Joseph Sydney Yorke
Encyclopedia
Sir Joseph Sydney Yorke KCB
(6 June 1768 – 5 May 1831) was an officer of the Royal Navy
. He served during the American Revolutionary
, the French Revolutionary
and the Napoleonic Wars
, eventually rising to the rank of Admiral
.
. He joined the navy at the age of 11, becoming a midshipman
aboard , then under the command of Sir Charles Douglas
, on 15 February 1780. He followed Douglas to his next command, , which flew the flag of Admiral George Rodney
. Yorke was then present at Rodney's victory over François Joseph Paul de Grasse
at the Battle of the Saintes
from 9 April to 12 April 1782. The end of the American Revolutionary War led to the Formidable returning to Britain to be paid off. Yorke remained in employment however, transferring with Douglas to , and then moving to , under the command of Sir Erasmus Gower
, filling the post of master's mate
. Yorke spent three years in total serving on the Newfoundland Station.
on 16 June 1789, and moved aboard the 50-gun to serve under Admiral Sir Richard Hughes. He later served as lieutenant aboard and and in February 1791 he was appointed master and commander of the sloop
. He remained aboard her, carrying out cruises into the English Channel
until the outbreak of war
with France in 1793. He was promoted to Post-Captain
on 4 February 1793 and given command of the frigate
, then part of a squadron under Admiral Richard Howe
. He patrolled off the French port of Brest
, and captured the corvette
L'Espiegle.
Yorke moved to in August 1794, and continued to serve in the Channel, occasionally ranging into the North Sea
. On 22 August the Stag and a small British squadron chased two large ships and a cutter, eventually bringing the sternmost one to battle. An hour long fight ensued, after which the enemy, subsequently found to be the Batavian
frigate Alliance, was forced to surrender. Yorke moved to command the newly built in March 1800, and by 1801 was in command of the 74-gun third rate . He commanded her until the Treaty of Amiens
in 1802 brought a period of temporary peace. On the resumption of the war in 1803 Yorke was appointed to the 98-gun , followed by and then , an 80-gun former Danish ship captured at the Battle of Copenhagen
in 1807.
. On 23 April, Yorke was present at the installation of the Knights of the Garter
, standing in for his brother, Philip Yorke
, Earl of Hardwicke
. Philip was at this time Lord Lieutenant of Ireland
, and so was unable to be present in person. In 1810 Joseph Yorke's brother, Charles Philip Yorke
became First Lord of the Admiralty
and Joseph was transferred from command of the Christian VII to take up a seat on the Admiralty board.
Joseph Yorke was promoted to Rear-Admiral of the Blue
on 31 July 1810 and hoisted his flag in the 74-gun in January 1811. He sailed to the Tagus
carrying reinforcements for Arthur Wellesley's
army, fighting in the Peninsular War
. After carrying this out he escorted a fleet returning to Britain from the East Indies
. Yorke was promoted to Rear-Admiral of the White on 12 August 1812, Rear-Admiral of the Red on 4 December 1813, Vice-Admiral of the Blue on 14 June 1814, and served on the Admiralty board until resigning in April 1818. He was appointed a Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath (KCB) in the restructuring of that order in January 1815, promoted Vice-Admiral of the White on 12 August 1819, and promoted to Admiral of the Blue on 22 July 1830.
in 1790, and was returned as its member
. He represented the borough until 1806, when he was elected as member for St Germans
. He stood aside, "taking the Chiltern Hundreds
" in 1810 so that his brother, Charles Philip Yorke, could be elected. In the 1812 general election
Joseph Yorke stood as a candidate for Sandwich
and was returned as its member. He represented the borough until 1818 when he was re-elected to the Reigate constituency, which he represented until his death. Yorke's business interests include the chairmanship of the Waterloo Bridge Company.
also served in the navy, rising to the rank of Admiral, and on the death without heir of Joseph Yorke's brother Philip, the 3rd Earl of Hardwicke in 1834, Charles became the 4th Earl. On 22 May 1813, Joseph married a second time, to Urania Anne, the Dowager Marchioness of Clanricarde
, and daughter of George Paulet, 12th Marquess of Winchester
, at St. Martin in the Fields, Westminster, London. The marriage did not produce any children.
