Sir George Cranfield Berkeley | |
|---|---|
 Admiral Sir George Cranfield Berkeley by SirWilliam Beechey | |
| Born | 10 August 1753 |
| Died | 25 February 1818(1818-02-25) (aged 64) London, England |
| Allegiance |  United Kingdom |
| Branch |  Royal Navy |
| Years of service | 1766 to 1813 |
| Rank | Royal NavyAdmiral |
| Commands | |
| Battles / wars | |
| Awards | Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath |
| Other work | MP forGloucestershire, 1783–1810 |
Sir George Cranfield Berkeley,GCB (10 August 1753 – 25 February 1818) was aRoyal Navy officer. Anadmiral, he was highly popular yet controversial in late eighteenth and early nineteenth century Britain.[1] Serving on several ships, Berkeley saw action at all three Battles of Ushant, commanded fleets in the West Indies and off Ireland and governed the supply routes toPortugal andSpain which keptWellington's armies in the field during thePeninsular War. He also enjoyed an extensive political career, reforming military practices in Britain and participating in several prominent scandals including feuds withCharles James Fox andHugh Palliser.
George Cranfield Berkeley was born in 1753, the third son ofAugustus Berkeley, 4th Earl of Berkeley, and his courtier wife Elizabeth Drax. His father died when George was only two and the titleEarl of Berkeley passed to his elder brotherFrederick. George was privately educated until nine, when he attendedEton College, gaining a formal education until 1766 when he was attached to theroyal yachtMary, commanded by a relative,Augustus Keppel.Mary conveyedPrincess Caroline Matilda toDenmark, where she was married toChristian VII of Denmark. Berkeley acted as page at her wedding.[2]
In 1767, Berkeley was attached to the squadron underHugh Palliser based atNewfoundland. Berkeley was there mentored byJoseph Gilbert (who later accompaniedJames Cook) andJohn Cartwright (later a prominent political reformer). With these men, Berkeley participated in a survey of Newfoundland, learning seamanship, surveying and numerous other skills in the two-year commission. In 1769, Berkeley was transferred to theMediterranean and served in thefrigateHMSAlarm underJohn Jervis.[2] For the next five years, Berkeley spent time in the Mediterranean and at home, making lieutenant in 1772 but failing to be elected asMP forCricklade and thenGloucestershire after a bitter and enormously expensive contest.[2]
Following the outbreak of theAmerican Revolutionary War, Berkeley served onHMSVictory, in which he commanded a gundeck at theFirst Battle of Ushant. Berkeley became a prominent opponent ofSir Hugh Palliser after the battle, at which Palliser wasaccused of refusing to obey the orders of his commanding officer, AdmiralAugustus Keppel. This opposition did not prevent Berkeley gaining his first independent command the same year, when he took over the 8-gun HMSPluto. The next year he moved to the similarly tiny HMSFirebrand and impressed his commanding officerLord Shuldham. Shuldham's recommendation for promotion was turned down however due to his previous involvement in the Palliser affair.[2]
In 1780, Berkeley was appointed to HMSFairy, a 14-gunbrig under his cousinGeorge Keppel and together they captured the American shipMercury, taking prisonerHenry Laurens who was on a secret mission to loan money from the Dutch government. The information procured from Laurens led to a British declaration of war against theNetherlands.[2] As another consequence, Berkeley was promoted to captain by AdmiralRichard Edwards and commandedFairy during the relief of theGreat Siege of Gibraltar and further operations against American shipping from Newfoundland.[2]
In 1781, Berkeley was given command of the frigateHMSRecovery which was placed in the squadron ofSamuel Barrington. At theSecond Battle of Ushant in 1782, Berkeley's ship was engaged in the decimation of a French convoy and its escorts. As a reward, Berkeley was given the capturedship of the lineHMSPegase. Whilst aboard her he was approached by a youngWilliam Cobbett who wanted to volunteer for the navy. Berkeley dissuaded Cobbett, who later credited Berkeley with saving him from "most toilsome and perilous profession in the world".[2] In April 1783, Berkeley finally gained a seat in parliament, at the constituency ofGloucestershire. Berkeley would remain MP for the town for the next 27 years and took the position seriously, becoming a very important independent MP. He even attempted to bringWilliam Pitt the Younger andCharles James Fox into an alliance, although the collapse of the scheme ended with a feud between him and Fox.[2]
The following year, 1784 after the peace, Berkeley married Emilia Charlotte Lennox, daughter ofLord George Lennox. The marriage was a love match and Berkeley's sister commented that they were "a pattern of domestic happiness scarcely to be equaled".[2] The couple had three daughters and two sons and remained an unusually tight-knit family, Berkeley using his extensive personal wealth to bring his family with him on long voyages and overseas postings.[2] In 1786 Berkeley commandedHMSMagnificent and remained with her for three years until 1789 when he became surveyor-general of the ordnance. He left the post after theFrench Revolutionary Wars broke out in 1793, taking overHMSMarlborough.[1]
