Cuthbert Collingwood, 1st Baron Collingwood facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
The Lord Collingwood
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Cuthbert Collingwood, detail of the painting by Henry Howard at Greenwich Hospital.
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| Born | 26 September 1748 Newcastle upon Tyne, Northumberland, England |
| Died | 7 March 1810 (aged 61) HMS Ville de Paris, off Port Mahon, Mediterranean Sea |
| Allegiance |  Kingdom of Great Britain United Kingdom |
| Service/ |
 Royal Navy |
| Years of service | 1761–1810 |
| Rank | Vice Admiral |
| Commands held | Mediterranean Fleet Collingwood's Squadron HMS Triumph HMS Barfleur HMS Excellent HMS Prince HMS Mediator HMS Sampson HMS Pelican HMS Hinchinbrook HMS Badger |
| Battles/wars | American Revolutionary War |
| Signature | .png){kind=small} |
Cuthbert Collingwood (born September 26, 1748 – died March 7, 1810) was a brave admiral in the Royal Navy. He is famous for working closely with Lord Nelson during many important British victories in the Napoleonic Wars. He often took over commands after Nelson.
Contents
Cuthbert Collingwood was born in Newcastle upon Tyne, England. He went to the Royal Grammar School, Newcastle for his early education. When he was just twelve years old, he joined the navy. He became a volunteer on the ship HMS Shannon. His cousin, Captain Richard Brathwaite, was in charge of the ship and taught him about life at sea.
Collingwood spent almost his entire life at sea. After joining the navy as a teenager, he only spent three years on land. In 1774, he sailed to Boston on HMS Preston. There, he fought with the British navy at the Battle of Bunker Hill in June 1775. After this, he became a Lieutenant on June 17, 1775.
Meeting Horatio Nelson
In 1777, Collingwood met Horatio Nelson for the first time. They both served on the ship HMS Lowestoffe. Two years later, Collingwood took over Nelson's role as Commander of the ship HMS Badger. This was on June 20, 1779.
The next year, he again took over from Nelson. This time, he became Post-Captain of HMS Hinchinbrook, a smaller ship. Nelson had been sick after a difficult trip to cross Central America. Collingwood then took command of the Hinchinbrook and led the rest of the group back to Jamaica.
First Major Commands
After commanding another small ship, HMS Pelican, Collingwood faced a challenge. His ship was wrecked by a strong hurricane in 1781. Despite this, he was promoted to command a 64-gun ship of the line called HMS Sampson.
In 1783, he was put in charge of HMS Mediator. He was sent to the West Indies and stayed there until 1786. During this time, he worked with Nelson and his brother, Captain Wilfred Collingwood. They stopped American ships from trading with the West Indies.
Return to England and Family
Collingwood returned to England in 1786. He stayed there until 1793, except for one trip back to the West Indies. On June 16, 1791, he married Sarah Blackett. She was the daughter of a merchant and politician from Newcastle.
In 1793, he became captain of HMS Prince. This was the main ship of Rear Admiral George Bowyer in the Channel Fleet.
Key Battles and Promotions
As captain of Barfleur, Collingwood was part of the Glorious First of June battle. Later, on the ship Excellent, he played a key role in the victory at the Battle of Cape St Vincent in 1797. His actions in this battle earned him a great reputation in the navy.
After blocking the port of Cadiz, he went to Portsmouth for repairs. In early 1799, Collingwood was promoted to Rear-Admiral. He then joined the Channel Fleet and sailed to the Mediterranean Sea. This is where the main French and Spanish naval forces were gathered. Collingwood continued to block enemy ships until a peace agreement, the Peace of Amiens, allowed him to return home.
When fighting with France started again in 1803, Collingwood left home and never returned. He first blocked the French fleet off Brest. In 1804, he was promoted to Vice-Admiral. He spent nearly two years there.
Napoleon was planning to invade Britain. So, the important naval campaign that would decide Europe's future began. The French fleet sailed from Toulon. Admiral Collingwood was ordered to chase them. The combined fleets of France and Spain sailed to the West Indies and then returned to Cadiz.
On their way, they met Collingwood's small group of ships near Cadiz. He only had three ships, but he managed to escape being caught, even though sixteen enemy ships chased him. Before half of the enemy ships entered the harbor, he started blocking them again. He used fake signals to hide how small his group of ships was. Soon, Nelson joined him, hoping to draw the enemy fleet into a big battle.
Battle of Trafalgar
The combined French and Spanish fleet left Cadiz in October 1805. The famous Battle of Trafalgar happened right after. Villeneuve, the French admiral, arranged his fleet in a curved shape. The British fleet attacked in two separate lines. Nelson led one line in his ship, the Victory. Collingwood led the other line in his ship, the Royal Sovereign.
The Royal Sovereign was a faster ship. This was because its hull had a new layer of copper that helped it glide through the water. It sailed far ahead of the rest of the fleet and was the first to start fighting. Nelson saw this and said, "See how that noble fellow Collingwood carries his ship into action!" At the same time, Collingwood said to his captain, "What would Nelson give to be here?"
