William Cornwallis
Royal Navy admiral (1744-1819) · Died at 75
Admiral Sir William Cornwallis, was a Royal Navy officer and politician. Cornwallis took part in a number of decisive battles including the siege of Louisbourg in 1758, when he was 14, and the Battle of the Saintes but is best known as a friend of Lord Nelson and as the commander-in-chief of the Channel Fleet during...
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Newlands Manor, Hampshire, Milford, family seat, c. 1900
Battle of Grenada 1781 Jean-François Hue
The Battle of the Saintes, 12 April 1782: surrender of the Ville de Paris by Thomas Whitcombe, painted 1783, shows Hood's HMS Barfleur, centre, attacking the French flagship Ville de Paris, right
First Battle of Groix 16 June 1795 by William Anderson
John Bull peeping into Brest, The caption above the French fleet reads: "Mercy on us what a Monster - he'll swallow all my ships at a mouthful. I hope he don't see me."Awards
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Cornwallis took part in a number of decisive battles including the siege of Louisbourg in 1758, when he was 14, and the Battle of the Saintes but is best known as a friend of Lord Nelson and as the commander-in-chief of the Channel Fleet during the Napoleonic Wars. He is depicted in the Horatio Hornblower novel, Hornblower and the Hotspur. His affectionate contemporary nickname from "the ranks" was Billy Blue, and a sea shanty was written during his period of service, reflecting the admiration his men had for him.