Skip to main content Accessibility help

We use cookies to distinguish you from other users and to provide you with a better experience on our websites. Close this message to accept cookies or find out how to manage your cookie settings.

Close cookie message
×
Hostname: page-component-84b7d79bbc-c654p Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-07-28T08:27:28.812Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIR OF SIR ISAAC COFFIN, BART. REAR-ADMIRAL OF THE WHITE SQUADRON

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  10 January 2011

Edited by
James Stanier Clarke  and
John McArthur
Get access

Summary

Genius of Albion! still 'tis thine

To wield the sceptre of the main;

Ev'n though the embattled world combine

To wrest it, the attempt proves vain.

Anon.

To withdraw the obscurity, which too frequently envelopes the professional lives of our Naval Officers, and thereby to narrate the meritorious exertions of bravery and fortitude, is a task of some labour, and entitled to commendation.

Rear-Admiral Sir Isaac Coffin, Bart, to whose services our attention is now directed, is an American by birth; and, from the ardour with which the spirit of liberty was cherished in that part of the world, he early imbibed a love for our Country and her glorious Constitution: born of British parents, and in the territories of his Britannic Majesty, he has every requisite claim to the honourable appellation of Briton.

Mr. Isaac Coffin was born at Boston, in North-America, in the year 1760; and, having first been brought forward by the friendship of Lieutenant Hunter, of Greenwich Hospital, he entered, as early as May, 1773, into his Majesty's service, under the patronage of Rear-Admiral John Montagu. His first cruize was in the Gaspée brig; and, after passing the summer in that vessel, he went from Rhode Island to Boston; completed his studies in mathematics on board the Captain, and then was turned over to the King's Fisher, commanded by Captain (now Admiral) George Montagu.

Type
Chapter
Information
The Naval Chronicle
Containing a General and Biographical History of the Royal Navy of the United Kingdom with a Variety of Original Papers on Nautical Subjects
 , pp. 1 - 88
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2010
First published in: 1805

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

Save book to Kindle

To save this book to your Kindle, first ensure coreplatform@cambridge.org is added to your Approved Personal Document E-mail List under your Personal Document Settings on the Manage Your Content and Devices page of your Amazon account. Then enter the ‘name’ part of your Kindle email address below. Find out more about saving to your Kindle.

Note you can select to save to either the @free.kindle.com or @kindle.com variations. ‘@free.kindle.com’ emails are free but can only be saved to your device when it is connected to wi-fi. ‘@kindle.com’ emails can be delivered even when you are not connected to wi-fi, but note that service fees apply.

Find out more about the Kindle Personal Document Service.

Available formats
×

Save book to Dropbox

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Dropbox.

Available formats
×

Save book to Google Drive

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Google Drive.

Available formats
×