Cloudesley Shovell

Admiral of the Fleet Sir Cloudesley Shovell
Sir Cloudesley Shovell by Michael Dahl
Born	November 1650 Cockthorpe, Norfolk
Died	22 October or 23 October 1707 Off the coast of Scilly
Buried	St Mary's, Isles of Scilly, later moved to Westminster Abbey
Allegiance	Kingdom of England  Kingdom of Great Britain
Service/branch	Royal Navy (1664–1707)  Royal Navy (1707)
Years of service	1664–1707
Rank	Admiral of the Fleet
Commands held	HMS Sapphire HMS Phoenix HMS Nonsuch HMS James Galley HMS Anne HMS Dover HMS Edgar HMS Monck Irish Squadron Lisbon Station Mediterranean Fleet
Battles/wars	Third Anglo-Dutch War Battle of Sole Bay Battle of Texel Nine Years' War Battle of Bantry Bay Battle of Barfleur War of the Spanish Succession Capture of Gibraltar Siege of Barcelona Battle of Toulon
Other work	MP for the city of Rochester

Admiral of the Fleet Sir Cloudesley Shovell (c. November 1650 – 22 or 23 October 1707) was an English naval officer. As a junior officer he saw action at the Battle of Solebay and then at the Battle of Texel during the Third Anglo-Dutch War. As a captain he fought at the Battle of Bantry Bay during the Williamite War in Ireland.

As a flag officer Shovell commanded a division at the Battle of Barfleur during the Nine Years' War, and during the battle distinguished himself by being the first to break through the enemy's line. Along with Admiral Henry Killigrew and Admiral Ralph Delaval, Shovell was put in joint command of the fleet shortly afterwards.

During the War of the Spanish Succession, Shovell commanded a squadron which served under Admiral George Rooke at the capture of Gibraltar and the Battle of Málaga. Working in conjunction with a landing force under the Earl of Peterborough, his forces undertook the siege and capture of Barcelona. He was appointed commander-in-chief of the Navy while at Lisbon the following year. He also commanded the naval element of a combined attack on Toulon, base of the main French fleet, in coordination with the Austrian army under Prince Eugene of Savoy in the summer of 1707. Later that year, on the return voyage to England, Shovell and more than 1,400 others perished in a disastrous shipwreck off the Isles of Scilly.

Along with his naval service, Shovell served as MP for Rochester from 1695 to 1701 and from 1705 until his death in 1707.