Admiral Sir John Orde, 1st Baronet (22 December 1751 – 19 February 1824) was a Royal Navy officer. The third son of John Orde, of Morpeth, Northumberland, and the brother of Thomas Orde-Powlett, 1st Baron Bolton, he is remembered as a professional enemy of Nelson. Orde's quarrel was actually more with Lord St Vincent and he never attacked Nelson personally.

Orde joined the Royal Navy in 1766, gained the rank of rear-admiral in 1795, vice-admiral in 1799 and eventually Admiral of the Red. In 1805, despite being asked to strike his flag, he was made Admiral of the Blue and Admiral of the White in 1810.

As a vice admiral in 1805 he commanded a squadron of six ships of the line off Cádiz, in the flagship HMS Glory.

Orde served as the Governor of Dominica between 1783 and 1793 and was created 1st Baronet Orde, of Morpeth, co. Northumberland on 9 August 1790. From 1807 he served as Member of Parliament for Yarmouth.

Career

American Revolutionary War

Orde joined the Royal Navy in 1766 and was promoted to lieutenant in 1774. He served throughout the American Revolutionary War (1775–1783), and was promoted to post captain on 19 May 1778, making him senior to Nelson by less than a month. Orde requested that he be court-martialled in order that he might have the opportunity to clear his name. The Board refused. Orde then requested that St Vincent be brought before a court-martial. Again, the Board refused. The Board did go so far as to censure Jervis for not having supported his subordinates. Orde, unhappy with the outcome, challenged the earl to a duel. The challenge became public knowledge and the king ordered Jervis to decline. Before the challenge was formally declined, however, Orde wrote to the Board to inform them that he had withdrawn it. Neither side came out of the situation well. Had Nelson not won such an extraordinary victory at the Battle of the Nile, Jervis may have faced a court martial for not having supported Orde. Unfortunately for Orde, Nelson's victory was so complete that any criticism of Nelson or Jervis fell on deaf ears. Nelson naturally took Jervis's side and regarded Orde as a personal enemy but Orde maintained that it was the principle of the appointment he objected to, not the person who had been chosen. Greatly outnumbered, Orde retired, an act that earned him condemnation from some, Nelson included. Although technically correct, Orde's behaviour was not in accordance with the country's mood at the time and he was ordered to strike his flag. He never served at sea again.

Family

Sir John Orde was married twice, to Margaret Emma Stephens in 1781, who died in 1790; and Jane Frere in 1793, with whom he had two children: John Powlett Orde, born 9 June 1803 and Anna Maria Fenn Orde, born 1806.

References

  • Governors of Dominica
  • Sailing ships of the Royal Navy
  • Sir John Orde Papers. James Marshall and Marie-Louise Osborn Collection, Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library, Yale University.