To The Call of Bugles: A History of the Percy Tenantry Volunteers 1798–1814

By Bill Openshaw and Ralph Percy

This highly readable illustrated biography on the Percy Tenantry Volunteers has been written with exclusive access to the current Duke of Northumberland's treasure trove of archive records. This book is for anyone interested in military history, especially Revolutionary and the Napoleonic war period, and for those looking at the local history of Northumberland, and especially Alnwick Castle.
The history of Britain's conflict with France between 1793 and 1815 is well documented. Nevertheless, one aspect that has scant coverage, is that of the role of Volunteers. In 1798, afraid of impending invasion by France's all-conquering armies the British desperately needed to defend their shores. To The Call of Bugles reveals, for the first time, how among those who stood forward in Home Guard style military bodies, there was no finer example than that of the valiant Percy Tenantry Volunteers, created by the 2nd Duke of Northumberland, General Hugh Percy. This amateur body of men, 1,500 strong, consisting of cavalry, artillery and riflemen, was put together, trained, armed, dressed and operated by General Hugh Percy. This book provides stories from the original volunteers, an in-depth understanding of how such a corps was organised and reveals how they were fashioned into an elite and innovative fighting force.

• Language: English
• Publisher: McNidder and Grace
• Release date: Aug 3, 2023
• ISBN: 9780857162519

Bill Openshaw

Bill Openshaw lives in Northumberland has a keen interest in military history and the Napoleonic wars. He has been a Napoleonic reenactor for over 20 years and now works as a guide at Alnwick Castle – he would be delighted to meet you there!

Book preview

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Contents

Title Page

Foreword

Introduction

Chapter One:Thorighwegeri – The Warrior Duke

An unlikely soldier

Europe beckons

Settling down

The Boston dinner party

The smell of powder

Lexington

The leaving of Boston

New York and Rhode Island

Home and Portugal

Chapter Two:Countdown to War

The world turned upside down

‘Britain to Arms’

Invasion!

The response

Alnwick – a storm brews

Chapter Three:Organisation

Structure

Second Embodiment, 1803

Recruitment

Regulations and discipline

Transport

Cost

Supplies and maintenance

Ammunition

Chapter Four:Incidents and Accidents and Cause for Celebration

The casualties of war

The false alarm

ivImpressment

Mass resignation

The Battle of Brizlee Tower, 1805

The King’s Jubilee

Fire

Presentation of new standards

Chapter Five:The Percy Infantry

Light infantry and irregulars

The Percy Infantry, 1798

Marksmanship

1803 riflemen

Aiming for the bullseye

Musters and ale

Permanent duty

Chapter SixThe Cavalry and Artillery

Horses

First steps, 1798

Exercise

Mustering

The Artillery

The beginning

The Crew

Training and inspections

Experiments

Wall gun detachments

Chapter Seven:Bugles and Song

The bugle horn

Training

Parades and pay

Duties of a bugle

Verse and song

A Song in Honour of Percy’s Volunteers

Uniformv

Chapter Eight:Uniforms and Equipment

Cavalry uniform

Weapons

Infantry and riflemen

Weaponry, 1798

Riflemen uniform, 1803

Ill-fitting uniforms

Accoutrements

Cartridge boxes

Powder horns and flasks

Rifles

The artillery

Wall guns (amusettes)

Ancillary equipment

Tubes

Linstock

Flint strikers

Balls and sabots

Chapter Nine:Burning Embers (Peacetime Volunteers)

Disbandment

A third embodiment?

The Household Artillery

The Tenantry Column

Chapter Ten:The Men

Sir David William Smith 1764–1837

Lieutenant Colonel, PTVR

The Railway Men: Blackett, Hedley & Hackworth

Christopher Blackett 1751–1829

Major, Southern District PTVR

William Hedley 1779–843

Bugle, Prudhoe Troop PTVC

Timothy Hackworth 1789–1850

Private, Prudhoe Company PTVR

John Watson 1741–1807

Major, Northern District PTVR

Latham Blacker 1765–1846

Captain, Shilbottle Co. PTVR

John Craven 1778–1847

Sergeant Major, Northern District PTVR

Reverend James Birkett 1749–1833

Sergeant, Ovingham Company

Forster Rattray 1784–1837

Sergeant, PTV Artillery

Captain John Toppin 1762–1825

Captain PTV Artillery

viSelect Bibliography

Index

Acknowledgements

Author Biography

Plates

Copyright

vii

Foreword

The evolution of British regiments is well documented, but far less well understood are the volunteer corps, formed of ordinary men prepared to down the tools of their trade and fight to protect their country and families from the real threat of invasion by foreign revolutionary forces.

