With our long seafaring tradition, it’s no surprise to find a local Torbay man becoming a famous naval hero. However, it was usually the case that they were on our side.
Not so Torquay-born John Manley (1733-1793), an officer in the Continental Navy and the United States Navy. 
While still a young man John (pictured above) had journeyed to America and settled at Marblehead, Massachusetts, where he came to own several fishing vessels, a ware¬house and a wharf.
By 1775 he had joined the Continental Navy of the Thirteen Colonies during the American Revolutionary War. In November of that year he captured one of the most valuable prizes of the conflict, the British brigantine Nancy which was carrying ordnance and military stores for British troops in Boston. These supplies proved invaluable to Washington’s army. American President John Adams would later remark “I assert that the first American flag was hoisted by John Manley, and the first British flag was struck to him”.
Over the following few years, John captured British ships carrying cargoes of arms, food, rum, coal, dry goods, all badly needed by the Continental forces.
In January 1776, for his “great vigilance and industry,” he was appointed a commodore of “George Washington’s fleet”, a group of armed ships designed to harass the British and to seize supply vessels.
After a series of battles John was captured and imprisoned, first in New York and then for three years in Plymouth’s Mill Prison -pictured below.
In January 1782 he was exchanged and returned to Boston and to the American Navy. His adventures continued. On a West Indies voyage, he escaped a superior naval force and, in January 1783, took the last significant prize of the war, The Baille.
Regarded as one of the outstanding captains of the young American Navy, during his career he captured 10 prizes and participated in the seizure of five others.
Torquay: A Social History’ by local author Kevin Dixon is available for £10 from Artizan Gallery, Lucius Street, Torquay, or:
https://www.art-hub.co.uk/product-page/torquay-a-social-history-by-kevin-dixon
