John Angel (c1777 to 1834) A black sailor in the Royal Navy

By John D Ellis

John Angel was born in Curacoa, West Indies c.1777. He was admitted as an in-pensioner to Greenwich Hospital in April 1815. It was noted that he was a “Blk man”, un-married, 38 years of age, 5 feet 10” tall and had served eleven years in the Royal Navy. His last ship had been HMS Gleaner.

Between 1813 and 1814 the Gleaner was supporting British forces in the Peninsular Campaign. A small ship, lightly armed with a complement of thirty, the Gleaner was versatile. It blockaded ports, intercepted coastal vessels and carried dispatches to Britain. Despite its lack of ‘punch’, in October 1813, the Gleaner bested and took the French frigate Trave.

In April 1814, whilst anchored at Saint-Jean-de-Luz (in the Bay of Biscay), a storm resulted in two ships colliding with Gleaner. In both cases the captain and crew of the Gleaner were blameless. The Gleaner rescued the crew of the first ship and were in turn rescued themselves by the crew of the second ship. Gleaner then broke up on the shore. The rescuing ship was also forced ashore and broke up (one of seventeen vessels lost in the storm), but all the crews were saved. Whilst none of the crew of the Gleaner were killed in the incident, John Angel suffered a
life-changing injury: The loss of his right arm. He was an in-pensioner until his death in May 1834 at the age 65 years and was buried alongside his comrades in the Greenwich Hospital Burial Ground on the 19^th of that month.^[1]Sources: The National Archives ADM 73/40. ADM 73/42. John Angel was buried at Greenwich Hospital, Kent, 19 th May 1834, aged 65 years. TNA/RG/4/1674. Kent: Greenwich, Greenwich Hospital (Anglican): … Continue reading