The Naval Career of George Delaval

from "Biographia Navalis" by John Charnock, 1795 (R. Faulder)

 
DELAVAL, George, — is said, by some, though very erroneously, to have been the brother of sir Ralph Delaval, knight .... This gentleman was thfe descendànt of a different branch of the same flourishing and ancient family; and having entered early in life into the navy, after rapidly passing with much credit through the several subordhlate stations, was, on the 28th of October 1695, appointed captain of the Oxford, a fourth rate, mounting fifty-four guns. No other mention is made of him during the reign of king William, a circumstance by no means extraordinary, when we consider how few opportunities of distinguifhing themselves those officers meet with,; who have the command of ships employed as cruisers at the conclusion of a war. In this line the Oxford appears to have been conftantly employed.

After the ratification of the peace at Ryswic, in 1698, he was appointed to a frigate, and sent to the Mediterranean, under the command of vice-admiral Aylmer. He appears to have been constantly employed during the two following years which he continued on that station, in the very important office of commissioner, or envoy to the feveral piratical states of Barbary and the emperor of Morocco. In the course of these delicate négociations he appears to have displayed great adroitness and ability, having not only arranged and settled a treaty for the redemption of all the captives belonging to the English government, that were then throughout the whole Turkish territory in Africa, but also taken the proper measures that it should be afterwards faithfully carried into execution.

Returning to England in the month of May 1700, he was immediately promoted to the command of the Tilbury, of fifty guns, and sent back to Barbary with a large merchant-ship, chartered for that purpose, under his convoy, to receive the several unhappy prisoners whose liberty he had been the fortunate means of procuring. He returned safe with his charge to the Downs, where he arrived on the 28th day of February 1701-2. He continued to command the same ship till the year 1705, but without having any opportunity of distinguishing himself worth recounting, till 1704, in which year he accompanied sir G. Rooke on his well-known expedition to the Mediterranean. Having held no part in the assault of Gibraltar, he made ample amends for his want of employment on that occasion, by the remarkable manner in which he signalised himself at the battle off Malaga which immediately succeeded it. The Tilbry, which, as we have already observed, was only a fifty gun ship, was but little calculated to sustain the shock of so heavy an action; nevertheless, it is mentioned as one of those belonging to sir C. Shovel's squadron which suffered most in that engagement. Captain Delaval does not, however, appear to have reaped any advantage from his exertions on this occasion, except the honour, for he was not promoted to any more consequential command till a considerable time afterwards. He continued to be wholly employed on the Mediterranean station, where there was very little, or, indeed, no opportunity of adding to his former laurels.

In the year 1706 we find him dispatched, by the earl of Peterborough and sir John Leake, to bring home the important news, that the siege of Barcelona was raised; and, as an additional compliment to him, his brother, Robert Delaval, was appointed to command the Falcon, the frigate on board which he himself was ordered to proceed, as a passenger, to England.

On his return to the Mediterranean he was again sent ambassador to the emperor of Morocco; but the services on which he was employed after this time were of a nature fo very uninteresting that we find no mention whatever made of him till the 28th of March 1718, when he was promoted to be rear-admiral of the white. In this station he accompanied sir George Byng, afterwards lord Torrington, to the Mediterranean, having hoisted his flag on board the Dorsetihire, a third rate.

He bore a very distingüished part in the celebrated action off Syracufe, having singly engaged and captured one of the enemy's capital ships, the Sancta Isabella. On the 10th of March 1718-19, he was advanced to be rear-admiral of the red, and after his return to England we do not find him to have again gone to sea.

On the 16th of February 1722, he was, very deservedly, promoted to be vice-admiral of the white, an advancement he did not long enjoy, being unhappily killed on the 22d of June 1723, by a fall from his horse, while riding out for amusement as well as exercise, near his native place, Newcasle-upon-Tyne, in the county of Northumberland.