John Nevell
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Vice Admiral Vice admiral is a senior naval flag officer rank, usually equivalent to lieutenant general and air marshal. A vice admiral is typically senior to a rear admiral and junior to an admiral. Australia In the Royal Australian Navy, the rank of Vice ...
John Nevell, Neville, Nevill or Nevil, (died 17 August 1697), was an officer in the
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 ...
. He is best known for the failed attempt to intercept the treasure-laden fleet of Pointis after the raid on Cartagena in 1697. He died later that year in Virginia from yellow fever.


Origins and early career

Nevell was descended from a junior branch of the Nevilles of
Abergavenny Abergavenny (; , , archaically , ) is a market town and Community (Wales), community in Monmouthshire, Wales. Abergavenny is promoted as a "Gateway to Wales"; it is approximately from the England–Wales border, border with England and is loca ...
, being the great grandson of
Henry Nevill, 6th Baron Bergavenny Henry Nevill, 6th and ''de jure'' 4th Baron Abergavenny (between 1527 and 153510 February 1587) was an English peer. He was the son of Sir George Nevill, 5th Baron Bergavenny, and Mary Stafford (daughter of Edward Stafford, 3rd Duke of Buckin ...
. He served as a volunteer during the early part of the
Third Anglo-Dutch War The Third Anglo-Dutch War, began on 27 March 1672, and concluded on 19 February 1674. A naval conflict between the Dutch Republic and England, in alliance with France, it is considered a related conflict of the wider 1672 to 1678 Franco-Dutch W ...
, and promoted to
lieutenant A lieutenant ( , ; abbreviated Lt., Lt, LT, Lieut and similar) is a Junior officer, junior commissioned officer rank in the armed forces of many nations, as well as fire services, emergency medical services, Security agency, security services ...
aboard the captured French vessel in 1673. He was appointed to the on 29 June 1675, part of the
Mediterranean The Mediterranean Sea ( ) is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the Mediterranean basin and almost completely enclosed by land: on the east by the Levant in West Asia, on the north by Anatolia in West Asia and Southern ...
squadron commanded by Sir John Narborough. The ''Sapphire''s captain, Thomas Harman, was killed in battle with an Algerine corsair on 9 September 1677 and replaced by
Cloudesley Shovell Admiral of the Fleet Sir Cloudesley Shovell ( – 22/23 October 1707) was an Royal Navy officer and politician. As a junior officer he saw action at the Battle of Solebay and Battle of Texel during the Third Anglo-Dutch War. As a captain he fo ...
, who became Nevell's lifelong friend. In November 1679 he led eighteen sailors in battle against a
Moorish The term Moor is an exonym used in European languages to designate the Muslim populations of North Africa (the Maghreb) and the Iberian Peninsula (particularly al-Andalus) during the Middle Ages. Moors are not a single, distinct or self-defi ...
attack on
Tangier Tangier ( ; , , ) is a city in northwestern Morocco, on the coasts of the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean. The city is the capital city, capital of the Tanger-Tetouan-Al Hoceima region, as well as the Tangier-Assilah Prefecture of Moroc ...
. On 23 December 1680 Arthur Herbert, commander of the Mediterranean squadron, appointed Nevell second lieutenant aboard his
flagship A flagship is a vessel used by the commanding officer of a group of navy, naval ships, characteristically a flag officer entitled by custom to fly a distinguishing flag. Used more loosely, it is the lead ship in a fleet of vessels, typically ...
, the . On 23 February 1681 the admiral gave him command of the ''Ann''
yacht A yacht () is a sail- or marine propulsion, motor-propelled watercraft made for pleasure, cruising, or racing. There is no standard definition, though the term generally applies to vessels with a cabin intended for overnight use. To be termed a ...
