Giles Farndale
18 October 1713 (baptised) to 9 May 1741
FAR00137
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A press ganged
sailor in the Caribbean, who served on HMS Experiment between 1740 and
1742 and almost certainly fought in the battle for Cartagena de Indias, during
the War of Jenkins’ Ear, and died at sea.
The
Story of Giles Farndale is told as part of the Farndale
Story.
This page provides the more detailed research notes.
Dates are in red.
Hyperlinks to
other pages are in dark
blue.
Headlines of
Giles’ life are in brown.
References and
citations are in turquoise.
Context and local
history are in purple.
1713
Giles Farndale was baptised
at Whitby on 18 October 1813, the son of
Thomas and Sarah (nee Perkins) Farndale (FAR00118), carpenter (PR).
1740
Giles Farndale served
in the Royal Navy. It seems very likely that he was press-ganged at Whitby,
probably in 1740 when he would have been 27 years old. The Muster Book for HMS Experiment,
a brig with a compliment of 130, shows Giles Farndell as No 101 Able Seaman, impressed on 29 Jun 1740.
Press gang, mid eighteenth century
Since Giles was not recorded as from another ship
he probably had not served on another ship beforehand.
The Experiment was commissioned under Captain Hughes at Deptford between March
and June 1740. On 29 June 1740
the ‘Experiment’ was at The Nore (see below), where Giles Farndell (or
Farndale; he is listed under both names in different Muster Books), came on
complement. From there she sailed for
Port Royal, Jamaica (see below) where she arrived on 15 September 1740.
From there until June 1741 the ship was either in Port Royal, at sea, or in
Cartagena (Adm 36/1081 & 1082).
Thirteen ships of the Royal Navy have borne the name HMS "Experiment".
HMS
Experiment of 1740 was a 24 gun, sixth rate ship, of the Royal Navy.
She was launched on 18 April 1740 and sold in 1763. At the time of her commissioning and during
the relevant period of the Spanish wars, she was described as a 20 gun vessel.
She was built in Plymouth dockyard by Henry Bird.
She had a keel of 87 feet and a breadth of 30 feet. She had a
total length of gundeck of 106 feet. On her upper gun deck she had twenty British
nine pounders. On the lower gun deck there were a further 2 British nine
pounders. On her quarterdeck were two British three pounders. So although described as a 20 gun vessel, she
did in fact have twenty four.
In historical naval usage, a long gun was the standard type
of cannon mounted by a sailing vessel, distinguished from the much shorter
carronades. The long gun was known for its increased range and improved
mobility. This allowed the long gun to establish itself as the best form of
artillery to pursue an enemy.
Cannons were fired through a laborious process that involved a
large crew. The process began by cleaning out the barrel of the cannon with a
wet swab. This ensured that any left over embers from the last firing were
extinguished before the gunpowder was put in. Once the barrel was clean, the
gunpowder was put into the base of the cannon, either loosely or in cloth bags.
A piece of cloth or rope was put in after the gunpowder to ensure that it stayed
tightly packed. This was quite a coarse grained powder for a longer duration of
burn. The cannon ball followed then there was added a piece of wool or cotton.
This secondary piece of cotton helped to keep the cannonball in place and
secure with the explosives.
Long guns, were extremely heavy when fully loaded and ready
to fire, and had to be moved into position after being loaded. This typically
took the full effort from the group of men. The cannon was then pushed forward
until it was in full contact with the side of the ship, and the barrel was
pointed through the gun port.
Once in position, a small hole in the back of the cannon was
lined with a small amount of gunpowder. This process was called priming. From
there, the cannon operator stood back from the cannon and held a string until
the cannon was lined up with the enemy's ship. Once aimed in the right
direction, the operator pulled the lanyard in order to fire the gun. The gun
could typically only be fired two to three times in five minutes, so it was
important to hit target.
In informal usage, the length was combined with the weight of
shot, yielding terms like long nines, referring to full-length,
9-pounder guns
HMS Experiment had a
complement of 140 men.
