William Prowse William Prowse CB ( 1752 – 23 March 1826 ) was an officer of the Royal Navy , who saw service during the American War of Independence , and the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars . Rising from humble origins and joining the navy as an able seaman , he had a highly active career , serving under some of the most famous naval commanders of the age of sail , and participating in some of their greatest victories . He was at Grenada and Martinique under Byron and Rodney , the Glorious First of June under Howe ; and commanded ships at Cape St Vincent under Jervis , Cape Finisterre under Calder and Trafalgar under Nelson . He finished his career by serving with distinction in the Mediterranean , and died with the rank of Rear - Admiral . Family and early life . Prowse appears to have been of very humble origins , little is known about his birth or childhood , but he appears to have been born to a working - class Devon family of Cornish origin in 1752 . He probably went to sea aboard merchant ships initially , but is first recorded in the Navy on 13 November 1771 as an able seaman aboard the Hamoaze guardship , the 74 - gun . Prowse remained aboard her for the next four years , only leaving her on 26 February 1776 . His next posting was to the 74 - gun , which he joined in November that year , being rated as midshipman and master ' s mate on 31 August 1778 by Captain George Bowyer . Prowse and the " Albion " were by then serving on the North American station , and went on to see action at the Battle of Grenada on 6 July 1779 and the Battle of Martinique on 17 April 1780 . Prowse was wounded in one of the clashes at Martinique , being struck in the head by a large splinter . The " Albion " was paid off on 21 December 1781 and having passed his examination for lieutenancy on 17 January 1782 and by 6 December 1782 he had received his commission and was on 22 December 1782 appointed to the 90 - gun second rate under Captain George Vandeput . Prowse was moved again on 14 April to join the 28 - gun sixth rate under Captain Brabazon Christian . Prowse continued to serve off North America until March 1784 . Prowse then disappears from naval records , and may have spent several years on merchant ships . He briefly reappears in 1787 , when tensions with the Netherlands led to his return to service under his old patron Captain Bowyer , now serving on the 74 - gun , but again left the service when the crisis had passed . The Nootka Sound crisis in 1790 led to another mobilisation of the fleet and Prowse returned to the navy , initially serving aboard the 98 - gun and then aboard the 64 - gun under Captain Robert Calder . The last few years of peace for Prowse were spent aboard Lord Hood ' s flagship at Portsmouth , the 90 - gun , from August 1791 until January 1793 . French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars . The outbreak of war with France in February 1793 saw Prowse being appointed , on 20 March 1793 , to the 90 - gun , commanded by Captain Cuthbert Collingwood and flying the flag of Prowse ' s old commander , now Rear - Admiral Bowyer . He followed both Collingwood and Bowyer when they moved aboard Prowse ' s old ship the " Barfleur " on 28 December 1793 , Prowse becoming the sixth lieutenant . The " Barfleur " went on to be part of Lord Howe ' s fleet , and was present at the Glorious First of June where Bowyer lost a leg , and Prowse too was wounded in the leg when a shot hit and dismounted the gun he was attempting to aim , and tore away part of his thigh . He apparently had to have his leg amputated . He was invalided ashore , but recovered quickly and returned to service aboard Robert Calder ' s 74 - gun as his first lieutenant . Calder and the " Theseus " sailed to the West Indies and after carrying out several minor engagements with French shore batteries , returned to Britain as a convoy escort in July 1795 . Calder and Prowse transferred aboard the 32 - gun fifth rate and sailed to the Mediterranean to join Sir John Jervis aboard his flagship . Jervis appointed Prowse to his first independent command , the 14 - gun sloop on 20 October 1796 . " Raven " was with Jervis ' s fleet at the Battle of Cape St Vincent on 14 February 1797 , and was used to repeat signals . She also , in company with four frigates and another sloop , gave chase to the Spanish four - decker " Santísima Trinidad " but they eventually lost her . For his services Jervis promoted Prowse to post - captain on 6 March 1797and appointed him to command the captured Spanish prize " Salvador del Mundo " . Prowse took his ship home for paying - off in November but since no ship could be found for him , went on half - pay . He finally returned to active service when Rear - Admiral Sir Robert Calder asked for him to be his flag - captain aboard his flagship . He briefly served in the West Indies , and returned to Britain on the Peace of Amiens in 1802 . With the " Prince of Wales " paid off , Prowse was given command of the 36 - gun frigate in August 1802 , where he took part in the blockades of the French and Spanish coasts . With the resumption of the war in May 1803 " Sirius " was deployed into the English Channel and the Bay of Biscay , becoming part of Calder ' s fleet in 1804 . Battle of Cape Finisterre . With Calder ' s fleet patrolling off Cape Finisterre in anticipation of the arrival of the combined