Lord Exmouth's Commission: Part 2
Title: Lord Exmouth's Commission: HMS Indefatigable, Channel Fleet, Brest Roads, 1798
Author: Anteros
Characters: John Thomas Serres, Sir Edward Pellew, John Thompson, Joseph Emidy, Archie Kennedy, Horatio Hornblower
Rating: R
Notes: Part two of five, which tells of JT Serres time aboard the Indefatigable and Sir Edward Pellew's "promotion" to the ship of the lineImpetueux, 74.
The officers and men of the Indefatigable had been somewhat suspicious of John's presence at first, though not outwardly hostile as some might have been. After entering him on the frigate's muster book (JT Serres, Marine Painter to the Admiralty, Passenger to the Fleet) Captain Sir Edward Pellew had gone out of his way to welcome him and had assembled the ship's company to order them to assist him in his work. He could still remember the tall imposing figure of the captain barking from the quarter deck.
"Your lives, and the lives of your fellow seamen, depend on knowing these waters. And on knowing them better than any French sailor born and raised on these shores. One day men, English lives, your lives, may depend on Mr Serres charts. As long as he is aboard my ship he is a member of my crew. You will afford him every respect, and furnish him with any assistance he should require."
John had been afforded the privilege of joining the officers’ mess and was allocated a small cabin off the wardroom. Ever since he had been old enough to hold a quill John had drawn compulsively, sketching and doodling the world around him. John saw the world through these little scraps of ink and paper. Naturally he sketched the men that populated the frigate's wooden world; the officers labouring over their logs, or laughing over a glass of claret, the unmistakable features of the sublime African fiddler, the ratings at make and mend, holy stoning the deck, scrubbing the sails or undertaking the myriad tasks that marked the rhythm of life aboard ship. His sketch book overflowed with the lives of these men.
Admittedly some of the officers had been affronted when they discovered that John was drawing more than charts and landmarks. Lieutenant Hornblower in particular was wont to withdraw behind a scowl whenever he heard the familiar scratch of quill on note book. His companion, Acting Lieutenant Kennedy, had no such qualms and teased him for his pride and false modesty. Kennedy was a bright and gregarious young man, however John had been oddly reluctant to sketch him at first. Somehow it had felt like an intrusion.
John had always believed he saw more clearly through the reflection of his art. Sometimes, just sometimes, he caught a glimpse of the very essence of his subject. When John picked up his quill and looked at Kennedy he perceived a shadow behind his eyes that was quite at odds with his sharp wit and ready smile.
For the duration of his cruise John’s senior officer was the frigate’s sailing master. John Thomson knew the waters of the Brest roads as well as Leith Roads and it was from him that John learned every shoal, rock and sand bar, every land fall, point and sailing mark. And it was also from the genial Master Thomson that he learned about Kennedy. Both he and Lieutenant Hornblower were not long returned from prison in Spain. Hornblower and his men had been held for a matter of months before being released with an honourable pardon and the thanks of this Most Catholic Majesty, no less, in recognition of his “courage and self-sacrifice in saving life at the peril of his own”. Kennedy had suffered a much longer incarceration and had been given up for dead more than two years previously. That certainly accounted for the haunted look that John perceived at times of quiet reflection.
As the months passed, the crew became familiar with John's presence. The people showed considerable interest in his work and he reciprocated by admiring their own creative endeavours. They brought him delicate works of scrimshaw, stitching that would do the finest seamstresses proud and they showed off the blue-black tattoos that marked their years before the mast.
