Meadow in full flower near Grindelwald in the Swiss Alps. Such meadows even on steep hillsides are traditionally hand mown with hay scythes in late summer

A meadow is a field vegetated primarily by grass and other non-woody plants (grassland). The term is from Old English mædwe.^[1] In agriculture a meadow is grassland which is not grazed by domestic livestock but rather allowed to grow unchecked in order to make hay. It may be naturally occurring or artificially created from cleared woodland.

Agricultural meadow[link]

Especially in the United Kingdom and Ireland, the term meadow is commonly used in its original sense to mean a haymeadow, signifying grassland mown annually in the summer for making hay. "Pasture" is the term used in contrast for land which is grazed throughout the summer, which may include grassland ("grass pasture"), but also includes non-grassland habitats such as heathland, moorland and wood pasture. "Grassland" is used to include both meadow and grass pasture.

Transitional meadows[link]

A transitional meadow occurs when a field, pasture, farmland, or other cleared land is no longer grazed by livestock and starts to display luxuriant growth extending to the flowering and seeding of its grass and wild flower species. The condition is however only temporary because the grasses eventually become shaded out when scrub and woody plants become well-established, being the forerunners of the return to a fully wooded state.

In North America prior to European colonization, Algonquian, Iroquois and other Native American people regularly cleared areas of forest to create transitional meadows where deer could find nutrition and be hunted. Many places named "Deerfield" are located at sites where Native Americans once practised this form of land management.

Perpetual meadow[link]

Coastal meadow at the Bay of Biscay near Tapia de Casariego, Spain

A perpetual meadow is one in which environmental factors restrict the growth of woody plants indefinitely. Examples include:

• Alpine meadows occur at high elevations above the tree line and are maintained by harsh climatic conditions
• Coastal meadows are maintained by salt sprays
• Desert meadows are restricted by low precipitation
• Prairies are maintained by periods of severe drought and are subject to wildfires
• Wet meadows are semi-wetland areas saturated with water throughout much of the year.

See also[link]

Flood-meadow near Hohenau an der March, Austria

• Coastal plain
• Field
• Flooded grasslands and savannas
• Flood-meadow
• Grassland
• Marsh
• Pampa
• Pasture
• Plain
• Plateau
• Prairie
• Rangeland
• Savanna
• Sods
• Steppe
• Tundra
• Water-meadow
• Wet meadow
• Veld

Notes[link]

1. ^ Merriam-Webster Dictionary meadow

References[link]

• Cornell University^{[dead link]}
• The Washington Post, "Today, 32,000 seedlings; tomorrow, a meadow"^{[dead link]}

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Meadows

• UK Wild Meadows Website
• Irish Wild Meadows Website
• Flora locale - information on creating wildflower meadows
• Meadow Planting
• A Year in a Meadow (Ottawa Canada)
• Grow a Back Yard Meadow (Ottawa Canada)

Alexandre Michel Gérard Desplat (born 23 August 1961) is a French film composer. He has received four Academy Award nominations, five BAFTA nominations, five Golden Globe nominations, and two Grammy nominations. Desplat won his first Golden Globe for The Painted Veil in 2006, his first British Academy Film Award in 2011 and his first Grammy Award in 2012 for The King's Speech. Among various projects, Desplat has worked on a variety of Hollywood films including independent and commercial successes like The Queen, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, New Moon, Fantastic Mr. Fox, and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1 and Part 2.

Early life[link]

Desplat was born in Paris to a French father and a Greek mother who met at the University of California, Berkeley.^[1] After their marriage, they moved back to France, where Alexandre was born. Alexandre is the younger brother of Vic Desplat. At the age of five, he began playing piano. He also became proficient on trumpet and flute. He studied with Claude Ballif, Iannis Xenakis in France and Jack Hayes in the U.S. Desplat's musical interests were wide, and he was also influenced by South American and African artists and teachers, among whom were Carlinhos Brown and Ray Lema. Desplat swiftly became skilled, both as a performer and a composer.

Career[link]

Desplat has composed extensively for French cinema, Hollywood, and incidental music for over 100 films including Lapse of Memory (1992), Family Express (1992), Regarde Les Hommes Tomber (1994), Les Péchés Mortels (1995), César-nominated Un Héros Très Discret (1996), Une Minute de Silence (1998), Sweet Revenge (1998), Le Château des Singes (1999), Home Sweet Home (2001), Reines d'un Jour (2001), the César-nominated Sur mes lèvres (2002), Rire et Châtiment (2003), Césars-Winning The Beat That My Heart Skipped (2005), The Queen (2006), Fantastic Mr. Fox (2009), Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1 (2010), The Ghost Writer (2010), Daniel Auteuil's remake of La Fille du Puisatier (2011), Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2 (2011).

Desplat has composed individual songs that have been sung in films by such artists as Akhenaton, Kate Beckinsale, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Valérie Lemercier, Miosotis, and Catherine Ringer. He has also written music for the theatre, including pieces performed at the Comédie Française. Desplat has conducted performances of his music played by the London Symphony Orchestra, the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, and the Munich Symphony Orchestra. Desplat has also given Master Classes at La Sorbonne in Paris and the Royal College of Music in London.

