John Stockham
Encyclopedia
Captain John Stockham was an officer in the Royal Navy
during the Napoleonic Wars
, whose career is now obscured to the point that very little of his life is known up until 1805, when he was suddenly and unexpectedly called upon to command the ship of the line
at the Battle of Trafalgar
.
on 24 July. The date he joined the navy is not known and neither is the ship he joined, but it is likely that he was at sea before the end of the American War of Independence and may have seen action there, although this can not be proven. He was promoted to lieutenant on 29 April 1797 when he was 32, a full fourteen years after the normal age for this promotion. This was likely the result of a failure to gain interest or sponsorship from an admiral, politician or other person of influence. Stockham had likewise failed to make any impression during his naval service, an unusual occurrence which may be the result of being left ashore on half pay, although this too cannot be proven.
in July 1805 under her captain, William Lechmere
, and Lechmere had then become embroiled in the controversy surrounding Sir Robert Calder
's conduct in the action. When Calder insisted on a court martial, he requested Lechmere, along with William Brown of and Philip Durham
of to come back to London
and testify in his defence. Durham refused but Brown and Lechmere did not, leaving their first lieutenants in charge of their ships.
and the French Neptune, suffering 16 casualties but remaining largely intact, enabling her to aid more battered ships during the storm which followed.
a few years later, where he lived peacefully until his death in 1814. He was buried in a family plot in St Sidwell's Church, but his grave was destroyed by German bombing during the Blitz
. Exactly the same raid which destroyed Stockham's tombstone also destroyed that of Robert Benjamin Young
, the captain of one of the small ships which accompanied the fleet at Trafalgar, in a different Exeter churchyard.
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...
during the Napoleonic Wars
Napoleonic Wars
The Napoleonic Wars were a series of wars declared against Napoleon's French Empire by opposing coalitions that ran from 1803 to 1815. As a continuation of the wars sparked by the French Revolution of 1789, they revolutionised European armies and played out on an unprecedented scale, mainly due to...
, whose career is now obscured to the point that very little of his life is known up until 1805, when he was suddenly and unexpectedly called upon to command the ship of the line
Ship of the line
A ship of the line was a type of naval warship constructed from the 17th through the mid-19th century to take part in the naval tactic known as the line of battle, in which two columns of opposing warships would manoeuvre to bring the greatest weight of broadside guns to bear...
at the Battle of Trafalgar
Battle of Trafalgar
The Battle of Trafalgar was a sea battle fought between the British Royal Navy and the combined fleets of the French Navy and Spanish Navy, during the War of the Third Coalition of the Napoleonic Wars ....
.
Early career
Stockham was born in July 1765 to a middle class Devon family, and was baptised in ExeterExeter
Exeter is a historic city in Devon, England. It lies within the ceremonial county of Devon, of which it is the county town as well as the home of Devon County Council. Currently the administrative area has the status of a non-metropolitan district, and is therefore under the administration of the...
on 24 July. The date he joined the navy is not known and neither is the ship he joined, but it is likely that he was at sea before the end of the American War of Independence and may have seen action there, although this can not be proven. He was promoted to lieutenant on 29 April 1797 when he was 32, a full fourteen years after the normal age for this promotion. This was likely the result of a failure to gain interest or sponsorship from an admiral, politician or other person of influence. Stockham had likewise failed to make any impression during his naval service, an unusual occurrence which may be the result of being left ashore on half pay, although this too cannot be proven.
Napoleonic Wars
The next time Stockham appears in the historical record is after the Peace of Amiens, where he was first lieutenant of HMS Thunderer. Thunderer had participated in the Battle of Cape FinisterreBattle of Cape Finisterre (1805)
In the Battle of Cape Finisterre off Galicia, Spain, the British fleet under Admiral Robert Calder fought an indecisive naval battle against the Combined Franco-Spanish fleet which was returning from the West Indies...
in July 1805 under her captain, William Lechmere
William Lechmere
William Lechmere was an officer of the Royal Navy who served during the American War of Independence and the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars....
, and Lechmere had then become embroiled in the controversy surrounding Sir Robert Calder
Robert Calder
Admiral Sir Robert Calder, 1st Baronet, KCB was a British naval officer who served in the Seven Years' War, the American Revolutionary War, the French Revolutionary Wars and the Napoleonic Wars.-Early life:...
's conduct in the action. When Calder insisted on a court martial, he requested Lechmere, along with William Brown of and Philip Durham
Philip Charles Durham
Admiral Sir Philip Charles Calderwood Henderson Durham, GCB was a Royal Navy officer whose service in the American War of Independence, French Revolutionary War and Napoleonic Wars was lengthy, distinguished and at times controversial.-Biography:Destined to be one of the luckiest men in the...
of to come back to London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
and testify in his defence. Durham refused but Brown and Lechmere did not, leaving their first lieutenants in charge of their ships.
Battle of Trafalgar
When it occurred on 21 October 1805, Thunderer was placed towards the rear of Collingwood's division, and so did not reach the action until well on into the day. Nonetheless, Stockham and his ship performed admirably, engaging the Spanish flagship Principe de AsturiasSpanish ship Principe de Asturias
A number of ships of the Armade España have been named Principe de Astorias, including -...
and the French Neptune, suffering 16 casualties but remaining largely intact, enabling her to aid more battered ships during the storm which followed.
Later life
Following the action, Stockham was granted a gold medal and sword from the Patriotic Fund, and was promoted to Post Captain on Christmas Day of that year. Stockham, like many other officers who served in the battle, was unable to find a ship for future service, and so retired to ExeterExeter
Exeter is a historic city in Devon, England. It lies within the ceremonial county of Devon, of which it is the county town as well as the home of Devon County Council. Currently the administrative area has the status of a non-metropolitan district, and is therefore under the administration of the...
a few years later, where he lived peacefully until his death in 1814. He was buried in a family plot in St Sidwell's Church, but his grave was destroyed by German bombing during the Blitz
The Blitz
The Blitz was the sustained strategic bombing of Britain by Nazi Germany between 7 September 1940 and 10 May 1941, during the Second World War. The city of London was bombed by the Luftwaffe for 76 consecutive nights and many towns and cities across the country followed...
. Exactly the same raid which destroyed Stockham's tombstone also destroyed that of Robert Benjamin Young
Robert Benjamin Young
Commander Robert Benjamin Young, RN was an officer in the Royal Navy. His service in small ships led to his presence observing the battle of Trafalgar in 1805 from the deck of the tiny 10 gun cutter HMS Entreprenante...
, the captain of one of the small ships which accompanied the fleet at Trafalgar, in a different Exeter churchyard.
Further reading
- The Trafalgar Captains, Colin White and the 1805 Club, Chatham Publishing, London, 2005, ISBN 1-86176-247-X