The Brave Benbow website [visit link] makes mention of the
busts:
"Busts, head and shoulders, within
decorated roundels, of British admirals in uniforms of their period. Each
roundel consists of a plain outer moulding with inner circular wreath (laurel?)
topped by single rose motif. The base has an inscription panel with each
admiral’s surname. The innermost moulding is rimmed by a rope. All are in very
high relief. Each head is either more or less face on or at a three quarter turn
to the left or right. They run along the top of the north facade of the building
facing the river. From left to right (east to west): Anson, Drake, Cook (these
first three on east pavilion), Howard, Blake, Benbow, Sandwich (over door),
Rodney, Duncan, Collingwood, Howe, Nelson, St Vincent."
The building is Grade II listed and the
entry at the English Heritage website [visit
link] tells us:
"Former rackets courts, now
laboratories. The western block 1874-5 by Colonel Clarke RE, the central screen
and eastern part identical in design and added in 1882-3 by General Pudsey RE to
form a symmetrical composition. Converted to laboratories in c.1906. Stone and
stuccoed facades, roof hidden by high parapets. Seven-bay screen with higher
two-bay ends. Tuscan pilasters across screen break forward into pairs of Ionic
columns set between engaged columns with fluted capitals, all these in antis
under projecting parapets at ends. The parapets are elaborate, with raised
centrepieces supported on swags and urns set on high and elaborately carved
plinths as cornerpieces; all this decoration the work of C R Smith. Rusticated
ground floor. At first-floor height busts in high relief set in roundels depict
from east to west: Anson, Drake, Cook, Howard, Blake, Benbow, Sandwich, Rodney,
Duncan, Collingwood, Howe, Nelson and St Vincent. Nine-bay side elevations and
three-bay rear also denoted by pilasters, the ground floor rusticated under
fluted frieze and with empty first-floor roundels. Above these a deep frieze and
an attic storey also broken into bays by short pilaster strips."
The Spartacus Educational website [visit link]
tells us about Charles Howard:
"Charles Howard, the son of Sir
William Howard, 1st Baron of Effingham, was born in 1536. In the House of
Commons he represented Surrey and in 1569 was named General of the
Horse.
Howard succeeded to his father's
title in 1573. Closely related to Elizabeth I he also became Lord Chamberlain of
the Household.
Howard was appointed Lord High
Admiral in 1585. The following year he was commissioner at the trial of Mary,
Queen of Scots and afterwards was a strong advocate of her
execution.
In July 1588 131 ships in the
Spanish Armada left for England. The large Spanish galleons were filled with
17,000 well-armed soldiers and 180 Catholic priests. The plan was to sail to
Dunkirk in France where the Armada would pick up another 16,000 Spanish
soldiers.
On hearing the news Charles Howard
held a council-of-war. Lord Howard decided to divide the fleet into squadrons.
Howard was commander-in-chief and John Hawkins, Francis Drake and Martin
Frobisher were chosen as the three other commanders of the
fleet.
Howard went in his flagship, the
Ark Royal (800 tons and a crew of 250). Frobisher was given command of the
largest ship in the fleet, the Triumpth (1,110 tons and a crew of 500 men)
whereas Drake was the captain of the Revenge (500 tons and a crew of 250) and
Hawkins was aboard the Victory (800 tons and a crew of 250).
Lord Howard decided that the
Spanish Armada should be attacked at both ends of the crescent. The Ark Royal
attacked the right wing and the Revenge and the Triumph attacked Juan Martinez,
de Recalde, commander of the Biscayan squadron on the left. Recalde on board the
San Juan de Portugal decided to come out and fight the English ships. He was
followed by Gran Grin and the two ships soon got into trouble and had to be
rescued by the Duke of Medina Sidonia on board the San Martin.
At the end of the first day's
fighting, only one ship was sunk. This was Spain's San Salvador when a
tremendous explosion tore out its stern castle and killed 200 members of the
crew. It was later discovered that a gunner's carelessness resulted in a spark
reaching the gunpowder in the rear hold.
The following morning Francis Drake
and the crew of Revenge captured the crippled Rosario. This included Admiral
Pedro de Vales and all his crew. Drake also found 55,000 gold ducats on board.
That afternoon Medina Sidonia announced that if any Spanish ship broke formation
the captain would be hanged immediately. He also told his captains that they
must maintain a tight formation in order to prevent further attacks from the
English ships. This decision meant that they could only move towards Dunkirk at
the speed of the slowest ship.
Constantly harassed by the English
ships the slow moving Spanish Armada eventually reached Calais without further
loss. The English fleet now dropped anchor half a mile away. Soon afterwards
they were joined by Lord Henry Seymour and his squadron of ships that had been
controlling the seas off Dunkirk. This increased the English fleet by a third
and was now similar in size to that of the Spanish fleet.
