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William Whetstone

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77: 30: 382:, as muskets were in short supply in the colony. The English landing force suffered twenty-two casualties on the beach and eight on Whetstone's warships from disparate Spanish cannon fire, with the captain of the landing force being among them. After this defeat when Whetstone reached Hispaniola, Du Casse had already departed, and it was Benbow who eventually found Du Casse. After the unsatisfactory conclusion of his most famous 57: 501:. He sailed with them until they were well past Shetland, before returning home. The convoy was later intercepted by Forbin, who was able to capture fifteen of the merchants. Though the orders were at fault for being insufficient in their scope, and Whetstone had fulfilled them in full, the Muscovy Company was outraged. A trial was held at which Whetstone was accused of leaving the ships to be attacked. The 452:
and arrived at Jamaica to take up his post in mid May. He was largely thwarted though by the weakness of the ships under his command. The smaller vessels were able to take several valuable prizes, but he was not strong enough to allow him to attack any Spanish settlements. He hoped to convince the
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promoted Whetstone to rear-admiral of the blue in January 1704. This was a measure designed to show both approval of his conduct whilst holding acting rank, and at the same time to separate him from charges arising against Graydon. The promotion caused controversy however, as it was done over the
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defended him, but eventually Whetstone was made the scapegoat. He was dismissed from his command and received no further employment. He died in 1711, and was buried with at St Michael's, Bristol on 3 April 1711. He had been remarried by this time to Mary (or Maria), with whom he had a daughter,
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shipping. After Whetstone had left, Benbow took his squadron and sailed for Cartagena, anticipating that either he or Whetstone would find Du Casse and bring him to battle. On 5 August 1702, Whetstone led two English warships in an attempt to capture the town of
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of several of his captains for cowardice and disobedience they had shown during the action. Whetstone was president of the courts martial, Benbow being too ill to take the role himself. Benbow died on 4 November 1702, and Whetstone took over the command of the
430:, who threatened to resign over the issue. Wishart was then made a rear-admiral of the blue as well, and made senior to Whetstone through antedating his commission. Whetstone was given command of a squadron in the 248:, who described him as 'a good man'. He did not however exert himself on Whetstone's behalf, and William spent 1692 unemployed. He returned to active duty in 1693, at first as the part owner of the 410:
had to be abandoned because of the weather, the island's defences, and sickness in the fleet. Whetstone and Graydon then departed Jamaica, with Whetstone returning to England in October 1703.
709: 266:. She was launched on 27 March 1693, and Whetstone proceeded to man the ship. He was discharged from her on 23 May. A series of brief commands followed before he took command of 545: 186:
Whetstone appears to have been born into a naval family, his father John Whetstone had probably been a naval officer. William established himself in
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that would last until 1684. This marriage produced two sons and two daughters, his eldest daughter, also named Sarah, married the naval officer
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in March 1704, and was promoted to rear-admiral of the white on 18 January 1705. The appointment to the post of commander-in-chief in the
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had broken out, and news of its declaration reached Benbow on 7 July. He detached Whetstone and six ships to search off Port St Louis in
465:’. Whetstone continued to persist though, and in 1706, he and Governor Handyside attempted to persuade the Spanish colonies at 594: 407: 245: 686: 470: 386:, a wounded Benbow returned to Port Royal, meeting up with Whetstone who had returned from cruising off Hispaniola. 640: 367: 371: 221:. William's first wife died in 1698 and was buried in the church of St Nicholas's, Bristol, on 19 October 1698. 357:, which it was believed would call at the port on his voyage to Cartagena, from where he might raid English and 458: 346: 714: 676: 506:
named Mary. At the time of his death, Whetstone was owed the substantial sum of £2500 by various debtors.
