Peter Puget | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1765 (1765) |
| Died | 31 October 1822(1822-10-31) (aged 56–57) |
| Branch | Royal Navy |
| Years of service | 1778–1822 |
| Rank | Rear-Admiral |
| Commands | Chatham,Adelphi,Esther, HMSRaven,San Nicholas, HMSVan Tromp,HMS Temeraire,HMS Monarch,HMS Foudroyant,HMS Goliath |
| Spouse | Hannah Elrington Puget |
Peter Puget (1765 – 31 October 1822) was an officer in theRoyal Navy, best known for his exploration ofPuget Sound, which is named for him.[1]
Puget's ancestors had fled France for Britain duringLouis XIV's persecution of theHuguenots. His father, John, was a successful merchant and banker, but died in 1767, leaving Puget's mother, Esther, with two sons and three daughters. In 1778, twelve-year-old Peter entered the navy as amidshipman and served on the following ships:
Upon returning to Britain, Puget was assigned toHMSDiscovery, temporarily as amaster's mate, and then commissioned as her 3rd lieutenant on 11 June 1790[2]to assist in its fitting out for an exploration of the South Pacific. During theNootka Crisis, however, it was used as adepot vessel. When the crisis ended with theTreaty of Nootka Sound, the mission changed; the first priority was to physically accept possession of the Sound from the Spanish. An accurate survey the North AmericanPacific Coast, and other surveys, were important secondary missions.[3] Because the Admiralty, following theMutiny on theBounty incident, had ordered, as a precaution against mutiny, that ships no longer make such long voyages alone, the armed tenderHMSChatham was assigned to the expedition, andHMSDaedalus was to bring supplies a year later.
In 1791,Discovery andChatham sailed to Cape Town, Australia, Tahiti and theSandwich Isles before starting a detailed survey of the Pacific North American coast, from theColumbia River to Alaska. Many features were named after friends or persons of influence. When it was hoped that theGeorgia Strait andAdmiralty Inlet might lead to theNorthwest Passage, Vancouver anchored the ships near modern-daySeattle, Washington and sent Puget in command of two rowing craft to survey south (20–27 May 1792). In recognition of Puget's work, Vancouver named the south end Puget Sound (what we now call theSouth Puget Sound); it is unlikely that either man realized this name would encompass the whole region over time. Puget was also involved in the exploration by small boat of the Columbia River under the command of Chatham's captain, William Robert Broughton; Puget's name was applied to the tinyPuget Island opposite the Indian village atCathlamet.
Puget was given command ofChatham when her first captain, Broughton, was sent with dispatches back to England with instructions to request further clarified orders from Admiralty as regarded the Crown's position on territorial negotiations with the Spanish.
While only a lieutenant-in-command ofChatham, Puget served with distinction for the rest of the survey. He assisted Vancouver in negotiations with the Spanish atNootka Sound. In 1795, the two-ship squadron returned to England by way ofCape Horn, capturing a Dutch East Indiaman along the way. Once home, Puget was confirmed in the rank of Commander.
In February 1796, Commander Puget was given the tinyAdelphi with which to protect a supply convoy toGibraltar. To protect the return convoy, he fitted out an armed freighter, theEsther, using his own funds. On the return voyage, he captured a Spanish merchantman and sent it ahead with a prize crew. Then his convoy was attacked by French frigateLa Bellona, and Puget interposed his tiny vessel to let the other ships flee. Puget then bribed the French captain (pointing out that he was unlikely to collect much in prize money) and brought his command home. The British Admiralty found a way not to pay Puget prize money on the merchantman, although it did cover his expenses, including the bribe.
In 1797, Puget was given command of the sloop-of-warHMSRaven and joined the fleet ofSir John Jervis. Jervis put him in charge of theSan Nicholas, a Spanish ship-of-the-line, still crewed by Spaniards; Puget suppressed a mutiny and delivered the crew to Lisbon.
In 1807, Puget played a decisive role at theSecond Battle of Copenhagen. He led an inshore squadron of shallow-draft vessels (including twobomb ketches) to disable the Danish gunboats and to cover the army's seaward flank in a manoeuvre similar to Nelson's action in theFirst Battle of Copenhagen. However, British public reaction to the second attack was unfavourable, since it was an attack on a neutral country; no fame was attached to Puget's success.
Thereafter, Puget settled into family life, living inBath for reasons of health. He was gazetted aCompanion of the Bath in 1818 and, according to the rules of seniority, he was commissionedRear-Admiral of the Blue on 19 July 1821.
TheBath Chronicle memorialized him:
Peter Puget married Hannah Elrington on 6 February 1797. They had seven sons and four daughters.
Their eldest son, Peter Richard Puget, went to America and became an actor. Other sons served in the British Army or Navy, one of whom (William David) retired as a captain. The daughters all married and it is through one of them, Eleanor Catherine, came the only known descendant of Peter and Hannah Puget.
Hannah Puget never remarried, died on 14 September 1849, and is buried next to Peter, in the churchyard ofWoolley, near Bath. The originalsarcophagus is heavily weatherworn, and has been supplemented by a bronze plaque donated by theSeattle Historical Society.