"in justice to Mr Nevills merit whose behaviour on many occasions has struck envy itself dumb." However, a dispute over Herbert's authority to make such an appointment led to Nevell's return to the ''Bristol'' as first lieutenant on 10 June. Herbert returned to England in 1682 after successful treaty negotiations with
Algiers Algiers is the capital city of Algeria as well as the capital of the Algiers Province; it extends over many Communes of Algeria, communes without having its own separate governing body. With 2,988,145 residents in 2008Census 14 April 2008: Offi ...
in which Nevell played an important part. Nevell was left behind as
consul Consul (abbrev. ''cos.''; Latin plural ''consules'') was the title of one of the two chief magistrates of the Roman Republic, and subsequently also an important title under the Roman Empire. The title was used in other European city-states thro ...
, though Herbert wrote he was "much fitter to serve the king as a sea captain than in the post he now is, for I am afraid his head is not very well turned that way." He was also left with a blank captain's commission to command the ''Bristol'', and when his wife petitioned Charles II for his return to England the following year, he was able to sail home in that vessel.


Captain

In 1685 he was made captain of the and ordered to prepare it as a flagship for Herbert to contest the
Monmouth Rebellion The Monmouth Rebellion in June 1685 was an attempt to depose James II of England, James II, who in February had succeeded his brother Charles II of England, Charles II as king of Kingdom of England, England, Kingdom of Scotland, Scotland and ...
. The rebellion was quashed before the ship was ready, and Nevell was transferred to the , a
guard ship A guard ship is a warship assigned as a stationary guard in a port or harbour, as opposed to a coastal patrol boat, which serves its protective role at sea. Royal Navy In the Royal Navy of the eighteenth century, peacetime guard ships were usual ...
in
Portsmouth Portsmouth ( ) is a port city status in the United Kingdom, city and unitary authority in Hampshire, England. Most of Portsmouth is located on Portsea Island, off the south coast of England in the Solent, making Portsmouth the only city in En ...
harbour. He was given command of the on 1 August 1686, and sailed to the Mediterranean under Sir Roger Strickland. He conveyed Sir William Trumbull, the new Ambassador at Constantinaple to
Turkey Turkey, officially the Republic of Türkiye, is a country mainly located in Anatolia in West Asia, with a relatively small part called East Thrace in Southeast Europe. It borders the Black Sea to the north; Georgia (country), Georgia, Armen ...
in the summer of 1687 and returned home the following year. Despite his close connection to Herbert, who had carried the
Invitation to William The ''Invitation to William'' was a letter sent by seven Englishmen (six nobles and a bishop), later referred to as "the Immortal Seven", to stadtholder William III, Prince of Orange, dated 30 June 1688 (Julian calendar, 10 July Gregorian cal ...
to the
Prince of Orange Prince of Orange (or Princess of Orange if the holder is female) is a title associated with the sovereign Principality of Orange, in what is now southern France and subsequently held by the stadtholders of, and then the heirs apparent of ...
that summer and was now preparing a Dutch invasion, Nevell was given command of the on 25 September 1688. Following the
Glorious Revolution The Glorious Revolution, also known as the Revolution of 1688, was the deposition of James II and VII, James II and VII in November 1688. He was replaced by his daughter Mary II, Mary II and her Dutch husband, William III of Orange ...
he remained aboard the ''Elizabeth'', where he served as Sir John Berry's
flag captain In the Royal Navy, a flag captain was the captain of an admiral's flagship. During the 18th and 19th centuries, this ship might also have a " captain of the fleet", who would be ranked between the admiral and the "flag captain" as the ship's "Firs ...
in February 1689. In March, he was given command of the until it was wrecked in
Plymouth Sound Plymouth Sound, or locally just The Sound, is a deep inlet or sound in the English Channel near Plymouth in England. Description Its southwest and southeast corners are Penlee Point in Cornwall and Wembury Point in Devon, a distance of abo ...
on 25 December 1689. He was made captain of the in February 1690, and reunited with Herbert (now Lord Torrington) when he made that ship his flagship in the Battle of Beachy Head. In September of that year he took command of the , and was present at
Marlborough Marlborough or the Marlborough may refer to: Places Australia * Marlborough, Queensland * Principality of Marlborough, a short-lived micronation in 1993 * Marlborough Highway, Tasmania; Malborough was an historic name for the place at the sou ...
