Richard Grindall RN (1751 - 1820)

Ancestors Descendants

Biography

Richard Grindall was baptised in the Parish of St Sepulchre, London on the 28th of April 1751 son of brewer, Rivers Grindall and his wife, Martha Hill. ^[1] In 1763 he joined the Royal Navy as Captain's servant to Henry St John on HMS Tartar. He followed St John to HMS Garland stationed at Halifax, Nova Scotia. After five years on Garland he served aboard the yacht, Royal Charlotte and then on HMS Pearl.^[2]

HMS Resolution

He joined James Cook's Resolution as an Able Seaman on the 7th of January 1772 and then married Latitia London at Old Church, St Pancras on the 27th of March. ^[3] The pending voyage, commissioned by the government, was designed to circumnavigate the world as far south as possible to determine whether there was indeed any great southern landmass, or Terra Australis. Accompanied by HMS Adventure, captained by Tobias Furneaux, they sailed from Plymouth Sound on Monday the 13th of July 1772 and arrived in good health at Table Bay on the 30th of October, spring in the southern hemisphere. ^[4]

Antarctica by William Hodges

During their search for the great southern continent they crossed the Antarctic Circle three times wearing cold weather gear thoughtfully provided by the government, were separated from Adventure, visited New Zealand, Tonga and Tahiti among others but failed even in the southern summer to find their objective. Christmas 1774 was spent off Tierra del Fuego, then they discovered the inhospitable South Sandwich Islands before heading to Table Bay for a refit. They arrived home at Spithead off Portsmouth on the 30th of July 1775.^[4]

John Elliott, a companion on the voyage, described Richard as a steady, clever young man and said that he accompanied the Captain to London on their return to England having revealed that he had married on the very day they had sailed. ^[2] It was, of course, untrue but probably got him home to Latitia earlier than he could have managed by himself.

Richard was promoted lieutenant on the 29th of November 1776 and posted to HMS Egmont in 1777 under John Elphinstone. In 1778 he joined the Princess Royal under William Blair, sailed to the West Indies and took part in the Battle of Grenada.

Latitia died childless in her twenties but the date is not known. On the 25th of May 1779, at Melcombe Regis in Dorset, Richard married Katherine Green Marianne Nathaniel Festing the daughter of the Reverend Michael Festing, Rector of Wyke Regis and his wife, Katharine Greene. ^[5] While Richard was busy sailing the seas Katherine was to give birth to at least 7 children but they would have to wait until 1784 for the first. Richard meanwhile served with Samuel Hood aboard HMS Barfleur in the West Indies in 1781.

Richard and Katherine's firstborn, Richard, was baptised at Cheshunt in Hertfordshire the 17th of July 1784, ^[6] Rivers on the 24th of January 1786, ^[7] Festing at Melcombe Regis in Dorset on the 10th of May 1787 ^[8] and then a daughter, Catherine Latitiah on the 14th of August 1788. ^[9] Baby Catherine lived less than a month. She was buried at Wyke Regis on the 10th of September. ^[10] Edmund for whom no record of his birth has yet been found was next, followed by a daughter Amelia in 1793.^[11] Their last child was another Amelia born in 1795. ^[12] It is presumed that the older Amelia had already died.

Richard became captain of the Thalia in 1793 and then the Irresistible in 1795. Aboard Irresistible he was wounded in the action at Ile de Groix. 1796 saw him take command of Carnatic, Colossus 1796, Russell 1797 and Ramillies 1799. Around the year 1800 Richard had his family painted by the fashionable naval artist, Richard Livesay, drawing master at the Royal Naval Academy in Portsmouth. This portrait now hangs in the Greenwich Museum and may be viewed here.

It was while he was captain of Ramillies that he was joined aboard by his nephew, Robert Festing, son of his brother-in-law, Henry Festing. Robert went with him when he transferred to Formidable in January 1801. The Royal Navy was very much a family affair, young boys being taken to sea by relatives or friends of the family.

HMS Prince.

On the 13th of April 1803 Richard was posted Captain of HMS Prince, ^[13] a lumbering 96 gun very slow sailer then employed in blockade duties off Brest and Cadiz. It was tedious work. His nephew, Thomas Festing, brother of Robert, came aboard in 1804 and on the 3rd of May 1805 another brother, Bartholemew, joined his uncle. Another addition to the crew, on 13th February was the new ship's master, Richard Anderson. This young Yorkshireman not only played the flute in his spare time but also kept a daily personal diary which is now held at Greenwich Museum. It has been photographed and a copy can be obtained from the museum by post. It records gossip and trivia and says much about the tedium of the blockade. On the 27th of April he wrote that Captain Grindall had lent him all his plates of Cook's voyages and on the 28th the Captain had drunk a great deal of wine. On the 29th of September it was recorded that all the captain's dined with Lord Nelson. ^[14]

The combined Franco-Spanish fleet finally sailed and Nelson brought it to battle on the 21st of October 1805 off Cape Trafalgar. Lumbering along in Collingwood's wake Richard had plenty of time to worry about his son, Festing Horatio, a midshipman aboard the Victory racing far ahead. Prince was so slow that she was the last ship to become engaged, trading shots with the Principe de Asturias and the Achille which blew up. Then, in the way of the sea, the crew of Prince set about rescuing the crew of Achille ^[15] as imagined by Richard Brydges Beechey.

