Alexander Thomas Emeric Vidal

Infobox Military Person
name=Alexander Thomas Emeric Vidal
lived=1792 – 5 February 1863


caption=
placeofbirth =
placeofdeath =Clifton
nickname=
residence = United Kingdom
nationality = British
allegiance=United Kingdom of
Great Britain and Ireland
serviceyears=1803 – 1863
rank=Vice-Admiral
branch= Royal Navy
commands=HMS|Barracouta|1820|6
HMS|Aetna|1824|6
HMS|Styx
HMY "William & Mary"
unit=
battles=
awards=
relations=

Alexander Thomas Emeric Vidal (1792 – 5 February 1863) was an officer of the Royal Navy. He became an accomplished surveyor, and reached the rank of vice-admiral.

Early life

Vidal was born in 1792, the youngest of four children of Emeric Vidal, who served in the Royal Navy. Alexander followed his father, embarking on a naval career in December 1803 when he joined HMS|Illustrious|1803|6 as a 1st class volunteer.cite book |last=Dawson |title=Memoirs of Hydrography |pages=pp. 94-5] He served alternately under Sir Charles Hamilton, Michael Seymour and W. Shield. He initially served in the English Channel, off the north coast of Spain and in the West Indies, until November 1805. He later joined the Royal Naval College at Portsmouth, before joining HMS|Lavinia in November 1809. Here he served under Lord William Stuart, and George Digby. He spent three years aboard the "Lavinia" at the rank of midshipman, and saw service in the Mediterranean and West Indies, and at Cadiz and Lisbon.

Promotion

He then served on the Home Station, successively aboard HMS|Salvador del Mundo, HMS|Niobe|1800|6, HMS|Cornwall|1812|6, HMS|Namur|1756|6, HMS|Bann and HMS|Conway|1813|6. He sailed aboard the "Conway" to the North American Station, and on arrival, spent time on the Great Lakes working in a surveying role. He was briefly employed as flag-lieutenant to Commodore Sir Edward Owen, before receiving his commission, dated February 1815. He was appointed to HMS|Leven in August 1818, rising to the post of first lieutenant under William Owen. The death of Commander Cudlip led to Vidal being appointed to his first command, that of HMS|Barracouta|1820|6, and in May 1823 he was confirmed with promotion to the rank of Commander. He accompanied Owen on his voyage to Africa and on his return to England in October 1825, he was promoted to post-captain.

Hunt for Aitkin's Rock

Aitkin's Rock was a supposed rock in the North Atlantic. Despite being observed and named by a merchant, it had not been reliably charted, and expeditions, by HMS|Gannet|1814|6 in 1824; HMS|Harrier|1813|6 and HMS|Badger|1808|6 in 1827; and HMS|Pylades|1824|6 and HMS|Dispatch|1812|6 had all failed to locate it. In the summer of 1830, the Admiralty placed Vidal in command of HMS|Onyx|1822|6 and HMS|Leveret|1825|6 and ordered him to investigate. There had been at least seven separate reports of the potential hazard, said to be small and protruding only about four feet from the water. Francis Beaufort worked out a rough position for the rock and Vidal set out to investigate. He spent six weeks charting the supposed locations and all of the positions in between, without discovering any evidence. Satisfied that the rock was a mere vigia, he returned to port. During his surveys in search of the rock, he discovered and charted Vidal bank, and the next year became the first to accurately chart and describe Rockall.cite book |last=Blunt |title=Dangers and Ice of the North Atlantic Ocean |pages=p. 1]

African mapping

Vidal sailed aboard HMS|Aetna|1824|6 in December 1835, carrying 12 chronometers. He intended to calculate the meridian distances to the Cape Verde Islands, and the west coast of Africa. He eventually carried out detailed surveys all along the African coast, so that by 1838 the Secretary of the Royal Geographical Society could remark of the survey that

This tedious undertaking is drawing to a close, and will then be of equal utility to the fair traders and the anti-slavery cruisers. It is fortunately in the hands of such a man as Captain Vidal, R.N., who has steadily devoted himself during a long period of ill-health, to complete this unpopular work, and to connect with it a minute examination of the Canary Islands.

Vidal then carried out surveys of the Azores aboard HMS|Styx from September 1841 until January 1845. He then moved aboard the yacht "William & Mary" to complete the work.

Later life and legacy

Vidal was promoted to rear-admiral on 27 January 1851, and vice-admiral on 17 June 1859. He had married Sarah Antoinette, daughter of Henry Veicht of Madeira, in October 1839, during his time in Canada. [ [http://www.pdavis.nl/ShowBiog.php?id=101 Biography of Vidal] ] He died at Clifton on 5 February 1863, aged 73. The survey ship HMS|Vidal, launched in 1951, was named in his honour.cite book |last=Colledge |title=Ships of the Royal Navy |pages=p. 374] In 1955 a party from HMS "Vidal" were landed on Rockall to claim it as part of the United Kingdom, thus claiming the islet that Alexander Vidal had first surveyed over a hundred years before.cite book |last=Sharma |title=Territorial Acquisition |pages=p. 63]

Notes

References

*cite book |first=Llewellyn Styles|last=Dawson|title=Memoirs of Hydrography: Including Brief Biographies of the Principal Officers who Have Served in H.M. Naval Surveying Service Between the Years 1750 and 1885: Part I: 1750-1830 |accessdate=2008-09-13 |year= |publisher=H.W. Keay |pages=pp. 94–5 |chapter=Vice-Admiral A. E. T. Vidal, R. N.
*cite book |first=George William|last=Blunt|title=Memoir of the Dangers and Ice of the North Atlantic Ocean |accessdate=2008-09-13 |year=1848 |publisher=E. & G.W. Blunt |pages=p. 1 |chapter=Description of the Rocks and Banks of the North Atlantic
*Colledge
* [http://www.pdavis.nl/ShowBiog.php?id=101 Biography of Vidal]
*cite book |first=Surya Prakash|last=Sharma|title=Territorial Acquisition, Disputes, and International Law: Territorial Acquisition, Disputes and International Law|accessdate=2008-09-13 |year=1997 |publisher=Martinus Nijhoff Publishers |pages=p. 63