His messmates had ceased to gave him more than a second glance as he sat scribbling in the corner of the gunroom. Lieutenant Norway had asked him to paint a small portrait to send to his sweetheart and Hornblower had stopped blushing and scowling in his presence. John even managed to capture him smiling on occasion; invariably in the presence of Kennedy. Serres could see the young acting lieutenant growing in confidence as the days lengthened and spring waxed into summer. The shadow he had perceived was fading, burning away like mist before the sun and he was drawn to capture such radiance. Before long his sketchbooks were filled with the two young men, light and dark. There they were in the wardroom, logs and charts strewn over the table, exercising their gun crews or going aloft with the glass. And there were occasionally more intimate portraits, of quiet conversations, of Kennedy curled reading in the corner, Hornblower seated at the table nearby. John had seen what passed between them. He knew it for what it was and he could not prevent a pang of regret that his own love had been blighted and soured so soon.
John sat alone in the empty studio leafing through the sketchbooks, oblivious to the dust and clutter around him and the light fading beyond the dirty skylights above.
Serres had spent eight or nine months aboard the Indefatigable and was sorry to leave at the end of the year, when he transferred to the Triton and thence to other ships of the Channel fleet. When he returned to the frigate late the following year, in 1799, Captain Pellew was gone, promoted to the ship of the line Impetueux, a command no doubt befitting his rank and status. Captain Curzon welcomed him and there were still many familiar faces among the ratings. However almost all the midshipmen and young gentlemen had left and John was saddened, though not surprised, to find new faces in the wardroom. Even Emidy, the magnificent African violin player, had gone. It was only to be expected that Pellew would remove to his new command the men and boys he trusted and nurtured. Consequently Serres was more than a little surprised to find the familiar figure of the sailing master by the binnacle, as he knew that the captain and master had shared mutual respect and warm regard. Thomson took little prompting to explain that far from welcoming the promotion, Pellew had fought tooth and nail to remain with the Indefatigable.
“The ‘dear Indy’ that’s what he called her. Not that they cared. It’s a bloody disgrace. Whole damn fleet knows that ship's trouble. A right parcel of rogues, bloody mutineers the lot of them,” Thomson scowled. “It was that old buzzard Bridport. Had it in for Sir Edward from the start, and almost had his way of it too. Wouldn't let him take a single man. Not one. Not till Spenser stepped in. He saw to it that the boys and some of the men got to with him. Drew the line at the officers though.”
It transpired that the wardroom had been broken up on Pellew’s departure and the officers scattered throughout the fleet. The captain’s last action before taking up his new command had been to secure for his two junior lieutenants much sought after commissions on the ship of the line Renown.
“He tried his level best to take Hornblower and Kennedy with him,” Thomson sighed. “He saw them grow from boys to men you know. He did right by them though, they’ll do well with James Sawyer, he’s one of Nelson’s own.”
Historical Notes
In reality Serres joined the Indefatigable, Captain the Hon Curzon, for he first time in 1799, shortly after Captain Sir Edward Pellew had been promoted to the ship of the Impetueux, 74. The Impetueux had a reputation as being a mutinous ship and it appears that Pellew was placed in her to quell the impending mutiny which did indeed break out only a couple of months after he took command.
Pellew pleaded with the Admiralty to be allowed to keep the Indefatigable but his pleas fell on deaf ears. Lord Spenser, First Lord of the Admiralty, did however allow him take a complement of ratings, midshipmen and volunteers, a privilege which his Commander in Chief, Admiral Lord Bridport, had attempted to deny him. Such was the animosity between Bridport and Pellew that when Bridport finally retired from the position of Commander in Chief of the Channel fleet Pellew wrote the following:
"You will have heard that we are to have a new Commander-in-Chief, heaven be praised. The old one is scarcely worth drowning, a more contemptible or more miserable animal does not exist. I believe there never was a Man so universally despised by the whole Service. A mixture of Ignorance, avarice and spleen."
Serres worked closely with the sailing masters of all of the ships that he sailed with. These sailing masters knew the waters of Brest well and were able to point out to Serres the navigation marks they habitually used. Serres highlighted these points on his coastal profiles by placing a flying seagull above the relevant landmark. By the time Serres joined the Indefatigable in 1799 her sailing master was John Gaze, a life long friend and acquaintance of Pellew. John Thompson retired when Pellew took up command of the Impetueux. (Correct me if I'm wrong nodbear!)