In 2007, he composed the scores for Philip Pullman's The Golden Compass; Zach Helm's directorial debut Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium with American composer Aaron Zigman; and the Ang Lee movie Lust, Caution. Prior to these break-out works, he contributed scores for The Luzhin Defence, Girl with a Pearl Earring, Syriana, Birth, Hostage, Casanova, The Nest and The Painted Veil, for which he won the Golden Globe Award for Best Original Score, Los Angeles Film Critics Association Award for Best Music, and the 2006 World Soundtrack Award. He won the 2007 BMI Film Music Award, 2007 World Soundtrack Award, 2007 European Film Award, and received his first Academy Award nomination for Best Original Score for The Queen. He also won the Silver Berlin Bear at the Berlin Film Festival for Best Film Music in The Beat that My Heart Skipped. In 2008, Desplat received his second Oscar nomination for David Fincher's The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. Desplat received his third Oscar nomination and a BAFTA nomination for Fantastic Mr. Fox in 2010, both of which were won by Michael Giacchino for Up.

Recently, Desplat has composed music for Largo Winch, based on the Belgian comic; Afterwards a French-Canadian psychological thriller film directed by Gilles Bourdos in English; Anne Fontaine's Coco avant Chanel based on the life of designer Coco Chanel; Robert Guédiguian's L'Armée du Crime; Cheri, reuniting him with director Stephen Frears, whom he collaborated with on The Queen; Un Prophète reuniting with director Jacques Audiard; Julie & Julia directed by Nora Ephron; Fantastic Mr. Fox, directed by Wes Anderson and based on the novel by Roald Dahl; New Moon, directed by Chris Weitz; Roman Polanski's The Ghost Writer; Tamara Drewe; The Special Relationship; and The King's Speech which earned Desplat his fourth Oscar nomination.

In early 2011, Desplat began to write the music to Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2. He reunited with director David Yates, who offered Desplat the opportunity to score the second part after his work on the Part 1 soundtrack "enchanted everyone in the control room".^[2][3] Desplat's soundtrack sequel to the 2008 film Largo Winch was released in 2011 and was well received. Desplat's 2011 projects included The Tree of Life, directed by Terrence Malick (which he actually recorded in early 2010), A Better Life, La Fille du Puisatier, Roman Polanski's Carnage, and George Clooney's The Ides of March.

Desplat started 2012 with Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close and will continue with scores for The Spider's House, the Florent Emilio Siri-directed biopic Cloclo, and Dreamworks Animation's Rise of the Guardians.

Filmography (English Language)[link]

• The Revengers' Comedies (1998)
• The Luzhin Defence (2000)
• Girl with a Pearl Earring (2003)
• Birth (2004)
• The Upside of Anger (2005)
• Hostage (2005)
• Casanova (2005)
• Syriana (2005)
• The Alibi (2006)
• Firewall (2006)
• The Queen (2006)
• The Painted Veil (2006)
• Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium (2007)
• The Golden Compass (2007)
• Afterwards (2008)
• The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008)
• Julie & Julia (2009)
• Fantastic Mr. Fox (2009)
• The Twilight Saga: New Moon (2009)
• The Ghost Writer (2010)
• The Special Relationship (2010)
• Tamara Drewe (2010)
• Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1 (2010)
• The King's Speech (2010)
• The Tree of Life (2011)
• A Better Life (2011)
• Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2 (2011)
• The Ides of March (2011)
• Carnage (2011)
• My Week with Marilyn - [Marilyn's Theme] (2011)
• Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close (2012)
• The Spider's House (2012)
• Moonrise Kingdom (2012)
• Renoir (2012)
• Rust and Bone (2012)
• Argo (2012)
• Rise of the Guardians (2012)
• The Emperor (2013 film) (2013)
• Zulu (2013)

Filmography (selected – other language(s))[link]

• Une autre femme [France (original title)]
• Tous les chagrins se ressemblent (2002) [French (original title)]
• Paroles d'étoiles (2002) [French (original title)]
• Rire et châtiment [France (original title)]
• Les baisers des autres (2003) [French (original title)]
• Le pacte du silence (2003) [French (original title)]
• Virus au paradis (2003) [French (original title)]
• Eager Bodies (2003) [Les corps impatients – France (original title)]
• Les beaux jours (2003) [French (original title)]
• A Sight for Sore Eyes (2003) [Inquiétudes – France (original title)]
• Le pays des enfants perdus (2004) [French (original title)]
• L'enquête Corse (2004) [French (original title)]
• À boire (2004)[French (original title)]
• Tu vas rire, mais je te quitte (2005) [French (original title)]
• The Beat That My Heart Skipped (2005) [De battre mon coeur s'est arrêté – France (original title)]
• Une aventure (2005)
• Lies & Alibis (2006) [The Alibi – Netherlands (original title)]
• The Valet (2006) [La doublure – France (original title)]
• Quand j'étais chanteur (2006) [French (original title)]
• Michou d'Auber (2007) [French (original title)]
• Ségo et Sarko sont dans un bateau... (2007) [French (original title)]
• L'Ennemi Intime (2007) – French (original title)
• Lust, Caution (2007) [Se, jie – Chinese (original title)]
• Largo Winch (2008)
• Coco Before Chanel (2009) [Coco avant Chanel – France (original title)]
• A Prophet (2009) [Un prophète – France (original title)]
• The Army of Crime (2009) [L'armée du crime – France (original title)]
• La Fille du Puisatier (2011)
• Largo Winch 2 (2011)
• Cloclo (2012)
• Reality (2012)

Awards and nominations[link]

César Awards[link]

Academy Awards[link]

