Graham Moore (admiral)

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Sir Graham Moore

Sir Graham Moore by Sir Thomas Lawrence.jpg

Oil on canvas portrait, c. 1792, by Sir Thomas Lawrence
Born 1764
Glasgow, Scotland
Died 25 November 1843 (aged 7879)
Cobham, Surrey
AllegianceUnion flag 1606 (Kings Colors).svg  Great Britain
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom
Service/branchBritish-Red-Ensign-1707.svg  Royal Navy
Years of service 1777–1839
Rank Admiral
Commands held
Battles/wars
Awards
Relations Dr. John Moore (father)
General Sir John Moore (brother)
Harriet Jane Moore (niece)

Admiral Sir Graham Moore, GCB GCMG (1764–1843) was a Royal Navy officer. As a junior officer he took part in the Great Siege of Gibraltar during the American Revolutionary War. As captain of the frigate Melampus, he took part in the Battle of Tory Island in October 1798, capturing the French frigate Résolue two days later, during the French Revolutionary Wars. He went on to be First Naval Lord, then Commander-in-Chief, Mediterranean Fleet and, finally, Commander-in-Chief, Plymouth. He was the younger brother of General Sir John Moore.

Admiral (Royal Navy) senior rank of the Royal Navy of the United Kingdom

Admiral is a senior rank of the Royal Navy of the United Kingdom, which equates to the NATO rank code OF-9, outranked only by the rank of admiral of the fleet. Royal Navy officers holding the ranks of rear admiral, vice admiral and admiral of the fleet are sometimes considered generically to be admirals. The rank of admiral is currently the highest rank to which a serving officer in the Royal Navy can be promoted, admiral of the fleet being in abeyance except for honorary promotions of retired officers and members of the Royal Family.

Royal Navy Maritime warfare branch of the United Kingdoms military

The Royal Navy (RN) is the United Kingdom's naval warfare force. Although warships were used by the English kings from the early medieval period, the first major maritime engagements were fought in the Hundred Years War against the Kingdom of France. The modern Royal Navy traces its origins to the early 16th century; the oldest of the UK's armed services, it is known as the Senior Service.

Great Siege of Gibraltar 18th-century siege

The Great Siege of Gibraltar was an unsuccessful attempt by Spain and France to capture Gibraltar from the British during the American War of Independence.

Contents

Moore was born in Glasgow, Scotland, the son of Jean Simson and John Moore, doctor and author. He entered the Navy in 1777 [1] at the age of 13. He was promoted to lieutenant on 8 March 1782 to serve aboard Crown, taking part in the relief of Gibraltar under Lord Howe, and the subsequent battle of Cape Spartel in October. During the peace he travelled through France, but was recalled to serve aboard Perseus, Dido, and then Adamant, the flagship of Sir Richard Hughes on the North American Station. On 22 November 1790 he was promoted to commander in the sloop Bonetta, before finally returning to England in 1793. [1]

Glasgow City and council area in Scotland

Glasgow is the most populous city in Scotland, and the third most populous city in the United Kingdom, as of the 2017 estimated city population of 621,020. Historically part of Lanarkshire, the city now forms the Glasgow City council area, one of the 32 council areas of Scotland; the local authority is Glasgow City Council. Glasgow is situated on the River Clyde in the country's West Central Lowlands. Inhabitants of the city are referred to as "Glaswegians" or "Weegies". It is the fourth most visited city in the UK. Glasgow is also known for the Glasgow patter, a distinct dialect of the Scots language that is noted for being difficult to understand by those from outside the city.

John Moore (Scottish physician) Scottish physician and writer

Dr. John Moore FRSE was a Scottish physician and travel author. He also edited the works of Tobias Smollett.

HMS Crown was a 64-gun third rate ship of the line of the Royal Navy, launched on 15 March 1782 at Blackwall Yard.

Battle of Tory island on 12 October 1798 by Nicholas Pocock; Moore took part in the action WarrensAction1798Ireland.jpg
Battle of Tory island on 12 October 1798 by Nicholas Pocock; Moore took part in the action

Moore was promoted to post-captain on 2 April 1794, soon after the start of the Revolutionary War, with command of the 32-gun frigate Syren, [2] in the North Sea and the coast of France. He then commanded the 36-gun frigate Melampus from September 1795. [1] In her he took part in the Battle of Tory Island on 12 October 1798, capturing the French frigate Résolue two days later. [2] In February 1800 he went out to the West Indies, but was invalided home after eighteen months. [1]

Post-captain is an obsolete alternative form of the rank of captain in the Royal Navy.

