Anson, G Adm.
NAME: Anson, George
NICKNAME/ALIAS: Admiral of the Fleet, Lord Anson
DATE AND PLACE OF BIRTH: April 23, 1697, Shugborough Park, Staffordshire, England
DATE/PLACE OF DEATH/AGE AT DEATH: June 6, 1762, Moor Park, Hertfordshire, England. Aged 65
DISCIPLINE: Admiral
FIELD: Military
LANGUAGE: English
PARENTS: William Anson; Isabella Carrier
SIBLINGS: Thomas
SPOUSE: Lady Elizabeth Yorke (daughter of Lord Hardwicke, the Lord Chancellor)
CHILDREN: None
EDUCATION: Private tutors
ACHIEVEMENT(S): His reforms as a naval administrator increased the efficiency of the British fleet and contributed to its success in the Seven Years' War
MAJOR WORK: "Voyage Round the World"
LIFE AND TIMES:
Anson joined the Royal Navy at 15 and by the time he was 19, was serving as midshipman bound for the Baltic. In 1722, at 25, he was made commander of the sloop "Weasel", which was employed in the North Sea against Dutch smugglers. Two years later, he was promoted to captain, appointed to the frigate "Scarborough", and sent out to South Carolina to protect the coast and British commerce against pirates and Spanish cruisers.
The seas were relatively quiet during the six years he patrolled them, but he was so popular with the American colonists that a county in North Carolina was later named after him. After alternating service between the English Channel and the South Carolina coast, he was sent to the west coast of Africa in 1737 to protect English merchant ships from attacks by the French.
Recalled to England in 1739, when the War of Jenkins' Ear* broke out with Spain, Anson was given the command of a squadron of six ships and sent to the Pacific to "annoy" the Spanish as much as possible. At Manila, Philippines, he joined up with the squadron led by Admiral Edward Vernon.
In June, 1740, Anson got orders to return to England, then lead an expedition around Cape Horn. His mission was to destroy Spanish shipping and trade along the Pacific coast, attack Callao, Panama, and other points across the isthmus (for which he would be given 500 land troops), and capture the Manila treasure galleon that sailed each year from Acapulco, Mexico, carrying silver across the Pacific to the Philippines, and bringing back Chinese silks and spices.
Anson sailed for the Pacific in September, 1740, having been able to muster only 259 land troops and six under-manned and ill-equipped ships. The voyage was remarkable if only for the tenacity and courage of its commander. The expedition suffered huge losses from sickness. Anson lost three ships rounding Cape Horn during the harsh winter months, and the crews of the remaining three ships suffered from fevers and scurvy. The remaining ships met up at Juan Fernandez Island where the seamen, by eating fresh fish and vegetables, regained their health. With only three ships, and 323 men, Anson went on to capture several Spanish merchant ships, and then to raid Spanish mining settlements, the most famous being Paita, on the coast of Chile.
Finally, with all survivors gathered on one ship, the "Centurion", Anson in June, 1743, caught up with the Spanish treasure galleon, the "Nuestra Senora de Covadonga", near the Philippines and captured it, despite being outnumbered three to one. Anson took everything of value on board and sold the prize in Canton, China, the "Centurion" being the first British warship to enter Chinese waters.
On the return journey, Anson lost a large part of his remaining crew to scurvy. Of the 2,000 men who had left England in 1740, fewer than 200 returned. Noting how the health of his crew returned after consuming the citrus fruits of Madeira, he became convinced that fresh fruit and vegetables were essential to ward off scurvy. This was 50 years before the same observation by James Lind* was finally acknowledged as true by the Admiralty.
When Anson arrived back in England in 1744, 30 wagons were needed to haul the "pieces of eight" and silver bars from the Spanish galleon to the Tower of London. Anson and his officers, even the ordinary seamen and ship's boys were all made wealthy by their shares of the prize, and were celebrated as heroes.
In 1748, Anson published an account of his experiences, "Voyage Round the World". In 1745, he was promoted to rear-admiral and was given a position on the board of the Admiralty. In 1745, he was elected a Member of Parliament, a post he held until 1747. He purchased an estate at Moor Park, Hertfordshire, which was landscaped by "Capability" Brown*.
Back at sea in 1747, Anson employed brilliant tactics to defeat a French fleet and capture six of nine French warships escorting a convoy. For this, he was made a Baron. His last sea command was in 1758.
Anson introduced the classification of warships into six rates, distinguishing line-of-battle ships from the frigates of the 5th and 6th rates. The system endured until the British Navy no longer fought under sail. He was also instrumental in introducing the blue and white uniform for officers in 1748, and in 1751 he was made First Lord of the Admiralty. (He was fired by Pitt* in 1756, but returned as First Lord from 1757-62.)
In 1755, he created the permanent corps of marines under the direction of the Admiralty. He is credited with the increased efficiency of the Navy in the Seven Years' War (1756-1763). He was also a talented strategist, and was largely responsible for the maintenance of a western squadron to blockade Brest, an important factor in Britain's subsequent maritime success. He was appointed Admiral of the Fleet in 1761.
ASSESSMENT: Widely recognized as the Father of the British Navy
EXTRA CONNECTIONS: He admired Rodney*
Was commanded by John Montagu*
His subordinate was Adm. John Byron*
ONELINER: Admiral Anson, reformer of the British Navy
BIBLIOGRAPHY:
EB, DNB
Pack, S.W.C., Admiral Lord Anson, London: Cassell, 1960