Nelson & His World

Does anyone have any biographical details of Captain Robert Faulknor?

Faulknor has an entry in the Dictionary of National Biography, which is as follows:

"Faulknor, Robert (1763–1795), naval officer, was born in Northampton, the eldest son of Captain Robert Faulknor and Elizabeth (née Ashe). Faulknor was the fifth generation of his family to serve in the Royal Navy. His father commanded the Bellona (74 guns) during the Seven Years' War and captured the French Courageux (74 guns) in 1761 after an action lasting 55 minutes; his grandfather was Captain Samuel Faulknor of the Victory, which was lost with all hands on the Casqueds rocks on 5 October 1744; his great-grandfather was Captain William Faulknor, who was lieutenant-governor of Greenwich Hospital at his death in 1725. Faulknor's uncle, Captain Jonathan Faulknor, commanded the Victory under Admiral Keppel in the action off Ushant on 27 July 1778, and his first cousin Jonathan Faulknor died as rear-admiral of the red in 1809.

Faulknor's family moved to Dijon, France, where his father died on 9 May 1769. Elizabeth Faulknor returned with the children to Northampton where the two sons were placed at a grammar school. Faulknor was entered at the Royal Naval Academy, Portsmouth, in 1774 and completed his term there in March 1777. He joined the Isis (50 guns), commanded by the Hon. William Cornwallis on the North American station, and followed him to the Bristol (50 guns) and then the Lion (64 guns), serving in several engagements between 1779 and 1780.

Between December 1780 and March 1783 Faulknor served in the Princess Royal (98 guns) and Britannia (98 guns), winning the praise of Rear-Admiral Sir Joshua Rowley, who considered him ‘a young man of great merit’ (Ralfe, 310). In March 1783, at the end of the American War of Independence, the Britannia was paid off but Faulknor, one of a small number of officers employed during the years of peace, was appointed to the sloop Merlin and then, in December 1783, to the Daphne (20 guns).

During the Nootka Sound crisis in May 1790 he was appointed to serve in the Impregnable (98 guns). Six months later he was promoted commander, but he had to wait until April 1791 to be given his first command, the fireship Pluto, which he retained until September 1791. He then remained on half pay until June 1793 when, Britain being at war with France, he was given the sloop Zebra cruising in the English Channel. Shortly after, following his mother's lobbying of Lord Chatham, the Zebra was attached to Sir John Jervis's expedition to the West Indies. In February 1794 during the attack on Martinique, the Zebra and the Asia (64 guns) were ordered to anchor close under the walls of Fort St Louis to cover an attack by troops and seamen in smaller craft under the direct command of Captains Riou and Nugent. The Asia failed to reach her allotted position but Faulknor, taking the Zebra in close to the fort, personally led his men in scaling the walls. During this he experienced a lucky escape when a wooden cartouche box strapped to his waist was struck by grapeshot leaving him unharmed. Although the fort had probably already been entered by the force under Riou and Nugent, Faulknor's action was witnessed by Jervis who publicly praised him and promoted him captain of the frigate Rose. Several months later Faulknor was given the heavier frigate Blanche (32 guns), and the expedition moved to attack the island of Guadeloupe. On 21 April, while leading a party of his seamen in the attack on Fort Fleur d'Epée, he was attacked by two French soldiers, lost his sword, and was knocked to the ground, but he was rescued by his own men.

Known for being ‘fiery, fierce, and ungoverned in his passions’, a weakness which even he had to admit to, Faulknor wrote on one occasion of his own ‘unfortunate rashness and impetuosity’ (Gilpin, 113; Ralfe, 3.314) . During the attack on Guadeloupe, Faulknor became involved in an angry altercation with an engineer who was critical of the battery erected by men under his command. During the course of this exchange a quartermaster of the Boyne (98 guns), Jervis's flagship, made some form of contemptuous comment and Faulknor ran him through with his sword, killing him instantly. The seamen working on the battery promptly refused to serve under him and a mutiny was averted only by the intercession of other officers. Faulknor was immediately court martialled.

