Admiral William Cornwallis

Captain John Whitby married Mary Ann Theresa Symonds, the daughter of Captain John Symonds.

Captain Whitby served under Admiral Sir William Cornwallis and also Admiral Nelson.

Mrs Whitby supervised the rebuilding of Newlands for Cornwallis and later inherited the Manor from him.

The Whitby's daughter Theresa married Frederick West thus providing the foundation for the famous Cornwallis-West family.

Mrs West had the rather unsual maiden names: Theresa John Cornwallis Whitby.

There are memorials to Mrs West, Cornwallis and the Whitbys inside the church of All Saints in Milford on Sea:

Memorial to Theresa John Cornwallis West in All Saints Church
(born Theresa Whitby who married Frederic West)

Memorial to Cornwallis and the Whitbys in All Saints Church

The grave of Admiral Corwallis alongside John Whitby was only relatively recently traced in the graveyard there.

Nelson's Forgotten Hero

On 22 March 2019 our local paper, the New Milton Advertiser & Lymington Times, had a leading article: "Nelson's forgotten hero saluted at last".

Admiral Cornwallis is notable for blockading the port of Brest until 1806 preventing Napoleon from invading Britain.

There was a National Commemoration on 5 July 2019 to mark the 200th anniversary of Admiral Cornwallis' death.

Colin Bower
30 June 2025

Cornwallis-Wests - Index