Ralph Delaval
Encyclopedia
He was a member of a junior branch of the Delaval family
Delaval
Delaval is the surname of a family of gentry/aristocracy in Northumberland, England, from the 11th century to the 19th century. Their main estate was the manor of Seaton Delaval...
of Seaton Delaval
Seaton Delaval Hall
Seaton Delaval Hall is a Grade I listed country house in Northumberland, England. It is near the coast just north of Newcastle upon Tyne. Located between Seaton Sluice and Seaton Delaval, it was designed by Sir John Vanbrugh in 1718 for Admiral George Delaval and is now owned by the National...
, Northumberland
Northumberland
Northumberland is the northernmost ceremonial county and a unitary district in North East England. For Eurostat purposes Northumberland is a NUTS 3 region and is one of three boroughs or unitary districts that comprise the "Northumberland and Tyne and Wear" NUTS 2 region...
. He was born at North Dissington
Dissington Hall
Dissington Hall is a privately owned country mansion, now a wedding and conference centre, situated on the banks of the River Pont at North Dissington, Ponteland, Northumberland. It is a Grade II* listed building....
, Ponteland
Ponteland
Ponteland is a village situated in Northumberland near Newcastle upon Tyne, England. The name means island in the Pont , as the area consisted of a small piece of solid ground around St. Mary's church and the old bridge, surrounded by marshland. This marshland is now drained, with housing built on...
, Northumberland which estate he ultimately inherited and sold to Edward Collingwood of Bykker in 1673.
He joined the navy at a young age and progressed under the patronage of the Duke of York
Duke of York
The Duke of York is a title of nobility in the British peerage. Since the 15th century, it has, when granted, usually been given to the second son of the British monarch. The title has been created a remarkable eleven times, eight as "Duke of York" and three as the double-barreled "Duke of York and...
, later James II
James II of England
James II & VII was King of England and King of Ireland as James II and King of Scotland as James VII, from 6 February 1685. He was the last Catholic monarch to reign over the Kingdoms of England, Scotland, and Ireland...
, to become Captain of the third rater, York.
He was knighted and raised to Vice Admiral of the Blue on the accession of William III
William III of England
William III & II was a sovereign Prince of Orange of the House of Orange-Nassau by birth. From 1672 he governed as Stadtholder William III of Orange over Holland, Zeeland, Utrecht, Guelders, and Overijssel of the Dutch Republic. From 1689 he reigned as William III over England and Ireland...
and led the Blue Squadron in the rear division in the Battle of Beachy Head
Battle of Beachy Head (1690)
The Battle of Beachy Head was a naval engagement fought on 10 July 1690 during the Nine Years' War. The battle was the greatest French tactical naval victory over their English and Dutch opponents during the war...
against the French on 10 July 1690.
He was promoted to Vice Admiral of the Red in 1692. At the Battle of La Hogue on 9 May 1692, he personally commanded HMS Royal Sovereign
HMS Sovereign of the Seas
Sovereign of the Seas was a 17th century warship of the English Navy. She was ordered as a 90-gun first-rate ship of the line of the English Royal Navy, but at launch was armed with 102 bronze guns, at the insistence of the king...
and was responsible for the destruction of the French flagship and two others at Cherbourg. His Royal Sovereign log books (1691–1693) are preserved in the archives of the New York Public Library
New York Public Library
The New York Public Library is the largest public library in North America and is one of the United States' most significant research libraries...
.
In 1693, Delaval, along with Henry Killigrew and Cloudesley Shovell
Cloudesley Shovell
Admiral of the Fleet Sir Cloudesley Shovell , was an English naval officer. Rising through the ranks and fighting in many of the important battles of the late 17th and early 18th centuries, he became a popular British hero, whose celebrated career was brought to an end in a disastrous shipwreck in...
replaced Edward Russell
Edward Russell, 1st Earl of Orford
Admiral of the Fleet Edward Russell, 1st Earl of Orford, PC was the First Lord of the Admiralty under King William III.-Naval career:...
as commander-in-chief. However, in the summer the French isolated and inflicted severe damage on the Smyrna convoy in the Mediterranean at the Battle of Lagos
Battle of Lagos (1693)
The Battle of Lagos was a sea battle during the Nine Years' War on 1693-06-27 , when a French fleet under Tourville defeated an Anglo-Dutch fleet under George Rooke...
, for which Delaval, Killigrew and Shovell were severely criticised. A censure motion was laid in the House of Commons
British House of Commons
The House of Commons is the lower house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, which also comprises the Sovereign and the House of Lords . Both Commons and Lords meet in the Palace of Westminster. The Commons is a democratically elected body, consisting of 650 members , who are known as Members...
alleging 'notorious and treacherous mismanagement'. William was forced to dismiss his naval advisor Secretary of State the Earl of Nottingham
Daniel Finch, 2nd Earl of Nottingham
Daniel Finch, 2nd Earl of Nottingham, 7th Earl of Winchilsea PC , was an English Tory statesman during the late seventeenth and early eighteenth centuries.-Early life:...
, and appoint Russell as the new commander-in-chief.
Shortly thereafter, Delaval was involved in intrigue at court where he was regarded as a possible Jacobite
Jacobitism
Jacobitism was the political movement in Britain dedicated to the restoration of the Stuart kings to the thrones of England, Scotland, later the Kingdom of Great Britain, and the Kingdom of Ireland...
sympathiser and he lost his command. He retired to Northumberland. He died in 1707 and was buried in Westminster Abbey
Westminster Abbey
The Collegiate Church of St Peter at Westminster, popularly known as Westminster Abbey, is a large, mainly Gothic church, in the City of Westminster, London, United Kingdom, located just to the west of the Palace of Westminster. It is the traditional place of coronation and burial site for English,...
.