Vice-Admiral Philippe d'Auvergne (13 November 1754 – 18 September 1816) was a Royal Navy officer who served in the American War of Independence and French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars. D'Auvergne also worked as a spymaster for British intelligence, engaging in plots to destabilise the First French Republic's control over Brittany and Normandy which included printing counterfeit money to cause hyperinflation.
Early life
Philippe D'Auvergne was born in Jersey, where his family had lived for four centuries. His mother Elizabeth Le Geyt (d. 1754), the daughter of Philippe Le Geyt, Lieut-Bailiff of Jersey from 1729 to 1746, died giving birth to him. His father, Charles Dauvergne (1724-1797), was an ex-British Army officer, advisor to British Cabinet Committees and aide-de-camp to various Governors; they included John Huske, Governor from 1749 to 1761, who left Charles £2,000 when he died in January 1761. His younger half brother, Corbet James D'Auvergne (born 1767), also joined the Royal Navy, and was associated with Jane Austen.
D'Auvergne was educated in Jersey, then England and France. He was fluent in French and English and had a mathematical mind, later to be used in various scientific studies and research. Much of his youth was spent sailing around the coast of Jersey.Balleine, (1973)
Navy D'Auvergne joined the Royal Navy, and became a midshipman in 1770. He was trained aboard the Royal Yacht , under the command of Captain John Campbell. The Royal Yacht was used as a training vessel, for picked men. This was far easier than the usual training on a man-of-war. Accounts of Philippe's lifeKirke, (1904) put this down to Earl Howe, later Vice Admiral of England and First Lord of the Admiralty. Howe had befriended Charles d'Auvergne, whilst commanding the flotilla stationed at Jersey during 1756.
Philippe's next vessel was , where he is reported as meeting Empress Catherine of Russia; and on a return trip was influenced by a French scientific team at Copenhagen. Throughout this time Philippe studied mathematics and tried to solve the problem of time keeping and barometric pressure at sea.Philippe D'Auvergne, An Account of the New Improved Sea-compasses (1789)
Arctic expedition
During 1773, the Admiralty commissioned an expedition to the Arctic, to further science and knowledge. Two sloops were refitted for the expedition and on 4 June 1773The National Archives (United Kingdom): The Racehorse, Captain's Log Book: ADM 51/757 and the Racehorse Master's Log Book: ADM 52/1416 the and set sail for the North.
The muster roll for Racehorse lists Philippe d'Auvergne as a midshipman.The National Archives (United Kingdom): HMS Racehorse Muster and Paybook ADM 36/7490 Onboard Carcass was a 15-year-old midshipman, named Horatio Nelson.
The expedition failed to find the Northwest Passage, but they had sailed further north than any previous expedition, approximately , a position just north of Svalbard. This and the scientific experiments carried out meant the expedition was seen as a success.Baron Constantine John Phipps, Voyage towards the North Pole; and Sir Albert Hastings Markham, Northward Ho.
During 1774 d'Auvergne continued his scientific education and also prepared sketches for the journal Voyage towards the North Pole by Captain Constantine Phipps, 2nd Baron Mulgrave.Kirke, (1904) pp.30–31
American War of Independence By 1775 d'Auvergne was assigned to ,The National Archives (United Kingdom): Ship's Paybooks: ADM 34/4 and he is recorded as discharging to on 27 August 1775. Asia was assigned to the fleet at Boston Harbour, to support British forces against the American militia.
D'Auvergne, still a midshipman, was ordered to take charge of one of the boats carrying soldiers to attack Lexington. Paul Revere had already warned the Yankees of the attack, resulting in the British force of 800 being reduced by 73 dead and 185 injured by the pursuing American militia. D'Auvergne continued to command boats carrying troops around Boston and on 17 June 1775 after transporting troops, watched the ensuing Battle of Bunker Hill. He was on board one of the ships that bombarded and burnt Falmouth.
Appointed acting Lieutenant, D'Auvergne went with the Chatham which landed troops on Long Island, he was commanding a number of flat bottomed boats with hinged gateways, before crossing to Manhattan Island under fire. D'Auvergne was next assigned to , under the command of Admiral Shuldham, commander of the fleet in Boston Harbour. The Admiral was impressed with this young acting Lieutenant and d'Auvergne was commissioned as a Lieutenant on 2 June 1777 and was given , an eight-gun galley, to command.The National Archives (United Kingdom) Colonial Office Correspondence, CO 5/127 On 25 October 1777 d'Auvergne captured the Delaware with a company of Grenadiers;The National Archives (United Kingdom): Colonial Office Correspondence, CO 5/94 and on 27 May 1778 landed a party of marines at Fogland Ferry, successfully destroying the guard house.The National Archives (United Kingdom): Colonial Office Correspondence, CO 5/96
By late 1778 France and Spain had signed a treaty of alliance with the American colonies. When French frigates entered Rhode Island, d'Auvergne carried out his written orders and scuttled Alarm on 30 July 1778. Now ashore, d'Auvergne was made a Major of the Naval Brigade. The court martial of d'Auvergne for the loss of his vessel is reported as being aboard , 28 September 1778. The court martial acquitted d'Auvergne, the British had been forced to scuttle ten vessels in all, including Flora.
