New book about admiral held prisoner in Greenwich prior to trial and execution
A new history of Admiral Byng, who was held prisoner in Greenwich Hospital in 1756, has been written by a University of Greenwich lecturer, Chris Ware.
Admiral Byng was imprisoned for the second half of 1756 in the southern end of Queen Anne Court, now part of the Old Royal Naval College then of Greenwich Hospital. Then the site housed 3,500 naval pensioners and Queen Anne Court is home of the University of Greenwich Business School. Byng was tried and shot on the quarterdeck of his former flagship, Monarch, in Portsmouth harbour in March 1757.
Early in the Seven Years War Admiral Byng was ordered to stop the French siege of Minorca. After the defeat of his fleet by the French he was accused of cowardice and court martialled. Byng became a scapegoat for government and admiralty failure to prevent the loss of Minorca. His trial and execution were the hottest topic of the day and he was mercilessly lampooned in the press.
Such was the public anger against Byng, effigies of him were burned or hanged throughout the country. His fate prompted Voltaire's famous remark, in his novel Candide, that in England, “it is thought good to kill an admiral from time to time to encourage the others”.
Chris Ware, a lecturer at the university’s Greenwich Maritime Institute says: “Despite being a hard-nosed historian, on cold dark winter mornings I caught myself looking at the upper windows of Queen Anne Court, thinking of Byng bent over a table furiously scribbling another letter in his own defence, whilst marines stood guard in the stairwell.”
“Given that Byng was middle-aged and portly, the Deputy Governor of Greenwich Hospital, Isaac Townsend, was arguably overzealous in his efforts to prevent his escape. Not only was he guarded by a contingent of marines, the boatswain who supervised the wards and 12 of the more able bodied pensioners, but bars were also fitted on the chimneys and windows to prevent his escape.”
Admiral Byng – His Rise and Execution which is published by Pen & Sword at £19.99 covers Byng’s whole 40 year career at sea from 14 year old Captain’s servant to Admiral of the Blue.
-ENDS-
Notes for Editors:
Jpeg images of the front cover of the book and of Chris Ware are available on request from the Press office.
Websites
Pen & Sword
Greenwich Maritime Institute
http://www.gre.ac.uk/schools/gmi
For further information, contact:
Nick Davison
Public Relations
University of Greenwich
Tel: 020 8331 8092
Email: n.a.p.davison@gre.ac.uk