Golden Globes[link]

BAFTA[link]

Awards[link]

• 2005 Silver Berlin Bear for Best Film Music – The Beat That My Heart Skipped
• 2006 Los Angeles Film Critics Association Award for Best Music – The Painted Veil and The Queen
• 2007 BMI Film Music Award – The Queen
• 2007 European Film Award for Best Composer – The Queen
• 2007 Golden Horse Award for Best Original Film Score – Lust, Caution
• 2007 World Soundtrack Award for Film Composer of the Year – The Queen and The Painted Veil
• 2008 Phoenix Film Critics Society Award for Best Original Score – The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
• 2009 BMI Film Music Award – The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
• 2009 World Soundtrack Award for Best Original Score of the Year – The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
• 2009 World Soundtrack Award for Film Composer of the Year – The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Coco Before Chanel, Largo Winch and Chéri
• 2010 Étoile d'Or for Best Music (Meilleure musique) – A Prophet, The Army of Crime, Afterwards, Coco Before Chanel and Chéri
• 2010 IFMCA Award for Best Original Score for a Drama Film – The King's Speech
• 2010 IFMCA Award for Film Composer of the Year
• 2010 IFMCA Award for Best Original Score for an Action/Adventure/Thriller Film – The Ghost Writer
• 2011 Sammy Film Music Award for Best New Film Score – The King's Speech
• 2011 César Award for Best Music Written for a Film (Meilleure musique écrite pour un film) – The Ghost Writer
• 2011 World Soundtrack Award for Film Composer of the Year
• 2011 Étoile d'Or for Film Music Composer for The Ghost Writer
• 2011 San Diego Film Critics Society Award for Best Score - Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2

Nominations[link]

• 2004 European Film Award for Best Composer – Girl with a Pearl Earring
• 2005 Online Film Critics Society Award for Best Original Score – Birth
• 2006 Étoile d'Or for Best Music (Meilleure musique) – The Beat That My Heart Skipped
• 2006 Chicago Film Critics Association Award for Best Original Score – The Queen
• 2007 Chicago Film Critics Association Award for Best Original Score – Lust, Caution
• 2008 Étoile d'Or for Best Music (Meilleure musique) – L'ennemi intime
• 2008 Chicago Film Critics Association Award for Best Original Score – The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
• 2008 Critics Choice Award for Best Composer – Lust, Caution
• 2008 Asian Film Award for Best Composer – Lust, Caution
• 2008 World Soundtrack Award for Film Composer of the Year – The Golden Compass
• 2009 Online Film Critics Society Award for Best Original Score – The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
• 2009 European Film Award for Best Composer – Coco Before Chanel
• 2009 Chicago Film Critics Association Award for Best Original Score – Fantastic Mr. Fox (film)
• 2009 Central Ohio Film Critics Association Award for Best Score – The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
• 2009 Critic Choice Award for Best Composer – The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
• 2009 Saturn Award for Best Music – The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
• 2010 Online Film Critics Society Award for Best Original Score – Fantastic Mr. Fox
• 2010 Satellite Award for Best Original Score – Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1
• 2010 IFMCA Award for Film Score of the Year – The King's Speech, The Ghost Writer
• 2010 IFMCA Award for Best Original Score for a Fantasy/Science Fiction/Horror Film – Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1
• 2010 IFMCA Award for Film Music Composition of the Year – Truth About Ruth from The Ghost Writer
• 2011 Hollywood Music in Media Award for Original Score-Feature Film- The Ides of March
• 2011 World Soundtrack Award for Best Original Film Score of the Year- The King's Speech
• 2011 Satellite Award for Best Original Score – Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2
• 2011 Phoenix Film Critics Society Award for Best Original Score - Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close
• 2011 San Diego Film Critics Society Award for Best Score - The Tree of Life (film)
• 2011 San Diego Film Critics Society Award for Best Score - Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close
• 2011 IFMCA Award for Film Composer of the Year
• 2011 IFMCA Award for Best Original Score for a Fantasy/Science Fiction/Horror Film – Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2

References[link]

External links[link]

• Alexandre Desplat, official website (French) (English)
• Alexandre Desplat, fan website (French) (English)
• Alexandre Desplat at the Internet Movie Database

John Paul Jones
John Paul Jones by Charles Willson Peale, c1781
Born	(1747-07-06)July 6, 1747 Kirkcudbrightshire, Scotland
Died	July 18, 1792(1792-07-18) (aged 45) Paris, France
Buried at	Naval Academy Chapel, Annapolis
Allegiance	United States of America Imperial Russia
Service/branch	Continental Navy Imperial Russian Navy
Years of service	1775–1788
Rank	Captain (U.S.) Rear Admiral (Russia)
Battles/wars	American Revolutionary War Battle of Nassau Battle of Block Island USS Providence vs HMS Mellish Irish/North Sea Campaign Action of 24 April 1778 Battle of Flamborough Head
Awards	Institution du Mérite Militaire Congressional Gold Medal Order of St. Anne

John Paul Jones ((1747-07-06)July 6, 1747 – July 18, 1792(1792-07-18)) was a Scottish sailor and the United States' first well-known naval fighter in the American Revolutionary War. Although he made enemies among America's political elites, his actions in British waters during the Revolution earned him an international reputation which persists to this day. He later served in the Imperial Russian Navy.

During his engagement with HMS Serapis, Jones uttered, according to the later recollection of his first lieutenant, the legendary reply to a taunt about surrender from the British captain: "I have not yet begun to fight!"

