Second Lieutenant Robert Corner
According to George Hamilton, Corner had held a commission in the "Land Service" in the early years of his career (Thomson, 1915:103). On 20th November 1779 (when 26 years of age) Corner was commissioned Lieutenant RN and appointed to the Thunder (Bomb, 8 guns) (The National Archives of the UK (TNA): Public Record Office (PRO): ADM 6/22).
On 2nd May 1780 he was appointed to HMS Aurora (28 guns) as the second lieutenant (TNA: PRO ADM 11/65:31).
Subsequently, on 24th January 1782 he was exchanged from the Aurora (TNA: PRO ADM 11/65:132) to HMS Endymion (44 guns), which was attached to Admiral Rodney's fleet at the Battle of the Saintes in April 1782.*
Corner's career after the American Revolutionary War - which ended in 1783 - has not yet been tracked. He was probably on the half-pay list until 12th June 1790, when appointed to command a press gang operating from the tender HMS Richard (TNA: PRO ADM 36/11092).
Corner joined the Richard at North Shields (near Tynemouth) on 12th July 1790 and was in command until 30 September 1790. He took the weekly musters of the crew and his press gang at Scarborough, Shields, Sheerness, Yarmouth and Filey Bay, on the Yorkshire coast near Scarborough (TNA: PRO ADM 36/11092). On 20th August 1790, the Admiralty ordered him, then at Yarmouth, "to repair with such new raised men as may be onboard her forthwith to the Nore, & remain there until further orders" (TNA: PRO ADM 3/107).
The decision to appoint Lt Corner to the Richard was made by the Admiralty on 22nd June 1790; as was the decision to appoint a Lt Fleming in Corner’s place (on 21st August 1790), i.e. after the Admiralty had decided that Robert Corner should be appointed as the Pandora's second lieutenant (TNA: PRO ADM 3/107). By this date the Admiralty had already resolved that the Pandora's sole mission would be a policeman's: the vessel was ordered into the South Pacific in pursuit of the Bounty mutineers.
Evidence has not yet been found to suggest that Corner had been specifically chosen by Captain Edwards; perhaps because of an earlier professional association between the two? Although it is possible that the Admiralty had received representations from someone who may have been acting as Corner’s patron. It is more likely that the Admiralty was simply keen to appoint a seasoned officer with experience in, if not motivating and inspiring men under his command, then at least effectively dealing with unwilling seamen. It appears that Corner possessed these qualities.
He was apparently exactly the sort of seasoned officer the Admiralty was looking for to assist Captain Edwards to successfully carry out the Pandora's mission. It is interesting to note that in the short time of his command of the Richard, Lt Corner appears to have demonstrated these qualities; evidently he had gained the respect of the Richard's crew as well as the men in his press gang, five of whom actually volunteered to join the Pandora on 30th August 1790 (TNA: PRO AM 36/11092). In this regard, it would not be unreasonable to suggest that their motivation was to follow Corner into the South Pacific to embark on very similar tasks as they were already engaged upon as members of the Richard's crew or Corner's press gang. The same did not apply to William Fox, who was Corner's servant in the Richard. Fox was obviously not so eager to embark on a South Pacific adventure with Corner, in pursuit of wayward seamen - witness the fact that he "ran" (deserted) on 29th October 1790.
Records have been found to partially reconstruct Robert Corner’s career after the Pandora:
- 1793: appointed 1st Lt HMS Terrible (74 guns).
- 1794: appointed 3rd Lt HMS Victory, 1st Rate (100 guns).
- 1796: appointed 1st Lt HMS Montague (74 guns). This ship fought in the Battle of Camperdown in October 1797.*
More research has to be done to determine his ‘mid-career’ activities, especially his service during the Napoleonic wars, as there is some evidence which suggests that Lloyds Patriotic fund may have awarded him one of their presentation swords for distinguished conduct; possibly while he was serving on board HMS Thisbe, which captured the French warship Veloce in 1803 (May & Annis, 1970:70).
For some years prior to his death in 1819, at age 66, Corner was Superintendent of Marine Police in Malta (Marshall,1825:38).**
Lt Corner’s place of birth and family background are still a little vague. According to the International Genealogical Index (IGI) there are two men with the name Robert Corner who were born in England at approximately the same time, i.e. in 1752 or 1753. One was born in Barnard Castle (near Durham) in August 1752; the other in Westminster (London) in January 1753. The Pandora’s Robert Corner could be either one of them because his death is on record as occurring in February 1819 at age 66. According to the Malta Family History site he was buried at age 66 in St Paul’s Cathedral in Valletta (in Malta) in February 1819.
If he was from London, he is possibly the individual who was christened Robert Sedgley Corner in St Martin-in-the-Fields in January 1753 (Cf. IGI). This would make him 66 at the time of his death in February 1819.
If he was from Barnard Castle -he would also have been 66 years old in February 1819- his 67th birthday would have been in August 1819.