Vice-AdmiralSir Peter Warren,KB(10 March 1703 – 29 July 1752) was aRoyal Navyofficer and politician who sat in theBritish House of Commonsrepresenting the constituency ofWestminsterfrom 1747 to 1752. Warren is best known for his career in the British navy, which he served in for thirty-six years and participated in numerous naval engagements, including most notablythe captureof the Frenchfortress of Louisbourgin 1745.
Peter Warren | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Member of Parliament forWestminster | |
| In office 1747–1752 | |
| Preceded by | Charles Edwin Viscount Perceval |
| Succeeded by | Edward Cornwallis Viscount Trentham |
| Personal details | |
| Born | c. 1703 Warrenstown,Ireland |
| Died | 29 July 1751(aged 47–48) Dublin,Ireland |
| Spouse(s) | Susannah Delancey (m. 1731) |
| Children | 6, includingAnne |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance | Great Britain |
| Branch/service | Royal Navy |
| Years of service | 1716–1752 |
| Rank | Vice-Admiral of the Red |
| Commands | HMSFalkland HMSGrafton HMSSolebay HMSLeopard HMSSquirrel HMSDevonshire |
| Battles/wars | |
| Awards | Knight Companion of the Order of the Bath |
Born inIrelandc. 1703to anIrish Catholicfamily, Warren's parents raised him as aProtestantin order to allow him to pursue a career at sea. In 1716, Warren enlisted in the Royal Navy, largely spending the next decade serving off theWest Africancoast or in theCaribbean,participating inanti-piracy operationsand confrontations with Spanishcoast guardvessels. Eleven years later in 1727, Warren was promoted to the rank ofpost-captain.
From 1728 to 1745, Warren served almost continuously in the Americas. He commanded theSolebayoff New York, where he married Susannah Delancey in 1731; they had six children together. During theWar of Jenkins' Ear,he participated in failed attacks onSt. AugustineandCartagena.In 1745, Warren joined an expeditionary force to attack the fortress of Louisbourg, leading a blockade which led to the garrison capitulating on 28 June.
Warren participated in theFirst Battle of Cape Finisterrein May 1747, being made aKnight Companion,before returning to England to pursue a political career. He was elected toParliamentin the1747 general election,attending severalparliamentary committeesin addition to opposing a clause in the1749 Consolidation Act.Warren died inDublinon 29 July 1752. The towns ofWarren, Rhode IslandandWarren, New Hampshirewere named for him.
Early life
editPeter Warren was bornc. 1703inWarrenstown,Ireland.He was the youngest son of Michael Warren, anIrish Armyofficer and his wife Catherine Aylmer, the only daughter ofSir Christopher Aylmer, 1st Baronet.[1]Though his parents were bothIrish Catholics,they raised Warren as aProtestantin order to allow him to pursue a career at sea; Catholics in Ireland were prevented from enlisting in theRoyal Navydue to thePenal Laws.[2][3]
In 1716, Warren followed in the footsteps of his brother Oliver and enlisted in the Royal Navy, serving on board theRyeat the rank ofordinary seamanunder the patronage of his maternal uncleMatthew Aylmer.[4][5]After a brief stint in Irish waters, Warren spent roughly the next decade serving off theWest Africancoast and theCaribbean Sea,where he participated inanti-piracy operationsand confrontations with Spanishcoast guardvessels.[2]
On 23 July, Warren was promoted to the rank oflieutenantwhile serving on board theGuernseyoff theLiberiancoast to replace a fellow naval officer. Three years later, he was placed in command of theFalklandwhen her previous captain died. In 1727, Warren was promoted tocommanderon 28 May before being promoted topost-captainon 19 June, and was given command over theGraftonin 1728, serving as part of theBaltic Fleet.[2]
Career in the Americas
editWarren spent only a short time in the Baltic before joining theMediterranean Fleet.There he was given command of theSolebay,and used it to deliver news of theTreaty of El PardotoJamaicaandVeracruzin 1728. From 1730 to 1732, he commanded theSolebayin North America, operating off the coasts ofNew YorkandSouth Carolina.In 1734, Warren started serving in theWestern Squadron,commanding theLeoparduntil 1735.[2]
By the next year, Warren was serving in New York again and was made captain of theSquirrel,holding that command until 1741. After theWar of Jenkins' Earbroke out, Warren participated in a failedattempt to capture St. Augustinein 1740. After the battle, he sailed for Jamaica to serve underEdward Vernonin a failedBritish expedition against Cartagenaon 1741; by January 1742, he was commanding theSuperb,again in New York.[2]
On 1742, Warren suggested to theBritish Admiraltythat a new squadron be formed from ships serving in North America to serve in the West Indies during the winter season. The Admiralty accepted his suggestion in August of that year, and appointed him as the commander of the new squadron, which operated off theLeeward Islandsand distinguished itself by capturing numerous French prizes during theWar of the Austrian Succession.[2]
In 1745, Warren participated inan expeditionagainst the Frenchfortress of Louisbourg.[6]Warren led his squadron toCansoin April 1745, where he joined forces with a British expeditionary force and proceeded towards Louisbourg, instituting ablockadeof the fortress harbour.[6]His fleetcaptured theVigilanton 20 May and soon received reinforcements, which combined with a planned British assault led to the fortress surrendering on 28 June.[2]
