page_title: Sir Thomas Troubridge, 1st Baronet
section_title: Naval career
hierarchical_section_title: Sir Thomas Troubridge, 1st Baronet / Naval career
caption_attribution_description: English: The Battle of Cape St Vincent, 14 February 1797 This painting is one of a pair with BHC0485, showing the Battle of St Vincent, 14 February 1797. It was exhibited at the Royal Academy in 1801. The pair clearly relate to a pair of watercolours exhibited at the RA in 1798 and now in a private collection. The end of 1796 found the British forced to abandon the Mediterranean as Admiral Sir John Jervis's fleet was outnumbered in ships of the line by 38 to 13. Early in 1797, however, the French and Spanish fleets were separated without having followed up their advantage. On 1 February Admiral Don José de Cordova left Cartagena for Cadiz with 27 of the line. Jervis, whose fleet had been reduced to ten of the line, determined to intercept him but before that happened he was reinforced by Rear-Admiral William Parker with five of the line. In the event, the performance of the British ships more than made up for the disparity in numbers and four of the Spaniards, including two first-rates, were taken. This painting shows the close of the action. In the right foreground in starboard-bow view, is the captured 'Salvador del Mundo', 112 guns, her mizzen mast and her main and fore-topmasts gone. Beyond and to the right of her is a British two-decker, starboard-quarter view, with a boat putting out from her stern. Beyond her, in starboard-quarter view, is the captured 'San Ysidro', 74 guns, with a British frigate, starboard-quarter view, in the extreme right background. Astern of the 'Salvador del Mundo', in the centre of the picture, are three ships locked together, port-quarter view; the left-hand ship is the captured 'San Josef', 112 guns, and to her right is the captured 'San Nicolas', 80 guns, while the right-hand ship is the British captain', 74 guns, under the command of Commodore Nelson who had taken both these Spanish vessels. In the left foreground and middle distance are several spars and sails floating in the sea, while across the background are the sterns of the rest of the fleet in pursuit. The artist was the son of John Clevely the Elder and the twin brother of John Clevely the Younger. Both brothers became painters having worked in Deptford Royal Dockyard. He was appointed Draughtsman to Prince William Duke (later George IV) of Clarence, later William IV, and then became Marine Painter to George the Prince Regent. He specialized in battle scenes such as this and exhibited at the Royal Academy from 1780 to 1803. The Museum holds more than 30 of his drawings. (Note: the Spanish 'San José', captured at Cape St Vincent, is generally if wrongly known in English as 'San Josef', the name under which she was taken into the Navy.) The Battle of Cape St Vincent, 14 February 1797 Español: Batalla del Cabo de San Vicente (1797)
context_page_description: Rear Admiral Sir Thomas Troubridge, 1st Baronet was a Royal Navy officer. As a junior officer he saw action at the Battle of Sadras in February 1782 during the American Revolutionary War and the Battle of Trincomalee in September 1782 during the Anglo-French War. He commanded the third-rate Culloden at the Battle of Cape St Vincent in February 1797 during the French Revolutionary Wars. He went on to be First Naval Lord and then served as Commander-in-Chief, East Indies, during the Napoleonic Wars.
context_section_description: Born the son of Richard Troubridge, a baker, Troubridge was educated at St Paul's School, London. He entered the Royal Navy on 8 October 1773 and, together with Horatio Nelson, served in the East Indies in the frigate Seahorse. Promoted to lieutenant on 1 January 1781, he took part in the Battle of Sadras in February 1782 during the American Revolutionary War and the Battle of Trincomalee in September 1782 during the Anglo-French War. His first command was the sloop Lizard in October 1782.
  Promoted to post-captain on 1 January 1783, Troubridge was given command of the frigate Active and was present at the Siege of Cuddalore in June 1783. After that he transferred to the third-rate Defence. In 1785 Troubridge returned to England in the Sultan as flag-captain to Admiral Sir Edward Hughes. He was appointed to the frigate HMS Thames in 1790. Appointed to command the frigate Castor in May 1794, he and his ship were captured by the French while escorting a convoy, but he was liberated soon afterwards. On his return he was appointed to command Culloden, a third-rate ship of the line, in which he fought at the Battle of the Hyères Islands, led an unsuccessful pursuit of a French squadron in the Aegean Sea, and led the line at the Battle of Cape St Vincent, being commended for his courage and initiative by Admiral Sir John Jervis. In July 1797 he assisted Nelson in the unsuccessful attack on Santa Cruz de Tenerife. In August 1798, when getting into position for the attack on the French fleet, Culloden ran aground on a shoal near the entrance to Aboukir Bay and was consequently unable to take any part in the Battle of the Nile. At Nelson's request, however, he was awarded the gold medal commemorating the victory.
  Troubridge then served in the Mediterranean and was created a baronet on 30 November 1799. In February 1801 he joined the Board of Admiralty as First Naval Lord. Promoted to a rear-admiral on 21 April 1804, Troubridge was appointed to command the eastern half of the East Indies Station, and he went out in Blenheim with his resignation from the Admiralty Board becoming effective in May 1804. On his arrival the area of command was changed to that of the Cape Station. He left Madras in January 1807 for the Cape of Good Hope, but off the coast of Madagascar, Blenheim, an old and damaged ship, foundered in a cyclone and the admiral and all others on board perished.
caption: The Battle of Cape St Vincent, 14 February 1797 by Robert Cleveley
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