Berkeley was still in command ofMarlborough when she fought underLord Howe at theGlorious First of June, fighting as part of AdmiralThomas Pasley's van division there and at the precedingAtlantic campaign of May 1794. At the First of June,Marlborough was dismasted in close combat with several French ships and Berkeley badly wounded in the head and thigh, having to retire below after a period to staunch the bleeding. He had a long convalescence after the action but was amongst the captains selected for the gold medal commemorating the action, only awarded to those felt to have played a significant part in the victory.[2]
Returning to service in 1795, Berkeley commandedHMSFormidable offBrest,Cadiz,Ireland and the Texel, coming ashore in 1798 to command theSussex sea fencibles. In 1799, Berkeley was promoted rear-admiral and attached to theChannel Fleet, but thegout which had forced his first retirement returned, and Berkeley was forced to take permanent shore leave in 1800. In 1801, Berkeley increased his political interests to compensate for the loss of his naval career.[2]
Berkeley continued building his political status during thePeace of Amiens and by Berkeley had been appointed inspector of sea fencibles, a job he undertook with vigour, conducting a fourteen-month survey of Britain's coastal defences, which greatly improved the island's defences. In 1806, after a shift in political power, Berkeley fell out of favour somewhat and was dispatched to theNorth American Station. From there, Berkeley ordered the attack byHMSLeopard on the American frigateUSSChesapeake in retaliation for American recruitment of British deserters. This action, known as theChesapeake-Leopard Affair, helped precipitate theWar of 1812.[2]
Having embarrassed the British government with this action, Berkeley was recalled home. However, public opinion supported his orders, so Berkeley was moved to command inLisbon in the hope he could organise the chaotic supply system forWellington's army in thePeninsular War.[2] Berkeley recognised that only a dedicated and organised convoy system could keep the supply of men, food and material regular and consequently set one up. Simultaneously, he reequipped and galvanised the remnants of theSpanish Navy, rescuing several ships from capture by the French as well as used frigates to supplypartisan units all along the coast ofPortugal and Northern Spain.[2]
By 1810, Wellington could truthfully say of Berkeley that "His activity is unbounded, the whole range of the business of the Country in which he is stationed, civil, military, political, commercial, even ecclesiastical I believe as well as naval are objects of his attention". He was promoted to full admiral and madeLord High Admiral of thePortuguese Navy by the Portuguese Regent in Brazil.[2]
Berkeley retired from the post in 1812, again laid low by health. He and Wellington remained good friends for the rest of their lives, and Wellington later stated that Berkeley was the best naval commander he had ever cooperated with.[2] Berkeley's final voyage was to return to Britain aboardHMSBarfleur. Later rewards included being made aKnight Companion of the Order of the Bath in 1813 which was converted to aKnight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath in 1815. He was reportedly disappointed not to have been given a peerage for his long and excellent service.[2]
Berkeley retired to a house in South Audley Street, London, where his gout continued to plague him with severe pain for the rest of his life. He spent some time during this period conversing with lifelong friendEdward Jenner, whose vaccine forsmallpox Berkeley had persuaded the government to investigate, particularly with regard for the health of the navy. He was confined to bed as a result of chronic gout, and died in February 1818 at the age of 64, survived by his family.[2]
Berkeley had a total of five children.
| Parliament of Great Britain | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Member of Parliament forGloucestershire 1783–1801 With:James Dutton, to 1784 Thomas Master, 1784–1796 Henry Somerset, 1796–1801 | Succeeded by Parliament of the United Kingdom |
| Parliament of the United Kingdom | ||
| Preceded by Parliament of Great Britain | Member of Parliament forGloucestershire 1801–1810 With:Henry Somerset, 1801–1803 Lord Edward Somerset, 1803–1810 | Succeeded by |
| Military offices | ||
| Preceded by | Surveyor-General of the Ordnance 1789–1795 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Commander-in-Chief, North American Station 1806–1807 | Succeeded by |
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Other | |