Author: Anteros
Characters: John Thomas Serres, Sir Edward Pellew, John Thompson, Joseph Emidy, Archie Kennedy, Horatio Hornblower
Rating: R
Notes: Part two of five, which tells of JT Serres time aboard the Indefatigable and Sir Edward Pellew's "promotion" to the ship of the lineImpetueux, 74.
The officers and men of the Indefatigable had been somewhat suspicious of John's presence at first, though not outwardly hostile as some might have been. After entering him on the frigate's muster book (JT Serres, Marine Painter to the Admiralty, Passenger to the Fleet) Captain Sir Edward Pellew had gone out of his way to welcome him and had assembled the ship's company to order them to assist him in his work. He could still remember the tall imposing figure of the captain barking from the quarter deck.
"Your lives, and the lives of your fellow seamen, depend on knowing these waters. And on knowing them better than any French sailor born and raised on these shores. One day men, English lives, your lives, may depend on Mr Serres charts. As long as he is aboard my ship he is a member of my crew. You will afford him every respect, and furnish him with any assistance he should require."
John had been afforded the privilege of joining the officers’ mess and was allocated a small cabin off the wardroom. Ever since he had been old enough to hold a quill John had drawn compulsively, sketching and doodling the world around him. John saw the world through these little scraps of ink and paper. Naturally he sketched the men that populated the frigate's wooden world; the officers labouring over their logs, or laughing over a glass of claret, the unmistakable features of the sublime African fiddler, the ratings at make and mend, holy stoning the deck, scrubbing the sails or undertaking the myriad tasks that marked the rhythm of life aboard ship. His sketch book overflowed with the lives of these men.
Admittedly some of the officers had been affronted when they discovered that John was drawing more than charts and landmarks. Lieutenant Hornblower in particular was wont to withdraw behind a scowl whenever he heard the familiar scratch of quill on note book. His companion, Acting Lieutenant Kennedy, had no such qualms and teased him for his pride and false modesty. Kennedy was a bright and gregarious young man, however John had been oddly reluctant to sketch him at first. Somehow it had felt like an intrusion.
John had always believed he saw more clearly through the reflection of his art. Sometimes, just sometimes, he caught a glimpse of the very essence of his subject. When John picked up his quill and looked at Kennedy he perceived a shadow behind his eyes that was quite at odds with his sharp wit and ready smile.
For the duration of his cruise John’s senior officer was the frigate’s sailing master. John Thomson knew the waters of the Brest roads as well as Leith Roads and it was from him that John learned every shoal, rock and sand bar, every land fall, point and sailing mark. And it was also from the genial Master Thomson that he learned about Kennedy. Both he and Lieutenant Hornblower were not long returned from prison in Spain. Hornblower and his men had been held for a matter of months before being released with an honourable pardon and the thanks of this Most Catholic Majesty, no less, in recognition of his “courage and self-sacrifice in saving life at the peril of his own”. Kennedy had suffered a much longer incarceration and had been given up for dead more than two years previously. That certainly accounted for the haunted look that John perceived at times of quiet reflection.
As the months passed, the crew became familiar with John's presence. The people showed considerable interest in his work and he reciprocated by admiring their own creative endeavours. They brought him delicate works of scrimshaw, stitching that would do the finest seamstresses proud and they showed off the blue-black tattoos that marked their years before the mast.
His messmates had ceased to gave him more than a second glance as he sat scribbling in the corner of the gunroom. Lieutenant Norway had asked him to paint a small portrait to send to his sweetheart and Hornblower had stopped blushing and scowling in his presence. John even managed to capture him smiling on occasion; invariably in the presence of Kennedy. Serres could see the young acting lieutenant growing in confidence as the days lengthened and spring waxed into summer. The shadow he had perceived was fading, burning away like mist before the sun and he was drawn to capture such radiance. Before long his sketchbooks were filled with the two young men, light and dark. There they were in the wardroom, logs and charts strewn over the table, exercising their gun crews or going aloft with the glass. And there were occasionally more intimate portraits, of quiet conversations, of Kennedy curled reading in the corner, Hornblower seated at the table nearby. John had seen what passed between them. He knew it for what it was and he could not prevent a pang of regret that his own love had been blighted and soured so soon.