Fortunately, the archives at Alnwick Castle holds detailed information about such a force raised by Hugh Percy, 2nd Duke of Northumberland, a general in the British army with considerable military experience in both Europe and America.

Bill Openshaw has drawn on this wealth of material; his excellent, well researched book on the Percy Tenantry Volunteers fills a gap in our knowledge of military history and provides a fascinating account of a dangerous period when Europe’s troubles threatened to spill onto our shores.

Ralph Percy, Duke of Northumberland, July 2023viii

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Introduction

The beginning of the French Revolution found support among many in Britain. Growing numbers of radicals and dissenters were questioning the old order and seeking political and social reform. Conversely, there were those across all sections of society who stood firm. Preferring to maintain the status quo, many publicly demonstrated their loyalty by forming themselves into Loyal Associations. Then the execution of Louis XVI in 1793, shortly followed by a French declaration of war on Britain, served to dampen the cause of the radicals and strengthen that of the loyalists.

Only ten years earlier the British had amassed large debts attempting to hold on to her colonies during the American Revolution, and another war would not be welcome. The French themselves had joined in that war, allying themselves with the Americans and sending military forces to assist them. As a result of the French entering the affray, Irish insurgency and invasion fears of the early 1780s, Britain’s response was to allow the raising of volunteers, to counter threats of civil unrest or invasion. The British Army at this new point was all too small to protect an empire from an enemy with vast numbers. In an attempt to resolve this problem, quotas for the county militias were increased as they were again embodied, and a new Volunteer Act was passed in 1794. As a result, many of the Loyal Associations were accepted by the government to form themselves into armed associations.

In Europe, this was a period known as the War of the First Coalition, a series of attacks in response to the Revolution and the new French republic. By 1798, however, Britain found herself alone after the European powers had settled for peace, enabling the French to concentrate an invasion force along the coast of the English Channel. With the imminent threat of invasion, more volunteer forces were now raised through a further Volunteer Act, as Britain prepared for the worst. Throughout the kingdom, many thousands of men stood forward in laying down their tools of trade and took up muskets, swords or pikes. Determined to defend their homes and families from murderous revolutionaries, they freely underwent training in the use of weapons and military exercises. Nevertheless, apart from an incursion into Wales and a small-scale invasion of Ireland, the enemy did not appear. 2A peace treaty was signed between the old adversaries in 1802 and the volunteers were accordingly stood down. That peace was to be short-lived and the following year Britain was to declare war on the French and their new leader, Napoleon Bonaparte. Once more the nation turned to its volunteers to stand, only this time, they would form up in greater numbers than ever before.

The Percy Tenantry Volunteers (PTV) were only one of hundreds of volunteer corps and armed associations that sprung up in every part of the United Kingdom. The coasts of Britain in particular, became awash with uniformed men of the regular army, militia, volunteers and other military bodies – and the northern county of Northumberland, with its low laying beaches, was no different. Within that county alone, there were over a dozen volunteer corps raised, from Tyneside to the Scottish Border. The history of these men has to an extent, been forgotten and they have often been described as the Napoleonic Dad’s Army. Much like the Home Guard of the Second World War, they have been looked upon as comic old men and inexperienced youths. In truth, the Home Guard do not deserve this image and it does not necessarily reflect the effectiveness of how this force may have conducted themselves, had they been called upon to do so. The British volunteers of the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars were similarly represented, even in their own lifetime, by the likes of the cartoonist Thomas Rowlandson. Unlike the Home Guard, who were often above the age of conscription, these volunteers were men of all ages, armed and trained in a range of ways, from men with no military expertise to ex-soldiers and hence the effectiveness of many does have to be questioned. Conversely, there were a number of volunteer corps who were highly trained in the use of both their arms and in the latest military tactics of the time. The Percy Tenantry Volunteers would certainly fall into the latter category.

