BARON (1750-1810), British naval commander, was born at Newcastle-on-Tyne on Sept. 26, 175o, educated at a grammar school, and when eleven years old was sent to sea in the frigate Shannon in the care of his cousin, Captain Braithwaite. He served for some years on the home station with this officer and also under Admiral Roddam. In 1774 he served on the North American sta tion under Admiral Graves, and was in the naval brigade that saw service at the battle of Bunker's Hill, here winning his lieutenancy (June 7 5) . In the following year he was lieutenant of the sloop Hornet in the West Indies, and thereafter began his close association with Nelson whose proximity generally seems to have inspired him to his most brilliant work. He followed Nelson as first lieutenant of the Lowestoft, as Commander of the Badger, and post-captain of the frigate Hinchinbrook (March 178o) . Im mediately afterwards he was one of those employed under Nel son in the San Juan expedition which failed owing to the appalling climate which killed nine-tenths of the personnel. After command ing another frigate and the Sampson Collingwood found himself again with Nelson in the West Indies, this time in the frigate Mediator. He remained there three years and was present during the quarrel between Nelson and the commander-in-chief concern ing the severity with which the navigation laws ought to be enforced against the late American colonists, agreeing with Nelson, with whom he was by now on most intimate terms, that no leniency should be exercised.
In 1786 Collingwood returned home and, with the exception of one brief command, remained there till 1792, marrying in 1791 the grand-daughter of one of his old commanders, Admiral Rod dam. On the outbreak of war, he was appointed Flag-Captain to Rear-Admiral Bowyer in the Prince, and with him he shifted to the Barfleur and took part in Howe's victory on the "Glorious 1st of June," 1794. In August 1795 he was appointed to the Excellent for his first experience of the Mediterranean station; he was en gaged in the blockade of Toulon and took a conspicuous part in Jervis's great victory off St. Vincent (Feb. 1797). As Jervis pierced the Spanish line, the Excellent was the rearmost ship in his fleet and when Nelson had, without orders, taken his ship from the line to oppose the Spaniards that seemed likely to escape, it was to Collingwood that Jervis signalled orders to go to his friend's assistance. He and Nelson thus found themselves greatly out numbered until other ships, in the ordinary course, arrived to help,—a situation offering scope for heroic deeds of which both took full advantage. The Spanish flight was held up and two ships struck to the Excellent. In 1799 Collingwood became Rear-Ad miral, and he was at sea in the Triumph and other ships until the peace of Amiens gave him some respite.
On the renewal of war in 1803, Collingwood was at once em ployed, and he continued in active service until his death. He began in the Channel fleet under Cornwallis which was blockading Brest. He remained there until May 1805 (having in the mean time been promoted to Vice-Admiral in May 1804), when he was given command of a small squadron which was intended to re inforce the Mediterranean fleet under Nelson. He placed himself off Cadiz when Villeneuve, after his return from the West Indies, made that port, and there he was joined by Nelson, so becoming second-in-command at Trafalgar. In this battle he carried out brilliantly the part assigned to him by the commander-in-chief. With 15 ships he was to attack the rear II of the enemy, breaking through and fighting from to leeward so as to prevent their escape, Nelson with 12 ships undertaking that the enemy's van and centre should not interfere with him. Collingwood carried his detachment into action in line of bearing—his own contribution to the tactics of the battle—but, owing to the irregularity of the allied line, became engaged with 16, instead of 11, ships. As, however, he demolished them with ease, this was positively a gain. His own ship, the Royal Sovereign, being a very fast sailer, was in action some 20 minutes before the rest of his detachment, and was consequently surrounded by enemies, but she got free and caused the Spanish flagship to strike to her. On Nelson's death, the command passed to Collingwood, and he had the diffi cult task of conserving the fleet and its prizes during the storm which followed. For his services in the battle he was created Baron Collingwood of Coldburne and Heathpool, and granted a pension of £2000 a year.
The very completeness of Trafalgar prevented Nelson's imme diate followers from achieving any comparable success. Coiling wood received the Mediterranean command and held it, with dis tinction, till his death, but the French were not easily induced to leave port, and on the only occasion that he had a chance of catch ing them he was hampered by lack of intelligence of their move ments. Collingwood was not only a distinguished officer in the ordinary sense, he was also a gunnery expert, a man of great political insight and diplomatic ability, a humanist, objecting strongly to the cruder methods of maintaining discipline cus tomary in his time, and a letter-writer of the first class. He died while on the way home, on March 7, 181o. His health had long been declining, but the Admiralty had been loath to dispense with the services of such a popular and versatile officer. He was, very fittingly, laid to rest in St. Paul's by Nelson's side.
See G. C. M. Collingwood, Selection from the Public and Private Correspondence of Lord Collingwood (1828) ; W. Clark Russell, Life of Admiral Collingwood (1891) ; Admiralty Committee Report, Evi dence relating to the Tactics employed by Nelson at the Battle of Trafalgar (1913). (G. A. R. C.; J. G. B.)