Admiral of the Fleet Sir Provo William Parry Wallis, (12 April 1791 – 13 February 1892) was a Royal Navy officer. As a junior officer, following the capture of USS Chesapeake by the frigate during the War of 1812, the wounding of HMS Shannons captain and the death of her first lieutenant in the action, he served as the temporary captain of HMS Shannon as she returned to Halifax, Nova Scotia, with Chesapeake.

As commanding officer of the fifth-rate , Wallis earned the thanks of the people of Veracruz in Mexico when he protected them from French bombardment during the Pastry War. He went on to be Senior Naval Officer, Gibraltar, and then Commander-in-Chief on the South East Coast of America Station. Wallis was promoted to senior flag officer positions and was still carried on the active list at 100 years old when he died.

Early career

thumb|left|Wallis commanded HMS Shannon on her return to Halifax with her prize, after the [[Capture of USS Chesapeake|capture of USS Chesapeake]]

He was the son of Provo Featherstone Wallis, a clerk at the Royal Naval Dockyard, Halifax, Nova Scotia, by his wife Elizabeth Lawlor. Wallis benefited from his father's desire to secure a naval career for his son. Knowing the rules for an officer's entry into the navy, his father managed to get him officially registered in May 1795, at the age of four, as an able seaman on the 36-gun frigate HMS Oiseau, under Captain Robert Murray.

In May 1798, young Provo became a volunteer in the 40-gun frigate where he remained (on paper at least) until September 1799 when he joined the 64-gun third-rate . He served on HMS Asia until September 1800, when he was promoted to midshipman in the 32-gun fifth-rate . HMS Cleopatra was the first ship he actually served aboard – he physically joined the ship in October 1804 – but by now he had amassed nearly a decade of seniority. he transferred again to the sloop-of-war later that month. He subsequently served in the sloops HMS Observateur, and . and promoted to admiral on 2 March 1863. and Vice-Admiral of the United Kingdom on 12 February 1870.

In order to prevent admirals from dying as paupers, a special clause in the retirement scheme of 1870 provided that those officers who had commanded a ship before the end of the Napoleonic Wars should be retained on the active list: the six days Wallis was in command of HMS Shannon qualified him to remain on the active list until he died. and promoted to Admiral of the Fleet on 11 December 1875. The Admiralty suggested he retire when he reached his late nineties, as being on the active list meant he was liable for calling up for a seagoing command. Wallis instead replied he was ready to accept one.

Family

On 17 October 1817 Wallis married Juliana Massey; they had two daughters. the City of Ottawa has erected brass plaques, which were unveiled in 1990 and 1997 documenting the history of the building. The former Canadian Coast Guard Ship was also named after him. The main street in the Naval dockyard of Halifax, Nova Scotia, is also named "Provo Wallis Street" in his honour.

Effective dates of promotion

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||Admiral of the Fleet||11 December 1877

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See also

References

Sources

  • Clowes, William Laird, Sir (1996–1997). The Royal Navy: a history from the earliest times to the present. Chatham Pub.

Further reading

  • Old Salt Indeed: The Amazing Career of Lieutenant Provo Wallis of HMS Shannon
  • Provo Wallis Career History

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