AdmiralNicholas Haddock (1686 – 26 September 1746) was anadmiral in theRoyal Navy and Commander-in-Chief of Britain's naval forces in theMediterranean between 1738 and 1742. Despite an active and successful early and middle career, his reputation was tarnished in 1740 when he failed to prevent the Spanish and French fleets from combining to support an invasion of Italy. Amid public outcry he was forced to resign his naval responsibilities and return to England, where he fell into a melancholic state.
Nicholas Haddock | |
|---|---|
 Nicholas Haddock | |
| Born | 1686 |
| Died | 26 September 1746 (aged 59–60) Wrotham Place,Kent |
| Allegiance |  Kingdom of Great Britain |
| Service |  Royal Navy |
| Years of service | 1699–1746 |
| Rank | Admiral of the Blue |
| Commands | Mediterranean Fleet |
| Battles / wars | |
Haddock never returned to sea. He held public office as theMember of Parliament for Rochester, but there is no record of him attending parliament or casting a vote. He died atWrotham Place in Kent, in 1746.
Early life
editHaddock was born in 1686, the third and youngest son ofSir Richard Haddock, thenController of the Navy, and his wife Elizabeth. He joined the Royal Navy at thirteen as avolunteer-per-order and was promoted tomidshipman three years later.[1] At around this time he also saw his first active service at sea, being present at theBattle of Vigo Bay off Spain in 1702. Promoted to lieutenant, he served at the relief ofBarcelona in 1706. On 6 April 1707 he was promoted to the rank ofcaptain and placed in command of the 42-gunfifth-rate HMSLudlow Castle.[2]
England wasat war with France, and Haddock's orders were to hunt for enemy privateers. On 30 December he broughtLudlow Castle into range with two such vessels,Nightingale andSquirrel, both former English merchantmen captured and refitted by the French. Haddock ordered thatLudlow Castle give chase, and was rewarded with the capture ofNightingale. This vessel, Haddock's firstprize ship, was returned to England along with her crew.[2] Haddock was also present at theBattle of Cape Passaro off Sicily in 1718; he was Captain of the 70-gunGrafton, and led the attack.[3]
Later career
editIn 1723 he purchased the estate ofWrotham Place inKent. In 1732 he was appointed to command ofThe Nore. He was Commander-in-Chief in theMediterranean Fleet from 1738 to 1742.[4] After the outbreak of theWar of Austrian Succession, with only 10 ships at his disposal, he was unable to prevent the crossing of two Spanish armies from Barcelona to Italy. In November 1741, a Spanish fleet with 14,000 troops sailed toOrbetello and in mid-December, 52 ships carrying almost 12,800 men successfully crossed towardsLa Spezia.[5] Only with the arrival of additional ships from Britain in February 1742, he was able to successfully blockaded the Spanish coast[6] and take valuable prizes including two treasure ships, but failed to force the Spanish fleet into an action. He was recalled from the Mediterranean in December 1741 and succeeded first byRichard Lestock[7] and thenThomas Mathews.[7]
He was promoted to the rank ofrear admiral in 1734 and promptly took up a political career, obtaining the Admiralty-controlledrotten borough ofRochester in the elections in that year. Although no longer a serving sea officer he continued to progress through seniority, reaching the rank ofvice-admiral in 1744 andAdmiral of the Blue in 1744. He remained in Parliament as Member for Rochester until his death in 1746.[1]
His estate, comprising Wrotham Place and a fortune inSouth Sea andEast India Company shares, was inherited by his eldest sonNicholas.[1]
References
edit- ^abc"Haddock, Nicholas (1686-1746), of Wrotham Place, Kent". United Kingdom: The History of Parliament Trust. 2016. Retrieved26 November 2016.
- ^abCharnock 1795, p. 383
- ^"Nicholas Haddock". Three Decks. Retrieved7 January 2018.
- ^Stewart, William (2014).Admirals of the World: A Biographical Dictionary, 1500 to the Present. Jefferson, North Carolina, United States: McFarland. p. 152.ISBN 9780786482887.
- ^Reed Browning,The War of the Austrian Succession, p. 79-81.
- ^Reed Browning,The War of the Austrian Succession, p. 97.
- ^abBruce, Anthony; Cogar, William (2014).Encyclopedia of Naval History. Cambridge, England: Routledge. p. 240.ISBN 9781135935344.
Further reading
edit- Charnock, John (1795).Biographia Navalis; or, Impartial Memoirs of the Lives and Characters of Officers of the Navy of Great Britain from the Year 1660 to The Present Times. Vol. 3. Luton, United Kingdom: Andrews.ISBN 9781781506073.
{{cite book}}:ISBN / Date incompatibility (help) - Concise Dictionary of National Biography (1930)
- Robert Beatson,A Chronological Register of Both Houses of Parliament (London: Longman, Hurst, Res & Orme, 1807)
- The History and Topographical Survey of the County of Kent: Volume 5 (1798)
- Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs
| Parliament of Great Britain | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Member of Parliament forRochester 1734–1746 With:David Polhill 1734–1741 Admiral Edward Vernon 1741–1743 David Polhill 1743–1746 | Succeeded by |