Admiral Henry Killigrew (c.1652-1712)

HMS Maudant 1684-5

©Copyright National Maritime Museum

By Gerard McSweeney

Admiral Henry Killigrew (c.1652-1712) had a distinguished career in the Navy during the wars against the Dutch and the French. A brave and popular officer, he was also entrusted with such diverse tasks as concluding peace with the Corsairs of North Africa and bringing the financial portion of Catherine of Braganza’s dowry to England. In spite of his achievements, unjustified allegations that he was responsible for some naval defeats, which were, in fact, due to the incompetence of his superiors, together with the suspicion that he had Jacobite sympathies, led to his retirement as a somewhat disappointed man. However, he had bought the estate of St Julian’s in St Albans and thus became a prominent local landowner. Supported by the Duchess of Marlborough, he served as MP for the Borough from 1705-1708. A full account of his naval career and of his celebrated forbears can be found in the reference cited.  No portrait of Henry has been found but an illustration of one of his ships, HMS Maudant, is shown.  

Ref: “Admiral Henry Killigrew; The Unlucky Hero”, G. P. McSweeney, Herts Past and Present, 3rd series, Issue no.5, Spring 2005, pp.20-25