John Chambers White

Vice Admiral Sir John Chambers White, KCB (c. 1770 – 2 April 1845) was a prominent British Royal Navy officer of the early nineteenth century, who participated in a number of engagements during the Napoleonic Wars. He achieved most of his fame in the late 1790s as the commander of , a small brig operating in Northern European waters. White was able to capture a number of equivalent French, Spanish and Dutch vessels and on one occasion was instrumental in the destruction of a much larger French frigate by a British squadron. In 1798 he was with the squadron that discovered the French invasion attempt on Ireland and acted as a messenger in the campaign to destroy the invasion force that ended at the Battle of Tory Island. He was later flag captain for Sir John Borlase Warren and participated at the action of 13 March 1806 and the destruction of the Regulus in 1814. After the war, White largely retired, but retained several shore appointments and rose to the rank of vice-admiral. Early life White was born in approximately 1770, the son of wealthy New York City merchant Henry White and his wife Eve (Van Cortlandt) White (a daughter of Frederick Van Cortlandt). Among his siblings were General Frederick Van Cortlandt White, Henry White Jr. (wife of their cousin, Anna Van Cortlandt), Anne White (wife of Sir John Hayes, 1st Baronet), Frances White (wife of Dr. Archibald Bruce), and Margaret White (wife of Peter Jay Munro). His father was a member of the New York City Council and President of the New York Chamber of Commerce in 1772–73. The Whites were ardent Loyalists during the American Revolutionary War, and in 1783 the family abandoned their home in New York and moved to London. John White joined the Royal Navy soon afterwards. Career In 1790 he was promoted to lieutenant and served in the French Revolutionary Wars, becoming commander of the brig in 1795. Sylph was a highly successful cruiser in home waters. At the action of 12 May 1796 she captured the Dutch brig Mercury. Then in 1796 she captured the French privateer Phoenix. Sylph assisted in the destruction of the French corvette Calliope at the action of 16 July 1797. Together, they drove Calliope on shore, where Sylph proceeded to fire on her. When checked a week later, Calliope was wrecked; her crew were camped on shore trying to salvage what stores they could. Pomone confirmed that the flute Freedom and a brig that Anson and Sylph had also driven ashore too were wrecked.