Thomas Adams, Sir (1738-1770)
Sir Thomas Adams was in command of HMS Niger in Newfoundland waters during 1765
and 1766. Adams was the son of a London solicitor, Sir Robert Adams and his wife Diana. He
was baptised at Old Church, St. Pancras on 17 February 1737 and succeeded his father as
6th baronet in 1754. Sir Thomas married Frances Ann ? in Dublin in 1764 but there is no
record of any children.
Adams became a lieutenant on 08 June 1757, a commander on 12 November 1759 (he commanded
a ketch Happy that year on the Downs station) and a captain on 27 August 1760. He
had command of the Terpsichore from 1761 until 1762, taking the ship to the East
Indies and back. On his return he transferred to the Boston in July 1762. Adams
took charge of the Niger in March 1763 and operated in waters around Britain and
Ireland. The Niger was dispatched to Newfoundland waters in 1765 and while Adams
was captain in 1766 the young Joseph Banks was a passenger. He left the Niger in
January 1767.
In 1769, Adams resumed command of HMS Boston until September 1770. He moved to
the Romney but died a few days after assuming command on 03 October in Virginia.
His will was proven on 08 November 1770, 11/961.
Richard Brathwaite (1728-1805)
Richard Brathwaite was in command of HMS Gibraltar in 1766. He became a lieutenant
in 1755, a commander in 1756 and made captain in 1761. Brathwaite was also in command
of HMS Shannon (1761-1763), HMS Gibraltar (1766-1767 in Newfoundland
waters) and HMS Liverpool (1767-1768, again in Newfoundland waters).In 1790,
Brathwaite became a rear admiral of the white and rose eventually to become admiral of
the white in 1801. He died in Greenwich on 28 June 1805 and his will was proven 11 July,
11/1428.
John Candler (?-1772)
John Candler was in command of the schooner Hope from 28 December 1763 until 04
October 1765. They were in Newfoundland waters in 1765. Candler became a
lieutenant on 15 June 1744. He died in 1772 and his will was proven on 31 October, 11/981.
Information about Alexander, Lord Colvill has been moved to
The Men who sailed with Cook pages.
James Cook
In 1762, there was another James Cook on board the Gosport. He was a Lieutenant at
the time. He also served in the West Indies and Carolinas and drew charts. This has led
to confusion with Cook, the Pacific explorer, by various writers in the past, who have
stated the (Pacific) Cook had spent time in the Caribbean.
Archibald Dickson, Sir (?-1803)
Archibald Dickson was in command of the snow Egmont from 01 April to 18 October
in 1765. During this time they were in Newfoundland waters.
Dickson became a lieutenant on 19 September 1759, a commander on 10 January 1771 and a
captain on 31 July 1774. He had command of HMS Greyhound, Dublin, Goliath, Captain
and Egmont. This Egmont was a 3rd rate and Dickson commanded her from
1793 to 1794. He then became a rear admiral of the blue (12 April 1794) and eventually
rose to be admiral of the blue on 01 January 1801.
Dickson married Elizabeth Porter on 21 November 1765 at Holy Trinity, Gosport. A
daughter, Elizabeth, was born in 1770. Dickson became a baronet in September 1802. Sir
Archibald Dickson died at Hardingham Hall, Norfolk on 30 May 1803 and his will was proven
on 14 July, 11/1396. Details of his birth are unclear. He may have come from near Kelso in
Roxburghshire, Scotland, near Ednam, the village in which James Cook's father was born.
Charles Douglas, Sir (?-1789)
In 1762, Charles Douglas was in charge of HMS Syren in the approaches to the Gulf
of St. Lawrence when he was alerted to the French attack on St. John's, the capital of
Newfoundland. He immediately sent word to Lord Colvill at Halifax and arranged to
intercept the Governor of Newfoundland, Thomas Graves, then conducting a flotilla of
fishing boats across the Atlantic. Douglas and the Syren were part of the force that
recaptured St. John's before Colvill dispatched him to Britain with news of the victory.
He transferred to HMS Tweed and returned to Newfoundland waters in early 1763.
James Cook was assigned to the Tweed and used it to hastily complete his survey of
St.-Pierre and Miquelon before the islands handed over to the French. Douglas had to
use all his diplomatic skills during this time to placate the new French governor
François-Gabriel d'Angeac, who was impatient to assume his position.
Little is known of Douglas' early life except that he served as a midshipman at the siege
of Louisbourg on the Île Royale in 1745. He was made lieutenant in 1753, promoted
commander in February 1759 and post-captain in March 1761. Douglas had served with the
Dutch navy from 1749 to 1752 and joined the Russian navy from 1764 to 1765.
