John Benbow

Benbow was born the son of William and Martha Benbow. The astrologer John Partridge recorded the exact time and date of his birth as being at noon on 10 March 1653, and this is the date used by the National Museum of the Royal Navy, and the local historical accounts of Joseph Nightingale published in 1818. A biography within an 1819 publication of ''The Gentleman's Magazine, however, records in a short biography entitled Life and Exploits of Admiral Benbow by D. Parkes that he was born in 1650, as does the 1861 Sea kings and naval heroes'' by John George Edgar. Edgar records that Benbow's father died when Benbow was very young, However his lack of income or possessions, Nightingale writes, turned him to a career at sea. == Naval career ==

Early years Benbow entered the Royal Navy on 30 April 1678, aged 25 years. During this period the English fleet was often in action against the Barbary pirates of North Africa that were actively preying upon European shipping. Benbow distinguished himself well in a number of actions against the Algerine vessels, and won Herbert's approval. On Narborough's return to England, Herbert was appointed acting commander-in-chief, and made Benbow master aboard on 15 June 1679. Nonsuch would remain at Tangiers and off the African coast and had a number of successive captains who would go on to achieve flag rank, including George Rooke, Cloudesley Shovell and Francis Wheler. All were impressed by Benbow, and would afterwards help to advance his career. A dispute then arose over the question of the prize money and how it should be shared out, and comments were made amongst Nonsuchs crew against those of Adventure. Benbow's repetition of these eventually came to Booth's knowledge, In May 1687 he commanded a merchant vessel, Malaga Merchant, and was aboard her when she was attacked by the Salé Rovers. He mounted a successful defence and beat off the attack. A North African kufi, "coated with varnish and set in silver" and bearing the inscription "First adventure of Captain John Benbow, and gift to Richard Ridley, 1687" is referred to in 1844 by Charles Dickens in ''Bentley's Miscellany'' where he speaks of Shrewsbury's history, and the 1885 Dictionary of National Biography also relates the story. Return to the Navy (left), John Benbow (centre) and Sir Ralph Delaval (right). The three had been important figures in British fleet operations against the north coast of France during 1692–93. He was master of HMS Royal Sovereign in summer 1690, under his old commander Arthur Herbert, now Lord Torrington. 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. Benbow worked closely with his old colleague David Mitchell, then serving as Russell's first captain, and Josiah Burchett, Russell's clerk. Benbow may have advised Russell to take the Gull Passage inside the Goodwin Sands to the Downs, where they linked up with the Dutch forces. Benbow served as master of the fleet during the Battles of Barfleur and La Hogue. After the battles, Benbow returned to Deptford to resume his duties as master attendant, spending a brief period at Portsmouth Dockyard helping to oversee repairs to the fleet. He 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. It continued intermittently until 19 November when a large fireship was sent into the harbour. An attempt was made to bring her alongside the town walls, but she ran aground, was set on fire, and exploded. Despite the failure of the initial plan, considerable damage was done, and Benbow's forces were able to take the fort on Quince Rock and disable it, carrying artillery and prisoners away and bringing them to Guernsey. 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. There was no conviction though, as the mortars were proved to be defective. Benbow's attacking fleet was covered by Shovell's fleet on the Downs and the attack was planned for 12 and 13 September. They began operations on their arrival off Saint-Malo on 4 July, remaining in action until evening the next day when they withdrew, without having achieved any decisive result. Several houses had been destroyed for the damage and loss of a few of the bomb vessels. Berkeley wrote on 28 July: As to Captain Benbow, I know of no difference between him and me, nor have we had any. He has no small obligation to me, but being called in some of the foolish printed papers ‘the famous Captain Benbow’, I suppose has put him a little out of himself, and has made him play the fool, as I guess, in some of his letters. I will not farther now particularize this business, but time will show I have not been in the wrong, unless being too kind to an ungrateful man. However, the Admiralty approved of Benbow's conduct and ordered him "to be paid as Rear-Admiral during the time he has been employed this summer on the coast of France ... as a reward for his good service." His orders were to protect English and Dutch shipping, especially from the squadron of the privateer Jean Bart. Bart, however, was mostly successful in evading pursuit, usually escaping into Dunkirk when Benbow's force drew near. Benbow was appointed to command a squadron in the Soundings