John Pilfold
| John Pilfold | |
|---|---|
| Born | before 20 January 1769 Horsham, Sussex, England |
| Died | 12 July 1834 (aged 65) Stonehouse, Devon, England |
| Resting place | St George's Church, Plymouth, England |
| Nationality |
 English
|
| Occupation | Naval Captain |
| Employer | Royal Navy |
| Relatives | Percy Bysshe Shelly (nephew), Thomas Medwin (cousin removed) |
Captain John Pilfold, RN, CB (before 20 January 1769 – 12 July 1834) was an officer of the Royal Navy whose solid naval career during the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars was most noted for his command of the ship of the line HMS Ajax in Nelson's division at the battle of Trafalgar whilst only a lieutenant.
John Pilfold's father, Charles Pilfold (1726–1790), was described as a "yeoman" and not a "gent" in his marriage registration, indicating the Pilfolds were not an arms-bearing family but freehold proprietors, although on a modest scale. Pilfold's uncle, Richard Pilfold (1677–1748), inherited Baylings Farm at Warnham, which the family had owned since the 16th century.
When John Pilford was ten, his mother died and two years later, he joined the Royal Navy. John Pilfold's older brother Charles inherited the farm and later became an apprentice butcher at the age of 17. Charles later preceded John and became acting Lieutenant in the Navy serving under Lord Nelson. In 1782, he met Nelson again in New York. Soon, he was promoted to full Lieutenant. On 17 December 1791, Charles made his last voyage to China. He died on 28 August 1792, on Oceana. The cause of death was unknown.
John Pilfold followed the usual method of introduction to the Royal Navy of the day, joining a ship aged 13 and slowly learning his trade as a midshipman in HMS Crown under the capable guidance of William Cornwallis. In October 1788 Pilfold was promoted to Midshipman. Later that month, he went to sea under the command of Sir William Cornwallis to the East Indies, returning in May 1792. Arriving home, Pilford found his father had died in 1790 and that his estate, Effingham East Court Manor, had been sold.
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