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Jervis, the son of a lawyer, was intended for the law but after trying to run away to join the Navy, was allowed to do so in 1749. He earned a reputation as a highly professional fighting captain and disciplinarian. A vice-admiral at the start of the French Revolutionary War, he and General Sir Charles (later Earl) Grey captured Martinique and Guadeloupe in 1794. As an admiral he became commander-in-chief in the Mediterranean in 1795. A good judge of professional character, he ruthlessly weeded out captains and officers he considered weak in favour of rising stars including Nelson. When the Spanish fleet sailed in 1797 he intercepted and defeated it off Cape St Vincent in the action that first brought Nelson to public fame, and was himself created Earl of St Vincent.
In 1801 to 1804 he was First Lord of the Admiralty, in which his Whig political convictions and obsession with rooting out largely imagined corrupt practices in the dockyards and naval administration nearly brought the Navy to logistical disaster. Nonetheless, St Vincent's investigations of the often archaic, if pragmatic, naval infrastructure of his time paved the way for necessary reforms after 1815.
In a long retirement he was much honoured, including with the rank of Admiral of the Fleet from 1821. This was unusual as there was normally only one post-holder at a time and he was a second, with the Duke of Clarence. St Vincent's character was one of rigorous self-sufficiency and professionalism, acquired from the hardships of his early life, grim humour at the discomforts which he created for others but willingly endured himself, and a distaste for public ostentation. He could be critical but was also known for much kindness to those who had any claim on his friendship or deserving support.
Title
Admiral John Jervis (1735–1823), 1st Earl of St Vincent
Date
late 18th C–early 19th C
Medium
oil on canvas
Measurements
H 239 x W 147.5 cm
Accession number
BHC3002
Acquisition method
National Maritime Museum (Greenwich Hospital Collection)
Work type
Painting