Edmund Palmer | |
|---|---|
| Born | c. 1781 |
| Died | 19 September 1834 Brighton,Sussex |
| Allegiance |  United Kingdom |
| Service |  Royal Navy |
| Years of service | 1793–1834 |
| Battles / wars | |
CaptainEdmund PalmerCB (c. 1781 – 19 September 1834) was a Royal Navy officer of the late eighteenth and early nineteenth century who is best known for his service as commander of thefrigateHMSHebrus, in theBattle of Jobourg off theNormandy Coast, in the last frigate ship-to-ship battle of theNapoleonic Wars on 27 March 1814. Chasing down the frigateEtoile, which was making forSaint Malo, Palmer cornered and defeated the French ship in a fierce engagement.
Palmer was born in c. 1781, the son of aPost Office official with political influence. He joined theRoyal Navy in 1793 at the outbreak of theFrench Revolutionary Wars and served aboardHMSGibraltar and then thefrigateHMSAigle under her destruction on the North African coast in 1798. He subsequently served inHMSVille de Paris,HMSPrincess Royal andHMSPictou before being placed in reserve at thePeace of Amiens in 1801.[1]
At the start of theNapoleonic Wars in 1803 he returned to service as a lieutenant inHMSChilders in the fleet ofEarl St. Vincent. His connections enabled him to become acquainted with the Earl and in 1804 he was promoted to commander, captainingHMSWizard in the Mediterranean for two years until promoted topost captain in 1807. Due to a dearth of available ships, Palmer subsequently spent seven years in reserve, where despite political and even royal influence in his favour he was unable to secure employment. Finally in January 1814, with theWar of the Sixth Coalition coming to an end, he was appointed to the newly built frigateHMSHebrus and joined theblockade of the French Channel ports.[1]
It was while employed on this service that he encountered two French frigates off theÎle de Batz on 26 March in company with theship of the lineHMSHannibal. WhileHannibal capturedSultane, Palmer was sent in pursuit ofEtoile, cornering the French ship near theNormandy town ofJobourg. In a furious night action fought close inshore Palmer's ship was badly damaged, but he was able to repeatedlyrake the French frigate, inflicting sufficient damage to force its surrender. The capturedEtoile was taken toPlymouth and the war ended a week later. It was the last single-ship frigate action of the entire 23 year conflict.[1]
The following year Palmer andHebrus were active during theHundred Days. AfterNapoleon's return to France, Palmer was ordered to convey French Royalist politicians toBordeaux in an attempt to force the city to declare forKing Louis XVIII. On arrival the city was found to be strongly held by Imperial supporters and it was only after the arrival of reinforcements that Palmer was confident enough to attempt to force his way into the city, attacking the defences on 13 July 1815. By 23 July the city had declared for the King, and Palmer was rewarded by being made aCompanion of the Order of the Bath. In August 1816, Palmer andHebrus were with the fleet which conducted theBombardment of Algiers, but at the conclusion of the campaign it was discovered that the ship was rotten andHebrus was paid off and broken up.[1]
Palmer married Henrietta Jervis, a grandniece of Earl St. Vincent in November 1817 and the marriage, which produced eight children was noted for its happiness. His family situation led Palmer to turn down a coveted offer of a ship,HMSLiverpool in January 1818, and he entered semi-retirement inBrighton, refusing another offer of a ship in 1830 due to ill-health caused by aliver complaint and extensive financial commitments. he died in September 1834 from an illness of the liver at his home.[1]