{{Short description|British naval officer}} {{Use dmy dates|date=November 2021}} {{Infobox military person | honorific_prefix = Vice-Admiral | name = Temple West | image = | image_upright = | alt = | caption = | nickname = | birth_date = 1713 | birth_place = | death_date = 9 August 1757 | death_place = | burial_place = St John's, West Wickham, Kent | allegiance = Kingdom of Great Britain | branch = Royal Navy | service_years = 1727–1757 | rank = Vice-Admiral | commands = HMS ''Grampus''<br/>HMS ''Alderney''<br/>HMS ''Deal Castle''<br/>HMS ''Sapphire''<br/>HMS ''Dartmouth''<br/>HMS ''Warwick''<br/>HMS ''St George''<br/>HMS ''Devonshire''<br/>Ribadeo Station<br/>Lord Commissioner of the Admiralty | known_for = | battles = {{Tree list}} *War of the Austrian Succession **Battle of Toulon **First Battle of Cape Finisterre *Seven Years' War **Battle of Minorca {{tree list/end}} | awards = | memorials = | alma_mater = | spouse = Frances Balchen | children = 3 | relations = Richard West (father)<br/>Gilbert West (brother)<br/>Sir John West (grandson) | other_work = | signature = }} Vice-Admiral '''Temple West''' (1713 – 9 August 1757) was a British naval officer, best known for his role as second-in-command to Admiral John Byng during the Battle of Minorca in 1756.
==Early career== West was a younger son of Rev. Dr. Richard West, archdeacon of Berkshire, and his wife Maria Temple, daughter of Sir Richard Temple, 3rd Baronet and sister of the influential Richard Temple, 1st Viscount Cobham and also Hester Grenville, 1st Countess Temple.
His elder brother was the author Gilbert West.<ref>{{cite ODNB | first=Richard | last=Harding | title=West, Temple (bap. 1715, d. 1757) | id=29098 }}</ref> and his sister, Mary, married Admiral Alexander Hood, 1st Viscount Bridport.<ref>G.E. Cokayne; with Vicary Gibbs, H.A. Doubleday, Geoffrey H. White, Duncan Warrand and Lord Howard de Walden, editors, ''The Complete Peerage of England, Scotland, Ireland, Great Britain and the United Kingdom, Extant, Extinct or Dormant'', new ed., 13 volumes in 14 (1910-1959; reprint in 6 volumes, Gloucester, U.K.: Alan Sutton Publishing, 2000), volume II, page 317. Hereinafter cited as The Complete Peerage.</ref>
In 1738, West was given command of ''Deal Castle'', a 24-gun sixth-rate.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.cronab.demon.co.uk/18d.HTM |title=Ships of the 18th Cent. Royal Navy D |accessdate=2006-10-09 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20061009180204/http://www.cronab.demon.co.uk/18d.HTM |archivedate=9 October 2006 }}</ref> In 1742, he was made captain of ''Warwick'', a 60-gun fourth-rate. During the Battle of Toulon, ''Warwick'' was one of three ships that broke up a Franco-Spanish movement to weather the British line, but did so contrary to orders. He was court-martialed at Deptford on 13 December 1745, found guilty, and dismissed the service, but was reinstated on 12 May 1746 by Order in Council.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.cronab.demon.co.uk/18uz.HTM |title=Ships of the 18th Cent. Royal Navy UZ |access-date=17 October 2006 |archive-date=9 October 2006 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061009180018/http://www.cronab.demon.co.uk/18uz.HTM |url-status=dead }}</ref> In 1747, he commanded ''Devonshire'' as flag-captain to Vice-Admiral Sir Peter Warren at the Battle of Cape Finisterre.
In 1756/57 he was Flag Officer on HMS Buckingham.
==Battle of Menorca== In 1756, West, now a rear-admiral, was appointed second-in-command to Admiral Byng to lead a hastily assembled squadron to the relief of Menorca. West sailed aboard ''Buckingham'', Flag-Captain Michael Everitt,<ref name="cronab-b">{{cite web |url=http://www.cronab.demon.co.uk/18b.HTM |title=Ships of the 18th Cent. Royal Navy B |accessdate=2006-05-08 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20060508050230/http://www.cronab.demon.co.uk/18b.HTM |archivedate=8 May 2006 }}</ref> and the fleet saw action on 20 May 1756, the day after their arrival. West had command of the van, which attacked the rear of the French van and drew heavy fire. In the rear, Byng, who had insufficient sail on to promptly come up and support the van, declined to put on further sail, citing the court-martial of Thomas Mathews at the Battle of Toulon. (Mathews had attacked the enemy individually while flying a signal to attack in line of battle, resulting in a confused and disorderly attack.) The French drew off at the end of the day, and the English fleet lacked the weather gage to pursue.