The story of the Percy Tenantry Volunteers cannot be understood without an insight into the experiences and military understanding of the man who established them. Hugh Percy, 2nd Duke of Northumberland, was not only one of the wealthiest men in the country but a full General in the British army. He was much experienced in the art of war, serving in both Europe and America, but undoubtedly, it was one particular encounter that would forge in his mind how his volunteer force would operate. As Brigadier General, Hugh Percy led the relief column at the Battle of Lexington in 1775 and saved the army from a humiliating defeat. The day’s fighting would prove to be a harsh lesson to the British army and one that Percy would fully embrace. Unfortunately for Percy, his military career did not blossom 3as perhaps it should have done, due to his political stance, military jealousy and, arguably, his own pride. Nevertheless, he was a forward-thinking officer and remained highly thought of by some who trusted his counsel. Men such as the Mohawk leader Joseph Brant, or General J G Simcoe of American Revolution fame and even the Prince of Wales himself, were but a few who turned to him for advice. Beloved by those who served under him, he would shape his volunteers into a unique and innovative corps.

At the home of the current Duke of Northumberland at Alnwick Castle, there lies a treasure of documentation that has now been fully scrutinised for the first time in over 200 years. It was not a typical volunteer organisation of the period, but the amassed information along with other sources allows for an in-depth understanding, within a local and national context, of how this amateur body of men – cavalry, artillery and riflemen – was put together, trained, armed, dressed and operated, and also reveals the stories of the men themselves.4

5

Chapter One

Thorighwegeri – The Warrior Duke

It would be difficult to fully understand how the Percy Tenantry Volunteers came into being without knowing something about the man who created them. Hugh Percy’s own life, experience and military theories, all conjoin to explain the manner in which they would be employed.

Thorighwegeri, better known to us as Hugh Percy, entered the world with neither of these names. Born on 14 August 1742, he was named Hugh Smithson, the firstborn son of Sir Hugh Smithson and Elizabeth Seymour, daughter of the Duke of Somerset. On the death of her father, Elizabeth became the heir to the Percy estates, via her maternal great-grandfather, and inherited much of the Seymour and Percy wealth. Her father’s titles, Baron Warkworth and Earl of Northumberland, now passed to her husband, Sir Hugh Smithson, and their eight-year-old son, Hugh Smithson, now became Lord Warkworth. Her husband took his wife’s ancestral name of Percy, through an act of Parliament, and so restored the ancient line. For his service to the King and Government, which included two years as Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, Sir Hugh Percy was created Duke of Northumberland in 1766. This in turn brought the additional title of Earl Percy to the younger Hugh, a name that would make its mark in the history of the United States. His Mohawk name of Thorighwegeri is one that he would be given while in America. Upon the death of his father in 1786, he became the 2nd Duke of Northumberland.

An unlikely soldier

The young Hugh Percy was educated at Eton from 1753 to 1758, but did not complete his academic education until a few years later. With the Seven Years’ War now in full swing, the 17-year-old opted to join the army and on 1 May 1759, he was commissioned as an ensign in the 24th Regiment of Foot. However, he had hardly taken up this post before he discovered that a new regiment was being formed. The Royal Volunteers, or 85th Regiment of Foot, were to become the first light infantry regiment in the British army. Whether it was the uniqueness of their designation as light troops or the 6chance of purchasing a higher rank, Percy acquired a captaincy in the new regiment. Whatever his motivation, Percy would later champion light infantry tactics and adopt them for his own volunteer corps.

The decision to enter the army was not one encouraged by his father because it was not a conventional one. Among the nobility, it was generally accepted that since the eldest son would inherit both titles and landed estates, the younger sons would enter the military or the church. In young Percy’s case, there was another, very valid reason why it seemed a poor choice of career. Throughout his life he was plagued by poor health. For instance, aged only 19, he found it necessary to visit Bristol and partake of the hot spring waters. It was said that he was suffering from an ‘incessant teasing cough, sweating’s, flying stitching’s and loss of appetite, languor and wasting’ – symptoms that may indicate consumption. He was described as being thin, bony and unable to read in candlelight and suffered the lifelong ailment of rheumatic gout. He was a victim of frequent episodes, which would often render him incapable of doing anything and would ultimately be the cause of his death in 1817. Such descriptions hardly create an image of a mighty warrior, but young Percy would show that he had a very shrewd and progressive military mind.

