Martin George Guisse, born Martin George Guise (12 March 1780 – 23 November 1828), and later known as Jorge Martín Guisse in Spanish, was a British naval officer who served in

Royal Navy The Royal Navy (RN) is the naval warfare force of the United Kingdom. It is a component of His Majesty's Naval Service, and its officers hold their commissions from the King of the United Kingdom, King. Although warships were used by Kingdom ...

in the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars. He later served in the Chilean Navy during the

Peruvian War of Independence The Peruvian War of Independence () was a series of military conflicts in Peru from 1809 to 1826 that resulted in the country's independence from the Spanish Empire. Part of the broader Spanish American wars of independence, it led to the dis ...

and, as Vice-Admiral, in the Peruvian Navy in the

Gran Colombia–Peru War The Gran Colombian–Peruvian War () of 1828 and 1829 was the first international conflict fought by the Republic of Peru, which had gained its independence from Spain in 1821, and Gran Colombia, that existed between 1819 and 1830. Causes Th ...

, during which he was killed.

Biography

He was a younger son of Sir John Guise, 1st Baronet, of

Elmore Court Elmore Court is a grade II* listed mansion, located at Elmore in the Stroud district of Gloucestershire, England. The original building dates from between 1564 and 1588. History The property has been the family seat of the Guise baronets for ...

, Gloucester, and Elizabeth Wright, and joined the Royal Navy, receiving a commission as a lieutenant on 6 March 1801, and taking part in the Battle of Trafalgar in October 1805. He commanded the 14-gun brig between 1811 and 1813, which captured the American ship ''Freeman'' on 29 July 1812. Guisse was promoted to commander 29 March 1815. When Guisse heard of the

South American wars of independence The decolonization of the Americas occurred over several centuries as most of the countries in the Americas gained their independence from European rule. The American Revolution was the first in the Americas, and the British defeat in the Amer ...

he resigned from the Navy, bought his own ship, HMS , and set sail never to return to Britain. He arrived in

Buenos Aires Buenos Aires, controlled by the government of the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires, is the Capital city, capital and largest city of Argentina. It is located on the southwest of the Río de la Plata. Buenos Aires is classified as an Alpha− glob ...

and quickly came to an agreement with Lord Cochrane to join the Chilean Navy. Guisse's role in the battles that followed was significant, in spite of frequent, bitter disagreements with Cochrane. It was his contribution to the attack on the Spanish '' Esmeralda'' in

Callao Callao () is a Peruvian seaside city and Regions of Peru, region on the Pacific Ocean in the Lima metropolitan area. Callao is Peru's chief seaport and home to its main airport, Jorge Chávez International Airport. Callao municipality consists ...

that made its capture possible. After the war and in poor health, he retired to Miraflores,

Lima Lima ( ; ), founded in 1535 as the Ciudad de los Reyes (, Spanish for "City of Biblical Magi, Kings"), is the capital and largest city of Peru. It is located in the valleys of the Chillón River, Chillón, Rímac River, Rímac and Lurín Rive ...

where he married the young Limenian, Juana Valle Riestra. But his civilian life was short. When

broke out in 1829, he was asked to take command of the Peruvian Navy. Appointed Vice-Admiral, his fleet captured

Guayaquil Guayaquil (), officially Santiago de Guayaquil, is the largest city in Ecuador and also the nation's economic capital and main port. The city is the capital (political), capital of Guayas Province and the seat of Guayaquil Canton. The city is ...

but he was killed by a sniper during the battle. His body was brought to

in honour and he was buried there in the clothes of a

Franciscan The Franciscans are a group of related organizations in the Catholic Church, founded or inspired by the Italian saint Francis of Assisi. They include three independent Religious institute, religious orders for men (the Order of Friars Minor bei ...

friar. In 1926 his remains were transferred to the Panteón de los Próceres. One of the four

houses A house is a single-unit residential building. It may range in complexity from a rudimentary hut to a complex structure of wood, masonry, concrete or other material, outfitted with plumbing, electrical, and heating, ventilation, and air condi ...

Markham College Markham College is an international school in Lima, Peru. Founded by United Kingdom, British immigrants, Markham promotes a mixture of United Kingdom, British and Peruvian education. Markham is an independent, non-profit, co-educational, bilingua ...

, Lima, is named in his honour, as is ''Liceo Naval Almirante Guisse'', a school founded in 1964 for the children of Peruvian naval officers. Guisse was the grandfather of Peruvian aviator George Chavez.

Notes

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Guise, Martin 1780 births 1829 deaths Royal Navy personnel of the Napoleonic Wars British emigrants to Peru Peruvian Navy admirals Military personnel killed in action People of the Peruvian War of Independence People of the Chilean War of Independence

Biography

See also

Notes

References