Ross Donnelly KCB RN (1761 - 1840)

Descendants

Died 30 Sep 1840 at about age 79 in England

Biography

Ross Donnelly KCB RN is Notable.

Ross was born in 1761.

Naval Service

He joined the Royal Navy in the 1770s.

American Revolution

He served off the Eastern Seaboard of North America during the Revolutionary War, seeing action at the Siege of Charleston. He was subsequently transferred to Newfoundland and, as a lieutenant, given command of the sloop HMS Morning Star for the remainder of the war. During the peace of 1783 to 1793, Donnelly joined the fleet of the Honourable East India Company, serving as a mate before rejoining the Navy at the outbreak of the French Revolutionary Wars.

French Revolution

He was first lieutenant on HMS Montagu at the Glorious First of June and assumed command after the death of Captain James Montagu. Promoted to post captain in June 1795, Donnelly was given HMS Pegasus in which he participated in the Action of 12 May 1796.

Donnelly later took command of HMS Maidstone and in 1801 escorted a convoy from Porto to Britain before taking command of the frigate HMS Narcissus and charged with returning the ambassador to Algeria before carrying out astronomical observations in the Aegean Sea.

Napoleonic Wars

In 1805 he accompanied the expeditionary force which invaded the Cape of Good Hope and the Rio de la Plata, where he was commended and rewarded on his return to Britain with command of the ship of the line HMS Ardent which he brought back to South America and continued serving in the campaign until its conclusion in 1807. In 1808 he took command of HMS Invincible, but was forced into early retirement in 1810 due to cataracts.

Retirement and Death

Postwar, Donnelly retired, although he remained in service and received steady promotions, becoming a full admiral in 1838. A year earlier he had been rewarded for his long service with a knighthood, becoming a Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath.

He passed away in 1840 and was buried in Kensal Green Cemetery.

Sources

• Find A Grave: Memorial #176387651

See also:

• Wikipedia: Ross Donnelly
• Wikidata: Item Q7369290

Acknowledgments

Thanks to Stuart Donnelly for starting this profile.

Click the Changes tab for the details of contributions by Stuart and others.