A Naval Biographical Dictionary/Pechell, Samuel John Brooke
PECHELL, Bart., C.B., K.C.H., F.R.S. (Rear-Admiral of the White, 1846. f-p., 21; h-p., 30.)
Sir Samuel John Brooke Pechell, born 1 Sept. 1785, is eldest son of the late Major-General Sir Thos. Brooke Pechell, Bart., M.P. for Downton, in Wiltshire, and a Gentleman of the Privy Chamber to the consort of George III., by Charlotte, second daughter of Lieut.-General Sir John Clavering, Bart., K.B., who died Commander-in-Chief in India. He is brother of the present Capt. G. R. Pechell, R.N.; grandson of Lieut.-Colonel Sir Paul Pechell, who was created a Baronet for his services 1 May, 1797; great-grandson of John, first Earl of Delawarr; nephew of Admiral Sir John Borlase Warren, Bart., G.C.B., who died 27 Feb. 1822; and first-cousin of the late Capt. Sam. Geo. Pechell, R.N. His grand-uncle, Geo. Pechell, a Lieutenant in the Royal Marines, was killed in Carthagena. Sir Samuel succeeded his father as third Baronet 18 June, 1826.
This officer entered the Navy, in July, 1796, as Fst.-cl. Vol., on board La Pomone 40, commanded by his relative Sir John Borlase Warren; and, from Aug. 1797 until nominated, 28 Feb. 1803, Acting-Lieutenant of the Active 38, Capts. Chas. Sidney Davers and Rich. Hussey Moubray, was employed as Midshipman and Master’s Mate, under the late Sir Robt. Barlow, in the Phoebe 44 and Triumph 74. In La Pomone he saw much service on the coast of France; and in the Phoebe he assisted at the capture of two French frigates (La Néréide of 36 guns and 330 men, and L’Africaine of 44 guns and 715 men, including 400 troops and artificers), one large corvette, L’Heureux, of 22 guns and 220 men, three privateers, carrying in the whole 58 guns and 455 men, and a letter-of-marque, L’Hazard, of 10 guns and 60 men, laden with spices, ivory, and gum, from Senegal, valued at 10,000l. La Néréide did not surrender until after a close action of 45 minutes, productive of a loss to herself of 20 killed and 55 wounded, and to the British, out of 261 men, of 3 killed and 10 wounded; and the resistance of L’Africaine was protracted until in the course of a desperate night action of two hours she had sustained (although the Phoebe out of 239 men, had but 1 killed and 12 wounded) the terrific loss of at least 200 killed and 143 wounded, the greater part of them mortally. For his gallantry in the latter exploit, which was achieved 19 Feb. 1801, Capt. Barlow was rewarded with the honour of knighthood. On leaving the Active, to which frigate, employed on the Mediterranean, North Sea, and Cork stations, he had been confirmed 1 April, 1803, Mr. Pechell, in Jan. 1806, joined the Foudroyant 80, bearing the flag at the time of Sir J. B. Warren, under whom we find him, on 13 of the following March, witnessing the capture of the Marengo 80, bearing the flag of Rear-Admiral Linois, and 40-gun frigate Belle Poule. He was made Commander, 23 March, 1807, into the Ferret sloop-of-war on the Jamaica station; was advanced to Post-rank in the Cleopatra of 38 guns, at Halifax, 16 June, 1808; and was subsequently appointed – 25 Sept. 1810, to the Guerrière of 48 guns, also on the Halifax station – in July, 1811, again to the Cleopatra, employed off Cherbourg, in the North Sea, and at Gibraltar – 20 Oct. 1812, to the San Domingo 74, bearing the flag of Sir J. B. Warren in North America, where he remained until Aug. 1814 – and, 1 July, 1823, to the Sybille 48, stationed at first in the West Indies and afterwards in the Mediterranean. In the Cleopatra Capt. Pechell, on being sent to the West Indies, fought, 22 Jan. 1809, a close action of 40 minutes, reflective of credit on his intrepidity and judgment, as well as on the high discipline and steadiness of his crew, with the French frigate La Topaze, of 48 guns, anchored, with springs on her cable, under a small battery to the southward of Pointe-Noire, Guadeloupe. At the expiration of 50 minutes from the commencement of the conflict, the Jason 32 and Hazard 18 having come up, the enemy surrendered. The Cleopatra, the only British ship that suffered loss, had 2 seamen killed and 1 wounded; the Topaze, on the other hand, out of a complement, including 100 soldiers, of about 430 men, incurred a loss of 12 men killed and 14 wounded. She had on board 1100 barrels of flour.[1] As a mark of the sense entertained by the Admiralty of the Cleopatra’s conduct, her First-Lieutenant, Mr. Wm. Simpson, was promoted to the rank of Commander. A few days after the exploit Capt. Pechell, although still belonging to the Halifax squadron, joined the expedition proceeding against Martinique, during the siege of which island he distinguished himself by working into Fort Royal Bay, previously to the surrender of Pigeon Island; thereby cutting off the retreat of the enemy, and compelling them to destroy all the shipping at that anchorage; among which was the Amphitrite, another frigate of the largest class. When subsequently in the same ship on the Gibraltar sta^ tion Capt. Pechell made a survey of the harbour of Ceuta, and drew up a plan of the fortifications, together with remarks on the navigation of the Gut. In June, 1813, being then in the San Domingo, and under the immediate orders of Rear-Admiral Cockburn, we find him uniting in the attack on Crany Island and the destruction of the enemy’s camp at Hampton; on which latter occasion he commanded the boats and tenders detached to cover the landing of the troops under Sir Sydney Beckwith.[2] During his command of the Sybille Capt. Pechell was actively employed in the suppression of piracy and the protection of the Ionian Islands for a period of three years, during which his boats were frequently involved in sanguinary actions with the freebooters. The judgment, firmness, and promptitude with which he discharged a delicate and important duty confided to him, pending a serious discussion which took place in 1824 with the Greek government, had the effect of procuring him the congratulations of his Commander-in-Chief, Vice-Admiral Sir Harry Burrard Neale, and a strong expression of approbation on the part of Earl Bathurst, H.M. Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, and the Lords of the Admiralty. He paid the Sybille off in Nov. 1826; and has since been on half-pay. He attained Flag-rank 9 Nov. 1846.
Sir Sam. John Brooke Pechell was nominated a C.B. 4 June, 1815, and a K.C.H. 6 Jan. 1833. He sat in Parliament for Hallestone in 1830, and for Windsor in 1833; was a Lord of the Admiralty from 1830 until 1834, and again from 1839 until 1841; and from 1831 until 1846 filled the post of Naval Aide-de-Camp to his late and her present Majesty. Sir John, who bears a high reputation for his thorough knowledge of the art of naval gunnery, is the author of a valuable pamphlet on the subject (the first edition of which was published in 1812, the second in 1824, and the third in 1828), entitled ‘Observations upon the Defective Equipment of Ships’ Guns.’ He married, 15 April, 1833, Julia Maria, only surviving daughter of Robt. Edw., ninth Lord Petre, and was left a widower 6 Sept. 1844.