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 About.Com Military History website
[visit
link] tells us about Richard Howe:
"Born March 8, 1728, Richard Howe
was the son of Viscount Emanuel Howe and Charlotte, Countess of Darlington. The
half-sister of King George I, Howe's mother wielded political influence which
aided in her sons' military careers. While his brothers George and William
pursued careers in army, Richard elected to go to sea and received a
midshipman's warrant in the Royal Navy in 1740. Joining HMS Severn (50 guns),
Howe took part in Commodore George Anson's expedition to the Pacific that fall.
Though Anson eventually circumnavigated the globe, Howe's ship was forced to
turn back after failing to round Cape Horn.
As the War of the Austrian
Succession raged, Howe saw service in the Caribbean aboard HMS Burford (70) and
took part in the fighting at La Guaira, Venezuela in February 1743. Made an
acting lieutenant after the action, his rank was made permanent the next year.
Taking command of the sloop HMS Baltimore in 1745, he sailed off the coast of
Scotland in support of operations during the Jacobite Rebellion. While there, he
was badly wounded in the head while engaging a pair of French privateers.
Promoted to post-captain a year later, at the young age of twenty, Howe received
command of the frigate HMS Triton (24).
The Seven Years' War:
Moving to
Admiral Sir Charles Knowles' flagship, HMS Cornwall (80), Howe captained the
vessel during operations in the Caribbean in 1748. Taking part in the October 12
Battle of Havana, it was his last major action of the conflict. With the arrival
of peace, Howe was able to retain sea-going commands and saw service in the
Channel and off Africa. In 1755, with the French & Indian War underway in
North America, Howe sailed across the Atlantic in command of HMS Dunkirk (60).
Part of Vice Admiral Edward Boscawen's squadron, he aided in the capture of
Alcide (64) and Lys (22) on June 8.
Returning to the Channel Squadron,
Howe took part in the naval descents against Rochefort (September 1757) and St.
Malo (June 1758). Commanding HMS Magnanime (74), Howe played a key role in
capturing Ile de Aix during the former operation. In July 1758, Howe was
elevated to title of Viscount Howe in the Irish Peerage following the death of
his older brother George at the Battle of Carillon. Later that summer he
participated in raids against Cherbourg and St. Cast. Retaining command of
Magnanime, he played a role in Admiral Sir Edward Hawke's stunning triumph at
the Battle of Quiberon Bay on November 20, 1759.
A Rising Star:
With the war
concluding, Howe was elected to Parliament representing Dartmouth in 1762. He
retained this seat until his elevation to the House of Lords in 1788. The
following year, he joined the Admiralty Board before becoming Treasurer of the
Navy in 1765. Fulfilling this role for five years, Howe was promoted to rear
admiral in 1770 and given command of the Mediterranean Fleet. Elevated to vice
admiral in 1775, he held sympathetic views pertaining to the rebelling American
colonists and was an acquaintance of Benjamin Franklin.
The American Revolution:
As a
result of these feelings, the Admiralty appointed him to command the North
American Station in 1776, in the hope that he could aid in quieting the American
Revolution. Sailing across the Atlantic, he and his brother, General William
Howe, who was commanding British land forces in North America, were appointed as
peace commissioners. Embarking his brother's army, Howe and his fleet arrived
off New York City in the summer of 1776. Supporting William's campaign to take
the city, he landed the army on Long Island in late August. After brief
campaign, the British won the Battle of Long Island.
In the wake of the British victory,
the Howe brothers reached out to their American opponents and convened a peace
conference on Staten Island. Taking place on September 11, the Richard Howe met
with Franklin, John Adams, and Edward Rutledge. Despite several hours of
discussions, no agreement could be reached and the Americans returned to their
lines. While William completed the capture of New York and engaged General
George Washington's army, Richard was under orders to blockade the North
American coast. Lacking the necessary number of vessels, this blockade proved
porous.
Howe's efforts to seal American
ports were further hampered by the need to provide naval support to army
operations. In the summer of 1777, Howe transported his brother's army south and
up the Chesapeake Bay to commence its offensive against Philadelphia. While his
brother defeated Washington at Brandywine, captured Philadelphia, and won again
at Germantown, Howe's ships worked to reduce the American defenses in the
Delaware River. This complete, Howe withdrew the fleet to Newport, RI for the
winter.
In 1778, Howe was deeply insulted
when he learned of the appointment of a new peace commission under the guidance
of the Earl of Carlisle. Angered, he submitted his resignation which was
reluctantly accepted by the First Sea Lord, the Earl of Sandwich. His departure
was soon delayed as France entered the conflict and a French fleet appeared in
American waters. Led by the Comte d'Estaing, this force was unable to catch Howe
at New York and was prevented from engaging him at Newport due to a severe
storm. Returning to Britain, Howe became an outspoken critic of Lord North's
government.
These views kept him from receiving
another command until North's government fell in early 1782. Taking command of
the Channel Fleet, Howe found himself outnumbered by the combined forces of the
Dutch, French, and Spanish. Adroitly shifting forces when needed, he succeeded
in protecting convoys in the Atlantic, holding the Dutch in port, and conducting
the Relief of Gibraltar. This last action saw his ships deliver reinforcements
and supplies to the beleaguered British garrison which had been under siege
since 1779.
Wars of the French
Revolution
Known as "Black Dick" due to his swarthy complexion, Howe was made
First Lord of the Admiralty in 1783 as part of William Pitt the Younger's
government. Serving for five years, he faced debilitating budget constraints and
complaints from unemployed officers. Despite these issues, he succeeded in
maintaining the fleet in a state of readiness. With the beginning of Wars of the
French Revolution in 1793, he received command of the Channel Fleet despite his
advanced age. Putting to sea the following year, he won a decisive victory at
the Glorious First of June, capturing six ships of the line and sinking a
seventh.
After the campaign, Howe retired
from active service but retained several commands at the wish of King George
III. Beloved by the sailors of the Royal Navy, he was called upon to aid in
putting down the 1797 Spithead mutinies. Understanding the demands and needs of
the men, he was able to negotiate an acceptable solution which saw pardons
issued for those who had mutinied, pay raises, and the transfer of unacceptable
officers. Knighted in 1797, Howe lived another two years before dying on August
5, 1799. He was buried in the family vault at St. Andrew's Church,
Langar-cum-Barnstone."