Peter Puget facts for kids

Peter Puget (born 1765 – died 31 October 1822) was an important officer in the Royal Navy. He is best known for exploring the area now called Puget Sound in North America.

Early Naval Career

Peter Puget's family came to Britain from France. They were Huguenots, a group who faced challenges in France. Peter's father, John, was a successful merchant. Sadly, his father died when Peter was only two years old.

In 1778, at just 12 years old, Peter joined the navy as a midshipman. This was a training role for future officers. He served on several ships, learning how to sail and fight.

• 1778: He started on HMS Dunkirk. This was an older ship used for harbor duty.
• 1779: He moved to HMS Syren, a frigate. They patrolled the North Sea, stopping ships that tried to break blockades.
• 1780: Puget transferred to HMS Lowestoffe. This ship went to the West Indies. There, he helped defend Brimstone Hill against French forces. He also likely took part in a big naval victory called the Battle of the Saintes in 1782.
• 1782-1787: He served on HMS Thetis and HMS Europa. On the Europa, he met George Vancouver, who would become a very important person in his career.

Exploring the Pacific with Vancouver

After returning to Britain, Puget joined HMS Discovery. He became her third lieutenant in 1790. The Discovery was getting ready for a big trip to explore the South Pacific.

At first, the ship was used for a different purpose during a disagreement with Spain called the Nootka Crisis. Once that was settled, the main goal of the mission changed. The British wanted to officially take control of Nootka Sound from the Spanish. They also wanted to map the Pacific Coast of North America.

The navy decided that ships should not travel alone on such long voyages. This was a safety measure after the Mutiny on the Bounty. So, a smaller ship, HMS Chatham, joined the Discovery.

In 1791, the Discovery and Chatham sailed to places like Cape Town, Australia, and Tahiti. Then, they began a detailed survey of the North American coast, from the Columbia River all the way to Alaska. Many places they found were named after friends or important people.

In May 1792, Captain Vancouver sent Puget to explore the southern part of a large inlet. Puget commanded two small rowing boats for this task. He spent about a week mapping this area. Because of Puget's excellent work, Vancouver named the southern end of this inlet "Puget Sound." Over time, the name grew to include the entire region. Puget also helped explore the Columbia River, and a small place there was named Puget Island after him.

Later, Puget was given command of the Chatham. This happened when her first captain, William Robert Broughton, was sent back to England with important messages.

Becoming a Commander and Captain

Even though he was still a lieutenant, Puget did a great job commanding the Chatham for the rest of the expedition. He helped Vancouver in talks with the Spanish at Nootka Sound. In 1795, the two ships sailed back to England. On the way, they captured a Dutch merchant ship. When he arrived home, Puget was officially promoted to the rank of Commander.

In 1796, Commander Puget was given a small ship called the Adelphi. His job was to protect a group of supply ships going to Gibraltar. To protect the ships coming back, he even used his own money to prepare another ship, the Esther, with weapons. On the return trip, he captured a Spanish merchant ship. Later, his convoy was attacked by a French warship. Puget bravely put his tiny vessel between the French ship and his convoy, allowing the other ships to escape.

In 1797, Puget took command of HMS Raven. He joined the fleet of Sir John Jervis. Jervis put him in charge of a captured Spanish warship, the San Nicholas. Puget successfully stopped a mutiny (a rebellion by the crew) on board this ship.

He continued to serve on many important ships:

• 1798: Captain of the troopship HMS Van Tromp.
• 1799: Flag Captain for Admiral James Whitshed on HMS Temeraire.
• 1800: Captain of HMS Monarch. He served with the Channel Fleet until 1802.
• 1804: Flag Captain for Rear Admiral Sir Thomas Graves on HMS Foudroyant. He was seriously injured in 1805 and sent home to recover.
• 1807: Captain of HMS Goliath.

In 1807, Puget played a key role in the Second Battle of Copenhagen. He led a group of smaller ships close to shore. His mission was to disable Danish gunboats and protect the army's side. This helped the British win the battle.

Life on Shore

After his active sea career, Puget continued to serve the navy in other ways.

• 1809: He helped plan and carry out a successful invasion of the Dutch islands of Walcheren and Vlissingen.
• 1810–1817: He became the Commissioner of the Navy at Madras (now Chennai) in India. He managed naval affairs there, working to stop corruption and developing a new naval base at Trincomalee.

After his time in India, Puget settled down with his family in Bath, England, due to his health. In 1818, he was honored with the title of Companion of the Bath. Following the rules of seniority, he was promoted to Rear-Admiral of the Blue in 1821.

Peter Puget passed away on October 31, 1822, after a long illness. The Bath Chronicle newspaper wrote about him, mentioning his explorations with Captain Vancouver and his service as Commissioner in Madras.

Family Life

Peter Puget married Hannah Elrington on February 6, 1797. They had a large family with seven sons and four daughters.

Their oldest son, Peter Richard Puget, became an actor in America. Other sons joined the British Army or Navy. One of them, William David, became a captain. All of their daughters married. Today, the only known descendants of Peter and Hannah Puget come from one of their daughters, Eleanor Catherine.

Hannah Puget never remarried after Peter's death. She passed away on September 14, 1849. She is buried next to Peter in the churchyard of Woolley, near Bath. Their original tombstone is very old and worn. The Seattle Historical Society added a bronze plaque to honor Peter Puget's memory.

Images for kids

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  Detail of bronze plaque donated by the Seattle Historical Society.