Joseph Whidbey (1757- October 9, 1833) was a member of the British Royal Navy who served with on the Vancouver Expedition 1791–1795, and later achieved renown as a naval engineer. Year 1757 ( MDCCLVII) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Events 768 - Carloman I and Charlemagne are crowned Kings of The Franks. Year 1833 ( MDCCCXXXIII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Common The Royal Navy of the United Kingdom is the oldest of the British armed services (and is therefore known as the Senior Service) The Vancouver Expedition (1791-1795 was a five-year voyage of exploration and diplomacy commanded by Captain George Vancouver. ^[1]

Little is recorded of Whidbey's life before his warranting as a sailing master in 1779. Captain is the traditional customary title given to the person in charge in command of a Ship at sea After years of service during the war of American Independence, he received a peacetime appointment to HMS Europa, where with then-Lieutenant Vancouver, he conducted a detailed survey of Port Royal. There were least three ships named HMS Europa in the British Royal Navy. Port Royal, Jamaica was the centre of Shipping Commerce in the Islands of the Greater Antilles which make up the northeastern

Europa paid off, but Whidbey soon gained a berth, along with Vancouver, in the newly-built HMS Discovery^[2] . The Voyage (See also Vancouver Expedition) Discovery was built for a voyage of exploration to the Southern whale fisheries During the Nootka Crisis, both men were transferred to HMS Courageux, but returned to Discovery and departed for the Northwest Coast of America. The Nootka Crisis was a political dispute between the Kingdom of Great Britain and the Kingdom of Spain, triggered by a series of events that took place during Several ships of the Royal Navy have been named HMS Courageous or Courageux (the French spelling (See Vancouver Expedition)

In 1792, Whidbey accompanied Lieutenant Peter Puget in small boats to explore what was later named Puget Sound. The Vancouver Expedition (1791-1795 was a five-year voyage of exploration and diplomacy commanded by Captain George Vancouver. Peter Puget (1765- October 31 1822 was an officer in the Royal Navy, best known for his exploration of Puget Sound. Puget Sound (ˈpjuːʤᵻt is an arm of the Pacific Ocean, connected to the rest of the Pacific by the Strait of Juan de Fuca, in the Pacific Northwest On June 2, the team discovered Deception Pass, establishing the insularity of the Sound's largest island, which Vancouver named Whidbey Island. Events 455 - The Vandals enter Rome, and plunder the city for two weeks Deception Pass is a Strait separating Whidbey Island from Fidalgo Island, in the northwest part of the U Whidbey Island (historical spelling Whidby) is one of nine Islands located in Island County, Washington, in the United States

Upon Discovery's return to England, Whidbey served briefly in HMS Sans Pareil, but eventually turned to a shoreside career. Three ships of the Royal Navy have been named HMS Sans Pareil, after the French meaning 'without equal' was an 80-gun Third-rate In 1799, then-Earl St. Vincent commissioned him to make of feasibility survey making Tor Bay a fleet anchorage; Whidbey recommended this be done by building a great breakwater. Viscount St Vincent, of Meaford in the County of Stafford is a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. This is a list of bays of the British Isles, geographically by island Surviving correspondence suggests that around this time he apparently struck up a lifelong friendly and professional relationship with the engineer John Rennie. John Rennie ( 7 June 1761 at Phantassie, near East Linton, East Lothian, Scotland - 4 October 1821