's flagship
, , then moored at Spithead
. He was making his way back to shore aboard the yacht Catherine, in company with Captains Matthew Barton Bradby and Thomas Young, and a seaman named John Chandler, when the boat was struck by lightning in Stokes Bay
, causing it to capsize. All aboard were drowned. The bodies were later recovered and an inquest returned a verdict of accidental death. Yorke was buried at the family tomb in the parish church at Wimpole
, close to Wimpole Hall
, the seat of the Earls of Hardwicke.
Order of the Bath
The Most Honourable Order of the Bath is a British order of chivalry founded by George I on 18 May 1725. The name derives from the elaborate mediæval ceremony for creating a knight, which involved bathing as one of its elements. The knights so created were known as Knights of the Bath...
(6 June 1768 – 5 May 1831) was an officer of the Royal Navy
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...
. He served during the American Revolutionary
American Revolutionary War
The American Revolutionary War , the American War of Independence, or simply the Revolutionary War, began as a war between the Kingdom of Great Britain and thirteen British colonies in North America, and ended in a global war between several European great powers.The war was the result of the...
, the French Revolutionary
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...
and 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...
, eventually rising to the rank of Admiral
Admiral (United Kingdom)
Admiral is a senior rank of the Royal Navy of the United Kingdom, which equates to the NATO rank code OF-9, outranked only by the rank Admiral of the Fleet...
.
Family and early life
Yorke was born in Great Berkhampstead, Hertfordshire, on 6 June 1768, the second son, by his second marriage, of the politician Charles YorkeCharles Yorke
Charles Yorke was Lord Chancellor of Great Britain.-Life:The second son of Philip Yorke, 1st Earl of Hardwicke, he was born in London, and was educated at Corpus Christi College, Cambridge. His literary abilities were shown at an early age by his collaboration with his brother Philip in the...
. He joined the navy at the age of 11, becoming a midshipman
Midshipman
A midshipman is an officer cadet, or a commissioned officer of the lowest rank, in the Royal Navy, United States Navy, and many Commonwealth navies. Commonwealth countries which use the rank include Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, India, Pakistan, Singapore, Sri Lanka and Kenya...
aboard , then under the command of Sir Charles Douglas
Sir Charles Douglas, 1st Baronet
Rear Admiral Sir Charles Douglas, 1st Baronet of Carr was a descendant of the Earls of Morton and a distinguished British naval officer...
, on 15 February 1780. He followed Douglas to his next command, , which flew the flag of Admiral 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...
. Yorke was then present at Rodney's victory over François Joseph Paul de Grasse
François Joseph Paul de Grasse
Lieutenant Général des Armées Navales François-Joseph Paul, marquis de Grasse Tilly, comte de Grasse was a French admiral. He is best known for his command of the French fleet at the Battle of the Chesapeake, which led directly to the British surrender at Yorktown...
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...
from 9 April to 12 April 1782. The end of the American Revolutionary War led to the Formidable returning to Britain to be paid off. Yorke remained in employment however, transferring with Douglas to , and then moving to , under the command of Sir Erasmus Gower
Erasmus Gower
Sir Erasmus Gower naval officer and colonial governor born Cilgerran, Wales and died Hambledon, Hampshire, England....
, filling the post of master's mate
Master's mate
Master's mate is an obsolete rating which was used by the Royal Navy, United States Navy and merchant services in both countries for a senior petty officer who assisted the master...
. Yorke spent three years in total serving on the Newfoundland Station.
Promotions
Yorke was promoted to lieutenantLieutenant
A lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer in many nations' armed forces. Typically, the rank of lieutenant in naval usage, while still a junior officer rank, is senior to the army rank...
on 16 June 1789, and moved aboard the 50-gun to serve under Admiral Sir Richard Hughes. He later served as lieutenant aboard and and in February 1791 he was appointed master and commander of the sloop
Sloop-of-war
In the 18th and most of the 19th centuries, a sloop-of-war was a warship with a single gun deck that carried up to eighteen guns. As the rating system covered all vessels with 20 guns and above, this meant that the term sloop-of-war actually encompassed all the unrated combat vessels including the...
