383:
606:
472:. Bizarrely his own pilot had the same fear as de Tourelles, and began to turn the sloop away from the enemy. Faulknor approached him and he said he had dreamed he would die, so Faulknor took the wheel himself and sent the man to the rear of the ship, where he was almost instantly hit by a cannonball: the only member of the crew to die. He came closer to the fort than originally planned, and using ladders of bamboo scaled its walls at the head of his men and had a lucky escape when a wooden
30:
554:
596:
that he was less concerned "for my own fate, than that of being accessory to the death of any human being not the natural enemy of myself or my country ... the hasty and sudden punishment I unhappily inflicted on the spot will be a source of lasting affliction to my mind."
667:
s main mast) unable to manoeuvre. Faulknor was wounded by an initial musket shot, but continued to direct the action until around 3am when a second musket shot struck his heart and killed him. Lieutenant
Frederick Watkins took over command. Two hours later at 5am the
569:
fought off the French and
Faulknor was finally rescued by his own men. During the attack on Guadeloupe, Faulknor became involved in an angry altercation with an engineer who had criticised the battery erected by Faulknor's men, during which he killed the
464:
twice turned away when coming within range of the French canon. This appeared due to a former French officer on board, who was familiar with Fort Royal, being in charge of the piloting - Lt. de
Tourelles. It is unclear if this was due to fear or guilt.
592:, at which he was acquitted. Faulknor was remorseful, but maintained that he had been provoked, and for the rest of his life he was morose and restless, pacing his cabin at night. Waiting for his court martial, he wrote to Lieutenant Hill of
524:
Capture of Fort Louis brought with it control of the town and harbour of Fort Royal. This in domino effect brought about the surrender of Fort
Bourbon by General Rochambeau, and from that the capture of the entire island of Martinique.
945:
236:, France, where they stayed until Robert the elder died there on 9 May 1769, when his widow and the children returned to Southampton. Robert and his brother were enrolled in a grammar school, with Robert then entering the
641:. The French ship at first seemed to be trying to avoid an action, but the two ships eventually came to close quarters just after midnight in the early hours of 5 January, in an engagement of over 3¾ hours in which
453:(64 guns) were ordered to give covering fire for the landing of ground troops and seamen (from other smaller ships, under the direct command of Captains Riou and Nugent) by anchoring close under the walls of
487:
The main gate was easily forced and within seven minutes they reached the upper platform of the fortress, causing the governor to surrender. Jervis watched the French flag atop the fortress replaced by the
935:
225:
the predecessor to its more famous namesake and went down with his ship and 100 men in a shipwreck on 4 October 1744. His great grandfather had served his life at sea then ended as Lt
Governor of
588:
Faulknor's own seamen working on the battery, immediately refused to serve under him. A mutiny was only averted by the intercession of other officers and by
Faulknor's immediate
940:
825:
He was known as "fiery, fierce, and ungoverned in his passions" - even
Faulknor himself wrote on one occasion of his own "unfortunate rashness and impetuosity" -
480:
but left him unharmed. His men reached the top of the outer wall and were met with a volley of musket fire which injured only three of the men. They drew their
930:
406:
609:
The death in action of
Captain Robert Faulknor on January 5, 1795 during the engagement between the Frigate Blanche and the Frigate Pique - Guadeloupe
510:
sitting beyond the range of the cannon fire. As the Zebra passed the stern of the Boyne to go back to its position in the fleet, Jervis's band played
857:
428:
566:
888:
514:
and the whole crew cheered his actions. Jervis then called
Faulknor on board, embraced him and promoted him to captain on the spot.
511:
424:
296:
454:
387:
950:
915:
300:
168:
226:
150:
145:
605:
438:
On the morning of
Thursday 20 March 1794 the Zebra was part of a planned attack on Fort Royal and Fort Louis on
382:
303:, Robert Faulknor was one of a lucky few officers to gain peacetime commissions and was put in command of the
613:
Faulknor and the 32-gun HMS Blanche were dispatched in December 1794 to cruise off the French-held island of
565:
on Guadeloupe. He was attacked by two French soldiers, lost his sword and knocked to the ground. Midshipman
37:
562:
826:
696:
680:
342:
500:
307:
503:, were given entry to the fort by Faulknor's second-in-command, Lt. Hill, who lowered the drawbridge.
