 October 1758, and received his commission on 27 October.[2]^[3] He was moved into the hired cutter Grace, and in August 1761 came across a French privateer anchored in the Dunkirk roadstead.^[3] MacBride made contact with the frigate HMS Maidstone and asked her captain for four armed and manned boats.^[4] Maidstone's captain readily agreed, and at 10 o'clock that night the boats left the British ships and approached the privateer with muffled oars. They came within pistol shot and hailed the French vessel, and on receiving no reply, boarded her.^[4] The British boarded on both sides of the vessel, and carried the ship with two men wounded. MacBride himself shot and killed the French lieutenant as he aimed a gun at the British boat.^[4] The total French losses were two dead and five wounded. Having secured the vessel, the British took her out to sea under the guns of a French battery.^[4]

MacBride's good service brought him a promotion to master and commander on 7 April 1762, and an appointment to command the

With the outbreak of war with the American colonies, MacBride was appointed to take command of the 64-gun

On 16 January the fleet again encountered Spanish ships, this time off Cape St. Vincent. The Spanish fleet, under Admiral Juan de Lángara, were engaged in the Battle of Cape St. Vincent, and again MacBride was in the thick of the action.^[12] He took his ship in to engage the San Domingo, with the Bienfaisant narrowly escaping significant damage after her opponent blew up. He then went on to chase down and capture Lángara's flagship, the 80-gun Fenix.^[3][12] MacBride sent Lieutenant Thomas Louis aboard to take possession, but as a smallpox outbreak was raging on the Bienfaisant, MacBride did not take the usual step of transferring some of the captured officers and men aboard his own ship.^[3][15] Instead he reached an agreement with de Lángara, that should the ships encounter a French or Spanish force, he would allow the Fenix to be defended against them.^[16] If the Bienfaisant escaped but the Fenix was retaken, de Lángara and his men would consider themselves to still be prisoners of war, but if Fenix escaped and Bienfaisant was taken, then de Lángara and his men would be freed.^[16] In any event both ships made it to Gibraltar without incident, after which MacBride was given the honour of taking Rodney's despatches back to Britain.^[12] MacBride set off at once, but was delayed by adverse winds. Consequently, his despatches arrived several days after an identical set had reached London, delivered by Captain Edward Thomson, who had left Rodney later than MacBride, but who had had a faster voyage.^[17]

MacBride and the Artois connection

Rodney's fleet returned to Britain in March, and MacBride rejoined the Bienfaisant. In early August a large French privateer, the 64-gun Comte d'Artois, was reported to have sailed from Brest to cruise off the Irish south coast.^[17] MacBride was ordered to sail in company with the 44-gun HMS Charon and to capture the dangerous vessel.^[17] After several days in search of the vessel, a mysterious sail was finally sighted early on 13 August, chasing after some of the ships of a convoy departing from Cork.^[15] MacBride ranged up and fell in with the unidentified ship, which hoisted English colours. Both ships came within pistol shot, and it was not until there was some communication between the two ships, that MacBride could be satisfied of her identity.^[17] By now the two ships were so close, with Bienfaisant off the Comte de'Artois's bow, that neither ship could bring their main guns to bear.^[17] Instead both ships opened fire with muskets until MacBride could manoeuvre away and a general action ensued. After an hour and ten minutes the French vessel surrendered, having had 21 killed and 35 wounded, while Bienfaisant had three killed and 20 wounded.^[18] The Charon had only joined the action towards the end of the engagement and had a single man wounded.^[18] The capture had an unusual sequel, for just over a year later, and under a different captain, Bienfaisant captured another privateer, this time named Comtesse d'Artois.^[19]

In a further coincidence MacBride was appointed in January 1781 to command the 40-gun HMS Artois, a former French ship captured in 1780 by HMS Romney.^[12][20] MacBride served in the North Sea with Sir Hyde Parker's fleet, and fought against the Dutch at the Battle of Dogger Bank on 5 August 1781.^[3] After the battle Parker temporarily moved MacBride into the 80-gun HMS Princess Amelia, whose captain, John MacCartney, had been killed during the battle.^[12] MacBride resumed command of Artois after the fleet's return to port, and continued to cruise in the North Sea.^[3] On 3 December he engaged and captured two large 24-gun Dutch privateers, the Hercules and Mars.^[21] Nine men were killed and fifteen wounded on Mars, while 13 were killed and 20 wounded on Hercules.^[21][22] Artois had one man killed and six wounded.^[21]

By 1782 MacBride was operating in the Channel, and in April was sent out as a scout ahead of the main force under Admiral Samuel Barrington, which aimed to intercept a French squadron that had left Brest bound for the East Indies.^[21] He sighted the force on 20 April and alerted Barrington. The British moved in and that day and the following captured over half of the French force.^[22] After this success MacBride was appointed to the Irish station in June, where he worked in the impress service while Artois cruised under her first lieutenant.^[3][12]

Years of peace

At the end of the war with America, MacBride left the Artois, but in June was able to obtain command of the 32-gun

MacBride was promoted to Rear-Admiral of the Blue on 1 February 1793, as part of the general promotion following the outbreak of war.^[23] He became Commander-in-Chief on the Downs Station, commanding a frigate squadron with his flag in Cumberland, later transferring his flag to the 32-gun HMS Quebec.^[3] He took possession of Ostend after the French retreat in early 1793, and in October transported reinforcements under General Sir Charles Grey to assist in the defence of Dunkirk.^[24] He took command of the 36-gun HMS Flora at the end of the year and sailed from Portsmouth on 1 December carrying an army under the Earl of Moira to support French royalists in Brittany and Normandy.^[25]

Following this service he took command of a small squadron in the

References