Early years[link]

John Paul (he added "Jones" later) was born on the estate of Arbigland near Kirkbean in the Stewartry of Kirkcudbright on the southwest coast of Scotland. His father, John Paul (Sr.), was a gardener at Arbigland, and his mother was named Jean Duff. His parents married on November 29, 1733 in New Abbey, Kirkcudbright. John Paul started his maritime career at the age of 13, sailing out of Whitehaven in the northern English county of Cumberland, as apprentice aboard the Friendship under Captain Benson. Paul's older brother William Paul had married and settled in Fredericksburg, Virginia, the destination of many of the youngster's early voyages.

For several years John sailed aboard a number of different British merchant and slave ships, including the King George in 1764 as third mate, and the Two Friends as first mate in 1766. After a short time in this business, he became disgusted with the cruelty in the slave trade, and in 1768 he abandoned his prestigious position on the profitable Two Friends while docked in Jamaica. He found his own passage back to Scotland, and eventually obtained another position.

During his next voyage aboard the brig John, which sailed from port in 1768, young John Paul’s career was quickly and unexpectedly advanced when both the captain and a ranking mate suddenly died of yellow fever. John managed to successfully navigate the ship back to a safe port and in reward for this impressive feat, the vessel’s grateful Scottish owners made him master of the ship and its crew, giving him 10 percent of the cargo.^[1] He then led two voyages to the West Indies before running into difficulty.

During his second voyage in 1770, John Paul viciously flogged one of his sailors, leading to accusations that his discipline was "unnecessarily cruel." While these claims were initially dismissed, his favorable reputation was destroyed when the disciplined sailor died a few weeks later. Sources disagree on whether he was arrested for his involvement in the man’s death, but the negative effect on his reputation is indisputable.^[1]

Leaving Scotland, John Paul commanded a London-registered vessel, the Betsy, for about 18 months, engaging in commercial speculation in Tobago. This came to an end, however, when John killed a member of his crew, a mutineer, Blackton, with a sword in a dispute over wages.^[2] Years later, in a letter to Benjamin Franklin describing this incident, he claimed it was in self-defense, but because he would not be tried in an Admiral's Court, he felt compelled to flee to Fredericksburg, Province of Virginia, leaving his fortune behind.

He went to Fredericksburg to arrange the affairs of his brother, who had died there without leaving any other family; and about this time, in addition to his original surname, he assumed the surname of Jones. There is a long tradition held in the state of North Carolina that John Paul adopted the name "Jones" in honor of Willie Jones of Halifax, North Carolina.^[3][4]

His prepossessions became even more in favor of America and were confirmed. From that period, as he afterwards expressed himself to Baron Joan van der Capellen tot den Pol, that became "the country of his fond election." It wasn't long afterwards that John Paul "Jones" joined the American navy to fight against Britain.

America[link]

Sources struggle with this period of Jones's life, especially the specifics of his family situation, making it difficult to historically pinpoint Jones's exact motivations for emigrating to America. Whether his plans for the plantation were not developing as expected, or if he was inspired by a revolutionary spirit, is unknown.

What is clearly known is that Jones left for Philadelphia shortly after settling in North America to volunteer his services to the newly founded Continental Navy, precursor of the United States Navy. During this time, around 1775, the Navy and Marines were being formally established, and suitable ship's officers and captains were in great demand. Were it not for the endorsement of Richard Henry Lee who knew of his abilities, Jones's potential would likely have gone unrecognized. With help from influential members of the Continental Congress, however, Jones was to be appointed as a 1st Lieutenant of the newly converted 24-gun frigate Alfred in the Continental Navy on December 7, 1775.^[5]

Revolutionary War command[link]

Early command[link]

Jones sailed from the Delaware River in February 1776 aboard Alfred on the Continental Navy's maiden cruise. It was aboard this vessel that Jones took the honor of hoisting the first U.S. ensign over a naval vessel. Jones actually raised the Grand Union Flag, not the later and more familiar Flag of the United States. The fleet, which had been expected to cruise along the coast, was ordered instead by Commodore Esek Hopkins to sail for The Bahamas, where Nassau was raided for its military supplies. On the fleet's return voyage it had an unsuccessful encounter with a British packet ship. Jones was then assigned command of the sloop Providence. Congress had recently ordered the construction of thirteen frigates for the American Navy, one of which was to be commanded by Jones. In exchange for this prestigious command, Jones accepted his commission aboard the smaller Providence. During this six week voyage, Jones captured sixteen prizes and inflicted significant damage along the coast of Nova Scotia. Jones's next command came as a result of Commodore Hopkins's orders to liberate hundreds of American prisoners forced to labor in coal mines in Nova Scotia and also to raid British shipping. On November 1, 1776, Jones set sail in command of Alfred to carry out this mission. Although winter conditions prevented the freeing of the prisoners, the mission did result in the capture of the Mellish, a vessel carrying a vital supply of winter clothing intended for John Burgoyne's troops in Canada.

[edit] Command of Ranger

Despite his successes at sea, upon arrival in Boston on December 16, 1776, Jones's disagreements with those in authority reached a new level. While in the port, the accomplished commander began feuding with Commodore Hopkins, who Jones believed was hindering his advancement and talking down his campaign plans. As a result of this and other frustrations, Jones was assigned the smaller command, the newly constructed USS Ranger, on June 14, 1777 (the same day the new Stars and Stripes flag was adopted).