's
Siege of Cork The siege of Cork took place during the Williamite war in Ireland in the year of 1690 in Ireland, 1690. It happened shortly after the Battle of the Boyne during James II of England, James II's attempt to retake the English throne from William ...
in October, marching with the
grenadier A grenadier ( , ; derived from the word ''grenade'') was historically an assault-specialist soldier who threw hand grenades in siege operation battles. The distinct combat function of the grenadier was established in the mid-17th century, when ...
s under Lord Colchester in the final assault. In December, the ''Kent'' was the venue of Torrington's
court-martial A court-martial (plural ''courts-martial'' or ''courts martial'', as "martial" is a postpositive adjective) is a military court or a trial conducted in such a court. A court-martial is empowered to determine the guilt of members of the arme ...
on his conduct at Beachy Head, at which Nevell gave evidence. He was still in command of this vessel on 19 May 1692, when it formed part of
Cloudesley Shovell Admiral of the Fleet Sir Cloudesley Shovell ( – 22/23 October 1707) was an Royal Navy officer and politician. As a junior officer he saw action at the Battle of Solebay and Battle of Texel during the Third Anglo-Dutch War. As a captain he fo ...
's red squadron at the
Battle of Barfleur The action at Barfleur was part of the battle of Barfleur-La Hougue during the War of the Grand Alliance. A French fleet under Anne Hilarion de Tourville was seeking to cover an invasion of England by a French army to restore James II to the ...
. In January 1693 he was given command of the , which carried the flags of the joint commanders-in-chief: Admirals Henry Killegrew, Ralph Delaval and Cloudesley Shovell.


Admiral

On 7 July 1693 he was promoted to the rank of
Rear Admiral Rear admiral is a flag officer rank used by English-speaking navies. In most European navies, the equivalent rank is called counter admiral. Rear admiral is usually immediately senior to commodore and immediately below vice admiral. It is ...
, and with his flag aboard the cruised the waters off
Dunkirk Dunkirk ( ; ; ; Picard language, Picard: ''Dunkèke''; ; or ) is a major port city in the Departments of France, department of Nord (French department), Nord in northern France. It lies from the Belgium, Belgian border. It has the third-larg ...
with a small squadron. In December he headed south aboard the to join the
Mediterranean Fleet The British Mediterranean Fleet, also known as the Mediterranean Station, was a formation of the Royal Navy. The Fleet was one of the most prestigious commands in the navy for the majority of its history, defending the vital sea link between ...
under Sir Francis Wheler. Nevell survived the storm in the
Strait of Gibraltar The Strait of Gibraltar is a narrow strait that connects the Atlantic Ocean to the Mediterranean Sea and separates Europe from Africa. The two continents are separated by 7.7 nautical miles (14.2 kilometers, 8.9 miles) at its narrowest point. Fe ...
which led to the loss of Wheler and much of the squadron on 19 February 1694, collected the remnants and led them back to Cadiz. Nevell had wanted to continue into the Mediterranean, but was overruled by Dutch admiral Callenburgh who had taken command on Wheler's death. He spent the next two years as second in command in the Mediterranean, first under Edward Russell, then under
George Rooke Admiral of the Fleet (Royal Navy), Admiral of the Fleet Sir George Rooke (1650 – 24 January 1709) was an Royal Navy officer and politician. As a junior officer he saw action at the Battle of Solebay and again at the Battle of Schooneveld duri ...
. In October 1696 he was promoted to
vice admiral Vice admiral is a senior naval flag officer rank, usually equivalent to lieutenant general and air marshal. A vice admiral is typically senior to a rear admiral and junior to an admiral. Australia In the Royal Australian Navy, the rank of Vice ...
and given command of the
Mediterranean Fleet The British Mediterranean Fleet, also known as the Mediterranean Station, was a formation of the Royal Navy. The Fleet was one of the most prestigious commands in the navy for the majority of its history, defending the vital sea link between ...
