Leeward Islands Station
| Leeward Islands Station | |
|---|---|
 English Harbour and Falmouth Harbour on Antigua | |
| Active | 1743–1821 |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Branch |
 Royal Navy |
| Type | Fleet |
| Part of | Royal Navy |
| Garrison/HQ | Nelson's Dockyard |
The Leeward Islands Station [1] was a formation or command of the Kingdom of Great Britain and then the United Kingdom's Royal Navy stationed at English Harbour,[2] Antigua, Leeward Islands from 1743[3] to 1821.
History
During the 18th and 19th centuries Antigua served as the head quarters of the Commander in Chief of the Leeward Island Station which was the British navy's important base in the Eastern Caribbean area during the Napoleonic Wars. The Station, was formed in 1743 as a separate command to the older Jamaica Station[3] to contribute to a permanent British naval presence in the area to protect Britains sugar producing islands and its convoys. During the Seven Years' War a number of large scale naval actions were conducted by the Royal Navy from this Caribbean base, one of it's major engagements was the Battle of the Saintes. The station was in existence from 1743 to 1821 when it was abolished the last commander-in-chief was transferred to the larger North America Station.[4]
Commanders
Notes:Incomplete list Commanders included:[4]
- Admiral S. W. Richmond, (1743-?)
- Rear-Admiral Thomas Pye, (1752-1756).[5]
- Commodore Sir Thomas Frankland, (1756-1758).
- Commodore John Moore, (1758-1761).
- Commodore Sir James Douglas, (1761-1762).[6]
- Admiral Sir George Brydges Rodney, (1762-1763)[7]
- Rear-Admiral Robert Swanton, (1763-1764).[8]
- Rear-Admiral Richard Tyrell, (1765-1766).
- Vice-Admiral Thomas Pye, (1766-1769).
- Rear-Admiral Robert Man, (1769-1772).
- Vice-Admiral William Parry, (1772-1775).
- Vice-Admiral James Young, (1775-1778).
- Rear-Admiral Samuel Barrington, (1778-1779).
- Vice-Admiral John Byron, (1779).
- Rear-Admiral Sir Hyde Parker, (1779-1780).
- Admiral Sir George Brydges Rodney, (1780-1781).
- Rear-Admiral Sir Samuel Hood, (1781-1782).
- Admiral Sir George Brydges Rodney, (1782).
- Admiral Hugh Pigot, (1782-1783).
- Rear Admiral Sir Richard Hughes, (1783-1786).
- Commodore Sir Richard Bickerton, (1786-1787).
- Commodore Sir William Parker, (1787-1789).
- Rear-Admiral Sir John Laforey, (1789-1793).
- Rear-Admiral Alan Gardner, (1793).
- Vice-Admiral Sir John Jervis, (1793-1794).
- Vice-Admiral Benjamin Caldwell, (1794-1795).
- Admiral Sir John Laforey, (1795-96).
- Rear-Admiral Sir Hugh Cloberry Christian, (1796).
- Rear Admiral Henry Harvey, (1796-1799)
- Vice-Admiral Lord Hugh Seymour, (1799-1800).
- Rear Admiral Sir John Duckworth, (1800-1801).
- Rear-Admiral Thomas Totty, (1801-1802).
- Commodore Samuel Hood, (1802).
- Commodore Robert Stopford, (1802-1805).
- Rear-Admiral Sir Alexander Cochrane, (1805-1811).
- Rear-Admiral Sir Francis Laforey, (1811-1814).
- Rear-Admiral Sir Philip Charles Durham, (1814-1816).
- Rear-Admiral John Harvey, (1816-1818).
- Rear-Admiral Donald Campbell, (1818-1819).
- Commodore Thomas Huskisson, (1819-1820).
- Rear-Admiral William Charles Fahie, (1820-1821).
References
- ↑ Ward, Geoff. "A Shift in Focus: The Shift in Naval Warfare in the Caribbean during the Eighteenth Century" (PDF). University of the West Indies, pp.1, 2 September 2011. Retrieved 17 November 2016.
- ↑ Ward, Geoff. "Nowhere is Perfect: British Naval Centres on the Leeward Islands Station during the Eighteenth Century" (PDF). fieldresearchcentre.weebly.com. University of the West Indies, pp.1, 2011. Retrieved 17 November 2016.
- 1 2 Sanderson, Michael. "English naval strategy and maritime trade in the Caribbean, 1793 to 1802 Original November 1968." (PDF). kcl.ac.uk. Kings College London, University of London, pp. 5, 18 November 2016. Retrieved 18 November 2016.
- 1 2 Haydn, Joseph (13 Jun 2008). The Book of Dignities: Containing Lists of the Official Personages of the British Empire ... from the Earliest Periods to the Present Time ... Together with the Sovereigns and Rulers of Europe, from the Foundation of Their Respective States; the Peerage of England and Great Britain Original 1851 Digitized by the University of Michigan. Longmans, Brown, Green, and Longmans. p. 279.
- ↑ Winfield, Rif (2008). British warships in the age of sail, 1793-1817 : design, construction, careers and fates. Barnsley: Seaforth. p. 144. ISBN 1844157008.
- ↑ Heslip, Philip. "Finding aid for James Douglas Papers, 1738-1850". umich.edu. Manuscripts Division William L. Clements Library University of Michigan, April 2010. Retrieved 17 November 2016.
- ↑ Billias, George Athan (1972). The life and correspondence of the late Admiral Lord Rodney. Boston: Gregg Press. p. 8. ISBN 9780839812715.
- ↑ "Dictionary of Canadian Biography SWANTON, ROBERT, naval officer". biographi.ca. University of Toronto, 2016. Retrieved 17 November 2016.
Sources
- Miller, Nathan. Broadsides: The Age of Fighting Sail, 1775-1815 . New York: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 2000.
- Rodger, N.A.M. The Command of the Ocean: A Naval History of Britain, 1649-1815. New York and London: W.W. Norton and Company, 2004.