Back with the Royal Navy from 1767, he served in home waters before returning to America
in 1775 on HMS Isis. On his return to England, Douglas was rewarded with a
baronetcy on 23 January 1777. He served as captain of the fleet to admirals Rodney and
Pigot in the West Indies from 1781 to 1783. Douglas was present at the battle of the
Saintes on 12 April 1782. He is chiefly remembered for his innovations in naval gunnery,
especially when he commanded the Duke.
In October 1783, Douglas was appointed commodore and commander-in-chief on the Halifax
station, but in 1786 he asked for his recall when the Admiralty would not support him in
a dispute with the dockyard commissioner, Henry Duncan. On 24 September 1787, he was
promoted rear-admiral, and in January 1789 he was again appointed to the command in North
America but died suddenly of apoplexy on 10 March before he could take up the
command. His will was proven on 28 March, 11/1176.
Douglas was married three times and, with his wives, had three sons and two daughters.
Douglastown on Gaspee was named after him. An engraving of Henry Singleton's portrait of
Sir Charles Douglas hangs in the National Maritime Museum in London.
Information about Peter Flower has been moved to
The Men who sailed with Cook pages.
Thomas Graves, Baron Graves (1725-1802)
Thomas Graves was born in Thanckes, Cornwall on 23 October, 1725. to a naval family, his
father being Rear-admiral Thomas Graves. Young Thomas entered the navy and was serving
under Captain Medley in the West Indies by 1741. He was made a lieutenant in 1743 in
HMS Romney. By 1755, he was in command of HMS Sheerness.
In 1761, Graves was appointed Governor of Newfoundland and had command of HMS Antelope.
It was during his tenure that the French captured St. John's, causing James Cook to go to
Newfoundland as part of the British force that recaptured the capital. Graves was already
concerned about the lack of good charts of the island by the British and had made
representations to the Admiralty. He saw examples of Cook's work in 1762 and organised
Cook's appointment as surveyor as well as securing the Grenville schooner for Cook
to use in 1764.
Graves left Newfoundland in 1764 and resumed his naval career. He became a rear admiral in
1779 and vice admiral in 1787. He returned to active service during the War of American
Independence and became commander-in-chief of the North American squadron in 1781. He was
commander-in chief at Plymouth in 1788. He was made Admiral in 1794 on the Royal
Sovereign and took part in the Battle of the Glorious First of June. He was wounded
and resigned his command but was made Baron Graves. He died on 09 February 1802. Graves
had married Elizabeth Williams in 1771 and they had three daughters and a son.
Graves recognised Cook's ability and was instrumental in securing his appointment as
Surveyor of Newfoundland. There is a short biography in the D.N.B., v.8, pp.438-440. The
Graves Light in Boston Harbor, Massachusetts is named after Thomas Graves.
John Hamilton, Sir (1726-1784)
John Hamilton was in command of the sloop Zephyr from 11 April 1764 until 13
February 1766 when he transferred to the sloop Merlin. He remained with the
Merlin until 27 February 1769 and it was while he was with this vessel that he
became a captin on 26 May 1768. He had become a lieutenant on 11 January 1747 and a
commander on 07 April 1762. He was in Newfoundland waters in 1765 and 1766.
In 1775, Hamilton, in command of HMS Lizard, was present when the
Americans attacked Quebec. For his pivotal role in Quebec's defence, Hamilton was made
Sir John Hamilton, 1st baronet of Trebinshun in 1776. He took over command of HMS
Hector in 1776 and remained on this ship until September 1781. His son, Charles,
accompanied him as captain's servant and later, as Sir Charles Hamilton, was Governor of
Newfoundland from 1818 to 1823.
Hamilton took over command of the Grafton on 28 December 1782 but moved back to the
Hector in April 1783 and he was with thtat ship when he died in 1784.
John Hamilton was baptised on 21 February 1725 at Trebinshun, Brecon, Wales, the son of
John and Mary Hamilton. He married Cassandra Chamberlayne in October 1763 and they had
two sons, Charles, born 1767, and Edward Joseph, born 1772. John Hamilton
died on 07 January 1784 and his will was proven 20 March, 11/1114.
William Hamilton(?-1790)
William Hamilton was in command of HMS Favorite in 1766 in Newfoundland waters. He
became a lieutenant on 06 February 1744 and a commander on 17 January 1757. With this
appointment, Hamilton assumed command of the Barbados sloop. He transferred to
another sloop, the Speaker in July 1758 but only remained there one month. On 04
April 1763, Hamilton took over command of the sloop Favorite, staying with her
until 16 December 1767.