Stastically it seems most likely that
Giles Farndale was part of the gun crew.
In addition to the captain, James Rentone, Lieutenant Thomas
Cleland served from 17 April 1740, who had been in service since 1735.
(The Ipswich Journal,
28 June 1740)
She later captured the French
HMS Experiment taking the Telemaque, 8 July 1757
Giles
Farndale is shown in the Muster Book of HMS Experiment a brig with a compliment
of 130 officers and men as impressed (ie Press-Ganged), on 29 June 1740, almost
certainly at Whitby. He is present every day until 9th May 1741 when he is
marked Discharged Dead. No circumstances are recorded which probably means that
he died of sickness. The Captain was Captain Hughes. Giles Farndale joined her
at ‘The Nore’ from where she sailed to the West Indies and was at Port Royal on
15th September 1740. From there she was either at sea, at Port Royal or at
Cartagena. I have his will and more details about his family if you would like
them?
(The Ipswich Journal, 26 July 1740)
(The Gloucester Journal, 5 August 1740)
Giles’
Farndale’s Captain on the Experiment was Captain Rentone. Captain James Rentone
(1702 to 1748) was born in Scotland in October 1702. He first known service was
on 30 April 1718. He was married with a wife and daughter, both called
Elizabeth. He took command of the then 20 gun HMS Experiment on 17 April
1740 and continued in command of that vessel until 3 June 1741, after which he
took command of the Rippon. He was engaged in operations against the town
of Cartegena from 4 March 1741 until May 1741.
The Nore is a sandbank at
the mouth of the Thames Estuary, England.
It marks the point where the River Thames meets
the North Sea,
roughly halfway between Havengore Creek in Essex and Warden Point on the Isle of Sheppey in
Kent. The Nore gives its name to the anchorage, or open roadstead,
used by the Royal Navy's North Sea Fleet, and to the RN Command based
there. It was the site of a notorious
mutiny in 1797. The Nore is a hazard to shipping, so in 1732 the
world's first lightship was moored over it in an experiment by Robert
Hamblin, who patented the idea. The Nore
has been the site of a Royal Navy anchorage since the age of sail,
being adjacent to both the city and port of London and
to the Medway,
England's principal naval base and dockyard on the North Sea.
In
June 1740, HMS Experiment was commissioned under Captain Hughes at Deptford,
and then sailed to The Nore, an anchorage in the Thames estuary. From
there, the ship sailed for Port Royal, Jamaica, where it arrived on
15 September 1740. The ship was part of a squadron sent
to the Caribbean to support Admiral Vernon's operations against the Spanish
during the War of Jenkins' Ear.
Port Royal is a village located at the
end of the Palisadoes at the mouth of the Kingston Harbour, in southeastern Jamaica. Founded in 1518 by the Spanish, it was once the largest city in
the Caribbean, functioning as the centre of shipping and commerce in the
Caribbean Sea by the latter half of the 17th century. It was destroyed by
an earthquake on June
7, 1692, which had an accompanying tsunami. Severe hurricanes have regularly
damaged it. Port Royal was once home to privateers who were encouraged to
attack Habsburg Spain's vessels at a time when smaller European powers dared not
make war on Spain directly. As a port city, it was notorious for its gaudy
displays of wealth and loose morals. It was a popular homeport for the English
and Dutch-sponsored privateers to spend their treasure during the 17th century.
When those governments abandoned the practice of issuing letters of marque to privateers against the
Spanish treasure fleets and possessions in the later 16th century, many of the
crews turned pirate. They continued to use the city as their main base during
the 17th century. Pirates from around the world congregated at Port Royal,
coming from waters as far away as Madagascar.
An 18th-century pirate flag (Calico Jack Rackham).
Port Royal provided a safe harbour initially for privateers and subsequently for pirates plying the shipping lanes to and from Spain and Panama. Buccaneers found Port Royal appealing for several reasons. Its
proximity to trade routes allowed them easy access to prey, but the most
important advantage was the port's proximity to several of the only safe
passages or straits giving access to the Spanish Main from the Atlantic.
