Vice-Admiral Sir Jahleel Brenton, 1st Baronet, (22 August 1770 – 21 April 1844) was a Royal Navy officer who served in the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars.
Brenton was born in British America but his family relocated to England after the outbreak of the American War of Independence. He followed his father into the Royal Navy, enrolling as a midshipman and reached the rank of lieutenant in 1790. After accepting a commission to serve in the Royal Swedish Navy during the Russo-Swedish War, Brenton returned to the Royal Navy and was given his first command, HMS Trepassey, in 1791. Serving in the Mediterranean during the French Revolutionary Wars, Brenton took part in the Battle of Cape St Vincent on HMS Barfleur and earned the patronage of Admiral Sir John Jervis. He was subsequently appointed commander of HMS Speedy in which he distinguished himself in a number actions against Spanish ships. He was promoted to post-captain in 1800 and served as flag captain on HMS Caesar under Rear Admiral Sir James Saumarez, taking part in the First and Second Battles of Algeciras.
At the outbreak of the Napoleonic Wars, Brenton was given command of the frigate HMS Minerve but he was taken prisoner soon afterwards when his ship ran aground near Cherbourg. He spent three and a half years in captivity in France before he was exchanged for a French prisoner of war and was subsequently given command of HMS Spartan. Brenton returned to the Mediterranean in 1807 where he launched a disastrous attack on an armed polacre which earned a strong rebuke from Vice Admiral Lord Collingwood. He salvaged his reputation undertaking a series of notable exploits while commanding a squadron of frigates in the Adriatic, and assisted with the capture several French Ionian Islands. In May 1810, he fought a successful action against a Neapolitan squadron near Naples in which he was severely wounded by enemy grapeshot. Brenton was rewarded with a baronetcy and a knighthood but his wound troubled him for the rest of his life.
In 1814 he was appointed commissioner of Port Mahon Dockyard and the following year he became naval commissioner at the Cape of Good Hope. He became Lieutenant-Governor of Greenwich Hospital in 1831 and eventually rose to the rank of vice admiral. A pious man, Brenton became involved in philanthropic activities in later life and he died in 1844, aged 73.
Early life Jahleel Brenton was born on 22 August 1770 in Rhode Island, British North America.Tracy, p. 51. He was the eldest of ten children born to Rear Admiral Jahleel Brenton of the Royal Navy and his wife Henrietta Cowley. Brenton was the great-great grandson of the Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations governor William Brenton, who had emigrated from England in the 17th century, and the grandson of the longest serving governor in Rhode Island history, Samuel Cranston. He had two brothers that survived past infancy—Edward Pelham Brenton and James Wallace Brenton—and both served in the Royal Navy.Raikes, p. 36.
At the outbreak of the American War of Independence, Brenton's father—at that time a lieutenant—remained loyal to the British and the Brenton family was forced to flee Rhode Island for England in 1780. Brenton briefly attended a school in Enfield, Middlesex and in 1781, aged 11, he enrolled as a midshipman in the Royal Navy under his father who had been assigned to command the hired armed ship Queen.Raikes, p. 37. His father was promoted to post-captain later that year and Brenton followed him to his new command, the 26-gun sixth rate HMS Termagant, until May 1782 when the ship was taken out of service for a refit. Following the Peace of Paris in 1783, Brenton resumed his studies in England at a maritime school in Chelsea, London. In 1785 he moved with his family to Saint-Omer, France, and became adept in the French language. Brenton developed a talent for painting and his parents considered sending him to Italy to develop his skills before he made the decision to persevere with a naval career.Raikes, p. 38.
Early naval career Brenton returned to England with his family in 1787 and he was appointed to the 36-gun frigate HMS Perseverance under the command of Captain William Young, a friend of his father. However, less than two months later the ship was decommissioned for an extensive refit. He subsequently joined HMS Dido in which he was employed in surveying and sounding the coast of Nova Scotia. Returning to England in 1789, Brenton joined HMS Bellona which was refitting in Portsmouth and in March 1790 he passed an examination for the rank of lieutenant.Raikes, p. 39.
Seeking active employment, Brenton and a number of other Royal Navy officers accepted commissions to serve in the Royal Swedish Navy which was engaged in operations against Russia in the Russo-Swedish War. Although Brenton arrived too late to take part in the Swedish navy's break-out at the Battle of Vyborg Bay in July 1790, he was present at the Swede's decisive victory at the Battle of Svensksund five days later.Tracy, p. 52. Peace was declared soon afterwards and although King Gustav offered his British officers continued employment, Brenton returned to England as mounting tensions between Spain and Britain had increased the likelihood of an imminent declaration of war.Raikes, pp. 39–44.
