7/25/2021 Pearl's Naval Brigade - Wikipedia

Pearl's Naval Brigade

The Pearl's Naval Brigade was formed on 11 September 1857 when 175 officers and men of Royal Navy ship HMS  Pearl formed a Naval Brigade
which operated ashore during the Indian Mutiny with the Gurkhas and Sikhs providing artillery support.[1] The Pearl and the frigate HMS  Shannon
were despatched from Hong Kong to Calcutta in July 1857 after receiving news of the rebellion. En route, they rescued the crew of the transport HMS
Transit, which wrecked off Bangka Island, Sumatra.[2]

The Brigade engaged in numerous actions against the rebel forces and most notably in the campaign that led to the
Relief of Lucknow. They fought alongside a similar brigade formed by the crew of the Shannon, which was captained
by William Peel VC CB, son of Prime Minister Sir Robert Peel and Victoria Cross recipient. The Shannon's brigade
landed a considerable force of mobile guns and rifle companies, while the Pearl's Naval Brigade deployed mostly
rifle companies.[1] Capt. Peele took his men rapidly inland to Allahabad and Cawnpore, but he was severely injured
at the Siege of Lucknow.[3]

For 10 months, the Brigade was commanded by the Pearl's captain, Edward Southwell Sotheby, who was later raised
to the ranks of Admiral and knighted. For their role in suppressing the Indian uprising, Sotheby and his brigade
HMS Pearl c.1856 were mentioned in dispatches on 13 occasions relating to the operations in Oudh, and received thanks of the
governor-general of India and of both Houses of Parliament. For his service, Sotheby was made a Companion of the
Order of the Bath (CB) and appointed an extra aide-de-camp to Queen Victoria.[4] Peel was awarded a knighthood in
January 1858, only to die of smallpox at Cawnpore in April.[3]

References
1. 'The Naval Brigades of the Indian Mutiny, 1857-1858' Navy Records Society Vol 87, 1947 (Edited by Cdr W B Rowbotham RN)
2. Laughton, L. G. C. (23 September 2004). "Sotheby, Sir Edward Southwell (1813–1902), naval officer" (http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/10.1093/ref:o
dnb/9780198614128.001.0001/odnb-9780198614128-e-36198). Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online ed.). Oxford University Press.
doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/36198 (https://doi.org/10.1093%2Fref%3Aodnb%2F36198). Retrieved 12 March 2019. (Subscription or UK public library
membership (https://www.oxforddnb.com/help/subscribe#public) required.)
3. "Capt. Sir William Peele, K.C.B." (https://books.google.com/books?id=7EhFAAAAYAAJ&q=Sir+William+Peel&pg=PA86) The Gentleman's Magazine
and Historical Review. J.H. and J. Parker: 86. May 1858.
4. "Admiral Sir Edward S. Sotheby, K.C.B.". The Times. 8 January 1902. p. 4.

Bibliography
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pearl%27s_Naval_Brigade 1/2
7/25/2021 Pearl's Naval Brigade - Wikipedia

'Cruise of the Pearl with an Account of the Operations of the Naval Brigade in India' by Royal Navy Chaplain Rev. E A Williams Publisher: Naval &
Military Press (2006) ISBN 978-1-84734-440-3

External links
Entry (http://www.navyrecords.org.uk/volumes/wk52.htm) in the Navy Records Society
The Naval Brigades in the Indian Mutiny (http://www.pdavis.nl/Mutiny.htm)
Pearl's Naval Brigade on the Royal Navy History website (http://www.royal-navy.org/lib/index.php?title=C1856_-_1870)

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