George Martin (Royal Navy officer)

Martin spent five years without a ship, but returned to service with an appointment to command the 24-gun HMS Porcupine on 9 July 1789.[1][2] He was active off the coast of Ireland until paying her off on 21 August 1792.[1] The outbreak of the French Revolutionary Wars offered further opportunities for employment, and on 12 March 1793 he took command of the 32-gun HMS Magicienne and joined the squadron based at Jamaica.[1][2] After his return to England Martin was transferred to take command of the 74-gun HMS Irresistible on 8 February 1795, after her previous captain, Richard Grindall, had been injured at the Battle of Groix.[4] In November Martin was assigned to escort an expedition to the Leeward Islands under Vice-Admiral Sir John Laforey, with a military force commanded by Lieutenant-General Sir Ralph Abercromby.[4] The expedition was forced back to port by violent storms, while a second attempt under Rear-Admiral Hugh Cloberry Christian in December suffered the same fate.[4] The expedition sailed again in March the following year, and succeeded in reaching the West Indies in April, where Irresistible covered the landing of troops.[4] Later that year Irresistible helped to chase the 36-gun French Perçante ashore off San Domingo.[4]

The Battle of Cape St Vincent, 14 February 1797

Returning to British waters Martin was assigned to Sir John Jervis's fleet, and saw action at the Battle of Cape St Vincent on 14 February 1797.[1][5] During the battle Irresistible sustained casualties of five killed and 14 wounded.[6] The 74-gun HMS Captain had been present at the battle flying the flag of Commodore Horatio Nelson. Captain had been badly damaged in the battle, and Nelson transferred his pennant to Irresistible the day after the battle.[4] He remained aboard her until Captain had been repaired, and returned to sea aboard Captain in late March.[4]

Martin and Irresistible remained off the Iberian coast, enforcing the blockade of Cadiz. On 26 April 1798 two Spanish frigates, the Ninfa and the Santa Elena were spotted approaching the port.[4] Irresistible, in company with the 36-gun HMS Emerald chased them into Conil Bay and brought them to action at 2 pm.[4] After an hour and a half of fighting the two Spanish ships surrendered, with the Santa Elena being driven onshore and wrecked.[4] The Ninfa was later added to the Royal Navy as HMS Hamadryad.[7] Sir John Jervis was later to record that the skill and daring involved in chasing the Spanish ships past the dangerous reefs at the entrance to the bay made the action "one of the most notable that had ever come under his observation".[2]

Martin was assigned to serve with the Channel Fleet under Lord Bridport, after which he transferred to take command of the 74-gun HMS Northumberland on 14 July 1798, serving as the flagship of Sir John Colpoys.[1][8] He served in the Mediterranean with Rear-Admiral Sir John Duckworth's squadron from June 1799, and the following year was part of the blockade of Malta.[8] He helped to capture the 74-gun Généreux on 18 February that year, after which the Généreux was commissioned into the navy as HMS Genereux and joined the blockading forces.[8] In May Martin became commander of the blockade and on 24 August 1800 the Northumberland, Genereux and HMS Success captured the French frigate Diane off Malta.[8] The French garrison at Valletta surrendered to him in September, after which Martin moved to support Admiral Lord Keith's operations off Egypt.[1][2] He received the Turkish gold medal in 1802 for his services in this campaign, and came ashore on 21 September with the end of the war following the Peace of Amiens.[1]

Admiral Sir Robert Calder's action off Cape Finisterre, 23 July 1805. Martin commanded HMS Barfleur during the battle.

Returning to service with the resumption of hostilities in 1803, Martin took command of the 74-gun HMS Colossus on 22 May and joined the Channel Fleet.[1][9][10] He was nominated a Colonel of Marines on 23 April 1804, and the following day transferred to the 90-gun HMS Glory.[1][11] He remained in her until taking command of the 90-gun HMS Barfleur on 21 November, and was still in command when he joined Sir Robert Calder's fleet and took part in the Battle of Cape Finisterre on 22 July 1805.[2][12] He afterwards resigned his command, on 16 September, and moved ashore, receiving a promotion to rear-admiral on 9 November.[1][2][13] He gave evidence in the court-martial in Calder's conduct at Finisterre towards the end of December, and on 17 January 1806 took up the post of second in command at Portsmouth.[1][14] He held the position until 9 November 1806, when he returned to sea, joining Collingwood's fleet blockading the remnants of the French and Spanish fleet at Cadiz, before moving to the Italian coast.[1] He hoisted his flag aboard the 74-gun HMS Montagu in 1807, and continued in the Mediterranean.[15] He was also aboard the 90-gun HMS Queen.[16]

Martin oversaw the capture of the Italian islands of Ischia and Procida in June 1809, and in October he and his flagship HMS Canopus were dispatched with a small squadron to chase several French ships that had escaped from Toulon under Rear-Admiral François Baudin.[1][2] Martin and his force discovered the French and chased them to the harbour of Cette at the mouth of the Rhone, where two ships, the 80-gun Robuste and the 74-gun Lion ran aground.[1][2] Martin made plans to attack them, but their crews abandoned and burnt them on 26 October before he could carry them out.[2][17] After a promotion to vice-admiral on 31 July 1810[18] Martin took command of the naval forces at Palermo, which had been tasked with supporting Sir John Stuart's forces in Calabria.[2][17] The King of Naples, Ferdinand I appointed Martin to the Order of Saint Januarius on 6 July 1811 for his good service during these duties.[2][17]

Martin returned to England and went ashore on striking his flag on 14 October 1810. He returned to sea in 1812, flying his flag aboard the 78-gun HMS Impetueux and took command of the forces off Lisbon.[2][17][19] He remained in this role for the next two years, shifting his flag to HMS Stately and then HMS Rodney in 1813.[19][20] He struck his flag on 24 June 1814 and the following day was nominated a Knight Bachelor on the occasion of the Prince Regent's visiting the fleet at Spithead.[2][17] On 2 January 1815 he received a further honour, when he was appointed a Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath,[21] and on 20 February 1821 he was further advanced to a Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath.[17][22]