The Duke of Medina Sidonia now sent
a message to the Duke of Parma in Dunkirk: "I am anchored here two leagues from
Calais with the enemy's fleet on my flank. They can cannonade me whenever they
like, and I shall be unable to do them much harm in return." He asked Parma to
send fifty ships to help him break out of Calais. Parma was unable to help as he
had less than twenty ships and most of those were not yet ready to
sail.
That night Medina Sidonia sent out
a warning to his captains that he expected a fire-ship attack. This tactic had
been successfully used by Francis Drake in Cadiz in 1587 and the fresh breeze
blowing steadily from the English fleet towards Calais, meant the conditions
were ideal for such an attack. He warned his captains not to panic and not to
head out to the open sea. Medina Sidonia confidently told them that his patrol
boats would be able to protect them from any fire-ship attack that took
place.
Medina Sidonia had rightly
calculated what would happen. Charles Howard and Francis Drake were already
organizing the fire-ship attack. It was decided to use eight fairly large ships
for the operation. All the masts and rigging were tarred and all the guns were
left on board and were primed to go off of their own accord when the fire
reached them. John Young, one of Drake's men, was put in charge of the
fire-ships.
Soon after midnight the eight ships
were set fire to and sent on their way. The Spaniards were shocked by the size
of the vessels. Nor had they expected the English to use as many as eight ships.
The Spanish patrol ships were unable to act fast enough to deal with the
problem. The Spanish captains also began to panic when the guns began exploding.
They believed that the English were using hell-burners (ships crammed with
gunpowder). This tactic had been used against the Spanish in 1585 during the
siege of Antwerp when over a thousand men had been killed by exploding
ships.
The fire-ships did not in fact
cause any material damage to the Spanish ships at all. They drifted until they
reached the beach where they continued to burn until the fire reached the water
line. Medina Sidonia, on board the San Martin, had remained near his original
anchorage. However, only a few captains had followed his orders and the vast
majority had broken formation and sailed into the open sea.
At first light Medina Sidonia and
his six remaining ships left Calais and attempted to catch up with the 130 ships
strung out eastwards towards the Dunkirk sandbanks. Some Spanish ships had
already been reached by the English fleet and were under heavy attack. San
Lorenzo, a ship carrying 312 oarsmen, 134 sailors and 235 soldiers, was stranded
on the beach and was about to be taken by the English.
With their formation broken, the
Spanish ships were easy targets for the English ships loaded with guns that
could fire very large cannon balls. The Spanish captains tried to get their
ships in close so that their soldiers could board the English vessels. However,
the English ships were quicker than the Spanish galleons and were able to keep
their distance.
The battle of Gravelines continued
all day. One of the most exciting contests was between Francis Drake in the
Revenge and Duke of Medina Sidonia in the San Martin. Drake's ship was hit
several times before being replaced by Thomas Fenner in the Nonpareil and Edmund
Sheffield in the White Bear, who continued the fight without
success.
All over the area of sea between
Gravelines and Dunkirk fights took place between English and Spanish ships. By
late afternoon most ships were out of gunpowder. The Duke of Medina Sidonia was
now forced to head north with what was left of the Spanish Armada. The English
ships did not follow as Charles Howard was convinced that most Spanish ships
were so badly damaged they would probably sink before they reached a safe
port.
That evening Francis Drake wrote to
a friend: "God hath given us so good a day in forcing the enemy so far to
leeward, as I hope in God the Duke of Parma and the Duke of Sidonia shall not
shake hands this few days". John Hawkins was also pleased with his day's work:
"All that day Monday we followed the Spaniards with a long and great fight,
wherein there was great valour showed generally by our company... Our ships, God
be thanked, have received little hurt."
Hawkins also showed concern for his
men: "The men have long been unpaid and need relief." Charles Howard was also
angry that his men had not received their wages. He was also disturbed by the
condition of his men. The lack of fresh water caused an outbreak of disease. As
they were still waiting for their wages to be paid they were even unable to buy
fresh food for themselves. Howard wrote bitterly: "It is a most pitiful sight to
see, here at Margate, how the men, having no place to receive them into here,
die in the streets. I am driven myself, of force, to come a-land, to see them
bestowed in some lodging; and the best I can get is barns and outhouses. It
would grieve any man's heart to see them that have served so valiantly to die so
miserably."
After the Spanish Armada rounded
Scotland it headed south for home. However, a strong gale drove many of the
ships onto the Irish rocks. Thousands of Spaniards drowned and even those who
reached land were often killed by English soldiers and settlers. Of the 25,000
men that had set out in the Armada, less than 10,000 arrived home
safely.
Howard led the expedition with
Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex, that sacked Cadiz in 1596. The following
year he was created the Earl of Nottingham and given command of both land and
sea forces. In 1601 he led the forces that defeated the Earl of Essex's
rebellion.
Howard remained Lord High Admiral
during the reign of James I. Charles Howard, 1st Earl of Nottingham and 2nd
Baron Howard of Effingham, died in Halling House, Surrey, on 14th December,
1624."