Savage Mostyn
Encyclopedia
Savage Mostyn was an officer of the Royal Navy
who saw service during the War of the Austrian Succession
and the Seven Years' War
. He embarked on a political career, and was a Member of Parliament
, Comptroller of the Navy, and one of the Lords of the Admiralty.
Mostyn was born c. 1713 into a well connected family. He went to sea and quickly rose through the ranks to command his own ships. By the outbreak of the War of the Austrian Succession he was a captain, and served with several of the leading naval officers of the day in operations off the British coast, and in the Caribbean. While sailing off the French coast in 1744, Mostyn became involved in an incident which almost blighted his career. His squadron chased down several French ships, with Mostyn being close to engaging them, but considering the risks of attacking while unsupported too great, he drew away and allowed the French to escape. His actions were approved of by the Admiralty
, but sensitive to criticism, Mostyn demanded a court martial, which acquitted him of blame. Public opinion was against him however, especially when it was learnt that Mostyn's powerful relations may have had a hand in influencing the court.
His naval career was largely unaffected however, and he served in several cruising squadrons and captured a number of privateer
s. He entered politics in 1747, representing the constituency of Weobley
until his death, and was involved in the administration of the navy as Comptroller, and as a Lord of the Admiralty. He was advanced to flag rank and served in a junior role in commanding several of the fleets of the Seven Years' War, until his death in 1757.
, and his wife Lady Essex Finch, the daughter of Daniel Finch, 7th Earl of Winchilsea. He entered Westminster School
at the age of eleven in June 1725, and afterwards appears to have entered the navy, as he is recorded as having been appointed lieutenant of the 60-gun on 2 March 1734. He went on to serve aboard the 100-gun during her time as the flagship
of Sir John Norris, before being advanced to his own command, that of the fireship , on 3 July 1739. Duke was attached to Rear-Admiral Nicholas Haddock
's fleet off Cadiz
, and having impressed Haddock, Mostyn was given command of the 24-gun on 17 December 1739. The Admiralty
confirmed him in his rank on 6 March 1740.
He went on to serve on several ships in quick succession during 1740, taking command of the 24-gun in April, and later that year moving to the 60-gun . With Deptford Mostyn went out to the West Indies with Sir Chaloner Ogle's
fleet, and later served under Vice-Admiral Edward Vernon
, during the attempts to capture Cartagena
in March and April 1741. Mostyn took command of the 70-gun in December 1743 and joined Sir John Norris's fleet. He was present with Norris off Dungeness on 24 February 1744, when the British intercepted a French fleet under the Comte de Rocquefeuil
which was carrying troops for a planned invasion of Britain
. Norris chased the French fleet away, until they were scattered by a storm.
fleet. By early 1745 Mostyn was cruising off Ushant
with three other ships, , and . On 6 January they fell in with three French ships; Neptune, Fleuron and Mars, and chased them. Neptune and Fleuron were 74-gun ships, while Mars was a smaller vessel, a former English privateer
. Mars broke away from the other two French ships, and was pursued by Captain, which captured the French ship that evening. Sunderland lost her fore-topmast and fell behind, leaving Hampton Court and Dreadnought to pursue the remaining two French ships alone. Mostyn soon closed on the French, but Dreadnought still lagged behind. After waiting another day and night in the hope that Dreadnought would catch up, Mostyn abandoned the chase, fearing that he was too close to the French shore, and that he would be overwhelmed by the combined firepower of his opponents if he attacked alone. After his return to port, Mostyn justified his actions, claiming that the choppy, squally weather caused his ship to heel over so far as to render his lower gunports inoperable, while the French vessels sat higher in the water and could have used theirs. Without Dreadnought to support him, Mostyn argued that he could have been overwhelmed, had he risked an attack.