. He remained aboard her, carrying out cruises into the English Channel
English Channel
The English Channel , often referred to simply as the Channel, is an arm of the Atlantic Ocean that separates southern England from northern France, and joins the North Sea to the Atlantic. It is about long and varies in width from at its widest to in the Strait of Dover...
until the outbreak of war
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...
with France in 1793. He was promoted to Post-Captain
Post-Captain
Post-captain is an obsolete alternative form of the rank of captain in the Royal Navy.The term served to distinguish those who were captains by rank from:...
on 4 February 1793 and given command of the frigate
Frigate
A frigate is any of several types of warship, the term having been used for ships of various sizes and roles over the last few centuries.In the 17th century, the term was used for any warship built for speed and maneuverability, the description often used being "frigate-built"...
, then part of a squadron under Admiral Richard Howe
Richard Howe, 1st Earl Howe
Admiral of the Fleet Richard Howe, 1st Earl Howe KG was a British naval officer, notable in particular for his service during the American War of Independence and French Revolutionary Wars. He was the brother of William Howe and George Howe.Howe joined the navy at the age of thirteen and served...
. He patrolled off the French port of Brest
Brest, France
Brest is a city in the Finistère department in Brittany in northwestern France. Located in a sheltered position not far from the western tip of the Breton peninsula, and the western extremity of metropolitan France, Brest is an important harbour and the second French military port after Toulon...
, and captured the corvette
Corvette
A corvette is a small, maneuverable, lightly armed warship, originally smaller than a frigate and larger than a coastal patrol craft or fast attack craft , although many recent designs resemble frigates in size and role...
L'Espiegle.
Yorke moved to in August 1794, and continued to serve in the Channel, occasionally ranging into the North Sea
North Sea
In the southwest, beyond the Straits of Dover, the North Sea becomes the English Channel connecting to the Atlantic Ocean. In the east, it connects to the Baltic Sea via the Skagerrak and Kattegat, narrow straits that separate Denmark from Norway and Sweden respectively...
. On 22 August the Stag and a small British squadron chased two large ships and a cutter, eventually bringing the sternmost one to battle. An hour long fight ensued, after which the enemy, subsequently found to be the Batavian
Batavian Republic
The Batavian Republic was the successor of the Republic of the United Netherlands. It was proclaimed on January 19, 1795, and ended on June 5, 1806, with the accession of Louis Bonaparte to the throne of the Kingdom of Holland....
frigate Alliance, was forced to surrender. Yorke moved to command the newly built in March 1800, and by 1801 was in command of the 74-gun third rate . He commanded her until the Treaty of Amiens
Treaty of Amiens
The Treaty of Amiens temporarily ended hostilities between the French Republic and the United Kingdom during the French Revolutionary Wars. It was signed in the city of Amiens on 25 March 1802 , by Joseph Bonaparte and the Marquess Cornwallis as a "Definitive Treaty of Peace"...
in 1802 brought a period of temporary peace. On the resumption of the war in 1803 Yorke was appointed to the 98-gun , followed by and then , an 80-gun former Danish ship captured at the Battle of Copenhagen
Battle of Copenhagen (1807)
The Second Battle of Copenhagen was a British preemptive attack on Copenhagen, targeting the civilian population in order to seize the Dano-Norwegian fleet and in turn originate the term to Copenhagenize.-Background:Despite the defeat and loss of many ships in the first Battle of Copenhagen in...
in 1807.
Knighthood and flag rank
Yorke was knighted during this period of service, on 21 April 1805, by King George IIIGeorge III of the United Kingdom
George III was King of Great Britain and King of Ireland from 25 October 1760 until the union of these two countries on 1 January 1801, after which he was King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland until his death...
. On 23 April, Yorke was present at the installation of the Knights of the Garter
Order of the Garter
The Most Noble Order of the Garter, founded in 1348, is the highest order of chivalry, or knighthood, existing in England. The order is dedicated to the image and arms of St...