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and Cartagena to declare in favour of Charles. Whetstone was relieved later that year by a squadron under
435: 395: 159: 292:, spending the next three years on the station, being finally discharged on 13 July 1699. The command of 645: 418: 289: 628: 612: 282: 131: 383: 324: 238: 145: 110: 704: 635: 363: 8: 454: 446: 293: 152: 138: 370:. Two rowboats with marines and sailors landed on Arecibo's beach, but were repulsed by 229:
William entered navy service, being appointed on 30 July 1689 to command the hired ship
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led by Antonio de los Reyes Correa. Correa mustered thirty men who were equipped with
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in the later 17th and early eighteenth century. He eventually rose to the rank of
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Whetstone was given command of a squadron in May 1707, and ordered to operate off
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followed, lasting from 19 May 1700 to 4 June 1701, when Whetstone was promoted to
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He appears to have married a woman named Sarah by 1677, and that year he took an
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from 3 February to 12 August 1691. Here he came to the attention of Admiral
218: 191: 667: 427: 399: 175: 100: 35: 206:. His trading appears to have been in a wide variety of goods, including 403: 339: 320: 316: 263: 350: 335: 171: 82: 493:. In June he was ordered to escort a convoy of nineteen ships of the 402:. Whetstone went on to engage and destroy a number of privateers off 178:, having spent his career serving with several distinguished figures. 490: 398:. He held it until June 1703, when he was superseded by Vice-Admiral 319:. She was then surveyed and pronounced unfit for the journey to the 315:
for repairs. He then made better progress, but soon had to put into
249: 29: 331: 312: 203: 199: 461:, but received the reply that the governor 'knew no sovereign but 482: 379: 308: 234: 187: 597:, Paula Watson, HistoryOfParliament.org, accessed December 2012 439: 311:. He attempted to set sail, but was twice forced to return to 334:. He arrived in the West Indies in May, joining the fleet at 710:
British naval commanders in the War of the Spanish Succession
375: 190:, becoming a member of Bristol corporation and commanding a 466: 233:, and he spent the next two years conveying supplies to 330:
on 4 February 1702 and was finally able to cross the
476: 342:. Benbow gave him the local rank of rear-admiral. 549:(online ed.). Oxford University Press. 2004. 538: 629:William Whetstone at the National Maritime Museum 696: 276: 644:. Vol. II (1701–1740) (online ed.). 255:, and later receiving a commission to command 473:, and returned to England in December 1706. 237:. He was then briefly appointed to command 307:at the head of the squadron dispatched to 28: 581: 579: 198:, with which he carried out trading with 181: 633: 610: 546:Oxford Dictionary of National Biography 422:heads of other captains, including Sir 406:but an attempt on the French colony at 697: 576: 533: 531: 529: 527: 525: 523: 521: 519: 323:. Whetstone instead took command of 353:for a French squadron under Admiral 677:Commander-in-Chief, Jamaica Station 516: 273:from 13 July 1693 to 13 June 1695. 13: 588: 338:under the command of Vice-Admiral 288:on 6 July 1696. He sailed her to 170:(died 1711) was an officer of the 14: 726: 622: 477:Final actions and fall from grace 426:. Wishart was serving under Sir 389:Benbow then ordered the trial by 641:Dictionary of Canadian Biography 442:five days later on 22 February. 281:Whetstone's next command was to 75: 55: 224: 262:which was then being built at 1: 509: 368:Spanish colony of Puerto Rico 347:War of the Spanish Succession 277:In the Atlantic and Caribbean 570:UK public library membership 438:came on 17 February, with a 413: 7: 646:University of Toronto Press 10: 731: 634:Godfrey, Michael (1979) . 604: 445:He raised his flag aboard 683: 674: 660: 655: 638:. In Hayne, David (ed.). 106: 96: 88: 68: 50: 42: 34:Sir William Whetstone by 27: 20: 636:"Whetstone, Sir William" 457:to declare in favour of 372:Spanish colonial militia 617:. West India Committee. 