Stewart Latham

Historical Overview
Born on the 22nd of September, 1683, Stewart Latham was an only child whose parents were killed in a fire before he reached the age of 10. Adopted by Nigel Hawkthorne, a merchant from Poole, England, in 1700 he was accepted to HMS Bristol (50) as a midshipman.

A lieutenant at 18, he saw action during the War of the Spanish Succession (1701-1714), serving aboard HMS Bristol (50) at the Battle of Santa Marta (1702) and aboard HMS Royal Oak (74) at the Battle of Malaga (1704). Sent ashore in 1707 due to ill health, by 1709 he had recovered sufficiently to return to HMS Royal Oak.

In 1720, Lieutenant Latham was sent to the West Indies as master and commander of HMS Elizabeth (6). There he quickly distinguished himself, being called “Fighting Mad” after a singularly daring action in which the Elizabeth was deftly handled in action with two frigates and a number of gunboats. Confirmed as Post-Captain by 1722, he participated in a number of engagements and port-defense activities, usually from the deck of HMS Norfolk (72). In 1723 he returned to England, and returned to the Caribbean as captain of HMS Berwick (62) the following year.

Active Command

 * HMS Berwick - 62 Gun Poseidon Fourth Rate Ship of the Line

Ships of Post-Captain Latham's Flotilla

 * HMS Norfolk - 72 Gun Valiant Third Rate Ship of the Line
 * HMS Falkland - 62 Gun San Fernando Fourth Rate Ship of the Line
 * HMS Bombay Castle - 62 Gun Reason Fourth Rate Ship of the Line
 * HMS Portland - 56 Gun Dauntless Fifth Rate Frigate
 * HMS Chatham - 50 Gun Hercules Fifth Rate Frigate
 * HMS Cyane - 46 Gun Conquistador Fifth Rate Frigate
 * HMS Bristol - 46 Gun Mercy Fifth Rate Frigate
 * HM Transport Wagner - 6 Gun Defiant Stripped Frigate
 * HM Sloop-of-War Audacious - 6 Gun Bermuda Sloop

Prior Commands

 * HMS Audacious - 64 Gun Macedon Hunter’s Fourth Rate Ship of the Line (Sunk, August 1722)
 * HMS Black Fox - 48 Gun Gallant Fifth Rate Frigate (Sunk, August 1722)
 * HMS Bellerophon - 46 Gun Defiant Fifth Rate Frigate (Sent to England as convoy escort, February 1721)
 * HMS Intrepid - 39 Gun Minerva Mastercraft Fifth Rate Frigate (Broken Up, January 1724)
 * HMS Rosewood - 32 Gun Athena Fifth Rate Frigate (Broken Up, December 1720)
 * HMS Elizabeth - 6 Gun La Belle Corvette (Broken Up, May 1720)

Special Note
Written with thanks to Captain the Right Honourable Lord Gabriel Alexander William George Laurence, 1st Viscount Castleton, of Sandbeck in the County of York, RN, KG, KB, SGC, NGM, AC, for furnishing the original formatting.