Warren received praise in Britain for his role in the capture, and was promoted to the rank ofrear-admiralon 10 August 1745.[7]He was also appointed as the firstgovernor of Cape Breton Island,though Warren pleaded with to the Admiralty to find a replacement as he was attempting to secure thegovernorship of New YorkfromGeorge Clinton.Being relieved of the position in June 1746, Warren eventually returned to England after planning for an invasion ofNew Francewith GovernorWilliam Shirleywhich ultimately came to nothing.[2]
Later life and death
editOnce he had arrived in England, Warren presented the Admiralty with a new scheme for an invasion of New France which he had planned out with Shirley. However, the Admiralty noted they could not undertake the scheme and have enough ships to maintain the ongoing British blockade of French ports; instead, they ordered Warren to lead an eight-ship squadron to reinforce the occupation of Louisbourg. However, they soon ordered him to take his flagshipDevonshireand join a fleet underGeorge Ansonin theBay of Biscay,which was cruising in the area forFrench warships.[2][8]
In May 1747, Warren was part of the British fleet whichencountered a French forceunder the command of theMarquis de la JonquièreoffCape Finisterreand defeated it. Warren was made aKnight of the Bathand given £31,496 inprize moneyas a reward for his actions. On June of that year, he was promoted to the rank ofvice-admiraland given command of the Western Squadron, though he handed control of the squadron over toEdward Hawkein August due to an illness.[9][10]In 1748, theTreaty of Aix-la-Chapellewas signed, which put an end to the ongoing conflict.[2]
Warren now turned his attention towards political affairs, having been elected to theHouse of Commonsin the1747 British general electionrepresenting the constituency ofWestminster.In Parliament, Anson alienated some of his supporters by opposing a clause in the1749 Consolidation Actbeing put forth by Anson which stipulated that naval officers onhalf-paywould be subject tocourts-martialon the same terms as serving officers. Warren convinced the Admiralty to remove the clause, though this led to his relationship with Anson to become irrevocably hostile.[2]
In addition to naval affairs, Warren was also active in attendingparliamentary committees,chairing several and delivering numerous proposed bills to theHouse of Lordshimself. He also advocated for a stronger Royal Navy and alliances with other European nations to counter French ambitions, in addition to involving himself on discussions concerningBritish currencyand overseas trade, fishing and boundary issues inBritain's colonial empire.In 1747, Warren proposednew uniforms for the Royal Navy,specifically those worn byflag officerssuch as admiral and captains.[2]
As his political career led him settling down in London, Warren purchased a home at 15Cavendish Square.[2]In 1752, he was elected against his wishes to theCourt of Aldermenfrom thewardofBillingsgate;on 23 June, Warren sent a letter to the court requesting to be excused from serving his duties in exchange for paying a small fine, which was accepted.[11]While on a visit to Dublin, Warren died of a fever on 29 July 1752 and was buried in Warrenstown.[12]After his death,Louis-François Roubiliacwas commissioned to sculpt a monument to Warren inWestminster Abbey.[2]
Personal life, family and legacy
edit
During his military career, Warren amassed over £127,405 in prize money, primarily from capturing French and Spanish ships during the War of the Austrian Succession. He spent his fortune on purchasing large amounts of land in both Britain and theThirteen Coloniesand running amoneylending businesswhich operated in England, Ireland andNorth America.Warren also made money by transporting bullion owned by theSouth Sea Companywhile commanding theFalklandin 1726.[2]
Warren owned lands inHampshire, England,New York andPennsylvania.[13]In 1732, he invited his nephewWilliam Johnsonto manage his estates in theMohawk Valley region,charging him with clearing the land and settling European tenant labourers, in addition to establishing trading relationships with localindigenous American tribes.[14]On his American estates, Warren owned a number ofslaves,purchasing over twenty enslaved labourers to work under Johnson in 1744.[15][16]
In July 1731, Warren married Susannah Delancey, the daughter ofStephen Delancey;the couple would go on to have six children.[17][18]His only son (along with a daughter) died in asmallpoxepidemic in 1744, and when Warren was offered abaronetcyin the next year, he declined the offer as he no longer had a son to inherit it.[2]Warren's eldest daughterAnnemarriedCharles FitzRoyon 27 July 1758, while his third daughter Charlotte marriedLord Abingdonon 7 July 1768.[19][20]
During and after his life, numerous locations in both England and North America were named after Warren. The towns ofWarren, Rhode IslandandWarren, New Hampshirewere named after him, as were several streets inCharleston, South Carolina,London,LouisbourgandNew York City.[21]In addition, Warren's involvement in the capture of Louisbourg has been credited as helping to inspire significant interest among the British public of North American affairs for the first time.[2]
References
editFootnotes
edit
- ^Gwyn 1974,pp. 7–8.
