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Mathews' signal to engage, allowing four lagging
Spanish ships to slip away from him. After the action Lestock argued that the signal for the line was still flying, which he saw as his primary duty to obey. He would only therefore follow the signal to engage when he could do so from his position in the line. When challenged why he had allowed such a gap to open between the rear and the rest of the fleet the previous night, Lestock claimed that the rules required him to follow the signal to 'bring to' the moment it was given, this taking precedence over the signal to move to line abreast. These interpretations were highly dubious, and failed to satisfy Mathews. He suspended Lestock and sent him home.
95:
75:
612:'s fleet until the end of January 1742. By this time, the ships had been badly damaged by the weather, and many of the crew were ill or had died. Nevertheless, Lestock was promoted to rear-admiral on 13 March 1742. Haddock was forced to return to England a couple of months later due to ill health, leaving Lestock as acting commander-in-chief. Lestock hoped to have the appointment confirmed from England, but was bitterly disappointed to learn that Vice-Admiral
638:
take the initiative, so contributing to the failure. The
British had been following the Spanish the previous day, but on the evening of 10 February Lestock halted the rear before it had reached its proper position in line abreast. By morning they had drifted even further out of line, eventually lying some five miles distant of the rest of the fleet. Only then did Lestock attempt to reach the action, but arrived too late.
33:
625:
occupied with the diplomatic duties of his position and relied on
Lestock to manage the fleet, but became increasingly resentful of Lestock's inability to do his job owing to his poor health. Despite sending complaints back home, Lestock was promoted to vice-admiral of the white on 29 November 1743 and remained as Mathews' second.
624:
The two men had already worked together. Mathews had been commissioner at
Chatham during the period Lestock had been in charge of the guard ships. Mathews arrived and took over command, and began to openly criticise Lestock's performance. He also countermanded his appointments. Mathews was much
765:
was decided instead. Despite planning difficulties, the force was landed and nearly succeeded in taking the city. The result was ultimately a failure and was viewed as such by a disappointed public, but
Lestock appears to have acquitted himself well. He hoped to receive an appointment to command a
637:
was fought on 11 February 1744. The
British fleet attempted to engage a Spanish convoy, with Lestock taking command of the rear division. The battle ended in failure for the British. Lestock was accused of adhering to a restrictive interpretation of the fighting instructions and for a failure to
641:
Mathews had been making signals all morning, and had twice sent a lieutenant in a boat to urge
Lestock to bring his ships into the battle. Lestock replied that he was doing all he could, but that some of his ships were slow. He did not however order his faster ones forwards, nor did he follow
528:
Further humiliation followed when he was twice passed over for flag-rank in 1733 and again in 1734. During this period five captains of lesser seniority were promoted. Despite this apparent stalling of his career, Lestock continued in active service. He was appointed captain of
674:
with his cool, calm demeanour. Mathews' defence in comparison was seen as heated and disorganized, just as how
Lestock claimed Mathews had fought the battle. Mathews was also viewed with suspicion by the naval authorities, who were wary of his 'out of doors' popularity. The
523:
My affair being without precedent I cannot say much, but such a fate as I have met with is far worse than death, many particulars of which I doubt not will be heard from me when I shall be able to present myself to my lords of the
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on 14 July 1723, but if so he presumably died young as no more is heard about him. The couple also had a daughter, Elizabeth, who survived her father. In addition, Lestock promoted a man named James Peers to the command of the
514:
was appointed commander-in-chief at
Jamaica instead, and a letter was written ordering Lestock to strike his flag and return to Britain. No reason was given. Lestock was dismayed by this snub, writing in a letter from
273:
Lestock is believed to have been born on 22 February 1679, though he may have been born some years previously. He was the second son of
Richard Lestock (d. 1713) and his wife, Rebecca (d. 1709). His father had been
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was forced to surrender. Lestock was exchanged shortly after and returned to England, where he faced a court-martial for the loss of his ship. He was fully acquitted on 31 August 1709.