After making the necessary preparations, Jones sailed for France on November 1, 1777 with orders to assist the American cause however possible. The American commissioners in France, Benjamin Franklin, John Adams and Arthur Lee, listened to Jones's strategic recommendations. They assured him the command of L'Indien, a new vessel being constructed for America in Amsterdam. Britain, however, was able to divert L'Indien away from American hands by exerting pressure to ensure its sale to France instead (who had not yet allied with America). Jones was again left without a command, an unpleasant reminder of his stagnation in Boston from late 1776 until early 1777. It is thought that it was during this time Jones developed his close friendship with Benjamin Franklin, whom he greatly admired. In 1778, he was accepted, together with Benjamin Franklin, into the Masonic Lodge "Les Neuf Sœurs".

On February 6, 1778, France signed the Treaty of Alliance with America, formally recognizing the independence of the new American republic. Eight days later, Captain Jones's Ranger became the first American naval vessel to be formally saluted by the French, with a nine-gun salute fired from captain Lamotte-Piquet's flagship. Jones wrote of the event: "I accepted his offer all the more for after all it was a recognition of our independence and in the nation."

Finally, on April 10, 1778, Jones set sail from Brest, France for the western coasts of Britain.

[edit] Ranger attacks Britain

After some early successes against British merchant shipping in the Irish Sea, on April 17, 1778, Jones persuaded his crew to participate in an assault on Whitehaven, the town where his maritime career had begun. Jones later wrote about the poor command qualities of his senior officers (having tactfully avoided such matters in his official report): "'Their object,' they said, 'was gain not honor.' They were poor: instead of encouraging the morale of the crew, they excited them to disobedience; they persuaded them that they had the right to judge whether a measure that was proposed to them was good or bad."^[6] As it happened, contrary winds forced the abandonment of the attempt, and drove Ranger towards Ireland, causing more trouble for British shipping on the way.^[7]

On April 20, 1778, Jones learned from captured sailors that the Royal Navy man o' war HMS Drake was anchored off Carrickfergus, Ireland. According to the diary of Ranger's surgeon^[8] Jones's first intention was to attack the vessel in broad daylight, but his sailors were "unwilling to undertake it" (another incident omitted from the official report). Therefore, the attack took place just after midnight, but in the dark (or perhaps because, as Jones claimed in his memoirs, the man was drunk) the mate responsible for dropping the anchor to halt Ranger right alongside Drake misjudged the timing, so Jones had to cut his anchor cable and run.^[7]

The wind having shifted, Ranger recrossed the Irish Sea to make another attempt at raiding Whitehaven. Jones led the assault with two boats of fifteen men on April 23, 1778, just after midnight, hoping to set fire to and sink all Whitehaven’s ships anchored in harbor (numbering between 200 to 400 wooden vessels), which consisted of a full merchant fleet and many coal transporters. They also hoped to terrorize the townspeople by lighting further fires. As it happened, the journey to shore was slowed by the still-shifting wind, as well as a strong ebb tide. The spiking of the town's big defensive guns to prevent them being fired was accomplished successfully, but lighting fires proved difficult, as the lanterns in both boats had run out of fuel. To remedy this, some of the party were therefore sent to raid a public house on the quayside, but the temptation to stop for a quick drink led to a further delay. By the time they returned, and the arson attacks began, dawn was fast approaching, so efforts were concentrated on a single ship, the coal ship Thompson, in the hope that the flames would spread to adjacent vessels, all grounded by the low tide.^[7] However, in the twilight, one of the crew slipped away and alerted residents on a harbourside street. A fire alert was sounded, and large numbers of people came running to the quay, forcing the Americans to retreat, and extinguishing the flames with the town's two fire-engines. However, hopes of sinking Jones's boats with cannon fire were dashed by the prudent spiking.^[9]

Crossing the Solway Firth from Whitehaven to Scotland, Jones hoped to hold for ransom the Earl of Selkirk, who lived on St Mary's Isle near Kirkcudbright. The Earl, Jones reasoned, could be exchanged for American sailors impressed into the Royal Navy. When the Earl was discovered to be absent from his estate, Jones claims he intended to return directly to his ship and continue seeking prizes elsewhere, but his crew wished to "pillage, burn, and plunder all they could".^[6] Ultimately, Jones allowed the crew to seize a silver plate set adorned with the family’s emblem to placate their desires, but nothing else. Jones bought the plate himself when it was later sold off in France, and returned it to the Earl of Selkirk after the War.

Although their effect on British morale and allocation of defense resources was significant,^[10] the attacks on St. Mary's Isle and Whitehaven resulted in no prizes or profits which under normal circumstances would be shared with the crew. Throughout the mission, the crew, led by Jones's second-in-command Lieutenant Thomas Simpson, acted as if they were aboard a privateer, not a warship.

Return to France[link]

Nevertheless, Jones now led Ranger back across the Irish Sea, hoping to make another attempt at the Drake, still anchored off Carrickfergus. This time, late in the afternoon of April 24, 1778, the ships, roughly equal in firepower, engaged in combat. Earlier in the day, the Americans had captured the crew of a reconnaissance boat, and learned that Drake had taken on dozens of soldiers, with the intention of grappling and boarding Ranger, so Jones made sure that did not happen, capturing the Drake after an hour-long gun battle which cost the British captain his life. Lieutenant Simpson was given command of Drake for the return journey to Brest. The ships separated during the return journey as Ranger chased another prize, leading to a conflict between Simpson and Jones. Both ships arrived at port safely, but Jones filed for a court-martial of Simpson, keeping him detained on the ship.

