George Eyre

Vice-Admiral Sir George Eyre (23 April 1769 – 15 February 1839) was an officer of the Royal Navy who saw service during the American War of Independence and the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, eventually rising to the rank of Vice-Admiral of the Red.

Eyre served with James King in the Caribbean during the American War of Independence, seeing action in a number of engagements. With the conclusion of the war, he was based at times at Halifax, and later off the South American coast and in the Mediterranean. With the outbreak of the French Revolutionary Wars, Eyre served in the Mediterranean and was involved in the Siege of Toulon, before being given his first command, the 14-gun brig-sloop . The command was short-lived, and Speedy was chased down and captured by a large French fleet. Taken into captivity, Eyre and his men endured harsh conditions until being exchanged back to Britain. Acquitted for the loss of his ship and given a new command, Eyre went out to the West Indies, but returned to Britain in 1799 and saw little further employment until 1806, when he joined the Mediterranean fleet and was active off the coast of Spain, supporting Spanish resistance to the French.

In 1809, he went to the Adriatic and took part in the campaign there, helping to capture several islands. He launched an assault on Santa Maura and was wounded during the operations. After participating in the blockade of Corfu he returned to the Spanish coast and resumed operations there in support of the Spanish partisans. Returning to England again in 1811, he went ashore and was not actively employed for the rest of the Napoleonic Wars, though he received a knighthood and was later appointed a Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath. He returned to service in 1823, commanding the South American station during a time of particular diplomatic difficulties, and on returning home in 1826 retired ashore owing to illness. He died in 1839.

Family and early life George Eyre was born the fourth and youngest son of politician Anthony Eyre, who had represented the constituency of Boroughbridge in a number of parliaments, and his wife, Judith Laetitia Bury. George's elder brother, Anthony Hardolph Eyre, also entered politics and represented Nottinghamshire during the 1800s. On being spotted the two ships cut their cables and stood to the southwest, upon which Resistance promptly gave chase. The rearmost ship, carrying 20 guns, sprang her main topmast, and surrendered after Resistance came up and fired a broadside. She then gave chase to the other, carrying 28 guns, and after enduring fire from her stern chasers, came alongside and the Frenchman promptly surrendered. The ships were discovered to be two transports that had taken troops to Turks Island, garrisoning it with 530 men. One of the ships, the 28-gun Coquette was commanded by the Marquis de Grasse, nephew of the Comte de Grasse. Eyre returned to Britain with Resistance in 1786, and the following year joined the 44-gun under Captain Francis Parry. Eyre replied that they had not, on which he was told by Martin that "...I must tell you that it is now un guerre à mort [a war to the death]; and if I had been the first to come alongside of you, I should have instantly sent you to the bottom." After three weeks in this state, they were marched to Aix-en-Provence and were confined in the prison there. He went out with Sir Hugh Cloberry Christian to the West Indies and took part in the reduction of Saint Lucia.

Napoleonic Wars

Spanish coast Lord Cochrane, a later commander of Eyre's first command Speedy. Eyre helped to evacuate his garrison from Roses. Eyre was then unemployed for a while, with the exception of a brief period in temporary command of from 11 February to 18 March 1801, succeeding Thomas Hardy and in turn being succeeded by William Wolseley. He finally received a posting in July 1806 when he was appointed to the 64-gun , but was soon moved to command the newly built 74-gun . Magnificent initially served with the Channel Fleet, which was then under Admiral Lord St Vincent, before going out to the Bay of Biscay with Sir Eliab Harvey's squadron. Eyre moved to the Mediterranean in June 1807, coming under Lord Collingwood's orders while stationed off Cádiz. The French withdrew to a citadel, protected by three redoubts, which the British attacked. During the heavy fighting Eyre was hit in the head by a musket ball and knocked to the ground, narrowly avoiding death as three other balls passed through his clothing.

With the islands secure Eyre enforced the blockade of Corfu. On 6 February 1811 he encountered an enemy relief convoy bound from Otranto to Corfu, consisting of 25 ships. Eyre arrived in England in 1812, his health having been affected by his five years on a foreign station, and requested and received permission to go ashore. As a mark of his services in the Adriatic and off Spain he was knighted by King George III. His actions in the region included signing treaties with Spain and Portugal involving the prevention of illegal slave trafficking. He stepped down after the expiration of his posting and was succeeded by Admiral Sir Robert Otway. Sir George Eyre died on 15 February 1839 at the rectory, Carlton, Derbyshire. She went on to serve with the French and Papal navies until being broken up in 1807. c. Magnificent arrived on 2 December in company with the bomb vessel , joining , and HMS Imperieuse. Cochrane and the garrison were evacuated on 5 December.