Edward Griffith Colpoys

Who was Edward Griffith Colpoys?

Vice Admiral Sir Edward Griffith Colpoys KCB was a senior officer of the British Royal Navy during the early nineteenth century. The nephew of a prominent admiral, John Colpoys, Edward Griffith was able to rapidly advance in the Navy, until his involvement at his uncle's side in a violent confrontation aboard his ship HMS London in 1797 left a number of men dead and the Channel Fleet in a state of mutiny. Griffith's career recovered from the events of the Spithead Mutiny and he enjoyed a successful period as a frigate commander off the French coast, later becoming the captain of the ship of the line HMS Dragon during the Trafalgar campaign. Although Dragon did not fight at the climactic Battle of Trafalgar, Griffith was engaged at the preceding Battle of Cape Finisterre in July 1805.

In 1812, Griffith was advanced to rear-admiral and later that year commanded a squadron off Maine during the War of 1812, leading a successful attack up the Penobscot River in 1814. Griffith remained in North America until 1821, as commander of the base at Halifax, Nova Scotia. On his return he learned of the death of his uncle and out of respect took his surname as his own.