to request his masts be replaced with smaller ones. The Board declined the request, replying that 'as there has never been any Complaint, of her before, that She will do very well.' Mostyn read into the reply an imputation that he was inventing a cause for his recent failure that did not exist. He immediately petitioned for a court martial to examine his conduct, to which the Admiralty acquiesced. Mostyn was duly acquitted, the court determining that he had done 'his duty as an experienced good Officer, and as a Man of Courage and Conduct.' Shortly afterwards a pamphlet appeared, entitled An Enquiry into the Conduct of Captain Mostyn. It was anonymous, though the author was probably Admiral Edward Vernon
. The author criticised the findings of the court, accusing them of having been led and coached by Mostyn's powerful cousin, Daniel Finch, 8th Earl of Winchilsea
, and of whitewashing Mostyn's negligent conduct during the chase. Public opinion in general was also against Mostyn, and nearly a year after the verdict he was jeered out of Portsmouth Dockyard by workmen and sailors calling out ‘All's well! there's no Frenchman in the way!’
squadron later in 1745. He enjoyed some considerable success against enemy cruisers and privateers, capturing Diane on 4 May 1745, and the 32-gun Lis in December that year. He captured several more privateers over the next few years, Dauphin on 27 January 1746, and the 20-gun Comte de Lowendahl in the Western Channel on 4 March 1747. He was with a squadron when they fell in with a convoy being escorted by Comte Dubois de la Motte
on 20 June 1747, and took 48 merchants as prizes. Several more privateers were taken during 1747, Triomphant on 23 June, Grand San Juan on 7 December, and the 20-gun Thétis on 9 December. Hampton Court cruised with Sir Peter Warren's fleet in 1748.
for the Herefordshire
constituency of Weobley
. He used the position to support the government, and held the seat until his death. He was appointed Comptroller of the Navy
on 22 March 1749, having to manage the repair of old ships and the construction of new ones during the peace, when the dockyard workforces were being reduced. He is sometimes credited with the introduction of standardised uniforms for naval officers during his time as Comptroller, though an order in council establishing uniform clothing exists dating from 10 February 1747. Mostyn returned to active service with the outbreak of the French and Indian War
, receiving a promotion to rear-admiral on 4 February 1755. He went out to North America in summer that year as second in command of the fleet under Vice-Admiral Edward Boscawen
, and spent 1756 as second in command of the western squadron, serving successively under Edward Hawke
, Boscawen, and Sir Charles Knowles.
He became one of the junior lords of the Admiralty between April and June 1757, under the brief administration of his cousin, and died shortly afterwards, on 16 September 1757. He was unmarried, and left £60,000 to his nephew, Roger Mostyn.
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...
who saw service during the War of the Austrian Succession
War of the Austrian Succession
The War of the Austrian Succession – including King George's War in North America, the Anglo-Spanish War of Jenkins' Ear, and two of the three Silesian wars – involved most of the powers of Europe over the question of Maria Theresa's succession to the realms of the House of Habsburg.The...
and the Seven Years' War
Seven Years' War
The Seven Years' War was a global military war between 1756 and 1763, involving most of the great powers of the time and affecting Europe, North America, Central America, the West African coast, India, and the Philippines...
. He embarked on a political career, and was 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,...
, Comptroller of the Navy, and one of the Lords of the Admiralty.
Mostyn was born c. 1713 into a well connected family. He went to sea and quickly rose through the ranks to command his own ships. By the outbreak of the War of the Austrian Succession he was a captain, and served with several of the leading naval officers of the day in operations off the British coast, and in the Caribbean. While sailing off the French coast in 1744, Mostyn became involved in an incident which almost blighted his career. His squadron chased down several French ships, with Mostyn being close to engaging them, but considering the risks of attacking while unsupported too great, he drew away and allowed the French to escape. His actions were approved of by 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...
, but sensitive to criticism, Mostyn demanded a court martial, which acquitted him of blame. Public opinion was against him however, especially when it was learnt that Mostyn's powerful relations may have had a hand in influencing the court.
