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Edward Pellew

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Edward Pellew Veteran

Birth
Kent, England
Death
23 Jan 1833 (aged 75)
Teignmouth, Teignbridge District, Devon, England
Burial
Christow, Teignbridge District, Devon, England Add to Map
Memorial ID
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Captain Sir Edward Pellew, later Ist Viscount Exmouth, is best known for his bombardment of Algiers in 1816, which forced the release of over 1200 Christian slaves. The portrait shown may commemorate an event of 1797 when he was captain of the frigate ‘Indefatigable’ and drove the much larger French ship, ‘Droits de l’Homme’, aground on the Brittany coast. Pellew was already celebrated by this time, since when commanding the frigate 'Nymphe' in the Channel at the start of the French Revolutionary War, he fell in with the French frigate 'Cleoptatre' off Start Point on 18 June 1793 and captured her after a short by bloody fight. This was greeted in England with acclaim as the first such single-ship capture of the war and he was knighted on the 29th. Pellew is shown wearing captain’s full dress uniform, 1795–1812, which indicates a date between 1795 and 1804 when he was promoted to rear-admiral.

His funeral service were described in the book "The Annual Biography and Obituary: 1834, Volume XVIII, London, 1834 (no author given, paragraphing added).

"The funeral of Lord Exmouth took place on the 6th of February at Christowe, in which parish the mansion and estate of Canonteign are situated. His Lordship had expressed a wish that his funeral should be conducted with the utmost privacy; but the desire to show respect to this brave sailor and excellent nobleman was so strong that a very numerous cortege, composed of the carriages of the neighbouring nobility and gentry, attended.

"The flags at Teignmouth on board the ships, and on all the flag-staffs, were struck half-mast, the shops were closed, and every possible demonstration of respect was exhibited. The British ensign, under which his Lordship had served and fought in every quarter of the globe, was used in lieu of a pall; and on the coffin was placed the flag (blue at the main) which flew at the mast head of the Queen Charlotte during the arduous conflict at Algiers; several shots had passed through this honourable emblem of the departed nobleman's great achievement; the sword his Lordship wore on that occasion, hung with crape, was also placed on the coffin.

"His Lordship's four sons, his son-in-law Captain Harwood, and other near relations of his family, attended on the occasion, as did also Vice-Admiral Sir Charles Ekins, Captain the Hon. T. W. Aylmer, and Captain Parson, all of whom served under his Lordship at Algiers; Rear-Admiral Sir Charles Dashwood, Captain Bastard, Captain Hill, Captain Reynolds, and other of the Royal Navy; Mr. Bentinck, Rev. Mr. Carrington, Mr. Munro, Mr. Chichester, and many other gentlemen. On the conclusion of the solemnity, a young oak tree was planted, and named the Exmouth Oak, opposite the door of the vault."

Captain Sir Edward Pellew, later Ist Viscount Exmouth, is best known for his bombardment of Algiers in 1816, which forced the release of over 1200 Christian slaves. The portrait shown may commemorate an event of 1797 when he was captain of the frigate ‘Indefatigable’ and drove the much larger French ship, ‘Droits de l’Homme’, aground on the Brittany coast. Pellew was already celebrated by this time, since when commanding the frigate 'Nymphe' in the Channel at the start of the French Revolutionary War, he fell in with the French frigate 'Cleoptatre' off Start Point on 18 June 1793 and captured her after a short by bloody fight. This was greeted in England with acclaim as the first such single-ship capture of the war and he was knighted on the 29th. Pellew is shown wearing captain’s full dress uniform, 1795–1812, which indicates a date between 1795 and 1804 when he was promoted to rear-admiral.

His funeral service were described in the book "The Annual Biography and Obituary: 1834, Volume XVIII, London, 1834 (no author given, paragraphing added).

"The funeral of Lord Exmouth took place on the 6th of February at Christowe, in which parish the mansion and estate of Canonteign are situated. His Lordship had expressed a wish that his funeral should be conducted with the utmost privacy; but the desire to show respect to this brave sailor and excellent nobleman was so strong that a very numerous cortege, composed of the carriages of the neighbouring nobility and gentry, attended.

"The flags at Teignmouth on board the ships, and on all the flag-staffs, were struck half-mast, the shops were closed, and every possible demonstration of respect was exhibited. The British ensign, under which his Lordship had served and fought in every quarter of the globe, was used in lieu of a pall; and on the coffin was placed the flag (blue at the main) which flew at the mast head of the Queen Charlotte during the arduous conflict at Algiers; several shots had passed through this honourable emblem of the departed nobleman's great achievement; the sword his Lordship wore on that occasion, hung with crape, was also placed on the coffin.

"His Lordship's four sons, his son-in-law Captain Harwood, and other near relations of his family, attended on the occasion, as did also Vice-Admiral Sir Charles Ekins, Captain the Hon. T. W. Aylmer, and Captain Parson, all of whom served under his Lordship at Algiers; Rear-Admiral Sir Charles Dashwood, Captain Bastard, Captain Hill, Captain Reynolds, and other of the Royal Navy; Mr. Bentinck, Rev. Mr. Carrington, Mr. Munro, Mr. Chichester, and many other gentlemen. On the conclusion of the solemnity, a young oak tree was planted, and named the Exmouth Oak, opposite the door of the vault."



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  • Maintained by: Ace
  • Originally Created by: tomasmeister
  • Added: Oct 5, 2013
  • Find a Grave Memorial ID:
  • Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/118239590/edward-pellew: accessed ), memorial page for Edward Pellew (19 Apr 1757–23 Jan 1833), Find a Grave Memorial ID 118239590, citing St James Churchyard, Christow, Teignbridge District, Devon, England; Maintained by Ace (contributor 47553654).