John sat alone in the empty studio leafing through the sketchbooks, oblivious to the dust and clutter around him and the light fading beyond the dirty skylights above.
Serres had spent eight or nine months aboard the Indefatigable and was sorry to leave at the end of the year, when he transferred to the Triton and thence to other ships of the Channel fleet. When he returned to the frigate late the following year, in 1799, Captain Pellew was gone, promoted to the ship of the line Impetueux, a command no doubt befitting his rank and status. Captain Curzon welcomed him and there were still many familiar faces among the ratings. However almost all the midshipmen and young gentlemen had left and John was saddened, though not surprised, to find new faces in the wardroom. Even Emidy, the magnificent African violin player, had gone. It was only to be expected that Pellew would remove to his new command the men and boys he trusted and nurtured. Consequently Serres was more than a little surprised to find the familiar figure of the sailing master by the binnacle, as he knew that the captain and master had shared mutual respect and warm regard. Thomson took little prompting to explain that far from welcoming the promotion, Pellew had fought tooth and nail to remain with the Indefatigable.
“The ‘dear Indy’ that’s what he called her. Not that they cared. It’s a bloody disgrace. Whole damn fleet knows that ship's trouble. A right parcel of rogues, bloody mutineers the lot of them,” Thomson scowled. “It was that old buzzard Bridport. Had it in for Sir Edward from the start, and almost had his way of it too. Wouldn't let him take a single man. Not one. Not till Spenser stepped in. He saw to it that the boys and some of the men got to with him. Drew the line at the officers though.”
It transpired that the wardroom had been broken up on Pellew’s departure and the officers scattered throughout the fleet. The captain’s last action before taking up his new command had been to secure for his two junior lieutenants much sought after commissions on the ship of the line Renown.
“He tried his level best to take Hornblower and Kennedy with him,” Thomson sighed. “He saw them grow from boys to men you know. He did right by them though, they’ll do well with James Sawyer, he’s one of Nelson’s own.”
Historical Notes
In reality Serres joined the Indefatigable, Captain the Hon Curzon, for he first time in 1799, shortly after Captain Sir Edward Pellew had been promoted to the ship of the Impetueux, 74. The Impetueux had a reputation as being a mutinous ship and it appears that Pellew was placed in her to quell the impending mutiny which did indeed break out only a couple of months after he took command.
Pellew pleaded with the Admiralty to be allowed to keep the Indefatigable but his pleas fell on deaf ears. Lord Spenser, First Lord of the Admiralty, did however allow him take a complement of ratings, midshipmen and volunteers, a privilege which his Commander in Chief, Admiral Lord Bridport, had attempted to deny him. Such was the animosity between Bridport and Pellew that when Bridport finally retired from the position of Commander in Chief of the Channel fleet Pellew wrote the following:
"You will have heard that we are to have a new Commander-in-Chief, heaven be praised. The old one is scarcely worth drowning, a more contemptible or more miserable animal does not exist. I believe there never was a Man so universally despised by the whole Service. A mixture of Ignorance, avarice and spleen."
Serres worked closely with the sailing masters of all of the ships that he sailed with. These sailing masters knew the waters of Brest well and were able to point out to Serres the navigation marks they habitually used. Serres highlighted these points on his coastal profiles by placing a flying seagull above the relevant landmark. By the time Serres joined the Indefatigable in 1799 her sailing master was John Gaze, a life long friend and acquaintance of Pellew. John Thompson retired when Pellew took up command of the Impetueux. (Correct me if I'm wrong nodbear!)