John Pirsins:  Horsford's 13 year old war hero.

 

The young 'man', who may just be Horsford's youngest war hero, distinguished himself in a battle that is considered one of the most important naval actions in British history. Without victory in the Battle of Camperdown, there may have been no Battle of the Nile, no Battle of Trafalgar, and no Battle of Waterloo. Although a sailor at the time, Nelson wasn't even there, yet it is believed that the strategies of the battle influenced his approach to the Battle of Trafalgar.

 

The Battle of Camperdown very nearly never happened due to, of all things, an early naval industrial dispute. This was a widespread and worldwide Royal Navy dispute about conditions and pay.  At least locally in Norfolk, England, the dispute was to some considerable extent settled by the much liked and respected commander of the fleet in Great Yarmouth, Scotsman Admiral Adam Duncan.

 

Camperdown was a major naval action fought between British and Dutch forces during the French Revolutionary Wars. The Dutch Republic had been overrun by the French, becoming a client state: the Batavian Republic. The prospect of Dutch ships reinforcing the French fleet was a worrying one. The Royal Navy was suffering severe shortages of men and equipment, so small, old and poorly maintained ships joined the fleet from reserve and were based principally at Great Yarmouth in Norfolk, England. The fleet there were tasked with blockading the Dutch fleet from sailing south and uniting with the French, and, ultimately, with engaging them in decisive battle.

 

So it was that 13 year old John Pirsins found himself some 140 crow miles away from his Horsford home, at sea, off the tiny village of Camperduin, North Holland.  HMS Triumph, the fifth warship to bear the name, was a Valiant-class third rate ship of the line. Interestingly, although only briefly, Triumph was the second Royal Navy vessel that Horatio Nelson served on.  Armed with 74-guns, in general size the ship would have been comparable to a modern Royal Navy minesweeper.  Astonishingly, for such small ships, the crew complement would have been up to 720, similar to the standard ship's crew of the giant new HMS Queen Elizabeth aircraft carrier.

 

John Pirsins is unlikely to have been impressed into service as, contrary to popular belief, the infamous press gangs were looking for experienced sailors. Professional sailors generally went to sea as boys.  At his young age Pirsins may have been a ship's boy completing generally menial tasks, or he may have been working on the gun deck, or even serving as a midshipman and training to become a commissioned officer.  He would probably have been part of a tight mess group of men who cooked and ate together.  It is these men, his messmates, whose remembrance of him in the churchyard of Horsford All Saints Church has lasted over 200 years, and ultimately led to this article.

 

The camaraderie and dedication to service of such men, more than any ships, weaponry or tactics, allowed Britain to rule the waves during a period when the Royal Navy won all the great sea battles, and most of the wars.

 

On 11th October 1797 HMS Triumph entered the Battle of Camperdown under Captain Essington.  Along with HMS Ardent, Triumph supported Admiral Duncan's flagship HMS Venerable.  Another ship heavily involved in the action was HMS Director, under none other than William Bligh of  'Mutiny on the Bounty'  fame.

 

With lowering a ship's flag seen as a sign of surrender, it was common practice for ships to attempt to shoot the top off each others' main masts.  At one point Venerable was surrounded by three Dutch ships, when it lost the top of its mast.  Sailor Jack Crawford, the 'Hero of Camperdown', famously climbed the broken mast, under fire, and nailed Admiral Duncan's flag back atop it  -  an early example of  “nailing your colours to the mast”.  He later got to meet the King in recognition of his action.

 

The battle was ferocious, but Duncan's tactics, and the more experienced British fleet, won the day.  British losses were: 0 ships lost or captured (although many badly damaged), 228 killed and 812 wounded.  Dutch losses were: 11 ships captured, 540 killed and 620 wounded.  Duncan's flagship itself, upon its return to Great Yarmouth, had to be taken apart and completely rebuilt.  The ships surgeon of HMS Ardent, the worst hit of the British ships, wrote:

 

“Melancholy cries for assistance were addressed to me from every side by wounded and dying, and piteous moans and bewailing from pain and despair.  Many of the worst wounded were stoical beyond belief; they were determined not to flinch and, when news of the shattering victory was brought down to them, they raised a cheer and declared they regretted not the loss of their limbs.”

 

News spread fast, and the nation was already celebrating the victory by the time ships returned to Great Yarmouth.  The grateful nation breathed a sigh of relief that their rebellious navy had restored their authority at sea, and a strong and blatant patriotism was renewed among the British people.

 

But what of John Pirsins; just what do we know about him?  Not a lot it would appear, at least not beyond the gravestone.  Yet the gravestone itself probably tells us a great deal.  Obviously it shows that he was much respected and admired.  It's likely that his mess mates funded the stone and burial, which wouldn't have been cheap.  The gravestone states:

 

Sacred to the memory of John Pirsins aged 13 years who died the 18th Day of November 1797 in consequence of the wounds he received on board His Majesty's Ship Triumph the 11th of October in the action fought between the British and Bativian fleets off Camperdown. This stone is erected by his messmates as a tribute due to his early valour.

 

The surname Pirsins, which might at first seem locally uncommon, is likely a variation of Parsons.  Say it with a pronounced local accent and it sounds similar.  The roots of that surname can include local priest, representative person of the parish, the child of a parson, or even the occupational name for “parson's servant”.  Names change across the years and centuries; an early spelling of Parsons being Persones.  This could all be an intriguing line of thought and research for a resident with the inclination and time to carry it further.

 

Were he alive today, 13 year old John Pirsins would be several years too young to serve in the Royal Navy, or for that matter to legally drive, drink or smoke.  He would be a hard-working student at Hellesdon High School, perhaps excelling at sport or music.  A trusted and reliable friend, he would probably be a fan of social media.

 

Our own local social media groups have recently been discussing the naming of roads on the looming Mill Lane residential development.  I can think of no more fitting tribute to Horsford's youngest war hero than to name the main estate road after him:  'John Pirsins Way'  anyone?

 

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Author's note:

 

I am by no means a naval historian and would be very happy to hear from anyone with relevant additional information on this subject.

If you can tell me anything about John Pirsins himself then I'd be delighted to hear from you.

 

Lee Wright

9th July 2014

 

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Contact the author via us  here  at HorsfordLife.com.