All of the captains of this new corps, including Lord Warkworth and the future General Cornwallis, both of whom would later serve in America, were given the task of recruitment. The regiment was to be formed from only suitable volunteers for this elite regiment and there was none to be taken by impressment, or any other known dubious methods of the time. The Colonel of the regiment, John Crauford, specified that they were to enlist:

… none but such as are perfectly capable of doing all the duties of a soldier; for this reason, he wishes no man may be entertained under 5 feet 4 inches high without shoes. But if the Recruiting Officers shall find he is likely to grow or is otherwise remarkably well made he may accept him at 5 feet 3 inches.

Furthermore, the colonel advised that to attract the right kind of men, the bounty should be increased ‘a guinea or two more,’ adding: ‘The eyes of all England are fixed upon us, & if we are not successful in getting men, we shall make a bad figure.’ One company being recruited in Gloucester were seeking marksmen from the Forest of Dean in particular but were offering only two guineas as a bounty. Nonetheless, any man demonstrating that he had ‘dexterity in shooting at a mark’, would be rewarded with an extra guinea 7and a ‘warm flannel waistcoat’. On his part, Captain Percy was happy to entice men with a bounty of five guineas, as opposed to the standard three. It would appear, however, that even this was not attractive enough. A Sergeant Sheldon, recruiting in Leeds for Lord Warkworth, reported that some of the men were well contented with the money until the following morning when they ‘repented’ and wanted to return their bounty. Fortunately for them, they had not taken the oath of allegiance, and so were not bound by their decisions of the night before and were free to walk away. Nor was it just the young men that were attracted by the prize. According to one newspaper account, a young girl in Scotland disguised herself in men’s clothing and took the bounty money to join the Royal Volunteers. During the night she made off but was caught a few days later and had to give the money back. Despite these setbacks, the recruiting sergeant was able to report to Percy:

I have enlisted 13 good recruits … people in this country loves money, the five Guineas which my Lord allows turned everyone’s attention upon me, along with your uncommon uniform which affected the eyes of everyone there & still continue a wonder as I only wear it on market days.

Clearly it was not just dangling the carrot of money that appealed to the young men, but the elite style of light infantry uniform. While the sergeant was tempting the men of Yorkshire, Lord Warkworth was himself recruiting in Northumberland. Many years later Percy would recall that the very first man he recruited was Patrick Venus, a miller from the outskirts of Alnwick. The Regimental recruiting book verifies his memory and Venus would later serve in the Percy Tenantry Infantry and Riflemen.

In many previous biographies of the 2nd Duke of Northumberland, it has been noted that he served with distinction at the battles of Bergen and Minden. While it may seem fitting that this young officer earned his spurs in these distinctive actions, this alas cannot be so. The Battle of Bergen was fought in April 1759 before Percy entered the army and there is no evidence to suggest he was present. Minden occurred on 1 August, only two days after Percy had recruited Patrick Venus in Alnwick. Surprisingly, this was the first time that Lord Warkworth and his younger brother Algernon had set foot in Northumberland. Over the following months the Royal Volunteers were in training, with two of their companies situated in Durham and engaged in field exercises for eight hours a day. One officer described the city as being ‘very costly, though otherwise pleasant,’ and remarked that the ‘politeness and affability of its inhabitants’ could not be surpassed. It can therefore be 8assumed that much of Percy’s time, over the autumn and winter months, was likewise taken up with the instruction of his company who were said to be quartered in Newcastle. As 2nd Duke, he would later recollect that he and his men were the first soldiers to occupy the new barracks at Tynemouth. He had cause to remember, as many of the officers and men had caught ‘violent fevers’, on account of the dampness. By the spring of 1760 he had left the north-east and had returned, at least part time, to his education at St Johns Cambridge. Here, an early report of his academic abilities provides some insight into the kind of student he was:

… he wants very little assistance from his teachers & yet he appears desirous of receiving it … nothing can be more exemplary than his whole conduct & his amiable disposition.

Only six months later, Percy’s thirst to continue his military education got the better of him.

Europe beckons

In June 1760, the press reported that Lord Warkworth was not to go with his regiment to Guadeloupe, but had been given leave to go to Germany as a volunteer in the army of Prince Ferdinand of Brunswick. If this was true, could it be that Percy’s father, the Earl of Northumberland, had caught wind of the regiment’s posting and arranged for his son to travel to the continent? During this period, tropical diseases in the West Indies inflicted a high mortality rate among the soldiers and hence a posting here could be akin to a death sentence. Allowing Percy to go to Germany was, therefore, perhaps the lesser of two evils, although, as it turned out, the Royal Volunteers were not sent to the West Indies. Nonetheless, the following year they would see action and serve with distinction in the Spanish Peninsula, but without Captain Percy.

