Talk:Home Riggs Popham

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[edit] Pophams Victory off the Hand of Java Sept. 7 1807

I own a tall clock made by my 4 times great grandfather a clockmaker named Whiteley in the village of Soyland in Yorkshire. The whole clock has a military motif with an inlay of very high quality of a navel canon under the door and the dial painted with cavalry charging the 9 and 10 over to between the 2 and 3 and an infantry man standing on either side of the winding holes. The highlight is an amazing painting of a navel engagement in the arch above the dial. The painting which is of very high quality shows more than 9 ships and the 2 main ships exchanging fire look to be about 74s the caption under it reads " The Victory Gained by Adm. Sir Home Popham off the Hand of Java Sept 7 1807

The only information I have found about Popham is this Wikpedia article and I have found nothing about the Fight off the Hand of Java. I assume this to be a part of the battle of Copenhagen which ended with the city's surrender on the 7th (and as this is where he was serving at the time) but I do not find it mentioned in my history of the fight; If anyone can enlighten me I will be most grateful. Windshadow 13:27, 18 June 2006 (UTC)

There is a good description of Popham's involvement in this campaign in chapter 16 of his biography " A Damned Cunning Fellow " (Hugh Popham, The Old Ferry Press, 1991). However there is no mention of 'the Hand of Java'.

Downhamhill 12:47, 15 February 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Home Riggs Popham was 15th of 21 children

This is to resolve the claims by some that Home Riggs was the 21st child of his mother; he was in fact the 15th.

Joseph Popham (c. 1710 - 1774) married twice. His first wife Mary Riggs married Joseph on 1st March 1739, and bore fifteen children between 1740 and her death in 1762. Home Riggs was the last of these: according to the family bible Mary died at Gibraltar on 12th October 1762 shortly after giving birth to him. Joseph then married Catherine Lamb (1735-1818), on 7th July 1763; she gave birth to a further six children before Joseph himself died in 1774.

So, although it is true that Home Riggs was one of 21 children, he was only the fifteenth, and neither mother gave birth to as many as 21!

For detailed information see:

Popham, Hugh, " A Damned Cunning Fellow - The eventful life of Rear-Admiral Sir Home Popham KCB, KCH, KM, FRS" (1991) Published by The Old Ferry Press. ISBN 0-9516758-0-X