John Nevell

Vice-Admiral John Nevell (or Neville, Nevill or Nevil; died 17 August 1697) was an officer in the Royal Navy. He is best known for the failed attempt to intercept the treasure-laden fleet of Pointis after the raid on Cartagena in 1697. He died later that year in Virginia from yellow fever.

Origins and early career

Nevell was descended from a junior branch of the Nevilles of Abergavenny, being the great grandson of Henry Nevill, 6th Baron Bergavenny. He served as a volunteer during the early part of the Third Anglo-Dutch War, and promoted to lieutenant aboard the captured French vessel in 1673. part of the Mediterranean squadron commanded by Sir John Narborough. He spent the next two years as second in command in the Mediterranean, first under Edward Russell, then under George Rooke.

On arrival at Cádiz, Nevell was ordered to sail for Madeira where he would rendezvous with a squadron under second-in-command George Mees before heading for the West Indies to intercept de Pointis. The junction was made, and the combined fleet arrived in Barbados on 17 April before pushing on to reach Antigua on 3 May. Here, a council of war determined that their next destination should be Puerto Rico, but soon after news arrived that de Pointis had left Hispaniola with a fleet of 26 ships. Consequently, Nevell headed for Jamaica, both to take on fresh water and to defend it from possible attack. It was while off the eastern end of this island on 15 May that Nevell first heard of de Pointis' attack on Cartagena. It was conveyed to Jamaica and found to contain plate, gunpowder and slaves worth a total of £200,000 . On another occasion the got close enough to capture a flyboat.

Nevell abandoned the chase and returned to Cartagena on 1 June to find that de Pointis' buccaneer allies had returned to the city and sacked it again. Nevell had difficulty persuading the inhabitants to leave the woods in which they had hidden and return to their homes. From there the fleet went to Havana, intending to escort the Spanish treasure fleet back to Europe. On the way, Mees was detached to attack Petit-Goâve on Haiti. The raid took place on 23 June, and resulted in the firing of the town. The fleet reunited a few days later, but Mees fell ill with fever and died on 20 July.

The fleet arrived in Havana on 23 July, fever-wracked and in need of water and repairs, but the governor refused them entry to the port. The "general of the galleons" commanding the treasure fleet declined Nevell's offer of an escort, saying that he had no orders that would warrant him accepting such protection. Disappointed, and falling prey to illness himself, Nevell headed for Florida and then Virginia, where he died whilst anchored in the James River on 17 August 1697. He was buried in the Elizabeth City county church on the same day. He left a wife, Mary Nevell, and two daughters, Mary and Elizabeth. The fever had claimed the lives of the admiral, six Royal Navy captains and 1300 sailors, in the Dutch part of the fleet all but one of the captains died. It fell to one of the surviving British captains, Thomas Dilkes to lead the fleet home.

John Charnock describes Nevell as "a man of approved courage, ability, and integrity, against whom the only charge the bitterest of his enemies could with propriety make, was, that he was unfortunate".