Sir Ross Donnelly | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1764[1] |
| Died | 30 September 1840 (aged 76) Marylebone,London, England |
| Allegiance |  United Kingdom |
| Branch |  Royal Navy |
| Years of service | 1780–1814 |
| Rank | Admiral |
| Battles / wars | |
AdmiralSir Ross Donnelly,KCB (1764 – 30 September 1840) was an IrishRoyal Navy officer who is known for his service during theAmerican War of Independence,French Revolutionary War andNapoleonic Wars. He wasfirst lieutenant onHMSMontagu at theGlorious First of June and assumed command after the death of CaptainJames Montagu.
Promoted topost captain in June 1795, Donnelly was givenHMS Pegasus in which he participated in theaction of 12 May 1796.
Ross Donnelly was born in 1764, son of Francis Donnelly ofAthlone,County Roscommon.
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He joined theRoyal Navy in the 1770s and served off the Eastern Seaboard of North America during theAmerican War of Independence, seeing action at theSiege of Charleston. He was subsequently transferred toNewfoundland and, as a lieutenant, given command of the sloopHMSMorning Star for the remainder of the war. During the peace of 1783 to 1793, Donnelly joined the fleet of theHonourable East India Company, serving as a mate before rejoining the Navy at the outbreak of theFrench Revolutionary Wars.[2]
Donnelly was assigned to the 74 gunship of the lineHMSMontagu under CaptainJames Montagu and served in theChannel Fleet, joining the fleet underLord Howe that participated in theAtlantic campaign of May 1794 and fought at theGlorious First of June.Montagu was heavily engaged with the French shipNeptune and Captain Montagu was killed in the early stages, command devolving on Donnelly. Donnelly commanded the ship with skill and was commended, but due to his rank was denied the rewards that went to the victorious captains. In June 1795, Donnelly was promoted topost captain and took command of thefrigateHMSPegasus, serving with the North Sea Fleet and participating in theaction of 12 May 1796 off the Dutch coast.[2]
Donnelly later took command ofHMSMaidstone and in 1801 escorted a convoy fromPorto to Britain before taking command of the frigateHMSNarcissus and charged with returning the ambassador to Algeria before carrying out astronomical observations in the Aegean Sea. From there he joined theMediterranean Fleet where AdmiralLord Nelson would later hold him in high esteem, commending him in letters and placing several of his proteges under Donnelly's command.
In 1805, he accompanied the expeditionary force which invaded the Cape of Good Hope and theRio de la Plata, where he was commended and rewarded on his return to Britain with command of the ship of the lineHMSArdent which he brought back to South America and continued serving in the campaign until its conclusion in 1807. In 1808, he took command ofHMSInvincible, but was forced into early retirement in 1810 due tocataracts. His eyesight slowly recovered over the next two years, and at the end of the war he was on the verge of commissioning the new ship of the lineHMSDevonshire.
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Postwar, Donnelly retired, although he remained in service and received steady promotions, becoming a full admiral in 1838. A year earlier he had been rewarded for his long service with a knighthood, becoming aKnight Commander of the Order of the Bath.
In November 1839, Donnelly suffered from heart trouble, followed by rapid decline in his mental health that within months became advanced dementia. By July 1840, a lunacy commission was held to inquire into the admiral's state of mind, which heard from witnesses who testified that Donnelly was forgetful, confused, and prone to fits of abuse directed at his staff, several of whom he dismissed only to mistake them for new servants when they returned. His doctor testified that of historical matters, including his naval exploits, Donnelly spoke with great accuracy. When asked the month, Donnelly himself correctly stated it was July, but when pressed to state whether July was in winter or summer, he retorted that the season depended on whether one was in the southern or northern hemisphere, causing much laughter. Donnelly became confused when asked about the number of children he had who were still living. He chastised some of his daughters, but praised his son, a solicitor in Sydney, whom he wanted to manage his estate. The commission declared him of unsound mind since 15 November 1839.[1]
He died on 30 September 1840 at his home at 30,Harley Street, London.[3] He is buried in the overgrown north-west quadrant of the inner circle atKensal Green Cemetery in London.
He was married and had eight children, six of whom survived to adulthood.[1] His eldest daughter, Anne Jane (died 1855), married, on 18 April 1816,George Thicknesse-Touchet, 20th Baron Audley, and had issue.[4]
I was born in '64...
This article incorporates text from a publication now in thepublic domain: Laughton, John Knox (1901). "Donnelly, Ross". InLee, Sidney (ed.).Dictionary of National Biography (1st supplement). London: Smith, Elder & Co.| International | |
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