==After Menorca== Both Byng and West were recalled from command after the battle, beginning the process which culminated in the court-martial and execution of Byng, for failing to do his duty "to his utmost". West, on the contrary, was received as a hero, and was appointed a Lord Commissioner of the Admiralty<ref name="cronab-b" /> on 17 November 1756 and promoted to Vice-Admiral. The fate of his superior greatly affected West, who afterwards declined a command, saying that "although he could answer for his loyalty and good intentions, he could not undertake to be held capitally responsible on all occasions for the correctness of his judgment".<ref>{{cite book | last=Clowes | first=William Laird | title=''The Royal Navy: A History from the Earliest Times to the Present'' | url=http://home.wxs.nl/~pdavis/Byng.htm | accessdate=16 October 2006}}</ref> He died not long after, on 9 August 1757, and was buried in Westminster Abbey,<ref name="carlton" /> where there is a handsome monument.<ref name="Westminster Abbey">{{cite web |title=Temple West (Sailor) |url=https://www.westminster-abbey.org/abbey-commemorations/commemorations/temple-west |website=Westminster Abbey |access-date=22 August 2021}}</ref>
==Family== West married Frances Balchen (1710–1793), daughter of Admiral Sir John Balchen,<ref name="carlton">{{Cite web|url=http://www.balchin-family.org.uk/CHEYNE%20WALK.html|title=Carlton House, 15 Cheyne Walk, Chelsea<!-- Bot generated title -->|access-date=27 December 2017|archive-date=3 December 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131203092615/http://www.balchin-family.org.uk/CHEYNE%20WALK.html|url-status=dead}}</ref> on 6 June 1737.<ref>Non-conformist Registers, 1735–1740, RG7, The National Archives, London.</ref> They were the parents of Balchen West (1746–1793) and hence grandparents of:
* Sir Edward West (1782–1828), first Chief Justice of Bombay; * (John) Martin West (1785–1870),<ref>Charles Mosley, editor, ''Burke's Peerage and Baronetage'', 106th edition, 2 volumes (Crans, Switzerland: Burke's Peerage (Genealogical Books) Ltd, 1999), volume 1, page 48. Hereinafter cited as Burke's Peerage and Baronetage, 106th edition.</ref> Recorder of Lynn, who married Lady Maria Walpole, (daughter of Horatio Walpole, 2nd Earl of Orford<ref>L. G. Pine, ''The New Extinct Peerage 1884-1971: Containing Extinct, Abeyant, Dormant and Suspended Peerages With Genealogies and Arms'' (London: Heraldry Today, 1972), page 211. Hereinafter cited as The New Extinct Peerage.</ref>), by whom he had a son, Algernon West.<ref>Charles Mosley, editor, Burke's Peerage, Baronetage & Knightage, 107th edition, 3 volumes (Wilmington, Delaware, U.S.A.: Burke's Peerage (Genealogical Books) Ltd, 2003), volume 1, page 990. Hereinafter cited as Burke's Peerage and Baronetage, 107th edition.</ref> His other son, also Temple West (1739–1783), was father of Sir John West.<ref>John West's tomb inscription at West Wickham</ref>
==References== {{Reflist}}
{{S-start}} {{s-par|gb}} {{succession box | title=Member of Parliament for Buckingham | with = George Grenville | before=George Grenville<br />Richard Grenville | after=George Grenville<br />James Grenville | years=1753–1754}} {{S-end}} {{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:West, Temple}} Category:1713 births Category:1757 deaths Category:Members of the Parliament of Great Britain for English constituencies Category:Lords of the Admiralty Category:Royal Navy vice admirals Category:Royal Navy personnel of the War of the Austrian Succession Category:Royal Navy personnel of the Seven Years' War Category:Burials at Westminster Abbey