Seth Jermy Captain Seth Jermy ( 1653 – 1724 ) was an officer of the Royal Navy , famous for fighting a particularly hard - fought action against an overwhelming French force while commander of . Family and early life . Jermy was born in 1653 , the son of William Jermy ( d . 1662 ) of Brightwell Hall , Suffolk , and Katherine Blackhurst . His father was a great grandson of Sir William FitzWilliam . The Jermy family were prominent members of the landed gentry in Norfolk and Suffolk between the 13th and 18th centuries . He appears to have joined the Navy at a rather later age than usual . He was a midshipman on from 2 July 1689 to 2 March 1689 / 90 , and on from 3 March 1689 / 90 to 26 October 1691 , and later from 16 December 1690 to 2 February 1690 / 1 . By 1 July 1691 he was Second Lieutenant on , and was with her at the battle of Barfleur in 1692 . He was First Lieutenant of the in 1694 , the in 1695 , and the in 1696 . In January 1696 / 7 he was promoted to command the brigantine , and in 1702 was appointed to the frigate , of 24 guns and 115 men . Command of the " Nightingale " . For the next five years HMS " Nightingale " s duties consisted of escorting colliers and corn ships between the Forth , Tyne , Humber and Thames , protecting them from French privateer s . One 24 August 1707 , however , she fought an action against a French squadron . Battling the French . On the morning of the battle , a squadron of six French galley s , whose commodore , the Chevalier de Langeron , flew his flag in the " La Palme " , set out from Dunkirk in good weather . With the commodore was Captain Smith , a renegade Englishman , who had obtained authority to attack and pillage the town of Harwich , using de Langeron ' s squadron which carried the incendiary materials and a division of soldiers . Smith had served in the Royal Navy and on several merchant ships , acquiring a good knowledge of both channel coasts . But he was never a captain in the Royal Navy . A Jacobite , he had an implacable hatred for the Protestant Queen and administration of England . The squadron arrived in the mouth of the Thames early in the evening , but Smith commanded them to withdraw somewhat so that they could land at Harwich in the dark . Hardly had they hove - to than a lookout reported an English convoy thirty - five merchantmen and an escorting frigate to the northward , heading west . This was a merchant convoy from the Texel ( at the mouth of the Zuiderzee ) bound for the Thames , escorted by HMS " Nightingale " . The French Commodore called a council of war , which decided to try to capture the convoy instead of attacking Harwich - much to Smith ' s annoyance . The plan was that four galleys should cut the merchantmen off from the Thames , and that La Palme and the Chevalier de Mauvilier ' s galley should overcome the frigate . All galleys set sail and rowed hard towards the approaching English ships , and " Nightingale " soon realised that the convoy was in danger . Captain Jermy ordered the merchantmen to crowd on all sail and make for the Thames , while he would engage the galleys . " Nightingale " set full sail for the two galleys , themselves propelled by forced rowing since night was approaching . " La Palme " , a league ahead of her consort , fired at the frigate when within range , but without response , and at musket range the French musketeers opened fire . " Nightingale " suddenly went about , as if to flee . The French called the English cowards , and de Langeron ordered his galley to drive its beak , the strongest part , into " Nightingale " s stern , her weakest point , preparatory to boarding her . Just as the beak was about to strike , " Nightingale " , by a clever stroke of the helm , evaded the galley and turned her broadside to it , so close that the galley ' s oars were broken . " Nightingale " secured " La Palme " with grappling irons , and fired a broadside of grapeshot ; at the same time a hail of grenades came from aloft . " Nightingale " then sent fifty men aboard , to deal with any men still alive . With " La Palme " rendered useless , de Langeron himself hoisted the distress signal to summon his squadron to his aid , even though the four galleys had already forced most of the convoy to strike sail . When the galleys turned back , the merchantmen set sail again and made for the Thames . " Nightingale " was soon surrounded , and in no state to return either cannon or musket shot . Twenty - five grenadier s from each galley boarded the frigate , but were driven back by a murderous fire from the officers gathered under the poop , and by blows from the pikes and swords of the crew , who were under a grating set in the top deck . A second attack was repulsed . The French then had to force open the grating with crowbars to capture the crew , which they did , but not without considerable losses . The officers also gave a good account of themselves before being overcome . All had now surrendered except Captain Jermy , who shut himself in his cabin under the poop , firing guns and pistols and declaring that he would not be taken alive . His officers told de Langeron that he would blow up the powder magazine , to which he had easy access , rather than surrender ; this would threaten three thousand Frenchman ' s lives . The captain was civilly asked to surrender , but he again opened fire . A sergeant and twelve grenadiers were then sent to take him ; the sergeant broke the cabin door and was immediately shot dead , whereupon the grenadiers fled . These delays enabled Jermy to see , from their lights , that the merchantmen had all reached the protection of the River Thames . However , to gain more time , Jermy said that he would only surrender his sword to the commodore in person . A truce was arranged , and de Langeron replied that a commodore should not quit his post . Jermy , now sure that the convoy was safe , gave up his sword . When Jermy was brought to the French officers , they were surprised to see " a very little man , quite deformed and hunchbacked . " The commodore complimented him on his bravery ; he replied , " I have no regret for the loss of my ship , since I have succeeded in my design , which was to save the convoy entrusted to my care . As for myself , if you treat me as a man of honour , I , or some other of my nation , may some day have the opportunity of acting in the same way towards you . " de Langeron was quite taken by these remarks , and returned Jermy ' s sword , saying " Take back this sword , sir ; you well deserve to wear it , and you are my prisoner only in name . " But soon Jermy had to be restrained from using his sword , for he saw the renegade Smith in the cabin and tried to attack him . Jermy ' s wife was able to secure an audience with Queen Anne for his exchange , and in 1708 he was returned to England . He faced a routine court - martial for the loss of his ship , and was honourably acquitted . He was immediately given command of the , and in 1710 was appointed to the , on which he served until he was superannuated in 1712 . Family . In 1692 , Seth Jermy married Mary ( née Martin ) Piggott ( 1660 - 1738 ) , widow of Captain Joseph Piggott R . N . , with whom Jermy had served on HMS " Monmouth " and " Edgar " . After her husband ' s death she moved to Dorset to live with her daughter . They were the parents of two surviving children , Framed original oil paintings of Seth Jermy , his wife Mary Jermy , and his son Seth were at Minehead Vicarage , Somerset , in 1963 , the property of Mr Bennett , the vicar , descended from the Jermys through Mrs James Macaulay . Seth is shown with fair hair , hazel eyes , a white cravat and a rust coloured cloak . A signet ring is on the little finger of his left hand . Mary is shown with dark brown hair and hazel eyes . She is wearing a green dress with a flame coloured cloak and a pearl earring . She is holding an Orange blossom . According to tradition , Mary Jermy was painted in the gown which she wore when she had an audience with Queen Anne .