George Brydges Rodney

Beginning of career

It was born with Walton-one-Thames, although the town of origin of the family is Rodney Stoke in the Somerset. His/her father had been useful in Spain under the orders of the Duc of Peterborough and, after having left the army, as captain of a body of the navy which will be laid off in 1713. George studies with the Harrow School from where it leaves with its patent the June 21st 1732. Then it is voluntary on the Sunderland . It is useful then in the Mediterranean where it obtains the rank of Lieutenant on the Dolphin , the February 15th 1739. The November 9th 1742, he is First mate on the Plymouth . It obtains then the command of the warship Eagle (60), its boat is an important link of the victory of Hawke to broad of Ushant (October 14th 1747) on the French fleet. This Rodney day receives its first bay-trees for bravery on behalf of a chief who owes him a good portion of his success.

Commander

The May 9th 1749 it is named governor and Commander-in-chief of the Newfoundland, with row of Commodore (Rear-admiral), it is of use at that time to name a naval officer to the head of the important establishments of fishing. He east elected off Member Parliament of Saltash in 1751 and marries his first wife, Jane Compton (1730-1757), sister of Charles Compton, in 1753. During the Guerre Seven Year old Rodney returns dîmportant services. In 1757, it takes share with forwarding against Rochefort, as commander of the Dublin (74), then the following year, on the same ship, under the orders of Boscawen to the catch of Louisburg (Île of Cape-Breton the).

In 1779, the admiral Rodney was then in Paris, where it was retained by debts that it could not pay. One day that he dined at the Maréchal on Biron, he treated with scorn successes of the French sailors, by saying that if he were free he soon reason would have some. The marshal paid his debts

Indeed, after the recall of the admiral Byron, Rodney was sent to replace it with the the Western Indies. It took along on its board the third wire of the king, Guillaume-Henri of England, which passed by all the ranks. The admiral supplied Gibraltar on his road, and took, in front of this place, four of the eight Spanish vessels which blocked it.

He delivered to the count de Guichen, the following year, three undecided combat, but fatal, and seized Saint-Eustace on the Dutchmen.

The convoy sent by Rodney, charged with spoils of a value of more than sixty million, carried by more than twenty buildings, was taken entire for the coasts of England by the admiral La Motte Stake.

The admiral Rodney returned in 1781 to London. Yorktown had just been taken and it was shown nevertheless at the Court like a triumphant victor. It drew its greater glare from the skins of the unhappy inhabitants of Saint-Eustace; but as this island was taken again the November 26th 1781 by the French, one distributed to the soldiers the considerable amount of money that the English admiral had left there, in impossibility where it had been of being able to carry it.

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