John Conn facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
John Conn
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|---|---|
| Born | c. 5 August 1764 Stoke Damerel, Devon |
| Died | 10 May 1810 (aged 45) Off the coast of Bermuda |
| Allegiance |  United Kingdom |
| Service/ |
 Royal Navy |
| Years of service | 1778–1810 |
| Rank | Captain |
| Commands held |
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| Battles/wars | |
Captain John Conn (born around August 5, 1764 – died May 4, 1810) was a very important captain in the Royal Navy. He fought in many famous battles, including the Saintes, the Glorious First of June, Copenhagen, and Trafalgar. Sadly, his long and successful career ended in an accident before he could receive all the honors he deserved.
Conn was also part of Nelson's "Band of Brothers." This was a special group of brave naval officers who fought alongside Admiral Nelson during the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars. He was even a close friend of Nelson, who once said, "A better or more zealous officer than Captain Conn is not in His Majesty's service." This shows how much Nelson respected him.
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John Conn was born in Stoke Damerel, Devon. His father, also named John Conn, was a naval officer. Young John started his sea career very early, at just 13 years old, in 1778. He first sailed on his father's ship, Weazel.
Soon after, he became a midshipman on Arrogant. A midshipman was a junior officer in training. On this ship, he saw his first major battle, the battle of the Saintes, in April 1782. This was an important naval victory for Britain.
Rising Through the Ranks
In 1788, John Conn became a lieutenant. This was a step up in his naval career. He had to wait five years for a good command position. During this time, he married Margaret Nelson, a vicar's daughter.
His career really took off when he served on Royal Sovereign. This was the flagship, meaning it was the main ship where the admiral was. He fought bravely at the Glorious First of June battle. Here, he caught the eye of Admiral Lord Howe, a very important naval leader.
In June 1797, he took command of Staunch, a 12-gun ship. A year later, he moved to Foudroyant. In October 1798, he showed great skill at the battle of Donegal. This battle destroyed a French invasion fleet heading for Ireland.
Because of his excellent service, he was promoted to commander on August 11, 1800. He then commanded Discovery, a bomb vessel. At the first battle of Copenhagen, his actions caused huge damage to the Danish fleet. He also took part in Nelson's daring attack on the French invasion force at Boulogne. He commanded the gun-boats and earned Nelson's respect.
Serving with Admiral Nelson
On August 29, 1802, John Conn became a post-captain. This meant he was a full captain. He took command of Culloden. His nine-year-old son, Henry, even joined him on board.
Later, Conn transferred to Canopus, a ship captured from the French. He joined Nelson in the Mediterranean Sea because Nelson specifically asked for him. In 1805, Conn was given temporary command of two very important ships: Nelson's flagship, the massive Victory, and his old ship, Royal Sovereign. He commanded them while their regular captains were away. His performance showed he was a very reliable and steady officer.
On October 10, he returned the Royal Sovereign to Admiral Collingwood. He then took command of the fast new Dreadnought. This was a powerful second-rate ship.
The Battle of Trafalgar
Just eleven days later, Conn and his crew were thrown into the famous Battle of Trafalgar. The combined French and Spanish fleet tried to escape from Cadiz. Dreadnought was in the middle of Admiral Collingwood's line of ships. Conn worked hard to get his ship into the thick of the fighting. He arrived around the time Nelson was fatally wounded in another part of the battle.
Making up for the delay, Dreadnought fought fiercely with the Spanish ship Spanish ship San Juan Nepomuceno. Conn's ship rescued the damaged Bellerophon. They also killed the Spanish captain, Cosmé Damián Churruca, and forced his ship to surrender.
After this victory, Dreadnought continued to fight. It engaged the Spanish flagship Principe de Asturias. They fatally wounded the Spanish admiral, Gravina. However, they could not defeat the enemy ship, which managed to escape back to Cadiz. Conn even managed to save his captured ship, the San Juan Nepomuceno. It was one of only four enemy ships captured at Trafalgar to survive the big storm that followed the battle. Dreadnought suffered 33 casualties (injured or killed sailors) in the battle.
Final Years and Tragic End
After Trafalgar, Captain Conn continued his service. He took command of the huge 112-gun San Josef. Then he commanded the 120-gun Hibernia as flag captain. This meant he was the captain of the ship carrying an admiral's flag.
In 1810, he moved to the West Indies as a commodore on Swiftsure. A commodore is a senior naval rank, just below admiral. It seemed certain that he would soon become an admiral and receive many honors.
However, tragedy struck on May 4, 1810. While chasing a small French ship near Bermuda, Conn became too eager. He slipped and fell overboard. The Swiftsure stopped, and a search began. But sadly, Captain Conn had drowned before help could reach him.
His death was a great loss in Britain, especially in the Navy. He was a popular and respected figure. Sir John Borlase Warren, an old commander and friend, said he regretted the death of "so deserving an officer as Captain Conn."
