A Naval Biographical Dictionary/Trollope, George Barne
TROLLOPE, C.B. (Captain, 1814. f-p., 19; h-p., 38.)
George Barne Trollope, born in Huntingdon, is son of the Rev. John Trollope of Bucklebury, co. Berks; brother of Capt. Trollope, of the 40th Regt., who was killed while serving under the Duke of York in Holland 19 Sept. 1799; and half-brother of the late Henry Trollope,[1] and the late Lieut.-Colonel Thos. Trollope, who commanded the marines on board the Venerable 74, Lord Duncan’s flag-ship, in the action off Camperdown 11 Oct. 1797, and who retired from that corps in 1800, His father was grandson of Sir Thos. Trollope, Bart., of Casewick, co. Lincoln.
This officer entered the Navy, 5 May, 1790, as Fst.-cl. Vol., on borad La Prudente 38; in which frigate and the Hussar, both commanded by his half-brother, Capt. Henry Trollope, he was for one year and nine months employed in the Channel and Mediterranean, part of the time in the capacity of Midshipman. Joining next, in Aug. 1792, the Lion 64, Capt. Sir Erasmus Gower, he accompanied Lord Macartney in that ship in his embassy to China. On his return thence he was transferred, in Oct. 1794, to the Argo 44; and in the following Jan. he was placed on board the Triumph 74. In her he was present under his former Captain, Sir E. Gower, in Cornwallis’ celebrated retreat 16 and 17 June, 1795; and was slightly wounded in the foot under Capt. Wm. Essington, in the battle fought off Camperdown 11 Oct. 1797.[2] Previously to the latter event he had been promoted to the rank of Lieutenant by a commission bearing date 13 Dec. 1796. His succeeding appointments were, on the Home station – 24 April, 1798, to the Neptune 98, Capt. Sir E. Gower – 28 Jan. 1799, to the Vestal, Capt. Chas. White – in Jan. 1800, to the Caesar 80, Capt. Sir Jas. Saumarez – 27 Jan. 1801, to the Princess Royal 98, bearing the flag of Sir E. Gower – 15 Nov. 1802, for upwards of five months (the Princess Royal had been paid off in the preceding April) to La Minerve frigate, Capt. Jahleel Brenton – and 28 Oct. 1803, as First, to the Arab 22, Capt. Lord Cochrane. He was made Commander, 1 May, 1804, into the Cerf sloop, at Jamaica; he was compelled in the following Dec. to invalid, owing to a severe attack of yellow fever; and he was afterwards appointed – 22 Jan. 1806, to the Hecla, lying at Sheerness – 1 March following, to the Electra 18, employed (until wrecked, 25 March, 1808, at the entrance of Port Augusta, between Syracuse and Messina) in the North Sea and Mediterranean – 22 Dec. 1808, for two months, to the Zebra bomb at Woolwich – and 22 Oct. 1810 and 1 Feb. 1812, to the Alert sloop and Griffon brig, on the Newfoundland and Downs stations. While commanding the Electra Capt. Trollope had charge of the boats employed in bringing off the garrison of the fortress of Scylla, when evacuated by the British 17 Feb. 1808 – a service in the execution of which he was exposed to a smart fire from the enemy on the Calabrian shore.[3] In the Griffon, whose force consisted of 14 24-pounder carronades and 2 sixes, he went in pursuit, 27 March, 1812,[4] and drove on shore, under a very heavy fire from the batteries near St. Aubin, one of a numerous flotilla of brigs, each carrying 3 long 24-pounders and an 8-inch brass howitzer, with a complement of 50 men. He then proceeded to attack the remainder, nine in number, who were at the time anchoring close in-shore in the south-east. Running accordingly in-shore of one of them at anchor near the centre, he boarded and, in the most gallant manner, carried her. The cables of the prize were immediately cut and she was brought out in face of a heavy fire from the batteries and the eight other brigs. The Griffon herself, although her crew escaped injury, was too much disabled to renew the conflict.[5] Capt. Trollope was advanced to Post-rank 7 June, 1814; and nominated a C.B. 8 Dec. 1815. Not having been since afloat he was induced, 1 Oct. 1846, to accept the Retirement.
He married, in 1813, Barbara, daughter of J. Goble, Esq., of Kinsale, and has issue. Agent – J, Hinxman.
- ↑ Sir Hen. Trollope was born 20 April, 1756, at Bucklebury, co. Berks, and entered the Navy in April, 1771, on board the Captain 64, Capt. Thos. Symonds, bearing the flag of Admiral John Montagu, Commander-in-Chief on the coast of North America, where he whs present, in the Asia 64, Capt. Geo, Vandeput, at the battles of Lexington and Bunker’s Hill, and was active, [in the Kingfisher sloop, Capt. Jas. Montagu, in his endeavours to suppress the insurrection in Virginia. He assisted, too, at the siege of Boston; and he afterwards, as Lieutenant of the Bristol 50, Capts. Rayner and Cornwallis, took part in a variety of other operations, including the capture of Forts Montgomery and Clinton, the reduction of Philadelphia, and the attack upon Mud Island. For his various successful and dashing services while commanding the Kite cutter, he was promoted to the rank of Commander, and his vessel, in which he was continued, rated a sloop of war. After accompanying Admiral Darby to the relief of Gibraltar, and again distinguishing himself, he was advanced, 4 June, 1781, to Post-rank, in the Myrmidon 20; in which ship, and the Rainbow 44, he was employed most zealously during the remainder of the war. In the Rainbow he captured, 4 Sept. 178S, the Hebe French frigate of 40 guns and 360 men. Between 1790 and the date of his promotion to Flag-rank, 1 Jan. 1801, he commanded La Prudente 38, and the Hussar 28, Glatton of 56 guns and 330 men. Leopard 50, Russell 74, Royal Charlotte yacht, and Juste 80. He gained during that period an exalted reputation for zeal, valour, energy, and judgment, and, indeed, for all the qualities which constitute a naval commander of the first order of genius. In the Glatton he effected, 15 July, 1796, the defeat (after a fierce and memorably gallant engagement, productive of serious loss to the enemy, although not more than 2 were wounded on the part of the British) of a French squadron, consisting of 4 frigates and 2 ship-corvettes, assisted by a brig corvette, and an armed cutter, the whole of which were compelled to sheer off. The merchants of London and the Russia Company testified their admiration of this performance, by each presenting him with a piece of plate valued at 100 guineas; and the boroughs of Huntingdon and North Yarmouth, by presenting him with their freedom. For the resolution and address by which Capt. Trollope succeeded in preventing both his own ship and the Overyssel 64 from joining the mutinous fleet at the Nore in 1797, he received the approbation of the Admiralty; and for his subsequent conduct, both in the action off Camperdown, and before it, in keeping a watch over the enemy’s fleet, and enabling Admiral Duncan to fall in with it, he received from the King the honour of Knighthood. He became a Vice-Admiral 9 Nov. 1805, a full Admiral 12 Aug. 1812, a K.C.B. 20 May, 1820, and a G.C.B. 19 May, 1831. He died an Admiral of the Red, at Fresliford, near Bath, 2 Nov. 1839.
- ↑ Vide Gaz. 1797, p. 986.
- ↑ His gallant exertions called forth the particular thanks of Major-General Sherbrooke. – Vide Gaz. 1808, p. 503.
- ↑ He was in company with the Rosario 10, Capt. Bootey Harvey.
- ↑ Vide Gaz. 1808, p. 593, where Capt. Trollope’s “prompt attention and gallant conduct” are highly spoken of.