Herbert Sawyer

Infobox Military Person
name=Herbert Sawyer
lived=fl. 1783 – 1833


caption=
placeofbirth =
placeofdeath =Bath, Somerset
nickname=
residence = United Kingdom
nationality = British
allegiance=Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland
serviceyears= – 1833
rank=Admiral
branch= Royal Navy
commands=HMS "Porcupine"
HMS "Pegasus"
HMS "Amphion"
HMS "Nassau"
HMS "Saturn"
HMS "Russell"
HMS "Juste"
North American Station
unit=
battles=Napoleonic Wars
awards=KCB
relations=Herbert Sawyer (Father)

Herbert Sawyer KCB (fl. 1783 – 1833) was an officer of the Royal Navy who saw service during the American Revolution, French Revolutionary War, the War of 1812 and the Napoleonic Wars. He eventually rose to the rank of Admiral.

Family and early life

Sawyer was born the eldest son of Admiral Herbert Sawyer, and followed his father into the navy. He saw service during the American Revolution, serving with his father who by this time was a captain, and commanded a number of ships during the war.New monthly magazine biography] By the end of the war the younger Sawyer was in command of the sloop HMS "Porcupine". He was promoted to Post-Captain in 1789, and took command of the 28-gun frigate HMS "Pegasus". He served aboard her on the North American Station, operating off Newfoundland. His father was the commander of the base at Halifax during this time.

ervice in the wars

On the outbreak of the war with France in 1793, Sawyer was commander of HMS "Amphion", moving to the 64-gun HMS "Nassau" in 1795. He sailed with "Nassau" as part of the North Sea Fleet until 1797, when he took command of the 74-gun HMS "Saturn". By 1799 he was commander of HMS "Russell", where he remained until the Spring of 1801. He then moved aboard HMS "Juste" and sailed to the West Indies with Sir Robert Calder's fleet. On Sawyer's return to Britain he was put in charge of the payment of ships based at Plymouth, a job he held until he was promoted to rear-admiral on 2 October 1807. By early 1810 he was made second in command of Portsmouth dockyard, and by the end of the year was again promoted, this time to the rank of vice-admiral. He was then appointed to the post of commander in chief of the North American Station, his father's old command, which he held during the War of 1812, before relinquishing it in 1813. He then became commander in chief of the base at Cork. He became a Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath on 2 January 1815, and was promoted to Admiral of the White in 1825. He died in Bath, Somerset in 1833.Laughton, ODNB]

Notes

References

* [http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=eUATAAAAYAAJ&pg=RA1-PA439&dq=Admiral+Herbert+Sawyer&lr=#PRA1-PA439,M1 Biography of Sawyer in "The New monthly magazine, and literary journal", 1833, at googlebooks.com]
* [http://www.oxforddnb.com.ezphost.dur.ac.uk/view/article/24755?docPos=4 Biography of his father, with mention of the younger Herbert Sawyer, by J. K. Laughton at the "Oxford Dictionary of National Biography"]
* [http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=jWUBAAAAQAAJ&pg=PA49&lpg=PA49&dq=Arthur+Batt+Bingham&source=web&ots=tMQSibF4fl&sig=HCsKXTKtsmLyXgrHgJlXQvOG7fE&hl=en&sa=X&oi=book_result&resnum=1&ct=result#PPA54,M1 Sawyer's role and examples of his orders in the events prior to the War of 1812 in the "Royal naval biography; or, Memoirs of the services of all the flag-officers, superannuated rear-admirals, retired captains, post-captains and commanders", John Marshall, 1829 - at googlebooks.com]
*Colledge