, standing in for his brother, Philip Yorke
Philip Yorke, 3rd Earl of Hardwicke
Philip Yorke, 3rd Earl of Hardwicke KG, PC, FRS , known as Philip Yorke until 1790, was a British politician.-Background and education:...
, Earl of Hardwicke
Earl of Hardwicke
Earl of Hardwicke is a title in the Peerage of Great Britain. It was created in 1754 for Philip Yorke, 1st Baron Hardwicke, Lord Chancellor of Great Britain from 1737 to 1756. He had already been created Baron Hardwicke, of Hardwicke in the County of Gloucester, in 1733, and was made Viscount...
. Philip was at this time Lord Lieutenant of Ireland
Lord Lieutenant of Ireland
The Lord Lieutenant of Ireland was the British King's representative and head of the Irish executive during the Lordship of Ireland , the Kingdom of Ireland and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland...
, and so was unable to be present in person. In 1810 Joseph Yorke's brother, Charles Philip Yorke
Charles Philip Yorke
Charles Philip Yorke PC, FRS, FSA , was a British politician. He notably served as Home Secretary from 1803 to 1804.-Background:...
became First Lord of the Admiralty
Admiralty
The Admiralty was formerly the authority in the Kingdom of England, and later in the United Kingdom, responsible for the command of the Royal Navy...
and Joseph was transferred from command of the Christian VII to take up a seat on the Admiralty board.
Joseph Yorke was promoted to Rear-Admiral of the Blue
Admiral (United Kingdom)
Admiral is a senior rank of the Royal Navy of the United Kingdom, which equates to the NATO rank code OF-9, outranked only by the rank Admiral of the Fleet...
on 31 July 1810 and hoisted his flag in the 74-gun in January 1811. He sailed to the Tagus
Tagus
The Tagus is the longest river on the Iberian Peninsula. It is long, in Spain, along the border between Portugal and Spain and in Portugal, where it empties into the Atlantic Ocean at Lisbon. It drains an area of . The Tagus is highly utilized for most of its course...
carrying reinforcements for Arthur Wellesley's
Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington
Field Marshal Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington, KG, GCB, GCH, PC, FRS , was an Irish-born British soldier and statesman, and one of the leading military and political figures of the 19th century...
army, fighting in the Peninsular War
Peninsular War
The Peninsular War was a war between France and the allied powers of Spain, the United Kingdom, and Portugal for control of the Iberian Peninsula during the Napoleonic Wars. The war began when French and Spanish armies crossed Spain and invaded Portugal in 1807. Then, in 1808, France turned on its...
. After carrying this out he escorted a fleet returning to Britain from the East Indies
East Indies
East Indies is a term used by Europeans from the 16th century onwards to identify what is now known as Indian subcontinent or South Asia, Southeastern Asia, and the islands of Oceania, including the Malay Archipelago and the Philippines...
. Yorke was promoted to Rear-Admiral of the White on 12 August 1812, Rear-Admiral of the Red on 4 December 1813, Vice-Admiral of the Blue on 14 June 1814, and served on the Admiralty board until resigning in April 1818. He was appointed a Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath (KCB) in the restructuring of that order in January 1815, promoted Vice-Admiral of the White on 12 August 1819, and promoted to Admiral of the Blue on 22 July 1830.
Parliamentary career
Yorke stood as a candidate for the constituency of ReigateReigate (UK Parliament constituency)
Reigate is a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election.-Boundaries:...
in 1790, and was returned as its member
Parliament of the United Kingdom
The Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the supreme legislative body in the United Kingdom, British Crown dependencies and British overseas territories, located in London...
. He represented the borough until 1806, when he was elected as member for St Germans
St Germans (UK Parliament constituency)
St Germans was a rotten borough in Cornwall which returned two Members of Parliament to the House of Commons in the English and later British Parliament from 1562 to 1832, when it was abolished by the Great Reform Act.-History:...
