David Jewett (June 17, 1772 – July 26, 1842) was an American-born Brazilian naval officer known for his role in the sovereignty dispute between the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Northwestern Europe, off the coast of European mainland, the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...

and the

United Provinces of the Río de la Plata The United Provinces of the Río de la Plata (), earlier known as the United Provinces of South America (), was a name adopted in 1816 by the Congress of Tucumán for the region of South America that declared independence in 1816, with the Sove ...

(the predecessor state of Argentina) over the

Falkland Islands The Falkland Islands (; ), commonly referred to as The Falklands, is an archipelago in the South Atlantic Ocean on the Patagonian Shelf. The principal islands are about east of South America's southern Patagonian coast and from Cape Dub ...

. He was a naval commander in the

Quasi-War The Quasi-War was an undeclared war from 1798 to 1800 between the United States and the French First Republic. It was fought almost entirely at sea, primarily in the Caribbean and off the East Coast of the United States, with minor actions in ...

with France and following the end of that conflict he offered his services as a

mercenary A mercenary is a private individual who joins an armed conflict for personal profit, is otherwise an outsider to the conflict, and is not a member of any other official military. Mercenaries fight for money or other forms of payment rather t ...

in both the United Provinces and the

Empire of Brazil The Empire of Brazil was a 19th-century state that broadly comprised the territories which form modern Brazil and Uruguay until the latter achieved independence in 1828. The empire's government was a Representative democracy, representative Par ...

. Licensed as a

privateer A privateer is a private person or vessel which engages in commerce raiding under a commission of war. Since robbery under arms was a common aspect of seaborne trade, until the early 19th century all merchant ships carried arms. A sovereign o ...

by the United Provinces to seize Spanish ships, he was later accused of

piracy Piracy is an act of robbery or criminal violence by ship or boat-borne attackers upon another ship or a coastal area, typically with the goal of stealing cargo and valuable goods, or taking hostages. Those who conduct acts of piracy are call ...

following the seizure of American and Portuguese flagged vessels. Jewett finished his career in the

Imperial Brazilian Navy The Imperial Brazilian Navy (Brazilian Portuguese: ''Armada Nacional'', commonly known as ''Armada Imperial'') was the navy created at the time of the independence of the Empire of Brazil from the United Kingdom of Portugal, Brazil and the Algar ...

, serving under Lord Cochrane and died in

Rio de Janeiro Rio de Janeiro, or simply Rio, is the capital of the Rio de Janeiro (state), state of Rio de Janeiro. It is the List of cities in Brazil by population, second-most-populous city in Brazil (after São Paulo) and the Largest cities in the America ...

in 1842.

Early life

Jewett was born in New London (North Parish), in what was then the

Connecticut Colony The Connecticut Colony, originally known as the Connecticut River Colony, was an English colony in New England which later became the state of Connecticut. It was organized on March 3, 1636, as a settlement for a Puritans, Puritan congregation o ...

(presently the town of

Montville, Connecticut Montville is a town in New London County, Connecticut, United States. The town is part of the Southeastern Connecticut Planning Region. The population was 18,387 at the 2020 census. The villages of Chesterfield, Mohegan, Oakdale, and Uncasvi ...

in the

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

), on 17 June 1772, son of Patience Bulkley and captain David Hibbard Jewett. He studied for a career in law, but after the experience of a sailing trip to Europe he changed his mind. Jewett joined the

United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the naval warfare, maritime military branch, service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is the world's most powerful navy with the largest Displacement (ship), displacement, at 4.5 millio ...

in 1791, at age 19.

Early career

Jewett, with the rank of Master Commandant, commanded the 18 gun

sloop-of-war During the 18th and 19th centuries, a sloop-of-war was a warship of the Royal Navy with a single gun deck that carried up to 18 guns. The rating system of the Royal Navy covered all vessels with 20 or more guns; thus, the term encompassed all u ...

