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George Camocke was a Royal Navy captain, renegade and admiral for Spain. Camocke was seen by some as a political martyr. Camocke served under both William and Anne along with his zeal and high obedience under George. He was dismissed from English service for various discipline breaches before he joined Spain's Navy. After the Spanish Navy dismissed Camocke, he died in exile and degradation.
Early life and rise
[edit]George Camocke is a descendant of the Essex family and he was originally from Ireland.[1] He entered the Navy around 1682[1] and was made lieutenant by the lords after eight years at lower ranks. Camocke was promoted to this rank due to his work with the Navy including safely bringing the 12 guns ship back safely to England.
Service to England
[edit]Camocke was made a commander of the Lions of 60 guns ship[1] where he was on her in the Battle of Barfleur and most likely in the Battle of Beachy Head (1690). Camocke was later wounded while setting fire to a three deck French ship.
A promotion to first lieutenant of the Loyal Merchant soon followed for Camocke. Sir George Rooke joined on one of the Loyal Merchant fleets en route to the Mediterranean in one of Camocke's missions.
Camocke was made commander of the Owner's Goodwill Fireship in 1692-93 before a promotion to the Intelligence brigantine followed afterward. After his promotion to the Intelligence brigantine, Camocke bombarded Calais aboard his new vessels. In December 1687, the Intelligent was decommissioned whereby Camocke was in dire straights. He was made first lieutenant of guardianship Admiralty Minutes after he spent some time beforehand memorising it. Camocke appealed before the lords of the admiralty which he de moaned about not seeking another service.
On 11 September, Camocke began commanding the Bonetta sloop[2] in the North Sea and northern coast of Ireland. Starting in June 1702, Camocke took command of the Speedwell frigate for eight years[3] along the coasts of Ireland. Over the course of eight years, Camocke and the Speedwell frigate had success against their enemy's privateers along Ireland's coasts. Camocke became commander of Monck of 60 guns[1] in the spring of 1711 at the same station as the Speedwell frigate, once again capturing troublesome privateers. Camocke was put in Kinsale in May 1712 which he wrote about a promise of vice admiralship in Tsar of Muscovy's service if he decided to leave the area. Camocke co suggested that the King should pardon the West Indies pirates whom were in possession of several ships.[4]. Camocke wanted the Royal Navy sent to the Bahamas which would reduce the trade between the West Indies and Guinea and he eyed a 50 gun Cadiz ship for this task.[4]
Camocke embarked to Palermo via the Mediterranean in February 1713, on orders from commander in chief Sir John Jennings to go to Port Mahon. This order included instructions for Camocke to transport soldiers to Britain.[1] but instead of following these orders, Camocke had other plans and he transported Spanish soldiers from Palermo to Alicante via Madrid.[1] He eventually took the English soldiers onboard at Port Mahon before putting into Cadiz and Lisbon. Violations by Camocke were cited for these actions and he was suspended and Camocke gave a bad explanation for them. Camocke was suspended until he could be cleared by a court martial.
A letter Camocke wrote in January 1714-15 to the secretary of the admiralty stated that the late Queen approved of his actions and called off Camocke's suspension. These statements by Camocke were a decline of his court martial offer thus leaving the matter in the lordships hands. Camocke wanted to please the lordships with his zest for his majesty King George's service and acquit himself. Camocke was struck out of the list of captains soon after.
Treason
[edit]After once again considering joining the Russian Navy, Camocke became a rear admiral in the Spanish navy three years as was once intended for him by the King of Britain [4][5] before holding a junior commanded fleet that Sir George Byng destroyed near Cape Passaro on 31 July 1718.[6] Camocke escaped and went back to Messina. In mid August,[6] Byng wrote to Craggs relaying his (Byng's) orders to ignore Camocke when he came ashore due to his (Camocke's) rebellion. This refusal by Byng to engage Camocke notwithstanding, Camocke still wrote, offering him in the King James's name, 100,0001 and the Duke of Albemarle title if the fleet could be taken into Messina of any Spanish port by him. A similar letter to Captain Walton from Camocke followed later this time offering a commission as admiral of the blue and a English peerage.
During the Atterbury Plot, Camocke negotiated with the King of Sweden to provide 12,000 Swedish troops for Ormonde as opposed to a loan reimbursal that was made to Charles XII from the English Jacobites.[7]
While Messina was blockaded, several ships were captured trying to leave port. One such captured ship, a small frigate sailed by Camocke was captured in January 1718-19 while attempting to run this blockade. On January 26th, the Royal Oak took her but Camocke escape to Catania. He was so scared and he left behind his King's commission for making admiral of the white along with his treasonable papers.
Later life and death
[edit]Once back to Spain, Camocke's favour had ran out. Camocke was banished to Ceuta, dying there a few years later in degradation.
References
[edit]- ^ a b c d e f Stewart, William. Admirals of the World: A Biographical Dictionary, 1500 to the Present. McFarland. p. 341. ISBN 0786438096.
- ^ Laughton, J.K (January 1889). "The Captains of the 'Nightingale'". The English Historical Review via Oxford University Press. 4 No 13: 65-80.
- ^ McAleer, John (2016). The Royal Navy and the British Atlantic World, c. 1750–1820 (1 ed.). Palgrave Macmillan UK. p. 223. ISBN 978-1-137-50765-5.
- ^ a b c Edition, Historial Manuscripts (2017). Calendar of the Stuart Papers Belonging to His Majesty the King, Preserved at Windsor Castle. Forgotten Books. p. 916. ISBN 0266611621.
- ^ Tout, Thomas Frederick (1905). The Political History of England: The History of England from the Accession of Henry III to the Death of Edward III, 1216-1377. AMS Press. p. 281.
- ^ a b Rodger, N.A.M. The Command of the Ocean: A Naval History of Britain, 1649-1815 (New Edition ed.). W. W. Norton & Company. p. 976. ISBN 0393060500.
{{cite book}}:|edition=has extra text (help) - ^ Barnard, Toby; Fenlon, Jane. The Dukes of Ormonde,. Boydell Press. p. 296. ISBN 0851157610.
- ^ Stephen, Sir Leslie. Official Letters and other Documents in the Public Record Office; Corbett's Expedition of the British Fleet to Sicily in the years 1718–19–20; Charnock's Biog. Navalis, iii. 221.
- ^ Leslie, Stephen (1886). Dictionary of National Biography 1885-1900. Elder Smith & Co.