While maintaining that he had been provoked Faulknor was, nevertheless, remorseful. Waiting for his court martial he wrote to Lieutenant Hill of the Zebra that his concern was less for my own fate, than that of being accessory to the death of any human being not the natural enemy of myself or my country … the hasty and sudden punishment I unhappily inflicted on the spot will be a source of lasting affliction to my mind. (Ralfe, 3.314)
Although acquitted by the court martial his remaining days were troubled. He became morose and his crew claimed that he was restless, pacing his cabin during the night.In December 1794 the Blanche was detached to cruise off the French-held island of Desirade. On 4 January 1795 the crew of the Blanche discovered the French frigate Pique off Pointe à Pitre, Guadeloupe. Although it appeared initially that the French ship was trying to avoid an action, the two ships came to close engagement in the early hours of 5 January. After an hour and three-quarters the Pique ran her bow on board the Blanche, from which position she could bring virtually none of her guns to bear on the English frigate which had by this time lost her main and mizen masts. Faulknor and members of his crew quickly lashed the French ship's bowsprit to the remains of the Blanche's main mast to prevent the Pique from manoeuvring. Although wounded, Faulknor continued to direct the action until killed by two musket shot. Two hours later the Pique surrendered to the Blanche, now commanded by Lieutenant Frederick Watkins. Faulknor was buried the day after his death on the Isles des Saintes. Following the news of Faulknor's death a memorial was erected in St Paul's Cathedral, London.

Tom Wareham"
Tom Wareham, ‘Faulknor, Robert (1763–1795)’, Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, Sept 2004; online edn, Jan 2008 [http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/9209, accessed 27 April 2008]

Many thanks, indeed, PN, for that comprehensive biography.

The reason I was curious about Faulknor was that he is mentioned in an old fashioned, but very interesting book, 'Deeds of Naval Daring: anecdotes of the British Navy' by 'the late Edward Giffard of the Admiralty' (John Murray, 1910).

Giffard recounts a curious incident during the attack on Fort Royal which I think shows Faulknor's judgement and presence of mind in a difficult situation.

The pilot of the Zebra, an experienced and seasoned seaman, suddenly lost his nerve and seemed unable to pilot the ship. Captain Faulknor observed this and in a quiet voice spoke to the man and discovered he was petrified because he had had a strong premonition in a dream that he would be killed. Captain Faulknor lowered his voice still further and said,'The fate of this expedition depends on the helm in your hands. Give it to me, and go and hide your head in whatever you fancy the safest part of the ship; but fears are catching, and if I hear you tell yours to any one of your messmates, your life shall answer for it tomorrow.' The pilot went away and Faulknor took the helm and 'laid the Zebra close to the walls of the fort ..and leaping overboard at the head of his sloop's company, assailed and took this important post.'

Ironically, the only man killed was the pilot.

Faulknor's response to the pilot's fears were remarkable, I think, showing not only presence of mind but a clear understanding of human nature. And for a man of a fiery disposition, as the DNB entry shows, and personal courage to handle a challenging situation in such a way shows great, and perhaps surprising, judgement.

I wonder how other captains would have reacted?

I came upon by chance this observation on the court martial of Captain Faulknor, which suggests that his connections might well have had some influence on the outcome of his court-martial:


http://ageofsail.wordpress.com/2009/02/ ... -contrast/

Anna,

Thanks for the link to my site, ageofsail.wordpress.com, which inspired me to register here.

Faulknor is a very complex character. Many contemporaneous observers did not approve of his assault from HMS Zebra and HMS Blanche under Faulknor was known to be a flogging ship.

I've found two stories on the murder which led to his court martial. One in which the quartermaster makes an insolent statement and is run through, and the one I use in my short bio of Faulknor, where he is involved in a heated exchange with an artillery officer on the placement of guns and accidentally strikes down the quartermaster.

