Memoir of the Life and Services of Vice-Admiral Sir Jahleel Brenton, Baronet, K.C.B. — A Reader’s Guide

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Authors: Raikes, Henry, 1782-1854 [Editor] Digital Source: Project Gutenberg Gutenberg Release Year: 2019 First Publication Year: Not confirmed

Key Word: Admirals -- Great Britain -- Biography; Great Britain -- History, Naval -- 19th century; Brenton, Jahleel, Sir, 1770-1844 Target Reader: Readers of public-domain and historical texts

Book Edition: Project Gutenberg digital edition Book Language: en

Edition facts

Words 190,941

Reading time 831 min

Text sections 28

The catalog record for Memoir of the Life and Services of Vice-Admiral Sir Jahleel Brenton, Baronet, K.C.B. — A Reader’s Guide provides practical reading context through 190,941 words, 13 hr 51 min estimated reading time, and 28 detected text sections.

The text analysis averages about 31.4 words per sentence, while the detected sections provide another way to judge how the source is divided.

Project Gutenberg metadata also associates the work with “Admirals -- Great Britain -- Biography,” connecting these edition facts with the source record’s subject description.

Source: Project Gutenberg record #58746

An 1846 memoir of Vice-Admiral Sir Jahleel Brenton, edited by Henry Raikes, drawing on original memorials to detail Brenton's naval service in the Mediterranean, including his command of HMS Spartan, interactions with Lord Collingwood and Lord Cochrane, and the editor's aim to present Brenton as a model of character for younger officers.

Editorial Edition Score 4.9/5

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Description quality20 pts
Title & short description10 pts
Source metadata20 pts
Text length15 pts
Chapters / structure15 pts
EPUB file integrity20 pts

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File: pg58746

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Settlement of the Brenton family in America,—and descent.—Birth of the subject of the memoir.—Breaking out of the war and removal to England.—Education and introduction to Naval Service, in the Dido.—Passes for Lieutenant, and accepts an invitation to serve in the Swedish Fleet.—Adventures on way to join, and conclusion of service.—Appointed as Lieutenant to the Assurance.—Transferred to the Speedy, and sent in command of the Trepassey to Newfoundland.—Return to England and appointed to the Sybil.—Voyage homewards in the Cleopatra, and in a Spanish man of war from Cadiz. 34

Service in the Sybil.—Story of the Corfields.—Severe winter at sea.—Story of John Iceberg.—Invalided and comes ashore.—Applies for employment, and appointed to the Alliance.—Feelings on the subject.—Goes out to the Mediterranean.—Made known to Sir John Jervis, and appointed to the Gibraltar.—Storm and extreme danger of the ship.—Made First Lieutenant of the Aigle.—The Aigle being lost, he remains First Lieutenant to the Barfleur.—Interview with Lord St. Vincent and the subsequent decision. 55

Service in the Speedy.—Action with gun boats off Gibraltar.—Sent to Penon de Velez.—Action on the coast, and with gun boats.—His brother’s death from wounds received in action in the Peterel.—Letter to his father.—Made Post, and appointed to the temporary command of the Genereux at Port Mahon.—Sails to Genoa. 75

Disappointment of promotion.—Applies to Lord St. Vincent, and through him appointed Captain to the Cæsar, under Sir James Saumarez.—Battle at Algesiras.—Exertions of Captain Brenton in refitting the Cæsar, and subsequent victory.—Tempting offer of going to England with dispatches declined.—Definitive treaty of peace signed.—Squadron at Gibraltar. 102

Returns to England.—Recollections on the Cæsar and the Chaplain.—Married to Miss Stewart.—Reflections on this event, made after her death.—Hostilities recommenced in 1801, and appointment to the command of the Minerve.—Dangerous accident and injury during the fitting out the frigate.—Sails for the coast of France.—The ship strikes off Cherbourg, and after a gallant defence is surrendered, July 3. 123

Commencement of captivity.—Journey from Cherbourg.—Kindness of M. Dubois.—Arrival at Epinal. 151

Removal from Epinal to Phalsburg, and thence to Verdun.—Sufferings of the people on the march, and efforts made for their relief and improvement.—The Rev. Robert Wolfe offers his services and assistance.—Mrs. Brenton’s arrival at Verdun.—Residence at Charni.—Illness, and permission granted to reside at Tours.—Conduct of the French Government towards the English prisoners of war. 172

The Rev. Mr. Wolfe one of the detenus—hears of the state of the prisoners at Givet, and resolves on going to reside among them.—Extract from his work entitled the “British Prisoners in France.”. 218

Journey to Tours, incidents on the road and residence there.—Circumstances attending his exchange, and return to England. 255

Arrival in England, and application to the Admiralty.—Kindness of the First Lord of the Admiralty, Mr. Grenville.—Court martial, acquittal and appointment to the Spartan.—Sails to the Mediterranean.—Escape from capture.—Boat action with its unfortunate result, and court of enquiry ordered by Lord Collingwood. 289