USS ''Trumbull'' in the

with France. Following fitting out, ''Trumbull'' departed

New London, Connecticut New London is a seaport city and a port of entry on the northeast coast of the United States, located at the outlet of the Thames River (Connecticut), Thames River in New London County, Connecticut, which empties into Long Island Sound. The cit ...

in March 1800 under his command. Its first mission was to escort the provisions ship ''Charlotte'' from New York to the West Indies, replenishing the American Squadron operating against the French. ''Trumbull'' later joined the American Squadron commanded by Silas Talbot in the , where the main duties in the area were protection of American shipping and the interception of French

s and merchantmen. Jewett was authorized as commander of the ''Trumbull'' to capture any vessel sailing under the

flag A flag is a piece of textile, fabric (most often rectangular) with distinctive colours and design. It is used as a symbol, a signalling device, or for decoration. The term ''flag'' is also used to refer to the graphic design employed, and fla ...

of France. On April 24, 1800, it came upon the French schooner ''Peggy'' and captured it. The ''Peggy'' was returned to

Connecticut Connecticut ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, New York (state), New York to the west, and Long Island Sound to the south. ...

where the local courts ruled her a prize of war in September 1800. The owners of the ''Peggy'' appealed for her return in the

US Supreme Court The Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) is the highest court in the federal judiciary of the United States. It has ultimate appellate jurisdiction over all Federal tribunals in the United States, U.S. federal court cases, and over Stat ...

case '' United States v. Schooner Peggy''. On August 3, while off

Jérémie Jérémie (; ) is a commune and capital city of the Grand'Anse department in Haiti. It had a population of about 134,317 at the 2015 census. It is relatively isolated from the rest of the country. The Grande-Anse River flows near the city. ...

Haiti Haiti, officially the Republic of Haiti, is a country on the island of Hispaniola in the Caribbean Sea, east of Cuba and Jamaica, and south of the Bahamas. It occupies the western three-eighths of the island, which it shares with the Dominican ...

, ''Trumbull'' captured the French schooner ''Vengeance'', armed with eight or ten guns (not, as is sometimes found, the 38-gun frigate ''Vengeance'' that tangled with the USS ''Constellation'' and was later taken into the Royal Navy). The ship had fled Haiti with 130 people aboard, crew and refugees together, as Toussaint's troops took possession of the island. Talbot ordered Jewett home with ''Vengeance'' as a prize, ''Trumbull'' arriving back at New London in late summer. The ''Vengeance'' was later condemned as a national vessel and was returned to France under the treaty soon afterwards concluded with that country. ''Trumbull'' then returned to patrol off

Santo Domingo Santo Domingo, formerly known as Santo Domingo de Guzmán, is the capital and largest city of the Dominican Republic and the List of metropolitan areas in the Caribbean, largest metropolitan area in the Caribbean by population. the Distrito Na ...

, before later transporting Navy Agent Thomas T. Gantt to St. Kitts to relieve Thomas Clarkson. Following the end of hostilities with France as a result of the Treaty of Mortefontaine, ''Trumbull'' returned to the United States in the spring of 1801, was sold later that year and her crew discharged. Jewett left the Navy but rejoined during the

War of 1812 The War of 1812 was fought by the United States and its allies against the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, United Kingdom and its allies in North America. It began when the United States United States declaration of war on the Uni ...

against Britain, when he acted as a privateer. Jewett had earlier crossed the line between privateer and pirate after taking the Portuguese ship Carlota as a prize.

Service to the United Provinces

On June 22, 1815, Jewett arrived in the port of

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 ...

, aboard his own ship the ''Invincible''. He offered his services to the newly independent United Provinces of the River Plate (later

Argentina Argentina, officially the Argentine Republic, is a country in the southern half of South America. It covers an area of , making it the List of South American countries by area, second-largest country in South America after Brazil, the fourt ...

), which accepted his proposal and authorized his corsair activities against the

Spanish Spanish might refer to: * Items from or related to Spain: **Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain **Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many countries in the Americas **Spanish cuisine **Spanish history **Spanish culture ...

. From 1815 to 1817 the ''Invincible'' made use of the

letter of marque A letter of marque and reprisal () was a Sovereign state, government license in the Age of Sail that authorized a private person, known as a privateer or French corsairs, corsair, to attack and capture vessels of a foreign state at war with t ...

issued for her and Jewett, and four ships were captured: the polacca ''Tita'', the frigate ''Santander'', the brigantines ''Jupiter'' and ''San Antonio'', all of them deemed lawful

prize A prize is an award to be given to a person or a group of people (such as sporting teams and organizations) to recognize and reward their actions and achievements.

by the Government of the United Provinces. In January 1820 he was appointed a

Colonel Colonel ( ; abbreviated as Col., Col, or COL) is a senior military Officer (armed forces), officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries, a colon ...

in the

Argentine Navy The Argentine Navy (ARA; ). This forms the basis for the navy's ship prefix "ARA". is the navy of Argentina. It is one of the three branches of the Armed Forces of the Argentine Republic, together with the Argentine Army, Army and the Argentine ...

. He was given command of the

frigate A frigate () is a type of warship. In different eras, the roles and capabilities of ships classified as frigates have varied. The name frigate in the 17th to early 18th centuries was given to any full-rigged ship built for speed and maneuvera ...