Resuming service with the Royal Navy, Brenton was appointed second lieutenant of HMS Assurance, a troop ship destined for Halifax, Nova Scotia, which Brenton described as "a station of all others I would have chosen, having numerous friends and relations at that place".Raikes, p. 47. However, having been sent ashore at Rochester in search of a group of deserters, Brenton and four midshipmen were arrested, accused by the mayor of illegally "impressing within the limits of the city". Attacked by an angry mob while being transferred to prison, Brenton later recalled being "knocked down, dragged through the street and narrowly escap[ing] with life, losing nearly all my clothes."Raikes, p. 48. Brenton was released after the Admiralty intervened on his behalf but Assurance had sailed without him and he was transferred to the 14-gun brig HMS Speedy which was patrolling for smugglers off the English coast.
French Revolutionary Wars Speedy was paid off in 1791 and Brenton spent nearly a year ashore on half-pay before he was appointed to command HMS Trepassey, a small long sloop armed with four swivel guns that was used to patrol the coast of Newfoundland. Brenton remained at that station for two years and at the outbreak of war with France in 1793 he was involved in the capture of the French settlements at Saint Pierre and Miquelon which capitulated without resistance.Raikes, p. 52. Brenton was subsequently recalled to England, where he arrived in January 1794, and was appointed second lieutenant on the frigate HMS Sibyl.Raikes, pp. 53–55. Sibyl was dispatched as part of a squadron headed for the Scheldt later that year before embarking on an arduous cruise off the Dutch coast throughout the winter of 1794, during which time Brenton was promoted to first lieutenant.Raikes, p. 57. In February 1795, Sibyl proceeded to the River Weser to assist with the evacuation of British troops retreating from the disastrous Flanders Campaign.
Mediterranean Fleet
Ill-health forced Brenton to relinquish his position on Sibyl and return ashore at the end of 1795.Raikes, p. 60. After a short period of convalescence, Brenton wrote to Admiralty requesting a return to active service. However, he was dismayed to learn that he had been appointed second lieutenant on a store ship, HMS Alliance, a position he described as "disgraceful and degrading to an officer, who had been for some time first lieutenant of a frigate".Raikes, p. 61. His protests were dismissed by the Admiralty and in March 1796, Alliance set sail with a large convoy headed for the Mediterranean. Arriving off Corsica later that year, Brenton wrote to the Commander-in-Chief of the Mediterranean Fleet, Admiral Sir John Jervis, to appeal for a more favourable appointment. Jervis was sympathetic with Brenton's plight and installed him as first lieutenant on the 80-gun third-rate HMS Gibraltar which was part of a squadron undertaking a close blockade of Toulon during the summer of 1796.Raikes, pp. 64–65.
In September 1796, Spain's entry into the war as an ally of France prompted the British fleet to abandon the Mediterranean, where it was in danger of becoming seriously outnumbered, and retreat to Gibraltar. While at anchor off Rosia Bay on 10 December, Gibraltar was caught in a storm that drove her on to rocks on the western shore of the Bay of Gibraltar before she was blown across to safety in the Strait of Gibraltar. The ship was sent back to England for extensive repairs to her hull and Jervis gave Brenton a temporary position in Vice Admiral William Waldegrave's flagship HMS Barfleur.
On 14 February 1797, Barfleur was part of Jervis's fleet that intercepted a larger Spanish fleet at the Battle of Cape St Vincent off the southern coast of Portugal. The British achieved a morale boosting victory that enabled them to return to the Mediterranean and confine the Spanish fleet to Cádiz until the end of the war. Jervis held Brenton in high regard and in August 1797 he transferred him to his flagship HMS Ville de Paris.Raikes, p. 71. The British fleet commenced a close blockade of Cádiz and in Spring 1798 Brenton's actions while commanding a detachment of boats under attack from Spanish gunboats earned enthusiastic praise from Jervis.Raikes, pp. 72–73. As a consequence he was made commander of HMS Speedy in September 1798, a sloop that he had previously served in and remembered with fondness.
HMS Speedy Brenton's command of Speedy offered him several opportunities to distinguish himself. In February 1799 Speedy was escorting a convoy of supply ships that were ambushed by 23 Spanish gunboats in the Bay of Gibraltar. He gave orders for the convoy close up and make all sail for Gibraltar while he brought Speedy between the convoy and the enemy ships whereupon she was set upon by the entire Spanish flotilla. After ensuring the convoy had reached safety, Brenton broke off and joined them under the gun batteries of Gibraltar. He subsequently received the congratulations of Jervis—now titled Earl St Vincent—and the Governor of Gibraltar.Raikes, pp. 75–77.
Speedy was sailing off Gibraltar again on 9 August with the British privateer Defender when they spotted three armed Spanish xebecs.James, Vol II, p. 382. When Speedy gave chase, the Spanish ships ran for a small sandy bay where they moored in a single line bow to stern. Finding that no progress had been made after engaging the Spanish ships for over two hours while under sail, Brenton anchored Speedy within pistol shot of the central Spanish vessel and exchanged a cannonade for three-quarters of an hour, inducing the Spanish to abandon their ships and make for the shore. Speedy had suffered two wounded; the Spanish ships were taken as prizes and brought to Gibraltar.Raikes, p. 85.