Hugh Pigot (18th century admiral)
Encyclopedia
Admiral Hugh Pigot of Wychwood Forest in Oxfordshire
, was a British naval
leader who rose from the ranks to become an admiral. He also served as a Member of Parliament
(MP).
Pigot joined the navy in 1734 as an able seaman. He was commissioned as a lieutenant in 1742, promoted to Commander in 1745 and Captain in 1746, serving in the West Indies and at Louisbourg
. At the same time Pigot's brother, George, was making a success of his career in India
, being appointed Governor of Madras in 1755, and eventually meriting a peerage.
By 1768, Pigot was a friend of the Prime Minister, the Duke of Grafton
, and this connection was cemented the following year when Grafton married Elizabeth Wrottesley, sister of Pigot's second wife, Frances. Pigot entered Parliament in 1768 as MP for Penryn
, a government-dominated borough which frequently chose distinguished naval officers as its MPs. (Pigot succeeded Vice-Admiral Sir George Rodney
as Penryn's MP; he was later also to supplant Rodney as commander-in-chief.) He represented Penryn until 1774, but did not contest the general election that year. However, following the death of his brother, Lord Pigot, he was elected in 1778 to fill the seat his brother had held as MP for Bridgnorth
.
Pigot was promoted to Rear Admiral in March 1775 and Vice Admiral in December of the same year. By this period he was a consistent opponent of Lord North's
government (he was a gaming crony of the Whig
leader Charles James Fox
), and seems to have been denied commands for political reasons. When Sheridan
attacked the government in the Commons in February 1782 for driving the most distinguished naval commanders out of the service, it was Pigot who rose in answer to the invitation to give instances of the First Lord of the Admiralty's conduct towards officers who were his political opponents.
With the fall of the government the following month, Pigot was appointed one of the Lords of the Admiralty in the Rockingham
administration, and in April was promoted to Admiral and appointed to supersede Admiral Rodney
as Commander-in-Chief in the West Indies. But news of Rodney's great victory at the Battle of the Saintes
reached England on the very day that Pigot sailed, emphasising that his was a purely political appointment. He returned to England once peace had been concluded, but was defeated at Bridgnorth in the general election of 1784
.
Pigot's younger son, also called Hugh
, followed him into the navy and rose to the rank of Captain, but proved to be a tyrannical commander and was murdered by the crew of his ship, HMS Hermione
, in the most notorious British mutiny of the French Revolutionary Wars
. His older son, by contrast, Sir Henry Pigot, joined the army and reached the rank of General. Admiral Pigot brothers were George Pigot, 1st Baron Pigot and Sir Robert Pigot, 2nd Baronet.
Oxfordshire
Oxfordshire is a county in the South East region of England, bordering on Warwickshire and Northamptonshire , Buckinghamshire , Berkshire , Wiltshire and Gloucestershire ....
, was a British naval
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
leader who rose from the ranks to become an admiral. He also served as a Member of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
(MP).
Pigot joined the navy in 1734 as an able seaman. He was commissioned as a lieutenant in 1742, promoted to Commander in 1745 and Captain in 1746, serving in the West Indies and at Louisbourg
Siege of Louisbourg (1758)
The Siege of Louisbourg was a pivotal battle of the Seven Years' War in 1758 which ended the French colonial era in Atlantic Canada and led directly to the loss of Quebec in 1759 and the remainder of French North America the following year.-Background:The British government realized that with the...
. At the same time Pigot's brother, George, was making a success of his career in India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, being appointed Governor of Madras in 1755, and eventually meriting a peerage.
By 1768, Pigot was a friend of the Prime Minister, the Duke of Grafton
Augustus FitzRoy, 3rd Duke of Grafton
Augustus Henry FitzRoy, 3rd Duke of Grafton, KG, PC , styled Earl of Euston between 1747 and 1757, was a British Whig statesman of the Georgian era...
, and this connection was cemented the following year when Grafton married Elizabeth Wrottesley, sister of Pigot's second wife, Frances. Pigot entered Parliament in 1768 as MP for Penryn
Penryn (UK Parliament constituency)
Penryn was a parliamentary borough in Cornwall, which elected two Members of Parliament to the House of Commons of England from 1553 until 1707, to the House of Commons of Great Britain from 1707 to 1800, and finally to the House of Commons of the United Kingdom from 1801 to until 1832...
