Admiral Michael De Courcy

  General Notes:

Admiral of the Blue

Extract from "The Gentleman's Magazine and Historical Chronicle" by Sylvanus Urban (1824)
Obituary: Admiral de Courcy
Feb. 22, 1824. At his seat, Stockton House, near Saltash, the Hon. Michael de Courcy, Admiral of the Blue.
The noble family of De Courcy is allied to most of the Princes of Europe, deriving its descent in the male line from the house of Lorraine, of the race of the Emperor Charlemagne, or Charles I, surnamed the Great, who obliged the saxons, and all other heathens whom he conquered, to receive the Christian faith; and so made the grand revolution of Europe.
The subject of this memoir was the third and eldest surviving son of John, the 25th lord Kingsale, Baron Courcy, of Courcy, and Baron Ringrone, premier Baron of the kingdom of Ireland, by Martha, daughter of the Rev. Isaac Heron, of Dorsetshire; which nobleman, on being presented to his late majesty, Sept. 15, 1762, had the honour of asserting the ancient privilege of his family, by wearing his hat in the royal presence, granted to his ancestor, John de Courcy, Earl of Ulster, etc., by John, King of England.
During the American war our officer commanded the Swallow sloop, from which vessel he was posted Sept. 6, 1783, into the Europa of 50 guns, the flag ship of the late Admiral Gambier, on the Jamaica station. In 1787 we find him in the Hyena of 20 guns, escorting the first party of convicts ever sent to New South Wales, 100 leagues to the Westward. He was afterwards stationed on the coast of Ireland, for the suppression of smuggling.
At the commencement of the war with france, in 1793, Capt. de Courcy was appointed in the Pearl frigate, on the Irish station; and from that ship removed, about the latter end of the year 1794, to the Magnanime, a cut down 64, mounting 26 24-pounders on the main deck, 18 12-pounders on the quarter deck and forecastle, and 4 42-pounder carronades.
We find the following French privateers amongst the list of captures made by Capt. de Courcy during the time he commanded the Magnanime: Le Triton, 8 guns, pierced for 18, 180 men; le Tiercelet, 8 guns, 10 swivels, and 47 men; l'Eugénie, 18 guns, 107 men; l'Audacieux, 20 guns, 137 men; and la Colombe, 12 guns, 64 men. He also assisted at the capture of La Decade French frigate of 36 guns; and the defeat of a French squadron off Ireland, Oct 12., 1798; on which latter occasion the Magnanime had 7 men wounded.
In February, 1799, our officer was appointed to the Canada, of 74 guns, attached to the Channel fleet, one of the ships sent on an expedition against Quiberon in the summer of 1800.
On the 10th April 1801, the Canada was off the Black Rocks, when the Mars carried away her head, bowsprit, foremast, main top-mast, and main-yard, by running foul of the Centaur. Capt. De Courcy succeeded in towing the Mars safe in Plymouth, where she arrived ten days after the accident. At the conclusion of the war, our officer commanded the Namur, a second-rate.
Soon after the renewal of hostilities, in 1803, Capt. De Courcy was appointed to the Plantagenet, a 74 gun built without a poop, on a plan suggested by Lord Gambier. After cruising some time on nthe coast of Ireland, he convoyed the outward-bound East India fleet to St. Helena; and on his return thence with several China ships under his protection, was presented by the Court of Directors with 500 guineas, for the purchase of a piece of plate.
On the 28th November 1804, he commissioned the St. George of 98 guns, at Plymouth, and soon after proceeded in her to the Jamaica station, where he continued until promoted to the rank of Rear-Admiral, Nov. 9, 1805. Early in 1808, we find him with his flag in the Tonnant, 80 guns, accompanying Sir John T. Duckworth to the West Indies and coast of America, in chase of a French squadron; which, however, eluded the vigilence of its pursuers, who anchored in Cawsand Bay on the 18th April, after traversing upwards of 13,000 miles.
In January 1809, Rear-Admiral De Courcy commanded the squadron that covered the embarkation of the ill-fated British army at Corunna, in front of which place the gallant Sir John Moore, after conducting a retreat unparalleled in modern history, was snatched from his country in the moment of vistory. Among the emigrants of distinction who sought an asylum on board the Tonnant, on this occasion, was the Duke of Vera Argus, the lineal descendant of the celebrated Christopher Columbus. On the 25th of the same month, the Houses of lords and Commons passed a vote of thanks to the Rear-Admiral, the Captains, officers, and men of the squadron, for the assistance they had afforded the army.
The subject of this memoir was soon after appointed Commander-in-Chief at Brazil, and proceeded thither in the Diana frigate. On his arrival at Rio Janeiro, he hoisted his flag in the Foudroyant, of 80 guns, where it continued until his return to England in 1812.
Our officer was advanced to the rank of Vice-Admiral,July 31, 1810, and became an Admiral of the Blue, July 19, 1821. He married, Oct. 24, 1786, Miss Blennerhasset, daughter of Conway Blennerhasset, of Castle Conway, Co. Kerry, esq. (descended from the ancient Cumberland family of that name) and sister of the present Dowager Baroness Kingsale. The Admiral's daughter, Anne, married in June 1812, Capt. Sir John Gordon Sinclair, bart., R.N. His eldest son is in Holy Orders.