- ^abcdefghijklmnopqGwyn 2004.
- ^Connolly & Greenwood 2003,p. 785.
- ^Moss 2010,p. 71.
- ^Gwyn 1974,p. 8.
- ^abCarr 2008,pp. 207–208.
- ^Carr 2008,p. 280.
- ^Clowes 1898,p. 125.
- ^Rodger 2004,p. 252.
- ^Sweetman 1997,p. 156.
- ^Clarke & McArthur 2010,p. 273.
- ^O'Toole 2005,p. 123.
- ^Hoskins 1916,pp. 187–198.
- ^O'Toole 2005,pp. 37–38.
- ^Gwyn 1974,p. 72.
- ^O'Toole 2005,p. 291.
- ^Moss 2010,p. 495.
- ^Gwyn 1974,p. 25.
- ^Cornish 2004.
- ^Lowe 2004.
- ^Gwyn 1974,p. 5.
Bibliography
edit- Carr, J. Revell(2008).Seeds of Discontent: The Deep Roots of the American Revolution 1650–1750.Walker & Company.ISBN978-0-8027-1512-8.
- Clarke, James Stanier;McArthur, John(2010) [1804].The Naval Chronicle: Volume 12, July-December 1804: Containing a General and Biographical History of the Royal Navy of the United Kingdom with a Variety of Original Papers on Nautical Subjects.Cambridge University Press.ISBN978-1-1080-1851-7.
- Connolly, Mark; Greenwood, Margaret (2003).The Rough Guide to Ireland.Rough Guides.ISBN978-1-8435-3059-6.
- Clowes, William Laird(1898).The Royal Navy: A History from the Earliest Times to the Present.Vol. 3.Sampson Low, Marston and Company.
- Cornish, Rory T. (2004)."FitzRoy, Charles, first Baron Southampton (1737–1797)".Oxford Dictionary of National Biography(online ed.). Oxford University Press.doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/9630.(Subscription orUK public library membershiprequired.)
- Gwyn, Julian (1974).The Enterprising Admiral: The Personal Fortune of Admiral Sir Peter Warren.McGill–Queen's University Press.ISBN978-0-7735-0170-6.
- Gwyn, Julian (2004)."Warren, Sir Peter (1703/4–1752)".Oxford Dictionary of National Biography(online ed.). Oxford University Press.doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/28786.(Subscription orUK public library membershiprequired.)
- Hoskins, E. B. (1916)."Fanny Saltar's Reminiscences of Colonial Days in Philadelphia".Pennsylvania Magazine of History and Biography.40(2): 187–198.JSTOR20086261.
- Lowe, William C. (2004)."Bertie, Willoughby, fourth earl of Abingdon (1740–1799)".Oxford Dictionary of National Biography(online ed.). Oxford University Press.doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/2280.(Subscription orUK public library membershiprequired.)
- Moss, Robert(2010).The Firekeeper: A Narrative of the New York Frontier.State University of New York Press.ISBN978-1-4384-2936-6.
- O'Toole, Fintan(2005).White Savage: William Johnson and the Invention of America.Farrar, Straus and Giroux.ISBN978-1-4668-9269-9.
- Rodger, N.A.M.(2004).The Command of the Ocean: A Naval History of Britain 1649-1815.Penguin Group.ISBN978-0-1410-2690-9.
- Sweetman, Jack (1997).The Great Admirals: Command at Sea, 1587-1945.Naval Institute Press.ISBN978-0-87021-229-1.