John Gell (admiral)

Admiral John Gell
Captain John Gell
Born	1740 prob. Hopton Hall
Died	1806 near Crickhowell
Cause of death	Apoplexy
Residence	Glanusk Villa near Crickhowell
Nationality	English
Occupation	British Navy
Known for	Admiral
Parent(s)	John (Eyre) Gell and Isabella née Jessop

Admiral John Gell (1740–1806) was from the Gell and Eyre families of Hopton Hall in Derbyshire. He served with the Royal Navy, fighting in India and taking part in the occupation of Toulon.

Gell was a commander in the Royal Navy for over thirty years starting in 1762 following two years as a lieutenant. He was promoted to the rank of Admiral in 1799 after completing duties in Nova Scotia, Portugal, Genoa, the East Indies and Toulon.

In 1793, Gell's squadron captured a Spanish ship which contained two million dollars and packages valued at over 200,000 pounds.

Gell was born in 1740 to another John Gell of Hopton Hall. His father was born John Eyre but had taken the name Gell when he inherited the Gell fortune. Although his father had assumed the name Gell, this Gell was the great Grandson of the parliamentarian soldier, the first baronet, Sir John Gell The children of his elder brother, Philip Gell of Hopton Hall were mentioned in Gell's will.

The first known reference to Gell's career is when he joins HMS Prince in 1757 and was promoted to Lieutenant on board HMS Conqueror in 1760 which was to be wrecked the same year.

In 1776 he was appointed captain of the three-year-old HMS Thetis. With this ship he served in the American, The Mediterranean and the Channel Fleets until he was given command of the Monarca. This ship was unusual in that it had been built in 1756 and for the first 24 years it had been part of the Spanish Navy before being captured by the British at the Battle of Cape St. Vincent in 1780. Gell who was under the orders of Sir Samuel Hood to go to the West Indies. However the ship lost its mast in a storm and was obliged to return to Britain for refitting.

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