A Naval Biographical Dictionary/Tremlett, William Henry Brown
TREMLETT. (Vice-Admiral of the White, 1847. f-p., 19; h-p., 40.)
William Henry Brown Tremlett , born 15 Nov. 1777, at Dartmouth, is son of the late Geo. Tremlett, Esq., Master R.N. (who served as a Midshipman during the reign of George H., and was on board the Zephyr 14 when that sloop beat off a French 36-gun frigate after a battle of four hours), by Mary, only child of Mr. Tuck, Solicitor, of Langley Hall, near Chippenham, co. Wilts. He is brother of the present Retired Commander Geo. Neat Tremlett, R.N.; and of Lieut. Rich. Stiles Tremlett, R.N., who was killed in a duel with Lord Camelford at Martinique.
This officer entered the Navy, in 1788, as A.B., on board the Salisbury 50, Capts. Erasmus Gower, Wm. Domett, and Edw. Pellew; in which ship, bearing the flags of Admirals Elliot and Milbanke at Newfoundland, he served until Dec. 1792, the chief part of the time in the capacity of Midshipman. He next, in Feb. 1793, joined the Royal Sovereign 100, flag-ship in the Channel of Rear-Admirals Thos. Graves and Hon. Wm. Cornwallis; and on 21 Sept. 1795 he was made Lieutenant into the Lion 64, commanded, among other officers, by Capt. Manley Dixon. He was present in the Royal Sovereign in Lord Howe’s action, 1 June, 1794, and in Cornwallis’ celebrated retreat, 16 and 17 June, 1795. In Dec. 1796 (he was then in the Lion) he so distinguished himself by his “humane and Manly exertions” in saving the crew of the Reunion frigate, wrecked on a sandbank in the North Sea, that he obtained the thanks of the court-martial which assembled to try the officers and crew, and was highly complimented by the president. Admiral Savage, who publicly declared “that he deserved to have a civic crown placed on his head, and that he hoped the Board of Admiralty would do him justice by immediately advancing him to superior rank.” On 15 July, 1798, Mr. Tremlett took part, off Carthagena, in a brilliant action fought between the Lion and four Spanish frigates of 42 guns each, which terminated in the surrender of one of the latter, the Santa Dorotea. He had been engaged, a few days previously, in a desperate affair with an armed Greek otf Malaga; where, by the desertion of two boats, he and the remainder of his party were left in the greatest jeopardy. Twenty of them were either killed or wounded, 4 only escaping, including Mr. Tremlett, whose hat was shot through in seven places in the course of as many minutes, and whose dirk had its handle knocked off. Being appointed, 1 Sept. 1798, Senior of the Santa Dorotea (she had been added to the British Navy), Capt. Hugh Downman, he assisted in that frigate at the capture, 28 Nov. following, of the San Leon Spanish man-of-war brig of 16 guns and 88 men, and was present in her when attacked in entering Gibraltar Bay with convoy by 17 of the enemy’s gun-boats. In Dec. 1799, five months after he had left the Santa Dorotea, he assumed command of the Tigress gun-brig, in which vessel he continued employed, chiefly in affording protection to trade, until advanced to the rank of Commander, 1 Jan. 1801. He was made Post 29 April, 1802; appointed, in June, 1803, Sept. 1805, and Oct. 1806, to the Sea Fencibles at Cromer, the Impress at Whitby, and the Sea Fencibles at Dundee; and placed in command, 19 March, 1808, of the Alcmène 32. While exercising a party of men at Cromer, a grape-shot weighing eight ounces entered his right foot; and two years and a half elapsed before it could be extracted. He applied in consequence for a pension, but was refused. In June, 1808, Capt. Tremlett, then in the Alcmène, on the coast of Spain, entered into a communication with the Spanish authorities at Corunna: he assisted for three days at their councils, and then embarked the deputies sent from Galicia to solicit the aid of Great Britain in the war about to commence between their country and France. On his return to Corunna with them, Sir Chas. Stuart, and a quantity of specie, he was awarded the rank of General in the Patriotic Army – the first time indeed that such a mark of distinction had been conferred on an Englishman. On 22 Dec. 1808 the Alcmène fell in with two French frigates of the largest class, each with a complement of 380 men, in addition to 200 troops, intended for the relief of Guadeloupe. These, as the British ship approached, shortened sail, but before the latter could arrive within gun-shot, they made off under all sail. Ultimately, after having been chased a distance of 130 miles, they sought refuge under the citadel of St. Martin’s, on the Ile de Ré. On the night after Capt. Tremlett formed the bold design of running alongside the outermost frigate for the purpose of endeavouring to carry her by boarding; but in this he was disappointed through the ignorance or cowardice of his French pilot, who ran the Alcmène aground within pistol-shot of her opponent. The latter, it was found, had also got on the same shoal. The noise made by trying to heave the Alcmène off alarmed the batteries on shore; but, owing to the darkness of the night, she escaped with a few shot in her hull and through her sails and rigging. She afterwards blockaded the enemy so closely that they were unable to get to sea. On 24 Feb. 1809 Capt. Tremlett witnessed, we believe, the destruction of three French frigates under the batteries of Sable d’Olonne. At different times he took and destroyed upwards of fifty sail of the enemy’s vessels on different parts of the coast between Ile Dieu and Cape Finisterre. On 29 April, 1809, while endeavouring to cut off another French frigate,, the Alcmène, still in charge of the French pilot, struck on a reef of sunken rooks, near the mouth of the Loire, and filled so fast that nothing whatever could be saved from her. Fortunately the Amelia 38, Capt. Hon. Fred. Paul Irby, at this critical juncture hove in sight, and rescued the officers and crew; with whom, after setting fire to and destroying the wreck, she returned to England. Capt. Tremlett was not afterwards able to procure employment. He was placed on the Retired list of Rear-Admirals 10 Jan. 1837; transferred to the Active list 17 Aug. 1840; and advanced to his present rank 22 Jan. 1847.
The Vice-Admiral married the youngest daughter of the late John Dawson, Esq., of Mossley Hill, near Liverpool, and sister-in-law of Lieut. Henry Fred. Sewell, R.N. He has a son, Francisco Saugro, a Lieutenant R.N.