Sir Isaac Coffin
Royal Navy officer during the War of Independence
Died when: 80 years 68 days (962 months)Star Sign: Taurus
Admiral of the Blue Sir Isaac Coffin, 1st Baronet, GCH (also Coffin-Greenly; 16 May 1759 – 23 July 1839), was an officer of the Royal Navy who served during the American War of Independence and the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars.
Coffin was born in Boston and served in the navy on a number of ships during the War of Independence.
He fought at Cape Henry with Arbuthnot and at St.Kitts with Hood, eventually being promoted to command a number of small ships on the American coast.
Despite his rise through the ranks, he clashed occasionally with the naval hierarchy, with the first incident occurring while still a newly commissioned commander aboard HMS Shrewsbury.
An incident over unqualified lieutenants led to his court-martial, though he was acquitted.A more serious incident occurred after the end of the war with America, when Coffin was particularly active off the Canadian coast.
A charge was brought of issuing false musters, and though the practice was endemic in the navy, led to his dismissal from the ship.
The First Lord of the Admiralty, Lord Howe, then intervened to have him dismissed from the navy entirely, a decision that was later overturned by an inquiry, which set an important precedent.
Restored to his rank, Coffin commanded several ships during the opening years of the wars with France, but the recurrence of an old injury forced him to move ashore.
He spent the rest of the war commanding a number of dockyards, continuing to rise through the ranks, and being created a baronet for his good service.
Retiring from active naval service towards the end of the Napoleonic Wars Coffin briefly changed his surname to Coffin-Greenly before reverting it, entered politics, and died with the rank of admiral in 1839.
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Royal Navy officer during the War of Independence
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