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Prince William Henry and the mad schoolmaster
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Post Posted: Thu Jan 03, 2008 8:51 pm    Post subject: Prince William Henry and the mad schoolmaster Reply with quote

In November 1786, Prince William Henry, later King William IV, was in command of the frigate Pegasus on her way from Halifax to the West Indies.
The schoolmaster (a scarse animal at the time) was William Mears.

Here is the story as told by Midshipman (to be one day Admiral of the Fleet) Thomas Byam Martin:
Quote:
An extraordinary circumstance occurred on this voyage which I will now relate.
The sudden transition from cold to heat in going from America to the West Indies occasions a feeling of much relaxation and languor, and the Prince, always drowsy and disposed to sleep after dinner, yielded more than ever to that propensity.

It was one fine evening that his Royal Highness threw himself on a sofa in the cabin with the windows open, enjoying a good nap, and, according to his own statement, dreaming that Mears, the schoolmaster, was going to kill him, when starting up he found Mears had hold of his wrist with one hand, and a penknife in the other; but it is better I should state, as I can most accurately, the words in which I heard the Prince describe the circumstance. On awaking, he came instantly from his cabin to the quarter-deck, and in some little flutter, natural to such an occurrence, addressed the officers who were on the deck in the following words:
"A most extraordinary thing has happened just now. I was asleep on the sofa in the after-cabin dreaming that Mears was going to kill me, when suddenly I awoke and found he had hold of my wrist with one hand, and a penknife in the other. I started up and said, 'Good God! Mears, what are you about?' He replied, 'I was merely going to tell your Royal Highness that you would be likely to lose your life by sleeping here with the windows open.' He then turned round and walked out of the cabin, muttering something in an undertone which I could not make out; he was looking at the time exceedingly pale. He is certainly mad,' added the Prince.
The facts related by the Prince at the moment no doubt stated the precise circumstances, and from what I shall presently relate of an occurrence during the same night, it will be evident that Mears intended to murder the Prince. The little flurry I have mentioned in the manner of the Prince soon went off, and the conversation led to various instances of Mears's strange conduct, all tending to prove the man as mad as we midshipmen had long pronounced him to be, though all acknowledged his great abilities as a navigator and as a draughtsman.

One would suppose the extraordinary circumstance I have related would have given rise to a full investigation, and measures of precaution to guard the royal personage from Mr. Mears' further solicitude to guard him from the danger of sleeping in a current of air; but I have no recollection of any such measure, and the sequel will clearly show that he was not placed under any restraint. The fact of Mears being in the cabin at such an hour in the evening (probably about six o'clock) is easily explained, and was by no means unusual. He had always free access to the foremost cabin in the morning to schoolmaster the youngsters; and at all other times to write the Prince's log (now at Somerset House), to trace the ship's course on the chart, and to go on with a series of drawings he always had in hand for the captain.

The murderous intent which was uppermost in Mears's mind in the evening was made manifest the same night. In the course of the middle watch, about one o'clock in the morning, just after shortening sail in a squall of wind, Mears appeared on the quarter-deck without any covering but his shirt, and addressing himself to the lieutenant of the watch (the present Admiral Sir William Hargood) said. "I must see the captain as soon as possible to tell him of the ship's position, for if the present course be continued another hour she will be on shore (the nearest land was probably full 150 leagues off), and I must go into the cabin immediately to tell his Royal Highness." Hargood, who would have been as good as his word, though his words greatly clipped the King's English, said, "I'll tell you what, Mr. Mears, if you come up here with that there nonsense, I'll make the boatswain's mate start you down to your hammock."

Mears continued to hold his position, and to remonstrate a little time with his hands resting on either side of the companion, as if ready for a start; in fact, having secured his retreat, he was disposed to argue the point notwithstanding a heavy shower of rain. Seeing, however, that we, his dutiful scholars, contrived to sidle round to his rear, ready to act offensively if so desired, the poor fellow made a bolt, but not to his bed as we shall presently see.

It is usual for one of the midshipmen of the watch to visit the lower part of the ship every half hour to see that there is no unauthorised light burning, and that all is quiet; he reports all well, or otherwise, to the officer of the watch. At 'three bells' (half after one o'clock) it was my turn to go the rounds, and finding Mears still wandering about I told him to go to bed or I would report him. He made no reply but did as I desired.

About half an hour after this Mears stole up to the half-deck, and into the cabin of the captain's servants, a place merely shut off by a canvas screen; there he armed himself with a large carving knife. Thus prepared, he watched the moment when the back of the sentinel at the captain's door was turned towards him, and then dashed against it with all his force to burst it open. Fortunately, to prevent the door flying open by the rolling of the ship, it was secured by a stout piece of line to the handle, which did not break, although the force of the effort was such that the panel was knocked in.

The marine sentinel (Vaughan by name) with wonderful activity caught Mears under the chin with his powerful arm and threw the little man to a distance of full five yards, whereupon the unfortunate maniac gave the most hideous screech that ever issued from the lungs of man; it came with such a clap upon the drum of the ear that the soundest sleeper was instantly on deck, while we who were on the quarter-deck made but one spring down the ladder, wondering what had happened. We found that before Mears could recover his legs he was seized by some stout men, who with difficulty held him down.

When the marine threw Mears forward in the manner described he just reached the legs of one of the carpenter's crew standing by the pump, and the man was so astounded and terrified by the scream, that he actually jumped down the main hatchway, and, marvellous to say, without any material injury. Fidge, the surgeon, whose nerves had been so shaken a few days before in a hurricane, soon made his appearance quivering with terror, and his affrighted look and skeleton figure made him the very counterpart of Shakespeare's 'lean apothecary.'

It was impossible for anyone to doubt the intention of Mears, in his insanity, to have murdered the Prince, but I do not at this time recollect anything in the conduct of his Royal Highness towards him to provoke such a feeling. Mears was sent to the hospital at Antigua, and thence to England by the first opportunity.


Fidge, the surgeon, was also invalided and sent home.

A nice slice of life on board from the Letters and Papers of Admiral of the Fleet Sir Thomas Byam Martin edited by Admiral Sir Richard Vesey Hamilton, vol 1, p 56-60, NRS, 1903.
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