Hamilton was promoted to captain on 10 January 1771 but there are no records of further
active service. He died on 10 April 1790.
John Jervis(1735-1823)
The captain of the Gosport in 1762 was John Jervis, who in 1797 led the British in their
defeat of the Spanish in the Battle of Cape St. Vincent. He became Lord St. Vincent and
First Lord of the Admiralty in 1801.
Information about Michael Lane has been moved to
The Men who sailed with Cook pages.
James Lawson
James Lawson was in command of the cutter Wells in 1766. He had become a lieutenant
in 1745. Lawson was a superannuated commander in 1796 and died on 29 March 1798.
Cornthwaite Ommanney (c1736-1801)
Cornthwaite Ommanney was in command of the sloop Zephyr in 1766. Ommanney became
a lieutenant in 1758, commander in 1765 and made captain in 1772. He was captain of HMS
Tartar in 1776. Ommanney was a superannuated rear admiral in 1794.
Ommanney was baptised at St. Mary's Church, Portsea on 15 August 1736, the son of John
and Elizabeth Ommanney. He married Martha Manaton and together they had 6 sons. Cornthwaite
Ommanney died on 26 March 1801 and was buried at the Church of St. John
the Evangelist, Westminster. His will was proven 13 April, 11/1356.
Hugh Palliser, Sir (1722-1796)
Hugh Palliser was born at Kirk Deighton, West Yorkshire, England on 22 February 1722. He
entered the Royal Navy on the Aldborough, his uncle's ship, at age eleven. In 1741
he became lieutenant, and in 1746 he became a captain, commanding several ships during
the War of the Austrian Succession. He commanded the Eagle during the Seven Years
War and it was then that his and Cook's paths first crossed. Palliser next commanded the
Shrewsbury.
In 1762, Palliser was sent to Newfoundland to help expel the French, who had captured
St. John's, but arrived the day after the French surrendered. Two years later, he was
appointed to succeed Graves as Governor of Newfoundland and arrived there in April 1764.
He and Cook crossed the Atlantic together on HMS Lark. For much of his term,
Palliser was concerned with French access to fisheries around Newfoundland and
St. Pierre and Miquelon. Palliser had to keep the French within the limits set by the
Treaty of Paris, and keep the English from disrupting them. Palliser actively encouraged
Cook in his survey of Newfoundland from 1764 until 1767, and the two men became good
friends. Palliser did much to champion Cook's career.
Palliser left Newfoundland in 1768. From 1770 until 1775, he was Comptroller of the
Navy. He was created a baronet in 1773 and elected to parliament in 1774. In 1778 he was
promoted vice-admiral and governor of Greenwich Hospital in 1780. In 1787, he was
promoted admiral. In 1778, Palliser took part in a battle off Ushant, which led to
accusations and courts-martial. Even though he was acquitted, Palliser fared badly and
was forced to retire from public life. He had a house and estate at The Vache, near
Chalfont St. Giles in Buckinghamshire. He died there, unmarried, in March, 1796. Palliser
erected a monument to Cook at The Vache. Cook, in his turn, named a point in New Zealand,
some islands in the Tuamotus and an inlet on Kerguelen after his friend. There is a
short biography in the D.N.B., v.15, pp. 114-6. A portrait by Dance is held at the
National Maritime Museum in Greenwich.
Information about William Parker has been moved to
The Men who sailed with Cook pages.
Philip Tufton Perceval (1741-1795)
Philip Tufton Perceval was born on 10 March 1741, the second son of John Perceval, 2nd
Earl of Egmont, with his first wife, Catherine. Tufton became a commander in 1759 and
was made a captain on 21 July 1760. He died on 21 April 1795. He appears not to have had
a long naval career.
Charles Saxton, Sir (1732-1808)
Saxton was one of six children of Edward Saxton, a merchant, of White Friars and his
wife Elisabeth. He joined the navy in 1745 becoming a captain's servant to Captain
Charles Saunders in the Gloucester. He next served on the Eagle and the
St Albans before making lieutenant in 1757. Saxton then served in the East Indies
under vice-admirals Watson, and Pocock before returning to Britain in 1760. He was
promoted commander in 1760 and captain in 1762.
At the conclusion of the Seven Years' War, Saxton commanded the Pearl on the
Newfoundland station, where he was employed in the Gulf of St Lawrence in part to deter
the claims of the French. The Pearl was paid off in 1766. In 1770, Saxton
commanded the Phoenix during the Spanish conflict.