'' Heroína'', a ship owned by Patrick Lynch, acting as a privateer. Jewett's activities were licensed by

that Lynch obtained from the Buenos Aires Supreme Director

José Rondeau José Casimiro Rondeau Pereyra (March 4, 1773 – November 18, 1844) was a general and politician in Argentina and Uruguay in the early 19th century. Life and Politics He was born in Buenos Aires but soon after his birth, the family moved t ...

. In March 1820 he set out on a voyage marked by misfortune, a

mutiny Mutiny is a revolt among a group of people (typically of a military or a crew) to oppose, change, or remove superiors or their orders. The term is commonly used for insubordination by members of the military against an officer or superior, ...

scurvy Scurvy is a deficiency disease (state of malnutrition) resulting from a lack of vitamin C (ascorbic acid). Early symptoms of deficiency include weakness, fatigue, and sore arms and legs. Without treatment, anemia, decreased red blood cells, gum d ...

and

against Portuguese and American ships. Some 80 of his crew of 200 were either sick or dead by the time he arrived on 27 October 1820 at

Puerto Soledad Puerto Soledad (''Puerto de Nuestra Señora de la Soledad'', ) was a Spanish military outpost and penal colony on the Falkland Islands, situated at an inner cove of Berkeley Sound (,Dom Pernety, Antoine-Joseph. ''Journal historique d'un voyage ...

(later renamed Puerto Luis by Argentine settlers, it was the one-time Spanish capital of the

). At anchor there he found some 50

British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies. * British national identity, the characteristics of British people and culture ...

and US sealing ships. Captain Jewett chose to rest and recover in the islands seeking assistance from the British explorer James Weddell of the British

brig A brig is a type of sailing vessel defined by its rig: two masts which are both square rig, square-rigged. Brigs originated in the second half of the 18th century and were a common type of smaller merchant vessel or warship from then until the l ...

''Jane''. Weddell reports only 30 seamen and 40 soldiers out of a crew of 200 fit for duty, and how Jewett slept with pistols over his head following an attempted mutiny for which he had executed 6 members of his crew.

Declaration of Possession of the Islands

On November 6, 1820, Col Jewett raised the flag of the United Provinces of the River Plate and claimed possession of the islands. Weddell reports the letter he received from Jewett as:

Sir, I have the honour to inform you of the circumstance of my arrival at this port, commissioned by the supreme government of the United Provinces of South America to take possession of these islands in the name of the country to which they naturally appertain. In the performance of this duty, it is my desire to act towards all friendly flags with the most distinguished justice and politeness. A principal object is to prevent the wanton destruction of the sources of supply to those whose necessities compel or invite them to visit the islands, and to aid and assist such as require it to obtain a supply with the least trouble and expense. As your views do not enter into contravention or competition with these orders, and as I think mutual advantage may result from a personal interview, I invite you to pay me a visit on board my ship, where I shall be happy to accommodate you during your pleasure. I would also beg you, so far as comes within your sphere, to communicate this information to other British subjects in this vicinity. I have the honour to be, Sir Your most obedient humble Servant, ''Signed, Jewett, Colonel of the Navy of the United Provinces of South America and commander of the frigate'' Heroína.

Many modern authors report this letter as the declaration issued by Jewett. Jewett's ship received Weddell's assistance in obtaining anchorage off of

Port Louis Port Louis (, ; or , ) is the capital and most populous city of Mauritius, mainly located in the Port Louis District, with a small western part in the Black River District. Port Louis is the country's financial and political centre. It is admi ...

, and, according to Weddell, "In a few days, he took formal possession of these islands for the patriot government of Buenos Ayres, read a declaration under their colours, planted on a port in ruins, and fired a salute of twenty-one guns." Weddell also linked the ceremony to Jewett's claim to the wreck of the ''Uranie'' and comments that it was calculated to make an impression on the masters of ships in the area. Weddell stated that some ship-masters were alarmed by Jewett's appearance, fearing being robbed or captured and said that one contemplated an armed response. Weddell was able to convince him Jewett was no danger and after being introduced to Jewett, he overcame his fears. Based upon Jewett's statements in 1820, some researchers assert that he was ordered to claim the islands by Argentine authorities; others assert there is no documentary evidence to support a specific order. Jewett did not mention the claim in his 13-page request for resignation to the government of Buenos Aires,Jewett’s report of 1 February 1821 in Archivo General de la Nación, Buenos Aires, Marina Corsarios 1820-1831, 10-5-1-3. nor did the government

gazette A gazette is an official journal, a newspaper of record, or simply a newspaper. In English and French speaking countries, newspaper publishers have applied the name ''Gazette'' since the 17th century; today, numerous weekly and daily newspapers ...