French Revolutionary Wars series of conflicts fought between the French Republic and several European monarchies from 1792 to 1802

The French Revolutionary Wars were a series of sweeping military conflicts lasting from 1792 until 1802 and resulting from the French Revolution. They pitted France against Great Britain, Austria and several other monarchies. They are divided in two periods: the War of the First Coalition (1792–97) and the War of the Second Coalition (1798–1802). Initially confined to Europe, the fighting gradually assumed a global dimension. After a decade of constant warfare and aggressive diplomacy, France had conquered a wide array of territories, from the Italian Peninsula and the Low Countries in Europe to the Louisiana Territory in North America. French success in these conflicts ensured the spread of revolutionary principles over much of Europe.

HMS Syren was a 32-gun Amazon-class fifth rate frigate of the Royal Navy. She served during the American War of Independence, and the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars. Among her more famous midshipmen were the future Rear-Admiral Peter Puget, and John Pasco, Nelson's signal officer at the Battle of Trafalgar.

On the renewal of the war in 1803 he was appointed to Indefatigable (44), [1] and with three other frigates — Medusa (32), Lively (38) and Amphion (32) — under his command, captured a Spanish treasure fleet of four frigates — Medea (40), Clara (34), Fama (34) and Mercedes (36) — carrying bullion from the Caribbean back to Spain off Cadiz in the Action of 5 October 1804. [1]

HMS <i>Indefatigable</i> (1784)

HMS Indefatigable was one of the Ardent class 64-gun third-rate ships-of-the-line designed by Sir Thomas Slade in 1761 for the Royal Navy. She was built as a ship-of-the-line, but most of her active service took place after her conversion to a 44-gun razee frigate. She had a long career under several distinguished commanders, serving throughout the French Revolutionary Wars and the Napoleonic Wars. She took some 27 prizes, alone or in company, and the Admiralty authorised the issue of four clasps to the Naval General Service Medal in 1847 to any surviving members of her crews from the respective actions. She was broken up in 1816.

HMS Medusa was a 32-gun 5th rate frigate of the Royal Navy that served in the Napoleonic Wars. Launched on 14 April 1801, she took part in the Action of 5 October 1804 against a Spanish squadron, in the River Plate Expedition in 1807, and made several captures of enemy ships, before being converted to a hospital ship in 1813. She was broken up in 1816.

HMS <i>Lively</i> (1804)

HMS Lively was a 38-gun fifth rate frigate of the Royal Navy, launched on 23 July 1804 at Woolwich Dockyard, and commissioned later that month. She was the prototype of the Lively class of 18-pounder frigates, designed by the Surveyor of the Navy, Sir William Rule. It was probably the most successful British frigate design of the Napoleonic Wars, to which fifteen more sister ships would be ordered between 1803 and 1812.

Moore was then attached to Sir Robert Calder's squadron blockading Ferrol. In 1808, he served as commodore, flying his broad pennant in the new ship Marlborough [1] assisting Admiral Sir Sidney Smith with the Portuguese royal family's escape to Brazil, [1] and was subsequently made a Knight of the Order of the Tower and Sword. [2]

Robert Calder Royal Navy admiral

Admiral Sir Robert Calder, 1st Baronet, was a British naval officer who served in the Seven Years' War, the American Revolutionary War, the French Revolutionary Wars and the Napoleonic Wars.

Commodore (Royal Navy) senior rank of the Royal Navy

Commodore (Cdre) is a rank of the Royal Navy above captain and below rear admiral. It has a NATO ranking code of OF-6. The rank is equivalent to brigadier in the British Army and Royal Marines and to air commodore in the Royal Air Force.

Broad pennant flag

A broad pennant is a triangular swallow-tailed naval pennant flown from the masthead of a warship afloat or a naval headquarters ashore to indicate the presence of either:

He later served as part of the North Sea fleet for several years. [1] At the close of the Walcheren campaign in December 1809, he was entrusted with destroying the basin, arsenal, and sea defences of Flushing (Vlissingen). [2]

North Sea marginal sea of the Atlantic Ocean

The North Sea is a marginal sea of the Atlantic Ocean located between the United Kingdom, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium and France. An epeiric sea on the European continental shelf, it connects to the ocean through the English Channel in the south and the Norwegian Sea in the north. It is more than 970 kilometres (600 mi) long and 580 kilometres (360 mi) wide, with an area of 570,000 square kilometres (220,000 sq mi).

Vlissingen Municipality in Zeeland, Netherlands

Vlissingen is a municipality and a city in the southwestern Netherlands on the former island of Walcheren. With its strategic location between the Scheldt river and the North Sea, Vlissingen has been an important harbour for centuries. It was granted city rights in 1315. In the 17th century Vlissingen was a main harbour for ships of the Dutch East India Company (VOC). It is also known as the birthplace of Admiral Michiel de Ruyter.

