Wikipedia

Provo Wallis

Admiral of the FleetSir Provo William Parry Wallis,GCB(12 April 1791 – 13 February 1892) was aRoyal Navyofficer. As a junior officer, following thecapture of USSChesapeakeby thefrigateHMSShannonduring theWar of 1812,the wounding of HMSShannon's captain and the death of her first lieutenant in the action, he served as the temporary captain of HMSShannonas she returned toHalifax, Nova Scotia,withChesapeake.

Admiral of the Fleet

Sir Provo Wallis
Wallis (1813) byRobert Field
Birth nameProvo William Parry Wallis
Born(1791-04-12)12 April 1791
Halifax,Nova Scotia
Died13 February 1892(1892-02-13)(aged 100)
Funtington,England
AllegianceUnited Kingdom
Service/ branchRoyal Navy
Years of service1795–1892
RankAdmiral of the Fleet
CommandsHMSSnipe
HMSNiemen
HMSMadagascar
Senior Naval Officer, Gibraltar
South East Coast of America Station
Battles / warsWar of 1812
Pastry War
AwardsKnight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath
Signature

As commanding officer of the fifth-rateHMSMadagascar,Wallis earned the thanks of the people ofVeracruzinMexicowhen he protected them from French bombardment during thePastry War.He went on to be Senior Naval Officer, Gibraltar, and then Commander-in-Chief on theSouth East Coast of America Station.Wallis was promoted to senior flag officer positions and was still carried on the active list at 100 years old when he died.

Early career

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Wallis commanded HMSShannonon her return to Halifax with her prize, after thecapture of USSChesapeake

He was the son of Provo Featherstone Wallis, a clerk at theRoyal Naval Dockyard, Halifax,Nova Scotia, by his wife Elizabeth Lawlor.[1]Wallis benefited from his father's desire to secure a naval career for his son. Knowing the rules for an officer's entry into the navy, his father managed to get him officially registered in May 1795, at the age of four, as anable seamanon the 36-gunfrigateHMSOiseau,under CaptainRobert Murray.[2]

In May 1798, young Provo became a volunteer in the 40-gun frigateHMSPrevoyantewhere he remained (on paper at least) until September 1799 when he joined the 64-gunthird-rateHMSAsia.He served on HMSAsiauntil September 1800, when he was promoted tomidshipmanin the 32-gunfifth-rateHMSCleopatra.[3]HMSCleopatrawas the first ship he physically served aboard – he physically joined the ship in October 1804 – but by now he had amassed nearly a decade of seniority.[2]In an action on 16 February 1805, HMSCleopatrawas captured by the French frigateVille de Milanand the ship's company takenprisoner of war.Wallis was freed a week later whenVille de Milanwas itself captured by the Royal Navy: he transferred toVille de Milanwhich now became a British ship.[3]

Wallis transferred to the third-rateHMSTriumphin November 1806 and to the third-rateHMSBellonain February 1808 and, having been promoted tolieutenanton 13 November 1808,[4]he transferred again to thesloop-of-warHMSCurieuxlater that month.[3]HMSCurieuxran agroundand was wrecked on the coast ofGuadeloupein November 1809 and Wallis transferred to the fifth-rateHMSGloirein December 1809.[5]He subsequently served in the sloopsHMSObservateur,HMSDriverandHMSEmulous.[5]

Wallis transferred to the 38-gunfrigateHMSShannonin January 1812.[5]HMSShannoncaptured USSChesapeakenearBostonon 1 June 1813, during theWar of 1812:HMSShannon's Captain,Philip Broke,was badly wounded during the action and her first lieutenant was killed.[5]

Wallis served as the temporary captain of the British frigate for a period of exactly six days as she made her way back toHalifax, Nova Scotia,withChesapeakeflying theBlue Ensignabove theStars and Stripes,for which action he was promoted tocommanderon 9 July 1813.[5][4]

Wallis was given command of thesloopHMSSnipeatSheernessin January 1814.[5]Promoted tocaptainon 12 August 1819,[4]he became commanding officer of thesixth-rateHMSNiemenat Halifax in June 1824 and commanding officer of the fifth-rateHMSMadagascaron theNorth America and West Indies Stationin April 1838.[5]He earned the thanks of the people ofVeracruzin Mexico when he protected them from French bombardment in Winter 1838 during thePastry War.[5]

Appointed ascommodore(but remaining apost captainin substantive rank) he went on to be Senior Naval Officer, Gibraltar, with hisbroad pennantof the third-rateHMSWarspite,in October 1843.[5]

Senior command

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Wallis in the uniform of a senior flag officer
Wallis'sepaulettesdisplayed in theNaval Museum of Halifax,CFB Halifax

Promoted torear-admiralon 27 August 1851,[6][4]Wallis became Commander-in-Chief,South East Coast of America Station,with his flag in the third-rateHMSCumberland,in May 1857 but only held the command until September 1857.[5]He was promoted tovice-admiralon 10 September 1857,[7][4]appointed aKnight Commander of the Order of the Bathon 18 May 1860[8]and promoted toadmiralon 2 March 1863.[9][4]He was appointedRear-Admiral of the United Kingdomon 17 July 1869[10]andVice-Admiral of the United Kingdomon 12 February 1870.[11]