His naval career was largely unaffected however, and he served in several cruising squadrons and captured a number of privateer
Privateer
A privateer is a private person or ship authorized by a government by letters of marque to attack foreign shipping during wartime. Privateering was a way of mobilizing armed ships and sailors without having to spend public money or commit naval officers...
s. He entered politics in 1747, representing the constituency of Weobley
Weobley (UK Parliament constituency)
Weobley was a parliamentary borough in Herefordshire, which elected two Members of Parliament to the House of Commons in 1295 and from 1628 until 1832, when the borough was abolished by the Great Reform Act.- MPs 1628–1660 :...
until his death, and was involved in the administration of the navy as Comptroller, and as a Lord of the Admiralty. He was advanced to flag rank and served in a junior role in commanding several of the fleets of the Seven Years' War, until his death in 1757.
Family and early life
Savage Mostyn was born circa 1713, a younger son of Sir Roger Mostyn, 3rd BaronetSir Roger Mostyn, 3rd Baronet
-Life:Mostyn was born on 31 July 1673. He was the eldest son of Sir Thomas Mostyn, 2nd Baronet, of Mostyn in Flintshire, north Wales, and inherited the title on the death of his father in 1692. He attended the University of Oxford, matriculating from Jesus College in 1690. He was elected as MP...
, and his wife Lady Essex Finch, the daughter of Daniel Finch, 7th Earl of Winchilsea. He entered Westminster School
Westminster School
The Royal College of St. Peter in Westminster, almost always known as Westminster School, is one of Britain's leading independent schools, with the highest Oxford and Cambridge acceptance rate of any secondary school or college in Britain...
at the age of eleven in June 1725, and afterwards appears to have entered the navy, as he is recorded as having been appointed lieutenant of the 60-gun on 2 March 1734. He went on to serve aboard the 100-gun during her time as the 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...
of Sir John Norris, before being advanced to his own command, that of the fireship , on 3 July 1739. Duke was attached to Rear-Admiral Nicholas Haddock
Nicholas Haddock
Nicholas Haddock was an admiral in the British Royal Navy and a Member of Parliament .Haddock, the second son of Admiral Sir Richard Haddock, was destined for a naval career from childhood and first distinguished himself at the age of 16 as a midshipman at the Battle of Vigo in 1702...
's fleet off Cadiz
Cádiz
Cadiz is a city and port in southwestern Spain. It is the capital of the homonymous province, one of eight which make up the autonomous community of Andalusia....
, and having impressed Haddock, Mostyn was given command of the 24-gun on 17 December 1739. 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...
confirmed him in his rank on 6 March 1740.
He went on to serve on several ships in quick succession during 1740, taking command of the 24-gun in April, and later that year moving to the 60-gun . With Deptford Mostyn went out to the West Indies with Sir Chaloner Ogle's
Chaloner Ogle
Admiral of the Fleet Sir Chaloner Ogle was a British naval commander during the War of the Austrian Succession.-Naval career:Born the son of John Ogle, a Newcastle barrister, Ogle came from the Kirkley Hall branch of the prominent Northumbrian Ogle family of Northumberland...
fleet, and later served under Vice-Admiral Edward Vernon
Edward Vernon
Edward Vernon was an English naval officer. Vernon was born in Westminster, England and went to Westminster School. He joined the Navy in 1700 and was promoted to Lieutenant in 1702 and served on several different ships for the next five years...
, during the attempts to capture Cartagena
Battle of Cartagena de Indias
The Battle of Cartagena de Indias was an amphibious military engagement between the forces of Britain under Vice-Admiral Edward Vernon and those of Spain under Admiral Blas de Lezo. It took place at the city of Cartagena de Indias in March 1741, in present-day Colombia...
in March and April 1741. Mostyn took command of the 70-gun in December 1743 and joined Sir John Norris's fleet. He was present with Norris off Dungeness on 24 February 1744, when the British intercepted a French fleet under the Comte de Rocquefeuil
Jacques Aymar de Roquefeuil et du Bousquet
Jacques Aymar de Roquefeuil et du Bousquet was a French Navy admiral.-Family:...
which was carrying troops for a planned invasion of Britain
Planned French Invasion of Britain (1744)
A planned invasion of Great Britain was to be undertaken by France in 1744 shortly after the declaration of war between them as part of the War of the Austrian Succession. A large invasion force was prepared and put to sea from Dunkirk in February 1744, only to be partly wrecked and driven back...