925:
920:
518:
473:
289:
517:
He was given immediate command of the frigate he had captured at the fort which was rechristened as
237:
217:, and his wife, Elizabeth Ashe. His paternal grandfather had served as flag captain under Admiral
539:
282:
281:(64 guns), seeing many engagements in 1779/80. From December 1780 to March 1783 Robert served in
268:
264:
222:
214:
130:
528:
His command of the Undaunted was short-lived and he was moved to be captain of the far smaller
412:
After the outbreak of war, in June 1793, he was placed as commander of the 16-gun sloop-of-war
884:
676:
545:(32 guns) several months later, (as the expedition moved to attack the island of Guadeloupe).
492:. Capture of the fort also brought the capture of the frigate "Bienvenue" anchored alongside.
632:
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507:
413:
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360:
118:
112:
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and (once the English crew had rapidly lashed the French ship's bowsprit to the remains of
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447:
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275:
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29:
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489:
74:
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909:
589:
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189:
349:
304:
218:
618:
496:
432:
356:, although it was April 1791 before he got his first command at that rank, (the
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873:
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ready to attack, but the French turned and fled into the main fortress.
529:
481:
692:
366:). That command ended in September 1791, after which he remained on
561:
On 21 April 1794 he led a party of his seamen during the attack on
946:
British military personnel killed in the French Revolutionary Wars
675:
Faulknor was buried the day after his death 6 January 1795 on the
604:
252:
Robert completed his term at the Academy in March 1777 and joined
233:
585:), with his sword for making some form of contemptuous comment.
724:
J. Ralfe, The naval biography of Great Britain, 3 (1828), 310
695:, a public subscription led to the erection of a memorial in
267:, stationed in North America. He then followed Cornwallis to
468:
Faulknor was left to attack alone, with his 100 men on the
352:
crisis in May 1790 and six months later he was promoted to
213:, the eldest of the two sons of Robert Faulknor captain of
787:
Famous Fighters of the Fleet, Edward Fraser, 1904, p.187
778:
Famous Fighters of the Fleet, Edward Fraser, 1904, p.190
769:
Famous Fighters of the Fleet, Edward Fraser, 1904, p.190
760:
Famous Fighters of the Fleet, Edward Fraser, 1904, p.191
751:
Famous Fighters of the Fleet, Edward Fraser, 1904, p.187
742:
Famous Fighters of the Fleet, Edward Fraser, 1904, p.187
733:
Famous Fighters of the Fleet, Edward Fraser, 1904, p.179
715:
Famous Fighters of the Fleet, Edward Fraser, 1904, p.183
656:, making her unable to bring any of her guns to bear on
847:
Famous Fighters of the Fleet, Edward Fraser, 1904 p.196
538:. He then took command of the slightly heavier frigate
936:
Royal Navy personnel of the French Revolutionary Wars
827:
W. Gilpin, Memoir of Josias Rogers, esq. (1808), 113
299:
to call him "a young man of great merit." After the
164:
138:
108:
100:
92:
80:
70:
57:
45:
20:
324:in March 1783 and then, from December 1783, to
860:p. 451: London; Chapman & Hall, Ltd; 1909.
8:
881:Who's who in Nelson's Navy: 200 Naval Heroes
631:s crew discovered the 36-gun French frigate
423:and then - through his mother's lobbying of
407:William Anderson (British/Scottish artist)
192:(but acquitted) and died in an action off
28:
17:
941:People of the War of the First Coalition
552:
506:Jervis witnessed Faulknor's action from
476:box strapped to his waist was struck by
381:
232:Sometime after that the family moved to
36:by H. D. Gardner, published 1795 (after
708:
557:The capture of the Pique by HMS Blanche
691:Following news of his death reaching
7:
679:. There is a memorial to him within
295:(98 guns), leading Rear-Admiral Sir
34:Printed memorial to Robert Faulknor,
931:Military personnel from Northampton
856:"Memorials of St Paul's Cathedral"
14:
645:lost her main and mizzen masts.
180:(1763–1795) was an 18th-century
495:The 500 marines, under Captain
883:. London: Chatham Publishing.
512:See, the Conqu'ring Hero Comes
196:in the eastern Caribbean Sea.