in December 1696. He carried out a number of cruises between March and August 1697, protecting allied trade and escorting the West Indian and Virginian merchant fleets into port. These activities marked the last English naval expedition of the war. He also carried out reconnaissance activities on the French fleet in port in Brest in July, before resuming patrol operations off Dunkirk, this time in concert with a number of Dutch ships under Rear-Admiral Philips van der Goes, until the end of the war in September 1697. Appointment to the West Indies Benbow was made commander-in-chief of the King's ships in the West Indies on 9 March 1698, and instructed to tackle the issue of piracy. Benbow finally reached Barbados in February 1699, and moved to the Spanish Main aboard his flagship, the 60-gun . He threatened the governor of Cartagena with a blockade, and so compelled him to restore two English merchant ships that he had detained. These ships had been intended to take part in an expedition against the Scottish Darién scheme. Without the ships, this became impossible and the colonists were saved for the time being. This was counter to the English government's desire to see the end of the Scottish colonising efforts, and in June Benbow and the other West Indies governors received orders "not to assist the Scotch colony in Darien". Benbow then sailed as far north as Newfoundland in order to drive the pirates away, but they evaded capture. Benbow returned to England in the summer of 1700, and was appointed to the command of a fleet in the Downs. Spanish treasure fleet, West Indies, the action of 1702 With the peace becoming increasingly uneasy, the English government became concerned over the possible fate of the Spanish silver fleet, due to arrive in European waters from America. They were worried that the French would intercept the ships and use the treasure for war preparations. 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". Benbow's squadron was detached on 2 September and sailed for the West Indies, arriving on 14 November, and was at the Jamaica Station in mid-December. He remained there for several months, being joined on 8 May 1702 by several vessels under Captain William Whetstone. Whetstone was made Rear-Admiral under Benbow, who had been promoted to Vice-Admiral of the White on 19 January 1702 By the time that Whetstone had reached Hispaniola, Du Casse had already departed. Benbow's force subsequently sighted the French on 19 August, sailing off Cape Santa Marta. The French had three transports and four warships carrying between 68 and 70 guns, while Benbow commanded seven ships carrying between 50 and 70 guns. The action quickly revealed a breakdown in discipline amongst Benbow's captains. He had intended that the 64-gun under Captain Richard Kirkby would lead the line of battle, but Kirkby was not maintaining his station. Benbow decided to take the lead himself, and Breda pulled ahead, followed by the 50-gun under Captain George Walton. Benbow was determined to continue the pursuit, despite his wounds and despite Captain Kirkby's arrival on board, attempting to persuade Benbow to abandon the pursuit. Benbow summoned a council of war, and the other captains agreed, signing a paper drafted by Kirkby which declared that they believed "that after six days of battle the squadron lacked enough men to continue and that there was little chance of a decisive action, since the men were exhausted, there was a general lack of ammunition, the ships' rigging and masts were badly damaged, and the winds were generally variable and undependable." He, therefore, ordered the squadron to return to Jamaica. On their arrival, he ordered the captains to be imprisoned, awaiting a trial by court-martial. Trial of the captains Acting Rear-Admiral Whetstone returned to Port Royal, having spent 62 days cruising off Hispaniola, and preparations were made for the trial. Before it could begin, Captain Thomas Hudson died, who had commanded . The remaining captains appeared at the court-martial which convened on Breda, held between 19 and 23 October. Controversy slowly began to develop over the events of August 1702. Supporters of the disgraced Kirkby and Wade sought to discredit Benbow by publishing their own account of the action. == Death and burial ==

Benbow died at Port Royal, Kingston, Jamaica on 4 November 1702. Secretary of State Lord Nottingham wrote to Benbow in January 1703, before news of his death had reached London, to inform him that the queen was "extremely well pleased with your conduct and much offended with the baseness of those officers who deserted and betrayed you." Meanwhile, the cabinet was preparing to promote him to vice-admiral of the white and to dispatch him to transport troops to Newfoundland. ==Personal life and legacy==