With his baggage train of ten horses, Percy landed on the continent on 22 June and immediately wrote to his father:

Dear Papa, we set sail from Harwich on Tuesday last & had a very pleasant passage here where we landed this morning. Thursday was the only bad day we have had, it blew very hard that day & the ship was quite full of water 3 or 4 times. I was the only person who was not sick on board.

9It would appear that perhaps a military life might just be the making of this frail young man. Lord Warkworth finally caught up with the part of Prince Ferdinand’s army camped at Sachsenhausen on 18 July. Here, the British contingent was under the command of Lieutenant General John Manners, better known as the Marquis of Granby. Granby was a senior officer who emerged from the war with a great reputation for his leadership and courage. Moreover, he would be most remembered for the compassionate welfare of his troops. It is as a mark of respect that so many British inns and pubs were named after the Marquis of Granby, a name that can frequently be seen to this day. The young Lord Warkworth could have found no better military figure to emulate as he forged his military education. What may have made the relationship between master and pupil easier was the fact that Granby was actually Percy’s half uncle, so the two were already acquainted. Though Percy’s own reputation among his men for generous and humane treatment may well have been born out his own natural instincts, it is difficult to believe that Granby did not influence the young soldier in some measure.

Now that Percy was with the army, a suitable position had to be found for him. This was remedied by Lieutenant General John Waldegrave who took him on as a ‘supernumerary Aide de camp’ and reassured Warkworth’s father, the Earl of Northumberland, that he would ‘make it my study to make campaigning as agreeable to him as the profession will admit.’ Surviving notebooks made by Lord Warkworth from 24 July 1760, suggest that he was indeed acting in this capacity. In general, they record the daily orders and movements of the army etc., issued by Prince Ferdinand and Lord Granby as well as General Waldegrave. The 17-year-old Percy did not have to wait long to witness his first major encounter: on 31 July, a decisive battle occurred at Warburg. The allied army under Prince Ferdinand, inflicted a heavy and decisive defeat on the French. The Marquis of Granby played a major part in the victory, leading a cavalry charge against the enemy, which became known as one of British Cavalry’s finest moments. In some histories, it has been suggested that Percy himself took part in the charge – and while an exciting supposition, it is improbable. He wrote to his father a few days after the action making no mention of his involvement, his letter rather suggesting he was closer to the actions of the infantry, rather than the famous cavalry engagement:

The attack was made on the French in their own camp. In whatever the cavalry was deficient at the battle of Minden they thoroughly made up for this day … The troops that chiefly engaged were the British Grenadiers who 10fought more like lions than men … The rest of the British Infantry being encamped at some distance & having a hill to climb, up to their chins in standing corn, only came up time enough to see the dastardly French flying from our victorious cavalry.

The words written appear to be more of an observer rather than a participant in the battle. In addition to the written orders to be found in young Percy’s notebook, there are a number of sketched maps. Though primitive, they show he was already recognising their importance for military purposes. His developing cartography skills would prove invaluable in a future conflict.

Unfortunately, after September, there are no further surviving notebooks covering his time as ADC and so Lord Warkworth’s movements are somewhat sketchy. We do know that in October, Lord Granby received from London a letter exempting Percy from a recall to his regiment in England. Later that month he was to witness another battle but on the losing side. At Kloster Kamp on 16 October, the allied army engaged the French, the main attack being led by General Waldegrave. This being the case, it is likely that Percy was close to the action. Though a failure for the allied army, Waldegrave himself was praised along with the exemplary discipline of his grenadiers. Despite it being a victory for the French, it had come at a high cost. Percy reported the event to his father a few days later:

By the accounts we have, the French lost above 3 times as many as we did. I think we gave those regiments that joined fresh that day from France a very pretty reception.

From his comments, it could be taken that Percy was involved or very close to the encounter. It would be the last major action of the campaign before the opposing armies settled into their winter camps and in December, Lord Warkworth returned home to London.