Regardless of which of these versions is true, they mark a man of otherwise exceptional abilities as a naval officer as not having mastery of himself.

Many thanks for your post, Bill, and welcome to the forum.

I came across your very interesting site while I was looking for a transcript of Captain Faulknor's court martial. He is, as you say, an intriguingly complex character - undoubtedly fiery, but also courageous, (which might be a 'flip-side' of the same coin,) yet also able to exercise judgement and restraint at a time of great pressure as he did in the case of the terrified pilot incident I quote above.

I was curious to see the nature of the defence he offered for the loss of control that led to his trial and the nature of any testimonies to his good character made, and by whom. (P-N's biographical notes above say that he claimed he 'was provoked.')

Have you ever come across a transcript of the court martial? Has anyone?

Edward Gifford’s book, ‘Deeds of Naval Daring’ has a chapter on Captain Faulknor’s exploits at Fort Royal, which includes Captain Faulknor’s comments on the event given in a letter to his mother. It is very characteristic of the letters home that Margarette Lincoln discusses in her book, ‘Naval Wives and Mistresses’. They are usually brisk and business-like, intended to be shared in company and so make the officer’s name and deeds known to a wider audience.

The letter is undated.


QUOTE:

Honoured Madam,

On the 20th of this month, I was made Post Captain in the Undaunted, a French frigate of 28 guns, captured in Fort Royal harbour, the magazine and arsenal of all the French West India Islands: the whole island has surrendered to British arms. The Zebra has been employed during the whole siege, and I have moved alternately on land and shore. At the storming of Fort Royal, a circumstance so fortunate happened to myself that I cannot help relating it. I had a ship’s cartouche-box, which is made of thick wood, buckled round my body, with pistol cartridges for the pistol I carried by my side. As the Zebra came close to the fort, a grape shot struck, or rather grazed, my right knuckle and shattered the cartouche in the centre of my body. Had it not miraculously been there, I must have been killed on the spot. Thanks to Almighty God for his kind preservation of me in the day of battle.

This important island being secured, the fleet and army will next proceed to St Lucia, and then to Guadeloupe, where we expect to find but little resistance. The Admiral told me today that I was immediately to go into the Rose, a removal which will be very pleasant to me, as she is an excellent English frigate, quite manned, and in good order……….Adieu, my dearest mother; may this find you well and happy, prays your most affectionate and dutiful son,

ROBERT FAULKNOR

PS The admiral has appointed me to the Rose, paying me such compliments that it is impossible for me to relate them. The sword and colours of Fort Royal were delivered to me by the Governor of the fort, and I take credit to myself that, after the Zebra had stood a heavy fire, and when we had the power to retaliate, for we were mounted on the walls, I would not allow a man to be hurt on their being panic-struck and calling for mercy. It would take a volume to relate the events which have happened to me since I left England. The Zebra when she came out of the action, was cheered by the Admiral’s ship, and the Admiral himself [Sir John Jervis] publicly embraced me on the quarter deck and directed the band to play, ‘See the Conquering Hero comes’. Such compliments are without example in the navy and I never could have deserved them.’

Here is a link to an extract from a 'Google book' book by Tim Jenks: 'Naval engagements: patriotism, cultural politics and the Royal Navy 1793-1815,' which contains an interesting chapter on Captain Robert Faulknor. It discusses the significance of his death in political terms. The Whig opposition objected to Pitt's appropriation of The Glorious First of June as a governmental as well as a naval triumph and used Faulknor as a means of creating an oppositional hero of their own, and in the process disguised the fact that Faulknor was a troublesome and difficult officer.

Although the points the author makes are interesting, this chapter is heavy going, written in the leaden style of much current academic writing that I find so off-putting. If you can brace yourself to deal with words like 'imbricate', it is nevertheless, worth a read. If you want to buy the book it will cost you £64 on Amazon.


http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=GWwV ... or&f=false

Perhaps I should offer a prize to anyone who can paraphrase the contents of this chapter into lively, readable prose.