The Royal Sovereign got close to the Spanish admiral's ship, the Santa Ana. It fired its cannons so quickly and accurately that the Spanish ship was almost sinking before another British ship had even fired. Several other enemy ships came to help the Santa Ana and surrounded the Royal Sovereign. After being badly damaged, the Royal Sovereign was helped by the rest of the British ships, but it could no longer move easily. Soon after, the Santa Ana surrendered.
After Nelson died during the battle, Collingwood took over as the main commander. He moved his flag to the ship Euryalus. Nelson had wanted the fleet to anchor after the battle because a big storm was coming. However, Collingwood decided not to give that order. Many British ships and captured enemy ships were too damaged to anchor. Collingwood focused on towing the damaged ships. In the storm that followed, many captured ships were wrecked on the shore or destroyed to prevent the enemy from getting them back. No British ships were lost.
On November 9, 1805, Collingwood was promoted to Vice-Admiral of the Red. He was also given the title of Baron Collingwood. He received thanks from both parts of Parliament and a yearly payment of £2000. Like all the other captains and admirals, he also received a Naval Gold Medal. This was his third, after those for the Glorious First of June and the Cape St Vincent. Only Nelson and Sir Edward Berry also received three gold medals for their service during the wars against France.
When he was not at sea, Collingwood lived at Collingwood House in Morpeth, about 15 miles north of Newcastle upon Tyne. He also lived at Chirton Hall in Chirton. He once said, "whenever I think how I am to be happy again, my thoughts carry me back to Morpeth."
Later Career and Legacy
After Trafalgar, there were no more big naval battles. Although some smaller French fleets tried to escape the blockade, most were caught and defeated. Collingwood was busy with important political and diplomatic tasks in the Mediterranean. He showed great skill and good judgment. In 1805, he became the Commander-in-Chief of the Mediterranean Fleet.
He asked to be allowed to go home, but the government needed an admiral with his experience and skill. They felt the country still needed him because France and its allies were still a threat. His health started to get much worse in 1809. He had to ask the Admiralty again to let him go home, and this time, they agreed.
Collingwood died from cancer on March 7, 1810. He was on board the Ville de Paris near Port Mahon as he sailed for England. He was buried next to Nelson in the crypt of St Paul's Cathedral.
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Collingwood was an excellent naval officer. He was very good at making political decisions and was often asked for advice on general rules and even trade. He did not like the practice of forcing people to join the navy or using harsh punishments like flogging. Sailors loved him and called him "father" because he was so kind and generous.
Nelson and Collingwood were very close friends from when they first met until Nelson's death at Trafalgar. They are both buried in St Paul's Cathedral. Since Collingwood did not have any sons, his title of baron ended when he died.
The writer Thackeray believed Collingwood was a perfect example of a good and honorable person. Dudley Pope, in his book Life in Nelson's Navy, tells a story about Collingwood. He says that Collingwood loved to walk over the hills near his home in Morpeth with his dog, Bounce. He always carried acorns in his pockets. As he walked, he would plant an acorn wherever he saw a good spot for an oak tree. He did this to make sure there would always be enough oak wood to build ships for the navy.
A sailor named Robert Hay, who served with Collingwood, wrote about him. He said that Collingwood and his dog Bounce were known by everyone on the ship. He also said that Collingwood cared deeply about the health, comfort, and happiness of his crew. Hay wrote that "a man who could not be happy under him, could have been happy nowhere." He added that Collingwood was "a better seaman, a better friend to seamen - a more zealous defender of the country's rights and honour, never trod the quarterdeck."
Memorials and Tributes
Many places and things are named in honor of Admiral Collingwood.
- The Royal Navy's training school for warfare is called HMS Collingwood.
- The town of Collingwood, Ontario, in Canada, is named after him.
- A suburb in Melbourne, Australia, called Collingwood, also bears his name.
- The town of Collingwood, New Zealand and the Collingwood Channel near Vancouver, Canada, are named for him too.
A large monument, The Collingwood Monument, stands in his honor. It overlooks the River Tyne in Tynemouth. His statue was made by John Graham Lough and stands on a base designed by John Dobson. The four cannons at the base came from his main ship, HMS Royal Sovereign.
One of the four houses at Collingwood's old school, the Royal Grammar School, Newcastle, is named after him. Also, one of the five houses at Churcher's College and one of the eleven houses at The Royal Hospital School are named after him. In 2013, one of the three secondary schools within Excelsior Academy in Newcastle was named Collingwood.
In March 2010, people celebrated the 200th anniversary of Collingwood's death. Many events were held in Tyneside, Morpeth, and the island of Menorca.
Collingwood's home in Es Castell near Mahon, Menorca, is now a hotel. It has a collection of items from his time on the island.
From 1978 to 1992, a British Rail train, 50005, was named Collingwood. In November 2005, another train, 90020, was named Collingwood at Newcastle station.
Images for kids
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Memorial to Collingwood, St Paul's Cathedral, by Richard Westmacott
See also
In Spanish: Cuthbert Collingwood para niños
