1. Vice-Admiral John Benbow was an English Royal Navy officer.
47 Facts About John Benbow
1. 2.
John Benbow joined the Navy in 1678, seeing action against Barbary pirates before leaving to join the Merchant Navy in which Benbow served until the 1688 Glorious Revolution, whereupon he returned to the Royal Navy and was commissioned.
3.
John Benbow went on to achieve fame during his military accomplishments, which included fighting against Barbary pirates such as the Sale Rovers, besieging Saint-Malo and seeing action in the West Indies against the French during the War of the Spanish Succession.
4.
John Benbow instigated the court-martial and subsequent imprisonment or execution of a number of the captains involved, though he did not live to see these results, dying of wounds sustained in battle.
5.
John Benbow was born the son of William and Martha John Benbow.
6.
Meanwhile, his uncle, Thomas, was executed by Charles I Both Parkes and the National Museum of the Royal Navy concur that Benbow was born in Coton Hill in Shrewsbury, Shropshire, and Nightingale asserts that the death of both uncle and father, and the family's association with Charles I in the years following his execution, ensured that the "family were brought very low".
7.
John Benbow sailed with her to the Mediterranean, where Herbert was promoted to the rank of vice-admiral while serving under the commander-in-chief in the Mediterranean, Admiral Sir John Narborough.
8.
John Benbow distinguished himself well in a number of actions against the Algerine vessels, and won Herbert's approval.
9.
John Benbow left the Royal Navy and entered the merchant service, sailing a merchant vessel from London and Bristol to ports in Italy and Spain.
10.
John Benbow mounted a successful defence and beat off the attack.
11.
John Benbow only returned to the Royal Navy after the Glorious Revolution in 1688.
12.
John Benbow was master of HMS Royal Sovereign in summer 1690, under his old commander Arthur Herbert, now Lord Torrington.
13.
John Benbow was assigned to act as master of the fleet, and took part in the English defeat in the Battle of Beachy Head.
14.
John Benbow continued aboard Sovereign throughout 1691, and by the summer of 1692, was again master of the fleet, this time under Admiral Edward Russell, then aboard Britannia.
15.
John Benbow worked closely with his old colleague David Mitchell, then serving as Russell's first captain, and Josiah Burchett, Russell's clerk.
16.
John Benbow served as master of the fleet during the Battles of Barfleur and La Hogue.
17.
John Benbow had already had his pay upgraded to that of a master attendant, he was now to be paid as a master, in addition to his master attendant's wage, presumably as an acknowledgement of his special services.
18.
John Benbow was still dissatisfied with the overall result and initiated a court-martial against Captain Henry Tourville, accusing him of cowardice for not bringing his ship in closer.
19.
John Benbow's experience led to him being promoted to a similar flotilla, this time to be deployed against Dunkirk under the command of Vice-Admiral Shovell.
20.
John Benbow had a hand in preparing these vessels for the operation throughout 1694, and worked closely with the principal storekeeper of the ordnance, Willem Meesters.
21.
John Benbow returned to the Downs and then resumed his duties at Deptford Dockyard.
22.
John Benbow then sailed with Berkeley and the Dutch lieutenant-admiral Philips van Almonde to Saint-Malo, intending to operate against privateering operations being conducted from the area.
23.
John Benbow was given eight bomb vessels and seven or eight frigates and was dispatched down the coast.
24.
John Benbow's orders were to protect English and Dutch shipping, especially from the squadron of the privateer Jean Bart.
25.
Bart was mostly successful in evading pursuit, usually escaping into Dunkirk when John Benbow's force drew near.
26.
John Benbow threatened the governor of Cartagena with a blockade, and so compelled him to restore two English merchant ships that he had detained.
27.
John Benbow then sailed as far north as Newfoundland in order to drive the pirates away, but they evaded capture.
28.
John Benbow returned to England in the summer of 1700, and was appointed to the command of a fleet in the Downs.
29.
John Benbow served there until summer 1701, under the command of Admiral Sir George Rooke.
30.
John Benbow was issued secret instructions to find the fleet, and then "to seize and bring them to England, taking care that no embezzlement be made".
31.
The French had three transports and four warships carrying between 68 and 70 guns, while John Benbow commanded seven ships carrying between 50 and 70 guns.
32.
John Benbow himself was hit by a chain-shot that broke his leg and he was carried below.
33.
John Benbow was determined to continue the pursuit, despite his wounds and despite Captain Kirkby's arrival on board, attempting to persuade John Benbow to abandon the pursuit.
34.
John Benbow had "seen the cowardly behaviour of some of them before, [and] had reason to believe that they either had a design against him or to be traitors to their country if an opportunity happened that the French could have destroyed the Admiral".
35.
John Benbow received a letter from du Casse after the engagement:.
36.
Samuel Vincent of Falmouth and Christopher Fogg of Breda were initially sentenced to be cashiered for signing the six captains' resolution, but John Benbow personally declared that they had fought bravely, and their sentences were remitted by the Lord High Admiral.
37.
Supporters of the disgraced Kirkby and Wade sought to discredit John Benbow by publishing their own account of the action.
38.
John Benbow married a woman named Martha after his return to England in 1681.
39.
In 1709, Katherine married Paul Calton of Milton, Berkshire, where John Benbow is said to have stayed in the 1690s.
40.
John Benbow promptly asked for reparations from the Treasury, in order to be able to reimburse Evelyn and recover his own losses.
41.
John Benbow complained that the Russians had caused considerable damage to his house, with "much of the furniture broke, lost or destroyed".
42.
John Benbow lost "twenty fine paintings" and "several fine draughts and other designs relating to the Sea" from his personal property.
43.
Brave John Benbow he set sail For to fight, for to fight Brave John Benbow he set sail for to fight.
44.
Brave John Benbow he set sail with a fine and pleasant gale But his captains they turn'd tail in a fright, in a fright.
45.
The Ruby and John Benbow fought the French, fought the French The Ruby and John Benbow fought the French.
46.
Brave John Benbow lost his legs by chain shot, by chain shot Brave John Benbow lost his legs by chain shot.
47.
Brave John Benbow lost his legs, And all on his stumps he begs, Fight on my English lads, 'Tis our lot, 'tis our lot.