. He stood aside, "taking the Chiltern Hundreds
Chiltern Hundreds
Appointment to the office of Crown Steward and Bailiff of the three Chiltern Hundreds of Stoke, Desborough and Burnham is a sinecure appointment which is used as a device allowing a Member of the United Kingdom Parliament to resign his or her seat...
" in 1810 so that his brother, Charles Philip Yorke, could be elected. In the 1812 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1812
The election to the 5th Parliament of the United Kingdom in 1812 was the fourth general election to be held after the Union of Great Britain and Ireland....
Joseph Yorke stood as a candidate for Sandwich
Sandwich (UK Parliament constituency)
Sandwich was a parliamentary constituency in Kent, which elected two Members of Parliament to the House of Commons from 1366 until 1885, when it was disfranchised for corruption.-History:...
and was returned as its member. He represented the borough until 1818 when he was re-elected to the Reigate constituency, which he represented until his death. Yorke's business interests include the chairmanship of the Waterloo Bridge Company.
Family and personal life
On 29 March 1798, Yorke married Elizabeth Weake Rattray, the daughter of James Rattray, in Ireland. The couple had a number of children before Elizabeth's death on 20 January 1812. His eldest son, Charles YorkeCharles Yorke, 4th Earl of Hardwicke
Admiral Charles Philip Yorke, 4th Earl of Hardwicke PC , was a British naval commander and Conservative politician.-Background:...
also served in the navy, rising to the rank of Admiral, and on the death without heir of Joseph Yorke's brother Philip, the 3rd Earl of Hardwicke in 1834, Charles became the 4th Earl. On 22 May 1813, Joseph married a second time, to Urania Anne, the Dowager Marchioness of Clanricarde
Earl of Clanricarde
Earl of Clanricarde is a title that has been created twice in the Peerage of Ireland, first in 1543 and again in 1800. The former creation became extinct in 1916 while the 1800 creation is still extant and held by the Marquess of Sligo since 1916....
, and daughter of George Paulet, 12th Marquess of Winchester
George Paulet, 12th Marquess of Winchester
George Paulet, 12th Marquess of Winchester , known as George Paulet or Powlett until 1794, was an English courtier and nobleman.George was the eighth and youngest son of Norton Paulet, or Powlett , of Amport...
, at St. Martin in the Fields, Westminster, London. The marriage did not produce any children.
Death
On 5 May 1831 Yorke was returning from visiting Henry HothamHenry Hotham
Vice Admiral Sir Henry Hotham KCB was a Royal Navy hero who saw a great deal of service during the Napoleonic Wars.-Naval career:...
's flagship
Flagship
A flagship is a vessel used by the commanding officer of a group of naval ships, reflecting the custom of its commander, characteristically a flag officer, flying a distinguishing flag...
, , then moored at Spithead
Spithead
Spithead is an area of the Solent and a roadstead off Gilkicker Point in Hampshire, England. It is protected from all winds, except those from the southeast...
. He was making his way back to shore aboard the yacht Catherine, in company with Captains Matthew Barton Bradby and Thomas Young, and a seaman named John Chandler, when the boat was struck by lightning in Stokes Bay
Stokes Bay
Stokes Bay is an area of the Solent that lies just south of Gosport, between Portsmouth and Lee-on-the-Solent, Hampshire. There is a shingle beach that has a great view of Ryde and East Cowes on the Isle of Wight to the south and also Fawley in the south west. The village of Alverstoke is close by...
, causing it to capsize. All aboard were drowned. The bodies were later recovered and an inquest returned a verdict of accidental death. Yorke was buried at the family tomb in the parish church at Wimpole
Wimpole
Wimpole is a village and civil parish in South Cambridgeshire, England, about 8½ miles southwest of Cambridge. It is sometimes sub-divided into "Old Wimpole" and "New Wimpole". People from Wimpole include the Independent minister John Conder...
, close to Wimpole Hall
Wimpole Hall
Wimpole Hall is a country house located within the Parish of Wimpole, Cambridgeshire, England, about 8½ miles southwest of Cambridge. The house, begun in 1640, and its 3,000 acres of parkland and farmland are owned by the National Trust and are regularly open to the public.Wimpole is...
, the seat of the Earls of Hardwicke.