. Norris chased the French fleet away, until they were scattered by a storm.
Chasing the French
Mostyn took command of the 70-gun in April 1744 and was assigned to Sir John Balchen'sJohn Balchen
Admiral Sir John Balchen was an officer of the British Royal Navy with a long and distinguished career during the late 17th and early 18th centuries. In the course of his service at sea, Balchen saw action in numerous battles against the French and Spanish navies across 60 years and three...
fleet. By early 1745 Mostyn was cruising off Ushant
Ushant
Ushant is an island at the south-western end of the English Channel which marks the north-westernmost point of metropolitan France. It belongs to Brittany and is in the traditional region of Bro-Leon. Administratively, Ushant is a commune in the Finistère department...
with three other ships, , and . On 6 January they fell in with three French ships; Neptune, Fleuron and Mars, and chased them. Neptune and Fleuron were 74-gun ships, while Mars was a smaller vessel, a former English privateer
Privateer
A privateer is a private person or ship authorized by a government by letters of marque to attack foreign shipping during wartime. Privateering was a way of mobilizing armed ships and sailors without having to spend public money or commit naval officers...
. Mars broke away from the other two French ships, and was pursued by Captain, which captured the French ship that evening. Sunderland lost her fore-topmast and fell behind, leaving Hampton Court and Dreadnought to pursue the remaining two French ships alone. Mostyn soon closed on the French, but Dreadnought still lagged behind. After waiting another day and night in the hope that Dreadnought would catch up, Mostyn abandoned the chase, fearing that he was too close to the French shore, and that he would be overwhelmed by the combined firepower of his opponents if he attacked alone. After his return to port, Mostyn justified his actions, claiming that the choppy, squally weather caused his ship to heel over so far as to render his lower gunports inoperable, while the French vessels sat higher in the water and could have used theirs. Without Dreadnought to support him, Mostyn argued that he could have been overwhelmed, had he risked an attack.
Controversy
The Admiralty accepted the explanation, and the matter might have passed, had Mostyn not written to the Navy BoardNavy Board
The Navy Board is today the body responsible for the day-to-day running of the British Royal Navy. Its composition is identical to that of the Admiralty Board of the Defence Council of the United Kingdom, except that it does not include any of Her Majesty's Ministers.From 1546 to 1831, the Navy...
to request his masts be replaced with smaller ones. The Board declined the request, replying that 'as there has never been any Complaint, of her before, that She will do very well.' Mostyn read into the reply an imputation that he was inventing a cause for his recent failure that did not exist. He immediately petitioned for a court martial to examine his conduct, to which the Admiralty acquiesced. Mostyn was duly acquitted, the court determining that he had done 'his duty as an experienced good Officer, and as a Man of Courage and Conduct.' Shortly afterwards a pamphlet appeared, entitled An Enquiry into the Conduct of Captain Mostyn. It was anonymous, though the author was probably Admiral Edward Vernon
Edward Vernon
Edward Vernon was an English naval officer. Vernon was born in Westminster, England and went to Westminster School. He joined the Navy in 1700 and was promoted to Lieutenant in 1702 and served on several different ships for the next five years...
. The author criticised the findings of the court, accusing them of having been led and coached by Mostyn's powerful cousin, Daniel Finch, 8th Earl of Winchilsea
Daniel Finch, 8th Earl of Winchilsea
Daniel Finch, 8th Earl of Winchilsea and 3rd Earl of Nottingham, KG, PC was a British politician. Styled Lord Finch until 1730, he was the eldest son of Daniel Finch, 2nd Earl of Nottingham and his second wife Anne Hatton, daughter of Christopher Hatton, 1st Viscount Hatton...
, and of whitewashing Mostyn's negligent conduct during the chase. Public opinion in general was also against Mostyn, and nearly a year after the verdict he was jeered out of Portsmouth Dockyard by workmen and sailors calling out ‘All's well! there's no Frenchman in the way!’