The harbour was large enough to accommodate their ships and provided a
place to careen and repair these vessels. It was also ideally situated
for launching raids on Spanish settlements. From Port Royal, Christopher Myngs sacked Campeche and Henry Morgan attacked Panama, Portobello, and Maracaibo. Additionally, buccaneers Roche Brasiliano, John Davis and Edward Mansvelt used Port Royal as a base of operations.
Since the English lacked sufficient troops to prevent either
the Spanish or French from seizing it, the Jamaican governors eventually turned to the pirates to defend
the city. By the 1660s the city
had, for some, become a pirate utopia and
had gained a reputation as the "Sodom of
the New World", where most residents were pirates, cutthroats, or prostitutes. When Charles Leslie wrote
his history of Jamaica, he included a description of the pirates of Port Royal.
Following Henry Morgan’s appointment as lieutenant
governor, Port Royal began to change. Pirates were no longer needed to defend
the city. The selling of slaves took on greater importance.
Upstanding citizens disliked the reputation the city had acquired. In 1687, Jamaica passed anti-piracy laws.
Consequently, instead of being a safe haven for pirates, Port Royal became
noted as their place of execution. Gallows Point welcomed many to their death, including Charles Vane and Calico Jack, who were hanged in 1720. About
five months later, the famous woman pirate Mary Read died in the Jamaican prison in
Port Royal. Two years later, 41 pirates met their death in one month.
Under British rule the Royal Navy made use of a careening wharf at Port Royal and
rented a building on the foreshore to serve as a storehouse. From 1675, a
resident Naval Officer was appointed to oversee these facilities; however,
development was cut short by the 1692 earthquake. After the earthquake, an
attempt was made to establish a naval base at Port Antonio instead, but the climate
there proved disagreeable. From 1735,
Port Royal once more became the focus of the Admiralty's attention. New wharves and storehouses were built at
this time, as well as housing for the officers of the Yard. Over the next
thirty years, more facilities were added: cooperages, workshops, sawpits, and accommodation (including a
canteen) for the crews of ships being careened there. A Royal Naval Hospital was also established on land a little to the west of
the Naval Yard; and by the end of the 18th century a small Victualling Yard had been added to the east
(prior to this ships had had to go to Kingston and other settlements to take
on supplies).
Admiral
Vernon was a Royal Navy officer and politician who lived from 1684 to
1757. He had a long and distinguished career, rising to the rank of admiral
after 46 years of service. He was known for his bold and aggressive actions
against the Spanish and the French during the War of the Spanish Succession,
the War of Jenkins' Ear, and the War of the Austrian Succession.
He was also famous for introducing grog, a mixture of rum
and water, to his sailors to prevent scurvy and drunkenness. He earned the
nickname of "Old Grog" because he wore coats made of grogram
cloth. He was a member of parliament for Penryn and Ipswich, and was
outspoken on naval matters in parliament, making him a controversial figure.
He
was a friend and patron of James Cook, the explorer and navigator, who
served under him as a master's mate on HMS Pembroke during the capture of
Louisburg in 1758. He was also the eponym of George Washington's estate
Mount Vernon, which was named after him by Washington's brother Lawrence
who served under him in the Caribbean.
Admiral
Vernon was a leading commander in the War of Jenkins' Ear, which was a
conflict between Britain and Spain over trade and colonial disputes in the
Caribbean and North America. He was appointed as the commander-in-chief of
the Jamaica Station in 1739, with orders to attack Spanish commerce and
settlements.
He
achieved his most famous victory in November 1739, when he captured
the port of Porto Bello in Panama with only six ships, against a much
larger Spanish force. This exploit made him a national hero in Britain, and he
was awarded the Freedom of the City of London and a medal by Parliament.
(The Newcastle Weekly Courant, 8 November 1740) (The
Gloucester Journal, 11 November 1740)
1741
Giles was present
at every muster until 9 May 1741 when he is marked ‘DD’ (Discharged Dead). The
later records suggest he died in January 1742, but this was probably the time
of the first formal record of his death.
