Sir Albemarle Bertie (1^st Baronet Bertie)

Notes on Officer

The Berties are supposed to have come from Berteland, on the borders of Prussia, with the Saxon Conquerors. Leopold de Bertie was Constable of Dover Castle in the time of Ethelred, and the village of Berested in Kent is supposed to derive its name from this family.

The subject of this sketch was born Jan. 20, 1755; and in 1778, we find him serving as First Lieutenant of the Fox, a 28-gun frigate, one of the repeaters to Admiral Keppel’s fleet, in the action with that of France under M. d’Orvilliers; and on the trial of the Commander-in-Chief for his conduct on that occasion, Mr. Bertie appears to have been examined respecting the cheering between the Fox and the Formidable, on which so much stress was laid. Subsequent to the above action the Fox was taken, after an obstinate engagement, in which her commander, the Hon. Thomas Windsor, was severely wounded, by la Junon, French frigate, of 32 guns and 220 men.

Our officer obtained Post rank, March 21, 1782, in the Crocodile, of 24 guns, stationed in the Channel. At the time of the Spanish armament, he was appointed to the Latona frigate, and about the year 1792, to the Edgar, of 74 guns, in which latter ship he assisted at the capture of le General Dumourier, a French privateer, and her prize the St. Iago, having on board upwards of two millions of dollars, besides some valuable packages to the amount of between two and three hundred thousand pounds sterling.

Captain Bertie afterwards removed into the Thunderer, of 74 guns, and was present at the defeat of the French fleet by Earl Howe, June 1, 1794. In 1795 we find him serving under the orders of Sir John Borlase Warren, on an expedition to the coast of France.

Our officer subsequently commanded the Renown, 74, Windsor Castle, a second rate, and Malta, of 80 guns. He joined the latter vessel in 1801, a period when, in consequence of the immense preparations made by the enemy for the invasion of Great Britain, the government thought it necessary to adopt every method that prudence could dictate for its defence. To this end, among other arrangements, the Malta and another ship of the line, were stationed at St. Helen’s, for the purpose of examining all vessels coming into Portsmouth harbour, and preventing any designs formed by the enemy being carried into effect. During the time the Malta lay at this anchorage, a fire broke out in the Dispensary. The conflagration was spreading in a rapid and alarming manner towards the magazine; when notice being given to Captain Bertie, its further ravages were happily prevented by his calm and collected presence of mind, and effective orders upon the occasion. The alarm and confusion that seized the crew was such as induced many to attempt quitting the ship; but owing to the spirited conduct of her Commander, the whole were soon restored to their former state of tranquillity, on finding all danger was removed by the judicious orders he had given for the purpose.

The Malta was paid off at Plymouth in the spring of 1802; and on the 23rd April 1804, Captain Bertie was promoted to the rank of Rear-Admiral. After serving for some time in the Channel Fleet, he was appointed to the chief command at the Cape of Good Hope, on which station, and in the Indian Seas, he continued several years, during which the ships under his orders were very successfully employed, as will be seen by referring to the memoirs of Rear-Admiral Sir Josias Rowley, Captain Willoughby, &c.

Our officer was advanced to the rank of Vice-Admiral April 28, 1808; created a Baronet, Dec. 9, 1812; became a full Admiral, June 4, 1814; and was nominated a K.C.B. Jan. 2, 1815. Sir Albemarle Bertie married, July 1, 1783, Emma, second daughter of the late James Modiford Heywood, of Marristow-House, co. Devon, Esq.; his lady died in March 1805.

Residence.– Nether-Hall, Dadham, Essex.