, a government-dominated borough which frequently chose distinguished naval officers as its MPs. (Pigot succeeded Vice-Admiral Sir George Rodney
George Brydges Rodney, 1st Baron Rodney
George Brydges Rodney, 1st Baron Rodney, KB was a British naval officer. He is best known for his commands in the American War of Independence, particularly his victory over the French at the Battle of the Saintes in 1782...
as Penryn's MP; he was later also to supplant Rodney as commander-in-chief.) He represented Penryn until 1774, but did not contest the general election that year. However, following the death of his brother, Lord Pigot, he was elected in 1778 to fill the seat his brother had held as MP for Bridgnorth
Bridgnorth (UK Parliament constituency)
Bridgnorth was a parliamentary borough in Shropshire which was represented in the House of Commons of England from 1295 until 1707, then in the House of Commons of Great Britain until 1800, and in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1801 until its abolition in 1885.It...
.
Pigot was promoted to Rear Admiral in March 1775 and Vice Admiral in December of the same year. By this period he was a consistent opponent of Lord North's
Frederick North, Lord North
Frederick North, 2nd Earl of Guilford, KG, PC , more often known by his courtesy title, Lord North, which he used from 1752 until 1790, was Prime Minister of Great Britain from 1770 to 1782. He led Great Britain through most of the American War of Independence...
government (he was a gaming crony of the Whig
British Whig Party
The Whigs were a party in the Parliament of England, Parliament of Great Britain, and Parliament of the United Kingdom, who contested power with the rival Tories from the 1680s to the 1850s. The Whigs' origin lay in constitutional monarchism and opposition to absolute rule...
leader Charles James Fox
Charles James Fox
Charles James Fox PC , styled The Honourable from 1762, was a prominent British Whig statesman whose parliamentary career spanned thirty-eight years of the late 18th and early 19th centuries and who was particularly noted for being the arch-rival of William Pitt the Younger...
), and seems to have been denied commands for political reasons. When Sheridan
Richard Brinsley Sheridan
Richard Brinsley Butler Sheridan was an Irish-born playwright and poet and long-term owner of the London Theatre Royal, Drury Lane. For thirty-two years he was also a Whig Member of the British House of Commons for Stafford , Westminster and Ilchester...
attacked the government in the Commons in February 1782 for driving the most distinguished naval commanders out of the service, it was Pigot who rose in answer to the invitation to give instances of the First Lord of the Admiralty's conduct towards officers who were his political opponents.
With the fall of the government the following month, Pigot was appointed one of the Lords of the Admiralty in the Rockingham
Charles Watson-Wentworth, 2nd Marquess of Rockingham
Charles Watson-Wentworth, 2nd Marquess of Rockingham, KG, PC , styled The Hon. Charles Watson-Wentworth before 1733, Viscount Higham between 1733 and 1746, Earl of Malton between 1746 and 1750 and The Earl Malton in 1750, was a British Whig statesman, most notable for his two terms as Prime...
administration, and in April was promoted to Admiral and appointed to supersede Admiral Rodney
George Brydges Rodney, 1st Baron Rodney
George Brydges Rodney, 1st Baron Rodney, KB was a British naval officer. He is best known for his commands in the American War of Independence, particularly his victory over the French at the Battle of the Saintes in 1782...
as Commander-in-Chief in the West Indies. But news of Rodney's great victory at the Battle of the Saintes
Battle of the Saintes
The Battle of the Saintes took place over 4 days, 9 April 1782 – 12 April 1782, during the American War of Independence, and was a victory of a British fleet under Admiral Sir George Rodney over a French fleet under the Comte de Grasse forcing the French and Spanish to abandon a planned...
reached England on the very day that Pigot sailed, emphasising that his was a purely political appointment. He returned to England once peace had been concluded, but was defeated at Bridgnorth in the general election of 1784
British general election, 1784
The British general election of 1784 resulted in William Pitt the Younger securing an overall majority of about 120 in the House of Commons of Great Britain, having previously had to survive in a House which was dominated by his opponents.-Background:...
.
Pigot's younger son, also called Hugh
Hugh Pigot (Royal Navy captain)
Hugh Pigot was an officer in the Royal Navy. Through his connections and their patronage he was able to rise to the rank of captain, despite apparently poor leadership skills and a reputation for brutality. While he was captain of Hermione he eventually provoked his men to mutiny...
, followed him into the navy and rose to the rank of Captain, but proved to be a tyrannical commander and was murdered by the crew of his ship, HMS Hermione
HMS Hermione (1782)
HMS Hermione was a 32-gun fifth-rate frigate of the Royal Navy. She was notorious for having the bloodiest mutiny in British naval history, which saw her captain and most of the officers killed...
, in the most notorious British mutiny of the French Revolutionary Wars
French Revolutionary Wars
The French Revolutionary Wars were a series of major conflicts, from 1792 until 1802, fought between the French Revolutionary government and several European states...
. His older son, by contrast, Sir Henry Pigot, joined the army and reached the rank of General. Admiral Pigot brothers were George Pigot, 1st Baron Pigot and Sir Robert Pigot, 2nd Baronet.