Velters Cornewall Berkeley

Velters Cornewall Berkeley (c. 1754–1804) was an officer in the Royal Navy. He served in both the American and French Revolutionary Wars but never rose above the rank of Captain. He died at his home in Oxford in 1804, aged 50.

Family Velters Cornewall Berkeley was born in 1754,

Career

As a lieutenant, Berkeley commanded the 14-gun cutter Liberty in the North Sea between April 1780 and October 1782. He was master and commander of the 14-gun , a ship-sloop of the Swan-class, between July and August 1783. From 1784 he commanded the 14-gun in the Leeward Islands, then in March 1786 became temporary acting captain of the 38-gun frigate but did not make post and returned to the rank of commander in October. His last command as a lieutenant was in April 1790, serving in The Channel in the 16-gun . Berkeley was promoted to captain in September 1790 but remained in charge of Fury until November.

Invasion of Guadeloupe

Shortly after 5 April, Assurance joined Sir John Jervis' fleet at Martinique, in time to take part in the assault on Guadeloupe. Jervis' ships and 6,100 troops under Lieutenant-general Sir Charles Grey had captured the island in March and followed it up with a successful invasion of St Lucia on 4 April. Returning briefly to Martinique to collect reinforcements, including Berkeley and his crew, Jervis then took his fleet to Guadeloupe, forcing the capitulation of Grande-Terre on 12 April and Basse-Terre on 20 April.

Berkeley was in England at the beginning of August 1795, commissioning the newly constructed . She was taken down the Thames from Northfleet to Woolwich for coppering and fitting-out, and in January 1797 she sailed to join Admiral John Jervis' fleet, then in the Mediterranean.

Battle of Cape St Vincent Santisima Trinidad being rescued at the Battle of Cape St Vincent. Afterwards, Berkeley was assigned a squadron to capture her but did not succeed.

Emerald was too lightly built to take part in the Battle of Cape St Vincent, when Jervis' fleet of 15 ships-of-the-line engaged a Spanish fleet of 27 ships-of-the-line. Instead she anchored in nearby Lagos Bay, awaiting the outcome.

On 16 February, the victorious British fleet and its prizes entered the bay. Jervis gave Berkeley command of a squadron of three frigates and two smaller craft and sent him to search for the disabled flagship, Santisima Trinidad of 130 guns, which had been badly damaged and towed from the battle. On 20 February, Berkeley's squadron comprising Emerald, , and , of 40 and 32 guns respectively, Bonne-Citoyenne of 20 guns, and the 14-gun sighted Santisima Trinidad under tow by a large frigate and in the company of a brig. Even though he was joined shortly after by the 32-gun , Berkeley considered his force insufficient and declined to engage, recalling Minerve and Niger, whose captains were eager to attack.

Berkeley's reluctance infuriated some of his fellow officers who asked for a court-martial.

Action of 26 April 1797

Berkeley's Emerald was cruising off the Spanish coast with 74-gun when, at 06:00, two enemy frigates were spotted. The Spanish ships and had been carrying silver from Havana to Cadiz, but had transferred their cargo the previous night to a fishing boat that had warned them of the proximity of the British fleet.

The Spanish ships ran into Conil Bay, the entrance to which was protected by a large rocky ledge. Irresistible and Emerald rounded the ledge at around 14:30 and engaged the anchored Spanish ships. Ninfa and Santa Elena surrendered at approximately 16:00 with 18 killed and 30 wounded. Irresistible had one killed and one wounded; Emerald had no casualties. but the British were unable to retrieve the cargo of silver, which later arrived safely in Cadiz.

Berkeley died at his home in Oxford, in 1804, aged 50, still a captain.