Sir Cloudesly, a distinguished British admiral, was born about the year 1650, of parents in the lower rank of life. He was put apprentice to a shoemaker; but disliking this profession, he abandoned it a few years after, and went to sea. He was at first a cabin boy with Sir Christopher Myngs, but applying to the study of navigation with indefatigable industry, his skill as a seaman soon raised him above that station.
The corsairs of Tripoli having committed great outrages on the English in the Mediterranean, Sir John Narborough was sent in 1674 to reduce them to reason. As he had received orders to try the effects of negotiation before he proceeded to hostilities, he sent Mr Shovel, who was at that time a lieutenant in his fleet, to demand satisfaction. The Dey treated him with a great deal of disrespect, and sent him back without an answer. Sir John dispatched him a second time, with orders to remark particularly the situation of things on shore. The behaviour of the Dey was worse than ever. Upon Mr Shovel's return, he informed Sir John that it would be possible, notwithstanding their fortifications, to burn all the ships in the harbour. The boats were accordingly manned, and the command of them given to Lieut. Shovel, who seized the guardship, and burnt four others, without losing a man. This action so terrified the Tripolins, that they sued for peace.—Sir John Narborough gave so favourable an account of this exploit, that Mr Shovel was soon after made captain of the Sapphire, a fifth rate ship.
In the battle of Bantry-Bay, after the revolution, he commanded the Edgar, and, for his gallant behaviour in that action, was soon after knighted by King William. Next year he was employed in transporting an army into Ireland; a service which he performed with so much diligence and dexterity, that the king raised him to the rank of rear-admiral of the blue, and delivered his commission with his own hands. Soon after he was made rear-admiral of the red, and shared the glory of the victory at La Hogue. In 1694, he bombarded Dunkirk. In 1703, he commanded the grand fleet in the Mediterranean, and did every thing in his power to assist the Protestants who were in arms in the Cevennes.
Soon after the battle off Malaga, he was presented by Prince George to Queen Anne, who received him graciously, and next year employed him as commander in chief.
In 1705 he commanded the fleet, together with the earl of Peterborough and Monmouth, which was sent into the Mediterranean; and it was owing to him chiefly that Barcelona was taken. After an unsuccessful attempt upon Toulon, he failed for Gibraltar, and from thence homeward with a part of the fleet. On the 22d of October, at night, his ship, with three others, was cast away on the rocks of Scilly. All on board perished. His body was found by some fishermen on the island of Scilly, who stripped it of a valuable ring, and afterwards buried it. Mr Paxton, the purser of the Arundel, hearing of this, found out the fellows, and obliged them to discover where they had buried the body. He carried it on board his own ship to Portsmouth, from whence it was conveyed to London, and interred with great solemnity in Westminster Abbey. A monument was afterwards erected to his memory by the direction of the queen. He married the widow of his patron, Sir John Narborough, by whom he left two daughters, co-heiresses.