Peircy Brett

Sir Peircy Brett

Sir Peircy Brett (1709 – 14 October 1781) was an officer in the Royal Navy who served on George Anson's voyage around the world, and later rose to the rank of Admiral and lord commissioner of the Admiralty. He was also a Member of Parliament, representing the constituency of Queenborough from 1754 until 1774.

Naval career

Brett was first lieutenant aboard the HMS Centurion, which became the only vessel to return from Admiral Anson's circumnavigation of the earth between 1740 and 1744.

During the Jacobite rising he saw action on the 9 July 1745, when as Captain of HMS Lion he exchanged fire with the French ships Elizabeth and the Du Teillay.^[1] The Du Teillay at the time was carrying Charles Edward Stuart to Scotland with supplies and funds to support his cause. The Lion suffered severe damage and had to give up the pursuit and Charles eventually landed at Eriskay.

In 1752 he commanded the Royal Yacht Royal Caroline for a voyage conveying King George II to Germany, for which he was awarded a knighthood.^[2] He was appointed captain responsible for all Royal yachts in 1754, and elected as MP for Queensborough in the same year.

A new 80-gun ship of the line, HMS Cambridge, was commissioned in January 1756. Brett was named as her first captain, bringing with him his choice of petty officers and foretopmen from the Royal yacht fleet. Despite her commissioning Cambridge required several months of fitting out for sea service and was still unseaworthy when war with France was declared in May 1756. Brett was forced to wait until December for Cambridge to be declared fit to put to sea, and then it was not until February 1757 that she was equipped with her full complement of cannon.^[2]

Brett's orders were to join Admiral Edward Boscawen's Western Squadron protecting British interests on the North America and West Indies Station. Having finally put to sea he found that his ship was slow and top-heavy, with a tendency to heel over in strong winds. He was also forced to deal with widespread sickness among his crew. Disease spread so fast among the crew that Cambridge was forced to return to Plymouth after only one year at sea so that the sick could be discharged to local hospitals. On 5 November 1758 Brett was granted a new position as flag captain for Admiral Anson aboard the 100-gun HMS Royal George. He resigned this commission ten days later and returned to his previous role as captain of the Royal yachts.^[2]

Brett reached the rank of rear admiral in 1762. When peace was declared in 1764 Brett returned to service aboard Anson's old vessel Centurion, and was stationed in the Mediterranean.^[2] On 11 December 1766 he was named a lord commissioner of the Admiralty, holding office until 28 February 1770.^[3] He resigned his constituency of Queensborough in 1774, and on 29 January 1778 was named Admiral of the Fleet.

Brett died on 14 October 1781 and is buried in Beckenham Church, Kent.

References

1. http://collections.rmg.co.uk/collections/objects/11856.html National Maritime Museum
2. McLeod, A. B.; Mcleod, A. M. G. (November 2014). "John Cleveley the Elder's "The Floating out of the Cambridge" - Problems and patrons". The Mariner's Mirror. The Society for Nautical Research. 100 (4): 452–453. Retrieved 6 March 2016.
3. Sainty 1975, p. 112

Bibliography

• J. K. Laughton, Brett, Sir Peircy (1709–1781), rev. Roger Morriss, Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004 accessed 15 Dec 2007
• Sainty, J. C. (1975). Office-holders in Modern Britain: Admiralty Officials 1660-1870. 4. Athlone Press. ISBN 0485171449.