John Stockham facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
John Stockham
|
|
|---|---|
| Born | 24 July 1765 |
| Died | 6 February 1814 (aged 48) Exeter, Devon, England |
| Buried |
St Sidwell's Church, Exeter, Devon, England
|
| Allegiance |  United Kingdom ofGreat Britain and Ireland |
| Service/ |
 Royal Navy |
| Rank | Captain |
| Commands held | HMS Thunderer |
| Battles/wars | Battle of Copenhagen (1801) Battle of Cape Finisterre (1805) Battle of Trafalgar (1805) |
Captain John Stockham (born 24 July 1765 – died 6 February 1814) was a brave officer in the Royal Navy. He served during the Napoleonic Wars, a time when France and other European countries were often at war. Not much is known about his early life. However, he became famous when he suddenly took command of the large warship HMS Thunderer at the very important Battle of Trafalgar in 1805.
Contents
John Stockham was born in July 1765 in Devon, England. He was from a regular family. We don't know exactly when he joined the navy or which ship he first served on. He likely started his naval career before the American War of Independence ended. He might have even fought in some battles then.
He was promoted to lieutenant on 29 April 1797. He was 32 years old at this time. This was quite late for such a promotion. Most officers got this rank much earlier. It probably happened because he didn't have a powerful admiral or politician to help him.
In 1801, Stockham was serving as a lieutenant on HMS San Josef. Here, he caught the eye of the famous Admiral Horatio Nelson. Nelson liked Stockham and took him along when he moved to a new ship, HMS Elephant. This was just before the Battle of Copenhagen.
Fighting in the Napoleonic Wars
John Stockham next appears in historical records after a short period of peace called the Peace of Amiens. At this time, he was the first lieutenant of HMS Thunderer.
In July 1805, HMS Thunderer fought in the Battle of Cape Finisterre. Her captain, William Lechmere, later had to go to London. He was called to testify in a court case about another admiral's actions. Captain Lechmere left his ship, leaving John Stockham, his first lieutenant, in charge.
The Battle of Trafalgar
The most famous battle for Stockham was the Battle of Trafalgar on 21 October 1805. HMS Thunderer was positioned towards the back of Admiral Collingwood's group of ships. Because of this, she joined the fighting later in the day.
Even so, Stockham and Thunderer fought very well. They attacked the Spanish flagship Principe de Asturias and the French ship Neptune. Thunderer had 16 sailors injured or killed. However, the ship itself was not badly damaged. This meant she could help other ships that were more heavily damaged during the big storm that followed the battle.
Life After the War
After the Battle of Trafalgar, Stockham received special awards. He was given a gold medal and a sword from the Lloyd's Patriotic Fund. He was also promoted to Post Captain on Christmas Day of that year.
Like many officers who fought at Trafalgar, Stockham did not get another ship to command after the battle. He retired a few years later and moved back to Exeter. He lived a quiet life there until he passed away in 1814.
He was buried in his family's grave plot at St Sidwell's Church. Sadly, during the Blitz in World War II, German bombs destroyed his grave. In the same bombing raid, the grave of another Trafalgar captain, Robert Benjamin Young, was also destroyed in a different churchyard in Exeter.