The following March, according to one newspaper, Lord Warkworth was once more bound for the army in Germany. Whether there was truth in the report or not, by August, at home and again suffering from poor health, Percy and his tutor set off on the Grand Tour. Arriving at Naples via Gibraltar, he began a journal of his travels. It is quite apparent that though his father may have been pleased that he was away from the army, Percy himself still had military matters on his mind. This is exemplified with entries such as: ‘Their land forces consist of fifty battalions and thirty-two squadrons of well-disciplined soldiers containing in all fifty thousand men.’

11Over the next two years, wherever he travelled – including Constantinople, Malta and Italy – he made constant notes of soldiers, guns and fortifications. Quite clearly, he was seeing the world through military eyes. At one point he confessed to his father:

I am quite ashamed to show my face when I consider I am a young man whose profession is arms and that I am now travelling about for my pleasure.

As a historical sidenote, it may be of interest to learn that in 1763, while visiting Turin, Percy met and became acquainted with a certain Giacomo Casanova. While he makes no mention of this in his notebook, Casanova himself recounts their meeting. In return for an introduction to London society at Northumberland House, a deal was agreed whereby the young Percy could have a full liaison with Casanova’s mistress.

Settling down

Earl Percy and his tutor Lypiatt on the Grand Tour

In July 1763, Lord Warkworth arrived home after completing his Grand Tour. His absence however, had not completely meant the neglect of his 12military career and while abroad, he had taken the opportunity to purchase the Lieutenant Colonelcy of the 111th Regiment. Despite sounding impressive, it consisted of only three companies, one of these having an effective roll of just three men. Furthermore, three months prior to Percy’s return home, the regiment was disbanded. Nevertheless, while still on tour, he received the more noteworthy commission of Lieutenant Colonel in the 1st Foot, Grenadier Guards.

His homecoming would prove to be a busy year, with an engagement of marriage to Lady Anne Stuart, a daughter of the Earl of Bute. The marriage the following year would prove to be an unhappy one and due to her ‘criminal conversation’ with another man, it resulted in a very public divorce in 1779.

Additionally, Lord Warkworth’s return saw him elected MP for the City of Westminster. In celebration of this victory, the noble Lord had 12 butts of beer placed in Covent Garden to be distributed among his voters. However, a number of soldiers fresh back from the war defending British liberty, swore to take the liberty of helping themselves to the beer. A full-scale riot broke out, and after they had drunk all the beer they ‘quietly marched back to their quarters.’ Despite this minor setback, Percy took his responsibilities seriously; as the Prime Minister, George Grenville, commented on ‘Lord Warkworth’s constant and kind attendance.’ Percy patriotically informed his father that he would give the King a voice in Parliament and that ‘as a soldier, will be ever ready to risk his life.’ A statement that perhaps illuminates a yearning to follow his military passion, rather than that of a politician. Unfortunately for Percy, his political leanings would increasingly steer him further away from William Pitt’s government and perhaps hinder his later military aspirations.

Eighteen months after his election to Parliament, Percy was honoured with an appointment as an ADC to the King with the rank of Colonel. In 1766 when his father was created 1st Duke of Northumberland, it provided him with the new title of ‘Earl Percy’. Further military commissions were to follow two years later when he was made the Colonel of the Western Battalion of the Middlesex Militia, and in November, given command of the 5th Regiment of Foot.

The appointment of this new commander would become popular among the rank-and-file soldiers, so much so that the regiment would later take the name Northumberland Fusiliers in his honour. However, he had obtained the commission through his uncle and now Military Commander in Chief, the Marquis of Granby, and this was not received well with much 13of the military establishment. In an age when officers’ commissions were generally purchased, it was the norm that those who had served the longest would be preferred for these senior ranks. At the age of only 26 and with no real combat experience, Percy inevitably met some resentment. Many years later he would himself admit, ‘my appointment to the 5th of foot, as so young a Colonel excited great disapprobation in the Army.’ Though his very competent actions in America may have served to soften this bitterness, a number in military circles would forever carry a grudge.

The 5th of Foot had been quartered in Limerick, Ireland, for several years – since 1763 – and Colonel Hugh Percy set off to join his new regiment in January 1769, but the journey was not without incident. His four days passage from Holyhead was not a pleasant one and could have cost him his life. Having lost its masts in a storm, his ship struggled offshore at the mercy of the waves and very much in danger of