Admiral of the Blue Sir John Thomas Duckworth, 1st Baronet, GCB (9 February 1748 – 31 August 1817) was a Royal Navy officer, colonial administrator and politician who served in the Seven Years' War, American War of Independence, French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars and War of 1812. In addition to serving as the governor of Newfoundland, he was also a member of the British House of Commons during his semi-retirement. Duckworth, a vicar's son, achieved much in a naval career that began at the age of 11.
Serving with most of the great names of the Royal Navy during the later 18th and early 19th centuries, he fought almost all of Britain's enemies on the seas at one time or another, including a Dardanelles operation that would be remembered a century later during the First World War. He was in command at the Battle of San Domingo, the last major battle fought between British and French ships of the line in open water during the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars.Allen, vii.
Early life
Born in Leatherhead, Surrey, England, Duckworth was one of five sons of Sarah Johnson and the vicar Henry Duckworth A.M. of Stoke Poges, County of Buckinghamshire.Debrett, p. 173 The Duckworths were descended from a landed family, with Henry later being installed as Canon of Windsor. John Duckworth briefly attended Eton College, but began his naval career in 1759 at the suggestion of Edward Boscawen, when he entered the Royal Navy as a midshipman on .Whiteley Namur later became part of the fleet under Sir Edward Hawke, and Duckworth was present at the Battle of Quiberon Bay on 20 November 1759.
On 5 April 1764, he joined the 50-gun at Chatham, after leaving , to serve with Admiral Hugh Palliser, then Governor of Newfoundland. He served aboard HMS Princess Royal, on which he suffered a concussion when he was hit by the head of another sailor, decapitated by a cannonball.Clarke, p. 209 He spent some months as an acting lieutenant, and was confirmed in the rank on 14 November 1771. He then spent three years aboard the 74-gun , the Plymouth guardship, under Captain Charles Fielding. Fielding was given command of the frigate in early 1776, and he took Duckworth with him as his first lieutenant.
Duckworth married Anne Wallis in July 1776, with whom he had a son and a daughter.
After some time in North America, where Duckworth was acquitted by court-martial for negligence after an accident at Rhode Island on 18 January 1777 left five men dead, the Diamond was sent to join Vice-Admiral John Byron's fleet in the West Indies. Byron transferred him to his own ship, , in March 1779, and Duckworth was present aboard her at the Battle of Grenada on 6 July 1779. Duckworth was promoted to commander ten days after this and given command of the sloop-of-war .
After cruising off Martinique for a time, he was promoted to post captain on 16 June 1780 and given command of the 74-gun . He returned to the Princess Royal as flag-captain to Rear-Admiral Sir Joshua Rowley, with whom he went to Jamaica. He was briefly in command of , before moving into in February 1781, and returned to England with a trade convoy. In the years of peace before the French Revolution he was a captain of the 74-gun , lying at Plymouth.
Revolutionary wars service Fighting against France, Duckworth distinguished himself both in European waters and in the Caribbean. He was initially in command of the 74-gun from 1793 and served in the Channel Fleet under Admiral Lord Howe. He was in action at the Glorious First of June. Duckworth was one of few commanders specifically mentioned by Howe for their good conduct, and one of eighteen commanders honoured with the Naval Gold Medal, and the thanks of both Houses of Parliament.
He was appointed to command the 74-gun in early 1794, and went out to the West Indies where he served under Rear-Admiral Sir William Parker. He was appointed commodore at Santo Domingo in August 1796. In 1798 Duckworth was in command of a small squadron of four vessels. He sailed for Minorca on 19 October 1798,p. 278, Ross where he was a joint commander with Sir Charles Stuart, initially landing his 800 troops in the bay of Addaya,pp. 369–370, Stephens and later landing sailors and marines from his ships, which included HMS Cormorant and , to support the Army. He was promoted to Rear-Admiral of the White on 14 February 1799 following Minorca's capture, and "Minorca" was later inscribed on his coat of arms. In June his squadron of four ships captured Courageux.p. 348, Mostert
In April 1800 was in command of the blockading squadron off Cádiz, and intercepted a large and rich Spanish convoy from Lima off Cádiz, consisting of two frigates (both taken as prizes) and eleven merchant vessels, with his share of the prize money estimated at £75,000. In June 1800 he sailed to take up his post as the newly appointed Commander-in-Chief at Barbados and the Leeward Islands Station, succeeding Lord Hugh Seymour.p. 371, Stephens
Duckworth was nominated a Knight Companion of the most Honourable Military Order of the Bath in 1801 (and installed in 1803), for the capture of the islands of St. Bartholomew, St. Martin, St. Thomas, St. John and St. Croix and defeat of the Swedish and Danish forces stationed there on 20 March 1801.
Lieutenant-General Thomas Trigge commanded the ground troops, which consisted of two brigades under Brigadier-Generals Fuller and Frederick Maitland, of 1,500 and 1,800 troops respectively. These included the 64th Regiment of Foot (Lieutenant-Colonel Edward Pakenham), and the 2nd and 8th West Indies Regiments, two detachments of Royal Artillery, and two companies of sailors, each of about 100 men. The ships involved, in addition to Leviathan, included , HMS Unite, , , HMS Amphitrite, , the brig , hired armed brig Fanny, schooner , and tender Alexandria.
