Summary of the events concerning
Corsica between 1794 and 1796
In 1794 Britain sent a fleet to Corsica under
Admiral
Samuel Hood. It was during the fighting to capture Calvi the
then-Captain Horatio Nelson lost the sight in his right eye. For a
short time, Corsica was added to the dominions of King George III,
chiefly by the exertions of Hood's fleet, and Paoli's cooperation.
The constitution could be considered democratic for its time. A
viceroy represented the King. There was an elected unicameral
Parliament, and a Council that was the executive body of the
Kingdom.
Sir Gilbert Elliot represented the king's government as viceroy.
Carlo Andrea Pozzo di Borgo was procureur-general-syndic (chief of
the civil government), and later president of the council of state.
The relationship between Paoli's government and the British was
never clearly defined, however, resulting in numerous questions of
authority; in particular, tensions arose from the conflict between
Sir Gilbert's loyalty to the British monarchy, and Paoli's
republican leanings and desire to defend Corsican autonomy. There
was also a pronounced division between Corte, the traditional
capital and an inland stronghold, and Bastia on the coast, where Sir
Gilbert moved the capital in early 1795, and which was the centre
for French and Corsican royalists. At last the crown invited Paoli
to resign and return to exile in Britain with a pension, which,
having no alternative, he did in 1796. With Spain coming in on the
side of the French, the British realised their position in the
Mediterranean was on precarious hold, so they had to withdraw their
forces from the island before October. On October 19, 1796, the
French reconquered Bastia and Corsica became a French département
Wikipedia
Naval
History of Great Britain - Vol I 1996
The evacuation of Corsica On the 2d of November, having completed,
as far as was deemed practicable, the evacuation of Corsica, and
ascertained that the fleet of Admiral Langara had come to an anchor
in Toulon, Sir John Jervis set sail from Mortella bay, with a
fleet of
-
15 ships of the line and
-
some frigates,
having on board the troops and stores embarked at Bastia,
-
and
under his convoy 10 or 12 merchant vessels, which his cruisers
had brought down from Smyrna.
On the 11th of December
the whole of this fleet anchored in safety in Rosia bay
(Gibraltar) On the
same da the 74-gun ship Courageux was wrecked in a gale of
wind that increased to a perfect hurricane, the other ships of the
line were:
Victory, Britannia, Barfleur, Blenheim, St.-George, Gibraltar,
Captain, Culloden, Egmont, Excellent, Goliath, Zealous, Diadem, and
St.-Albans.
Toulon
In 1790, following the French Revolution, Toulon
became the administrative centre of the département of the Var. The
leaders of the city, however, were largely royalists, and they
welcomed the arrival of a British fleet. At
the siege of Toulon (18 September - 18 December 1793), the
British were expelled by a French force whose artillery was led by a
young captain, Napoleon Bonaparte. To punish Toulon for its
rebellion, the town lost its status as department capital and was
briefly renamed Port-la-Montagne. |
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Gardiner was an
Agent for
Transports by Navy Board (established 1794) and stationed at the Meditterrenean Coast
of Spain & Portugal from Jul 1794, when Corsica is conquered
by the English, until Oct 1797
In Oct 1796 the English withdraw their forces from
Corsica and also in 1796 Gardiner Henry Guion is sailing in the Mediterranean between Nice and Marseille
on "the Tartar"
(see
on his chart).
(ADM52)
Dec 1797, he arrives in London and writes a
"Request
for a leave of absence" to settle his personal afairs.
(ADM1/ADM12)
The same year Ann Guion,
his mother, resigned as a Matron of the London Hospital (she was
appointed
22 Apr 1790)
Obviously Gardiner traveled with Polini on the
Tartar from Corsica to probably Gibraltar bef Oct 1796.
Polini probably must have lived
on Gibraltar until Gardiner took her to London dec 1797
Jun 1798 Gardiner's aunt Charlotte (Guion) wrote him a letter
(ADM12)
3 months later
Anne Mary Guion, daughter of Gardiner and Polini, is born 4 Nov 1798
in Sheerness (Census 1851).
Almost 4 years later she is baptized on
6 Aug 1802 in St. George the Martyr,
Queen Square, Holborn, short after Gardiner Henry married Harriet
Grindall Holt on 27 Jul 1802. (See
Harriet's last Will, she was buried 17 jul 1806 in Mylor). Most likely Polini must have died in childbirth
or short afterwards. |
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