Cruize off Toulon.—Refits at Malta.—Storm off Sardinia.—Joins Lord Collingwood’s fleet.—Disaster.—Falls in with the French Fleet at sea.—Exertions to convey intelligence and to watch the enemy.—Returns to Toulon.—Service on the coast of Italy in company with Lord Cochrane.—Reflections. 319

Removal from the Toulon station to the Mediterranean.—Cruize off Candia, and in the Adriatic.—Action at Pesaro; and official letters.—Co-operation with the Austrians in the Adriatic.—Letters from Lord Collingwood expressive of his entire satisfaction. 343

Return to Malta to refit.—Sudden offer of joining the expedition against the Ionian Islands as suddenly accepted.—Capture of Zante, Cephalonia, and Cerigo.—Approbation of Lord Collingwood.—Cruize on the coast of Italy.—Action off Naples, victory, and severe wound; carried to Palermo and Malta.—Letters on the subject, and extract from his personal memoranda.—Sails for England. 375

Joined by his family.—Slow recovery from his wound.—Fresh trials from the failure of his agents, and actions threatened by neutrals detained.—Friendly interference of Mr. Abbott.—Applies to the Admiralty for employment, and appointed to the Stirling Castle, 1812.—Compelled by the state of his wound to resign the command.—Made Baronet.—Appointed Naval Commissioner at Minorca.—Residence there.—Failure of Lady Brenton’s health.—The establishment at Minorca broken up on the conclusion of the war.—Return to England, and appointment to the Dorset Yacht.—Made Naval Commissioner at the Cape. 404

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The editor, Henry Raikes, states in his dedication that he undertook this memoir 'chiefly from a sense of public duty' and to show how 'qualities of a very different kind might be combined in one man.' Rather than a conventional biography, Raikes aims to reveal Brenton's character through his behavior 'under the several trials of his eventful life.' The narrative retains much of the language of the original memorial that forms its basis, giving the work a documentary texture.

A Portrait Built from Original Memorials

Raikes explains that he has 'retained as much as possible of the language of the original memorial, which forms the basis of the narrative.' This editorial choice means the memoir often reads as a compilation of firsthand accounts and official reports rather than a polished retrospective. The excerpts show this directly: passages describe Captain Brenton's movements in the Mediterranean with precise dates, winds, and ship positions—'a fresh breeze then springing up from the S.W., the Spartan stretched over for Minorca.' The voice is that of a naval log or after-action report, not a biographer's summary.

This method gives the reader access to the raw materials of Brenton's career, but it also means the narrative can feel episodic. Raikes does not impose a strong interpretive framework; instead, he lets the sequence of events—chases, battles, intelligence-gathering—speak for itself. The result is a work that prioritizes documentary evidence over narrative flow.

Brenton's Mediterranean Command Under Scrutiny

The excerpts focus heavily on Brenton's command of the frigate Spartan in the Mediterranean during the Napoleonic Wars. The text records his interactions with senior officers like Lord Collingwood and Admiral Purvis, and his role in conveying intelligence about French squadron movements. One striking detail is Collingwood's reaction upon hearing of Brenton's safety: 'That poor Brenton was the child of misfortune.' This remark, preserved in the narrative, suggests that Brenton was perceived as unlucky or accident-prone by his superiors, even as they praised his conduct.

The memoir also includes a joint operation with Lord Cochrane, captain of the Imperieuse, attacking merchant vessels and destroying signal posts near Cape Mejean. These episodes show Brenton engaged in the routine but hazardous work of frigate captains: chasing convoys, exchanging fire with shore batteries, and cooperating with other ships. The text does not inflate these actions into heroic set-pieces; it reports them with the same matter-of-fact tone as the weather conditions.

The Editor's Moral Purpose and Its Limits

Raikes explicitly frames the memoir as a moral exemplar for younger naval officers. In the dedication, he writes that his desire was 'to do good to others, rather than to do justice to my subject,' and that he hoped to show how Brenton could be 'a model of what man ought to be in every relation of life.' This didactic aim shapes the selection and presentation of material, but the excerpts themselves do not dwell on Brenton's private virtues or domestic life. The narrative remains almost entirely focused on professional actions and official communications.

Readers should note that the memoir's moral framework is stated in the front matter but not consistently demonstrated in the surviving text. The excerpts give little sense of Brenton's personality beyond his competence and the occasional judgment of his peers. The work's value may lie more in its detailed record of frigate operations than in its portrait of character, despite the editor's stated intentions.

This memoir offers a close, document-based account of a Royal Navy captain's service in the Mediterranean during a period of intense naval warfare. Readers interested in the operational details of frigate command—the interplay of wind, intelligence, and senior officers' expectations—will find the narrative rewarding. The editor's moral framing is present but does not overwhelm the factual record, leaving the reader to judge Brenton's character from his actions as reported.

Rain fell against the window that afternoon while I lingered over Brenton’s stoic endurance, his quiet faith through naval setbacks. That steady, unshowy integrity stayed with me long after closing the memoir. Later, browsing idle shelves, my hand drifted to The Puppet Show of Memory — Key Ideas to Explore, which unpacks how character reveals itself in recollection. The two felt oddly conversational, both trusting understatement over spectacle.