Whidbey was appointed Master Attendant at Sheerness in 1799. His innovative salvage of the Dutch frigate Ambuscade was the subject of a paper read to the Royal Society in 1803. ^[3] In 1804 he received the prestigious appointment as Master Attendant at Woolwich, one of the Royal Navy's greatest dockyards. Woolwich (ˈwʊlɪtʃ or /ˈwʊlɪdʒ/ is a suburb in south-east London, England in the London Borough of Greenwich, on the south side of the River In 1805, Whidbey became a Fellow of the Royal Society, sponsored by a long list of distinguished men of science: Alexander Dalrymple, James Rennell, Willaims Marsden, James Stanier Clarke, Sir Gilbert Blane, Mark Beaufoy, Joseph Huddart, and John Rennie. The Royal Society of London for the Improvement of Natural Knowledge, known simply as The Royal Society, is a Learned society for science that was founded in 1660 Alexander Dalrymple ( July 24, 1737 &ndash June 19, 1808) was a Scottish Geographer and the first Hydrographer Major James Rennell FRS ( December 3, 1742 - March 29, 1830) was an English Geographer, Historian Sir Gilbert Blane ( 29 August 1749 - 26 June 1834) was a Scottish physician who instituted health reform in the Royal Navy

In 1806, as the Napoleonic Wars impended, Whidbey joined Rennie in planning the Plymouth Breakwater, at St. The Napoleonic Wars (1803-1815 involved Napoleon's French Empire and a shifting set of European allies and opposing coalitions Plymouth Breakwater is a 1560 metre/1700 yard stone breakwater protecting Plymouth Sound and the anchorages therein Vincent's request; in 1811 came the order to begin construction and Whidbey was appointed Acting Superintending Engineer. This task required great engineering, organizational and political skills, as the many strictly technical challenges were complicated by the significant resources devoted to the project, from which various parties evidenced a desire for advantage. Nearly 4,000,000 (four million) tons of stone were quarried and transported, using about a dozen ships innovatively designed by the two men.

Construction started on August 8, 1812; it was sufficiently completed by 1814 to shelter ships of the line, although work continued for over 50 years. Events 1220 - Sweden is defeated by Estonian tribes in the Battle of Lihula. Year 1812 ( MDCCCXII) a leap year started on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Leap year Napoleon was reported as commenting that it was a grand thing, as he passed by it on the way to exile on St. Helena in 1815. Napoleon Bonaparte (15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821 was a French military and political leader who had a significant impact on the History of Europe. Saint Helena (pronounced saint he-LEE-na) named after St Helena of Constantinople, is an island of volcanic origin and a British overseas territory

Whidbey continued to work on the breakwater and other engineering projects, including the breakwater's lighthouse (designed by Trinity House), until retirement around 1830. The Corporation of Trinity House is the official General Lighthouse Authority for England Wales and other British Territorial waters (with the exception of Scotland His contributions to the Royal Society includes a paper on fossils found in the Plymouth quarries 1817^[4]

Character

Records of the Vancouver expedition suggest that Whidbey was an expert and reliable seaman, entrusted with difficult tasks. Year 1817 ( MDCCCXVII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common However, upon his return to English, he provided testimony for Sir Joseph Banks' campaign against Vancouver (Whidbey was at the time competing with Vancouver for the pay accrued as Astronomer for the voyage. Sir Joseph Banks 1st Baronet, GCB, PRS (13 February 1743 &ndash 19 June 1820 was an English naturalist, botanist and patron of ) Vancouver soon died, perhaps mooting difficulties in their relationship.

At any rate, Whidbey rose swiftly from his humble beginnings, undoubtedly due to his proven technical skill as much as his connections.

Correspondence between Whidbey and Rennie suggests a close and honest working relationship, and an earthy sense of humor. For example, when a certain Sir Francis Northwell pestered the two with the idea that a large hole in the floor of Plymouth bay might complicate construction, Whidbey wrote to Rennie that, should such a feature be discovered, it would be named Lady Northwell's Hole.

Legacy

It is not known that Whidbey had children. Whidbey's house near Plymouth still stands, and is called Bovisand House.

Numerous features around Whidbey Island bear the Whidbey name, such as Joseph Whidbey State Park and Whidbey Island Naval Air Station. From the latter comes the name of the Whidbey Island class dock landing ship. Ships See also ''Harpers Ferry''-class dock landing ship Sources US Navy Type Information Hutchinson In Britain, the Whidbey Automatic Light (Occulting Green) was constructed at the eastern end of Plymouth Sound in 1980.

References

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