Benbow returned to England in 1681, and on 26 June 1682, at Holy Trinity, Minories, in the City of London, he married a widow named Elizabeth More. The couple had at least seven children, including daughter Martha and sons John and Richard. Another son, Solomon, was baptised in 1686 but died in infancy. Martha died in 1722. There are also records of two more sons named Richard who were born in Kent, and another daughter named Katherine. Son John went on to serve in the Royal Navy. Benbow and Peter the Great Benbow signed a three-year lease on Sayes Court in June 1696, a house belonging to diarist John Evelyn. Six months later, Evelyn wrote to a friend complaining, "I have let my house to Captain Benbow, and have the mortification of seeing everyday much of my former labours and expenses there impairing for want of a more polite tenant." In January 1698, Tsar Peter of Russia arrived in London to study British shipbuilding and seamanship. He and his entourage were provided with Sayes Court to reside in during their stay by William III. The Russians spent three months in London before leaving to tour the country. Benbow promptly asked for reparations from the Treasury, in order to be able to reimburse Evelyn and recover his own losses. He complained that the Russians had caused considerable damage to his house, with "much of the furniture broke, lost or destroyed". Christopher Wren was instructed to survey the property and declared it "entirely ruined". Benbow lost "twenty fine paintings" and "several fine draughts and other designs relating to the Sea" from his personal property. The Treasury eventually allowed payment of £350 9s. 6d. in compensation. "Brave Benbow" Benbow's fame led to his name entering popular culture. A monument by sculptor John Evan Thomas was erected in 1843 by public subscription in St Mary's Church, Shrewsbury commemorating Benbow as "a skillful and daring seaman whose heroic exploits long rendered him the boast of the British Navy and still point him out as the Nelson of his times." A 74-gun ship of the line and two battleships were named . There are a number of real life Admiral Benbow public houses around the world, and other institutions that have borne his name. Whether they are named as a result of Robert Louis Stevenson's use of "The Admiral Benbow Inn" in his novel Treasure Island, or if they're named for the Admiral himself, it is impossible to say. It is alleged that Stevenson named the Hawkins' Inn after the arrest of several members of the "Benbow Brandy Men" smuggling gang that frequented the Benbow pub in Penzance shortly before he visited in August 1877. "Admiral John Benbow" (song) The incident of August 1702 also took hold on the popular imagination, and was celebrated in an alehouse song, listed as number 227 in the Roud Folk Song Index: Come all you seamen bold and draw near, and draw near, Come all you seamen bold and draw near. It's of an Admiral's fame, O brave Benbow was his name, How he fought all on the main, you shall hear, you shall hear. Brave Benbow he set sail For to fight, for to fight Brave Benbow he set sail for to fight. Brave Benbow he set sail with a fine and pleasant gale But his captains they turn'd tail in a fright, in a fright. Says Kirby unto Wade: We will run, we will run Says Kirby unto Wade, we will run. For I value no disgrace, nor the losing of my place, But the enemy I won't face, nor his guns, nor his guns. The Ruby and Benbow fought the French, fought the French The Ruby and Benbow fought the French. They fought them up and down, till the blood came trickling down, Till the blood came trickling down where they lay, where they lay. Brave Benbow lost his legs by chain shot, by chain shot Brave Benbow lost his legs by chain shot. Brave Benbow lost his legs, And all on his stumps he begs, Fight on my English lads, 'Tis our lot, 'tis our lot. The surgeon dress'd his wounds, Cries Benbow, cries Benbow The surgeon dress'd his wounds, cries Benbow. Let a cradle now in haste, on the quarterdeck be placed That the enemy I may face 'Til I die, 'Til I die. Its musical theme forms one of the three arrangements on which English composer Ralph Vaughan Williams based his Sea Songs, originally arranged for military band in 1923 as the second movement of his English Folk Song Suite, and subsequently re-arranged for full orchestra in 1942 by the composer. The song was collected in the oral tradition from traditional singers in England in the twentieth century. A recording of Sam Bennett of Ilmington, Warwickshire made by James Madison Carpenter in the 1930s can be heard on the Vaughan Williams Memorial Library Website. The Copper Family also have a traditional version of the song which was passed down through several generations and is available online. Another song has survived from the period with different air and rhythm but also known as Admiral Benbow, and it is often sung by folksingers. It begins We sailed from Virginia and thence to Fayal. ==="Down By the Sea" (Men at Work song)=== Benbow is briefly mentioned in the Australian new wave band Men at Work song, "Down By the Sea" ("Down on the beach/Saluting Captain Benbow"); on their 1981 album Business as Usual. Other Literary Records • is Letitia Elizabeth's poetical illustration on the painting of Benbow by Sir G. Kneller, engraved by W. T. Mote (actually William Henry Mote) from Fisher's Drawing Room Scrap Book, 1838 together with a brief historical note. ==References==