Prisoner of war After returning to England, d'Auvergne was assigned to as First Lieutenant. On 18 March 1779 Arethusa fought the French vessel Aigrette for two hours off Ushant, but during the engagement a larger French line-of-battle ship was spotted and Arethusa broke off. In the dim light she struck a rock off the coast of Molène. Of the 200 crew, thirteen escaped, apparently never to be seen again, and the remainder were taken prisoner, and interned in Carhaix, Brittany.
Duke of Bouillon Godefroy Charles Henri de la Tour d'Auvergne, the Duke of Bouillon was looking for someone to adopt as the Duke's only surviving son, Jacques Leopold, was seriously disabled and unable to father an heir to the throne. One choice for an heir was a Breton soldier, Théophile Malo Corret, who claimed descent of an illegitimate half brother to Henri de la Tour d'Auvergne, the Marshal of France. Theophile was from Carhaix and mentioned that a Philippe d'Auvergne was being held prisoner. This chance comment intrigued the Duke, parole was secured and Philippe d'Auvergne travelled in February 1780 to the Château de Navarre in Évreux, Normandy to meet the Duke. He was provided with clothes suitable for a Royal Court and in fluent French told the Duke of his adventures to date.
Returned to prison, Philippe d'Auvergne was quickly exchanged and returned to England. The Duke had liked him and hired genealogists to link the Jersey Dauvergnes with the French principality.
Further naval duties D'Auvergne was exchanged with French prisoners of war and returned to England in the spring of 1780, In June he was appointed to . During March 1781 Lark sailed as part of an invasion fleet against the Cape of Good Hope under the command of Commodore George Johnston. They were sent to punish the Dutch for their alliance with the French.
On 16 April 1781 the fleet stopped at Porto Praya to take on water and fresh supplies. While the British fleet was at anchor the French fleet, sent to help the Dutch, entered the harbour and attacked the British. After an inconclusive battle the French broke off. After a brief pursuit, Commodore Johnstone chose to stay and make repairs to the damaged ships, enabling the French fleet to reach the Cape first.
The British fleet failed to land at the Cape, but they did capture five Dutch East Indiamen in the "battle" of Saldanha Bay before heading back to England. During this expedition d'Auvergne made a report to Commodore Johnstone of the intelligence that had gathered from her capture on 1 July of the Dutch East Indiaman Heldwoltenlade, which had left Saldanha on 28 June, intelligence that led to the capture of the Dutch ships. Johnstone described d'Auvergne as a "very promising young officer".The New Annual Register, Or General Repository of History ..., (1781), Vol. 2, p.89.
Trindade and Martim Vaz
D'Auvergne was promoted on 21 August 1781 to Master and Commander and took command of a ten gun cutter , allowing the former captain of Rattlesnake to return to London on Lark.
On 30 September, Rattlesnake, , and captured the French ship Philippine. The prize money was remitted from Jamaica, suggesting the capture took place in the Caribbean. French records have the capture occurring in the Antilles.
Rattlesnake and were sent to survey Trindade and Martim Vaz, to establish the islands suitability for a base for outward-bound Indiamen. The islands are volcanic with nothing but turtle doves and land crabs.Noted when Edmund Halley placed a Union Jack on the islands in 1700. On the evening of 21 October 1781 during a heavy storm, Rattlesnake lost her anchor rope and in trying to get to sea struck a rock and was run ashore; Jupiter picked up five sailors. Commodore Johnstone had previously wished to colonise the island and claim it for Britain, so d'Auvergne agreed to stay on the tiny island with 30 sailors, 20 captured French sailors, one woman, some animals and supplies.
A supply ship arrived in January 1782 and the news of Rattlesnakes loss arrived in England on 5 February.Lloyd's List №1333. Then the castaways appear to have been forgotten.
D'Auvergne and his people remained on the island until 27 December 1782, when by chance, , escorting East Indiamen, passed by. D'Auvergne fired distress signals and she rescued the 30 sailors, 20 Frenchmen, and the woman.The National Archives (United Kingdom) Log Book, ADM 51/137 D'Auvergne and the surviving crew were taken to Madras, India. A second Court Martial took place regarding the loss of Rattlesnake and d'Auvergne was absolved of any liability for the loss and commended for the most extraordinary command he had been given by a superior.
India Whilst in India D'Auvergne met Muhammed Ali Khan Wallajah, the Nawab of Arcot. Muhammed had gone into debt helping the British against the French. This caused the British East India Company to claim most of his state, claiming an annual income from the Nawab. The Nawab asked d'Auvergne to make a petition to the King to reclaim his state. D'Auvergne, on his return, made the petitionA petition of the claim is held by the Société Jersiaise in 1783. The petition was successful and the state returned to the Nawab.
It was reported that D'Auvergne married whilst in India, but the India Office Records held by the British Library have no record of a marriage. Although there is a marriage of a Philip d'Auvergne to an Anne Lowrie in 1800, the individual in question was a captain in the army.
Peace On his return to England d'Auvergne was promoted to captain, but the peace with France meant demobilisation.
Between 1784 and 1787 d'Auvergne spent time travelling and escorted John Townsend son of Thomas Townshend, 1st Viscount Sydney on a Grand Tour. D'Auvergne obtained an honorary degree in 1785 and elected Fellow of the Royal Society on 11 June 1786. In 1787 he was appointed a Revenue officer in Jersey, on board , a post he continued in until 1789 when he asked to be relieved due to ill health.