, sailing for Cadiz on 3 November in the with a fleet of fifteen
men-of-war In Royal Navy jargon, a man-of-war (also man-o'-war, or simply man) was a powerful warship or frigate of the 16th to the 19th century, that was frequently used in Europe. Although the term never acquired a specific meaning, it was usually rese ...
and many
merchantmen A merchant ship, merchant vessel, trading vessel, or merchantman is a watercraft that transports cargo or carries passengers for hire. This is in contrast to pleasure craft, which are used for personal recreation, and naval ships, which ar ...
. In December, news reached London of what John Charnock describes as "a project more piratical than national" on the part of the French. A fleet was being assembled under
Bernard Desjean, Baron de Pointis Bernard Desjean, Baron de Pointis (7 October 1645 – 24 April 1707) was a French Navy officer. History Pointis was born in Brittany. He took part in naval operations in the 1680s under Duquesne, like the bombardment of Algiers and the punitiv ...
to attack the Spanish West Indian trade. This would adversely affect British commercial interests too, so plans were put in place to stop it. On arrival at Cadiz, Nevell was ordered to sail for
Madeira Madeira ( ; ), officially the Autonomous Region of Madeira (), is an autonomous Regions of Portugal, autonomous region of Portugal. It is an archipelago situated in the North Atlantic Ocean, in the region of Macaronesia, just under north of ...
where he would rendezvous with a squadron under second-in-command
George Mees George may refer to: Names * George (given name) * George (surname) People * George (singer), American-Canadian singer George Nozuka, known by the mononym George * George Papagheorghe, also known as Jorge / GEØRGE * George, stage name of Giorg ...
before heading for the
West Indies The West Indies is an island subregion of the Americas, surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean Sea, which comprises 13 independent island country, island countries and 19 dependent territory, dependencies in thr ...
to intercept de Pointis. The junction was made, and the combined fleet arrived in
Barbados Barbados, officially the Republic of Barbados, is an island country in the Atlantic Ocean. It is part of the Lesser Antilles of the West Indies and the easternmost island of the Caribbean region. It lies on the boundary of the South American ...
on 17 April before pushing on to reach
Antigua Antigua ( ; ), also known as Waladli or Wadadli by the local population, is an island in the Lesser Antilles. It is one of the Leeward Islands in the Caribbean region and the most populous island of the country of Antigua and Barbuda. Antigua ...
on 3 May. Here, a
council of war A council of warPuerto Rico ; abbreviated PR), officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, is a Government of Puerto Rico, self-governing Caribbean Geography of Puerto Rico, archipelago and island organized as an Territories of the United States, unincorporated territo ...
, but soon after news arrived that de Pointis had left
Hispaniola Hispaniola (, also ) is an island between Geography of Cuba, Cuba and Geography of Puerto Rico, Puerto Rico in the Greater Antilles of the Caribbean. Hispaniola is the most populous island in the West Indies, and the second-largest by List of C ...
with a fleet of 26 ships. Consequently, Nevell headed for
Jamaica Jamaica is an island country in the Caribbean Sea and the West Indies. At , it is the third-largest island—after Cuba and Hispaniola—of the Greater Antilles and the Caribbean. Jamaica lies about south of Cuba, west of Hispaniola (the is ...
, both to take on fresh water and to defend it from possible attack. It was while off the eastern end of this island on 15 May that Nevell first heard of de Pointis' attack on Cartagena. Adverse winds slowed his advance to Cartagena, and he was only halfway there when the homeward bound French fleet was sighted on 27 May. Nevell immediately gave chase, but had difficulty closing with his opponents, who had nothing to gain from a naval encounter. The pursuit continued for five days, but failed to bring the French to battle, the only real success being when a Spanish prize was cut off and captured by ''Princess Ann'' and ''Hollandia''. It was conveyed to Jamaica and found to contain plate, gunpowder and slaves worth a total of £200,000 (). On another occasion the got close enough to capture a
flyboat The flyboat (also spelled ''fly-boat'' or ''fly boat'') was a European light vessel of Dutch origin developed primarily as a mercantile cargo carrier, although many served as warships in an auxiliary role because of their agility. These vessels co ...