Aside from the territory and prisoners taken during the operation, Duckworth's force took two Swedish merchantmen, a Danish ship (in ballast), three small French vessels, one privateer brig (12-guns), one captured English ship, a merchant-brig, four small schooners, and a sloop.Stephens, p. 375
Service against Napoleon West Indies From 1803 until 1804, Duckworth assumed command as the commander-in-chief of the Jamaica Station,Cundall, p. xx during which time he directed the operations which led to the surrender of General Rochambeau and the French army,Nelson, cf. p. 459 following the successful Blockade of Saint-Domingue. Duckworth was promoted to Vice-Admiral of the Blue on 23 April 1804, and he was appointed a Colonel of Marines. He succeeded in capturing numerous enemy vessels and 5,512 French prisoners of war.McAleer, pp. 41–43 In recognition of his service, the Legislative Assembly of Jamaica presented Duckworth with a ceremonial sword and a gold scabbard, inscribed with a message of thanks. The merchants of Kingston provided a second gift, an ornamental tea kettle signifying Duckworth's defence of sugar and tea exports. Both sword and kettle were subsequently gifted to the National Maritime Museum in Greenwich.
Duckworth remained in Jamaica until 1805, returning to England that April aboard .Lysons, pp. 108–122. On his return to England again, he was called to face court-martial charges brought by Captain James Athol Wood of HMS Acasta, who claimed that Duckworth had transgressed the 18th Article of War; "Taking goods onboard other than for the use of the vessel, except gold & etc." Duckworth had apparently acquired some goods, and in wishing to transport them home in person reassigned Captain Wood to another vessel on Jamaica station knowing that the vessel was soon to be taken under command by another flag officer. Consequently, Duckworth was able to take the goods to England as personal luggage, and Wood was forced to sail back as a passenger on his own ship. The court-martial was held on board in Portsmouth on 25 April 1805, but the charge was dropped on 7 June 1805.Sir John Thomas Duckworth, K.B., Papers, 1801–1807 Manuscript Group 18.James, p. 78; Stanier Clarke, Jones, p. 84.
Atlantic
In 1805 the British Admiralty decided that Duckworth should raise his flag aboard HMS Royal George and sail to join Vice-Admiral Horatio Nelson off Cádiz as third in command. However, the Plymouth Dockyards could not make Royal George ready to sail in time, and Duckworth was directed to raise his flag in HMS Superb, with Captain Richard Keats as his flag-captain. Keats was to have been Nelson's second. The Superb was exiting the Channel when she intercepted the Pickle carrying news of the victory and of Nelson's death and did not arrive off Cádiz until well after the battle. On the basis of the writings of ships boy Edward Trelawney some have said the delay was due to Duckworth's refusal to sail from Portsmouth until his favourite musicians had arrived from another ship. Correspondence between Duckworth and the Admiralty confirms his upset at being required to sail ‘without his comforts’, but that his final orders were not issued until 28 October when Superb had finally been released from the docks after an urgent refit.Hannah, pp. 122–124. They did not arrive off Cádiz until 15 November, after the Battle of Trafalgar had been fought. Duckworth was then ordered to take command of the West Indies squadron involved in the blockade of Cádiz, with seven sail of the line, consisting of five 74-gun ships, the 80-gun and the 64-gun , and two frigates.
Although known for a cautious character, he abandoned the blockade and sailed in search of a French squadron under Admiral Zacharie Allemand, which had been reported by a frigate off Madeira on 30 November, on his own initiative. While searching for the French, which eventually eluded him, he came across another French squadron on 25 December, consisting of six sail of the line and a frigate. This was the squadron under Contre-Admiral Jean-Baptiste Willaumez, heading for the Cape of Good Hope, and pursued by Rear-Admiral Sir Richard Strachan. Duckworth gave chase and came within seven miles of the enemy, but at that point his ships being well separated, to the dismay and disappointment of the men, he decided not to risk engaging and abandoned the pursuit. pp. 128–130.
Return to the West Indies Duckworth then set sail for the Leeward Islands to take on water, dispatching the 74-gun to reinforce the East Indies squadron. There, at Saint Kitts, he was joined on 21 January 1806 by the 74-gun ships and commanded by Sir Alexander Cochrane,p. 308, Miller and on 1 February a brig commanded by Nathaniel Day Cochrane, which brought news of French at San Domingo.Ireland, p. 184; Brenton, p. 105 The French had a squadron of five ships: the 120-gun Imperial, two 84-gun and two 74-gun ships and two frigates, under the command of Counter-admiral Corentin Urbain Leissègues which escaped from BrestIreland, p. 184 and sought to reinforce the French forces at San Domingo with about 1,000 troops. Anderson, p. 102 Arriving at San Domingo on 6 February 1806, Duckworth found the French squadron with its transports anchored in the Occa bay. The French commander immediately hurried to sea, forming a line of battle as they went. Duckworth gave the signal to form two columns of four and three ships of the line.
Battle of San Domingo