Philemon Pownoll Philemon Pownoll ( c . 1734 – 15 June 1780 ) was an officer of the Royal Navy who saw service during the War of the Austrian Succession , the Seven Years ' War and the American War of Independence , rising to the rank of post - captain . Pownoll was born the son of a leading shipwright , and entered the navy in the last year of the War of the Austrian Succession . After several years service he rose through the ranks to his own command in time for the outbreak of the Seven Years ' War . Commanding a sloop he took part in the capture of one of the most valuable prizes taken in the entire conflict , and became immensely wealthy overnight from his success . He married and settled on his estate , but despite his riches , chose to return to active service on the outbreak of the American War of Independence . During his time as a frigate captain he acted as a mentor to future star captains Edward Pellew and John Borlase Warren . His service in North America was marked with successes in supporting and conveying troops , and engaging in larger fleet actions such as the relief of Gibraltar . He took part in a hard - fought action against a French privateer in 1779 , and received a musket ball to the chest , which remained with him for the rest of his life . He again engaged a heavily - armed privateer the following year , and this time was killed by a cannonball in the heat of the action , which was brought to a successful conclusion by his first lieutenant . His death was marked with tributes from the leading naval figures of his age , including Admiral John Jervis and Edward Pellew . Family and early life . Pownoll was born in Plymouth circa 1734 , the son of master shipwright Israel Pownoll , who had built a large number of warships for the Royal Navy over his career . Israel , who died in 1779 , served as master shipwright of the dockyard at Plymouth between 1762 and 1765 , and of Chatham from 1775 until his death . He owned property in the Shadwell and Clerkenwell areas of London , suggesting that the family descended from the Independent seamen and merchants who were numerous in the Shadwell and Wapping area at the time , and had connections with New England . The naval antiquary Edward Hawke Locker later described Philemon as ‘ a Gentleman of American extraction ’ . Philemon Pownoll entered the navy in about 1748 , joining the 64 - gun . He passed his lieutenant ' s examination on 7 April 1755 , at which point his age was recorded as ‘ upwards of twenty ’ , and was promoted to lieutenant on 7 October 1755 . He was at first appointed to be second lieutenant of the 60 - gun , and was later moved to the 100 - gun . Pownoll continued to serve in the Navy with the outbreak of the Seven Years ' War , and in 1758 was moved to the 74 - gun . " Namur " was at this time the flagship of Admiral Edward Boscawen , who became Pownoll ' s patron and rapidly promoted him from fourth to first lieutenant , and then on 6 August 1759 to commander of the sloop . Command . Pownoll commanded " Favourite " for the next two years , and in mid - 1761 was sailing as part of a squadron off Cadiz under Captain Charles Proby , consisting of the 74 - gun ships and and the 44 - gun . Two French ships , the 64 - gun " Achille " and the frigate " Bouffonne " escaped the port on 16 July , but were chased down and brought to action the following day by the British squadron . After a fierce fight , both ships were captured . Pownoll was still in command by May 1762 , when " Favourite " was one of the ships sent by Admiral Sir Charles Saunders to guard Cape St Vincent . On 15 May " Favourite " was sailing in company with Captain Herbert Sawyer ' s frigate off Cape St Mary , when a Spanish ship was sighted and chased down . Once captured she was found to be the Spanish register ship " Hermione " , which had sailed from Lima on 6 January bound for Cadiz with a valuable cargo of bags of dollars , gold coin , ingots of gold and silver , cocoa , and blocks of tin . The " Hermione " was taken into Gibraltar and eventually condemned as a prize , with her contents , hull , and fittings valued at £519 , 705 10s . 0d . , approximately £ at today ' s prices . Pownoll and Sawyer each received captain ' s shares of the prize money of £64 , 872 , approximately £ at today ' s prices , amounting to one of the largest individual sums obtained in the period . The ordinary seamen received £480 each , equivalent to thirty years wages . Coincidentally Sawyer and Pownoll had been courting two sisters , the daughters of a Lisbon merchant , but had been rejected for their lack of funds . Now suddenly extremely wealthy , the two captains married the sisters . Pownoll used his money to buy an estate at Sharpham , at Ashprington , and to build a large house there designed by Robert Taylor , with gardens designed by Capability Brown . It was about this time that he commissioned a portrait from Sir Joshua Reynolds . Continued service . Despite his immense wealth Pownoll returned to naval service in late 1774 , shortly after the outbreak of the American War of Independence . For this he was praised by John Montagu , 4th Earl of Sandwich in the House of Lords . Pownoll was given command of the 32 - gun in December , and prepared her for a voyage to North America . While mustering his crew , a young midshipman was recommended to him by Hugh Boscawen , 2nd Viscount Falmouth , the brother of Pownoll ' s old patron , Admiral Edward Boscawen . Possibly out of consideration to his debt to the admiral , Pownoll agreed to take him on . The young midshipman was Edward Pellew , who had been turned out of his previous ship , , after a quarrel with her captain , John Stott , but went on to become one of the great naval commanders of his age . Pownoll and his officers oversaw the fitting out of their ship , which almost ended in disaster when a storm in February 1775 swept " Blonde " from her moorings at Chatham and nearly wrecked her , the ship being saved by Pownoll ' s prompt action . " Blonde " sailed for North America in April that year , in company with the frigate , and via St Helen ' s , where they collected a convoy of twenty transports carrying troops under General John Burgoyne . During the voyage Burgoyne was alarmed to see a midshipman on a yardarm balancing on his head . Pownoll reassured him that it was just one of Pellew ' s antics , and that ' should [ he ] fall , he would only go under the ship ' s hull and come up on the other side . ' Later in the voyage Pellew jumped overboard to save a man ' s life , and was reprimanded for his actions by Pownoll , though he later shed tears when talking about it with his fellow officers and called Pellew ' a noble fellow . ' Pellew and Pownoll served at the relief of Quebec . Pownoll returned to North America in April 1776 , and was active against American shipping , capturing the privateer " Freedom " on 16 September 1777 , and the privateer " True Blue " on 27 January 1778 . In January 1777 Pownoll was appointed to command the 32 - gun HMS " Apollo " , and brought Pellew with him to his new command . By now a popular figure with his men , Pownoll was able to write to Lord Sandwich that he was ' . . . happily situated in a fine ship & exceedingly well manned with all volunteers except 15 landsmen I received from Admiral Amherst to complete my compliment not having time to do it myself . ' " Apollo " served for a time as Lord Howe ' s flagship from August 1778 , and had returned to be refitted and coppered at Plymouth in December that year . Returning to active service in January , on 31 January 1779 she engaged the 26 - gun French frigate " Oiseau " off the Brittany coast in a hard - fought action that left both Pownoll and the French commander wounded . Pownoll was hit in the chest by a musket ball , which remained lodged there for the remainder of his life . " Apollo " was repaired at Plymouth , and returned to sea later in 1779 , joining the fleet under Admiral Sir Charles Hardy . Pownoll captured the 14 - gun " Mutine " on 2 October 1779 , and joined Reynolds ' s squadron later that month . He sailed the following year in support of George Brydges Rodney ' s mission to relieve Gibraltar , and was present at the attack on the Caracas convoy on 8 January 1780 , the Battle of Cape St . Vincent on 16 / 17 January , and the eventual relief of Gibraltar on 19 January . In the Battle of Cape St . Vincent Pownoll distinguished himself by engaging the Spanish ship of the line " Monarca " in an unequal engagement for over an hour , compelling the " Monarca " to strike her colours just as Rodney ' s flagship arrived on the scene . On 2 March 1780 the privateer " Victoire " was captured by " Apollo " , and in mid June " Apollo " was cruising in company with the 32 - gun , under Captain the Hon . George Murray . Last fight . On 15 June a cutter was sighted while cruising in the North Sea and Murray was sent to investigate it . After closing to within gunshot of the cutter by 10 . 30am , a large sail was observed standing off the land . The two ships closed , tacking about to gain the weather gauge , and eventually opening fire . " Apollo " s opponent was the 26 - gun French privateer " Stanislaus " , and after a period of tacking , the two engaged in broadsides while running for Ostend . After nearly an hour of intense cannonading Pownoll was hit by a cannon ball and killed . Command of " Apollo " devolved to Pellew as the first lieutenant , who continued the fight , eventually driving the " Stanislaus " on shore . Apart from her captain , " Apollo " lost five men killed and had twenty wounded . The " Stanislaus " was later recovered and brought into the navy as . Legacy . Pownoll ' s death was widely mourned , Pellew writing in his report to the Admiralty that : ' The loss of Captain Pownoll will be severely felt . The ship ' s company have lost a father . I have lost much more , a father and a friend united ; and that friend my only one on earth . Never , my lord , was grief more poignant than that we all feel for an adored commander . Mine is inexpressible . ' Admiral John Jervis wrote of him that he was ‘ the best officer , & most excellent , kind hearted man in the Profession ’ , and claimed that he had ‘ lost the best Partizan , if not the best officer under every line of description in the Service ’ . Edward Osler wrote in 1835 that ' St Vincent and Pownoll who were brought up under Boscawen , and received their Lieutenant ' s commission from him , contributed materially to form a Nelson or an Exmouth ; each the founder of a school of officers , whose model is the character of their chief , and their example his successes . ' As well as Pellew , John Borlase Warren served under Pownoll and went on to become a leading frigate captain , while Jervis remembered Pownoll ' s contribution to the navy in 1804 , when he promoted Pownoll ' s grandson , John Bastard . Pellew named his eldest son Pownoll Bastard Pellew in honour of his former captain and his family . Notes . a . Variants of the surname include Pownall and Pownell . The " Oxford Dictionary of National Biography " uses ' Pownoll ' . b . " Apollo " had been launched in 1763 as HMS " Glory " , but had been renamed in 1774 . c . The captured " Oiseau " was brought into the navy as .