Sir William Cornwallis

Admiral The Honourable Sir William Cornwallis GCB
Admiral William Cornwallis after a Portrait by Daniel Gardner, Published in the Naval Chronicle
Member of Parliament for Eye
In office 1801–1807
In office 1790–1800
In office 1782–1784
In office 1768–1774
Member of Parliament for Portsmouth
In office 1784–1790
Personal details
Born	10 February 1744
Died	5 July 1819(1819-07-05) (aged 75)
Relations	Charles Cornwallis, 1st Marquess Cornwallis, Viscount Charles Townshend
Awards	GCB
Military service
Nickname(s)	Blue BillyCoachee, Billy go tight and Mr Whip
Allegiance	United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland
Service/branch	Royal Navy
Years of service	1755–1806
Rank	Admiral
Commands	HMS Wasp HMS Swift HMS Prince Edward HMS Guadeloupe HMS Lion HMS Canada HMS Ganges HM Yacht Charlotte HMS Robust HMS Crown Commander-in-Chief East Indies Commander-in-Chief Channel Fleet
Battles/wars	Seven Years' War Siege of Louisbourg (1758) Battle of Quiberon Bay American War of Independence Battle of Grenada Battle of St. Kitts Battle of the Saintes Third Anglo-Mysore War Reduction of Pondicherry French Revolutionary Wars First Battle of Groix Napoleonic Wars

HMS Wasp
HMS Swift
HMS Prince Edward
HMS Guadeloupe
HMS Lion
HMS Canada
HMS Ganges
HM Yacht Charlotte
HMS Robust
HMS Crown
Commander-in-Chief East Indies

Admiral Sir William Cornwallis, GCB (10 February 1744 – 5 July 1819) was a Royal Navy officer. He was the brother of Charles Cornwallis, the 1st Marquess Cornwallis, British commander at the siege of Yorktown. Cornwallis took part in a number of decisive battles including the Siege of Louisbourg in 1758 and the Battle of the Saintes but is best known as a friend of Lord Nelson and as the commander-in-chief of the Channel Fleet during the Napoleonic Wars. He is depicted in the Horatio Hornblower novel, Hornblower and the Hotspur.

William Cornwallis was born 10 February 1744. His father was Charles the fifth baron and first earl Cornwallis and his mother was Elizabeth, daughter of Viscount Charles Townshend. William was the younger brother of General Charles Cornwallis.