George Vandeput
| George Vandeput | |
|---|---|
| Died | 14 March 1800 |
| Allegiance |
 Kingdom of Great Britain
|
| Service/branch |
 Royal Navy
|
| Rank | Admiral |
| Commands held | North American Station |
| Battles/wars | American Revolutionary War |
Admiral George Vandeput (died 14 March 1800) was an English naval officer, the illegitimate son of Sir George Vandeput, 2nd Baronet (c. 1717 – 17 June 1784) and an unknown mother.
He was a midshipman on board HMS Neptune (the flagship of Sir Charles Saunders, stationed in the St Lawrence River) by 24 September 1759, on which date he was promoted lieutenant and transferred to the Shrewsbury under Captain Hugh Palliser.
From 1759 to peace in 1763 he served on the Shrewsbury, then on 17 April 1764 he was given his first command, the sloop Goree, soon followed on 20 June 1765 by being made post captain of the Surprise (20 guns). Other commands (Boreas August 1766-June 1767, the 28 gun Carysfort June 1767-1770, the Solebay on the home station 1770-1773, and many temporary commands in 1773).
Finally he was appointed captain of Asia just before her commissioning in December 1773, and sailed her to the North American station, where he and she stayed until 1777, mostly in or around New York City and Boston. During this period one of the Asia 's tenders captured a small boat carrying gunpowder. Her crew had intended to be captured and hoped that the gunpowder would be immediately transferred to the Asia's hold and the boat allowed to go free, so that a sabotage device (consisting of a clockwork which would fire a musket lock at a set time) hidden in the gunpowder would go off inside the Asia and destroy her. However, not knowing of the plot, Vandeput ordered the vessel to lie off the Asia for the night with her cargo still on board, and so one of the captured crew confessed the plot for fear that he would be killed by the explosion. It was also in this first service on the Asia that he met and became friends with the marine artist Robert Cleveley.
...
Wikipedia