In order to prevent admirals from dying as paupers, a special clause in the retirement scheme of 1870 provided that those officers who had commanded a ship before the end of theNapoleonic Warsshould be retained on the active list: the six days Wallis was in command of HMSShannonqualified him to remain on the active list until he died.[2]He was advanced toKnight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bathon 24 May 1873[12]and promoted toAdmiral of the Fleeton 11 December 1875.[13]TheAdmiraltysuggested he retire when he reached his late nineties, as being on the active list meant he was liable for calling up for a seagoing command. Wallis instead replied he was ready to accept one.[2]

Wallis died at his country home inFuntingtoninWest Sussexon 13 February 1892 and was buried in St Mary's churchyard at Funtington.[5]He was only a few months short of his 101st birthday with a combined service of 96 years from the time his name first appeared on the books of a Royal Navy ship.[2]He was the last survivor of the action between HMSShannonand USSChesapeake,and on his death, four admirals below him on the active list were able to gain immediate promotion.[14]

Family

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On 17 October 1817 Wallis married Juliana Massey; they had two daughters.[5]Following the death of his first wife, he married Jemima Wilson, daughter ofSir Robert Wilson,on 21 July 1849.[5]

Legacy

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Wallis HouseinOttawais named after Wallis;[15]the City of Ottawa has erected brass plaques, which were unveiled in 1990 and 1997 documenting the history of the building.[16]The former Canadian Coast Guard ShipCCGSProvo Walliswas also named after him.[17]The main street in the Naval dockyard ofHalifax, Nova Scotia,is also named "Provo Wallis Street" in his honour.[18]

Effective dates of promotion

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Promotions
Rank Date
Admiral of the Fleet 11 December 1877[19][4]
Admiral 2 March 1863[4][19]
Vice-Admiral 10 September 1857[4][7]
Rear-Admiral 27 August 1851[4][19]
Captain 19 August 1819[4][19]
Commander 9 July 1813[4][19]
Lieutenant 11 November 1808[4][19]
Able seaman 1 May 1795[20]

See also

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  • O'Byrne, William Richard (1849)."Wallis, Provo William Parry".A Naval Biographical Dictionary.John Murray– viaWikisource.

References

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  1. ^Christie, Carl (1990)."Wallis, Sir Provo William Parry".In Halpenny, Francess G (ed.).Dictionary of Canadian Biography.Vol. XII (1891–1900) (online ed.).University of Toronto Press.Retrieved17 January2015.
  2. ^abcdeEllis, p. 127-8
  3. ^abcHeathcote, p. 248
  4. ^abcdefghijklmClowes, W. Laird (William Laird), Sir, 1856–1905. (1996–1997).The Royal Navy: a history from the earliest times to the present.Chatham Pub. p. 83.OCLC606148691.{{cite book}}:CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  5. ^abcdefghijklmHeathcote, p. 249
  6. ^"No. 21240".The London Gazette.29 August 1851. p. 2206.
  7. ^ab"No. 22041".The London Gazette.18 September 1857. p. 3141.
  8. ^"No. 22387".The London Gazette.18 May 1860. p. 1915.
  9. ^"No. 22722".The London Gazette.31 March 1863. p. 1824.
  10. ^"No. 23518".The London Gazette.20 July 1869. p. 4063.
  11. ^"No. 23587".The London Gazette.15 February 1870. p. 851.
  12. ^"No. 23979".The London Gazette.24 May 1873. p. 2583.
  13. ^"No. 24278".The London Gazette.24 December 1875. p. 6577.
  14. ^"Salt Indeed: The Amazing Career of Lieutenant Provo Wallis of HMS Shannon".War of 1812.Retrieved23 March2017.
  15. ^"Wallis House; Building housed seminary, barracks, public housing and hospital." Joanne Laucius.The Ottawa Citizen.Ottawa, Ontario: 7 May 1990. p. B.3.
  16. ^"Wallis House".National Inventory of Military Memorials.National Defence Canada. 17 January 2015. Archived fromthe originalon 21 May 2014.
  17. ^"Changes to Coast Guard's fleet".Canadian Coast Guard.Retrieved17 January2015.
  18. ^"Provo Wallis Street".Halifax Street Map.Retrieved16 July2018.
  19. ^abcdef"Biography – WALLIS, Sir PROVO WILLIAM PARRY – Volume XII (1891–1900) – Dictionary of Canadian Biography".www.biographi.ca.Retrieved26 March2020.
  20. ^O'Byrne, William R. (2012).A Naval Biographical Dictionary.Andrews UK.ISBN978-1-78150-281-5.OCLC778340012.

Sources

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  • Ellis, James H. (2009).A Ruinous and Unhappy War: New England and the War of 1812.United States: Algora Publishing.ISBN9780875866901.
  • Heathcote, Tony (2002).The British Admirals of the Fleet 1734 – 1995.Pen & Sword.ISBN0-85052-835-6.
  • Clowes, William Laird, Sir (1996–1997).The Royal Navy: a history from the earliest times to the present.Chatham Pub.

Further reading

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Military offices
Preceded by Commander-in-Chief, South East Coast of America Station
May 1857– September 1857 		Succeeded by
Honorary titles
Preceded by Rear-Admiral of the United Kingdom
1869–1870 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Vice-Admiral of the United Kingdom
1870–1876 		Succeeded by
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