Robert Carthew Reynolds
| Robert Carthew Reynolds | |
|---|---|
| Born |
bap. 30 July 1745 Lamorran, Cornwall |
| Died | 24 December 1811 HMS St George, off Jutland |
| Allegiance |
 United Kingdom |
| Service/branch |
 Royal Navy
|
| Years of service | 1759–1811 |
| Rank | Rear-Admiral |
| Commands held | 2nd-in-Command, Baltic Fleet |
| Battles/wars |
American Revolutionary War |
American Revolutionary War
French Revolutionary Wars
Rear-Admiral Robert Carthew Reynolds (bap. 30 July 1745 – 24 December 1811) was a long serving and widely respected officer of the British Royal Navy who served in four separate major wars in a 52-year career. During this time he saw only one major battle, although was engaged in one of the most noted frigate actions of the French Revolutionary Wars, the destruction of the Droits de l'Homme, in which his own frigate was driven ashore and wrecked. Reynolds died in 1811 during a great storm in late December, which scattered his convoy and wrecked three ships of the line including his own flagship HMS St George. Over 2,000 British sailors, including Reynolds, were drowned.
Reynolds was born in the village of Lamorran in Cornwall in 1745. His exact date of birth is unknown, but he was baptised on 30 July to parents John and Elizabeth Reynolds. Robert Reynolds joined the Royal Navy at 14, under Captain George Edgcumbe in HMS Hero during the Seven Years' War. A few months after joining the ship, Hero was engaged in the Battle of Quiberon Bay at which a French fleet was destroyed. Although there is no direct proof of his presence at the action, it is likely that Reynolds was on board and witnessed the engagement first hand. Reynolds remained with the ship for several years and during the 1760s served on HMS Brilliant, HMS Pearl and HMS Venus, becoming a midshipman and passing the lieutenant's exam in 1770.
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