William Lechmere

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William Lechmere
Born1752
Died12 December 1815
Hill House,
Vice-Admiral of the White
Commands heldHMS Thorn
HMS Saturn
HMS Jupiter
HMS St Albans
HMS Resolution
HMS Thunderer
HMS Prince
HMS Dreadnought
Battles/wars
RelationsNicholas Lechmere, 1st Baron Lechmere (uncle)

William Lechmere (1752 – 12 December 1815) was an officer of the

American War of Independence and the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars
.

Lechmere joined the navy and saw service during the

Halifax
station, but like many of his contemporaries he struggled at times to secure postings, and spent some time without a ship.

He was back in command of a ship in 1805, and saw action at the

Cadiz under Lord Nelson, he agreed to return to Britain to support Calder at his court-martial, leaving the fleet a week before the Battle of Trafalgar. His first lieutenant, John Stockham, instead commanded his ship and received a share of the rewards. Lechmere had missed one of the most decisive battles of his career, but he went on to command other ships and receive further promotions, eventually dying at the close of the Napoleonic Wars
in 1815.

Family and early life

Lechmere was born in 1752, the son of Richard Lechmere and his wife Elizabeth, née Corfield. He was the nephew of Nicholas Lechmere, 1st Baron Lechmere.[1] William joined the Royal Navy and was commissioned as a lieutenant on 20 December 1774. He served during the American War of Independence, being promoted to commander on 23 September 1782 and appointed to command the sloop HMS Thorn. Thorn had been recently recaptured from the Americans, and Lechmere sailed her to Britain and paid her off for repairs and refitting at Sheerness Dockyard. He recommissioned her in April 1783 and sailed to Newfoundland in May 1784. He later returned to Britain, but was back at Newfoundland in April 1785, before Thorn was paid off in November 1785.[2]

Interwar and return to service

Lechmere took advantage of the peace and married Elizabeth, the daughter of

post captain on 21 September 1790, but it was not until August 1794, after the outbreak of the French Revolutionary Wars, that he took up his first independent command, the 74-gun HMS Saturn.[3] Lechmere commanded Saturn in the Downs as the flagship of Rear-Admiral George Vandeput.[3] He was transferred to the 50-gun HMS Jupiter in January 1795, and remained in command of her until February 1796. During this time Jupiter flew the broad pennant of Commodore John Willett Payne and also served as a Royal escort for Princess Caroline of Brunswick.[4][5] Princess Caroline left from Cuxhaven on 28 March 1795 in the Jupiter and, delayed by poor weather, landed at Greenwich on 5 April.[5]

Lechmere took command of the 64-gun

Halifax station.[6] He went out to Lisbon in February 1797 and there captured the Spanish privateer Atrebedo on 28 February.[6] He moved to the 74-gun HMS Resolution in July 1797 and resumed his previous duties as commander of Vandeput's flagship at Halifax. He commanded Resolution until paying her off in October 1798.[7] He then appears to have been unemployed for a period, as he is not recorded in command of a ship until April 1805, when he superseded Captain William Bedford, and commissioned the 74-gun HMS Thunderer.[8][9]

Present at Finisterre, absent at Trafalgar

Admiral Sir Robert Calder's action off Cape Finisterre, 23 July 1805, by William Anderson

Thunderer was assigned to the fleet under Admiral

Cadiz.[9]

While refitting, Lechmere received orders to join Collingwood at Cadiz, and on repairs being completed, joined Vice-Admiral Nelson's 100-gun

post captain, while Lechmere was overlooked.[13]

Later commands

Despite having missed his opportunity to take part in the decisive naval battle of the wars, Lechmere received several other commands, taking over the 98-gun HMS Prince in the Mediterranean on 13 April 1806, and commanding her until her return to Plymouth in October that year.[14][15] He was appointed a Colonel of Marines on 6 October 1806.[16] His final seagoing command was the 98-gun HMS Dreadnought, which he took over on 26 December 1806 and commanded in the English Channel until his promotion to rear-admiral of the blue on 28 April 1808.[14][17] He does not appear to have ever raised his flag, but continued to be promoted. He was advanced to rear-admiral of the red on 31 July 1810, vice-admiral of the blue on 12 August 1812, and finally vice-admiral of the white on 4 June 1814.

Vice-Admiral William Lechmere died at Hill House,

Robert John Lechmere Guppy.[18]

Citations

  1. ^ a b c d Burke. A Genealogical and Heraldic Dictionary. p. 846.
  2. ^ Winfield. British Warships in the Age of Sail 1714–1792. p. 279.
  3. ^ a b Winfield. British Warships in the Age of Sail 1793–1817. p. 50.
  4. ^ Winfield. British Warships in the Age of Sail 1793–1817. p. 108.
  5. ^ a b Clarke. The Naval Chronicle. pp. 114–8.
  6. ^ a b Winfield. British Warships in the Age of Sail 1793–1817. p. 84.
  7. ^ Winfield. British Warships in the Age of Sail 1793–1817. p. 45.
  8. ^ a b Winfield. British Warships in the Age of Sail 1793–1817. p. 55.
  9. ^ a b c d e f Goodwin. The Ships of Trafalgar. p. 114.
  10. ^ Adkin. The Trafalgar Companion. p. 56.
  11. ^ a b Clayton & Craig. Trafalgar. p. 55.
  12. ^ Bennett. The Battle of Trafalgar. p. 132.
  13. ^ Adkin. The Trafalgar Companion. p. 537.
  14. ^ a b Goodwin. The Ships of Trafalgar. p. 114.
  15. ^ Winfield. British Warships in the Age of Sail 1793–1817. p. 24.
  16. ^ The Gentleman's Magazine. p. 1053.
  17. ^ Winfield. British Warships in the Age of Sail 1793–1817. p. 26.
  18. ISBN 976-8066-05-9
    .

References

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