(The Ipswich Journal, 24 January 1741) (The
Caledonian Mercury, 3 February 1741) (The Gloucester Journal,
3 February 1741)
(The Ipswich Journal, 7 February 1741) (The
Newcastle Weekly Courant, 7 February 1741)
Admiral Vernon suffered his most humiliating defeat
in March 1741,
when he led a large amphibious operation against the port of Cartagena de
Indias in Colombia. Despite having a superior naval and land force, he was
unable to overcome the strong Spanish defences led by Blas de Lezo, and was
forced to withdraw after losing thousands of men to disease and combat.
He
also attempted to invade Cuba in 1741, but failed to take Santiago de
Cuba and Havana. He then returned to Jamaica, where he remained until 1742. He
was recalled to Britain in 1746, and retired from active service.
The Battle of Cartagena de Indias was a major naval and land engagement that took
place in March 1741, during the War of Jenkins' Ear. It was part of
Admiral Vernon's attempt to capture the Spanish port city of Cartagena de
Indias, which was a key trading and military centre in the Caribbean.
Vernon had a large force of 29 ships of the line,
22 frigates, 71 sloops-of-war, 80 troop ships, and 50 merchant ships,
carrying about 12,000 soldiers and 15,000 sailors. He also had the
support of 4,000 colonial troops from Virginia and Jamaica.
The Spanish defenders were led by Admiral Blas de
Lezo, a veteran officer who had lost an eye, an arm, and a leg in previous
battles. He had only 6 ships of the line and about 2,700 soldiers and 600
sailors, but he also had the advantage of strong fortifications around the city
and the bay. He also had the help of 600 Indian archers and some local militia.
The battle lasted for more than two months, and involved several naval and land attacks by the
British, as well as counterattacks by the Spanish. The British managed to
capture some of the outer forts and batteries, but they failed to breach the
main defences of the city. They also suffered heavy losses from disease,
especially yellow fever and malaria.
The British finally gave up on 20 May 1741, after a failed assault on the Castillo San Felipe
de Barajas, the largest fort in the city. They retreated with about
9,500–11,500 dead and 7,500 wounded. The Spanish lost about 800 dead and 1,200
wounded.
The
battle was a decisive victory for Spain, and a major setback for Britain. It
prevented Britain from gaining control of the Caribbean trade and colonies, and
it boosted the morale and prestige of Spain. It also showed that Spain could
defend its interests against a superior naval power.
Presumably Giles
took part in the Battle for Cartagena de Indias.
(The Newcastle Courant, 16 May 1741)
(The Caledonian Mercury, 14 July 1741)
1742
Giles Farndale of Whitby, a
mariner, died on board the HMS Experiment in January 1742 (Borthwick Institute, York Prerogative & Exchequer
Courts, Will, vol.87, f., Index reference 1741031745070083.tif/1, Prerogative
& Exchequer Courts Of York Probate Index, 1688-1858)
.
1741/2. January. Farndale, Giles of Whitby, but dying in board the
Experiment, Mariner. Acual 20 L.
Giles Farndale, deceased of Port Whitby,
mariner, died on board HMS ‘Experiment.’
Will: ‘Know all men that we Thomas Farndale of Whitby in the County of
York, carpenter, Robert Easton of Whitby aforesaid Master Mariner and Edward
Brand of Whitby aforesaid Mariner………£31…….dated 25 Jan 1742. The condition of
this obligation is that the above bound Thomas Farndale, father, next of kin
and administrator of all goods, chattels and credits of Giles Farndale, late of
the Parish of Whitby, in the Diocese of York, Mariner deceased, who died at
sea in His Majesty’s service belonging to HMS Experiment.
Signed Thomas Farndalle
INVENTORY:
Apparel £2 10s 0d
Wages £13 0s 0d
(Cleveland Act Books
1700-70)
After Giles’ death
(The Derby Mercury, 24 February 1742)
(The Gloucester Journal, 30 November 1742)
(The Gloucester Journal, 1
March 1743)