Franco - Spanish fleet under Pierre - Charles Villeneuve , Prowse and the " Sirius " , in company with HMS " Egyptienne " were despatched to scout for the enemy . Villeneuve had been reported as having arrived in the area and on 22 July Prowse located the allied feet , with the frigate " Siréne " at the rear , towing a captured merchant . Prowse closed on the " Siréne " , intending to cut her off and board her , but Villeneuve ordered his ships to wear in succession and reverse their course to meet Calder ' s advancing fleet . Prowse suddenly found himself facing the entire combined fleet , which was fast bearing down on him , led by the Spanish Admiral Federico Gravina aboard the " Argonauta " . With his tiny frigate heavily outclassed , Prowse began to beat away to leeward as the fleet passed him on the opposite tack . Gravina , aware of the convention that a ship of the line did not open fire on a frigate , ordered that the " Sirius " not be fired upon and the next Spanish ships also held fire . Shortly afterwards Calder ' s van came into range of the fleet and a general action ensued , whereby the " Sirius " was fired on by the " España " and had two men killed and three wounded . After the battle Prowse was sent to Plymouth with the captured Spanish 74 - gun " Firme " in tow . Nelson and Trafalgar . Villeneuve led the rest of his fleet into Cadiz on 21 August 1805 , and the " Sirius " was sent to form part of the British fleet blockading them there . With Nelson ' s arrival to take command of the fleet , the main body was moved out to sea , with a chain of four frigates and four ships of the line established to observe the fleet in Cadiz and transmit signals about their movements to the British fleet . " Sirius " was the closest to the port and at first light on 19 October it was observed that the enemy were preparing to put to sea . " Sirius " immediately signalled the next frigate in the line , Henry Blackwood ' s , ' Enemy have their topsails hoisted ' . Thus Prowse began the process that would lead to the interception of the combined fleet two days later . An hour later at 7 a . m . " Sirius " ran up three flags to signal code number 370 , ' Enemy ships are coming out of port or getting under sail ' . The signal was repeated down the line , reaching Nelson 48 miles away aboard HMS " Victory " at 9 . 30 a . m . The next morning , 20 October 1805 , a strange sail was reported off the entrance to the harbour . Prowse asked for and was given permission by Blackwood to investigate , and closed on the stranger . By the time this had been achieved the 74 - gun " Héros " had come within range and opened fire . " Sirius " nevertheless stopped the stranger with a shot across her bow and sent an officer over to inspect her . It was determined that the ship in question was a neutral American merchant , and she was allowed to continue on her way . Prowse recovered the boat and hauled away from the French warship . The entire combined fleet had finally put to sea by 10 a . m . , whereupon a burst of rainy squalls caused the frigates to lose sight of it until midday . Prowse and the other frigates continued to shadow the fleet until 7 . 30 a . m . on 21 October , when Nelson signalled the four frigate captains ; Prowse of the " Sirius " , Blackwood of the " Euryalus " , Capel of the , and Dundas of the , to come aboard the " Victory " . There they received their orders for the battle , which were to take station windward of the " Victory " and so repeat his signals to the rest of the fleet . They were also to observe the progress of the battle , report on escaping ships , take over surrendered enemy ships that had not been taken and take in tow dismasted British ships or their prizes . They then all went below and witnessed Nelson ' s will . Departing " Victory " to return to " Sirius " as the former closed on the enemy line , Prowse said goodbye to his nephew , Captain Charles Adair , who was commander of the marines on " Victory " . During the battle " Sirius " maintained her station out of the immediate battle , and suffered no casualties . After its end , she moved in and took the " Victory " under tow , but as the weather worsened she handed over to the larger 64 - gun . The week after the battle Prowse was sent into Cadiz with a note from Collingwood to the Marquis de Solana , requesting the use of the town ' s facilities for the Spanish prisoners . Continued service and later years . Prowse remained aboard the " Sirius " in the Mediterranean serving under Vice - Admiral Collingwood . On 17 April 1806 he engaged an enemy flotilla off Civitavecchia . The flotilla consisted of the 18 - gun corvette " Bergère " , three armed brig s , a bomb vessel , a cutter and three gunboats . The " Bergère " held off the " Sirius " until Prowse forced her surrender . For this action Prowse was mentioned in despatches and awarded a sword from the Lloyd ' s Patriotic Fund . The " Sirius " was paid off in May 1808 and in March 1810 Prowse took command of the 74 - gun HMS " Theseus " . He was nominated a Companion of the Bath on 4 June 1815 , and a Colonel of the Royal Marines on 12 August 1819 . He commanded her in the North Sea until 23 December 1813 , after which he went onshore and saw no further active service . He was promoted to rear - admiral on 19 July 1821 and died on 23 March 1826 in St Pancras , London at the age of 72 .