Sir Arthur Kaye Legge

Notes on Officer

Vice-Admiral of the White; Knight Commander of the most honorable Military Order of the Bath, and a Vice-President of the Naval Charitable Society.

The Legges are descended from a very ancient and honorable family in Venice, where the original stock is said by the Sieur Amelot, in his Hist. de Venice, still to flourish in the highest rank of nobility. A branch of this family migrated to England, some time prior to the reign of Edward II., and was long settled at Legge’s Place, near Tunbridge, in Kent. The first of its descendants whom we find particularly noticed, was Thomas, who served the office of Sheriff of London, in the 18th, and Lord Mayor in the 20th and 28th years of Edward III.

The subject of this sketch is the 5th son of William, second Earl of Dartmouth, by Frances Catharine, only child of Sir Charles Gunter Nicholl, K.B. He was born Oct. 25, 1766; entered the naval service at an early age; and in 1781, served as a Midshipman on board the Prince George, bearing the flag of Rear-Admiral Digby, on the American station; in which vessel he had the honor to be a shipmate with the present illustrious Admiral of the Fleet.

At the period of the Russian armament (1791), and from that time until the commencement of the war with the French republic, our officer commanded the Shark sloop, stationed in the Channel. He was promoted to post rank, Feb. 6, 1793, and immediately appointed to the Niger, of 32 guns, which ship was one of the repeaters to Earl Howe’s fleet on the glorious 1st June, 1794.

In the spring of 1795, the Latona frigate, into which Captain Legge had recently removed from the Niger, formed part of the squadron under the orders of Commodore Payne, sent to escort H.S.H. the Princess Caroline of Brunswick to this country.

About the month of May, 1797, Captain Legge was appointed to the Cambrian, of 40 guns, in which ship he was employed on the French coast, where he captured several large privateers; and in occasional attendance on their late Majesties, at Weymouth, until the close of the war. Soon after the renewal of hostilities, in 1803, he obtained the command of the Repulse, a new 74, attached to the Western squadron. Early in 1805, he captured a valuable Spanish merchantman off Ferrol; and in the same year, was present in the action between Sir Robert Calder and the combined squadrons of France and Spain. On this occasion the Repulse had 4 men wounded, and received considerable damage in her spars and rigging.

Captain Legge was afterwards ordered to the Mediterranean; and in 1807, accompanied Sir John T. Duckworth to the Dardanelles, where the Repulse had 10 men killed, and 14 wounded.

We next find our officer employed in the expedition to the Scheldt, an account of which will be found under the head of Sir Richard Strachan. Whilst at Flushing, a severe attack of the Walcheren fever obliged him to resign the command of his ship, and return to England, where he arrived about the latter end of 1809.

On the 31st July in the following year, Captain Legge was advanced to the rank of Rear-Admiral, but does not appear to have hoisted his flag until the Spring of 1811, when he was appointed to the command at Cadiz, and proceeded thither in the Revenge, of 74 guns. Previous to his departure from that station, the constitutional magistracy of the city expressed their gratitude for his co-operation in the defence of that island, in the following warm and handsome terms: