Royal Navy captain 1853

[Top-of-the-hill]

   I am gathering newspaper reports about HMS Juno and Captain Fremantle. One brief piece says:- "Captain Fremantle has been removed from the command of the Arrogant, 47, to the command of the Juno, 26." I wonder if this odd wording means he was being to some extent demoted. The Juno was sent off to Australia soon afterwards for 3 years and another cutting suggests that there were problems recruiting seamen.

[mckha489]

Do you refer to the term “removed”?

It does sound a bit odd.

26 Sept 1852 was when he was commissioned to the Arrogant. Then in July 1853 there is a court martial of the second in command (of the Arrogant) Capt Fremantle prosecuting.  So perhaps that had something to do with it? 

However the 21 October 1853 - Sun (London)  has his transfer to the Juno under “important appointments”

My own feeling is that they were never subtle about these things. If he was being put on a smaller ship as a demotion I am sure it would say somewhere.

[mckha489]

Also, the Arrogant was a steam ship and the Juno a sailing vessel. Perhaps he was set in his ways and didn’t like Steam.  Or, they wanted Capt Fremantle in Australia (the Juno posting being to relieve the Australian station), but didn’t want to waste a steamship down there

[mckha489]

And, at the end of September there was a big banquet for the Lords of the Admiralty in Cork and Captain Fremantle was one of guests of the evening, so it seems unlikely he was demoted.

30 September 1853 - Sun (London)

[mckha489]

Aah, but now I see the reports of the Juno court martial that seem to imply he had been sent out to Australia owing to his powerful family connections.

[Top-of-the-hill]

  It was the term "removed" that made me wonder. I see you have now found the Juno courts martial, which were rather odd and led to a lot of sharp comment in the papers! Interesting that there was a court martial on the Arrogant as well. I seem to be picking up a lot of hints that he had a bad reputation - there was trouble getting a crew together for the Juno, and one paper said it was a poor crew. My great grandfather was on this voyage as a 17 year old recruit.

[mckha489]

No doubt you have seen there are a ton of papers relating to the Juno affair on the National Archives catalogue.

And yet when he took over the Arrogant, it says most of the previous crew signed up under Fremantle.  I wonder what he died of in 1860.  Perhaps he was going a bit dotty.

My GGGF was boatswain under Charles Fremantle on the Challenger in the 1830s

[mckha489]

And yet when he took over the Arrogant, it says most of the previous crew signed up under Fremantle.  I wonder what he died of in 1860.  Perhaps he was going a bit dotty.

Notice says he had been in a declining  state of health for some time.  Age 49. And the Juno was his last ship.


Earlier in the year he was “seized with a fit” and fell off his horse.

[mckha489]

I seem to be picking up a lot of hints that he had a bad reputation

Goodness.  20 January 1858 - Bombay Gazette - Bombay, Maharashtra, India