Partly through the influence of John Adams, who was still serving as a commissioner in France, Simpson was released from Jones's accusation. Adams implies in his memoirs that the overwhelming majority of the evidence supported Simpson's claims. Adams seemed to believe Jones was hoping to monopolize the mission's glory, especially by detaining Simpson on board while he celebrated the capture with numerous important European dignitaries.^[11]

Even with the wealth of perspectives, including the commander's,^[6] it is difficult if not impossible to tell exactly what occurred. It is clear, however, that the crew felt alienated by their commander, who might well have been motivated by his pride. Jones believed his intentions were honorable, and his actions were strategically essential to the Revolution. Regardless of any controversy surrounding the mission, Ranger's capture of Drake was one of the Continental Navy's few significant military victories during the Revolution, and was of immense symbolic importance, demonstrating as it did that the Royal Navy was far from invincible. By overcoming such odds, Ranger's victory became an important symbol of the American spirit and served as an inspiration for the permanent establishment of the United States Navy after the revolution.

[edit] Bonhomme Richard

Engraving based on the painting Action Between the Serapis and Bonhomme Richard by Richard Paton, published 1780

The "John Paul Jones flag" was entered into Dutch records to help Jones avoid charges of piracy when he captured the Serapis under an "unknown flag."

"Paul Jones the Pirate", British caricature

In 1779, Captain Jones took command of the 42-gun Bonhomme Richard (or as he preferred it, Bon Homme Richard),^[12] a merchant ship rebuilt and given to America by the French shipping magnate, Jacques-Donatien Le Ray. On August 14, as a vast French and Spanish invasion fleet approached England, he provided a diversion by heading for Ireland at the head of a five ship squadron including the 36-gun Alliance, 32-gun Pallas, 12-gun Vengeance, and Le Cerf, also accompanied by two privateers, Monsieur and Granville. When the squadron was only a few days out of Groix, Monsieur separated due to a disagreement between her captain and Jones. Several Royal Navy warships were sent towards Ireland in pursuit of Jones, but on this occasion, he continued right around the north of Scotland into the North Sea, creating near-panic all along Britain's east coast as far south as the Humber estuary. Jones's main problems, as on his previous voyage, resulted from insubordination, particularly by Pierre Landais, captain of the Alliance.^[13] On September 23, 1779, the squadron met a large merchant convoy off the coast of Flamborough Head, east Yorkshire. The 50-gun British frigate HMS Serapis and the 22-gun hired ship Countess of Scarborough placed themselves between the convoy and Jones's squadron, allowing the merchants to escape.

Shortly after 7 p.m. the Battle of Flamborough Head began. The Serapis engaged the Bonhomme Richard, and soon afterwards, the Alliance fired, from a considerable distance, at the Countess. Quickly recognising that he could not win a battle of big guns, and with the wind dying, Jones made every effort to lock Richard and Serapis together (his famous quotation, "I have not yet begun to fight!" was uttered in reply to a cheerful British taunt during an odd stalemate in this phase of the battle), finally succeeding after about an hour, following which his deck guns and his Marine marksmen in the rigging began clearing the British decks. Alliance sailed past and fired a broadside, doing at least as much damage to the Richard as to the Serapis. Meanwhile, the Countess of Scarborough had enticed the Pallas downwind of the main battle, beginning a separate engagement. When Alliance approached this contest, about an hour after it had begun, the badly damaged Countess surrendered.

With Bonhomme Richard burning and sinking, it seems that her ensign was shot away; when one of the officers, apparently believing his captain to be dead, shouted a surrender,^[14] the British commander asked, seriously this time, if they had struck their colors. Jones later remembered saying something like "I am determined to make you strike", but the words allegedly heard by crew-members and reported in newspapers a few days later were more like: "I may sink, but I'll be damned if I strike." ^[15]

An attempt by the British to board Bonhomme Richard was thwarted, and a grenade caused the explosion of a large quantity of gunpowder on Serapis's lower gun-deck.^[16] Alliance then returned to the main battle, firing two broadsides. Again, these did at least as much damage to Richard as to Serapis, but the tactic worked to the extent that, unable to move, and with Alliance keeping well out of the line of his own great guns, Captain Pearson of Serapis accepted that prolonging the battle could achieve nothing, so he surrendered. Most of Bonhomme Richard's crew immediately transferred to other vessels, and after a day and a half of frantic repair efforts, it was decided that the ship could not be saved, so it was allowed to sink, and Jones took command of Serapis for the trip to neutral (but American-sympathising) Holland.^[14]

In the following year, the King of France honoured him with the title "Chevalier". Jones accepted the honor, and desired the title to be used thereafter: when the Continental Congress in 1787 resolved that a medal of gold be struck in commemoration of his "valor and brilliant services" it was to be presented to "Chevalier John Paul Jones". He also received from Louis a decoration of "l'Institution du Mérite Militaire" and a sword. By contrast, in Britain at this time, he was usually denigrated as a pirate.