Moore commanded Chatham from March 1812, until promoted to rear-admiral on 12 August 1812, [2] [3] and served as Commander-in-Chief in the Baltic for a short time, flying his flag in HMS Fame. In 1814 he served as captain of the fleet to Lord Keith in the Channel, and, having been appointed a Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath on 2 January 1815, [4] he became second-in-command, Mediterranean Fleet in 1815. [1] He joined the Board of Admiralty [5] as First Naval Lord [6] in the Liverpool ministry in May 1816. [1]

Promoted to vice-admiral on 12 August 1819, [7] he left the Board of the Admiralty in March 1820. [2] He was Commander-in-Chief, Mediterranean Fleet between 1820 and 1823 [1] and was advanced to Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath on 11 March 1836. [8] Promoted to full admiral on 10 January 1837, [9] he served as Commander-in-Chief, Plymouth from 1839 to 1842 [1] flying his flag in Impregnable. [1]

Tomb of Sir Graham Moore at St. Andrew's Church, Cobham, Surrey Tomb-Admiral Sir Graham Moore.JPG
Tomb of Sir Graham Moore at St. Andrew's Church, Cobham, Surrey

Moore died at his home, Brook Farm, Cobham, Surrey, [10] on 25 November 1843, [1] and was buried at St. Andrew's Church. [11]

Family

In 1812 he married Dora Eden, daughter of Thomas Eden, and niece of William Eden, 1st Baron Auckland; they had one son, Captain John Moore, RN (d. 1866). [1]

Diary

Moore kept a detailed diary from 1784 until 1806, later published in thirty-seven volumes, which provides a unique account of his service as a lieutenant, commander and captain. [12]

Namesakes

Several places were named in his honour: the Sir Graham Moore Islands, [13] Cape Graham Moore, [14] and Graham Moore Bay, [15] in northern Canada were named by William Parry, while the Sir Graham Moore Islands, Western Australia, were named by Phillip Parker King. [16]

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References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 Wikisource-logo.svg  Laughton, John Knox (1894). "Moore, Graham". In Lee, Sidney. Dictionary of National Biography . 38. London: Smith, Elder & Co.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 O'Byrne, William Richard (1849). A Naval Biographical Dictionary: comprising the life and services of every living officer in Her Majesty's navy, from the rank of admiral of the fleet to that of lieutenant, inclusive. London: John Murray. p. 777. Retrieved 28 October 2013.
  3. "No. 16632". The London Gazette . 11 August 1812. p. 1585.
  4. "No. 16972". The London Gazette . 4 January 1815. p. 19.
  5. "Sainty, JC, Lord High Admiral and Commissioners of the Admiralty 1660-1870, Office-Holders in Modern Britain: Volume 4: Admiralty Officials 1660-1870 (1975), pp. 18-31" . Retrieved 4 September 2009.
  6. Rodger, p. 69
  7. "No. 17505". The London Gazette . 12 August 1819. p. 1446.
  8. "No. 19365". The London Gazette . 15 March 1836. p. 495.
  9. "No. 19456". The London Gazette . 10 January 1837. p. 69.
  10. "Obituary : Admiral Sir Graham Moore". The Gentleman's Magazine . XXI: 317–319. 1844. Retrieved 28 October 2013.
  11. "Moore Tomb, Church of St Andrew". British Listed Buildings. 2013. Retrieved 28 October 2013.
  12. "The Diary of Admiral Sir Graham Moore of Brook Farm, Cobham" (PDF). Surrey archaeology data service. Retrieved 22 July 2017.
  13. "Sir Graham Moore Islands". travelingluck.com. Retrieved 2009-03-10.
  14. "Cape Graham Moore". travelingluck.com. Retrieved 2009-03-10.
  15. Parry, William Edward (1821). Journal of a voyage for the discovery of a North-West passage from the Atlantic to the Pacific. [1], Performed in the years 1819 - 20 in his majesty's ships Hecla and Griper. London: John Murray. p. 59.
  16. "Status Performance Assessment: Biodiversity conservation of Western Australian Islands" (PDF). Government of Western Australia. 1 April 2010. Retrieved 4 August 2014.

Sources

Further reading

Wikisource-logo.svg "Moore, Graham". Dictionary of National Biography . London: Smith, Elder & Co. 1885–1900. 

Military offices
Preceded by
Sir Joseph Yorke
First Naval Lord
18161820
Succeeded by
Sir William Johnstone Hope
Preceded by
Sir Thomas Fremantle
Commander-in-Chief, Mediterranean Fleet
1820–1823
Succeeded by
Sir Harry Burrard-Neale
Preceded by
Lord Amelius Beauclerk
Commander-in-Chief, Plymouth
1839–1842
Succeeded by
Sir David Milne