Continued service
Despite these proceedings, Mostyn remained in command of Hampton Court, and joined William Martin'sWilliam Martin (Royal Navy officer)
William Martin was an officer of the Royal Navy who saw service during the Wars of the Spanish and the Austrian Successions.Martin rose from obscure origins to see service during the War of the Spanish Succession...
squadron later in 1745. He enjoyed some considerable success against enemy cruisers and privateers, capturing Diane on 4 May 1745, and the 32-gun Lis in December that year. He captured several more privateers over the next few years, Dauphin on 27 January 1746, and the 20-gun Comte de Lowendahl in the Western Channel on 4 March 1747. He was with a squadron when they fell in with a convoy being escorted by Comte Dubois de la Motte
Emmanuel-Auguste de Cahideuc, Comte Dubois de la Motte
Vice-Admiral Emmanuel-Auguste de Cahideuc, Comte Dubois de la Motte was a French naval officer.Emmanuel-Auguste de Cahideuc entered the navy as a midshipman in 1698, and received his first command in 1708. Following a promotion to sub-lieutenant, he fought at Rio de Janeiro in 1711...
on 20 June 1747, and took 48 merchants as prizes. Several more privateers were taken during 1747, Triomphant on 23 June, Grand San Juan on 7 December, and the 20-gun Thétis on 9 December. Hampton Court cruised with Sir Peter Warren's fleet in 1748.
Politics and high office
Mostyn entered politics in 1747, with his election in July that year as Member of ParliamentMember 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,...
for the Herefordshire
Herefordshire
Herefordshire is a historic and ceremonial county in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes it is a NUTS 3 region and is one of three counties that comprise the "Herefordshire, Worcestershire and Gloucestershire" NUTS 2 region. It also forms a unitary district known as the...
constituency of Weobley
Weobley (UK Parliament constituency)
Weobley was a parliamentary borough in Herefordshire, which elected two Members of Parliament to the House of Commons in 1295 and from 1628 until 1832, when the borough was abolished by the Great Reform Act.- MPs 1628–1660 :...
. He used the position to support the government, and held the seat until his death. He was appointed Comptroller of the Navy
Third Sea Lord
The Third Sea Lord and Controller of the Navy was formerly the Naval Lord and member of the Board of Admiralty responsible for procurement and matériel in the British Royal Navy...
on 22 March 1749, having to manage the repair of old ships and the construction of new ones during the peace, when the dockyard workforces were being reduced. He is sometimes credited with the introduction of standardised uniforms for naval officers during his time as Comptroller, though an order in council establishing uniform clothing exists dating from 10 February 1747. Mostyn returned to active service with the outbreak of the French and Indian War
French and Indian War
The French and Indian War is the common American name for the war between Great Britain and France in North America from 1754 to 1763. In 1756, the war erupted into the world-wide conflict known as the Seven Years' War and thus came to be regarded as the North American theater of that war...
, receiving a promotion to rear-admiral on 4 February 1755. He went out to North America in summer that year as second in command of the fleet under Vice-Admiral Edward Boscawen
Edward Boscawen
Admiral Edward Boscawen, PC was an Admiral in the Royal Navy and Member of Parliament for the borough of Truro, Cornwall. He is known principally for his various naval commands throughout the 18th Century and the engagements that he won, including the Siege of Louisburg in 1758 and Battle of Lagos...
, and spent 1756 as second in command of the western squadron, serving successively under Edward Hawke
Edward Hawke, 1st Baron Hawke
Admiral of the Fleet Edward Hawke, 1st Baron Hawke KB, PC was an officer of the Royal Navy. He is best remembered for his service during the Seven Years' War, particularly his victory over a French fleet at the Battle of Quiberon Bay in 1759, preventing a French invasion of Britain...
, Boscawen, and Sir Charles Knowles.
He became one of the junior lords of the Admiralty between April and June 1757, under the brief administration of his cousin, and died shortly afterwards, on 16 September 1757. He was unmarried, and left £60,000 to his nephew, Roger Mostyn.