Admiral of the White Sir Robert Calder, 1st Baronet, (2 July 174531 August 1818) was a Royal Navy officer who served in the Seven Years' War, the American Revolutionary War, the French Revolutionary Wars and the Napoleonic Wars. For much of his career he was regarded as a dependable officer, and spent several years as Captain of the Fleet under Admiral Sir John Jervis. However, he is chiefly remembered for his controversial actions following the Battle of Cape Finisterre in 1805 which resulted in his court-martial. Though he was removed from his sea command, he was retained in the Navy and later served as Commander-in-Chief of the base at Plymouth.

Early life

Robert Calder was born in Elgin, Scotland on 2 July 1745, second son to Sir James Calder and Alice Hughes, daughter of Rear-Admiral Robert Hughes. His father was the 3rd Baronet Calder of Muirton, who had been appointed Gentleman Usher of the Privy chamber to the queen by Lord Bute in 1761. Calder was educated in Maidstone, before joining the Royal Navy in December 1758 at the age of thirteen. Parliament voted to award him an annum of £1,200, which he declined.

Battle of Cape Finisterre

thumb|The [[Battle of Cape Finisterre (1805)|Battle of Cape Finisterre, which ended Calder's active naval career]]

During the War of the Third Coalition, Calder was in command of the squadrons blockading the ports of Rochefort, France and Ferrol, Spain, in which (among others) ships were being prepared for Napoleon's planned invasion of the United Kingdom. Calder held his position with a force greatly inferior to that of the enemy, and refused to be enticed out to sea. On it becoming known that Napoleon intended to break the blockade of Ferrol as a prelude to his invasion, the British Admiralty ordered Rear-admiral Charles Stirling to join Calder and intercept the Franco-Spanish fleet on their passage to Brest, France. The approach of the enemy was concealed by fog.

Finally, on 22 July 1805, the fleets came into sight. The allies outnumbered the British, but Calder ordered his fleet into action. In the ensuing Battle of Cape Finisterre, fifteen British ships engaged twenty French and Spanish ships and captured two. The British losses were 39 officers and men killed and 159 wounded; the allies lost 158 dead and 320 wounded. After four hours, as night fell, Calder gave orders to discontinue the action. Over the following two days, the fleets remained close to one another, but did not re-engage. Calder focused on protecting his newly won prizes, while the French Vice-admiral Pierre-Charles Villeneuve declined to force another engagement.

Villeneuve left on 24 July, sailing to Ferrol, and eventually Cádiz, instead of resuming his course to Brest. Villeneuve had failed in all his objectives: he had landed no troops in Ireland, and the plan of linking with the fleet at Brest, driving off the British Channel squadrons, and supporting Napoleon's planned invasion came to nothing: the invasion army waited at Boulogne as before. In the judgment of Napoleon, his scheme of invasion was baffled by this day's action; but much indignation was felt in England at the failure of Calder to win a complete victory. However, Calder's superior, Admiral Sir William Cornwallis, Commander of the Channel Fleet, found no complaint with his performance: Calder was shortly thereafter given command of a 20-ship fleet to continue in the effort to bring the Franco-Spanish fleet to battle. These twenty ships would later form the nucleus of the British fleet at Trafalgar, when they were absorbed into the smaller squadron commanded by Vice-Admiral of the White Horatio Nelson.

Court-martial and later career

thumb|upright|Portrait of Calder made eight years before his court-martial

One of the primary reasons for the public outcry against Calder was the fact that his reports to Cornwallis were only partially printed for public consumption – making it thus seem as though Calder had not followed through on his own boasts. In consequence of the strong feeling against him, Calder demanded a court-martial. Nelson – to whom Calder had never been close – entreated him to remain until the battle had been fought, attesting that Calder had an opportunity to vindicate any earlier conduct and silence his critics. Calder could not be dissuaded, however, and sailed to England. At Calder's request (a fact which would later negatively affect opinion against him), Nelson allowed him to return in his own 98-gun ship, the Prince of Wales, even though battle was imminent.

The court-martial was held on 23 December 1805, being judged by, among others Admiral George Montague (serving as President of the court-martial) and future-Rear Admiral James Bisset. Calder's defence rested primarily on that the consequences of a defeat would have outweighed the fruits of a victory: despite his tactical success on 22 July, he was still outnumbered, and by concentrating his fleet to meet Villeneuve, he had of necessity been forced to abandon his blockade; thus if the French ships at Rochefort and Ferrol had sailed he would have found himself between two superior foes. Ultimately, Calder's defence rested on the discretion of a commander in battle, rather than in the physical impossibility of rejoining battle, contrary to Nelson's suggestions.

However, in the time between the battle at Finisterre and his court-martial, Trafalgar had been fought, Nelson had been killed and the threat of invasion by Napoleon forever ended. Therefore, as Calder later lamented, he had fought the battle under one set of standards and been tried against another. The nation had become "infected" and "drunk with success" from Nelson's victories. The battle, which might have won Calder an earldom in 1795, was deemed a failure in 1805 when judged against the stunning successes of the previous ten years, especially Trafalgar. The trial resulted in an acquittal on the charges of cowardice and disaffection.<blockquote>"In ancient times, the Roman's eagle eye

Was fixed on CONDUCT, not on victory;

And Fabius' shield, its steady lustre pour'd

'Midst all the lightning of Marcellus' sword.

Unhappy CALDER! We, like birds of night;

And dazzled by an all-subduing light;

Though conquest crown'd, they temperate valour weigh'd

Each doubtful point – then Wisdom's voice obey'd

And thou, like Fabius, didst prepare the way

For Great Marcellus, and Trafalgar's day! </blockquote>

Family

In May 1779 he married Amelia Mitchell only daughter of John Mitchell, esq., of Bayfield Hall, Norfolk. They had no children and his baronetcy accordingly became extinct upon his death.

|coronet =

|crest = A swan in a lake, with bullrushes Proper.

|motto =

|supporters = Dexter, a lamb murally crowned, in the mouth an olive branch, supporting the banner of Jerusalem; sinister, a tiger guard, navally crowned, in the mouth a palm branch, supporting the Union flag of Great Britain, with the inscription, 'Jerusalem, 1799' upon the cross of St. George.

Notes

References

  • William James, Naval History of Great Britain, 1793–1827.
  • George Edward Cokayne, editor, The Complete Baronetage (1900).
  • James Macveigh, (1891) Scottish Family History Dumfries, Scotland

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