Fleetwood Pellew facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Fleetwood Broughton Reynolds Pellew
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Fleetwood Pellew leading the boats of HMS Terpsichore against the Dutch in 1806, depicted by George Chinnery
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| Born | 13 December 1789 |
| Died | 28 July 1861 (aged 71) Marseilles |
| Allegiance | United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland |
| Years of service | 1799–1861 |
| Rank | Admiral |
| Commands held | HMS Rattlesnake HMS Terpsichore HMS Psyche HMS Powerful HMS Cornwallis HMS Phaeton HMS Iphigenia HMS Resistance |
| Awards | Knighthood Companion of the Bath Knight Commander of the Royal Guelphic Order |
| Spouse(s) | Harriet Webster (m. 1816-1849; her death) |
Admiral Sir Fleetwood Broughton Reynolds Pellew (born December 13, 1789 – died July 28, 1861) was an officer in the Royal Navy, the navy of the United Kingdom. He served during the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, which were major conflicts in Europe.
Fleetwood was the son of Edward Pellew, who later became a famous admiral himself. His father helped him join the navy, and Fleetwood quickly showed he was brave and daring. He got his first command when he was only 17 years old. One notable event in his career happened in Nagasaki harbour, Japan, which affected how Britain and Japan interacted later on.
Even though his father helped him advance, Fleetwood sometimes had trouble with his crews. He was known for being very strict, which led to problems on his ships. After a long break from active service, he returned as a high-ranking admiral in charge of the East Indies and China Station. However, more crew issues led to him being called back home. He never served at sea again and passed away in 1861 as a full admiral.
Contents
Fleetwood Pellew was born on December 13, 1789. He was the second son of Captain Edward Pellew and his wife, Susan Frowde. He went to Blundell's School for a short time. As his father became more famous in the navy, he used his influence to help Fleetwood and his older brother, Pownoll, join the service.
In March 1799, Fleetwood became a midshipman (a junior officer in training) on his father's ship, HMS Impetueux. He followed his father to other ships, including HMS Tonnant and HMS Culloden. They sailed to the East Indies, a region that included parts of Asia. On September 8, 1804, his father made Fleetwood a lieutenant on HMS Sceptre.
Fleetwood soon returned to the Culloden. In 1806, he showed great courage by leading an attack on Dutch ships near Batavia (modern-day Jakarta). His father was very proud, writing that Fleetwood led the attack with "the greatest judgement" and that he had never seen "a prettier exploit."
First Commands and Challenges
In 1807, Sir Edward Pellew promoted Fleetwood to his first command: the 18-gun sloop HMS Rattlesnake. Fleetwood was only 17 years old. After this, he commanded the frigates HMS Terpsichore and HMS Psyche. His father described him as "the finest youth of the Squadron" and "a real treasure."
On October 12, 1807, Fleetwood was officially made a commander. He then took temporary command of the 74-gun HMS Powerful, followed by HMS Cornwallis in 1808. In July 1808, he moved to the 38-gun frigate HMS Phaeton.
While commanding the Phaeton, Fleetwood caused a brief incident in Nagasaki harbour, Japan, in October 1808. He anchored there, captured some Dutch officials, and demanded supplies for his ship. The Japanese could not stop him and provided the supplies. This event was quite unusual and had a lasting impact on Japan's view of foreign ships.
On October 14, 1808, Fleetwood was promoted to post captain, a significant rank. He then took part in the Invasion of Île de France in 1810 and the capture of Java in 1811. In August 1812, he sailed the Phaeton back to Britain, protecting a group of merchant ships called East Indiamen. For his service, he received a reward and thanks from the East India Company.
Service in the Mediterranean
Next, Fleetwood was given command of the 36-gun frigate HMS Iphigenia and sailed her to the Mediterranean Sea. In January 1813, he took command of the 46-gun HMS Resistance. In October of that year, he helped attack and silence shore batteries near Port d'Anzo, capturing 29 merchant ships.
However, by February 1814, the Resistance was ordered back to Britain because of serious unrest among the crew. Although the situation was brought under control, it was widely believed that Fleetwood's very strict leadership had caused the problems. This event marked a turning point in his career.
In June 1815, he was honored as a Companion of the Bath. He commanded HMS Révolutionnaire in the Mediterranean from August 1818 to June 1822. After this, he did not receive any active commands for the next thirty years, meaning he was still in the navy but not serving at sea.
Later Career and Retirement
Even without active sea duty, Fleetwood Pellew continued to receive promotions and awards as he got older. In January 1836, he was given a knighthood and became a Knight Commander of the Royal Guelphic Order. He was also made a naval aide-de-camp (an assistant) to Queen Victoria.
On November 9, 1846, he was promoted to rear-admiral. In December 1852, he finally returned to active service as the commander-in-chief of the East Indies and China Station, a very important naval command.
Some people were concerned about sending him to this challenging post due to his age and past issues with crews. In April 1853, Pellew raised his flag on HMS Winchester. By September 1854, he was off Hong Kong. He decided not to allow shore leave for his crew, likely to protect them from fevers and infections common in the area. However, he did not explain his reasons clearly to his men.
The crew became very unhappy. When Pellew ordered them to prepare for action, they refused. He sent officers to force them to obey, and some crew members were injured. News of this incident reached Britain and was reported in newspapers like The Times, which reminded readers of the earlier problems on the Resistance.
Because of this, the Admiralty (the government department in charge of the navy) called Pellew back to Britain. He never served at sea again. He was promoted to vice-admiral on April 22, 1853, and a full admiral on February 13, 1858.
Sir Fleetwood Pellew passed away in Marseilles, France, on July 28, 1861, at the age of 71.
Family Life
Fleetwood Pellew married Harriet Webster in 1816. They had a son, Thomas Chaplin, who sadly died as a baby, and a daughter, Harriet Bettina Frances. Their daughter later married Lord Horatio Walpole in 1841. Harriet (Fleetwood's first wife) died in 1849.
Admiral Pellew was buried with his first wife, Harriet, in the English Cemetery, Florence in Italy.
Images for kids
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Fleetwood Pellew leading the boats of HMS Terpsichore against the Dutch in 1806, depicted by George Chinnery