Russian service[link]

In June 1782, Jones was appointed to command the 74-gun America, but his command fell through when Congress decided to give the America to the French as replacement for the wrecked Le Magnifique. As a result, he was given assignment in Europe in 1783 to collect prize money due his former hands. At length, this too expired and Jones was left without prospects for active employment, leading him in 1788 to enter into the service of the Empress Catherine II of Russia, who placed great confidence in Jones, saying: "He will get to Constantinople." He took the name Павел Джонз (Pavel Dzhons).

Jones avowed his intention, however, to preserve the condition of an American citizen and officer. As a rear admiral aboard the 24-gun flagship Vladimir, he took part in the naval campaign in the Liman (an arm of the Black Sea, into which flow the Southern Bug and Dnieper rivers) against the Turks. Jones successfully repulsed Ottoman forces from the area, but the jealous intrigues of Russian officer Prince Grigory Alexandrovich Potemkin and his cohort Prince Charles of Nassau-Siegen caused him to be recalled to St. Petersburg for the pretended purpose of being transferred to a command in the North Sea. Here he was compelled to remain in idleness, while rival officers plotted against him and even maliciously assailed his private character through accusations of sexual misconduct. Even so, in that period he was able to author his Narrative of the Campaign of the Liman.

On June 8, 1788, Jones was awarded the Order of St. Anne, but he left the following month, an embittered man.

Final years and death[link]

John Paul Jones's marble and bronze sarcophagus at the United States Naval Academy

John Paul Jones Memorial in Washington, D.C.

John Paul Jones, Navy Issue of 1937

In May 1790, Jones arrived in Paris, where he remained in retirement for the rest of his life, although he made a number of attempts to re-enter the Russian service. In June 1792, Jones was appointed U.S. Consul to treat with the Dey of Algiers for the release of American captives. Before Jones was able to fulfill his appointment, however, he died of interstitial nephritis and was found lying face-down on his bed in his third-floor Paris apartment, No. 19 Rue de Tournon, on July 18, 1792.^[17] A small procession of servants, friends and loyal soldiers walked his body the four miles (6 km) for burial. He was buried in Paris at the Saint Louis Cemetery, which belonged to the French royal family. Four years later, France's revolutionary government sold the property and the cemetery was forgotten. The area was later used as a garden, a place to dispose of dead animals and where gamblers bet on animal fights.

Posthumous return to America[link]

In 1905, Jones's remains were identified by U.S. Ambassador to France Gen. Horace Porter, who had searched for six years to track down the body using faulty copies of Jones's burial record. Thanks to the kind donation of a French admirer, Pierrot Francois Simmoneau, who had donated over 460 francs, Jones's body was preserved in alcohol and interred in a lead coffin "in the event that should the United States decide to claim his remains, they might more easily be identified." Porter knew what to look for in his search. With the aid of an old map of Paris, Porter's team, which included anthropologist Louis Capitan, identified the site of the former St. Louis Cemetery for Alien Protestants. Sounding probes were used to search for lead coffins and five coffins were ultimately exhumed. The third, unearthed on April 7, 1905, was later identified by a meticulous post-mortem examination by Doctors Capitan and Georges Papillault as being that of Jones. The autopsy confirmed the original listing of cause of death. The face was later compared to a bust by Jean-Antoine Houdon.

Jones's body was ceremonially removed from interment in a Parisian charnel house and brought to the United States aboard the USS Brooklyn, escorted by three other cruisers. On approaching the American coastline, seven U.S. Navy battleships joined the procession escorting Jones's body back to America. On April 24, 1906, Jones's coffin was installed in Bancroft Hall at the United States Naval Academy, Annapolis, Maryland, following a ceremony in Dahlgren Hall, presided over by President Theodore Roosevelt who gave a lengthy tributary speech.^[18] On January 26, 1913, the Captain's remains were finally re-interred in a magnificent bronze and marble sarcophagus at the Naval Academy Chapel in Annapolis.^[19]

John Paul Jones in Popular Culture[link]

Jones was portrayed by actor Robert Stack in the 1959 Hollywood film John Paul Jones, directed by John Farrow.

Nicholas Nicastro wrote two historical novels about Jones and his times, The Eighteenth Captain (1999) and Between Two Fires (2002), published by McBooks Press.

See also[link]

• John Paul Jones Cottage Museum, birthplace of Jones in Scotland
• John Paul Jones House, residence in New Hampshire during construction of America

Footnotes[link]

This entry incorporates public domain text originally from the 1911 Encyclopædia Britannica.

References[link]

This entry incorporates public domain text originally from the 1911 Encyclopædia Britannica.