The Hon. Michael de Courcy
NationalityBritish
RolesSailor
First Known Service1776/11/20CSORN
FatherJohn de Courcy, 18th Lord KingsalePEER
MotherMartha HeronPEER
WifeAnne BlennerhassettPEER
SonRev Michael (1787/10/06 - 1845/11/01)PEER
DaughterAnne (d 23rd Sep 1857)PEER
SonNevinson de CourcyPEER
Last Known Service1814/06/04CSORN
Date of Death1824/02/22PEER
Event History
Date from
Date to
Event
Source
Unknown

Appointed Honourable
PEER
1776/11/20

Lieutenant
CSORN
1776/11/20
1778/04/22
Preston (50), Fourth Lieutenant
SNForum
1776/12/06
1776/12/08
Occupation of Rhode Island

1778/04/22
1778
Eagle (64), Fifth Lieutenant
SNForum
1782/08/20

Commander
CSORN
1782/08/20
1783/09/06
Swallow (16), as Commanding Officer
BWAS-1714
1782/09
1782/11
Lightning (14), as Commanding Officer
BWAS-1714
1783/09
1784/03
Europa (50), as Commanding Officer
BWAS-1714
1783/09/06

Captain
CSORN
1783/09/06
1784/05
Nemesis (28), as Commanding Officer
BWAS-1714
1783/09/06
1788
Hyaena (24), Captain
BWAS-1714
1793/06
1795/12
Pearl (32), as Commanding Officer
BWAS-1714
1795/09
1798/10
Magnanime (44), as Commanding Officer
BWAS-1793
1798/10/12

Battle of Tory Island

1799/04
1801/04
Canada (74), as Commanding Officer
BWAS-1793
1799/04
1801/04
Canada (74), as Commanding Officer
BWAS-1714
1801/05
1802/04
Namur (90), as Commanding Officer
BWAS-1714
1803/08
1804
Plantagenet (74), as Commanding Officer
BWAS-1793
1804/11
1805/12
Saint George (98), as Commanding Officer
BWAS-1714
1805/11/09

Rear-Admiral of the Blue
CSORN
1807/04
1807/07
Prince of Wales (98), as Flag Officer, Rear-Admiral
BWAS-1793
1807/07
1809
Tonnant (80), as Flag Officer, Rear-Admiral of the Blue
BWAS-1793
1808/04/28

Rear-Admiral of the White
CSORN
1809/10/25

Rear-Admiral of the Red
CSORN
1810
1812
Foudroyant (80), as Flag Officer, Vice-Admiral of the Blue
BWAS-1714
1810/07/31

Vice-Admiral of the Blue
CSORN
1813/12/04

Vice-Admiral of the White
CSORN
1814/06/04

Vice-Admiral of the Red
CSORN
Sources
ID
Description
Author
Type
CSORN
Commissioned Sea Officers of the Royal Navy
David Bonner Smith
Web Site
PEER
The Peerage dot com
Various
Web Site
SNForum
Sailing Navies (Forum)

Web Site
BWAS-1714
British Warships in the Age of Sail 1714 - 1792
Rif Winfield
Book
BWAS-1793
British Warships in the Age of Sail 1793 - 1817
Rif Winfield
Book

Michael married Anne Blennerhassett, daughter of Conway Blennerhassett of Killorgin and Unknown, on 24 Oct 1786. (Anne Blennerhassett died in 1828.)