Richard Grindall facts for kids

Sir Richard Grindall (1750 – 23 May 1820) was a brave officer in the British Royal Navy. He had a long and important career during the American War of Independence, the French Revolutionary War, and the Napoleonic Wars.

One of the most famous moments in his career was being at the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805. Even though his ship, Prince, was big and slow, it played a key role in the final parts of the battle. It was especially important in the huge storm that followed, helping to save many British ships and sailors.

Early Life and Naval Career

Joining the Navy

Richard Grindall was born in 1750. He started his naval journey a bit later than others. On January 7, 1772, he joined the ship Resolution. He was an able seaman, which is a skilled sailor.

This ship was part of James Cook's second big voyage, which lasted from 1772 to 1775. During this trip, Grindall lived and ate with the midshipmen, who were young officers in training.

Becoming an Officer

Grindall became a lieutenant on November 29, 1776. This was later than many of his friends who had joined the navy around the same time. He spent almost all of his time serving on large warships called ships of the line.

One of these ships was Barfleur. This was the main ship for Admiral Samuel Hood in the West Indies. Grindall saw his first battle near Martinique while on this ship. He was then promoted to post-captain on March 13, 1783.

Important Battles and Commands

French Revolutionary War

When the French Revolutionary War began, Grindall was in charge of a frigate called Thalia. However, his time on this ship was quiet. In 1795, he moved to Irresistible.

With this ship, he fought against the French fleet from Brest in the Battle of Groix. After this battle, the next eight years were not very exciting for Grindall. He mostly did blockade duty, which meant stopping enemy ships, and convoy work, which meant protecting other ships.

The Slow but Strong Prince

After a short period of peace, Grindall was given command of a very large ship called the Prince. This ship was known for being very slow, almost like a "haystack" moving through the water. This meant more quiet blockade duty.

In 1805, the Prince joined Nelson's fleet near Cadiz. On October 21, the combined French and Spanish fleets tried to escape. Grindall's ship was part of Collingwood's group, ready to attack.

Battle of Trafalgar

Because the Prince was so slow, it took a long time to reach the main battle. Other ships in its group passed it by. By the time the Prince arrived, most of the enemy ships were already captured or had run away. This left few targets for the Prince to use its powerful cannons on.

However, the Prince did fire at the Spanish flagship Principe de Asturias and the French ship French ship Achille, which was already on fire. The Prince itself was not attacked and had no damage or injuries to its crew.

Heroic Rescues After the Battle

Even though the Prince didn't see much direct fighting, Grindall used his ship's undamaged state to help others. He immediately sent out boats to rescue hundreds of sailors who were struggling in the water. Many of these were from the sinking Achille.

In the week after the battle, terrible storms hit the area. The strong Prince was incredibly helpful. It gave supplies to ships that were badly damaged and even towed ships that needed help. At one point, it saved 350 men from the sinking Spanish ship Spanish ship Santissima Trinidad. These men would have drowned without Grindall's help. When the Prince finally reached Gibraltar, it was ready to sail again very quickly.

Later Life and Retirement

Promotions and Awards

Because of his long and excellent service, Grindall received many promotions. He became a rear admiral on November 9, 1805. He continued to be promoted, becoming a Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath on January 2, 1815. This was a special honor given after the events of November 9.

However, these promotions also meant the end of his active career at sea. So many admirals were created that there weren't enough commands for all of them. Grindall was one of those who never commanded a ship at sea again.

Retirement and Family

He took a job on land in late 1805 and soon retired with his family. He became a vice admiral on July 31, 1810, and continued to receive higher ranks even in retirement.

His retirement was difficult because of personal sadness. Two of his sons, Edmund and Festing Horatio, had followed in his footsteps and joined the navy. Sadly, they both died from illness in 1811 and 1812. Festing Horatio had even been at Trafalgar as a midshipman on Victory.

Richard Grindall passed away in Wickham in 1820. He was buried next to his sons at St Nicholas Church in Wickham. His wife, Katherine, was buried there in 1831.

Namesakes

Grindall Island in the Clarence Strait, Alaska, is named after him. Nearby Grindall Point and Grindall Passage also carry his name. They were named by Captain George Vancouver.

In Fiction

Richard Grindall appears as a character in the book Hornblower and the Hotspur by C. S. Forester. The book's ISBN is ISBN: 0-14-002901-X.