page_title: Philemon Pownoll
hierarchical_section_title: Philemon Pownoll
caption_attribution_description: English: Sharpham House Sharpham House was designed in 1770 by Sir Robert Taylor for Captain Philemon Pownall, R.N. Although building started in 1770 it was not completed until 1826, after Captain Pownell's death. In 1954 W.G.Hoskins described the house as "externally a plain, almost ugly, late Georgian house . . ." The principal rooms are decorated in the Adam style and the gardens were laid out by "Capability" Brown. The house is now the home of the Sharpham Centre for Contemporary Buddhist Enquiry which runs numerous courses and is also a non-sectarian retreat.
context_page_description: Philemon Pownoll of Sharpham in the parish of Ashprington in Devon, England, was an officer of the Royal Navy who saw service during the War of the Austrian Succession, the Seven Years' War and the American War of Independence, rising to the rank of post-captain.
  Pownoll was born the son of a leading shipwright, and entered the navy in the last year of the War of the Austrian Succession. After several years service he rose through the ranks to his own command in time for the outbreak of the Seven Years' War. Commanding a sloop he took part in the capture of one of the most valuable prizes taken in the entire conflict, and became immensely wealthy overnight from his success. He married and settled on his estate, but despite his riches, chose to return to active service on the outbreak of the American War of Independence. During his time as a frigate captain he acted as a mentor to future star captains Edward Pellew and John Borlase Warren.
  His service in North America was marked with successes in supporting and conveying troops, and engaging in larger fleet actions such as the relief of Gibraltar.
context_section_description: Philemon Pownoll (c. 1734 – 15 June 1780) of Sharpham in the parish of Ashprington in Devon, England, was an officer of the Royal Navy who saw service during the War of the Austrian Succession, the Seven Years' War and the American War of Independence, rising to the rank of post-captain.
  Pownoll was born the son of a leading shipwright, and entered the navy in the last year of the War of the Austrian Succession. After several years service he rose through the ranks to his own command in time for the outbreak of the Seven Years' War. Commanding a sloop he took part in the capture of one of the most valuable prizes taken in the entire conflict, and became immensely wealthy overnight from his success. He married and settled on his estate, but despite his riches, chose to return to active service on the outbreak of the American War of Independence. During his time as a frigate captain he acted as a mentor to future star captains Edward Pellew and John Borlase Warren.
  His service in North America was marked with successes in supporting and conveying troops, and engaging in larger fleet actions such as the relief of Gibraltar. He took part in a hard-fought action against a French privateer in 1779, and received a musket ball to the chest, which remained with him for the rest of his life. He again engaged a heavily armed privateer the following year, and this time was killed by a cannonball in the heat of the action, which was brought to a successful conclusion by his first lieutenant. His death was marked with tributes from the leading naval figures of his age, including Admiral John Jervis and Edward Pellew.
caption: Sharpham House, Ashprington, Devon, commenced in about 1770 by Captain Philemon Pownoll (d.1780), to the designs of the architect Sir Robert Taylor
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