Edward Berry

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Edward Berry bigraphy, stories - Royal Navy admiral

Edward Berry : biography

1768 – 13 February 1831

Rear Admiral Sir Edward Berry, 1st Baronet, KCB (1768 – 13 February 1831) was an officer in Britain’s Royal Navy primarily known for his role as flag captain of Rear Admiral Horatio Nelson’s ship HMS Vanguard at the Battle of the Nile, prior to his knighthood in 1798. He had a long and prestigious naval career and also commanded HMS Agamemnon at the Battle of Trafalgar.

Later career and last years

He bough a house in Norwich in 1814. On 2 January 1815 he was made a Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath and on 19 July 1821 he became a Rear Admiral.Rear Admiral of the Blue 19 July 1821, of the White 27 March 1825, of the Red 22 July 1830 During these years, despite constant entreaties to the Admiralty, he never took up further important postings. However, his record is exceptional. He was the only officer in the Royal Navy at the time, except Collingwood, to have had three medals, having commanded a line-of-battle ship in the Battle of the Nile, Trafalgar and San Domingo. Following several years of severe illness and extreme debility, he died on 13 February 1831 at his residence in Bath and was buried in a nearby churchyard where his grave can still be seen.St Swithin’s Church, Walcot, Bath Since he left no children, his baronetcy became extinct with his death.

Service in the French Revolutionary Wars

As a reward for his gallantry in boarding a French ship, Berry was promoted to Lieutenant on 20 January 1794 and in May 1796 was appointed to the with Captain Nelson, whom he followed upon his move to in June. He was soon to win his commander’s esteem, and in a letter to Admiral Sir John Jervis, Nelson wrote, ‘I have as far as I have seen every reason to be satisfied with him [Berry], both as a gentleman and an officer’. On sending Nelson’s report to the Admiralty, Jervis added ‘Lieutenant Edward Berry, of whom the Commodore writes so highly, is a protégé of mine and I know him to be an officer of talents, great courage and laudable ambition’. Indeed, whilst Nelson was ashore during the siege of Porto Ferrajo, Berry commanded the ship in such a way as to make him the subject of his captain’s ‘fullest approbation’, and he received the rank of Commander on 12 November 1796.

Whilst awaiting a posting he remained aboard HMS Captain during the Battle of Cape St Vincent in February 1797. Although Berry had no specific duties during the battle, he again displayed his courage when Nelson came alongside the Spanish ship San Nicholas and gave orders to board her. Wrote Nelson, ‘The first man who jumped into the enemy’s mizzen-chains was Captain Berry, late my first lieutenant; he was supported from our spritsail-yard, which hooked in the mizzen-rigging… Having pushed on to the quarter-deck, I found Captain Berry in possession of the poop, and the Spanish Ensign hauling down’.

In October of the same year Nelson was invested as a Knight of the Bath, accompanied on the occasion by Berry. When the King remarked upon the loss of Nelson’s right arm, he wittily replied, indicating Berry, "But not my right hand, your majesty". It was agreed between them that when Nelson next hoisted his flag, Berry would be his Flag Captain.

With word of French plans to occupy Egypt, Nelson wrote to Berry in late 1797, ‘If you mean to marry, I would recommend your doing it speedily, or the to-be Mrs. Berry will have very little of your company, for I am well, and you may expect to be called for every hour’. On 12 December Berry was indeed married to his cousin, Louisa Forster, and a week later appointed as Flag Captain of the .

The Battle of the Nile and afterward

On 1 August 1798, the campaign culminated in the explosive Battle of the Nile, at Aboukir Bay. During this, Nelson was struck on the head by a piece of flying langrage and fell, bleeding heavily, only to be caught by Captain Berry, to whom he uttered the words "I am killed. Remember me to my wife". His wound was slight, however, and he escaped with mild concussion. He was well enough that evening to witness the shattering explosion of the French battleship L’Orient. Only 4 of the 17 major French ships escaped destruction or capture and with French losses six times greater than those of the British, it was a triumphant victory.