611:Cundall, Frank (1915). 540:"Sir William Whetstone" 555:10.1093/ref:odnb/29199 303:and was moved to the 182:Family and early life 168:Sir William Whetstone 89:Years of service 715:Royal Navy admirals 63:Kingdom of England 693: 692: 684:Succeeded by 671: 656:Military offices 568:(Subscription or 165: 164: 92:1689 – 1707 22:William Whetstone 722: 665: 661:Preceded by 653: 652: 649: 618: 614:Historic Jamaica 598: 592: 586: 583: 574: 573: 565: 563: 561: 542: 535: 499:Shetland Islands 487:Claude de Forbin 81: 79: 78: 70: 61: 59: 58: 32: 18: 17: 730: 729: 725: 724: 723: 721: 720: 719: 695: 694: 689: 680: 672: 664: 625: 607: 602: 601: 593: 589: 584: 577: 567: 559: 557: 537: 536: 517: 512: 495:Muscovy Company 479: 432:English Channel 416: 396:Jamaica Station 279: 227: 196:Mary of Bristol 184: 160:Jamaica Station 158: 151: 144: 137: 130: 123: 116: 76: 74: 56: 54: 38: 23: 12: 11: 5: 728: 718: 717: 712: 707: 691: 690: 685: 682: 673: 666:(Last held by 662: 658: 657: 651: 650: 631: 624: 623:External links 621: 620: 619: 606: 603: 600: 599: 587: 585:Cundall, p. xx 575: 514: 513: 511: 508: 497:as far as the 489:, a dangerous 478: 475: 415: 412: 278: 275: 246:Edward Russell 226: 223: 215:apprenticeship 183: 180: 163: 162: 108: 104: 103: 98: 94: 93: 90: 86: 85: 72: 66: 65: 52: 48: 47: 44: 40: 39: 33: 25: 24: 21: 9: 6: 4: 3: 2: 727: 716: 713: 711: 708: 706: 703: 702: 700: 688: 679: 678: 669: 659: 654: 647: 643: 642: 637: 632: 630: 627: 626: 616: 615: 609: 608: 596: 595:James Wishart 591: 582: 580: 571: 556: 552: 548: 547: 541: 534: 532: 530: 528: 526: 524: 522: 520: 515: 507: 504: 500: 496: 492: 488: 484: 474: 472: 468: 464: 460: 456: 451: 450: 443: 441: 437: 433: 429: 425: 424:James Wishart 420: 419:Prince George 411: 409: 405: 401: 397: 392: 391:court martial 387: 385: 381: 377: 373: 369: 365: 360: 356: 355:Jean du Casse 352: 348: 343: 341: 337: 333: 329: 328: 322: 318: 314: 310: 306: 302: 298: 297: 291: 287: 286: 274: 272: 271: 265: 261: 260: 254: 251: 247: 243: 242: 236: 232: 222: 220: 219:Woodes Rogers 216: 211: 209: 205: 201: 197: 193: 192:merchant ship 189: 179: 177: 173: 169: 161: 157: 156: 150: 149: 143: 142: 136: 135: 129: 128: 122: 121: 115: 114: 109: 105: 102: 99: 95: 91: 87: 84: 73: 67: 64: 53: 49: 45: 41: 37: 31: 26: 19: 16: 687:William Kerr 675: 668:John Graydon 639: 613: 590: 558:. Retrieved 544: 480: 471:William Kerr 459:King Charles 453:governor of 448: 444: 428:George Rooke 417: 400:John Graydon 388: 344: 326: 304: 295: 290:Newfoundland 284: 280: 269: 258: 252: 240: 230: 228: 225:Naval career 212: 195: 185: 176:rear admiral 167: 166: 154: 147: 140: 133: 126: 119: 112: 101:Rear Admiral 36:Michael Dahl 15: 705:1711 deaths 463:King Philip 436:West Indies 404:San Domingo 345:By now the 340:John Benbow 321:West Indies 285:Dreadnought 264:Southampton 134:Dreadnought 699:Categories 681:1705–1706 572:required.) 560:18 October 510:References 440:knighthood 351:Hispaniola 336:Port Royal 327:Canterbury 241:Portsmouth 172:Royal Navy 148:Canterbury 113:Portsmouth 83:Royal Navy 51:Allegiance 503:Admiralty 455:Cartagena 414:Promotion 408:Placentia 301:commodore 250:privateer 485:against 380:machetes 332:Atlantic 313:Plymouth 296:Yarmouth 253:Delavall 204:Barbados 200:Virginia 141:Yarmouth 107:Commands 69:Service/ 605:Sources 491:corsair 483:Dunkirk 449:Montagu 366:in the 364:Arecibo 309:Jamaica 259:Norfolk 235:Ireland 188:Bristol 155:Montagu 120:Norfolk 663:Vacant 566: 384:action 376:spears 231:Europa 194:, the 80:  71:branch 60:  359:Dutch 208:serge 562:2015 467:Cuba 447:HMS 378:and 325:HMS 317:Cork 305:York 294:HMS 283:HMS 270:York 268:HMS 257:HMS 239:HMS 202:and 153:HMS 146:HMS 139:HMS 132:HMS 127:York 125:HMS 118:HMS 111:HMS 97:Rank 46:1711 43:Died 551:doi 701:: 578:^ 543:. 518:^ 210:. 670:) 648:. 564:. 553::

Index


Michael Dahl
Kingdom of England
Royal Navy
Rear Admiral
HMS Portsmouth
HMS Norfolk
HMS York
HMS Dreadnought
HMS Yarmouth
HMS Canterbury
HMS Montagu
Jamaica Station
Royal Navy
rear admiral
Bristol
merchant ship
Virginia
Barbados
serge
apprenticeship
Woodes Rogers
Ireland
HMS Portsmouth
Edward Russell
privateer
HMS Norfolk
Southampton
HMS York
HMS Dreadnought

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