John Benbow
Vice-Admiral John Benbow (10 March 1653 – 4 November 1702) was an English officer in the Royal Navy. He joined the navy aged 25 years, seeing action against Algerian pirates before leaving and joining the merchant navy in which he traded until the Glorious Revolution of 1688, whereupon he returned to the Royal Navy and was commissioned.
John Benbow | |
|---|---|
| Nickname(s) | "Brave Benbow", "A Brother Tar" |
| Born | 10 March 1653 Shrewsbury, England |
| Died | 4 November 1702 (aged 49) Port Royal, Jamaica |
| Allegiance | Kingdom of England |
| Service/ | Royal Navy |
| Years of service | 1678–1702 |
| Rank | Vice-admiral of the White |
| Commands held | HMS York HMS Bonaventure HMS Britannia HMS Sovereign HMS Norwich HMS Northumberland HMS Charles Galley HMS Suffolk HMS Duke HMS Gloucester HMS Breda Jamaica Station |
| Battles/wars | Battle of Beachy Head Battles of Barfleur and La Hogue Action of August 1702 |
Benbow fought against France during the Nine Years War (1688–97), serving on and later commanding several English vessels and taking part in the battles of Beachy Head, Barfleur and La Hogue in 1690 and 1692. He went on to achieve fame during campaigns against Salé and Moor pirates; laying siege to Saint-Malo; and fighting in the West Indies against France during the War of the Spanish Succession (1701–1714).
Benbow's fame and success earned him both public notoriety and a promotion to admiral. He was then involved in an incident during the action of August 1702, in which a number of his captains refused to support him while he commanded a squadron of ships. Benbow instigated the trial and later imprisonment or execution of a number of the captains involved, though he did not live to see these results. These events contributed to his notoriety, and led to several references to him in subsequent popular culture.