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on 29 April 1706, and was sent home in September with the news of the surrender of Alicante. On his return he was among those who helped to destroy a 64-gun French warship off
506:
on 21 February 1732 and received orders on 6 April to wear a red broad pennant and prepare to sail to the West Indies to take up the post of commander-in-chief of the
559:. During his time here he was noted for being occasionally overly zealous in arresting vessels that had no right to wear an official pendant. He was made captain of
446:
in 1717. The fleet he joined was under George Byng, whom he had served with before. Lestock was given command of a seven-ship squadron, and ordered to cruise off
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Despite impressing so highly influential an admiral, Lestock remained on half pay for nearly ten years. He returned to active duty only in 1728, commanding
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128:
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The evidence of the court-martial was not released and confusion over the true events persisted for some time. Robert Beatson decided that Lestock
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war ensued, but high and low opinion was against him. Lestock did have important political friends though, and they managed to obtain a
691:'the nation could not be persuaded that the vice-admiral ought to be exculpated for not fighting' and the admiral cashiered for fighting
802:, William Monke of London. He also left a bequest to his friend Henry Fox, who had been one of those defending him in the Commons.
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on 26 August 1732. Peers was apparently spoken of as Lestock's son-in-law; however there was no mention of him in Sarah's will.
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spring expedition to North America, but his health suddenly declined, and he died of a stomach ailment on 13 December 1746.
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during his time on half pay in the early 1720s. They may have had a son, as a boy named Richard Lestock was baptised at
662:
over a number of days between March–April 1745, and sharply divided public opinion. Anti-Mathews speeches were made by
257:. He fought in a number of battles, and was a controversial figure, most remembered for his part in the defeat at the
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On his return, Lestock began to cast blame on Mathews and other captains that had not served in his division. A
461:. Lestock seems to have made a favourable impression, and Byng made him second captain aboard his flagship, the
205:
282:, and commander of a number of merchant ships. On 26 December 1690, the father was among those invited by the
699:'shewed a zeal and attention which gives a very advantageous idea of his capacity as a seaman and an officer'
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he was appointed to command the attack on Fort San Luis on 23 March 1741. The battle ended in defeat and the
583:
231:
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Public opinion remained divided, but a song written in the earlier nineteenth century about the heroism of
663:
582:
and third in command of the fleet. Lestock regularly attended Vernon's naval councils of war. During the
507:
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convened a court-martial made up of officers sympathetic to Lestock, who was acquitted of any wrongdoing.
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to volunteer for naval service, which he did. On 6 January 1691 Lestock's father was appointed to command
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in the navy. Lestock seems to have been on bad terms with his family, leaving all of his property to an
819:
608:
Bad weather contrived to delay the sailing for several weeks, and he was unable to join Vice-Admiral
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and given command of a large squadron. The original plan called for the launching of an assault on
296:
Lestock followed his father into the navy. In April 1701 he was appointed third lieutenant to the
254:
80:
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The outcome failed to convince the wider population. A later naval historian wrote in 1758 that:
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435:(decommissioned), Lestock went to half pay for five years, before he finally received command of
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in August 1739, and accompanied Sir Chaloner Ogle to the West Indies the following year.
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His wife predeceased him on 12 September 1744. Their daughter married James Peacock, a
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510:. Contrary winds however stopped him sailing until 29 April. Three weeks later Sir
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925:(National Archives of the United Kingdom, Public Record Office, London, ADM 1)
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was severely damaged. Lestock returned to England in the summer aboard the
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and sent out with a large contingent of reinforcements in November 1741.
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in April 1709, when on 14 April she was overhauled by two enemy 40-gun
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351:. Whilst in command of her, he was active ashore at the relief of
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On 5 June 1746, just two days after his acquittal he was promoted
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It was whilst the two were on the Mediterranean station that the
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British military personnel of the War of the Quadruple Alliance
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Lestock's entry in the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography
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Lestock probably married Sarah (d. 1744), of Chigwell Row in
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references Lestock, depicting him as betraying his friends:
300:. A number of postings to different ships then followed, to
249:(22 February 1679 – 17 December 1746) was an officer in the
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Royal Navy personnel of the War of the Austrian Succession
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in December that year. He was then ordered to join with
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The Naval History of Great Britain, 4 vols., 1758, 4.270
548:. He served aboard her until April 1738, then moving to
413:. A two-hour battle ensued, after which the outgunned
362:
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He was five miles a distance, and would not come nigh;
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When you think of a friend you're sure to find none;
431:, which he did from 1710 until 1712. When she was
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682:
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734:For when that I thought to see Lestock come by,
726:There is an old proverb I've lately thought on,
941:. Cambridge, England: Routledge. p. 240.