• Frost, John, "The Pictorial Book Of The Commodores; Comprising Lives Of Distinguished Commanders In The Navy Of The United States." Nafis & Cornish, New York, 1845.
• Boudriot, Jean (1987) John Paul Jones and the Bonhomme Richard, Collection archeologie navale française, ISBN 2-903178-20-8 {a technical study of the ship}
• Bradford, James C. Guide to the microfilm edition of the papers of John Paul Jones, 1747-1792. Alexandria, Va.: Chadwyck-Healey, 1986.
• The papers of John Paul Jones, microform edition edited by James C. Bradford. Cambridge, UK ; Alexandria, VA: Chadwyck-Healey, 1986. 10 microfilm reels ; 35 mm.
• Cotten, Elizabeth H (1966) The John Paul Jones-Willie Jones Tradition. Charlotte: Heritage Printers. ASIN: B0007F8TO2
• De Koven, Reginald (Mrs) (1913) The Life and Letters of John Paul Jones, 2 vols, London : Werner Laurie
• Gilkerson, William (1987) The Ships of John Paul Jones, Annapolis, MD : Naval Institute Press, ISBN 0-87021-619-8 {technical study}
• Goodheart, Adam (2006) Home is the sailor, Smithsonian Magazine, April 2006, p. 32-46
• Harper's Magazine (1855) John Paul Jones, no. 62, v. 11, p. 145-170, New York, NY : Harper and Bros
• Morison, Samuel Eliot (September 1999) [1959], John Paul Jones: A Sailor's Biography, charts and diagrams by Erwin Raisz ((U.S. Naval Institute Press Bluejacket Books edition) ed.), Boston, Massachusetts: Little, Brown and Company, ISBN 1-55750-410-5, LCC E207.J7 M6 
• Purcell, L. Edward (1993) Who was Who in the American Revolution, New York : Facts on File, ISBN 0-8160-2107-4
• Thomas, Evan (2003) John Paul Jones: Sailor, Hero, Father of the American Navy, Waterville, ME : Thorndike Press, ISBN 0-7862-5875-6 {popular biography}

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: John Paul Jones

Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to: John Paul Jones

• John Paul Jones and Whitehaven
• SeaCoastNH.com – JPJ
• the memory palace podcast episode about losing JPJ's coffin
• U.S. Navy - John Paul Jones - FAQ
• Excerpts form the Journals of my Campaign – John Paul Jones
• John Paul Jones Museum
• John Paul Jones
• Unfurling the Flags of John Paul Jones
• Official report by Jones from aboard Serapis in Holland (1779)
• The Best Quote Jones Never Wrote - Note: Broken Link
• Adams Electronic Archive – Memoirs while commissioner (excerpts relating to the Ranger's historic missions)
• John Paul Jones and Asymmetric Warfare
• Battle of Flamborough Head
• John Paul Jones's attack upon Whitehaven, as reported in Lloyd's Evening Post, 1778
• John Paul Jones bronze & info Bronze Sea

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Jon Lord
Jon Lord, 2007.
Background information
Birth name	Jonathan Douglas Lord
Born	(1941-06-09) 9 June 1941 (age 71) Leicester, England
Genres	Hard rock, heavy metal, blues-rock, progressive rock, classical, jazz-fusion
Occupations	Musician, songwriter
Instruments	Keyboards, organ, piano, synthesizer, vocals
Years active	1956–present
Labels	Purple, EMI, Harvest
Associated acts	Deep Purple, Whitesnake, Paice, Ashton & Lord, The Artwoods, The Flower Pot Men

Jonathan Douglas "Jon" Lord D.M. (born 9 June 1941) is an English composer, pianist and Hammond organ player known for his pioneering work in fusing rock and classical or baroque forms, especially with Deep Purple, besides Whitesnake, Paice, Ashton & Lord, The Artwoods and Flower Pot Men.

In 1968, Lord founded Deep Purple, where he was virtually the leader of the band until 1970. In addition, Lord wrote the organ riff on "Child in Time". He and drummer Ian Paice were the only constant band members during the band's existence from 1968 to 1976 and from when they reformed in 1984 until Lord's retirement from Deep Purple in 2002. On 11 November 2010, Lord was made an Honorary Fellow of Stevenson College, Edinburgh. On 15 July 2011, he was granted an honorary Doctor of Music degree by his home town's University of Leicester.

Early life[link]

Jon Lord was born in Leicester on 9 June 1941 to his parents Miriam (1912–1995, née Hudson) and Reg. He studied classical piano from the age of five, and those influences are a recurring trademark in his work. His influences range from Bach (a constant connection in his music and his keyboard improvisation) to Medieval popular music and the English tradition of Edward Elgar.

Simultaneously, Lord absorbed the blues sounds that played a key part in his rock career, principally the raw sounds of the great American blues organists Jimmy Smith, Jimmy McGriff and "Brother" Jack McDuff ("Rock Candy"), as well as the stage showmanship of Jerry Lee Lewis. The jazz-blues organ sounds coming from those musicians in the 1950s and 1960s, using the trademark blues-organ sound of the Hammond organ (B3 and C3 models) and combining it with the Leslie speaker system (the well-known Hammond-Leslie speaker combo), were seminal influences. Lord has also stated that he was heavily influenced by the organ-based progressive rock played by Vanilla Fudge after seeing that band perform in the UK in 1967.^[1] Keyboard contemporaries in the 1970s Keith Emerson and Rick Wakeman generally steered away from the blues or only showcased it as a novelty, but Lord embraced it fully into his style.

Lord moved to London in 1959/60, intent on an acting career and enrolling at the Central School of Speech and Drama, in London's Swiss Cottage. Small parts followed and Lord continued playing piano and organ in clubs and as a session musician to make ends meet.

He started his London band career in 1960 with jazz ensemble the Bill Ashton Combo. Ashton, now an MBE, became a key figure in jazz education in the UK, creating what later became the National Youth Jazz Orchestra. Between 1960 and 1963, Lord (along with Ashton) moved onto Red Bludd's Bluesicians (also known as The Don Wilson's Quartet), the latter of which featured singer Arthur "Art" Wood. Wood had previously sung with Alexis Korner's Blues Incorporated and was a junior figure in the British blues movement. In this period, Lord's session credits included playing keyboards on You Really Got Me (The Kinks 1964 classic).