. Unfortunately, the captured vessel was serving as a hospital ship, carrying yellow fever which was already ravaging the French fleet and began to spread through the Anglo-Dutch. Nevell abandoned the chase and returned to Cartagena on 1 June to find that de Pointis'
buccaneer Buccaneers were a kind of privateer or free sailors, and pirates particular to the Caribbean Sea during the 17th and 18th centuries. First established on northern Hispaniola as early as 1625, their heyday was from the Restoration in 1660 u ...
allies had returned to the city and sacked it again. Nevell had difficulty persuading the inhabitants to leave the woods in which they had hidden and return to their homes. From there the fleet went to
Havana Havana (; ) is the capital and largest city of Cuba. The heart of La Habana Province, Havana is the country's main port and commercial center.Spanish treasure fleet The Spanish treasure fleet, or West Indies Fleet (, also called silver fleet or plate fleet; from the meaning "silver"), was a convoy system of sea routes organized by the Spanish Empire from 1566 to 1790, which linked Spain with its Spanish Empi ...
back to Europe. On the way, Mees was detached to attack
Petit-Goâve Petit-Goâve () is a coastal List of communes of Haiti, commune in the Léogâne Arrondissement in the Ouest (department), Ouest Departments of Haiti, department of Haiti. It is located southwest of Port-au-Prince. The town has a population of a ...
on
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 ...
. The raid took place on 23 June, and resulted in the firing of the town. The fleet reunited a few days later, but Mees fell ill with fever and died on 20 July. The fleet arrived in Havana on 23 July, fever-wracked and in need of water and repairs, but the governor refused them entry to the port. The "general of the
galleon Galleons were large, multi-decked sailing ships developed in Spain and Portugal. They were first used as armed cargo carriers by Europe, Europeans from the 16th to 18th centuries during the Age of Sail, and they were the principal vessels dr ...
s" commanding the treasure fleet declined Nevell's offer of an escort, saying that he had no orders that would warrant him accepting such protection. Disappointed, and falling prey to illness himself, Nevell headed for
Florida Florida ( ; ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders the Gulf of Mexico to the west, Alabama to the northwest, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia to the north, the Atlantic ...
and then
Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States between the East Coast of the United States ...
, where he died whilst anchored in the
James River The James River is a river in Virginia that begins in the Appalachian Mountains and flows from the confluence of the Cowpasture and Jackson Rivers in Botetourt County U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowli ...
on 17 August 1697. He was buried in the
Elizabeth City Elizabeth City is a city in Pasquotank county, United States. As of the 2020 census, it had a population of 18,629. Elizabeth City is the county seat and most populous city of Pasquotank County. It is the cultural, economic and educational h ...
county church on the same day. He left a wife, Mary Nevell, and two daughters, Mary and Elizabeth. The fever had claimed the lives of the admiral, six Royal Navy captains and 1300 sailors, in the Dutch part of the fleet all but one of the captains died. It fell to one of the surviving British captains,
Thomas Dilkes Rear-Admiral Sir Thomas Dilkes (c.1667 – 12 December 1707) was an officer in the Royal Navy. Early life Thomas Dilkes was born in around 1667 to a junior branch of the Dilke family of Maxstoke Castle in Warwickshire. He was also related to ...
to lead the fleet home. John Charnock describes Nevell as "a man of approved courage, ability, and integrity, against whom the only charge the bitterest of his enemies could with propriety make, was, that he was unfortunate".


Sources

{{DEFAULTSORT:Nevell John Royal Navy vice admirals Year of birth missing 1697 deaths Deaths from yellow fever Infectious disease deaths in Virginia Military personnel from Westminster English military personnel of the Nine Years' War People from English Tangier 17th-century Royal Navy personnel Royal Navy personnel of the Third Anglo-Dutch War