1:
341:He was appointed to serve in
648:One and a quarter hours in,
474:cartouche (powder cartridge)
405:in the foreground - Artist:
301:American War of Independence
209:He was born on the coast of
419:, firstly stationed in the
178:Robert Faulknor the younger
169:Jonathan Faulknor the elder
22:Robert Faulknor the younger
967:
799:Who's who in Nelson's Navy
372:War of the First Coalition
370:until the outbreak of the
151:War of the First Coalition
146:American Revolutionary War
27:
899:The Gentleman's Magazine
879:Tracy, Nicholas (2006).
374:against France in 1793.
244:, in 1774, aged eleven.
610:
558:
409:
398:in the background and
186:Faulknor naval dynasty
901:. F. Jefferies. 1837.
652:ran her bow on board
608:
556:
431:'s expedition to the
385:
348:(98 guns) during the
184:officer, part of the
93:Years of service
813:Gentleman's Magazine
637:off Pointe à Pitre,
63:Off Pointe à Pitre,
951:Royal Navy captains
916:Royal Navy officers
697:St Paul's Cathedral
681:St Paul's Cathedral
624:On 4 January 1795,
446:and the far larger
274:(50 guns) and then
238:Royal Naval Academy
155:West Indies theatre
611:
559:
427:- attached to Sir
410:
265:William Cornwallis
263:), under the Hon.
227:Greenwich Hospital
677:Isles des Saintes
563:Fort Fleur d'Epée
248:First commissions
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388:Fort Saint Louis
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190:court-martialled
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581:, and Jervis's
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421:English Channel
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829:; Ralfe, 3.314
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815:. p. 654.
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501:Captain Nugent
490:British ensign
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288:(98 guns) and
285:Princess Royal
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75:United Kingdom
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672:surrendered.
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590:court martial
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572:quartermaster
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567:John Maitland
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555:
549:Court martial
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519:HMS Undaunted
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455:Fort St Louis
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297:Joshua Rowley
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38:James Roberts
31:
26:
19:
16:
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858:Sinclair, W.
852:
843:
838:Ralfe, 3.314
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425:Lord Chatham
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350:Nootka Sound
344:
340:
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309:
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255:
251:
231:
219:John Balchen
208:
177:
176:
139:Battles/wars
131:
125:
119:
113:
15:
926:1795 deaths
921:1763 births
687:Recognition
619:West Indies
497:Edward Riou
433:West Indies
429:John Jervis
386:Capture of
345:Impregnable
331:(20 guns).
223:HMS Victory
215:HMS Bellona
52:Northampton
910:Categories
703:References
699:, London.
639:Guadeloupe
440:Martinique
392:Martinique
378:Martinique
322:paying-off
242:Portsmouth
205:Early life
194:Guadeloupe
182:Royal Navy
71:Allegiance
65:Guadeloupe
576:HMS
540:HMS
533:HMS
508:HMS Boyne
482:cutlasses
478:grapeshot
448:HMS
414:HMS
400:HMS
361:HMS
354:commander
343:HMS
326:HMS
315:Britannia
308:HMS
292:Britannia
290:HMS
283:HMS
276:HMS
269:HMS
254:HMS
211:Hampshire
188:. He was
171:(brother)
165:Relations
96:1777–1795
615:Desirade
583:flagship
460:However
368:half pay
358:fireship
109:Commands
81:Service/
868:Sources
797:Tracy.
662:Blanche
658:Blanche
654:Blanche
643:Blanche
626:Blanche
617:in the
542:Blanche
530:frigate
271:Bristol
261:50 guns
132:Blanche
104:Captain
887:
693:London
442:. HMS
328:Daphne
313:after
310:Merlin
83:branch
670:Pique
665:'
650:Pique
634:Pique
629:'
601:Death
594:Zebra
578:Boyne
574:from
470:Zebra
444:Zebra
416:Zebra
402:Zebra
363:Pluto
336:Pluto
318:'
305:sloop
234:Dijon
120:Zebra
114:Pluto
885:ISBN
535:Rose
499:and
462:Asia
450:Asia
396:Asia
278:Lion
256:Isis
200:Life
126:Rose
101:Rank
87:Navy
61:1795
58:Died
49:1763
46:Born
874:DNB
221:on
912::
683:.
621:.
521:.
457:.
435:.
390:,
320:s
240:,
229:.
129:,
123:,
117:,
893:.
259:(
40:)
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