Henry Cort

		Henry Cort Inventor - Creator of puddled iron - Father of iron trade
		This page is part of a website based on the life and achievements of eighteenth-century inventor Henry Cort. The creator and owner of the site was Eric Alexander who passed away. The site is now hosted by Hans Weebers Please contact me with any comments or queries.

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John Becher's war

Almost the first advice when his promotion was known was from a sea captain telling him how to fiddle his expenses by listing five or six non-existent servants when he went on board and claiming pay for all of them.

From Claire Tomalin, Samuel Pepys: The Unequalled Self.

This practice is described in Rodger's The Wooden World as "false mustering". By Henry Cort's time, according to Rodger, it is "not well regarded", although it is "not unusual for captains to bear their sons as servants in infancy". In this case it is assumed that the captain is acting not out of greed, but to provide evidence of an early start should his son wish to pursue a naval career.

Four of John Becher's five sons are listed in ships' books between 1776 and 1783. You would hardly expect the two youngest, Alexander and Robert, baptised in April 1770 and October 1772 respectively, to be taken into a war zone in 1777!

The career of John Harman Becher (baptised 1764) looks more genuine. On 27 June 1776 he enlists on the Daphne, compliment 160 men. Two days later she sails off to America, arriving on 3rd October in the neighbourhood of New York, where British forces have just driven out the American defenders. Later she escorts a convoy to Florida and the Caribbean, while the main British force strikes at Philadelphia.

Meanwhile John Becher is serving as First Lieutenant on the 64-gun St Albans. The ship's books list seven-year-old Alexander Becher as captain's servant, four-year-old Robert as first lieutenant's servant. Alexander's pay will be collected by Captain Onslow, Robert's by his father. Can you believe the official record?

On 15 April 1777 St Albans sets sail with a convoy bound for America, arriving in New York two months later.

Moored in North River off New York Town

From St Albans log, 18 June 1777.

She stays for four months before being despatched to the Delaware River, where the British need to clear the way to supply their troops in Philadelphia.

This task proved to be extremely difficult, for the Americans had placed six lines of underwater obstacles, or chevaux-de-frise, in the Delaware River, effectively blocking navigation below Philadelphia. The American chevaux-de-frise were defended by a number of gunboats, fire-rafts and galleys. In addition, the obstacles were covered by the guns of a number of forts and batteries that were difficult to attack because they were protected by shoal water and swamps.

From Syrett, The Royal Navy in American Waters 1775-1783.

The task is nearly complete when St Albans arrives in November. The American craft have withdrawn up river, but there are still rebels on the shore. The ship's log records the occasional skirmish.

On 22 November John Becher is transferred to Richard Howe's flagship Eagle. The St Albans paybook claims he leaves young Alexander behind but takes Robert with him. So why no mention of Robert in Eagle's books?

Eagle remains with Howe's fleet in the Delaware for a few months, then sails up to Rhode Island, where John Becher becomes acting captain of the Ariel, compliment 160 men.

Read the Commission of Capt John Becher & Lt Lorking Order of Adml.

From Ariel log, 4 February 1778.

Ariel cruises for a while in the New York theatre, capturing several American merchantmen, before being sent to join a squadron blockading Chesapeake Bay. According to US-published Naval Documents of the American Revolution, she leaves in March to escort a captured Swedish ship to New York, but there is no mention of this prize in the Ariel''s log. In April she returns to the Delaware.

Early in May, Becher is transferred again, this time to acting captain of the 160-man Camilla.

Read a letter of thanks from Lord Howe & from General to the Officers & Ships company for behaviour on every Occasion… 10pm came on Board Captn Collins & Superseded Captn Becher in the Command.

From Camilla log, 24 May 1778.

On 24 May he becomes commander of the sloop Nautilus. Sons Alexander and Robert reappear on the roll as captain's servants. Miraculously, Alexander's period as servant to Captain Onslow of the St Albans seems to end the same day. "Jumping ship", you might say: the two vessels are a hundred miles apart! They will meet a few weeks later at Sandy Hook, a small island near the New Jersey coast, guarding the approach to New York Harbour. Do their captains then get together to forge a transfer date that fits both records? (No official blots in Richard Onslow's career: he goes on to become an admiral, a baronet, and Freeman of the City of London.)

I consult the St Albans muster book for clues.

Regular musters, four per month. Alexander there in April, gone in July.

May and June musters? Missing. Ripped out, by the look of it. Something to hide?

By this time the British find they need to evacuate Philadelphia before the arrival of a French fleet under Admiral d'Estaing. The Navy helps by providing "a bridge of flat-bottomed boats" to ferry them from the tip of New Jersey to Sandy Hook, then on to New York.

Nautilus is with the fleet awaiting d'Estaing's arrival.

Neither the British naval commander nor his French counterpart knows whether war has officially been declared between their countries. News of the Arethusa's engagement and King Louis's proclamation has not had time to cross the Atlantic. Who wants blame for firing the first shot? This factor seems to have been ignored by many historians, but may play a large part in determining the actions of both fleets.

Howe ordered six of the line and the Leviathan, a shore ship manned by volunteers and supplied with shore artillery, to anchor on a line form Sandy Hook across the main channel.

From James, The Navy in Adversity.

For eight days they confront one another. Apparently no shot is fired.

Saw French fleet take several small vessels.

From Nautilus log, 18 July 1778.

Evidence from elsewhere suggests that a ship that is "taken" will be returned, after interrogation of her captain, if the two sides are not at war. Naval historians make no mention of any British losses during this confrontation.

The French eventually tire and slip off to sea. After a brief excursion to Rhode Island, Nautilus heads for New York, where she encounters the Daphne. On 29 September John Harman Becher transfers to his father's ship. Four of the family now on the payroll!

Argument between father and son? In Nautilus's books, Harman is recorded as leaving on 30 October for the Roebuck. No sign of him, however, in Roebuck's books. Probably a quick transfer elsewhere. His trail goes cold for a year.

Nautilus's next task is to escort a convoy in February 1779. During the voyage Captain Becher is taken sick. He is superseded on 22 March.

According to Nautilus's pay book, Becher's sons Alexander and Robert leave with him on 2nd April.

Half-pay records say he "arrives from abroad" on 2nd May. His pay, at eight shillings per day, is collected by agent Oliver Toulmin on 9th July.

RELATED TOPICS

Early life of John Becher

John Becher's family

The Becher-Thackeray lineage

Lyttelton-Becher connections

Attwick family

The Burges will tangle

Arethusa's engagement, 18 June 1778

Thomas Morgan's part in the war

The pages on this site are copied from the original site of Eric Alexander (henrycort.net) with his allowance.
Eric passed away abt 2012
If you use/copy information from this site, please include a link to the page where you found the information.