56 Facts About Jahleel Brenton

Vice-Admiral Sir Jahleel Brenton, 1st Baronet was a Royal Navy officer who served in the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars.

Jahleel Brenton followed his father into the Royal Navy, enrolling as a midshipman and reached the rank of lieutenant in 1790.

Jahleel Brenton was appointed commander of HMS Speedy in which he distinguished himself in a number actions against Spanish ships.

Jahleel Brenton 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, Jahleel Brenton was given command of the frigate HMS Minerve but he was taken prisoner soon afterwards when his ship ran aground near Cherbourg.

Jahleel Brenton spent three and a half years in captivity in France before he was exchanged for a French prisoner of war and was given command of HMS Spartan.

Jahleel 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.

Jahleel Brenton 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.

Jahleel Brenton was rewarded with a baronetcy and a knighthood but his wound troubled him for the rest of his life.

Jahleel Brenton became Lieutenant-Governor of Greenwich Hospital in 1831 and eventually rose to the rank of vice admiral.

Jahleel Brenton was the eldest of ten children born to Rear Admiral Jahleel Brenton of the Royal Navy and his wife Henrietta Cowley.

Jahleel Brenton was the great-great grandson of the Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations governor William Jahleel Brenton, who had emigrated from England in the 17th century, and the grandson of the longest serving governor in Rhode Island history, Samuel Cranston.

Jahleel 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.

Jahleel 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.

Jahleel 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.

Jahleel Brenton subsequently joined HMS Dido in which he was employed in surveying and sounding the coast of Nova Scotia.

Peace was declared soon afterwards and although King Gustav offered his British officers continued employment, Jahleel Brenton returned to England as mounting tensions between Spain and Britain had increased the likelihood of an imminent declaration of war.

Speedy was paid off in 1791 and Jahleel Brenton spent nearly a year ashore on half-pay before he was appointed to command HMS Trepassey, a small 44-foot long sloop armed with four swivel guns that was used to patrol the coast of Newfoundland.

Jahleel 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.

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 Jahleel Brenton was promoted to first lieutenant.

Ill-health forced Jahleel Brenton to relinquish his position on Sibyl and return ashore at the end of 1795.

Jahleel Brenton 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.

Jahleel Brenton took Speedy amidst the flotilla, close enough to break several oars, while firing broadsides from both sides of the ship and maintaining a brisk musketry for around 45 minutes.

Just days after his triumph Jahleel Brenton received news his brother, Lieutenant James Wallace Jahleel Brenton of HMS Peterel, had been severely wounded during an action with a Spanish privateer.

Jahleel Brenton was given permission to take Speedy to Port Mahon where his brother was undergoing treatment but upon arrival discovered he had died from his injuries.

En route to England, Jahleel Brenton paid a visit to Earl St Vincent, now commander in chief of the Channel Fleet, cruising off Brest.

Jahleel Brenton returned to Gibraltar to find Samuarez preparing to transfer to HMS Audacious: eager to attack the French before they reached the safety of Cadiz, he deemed Caesar too damaged to take part in any further operations.

However, Jahleel Brenton was confident he could make the ship seaworthy and requested permission to continue repairs.

Stewart was born to a Loyalist family from Maryland that had been exiled to Nova Scotia where she first met Jahleel Brenton when he was a midshipman on HMS Dido.

Jahleel Brenton had waited until he reached post captain rank before proposing and his arrival in England was the first time they had seen each other in thirteen years.

War had been declared against France and Jahleel Brenton was given orders to join Samuarez's Channel Island squadron.

Jahleel Brenton responded by dispatching the ships boats inshore to capture a vessel large enough to carry one of the Minerve's bower anchors to a distance suitable for warping.

Prisoner exchanges had become increasingly rare and Jahleel Brenton faced a lengthy period of captivity.

Jahleel Brenton organised regular church services, assisted with the establishment of schools teaching literacy and seamanship, and took a leading role in improving the welfare of the common sailors who were separated from the officers and distributed among various depots across north east France.

Spartan was dispatched to the Mediterranean where Jahleel Brenton was given orders to cruise off Toulon to watch the movements of the French fleet.

However, shortly afterwards Jahleel Brenton was summoned to a meeting with the commander in chief, Vice Admiral Lord Collingwood, who rebuked Jahleel Brenton and expressed his dissatisfaction at the outcome of the enquiry.

Jahleel Brenton was given a brief respite from his position off Toulon in March 1808 when Spartan was ordered to cruise between Sardinia and Cape Bon.

Jahleel Brenton's efforts were not entirely in vain as his determination to shadow the squadron despite considerable risk of capture earned praise from his former critic, Collingwood.

Shortly afterwards, Jahleel Brenton was dispatched to the coast of Croatia to assist with the Austrian offensive against the French garrison on the island of Losinj.

Jahleel Brenton dispatched boarding parties to the anchorage in the boats of Spartan and Success which, supported by fire from the British ships, captured four merchant vessels laden with lead ore.

Achille and the gunboats altered course to avoid the British frigate but Jahleel Brenton swung Spartan round to give them her port broadside while firing her starboard guns into the larger Neapolitan ships.

However, in the spring of 1811, Jahleel Brenton faced financial ruin when his prize agent failed with the loss of the prize money earned from Spartan.

Jahleel Brenton asked the Admiralty for a land-based position and in January 1814 he was appointed commissioner of the dockyard at Port Mahon.

Jahleel Brenton briefly took command of the royal yacht HMY Dorset before he was appointed naval commissioner at the Cape of Good Hope.

Jahleel Brenton was made a Knight Commander of the Order of Bath in January 1815 and in March he arrived with his wife at the Cape of Good Hope.

Jahleel Brenton has afflicted me, and I humbly implore his Holy Spirit to give me perfect resignation to his Divine will.

Jahleel Brenton returned to England later that year and temporarily took command of the royal yacht Royal Sovereign, conveying the Duke and Duchess of Clarence and St Andrews to Antwerp in the summer of 1822.

Jahleel Brenton's wound was prone to frequent bouts of inflammation so he began a period of semi-retirement.

In 1829, aged 59, Jahleel Brenton returned to active service as captain of HMS Donegal which had been fitted out as a guard ship at the Nore.

Less than a year later Jahleel Brenton was promoted to rear admiral in July 1830.

However, HMS Donegal was unsuitable for a flagship and Jahleel Brenton consequently returned to shore on half pay.

Jahleel Brenton initially declined the offer as the role precluded him from further promotion and active service but reconsidered after King William IV, an acquaintance and former naval officer, intervened and relaxed the conditions.

Jahleel Brenton subsequently moved to Casterton and then to Elford where he wrote a memoir of his brother, Captain Edward Pelham Brenton.

Jahleel Brenton eventually settled in Leamington Spa where in 1844 his health deteriorated and he died of "general debility" on 21 April.

Jahleel Brenton was buried in New Street Cemetery, Leamington Spa.

Jahleel Brenton's baronetcy passed to his son, Lancelot Charles Lee Brenton.