the sovereignty claim in the Gazeta de Buenos Ayres. 1820 was one of the most anarchical years in Argentine history, where there was twenty-four Governments in one year; three in one day. Other factors cited include the roundabout route Jewett took to the islands (he was eight months into the voyage when he arrived) and the fact that the declaration was only reported in Argentina as a foreign news story after being reported in the Salem Gazette in 1821. The article was also reproduced in

The Times ''The Times'' is a British Newspaper#Daily, daily Newspaper#National, national newspaper based in London. It began in 1785 under the title ''The Daily Universal Register'', adopting its modern name on 1 January 1788. ''The Times'' and its si ...

of 3 August 1821.

Brazilian Navy career and later life

Jewett arrived in

in 1822 in command of the ''Maipu'' of 284-tons and armed with 18 cannons. The ship, originally named ''Vicuña'' when flying under

Chile Chile, officially the Republic of Chile, is a country in western South America. It is the southernmost country in the world and the closest to Antarctica, stretching along a narrow strip of land between the Andes, Andes Mountains and the Paci ...

an flag had been captured by the Spanish, and subsequently by the ''Heroina''. Jewett acquired her and in 1822 sold her to Emperor Dom Pedro I, to serve as the ''Caboclo''. Jewett then offered to join the

Brazilian Navy The Brazilian Navy () is the navy, naval service branch of the Brazilian Armed Forces, responsible for conducting naval warfare, naval operations. The navy was involved in War of Independence of Brazil#Naval action, Brazil's war of independence ...

and was appointed commander of the frigate ''União'' on October 6, 1822. In 1823, while under the command of Lord Cochrane (the ''Sea Wolf''), Jewett held the rank of “Chefe de Divisão” and fought in the northern provinces of Brazil, then still sympathetic to Portugal. Jewett was accused of misconduct, whilst in command of the ship '' Pedro I'', and sentenced by the Supreme Military Court to 2 years of imprisonment, on May 20, 1824. He was pardoned two months later by the Emperor Pedro I. In 1824, Jewett fought in the revolt in Pernambuco, against the rebel forces of Manuel de Carvalho Pais de Andrade. Cochrane's forces, including Jewett, took an active role in the restoration of public order. When the

Cisplatine War The Cisplatine War was an armed conflict fought in the 1820s between the Empire of Brazil and the United Provinces of the Río de la Plata over control of Brazil's Cisplatina province. It was fought in the aftermath of the United Provinces' an ...

began in the early 1826, it was announced on April 10 that Jewett was to replace the second in command of the Imperial Navy of the Rio de la Plata, Rear Admiral Diego de Brito. However, two days later he asked for a medical licence, and the appointment never took effect. Whilst on a trip to New York on Brazilian navy matters in 1826, Jewett married Eliza Lawrence Mactier, daughter of NYC Alderman Augustine H. Lawrence. They had a son, Augustine David Lawrence Jewett. Jewett had recurring health issues in his last years of service, and was on a medical licence from 1828 to 1830, and for two years in 1834-1835. His last mission was carried out in 1836. He was awarded the Imperial

Order of the Southern Cross The National Order of the Southern Cross () is a Brazilian Orders, decorations, and medals of Brazil, order of chivalry founded by List of monarchs of Brazil, Emperor Pedro I of Brazil, Pedro I on 1 December 1822. The order aimed to commemorate ...

for service in the Imperial Navy of Brazil. Jewett died 26 July 1842 in

. He was interred the day after in the São Francisco de Paula church; his wife Eliza died a few months later. In 1850 his remains were relocated to the new cemetery of the Order of the Minims, in Catumbí.

References

Bibliography

*Child, Jack. ''Geopolitics and Conflict in South America: Quarrels Among Neighbors''. New York; Praeger, 1985, pp. 112–115. * Gough, Barry. ''The Falkland Islands/Malvinas: The Contest for Empire in the South Atlantic''. London: Athlone Press, 1992, pp. 55–59. *Strange, Ian J. ''The Falkland Islands''. London: David & Charles Press, 1983, p. 194. {{DEFAULTSORT:Jewett, David History of the Falkland Islands Maritime history of Argentina American emigrants to Argentina Naturalized citizens of Argentina Naturalized citizens of Brazil 1772 births 1842 deaths