Sir Robert Laurie , 6th Baronet Sir Robert Laurie , 6th Baronet KCB ( 25 May 1764 – 7 January 1848 ) was an officer of the Royal Navy who served during the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars . He rose through the ranks after his entry , fighting as a lieutenant under Howe at the Glorious First of June , and being wounded in the action . Shortly after he served in the West Indies and off the American coast , where he operated successfully against enemy raiders and privateers , he was rewarded with the command of the frigate , and in 1805 fought an action with a superior French opponent , " Ville de Milan " . He was forced to surrender his ship after several hours of fighting , but so heavily damaged the Frenchman that both she and the captured British vessel were taken shortly afterwards when another British frigate , arrived on the scene . Rewarded for his valour and honourably acquitted for the loss of his ship , he served throughout the rest of the Napoleonic Wars . He rose to flag rank after the end of the wars , eventually dying in 1848 with the rank of Admiral of the White . He inherited a baronetcy in 1804 , but this became extinct upon his death . Family and early life . Robert Laurie was born on 25 May 1764 , the son of Sir Robert Laurie and his wife Mary Elizabeth Ruthven . He entered the navy in 1780 , spending 10 years as midshipman before being promoted to lieutenant in 1790 . He was a lieutenant aboard the 90 - gun second rate and fought in the Glorious First of June in 1794 , during which action he was wounded . Command . He received a promotion in June the following year , rising to the rank of commander and being given the sloop . He served in the North Sea before being ordered to the Leeward Islands towards the end of 1796 . While sailing there he came across the 12 - gun privateer " Refléche " and captured her on 8 January 1797 . He went on to take part in the reduction of Trinidad in February 1797 , making several other captures of privateers during the rest of the year ; the 4 - gun " Vengeur des Français " on 16 June , the 6 - gun " Légère " on 6 July and the 2 - gun " Va - Tout " on 8 July . On 17 July 1798 Laurie received a promotion to post - captain . He was removed into in 1799 and spent the next several years serving on the North American and Jamaica stations . He took a Spanish gunboat off Cuba on 22 March 1801 in company with the 32 - gun , and after a spell in the Bahamas in 1803 , returned to the English Channel in 1804 . Laurie then transferred to take command of the " Cleopatra " in summer 1804 . Laurie succeeded to the baronetcy on 10 September 1804 with the death of his father , the fifth baronet . " Cleopatra " spent some time in the West Indies , and was homeward bound in February 1805 . Fighting the " Ville de Milan " . While sailing off Bermuda on 16 February " Cleopatra " sighted a sail ; this was the 40 - gun French frigate " Ville de Milan " which had sailed from Martinique on 28 January under Captain Jean - Marie Renaud , bound for France with important despatches . Despite identifying his quarry as a superior opponent , Laurie ordered a chase . Renaud had orders to avoid combat and pressed on sail to escape Laurie . The chase covered 180 miles and lasted until the following morning , when Renaud reluctantly came about to meet the " Cleopatra " , which was overhauling the " Ville de Milan " . The engagement began in earnest at 2 . 30pm , and a heavy cannonade was maintained between the two frigates until 5pm , when the " Cleopatra " had her wheel shot away and her rudder jammed . The " Ville de Milan " approached from windward and ran aboard the " Cleopatra " , jamming her bowsprit over the quarterdeck of the British ship and raked her decks with musket fire . The British resisted one attempt to board , but on being unable to break free , were forced to surrender to a second boarding party . The " Cleopatra " had 22 killed and 36 wounded , with the loss of her foremast , mainmast and bowsprit . The " Ville de Milan " had probably about 30 killed and wounded , with Captain Renaud among the dead . She also lost her mainmast and mizzenmast . Three days were spent transferring a prize crew and prisoners , and patching up the ships , before the two got underway on 21 February . However on 23 February they were discovered by the 50 - gun , under Captain John Talbot . " Leander " ran up to them , whereupon they separated . Talbot chased " Cleopatra " , brought her to with a shot and took possession . The freed crew reported the situation to Talbot , and left him to pursue the fleeing " Ville de Milan " . Talbot soon overtook her and she surrendered without a fight . Laurie took back command of the " Celopatra " and all three ships sailed to Halifax , where the " Ville de Milan " was taken into service as HMS " Milan " . Laurie ' s engagement with the superior opponent had initially cost him his ship , but had rendered her easy prey to any other Royal Navy frigate in the vicinity . Had he not brought her to battle , the " Ville de Milan " could have easily outsailed the " Leander " or even engaged her on fairly equal terms . Instead the damage and losses incurred in breaking down the " Cleopatra " had left her helpless to resist . A court - martial honourably acquitted Laurie of any blame for the loss of his ship , and the Patriotic Fund presented him with a 100 - guinea sword ' as a well - merited compliment to his great bravery and skill ' . Laurie was duly appointed to command the " Milan " . He was then appointed to command the 74 - gun third rate towards the end of 1811 , and spent the rest of the war in the Mediterranean . Later life . Laurie was promoted to rear - admiral on 19 July 1821 , vice - admiral on 10 January 1837 and a full admiral on 9 November 1846 . He was nominated a Knight Commander of the Bath in 1836 . He died unmarried with the rank of Admiral of the White on 7 January 1848 at his seat of Maxwelton House , Dumfriesshire . He had no issue , and the baronetcy became extinct upon his death .