Rescue of the crew of Achille during the Battle of Trafalgar, by HMS Prince

After the battle Prince's men took the enormous Santissima Trinidad as a prize but had to abandon her in the great storm that followed.^[15] Having been late to enter the battle Prince had the distinction of having no deaths aboard. ^[15]

As with the other captains Richard was made Admiral after the battle. He retired to Wickham in Hampshire a couple of miles north of Fareham and only a brisk walk up on to Portsdown Hill where he could have looked down on the fleet, laid up in Portsmouth harbour, redundant like himself.

Prison Hulks in Portsmouth Harbour

His son Edmund died in 1811 and Festing in 1812. Both were laid to rest at St Nicholas, Wickham. ^[16]

Created Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath on the 2nd of January 1815, Vice Admiral Sir Richard Grindall died on the 23rd of May 1820 and was laid to rest beside his sons. ^[16] The grave was tidied up for the Trafalgar Celebrations in 2005. ^[17]

"Here lies deposited the remains of Mr Edmund Grindall, midshipman RN youngest son of Vice Admiral Grindall and Katherine his wife who departed this life 21 September 1811 age 20. Here lies the body of Lt. Festing Horatio Grindall RN 3rd son of Vice Admiral Grindall and Katherine his wife who departed this life 23 May 1812 age 25. Also the remains of Sir Richard Grindall Admiral RN who died 23rd May 1820 age 69. Also Katherine his wife who died 6 February 1831 age 72"^[16]

Sources

1. ↑ London, England, Church of England Baptisms, Marriages and Burials, 1538-1812 City of London St Sepulchre, Holborn FHL Film Number598178 (28 April 1751 Richard Grindall, son of Rivers Grindall and his wife, Martha)
2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1} Captain Cook Society: Richard Grindall
3. ↑ England, Select Marriages, 1538–1973 (Old Church, St Pancras 28 March 1772 Richard Grindall married Latitia London) Viewed at Ancestry. Text only
4. ↑ ^{4.0 4.1} Wikipedia: Second voyage of James Cook
5. ↑ Dorset, England, Church of England Baptisms, Marriages and Burials, 1538-1812 Melcombe Regis (25 May 1779 Richard Grindall, widower, of the Parish married Katharine Greene Marianne Nathaneal Festing)
6. ↑ England, Select Births and Christenings, 1538-1975 FHL Film Number991371 (Cheshunt, Hertfordshire 17 July 1784 Richard Henry Festing Grindall son of Richard Grindall and Katherine) Viewed at Ancestry. Text only
7. ↑ England, Select Births and Christenings, 1538-1975 FHL Film Number991371 (Cheshunt, Hertfordshire 24 January 1786 Rivers Francis Grindall son of Richard Grindall and Catherine) Viewed at Ancestry. Text only
8. ↑ Dorset, England, Church of England Baptisms, Marriages and Burials, 1538-1812 (Melcombe Regis 10 May 1787 Festing Horatio Grindall son of Richard Grindall and Catherine)
9. ↑ Dorset, England, Church of England Baptisms, Marriages and Burials, 1538-1812 (Melcombe Regis 14 August 1788 Catherine Latitia Grindall daughter of Richard Grindall and Catherine)
10. ↑ England, Select Dorset Parish Registers, 1538-1910 FHL Film Number 002427614 Burial (Wyke Regis, Dorset 10 September 1788 Catherine Latitia Grindall daughter of Richard Grindall and Catherine)
11. ↑ England, Select Births and Christenings, 1538-1975 FHL Film Number1239212 IT 10-17 (Melcombe Regis 14 April 1793 Amelia Grindall daughter of Richard Grindall and Catherine)
12. ↑ England, Select Births and Christenings, 1538-1975 FHL Film Number1239212 IT 10-17 (Melcombe Regis 14 November 1795 Amelia Grindall daughter of Richard Grindall and Catherine) Viewed at Ancestry. Text only
13. ↑ Trafalgar Ancestors: Richard Grindall
14. ↑ Diary of Richard Anderson 1805
15. ↑ ^{15.0 15.1 15.2} " The Trafalgar Companion " Mark Adkin, Aurum Press 2005 ISBN 1 84513 0189
16. ↑ ^{16.0 16.1 16.2} Monumental Inscriptions St Nicholas, Wickham
17. ↑ Observation of A Cross, visiting the grave in 2005.

• Wikipedia: Richard Grindall

• British Naval Biographical Dictionary 1846 (Referring to his Festing nephews among others)