Thomas Bladen Capel
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| Thomas Bladen Capel | |
| Born | 25 August 1776 London, England |
|---|---|
| Died | 4 March 1853 (aged 76) London, England |
| Burial place | Kensal Green cemetery |
| Nationality |  English |
| Occupation | Royal Navy Admiral |
| Spouse | Dame Harriet Capel |
Admiral The Honourable Sir Thomas Bladen Capel, RN, GCB (25 August 1776 - 4 March 1853) was an officer in the British Royal Navy whose distinguished service in the French Revolutionary War, the Napoleonic Wars and the War of 1812 earned him rapid promotion and great acclaim both in and out of the Navy. He was also great friends of Admiral Nelson and can be considered a full member of Nelson's dashing "band of brothers".
Born in August 1776 as the fourth son of the Earl of Essex, Thomas Capel was raised in London, and received preferential treatment due to his status from a very young age, when he was entered onto the books of HMS Phaeton in 1782 when he was just six years old. This illegal nepotism enabled Capel to rise rapidly through the ranks when he finally did go to sea in 1792 aged sixteen. He served on HMS Assistance and then HMS Syren, where he was highly praised for his seamanship and discipline. Capel moved between several ships and thus was present aboard HMS Sans Pareil when she was embroiled in the battle of Groix in 1795. The following year, Capel was promoted to lieutenant and began to rapidly climb the promotion ladder in part thanks to his family, and in part due to his professional skill, which was already recognised as prodigious.
Capel was present on the 1 August 1798 when Nelson's fleet destroyed the French at the battle of the Nile, serving aboard Nelson's flagship HMS Vanguard, where he impressed the admiral, and was given the honour of carrying the second set of dispatches to London despite the claims of a large number of superior officers for this honour. The first dispatches were captured in HMS Leander shortly afterwards, which meant that when Capel arrived in London after passage in the brig HMS Mutine and overland travel, he was the first to bring news of the victory, and received the honours commensurate with such a position, namely promotion to commander and then to Post Captain, being given the sloop HMS Alecto.
It was in the Alecto that Capel began the campaign for which he would later become most famous, his daring frigate actions and raids along the Spanish coast, which he continued to perform as he was upgraded into the frigate HMS Meleager (which was unfortunately wrecked) and HMS Phoebe after the Peace of Amiens. Reattached to Nelson, Capel was ordered to use a frigate squadron under his command to block French passage to Sicily, Sardinia and Egypt whilst the main bulk of the force was crossing the Atlantic. In October 1805, his squadron was based at Gibraltar and was acting as the eyes of the British fleet on the Combined Fleet in Cadiz. Capel spotted their exit, and was present throughout the ensuing battle of Trafalgar, relaying Nelson's signals to the rest of fleet, and remaining close to the action although not actually engaged with the enemy. In the storm which followed the battle, Phoebe was essential in saving hundreds of lives and the captured Swiftsure, bringing them all safely to Gibraltar thanks to "extraordinary exertions".
After Trafalgar, Capel retained a powerful presence in the Navy, and was instrumental in further attacks on the Spanish coast and the forcing of the Dardanelles in 1807 under Sir John Duckworth, eventually receiving the ship of the line HMS Hogue as a command, which he took to the North American station at the outbreak of the War of 1812. During this conflict, Capel maintained a careful watch on the passage of American shipping, especially their frigate base at New London, which he effectively nullified. He returned home in 1815 and took over a Royal yacht, earning greater promotion and favours from his new patrons. Despite the slower promotion rate in peacetime, he became a rear-admiral in 1825 and was knighted soon afterwards, eventually being made a Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath and being posted to the commander in chief of the Far East squadron between 1834 and 1837. In 1848, a full admiral, an aged Capel sat on the board which decided to issue the Naval General Service Medal for Naval service in the Napoleonic War, and which contained a Trafalgar clasp which Capel himself wore.
Thomas Bladen Capel died at his home in London in 1853, and was buried in Kensal Green cemetery in a family plot, later joined by his wife Dame Harriet Capel. Their grave can still be seen and is largely still legible.
[edit] Further reading
- The Trafalgar Captains, Colin White and the 1805 Club, Chatham Publishing, London, 2005, ISBN 1-86176-247-X
