John Rivett-Carnac

Admiral John Rivett-Carnac or John Rivett Carnac (27 June 1796–1 January 1869) was an officer in the Royal Navy who became an early explorer in Western Australia. He later attained the rank of admiral.

John Rivett-Carnac was born in Bombay, India on 27 June 1796. The son of James Rivett, among his brothers was James Rivett-Carnac who would become the 1st Baronet of Derby and a Governor of Bombay. John Rivett-Carnac emigrated to England with his mother in 1804.

He entered the Royal Naval College at Portsmouth in 1810, and in 1813 was appointed midshipman on the 38-gun "Junon". He saw action in the War of 1812, taking part in operations under Sir George Cockburn and Lieutenant Philip Westphal. In October 1814 he joined the 38-gun "Sybille", with whom he went to Greenland to search for Commodore William L. Rodgers. He later transferred to the 74-gun "Berwick", then the 98-gun "Boyne", and finally the 100-gun "Queen Charlotte". After passing his Navy examinations in May 1816, he was involved in the Bombardment of Algiers. From 1816 to 1818, Rivett-Carnac served as an admiralty-midshipman on the "Inconstant", and later on the "Vengeur". One 1 October 1818 he was promoted to lieutenant in the "Albion". In January 1819 he joined the "Racehorse", and in November 1821 transferred to the "Rochfort". He served on that ship until August 1825, when he was transferred to the "Galatea". On 23 January 1826, John Rivett-Carnac joined HMS "Success" under Captain (later Admiral Sir) James Stirling as First Lieutenant. Three months later he married Maria Jane Davis at St. Marylebone, London.

Rivett-Carnac was on board the "Success" in March 1827 when the "Success" arrived at the Swan River in what is now Western Australia, to undertake the Swan River expedition of 1827, an exploring expedition for the purpose of assessing the area's suitability for establishing a British colony there. The "Success" explored the coastal waters off the Swan, during which time Stirling renamed the island named "Isle Berthelot" by the French in 1801 to Carnac Island in honour of Rivett-Carnac. Stirling then formed a party to explore up the Swan River, leaving the "Success" under Rivett-Carnac's command.

In April 1827, Rivett-Carnac received a military award and was promoted to Commander. Later that year, the "Success" spent two months in Penang, during which time sickness hit the crew. Rivett-Carnac was so ill that on 1 November he was sent home on half pay. In September 1830 he was appointed Second-Captain on the "Wellesley". After leaving the ship in January 1832 he did not go to sea again, settling in London.

Rivett-Carnac was promoted to Captain on 1 October 1837, Rear-Admiral on 18 June 1857, and Vice-Admiral on 30 November 1863. He was promoted to full Admiral on 8 April 1868, but died eight months later on 1 January 1869.

Although widely referred to in Western Australian sources as "John Rivett Carnac", sources relating to his later career refer to him as "John Rivett-Carnac". It is known that some of his brothers adopted "Carnac" as a surname, treating the "Rivett" as an extra forename, and it is probable that John did the same in his early career, but reverted to the hyphenated surname in later life.Fact|date=February 2007

References

*cite book|first=Pamela|last=Statham-Drew|year=2003|title=James Stirling: Admiral and Founding Governor of Western Australia|publisher=University of Western Australia Press|location=Nedlands, Western Australia|id=ISBN 1-876268-94-8
*cite web|title=The Usher Family of Scotland Admiral John Rivett-Carnac|url=http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~usher/ushersct/58.htm|accessdate=9 March|accessyear=2006

Persondata
NAME=Rivett-Carnac, John
ALTERNATIVE NAMES=Carnac, John Rivett
SHORT DESCRIPTION=sea explorer
DATE OF BIRTH=27 June 1796
PLACE OF BIRTH=Mumbai, India
DATE OF DEATH=1 January 1869
PLACE OF DEATH=