1117:Royal Navy officers who were court-martialled
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840:
374:Lestock took over the command of the 32-gun
906:. London: Smith, Elder & Co. 1885–1900.
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333:. Lestock was present with Shovell at the
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658:into the outcome. This took place in the
616:had been dispatched to take over command.
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711:that Lestock 'ought to have been shot'.
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574:Whilst in the West Indies, Vice-Admiral
499:. He took up his next command, that of
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935:Bruce, Anthony; Cogar, William (2014).
670:, whilst Lestock himself impressed the
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420:His next appointment was to command
397:were then present at the capture of
1079:Commander-in-Chief, Jamaica Station
389:to assist the ground forces in the
253:, eventually rising to the rank of
13:
861:
484:. He moved the next year to join
14:
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1044:
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993:"Richard Lestock (1678/79-1748)"
903:Dictionary of National Biography
843:"Richard Lestock (1678/79-1748)"
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1056:Article on the Battle of Toulon
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743:Return to service and last days
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683:Controversy over the judgement
16:Royal Navy admiral (1679–1746)
1:
991:Harrison, Simon (2010–2018).
938:Encyclopedia of Naval History
841:Harrison, Simon (2010–2018).
805:
709:Lives of the British Admirals
584:Battle of Cartagena de Indias
405:was sailing from Alicante to
232:Battle of Cartagena de Indias
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897:"Lestock, Richard"
770:Family and personal life
81:Kingdom of Great Britain
1039:. West India Committee.
1033:Cundall, Frank (1915).
980:Naval songs and ballads
391:failed attack on Toulon
236:Battle of Toulon (1744)
224:Battle of Toulon (1707)
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620:Relations with Mathews
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467:Battle of Cape Passaro
335:Battle of Vélez-Málaga
331:Sir Cloudesley Shovell
269:Family and early years
228:Battle of Cape Passaro
220:Battle of Vélez-Málaga
720:Brave Captain Hornsby
716:Richard Avery Hornsby
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325:was at this time the
261:, and the subsequent
107:Years of service
629:The Battle of Toulon
570:Return to prominence
454:, operating against
339:master and commander
1107:Royal Navy admirals
1018:History of Chigwell
755:admiral of the blue
603:Mediterranean Fleet
555:, stationed at the
355:and the capture of
210:Mediterranean Fleet
119:Admiral of the Blue
540:then stationed as
495:in 1731 under Sir
206:Portsmouth Station
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1086:Succeeded by
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853:16 February
718:, entitled
450:and in the
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1101:Categories
806:References
800:apothecary
542:guard ship
524:admiralty.
517:Port Royal
459:privateers
276:magistrate
251:Royal Navy
101:Royal Navy
69:Allegiance
59:Portsmouth
826:7 January
664:Henry Fox
580:commodore
488:Royal Oak
469:in 1718.
452:Skagerrak
353:Barcelona
343:fire ship
314:and then
298:Cambridge
290:Cambridge
284:Admiralty
280:Middlesex
166:Royal Oak
110:1701–1746
785:Kingston
780:Chigwell
652:pamphlet
538:Somerset
533:Somerset
503:Kingston
463:Barfleur
448:Göteborg
433:paid off
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367:and the
357:Alicante
327:flagship
323:Barfleur
318:Barfleur
180:Somerset
173:Kingston
145:Weymouth
125:Commands
87:Service/
1027:Sources
789:Jamaica
763:Lorient
703:whilst
598:Neptune
552:Grafton
544:in the
456:Swedish
442:in the
439:Panther
427:in the
399:Menorca
383:Almeria
369:Panther
348:Vulture
341:of the
321:. The
304:Solebay
255:Admiral
244:Admiral
201:Neptune
187:Grafton
152:Panther
131:Vulture
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759:Quebec
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444:Baltic
407:Lisbon
311:Exeter
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1083:1732
776:Essex
588:Boyne
563:Boyne
415:Fowey
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395:Fowey
378:Fowey
365:Fowey
194:Boyne
138:Fowey
1005:2019
943:ISBN
855:2019
828:2019
666:and
596:HMS
561:HMS
557:Nore
550:HMS
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857:.
830:.
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