In 1779, Saxton commissioned the Invincible, which during 1780 formed part of
the Channel Fleet, and at the end of the year he went out with Hood to the West Indies.
Saxton was obliged to leave the Invincible for some months, owing to ill-health
but later resumed the command. In 1781, Saxton was with Hood again in the action off the
Chesapeake in September and at St Kitt's early in 1782. He was then sent to Jamaica,
where he remained until the conclusion of the War of American Independence; he returned
to England in the summer of 1783.
In 1789, Saxton was appointed commissioner of the navy at Portsmouth, then the principal
dockyard and held the post until 1806 when he retired. Saxton married Mary Bush in 1771
and together they had two children, Charles and Mary. He was created a baronet on 19
July 1794 and died in November 1808 being buried in Gloucester Cathedral. His will was
proven on 25 November, 11/1489. His portrait
was painted by James Northcote in 1795 and it hangs at the National Maritime Museum in
Greenwich.
William Stanford (?-?)
William Stanford was in command of the schooner Hope in 1766 in Newfoundland
waters. He became a lieutenant on 28 August 1759 and assumed command of the Hope
on05 October 1765, remaining in that position until 19 October 1767. No other records of
active service survive. He may have been the lieutenant William Stanford on half-pay who
died in Waltham Cross, Hertfordshire. A will for a man of this name was proven on
19 January 1791, 11/1200.
Philip Stephens, Sir (1723-1809)
Philip Stephens was Secretary to the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty from 1763 until
1795. As such, much of the correspondence concerning Cook's voyages emanates from
Stephens or is addressed to him. Cook also worked and corresponded with Stephens during
his time in Newfoundland. Many business letters between the two men survive.
Stephens was born in 1723 in Alphamstone in Essex, the son of the rector, Nathaniel
Stephens. He was educated at the Free School in Harwich before becoming a clerk at the
Victualling Board. Anson befriended him and made him his secretary. In 17xx, Stephens
became assistant secretary to the Admiralty, under John Clevland. While the title
"Secretary" implies a junior role, the position actually carried much power and Stephens
made some decisions without referring to the Lords Commissioners.
He was elected F.R.S. in 1771 and from 1768 until 1806 he was M.P. for Sandwich. On his
retirement he was knighted and made a Lords Commissioner himself. He died on 20 November
1809 and is buried in Fulham. He was married and had one son, who predeceased him. He had
property in St. Faiths, Norfolk. He left a will (FRC 11/1507). There is a short biography
in the DNB, v.18, p.1067. Cook named several features after Stephens. Stephens Island and
Point Stephens near the northern tip of South Island, New Zealand, and Port Stephens on
the New South Wales Coast honour him.
Samuel Thompson (?-1813)
Samuel Thompson was in command of HMS Lark in 1765. He became a lieutenant in 1744,
a commander in 1757 and a captain in 1760. He was a superannuated rear admiral in 1788.
Thompson died on 13 August 1813 and his will was proven on 09 December, 11/1550.
Andrew Wilkinson (c1728-1785)
Andrew Wilkinson was in command of HMS Niger in 1767, following Sir Thomas
Adams, and operated in Newfoundland waters that year. He collected material, including
a canoe for Joseph Banks that he entrusted to James Cook to take across the Atlantic.
Unfortunately, the items were lost overboard during a storm that engulfed the
Grenville at the mouth of the Thames.
Wilkinson was baptised on 25 April 1728, the third of four sons of Andrew Wilkinson, a
racehorse breeder and MP for Aldborough, near Boroughbridge, in Yorkshire, and his wife
Barbara. The younger Wilkinson became a lieutenant on 22 August 1747 and a commander
on 02 August 1756 when he was given command of a sloop, the Diligence. He remained
with the sloop until early 1757 when he transferred to the Glasgow, a 6th rate. He
had also been promoted to captain on 23 March 1757.
On 27 August 1759, Wilkinson assumed command of HMS Jersey and took her to the
Mediterranean. He left the Jersey on 12 May 1763 at the end of hostilities. He
resumed active service when he took over command of the Niger on 02 February 1767.
Wilkinson left the Niger on 16 December 1769 and once more left active service.
On 02 October 1777 he became captain of the Grafton and served on her in North
American waters until 14 June 1779. He then retired.
Wilkinson married Dorothy Lawson in 1777 in Boroughbridge. He died in Boroughbridge
on 29 May 1785 and his will was proven on 18 March 1786, 11/1140.
Colonel d'Haussonville.Other people mentioned.
Duc du Choiseul.