BY GRAHAM CAPEL
The Island of Minorca (note spelling) was a British possession for over 70 years during three different periods, throughout most of the 18th century.
1708-1756 BRITISH OCCUPATION
Great Britain captured the island of Minorca on 30th September 1708. General Stanhope sent a message to Queen Anne: ‘Her Majesty is now in possession of the two best ports in the Mediterranean, Mahon and Fornells’. In recognition, General Stanhope was created Lord Mahon which the Stanhope family still hold today. Britain’s ownership of Minorca was confirmed at the Treaty of Utrecht in 1713, when we also gained Gibraltar which we have kept ever since!
In 1711 the British Navy began construction of a Naval Hospital on the Isla del Rey in the centre of Port Mahon harbour. British Governor Richard Kane was generally popular in Minorca. He modernised agriculture on the island and introduced cattle. In 1720 he completed construction of the first proper road from the ancient capital, Ciutadella to Mahon, and in 1721 the capital moved to Mahon. There is a memorial to Governor Kane on the road leading out of Mahon to Fornells, and he has a memorial plaque in Westminster Abbey.
Between 1710 and 1726 the Castle of San Felipe at the harbour entrance was vastly expanded by the British. Fort Marlborough was added with its underground fortifications which you can visit in the delightful tranquil cove of San Esteban (Saint Stephen).
1756-1763 FRENCH OCCUPATION
On Sunday 17th April 1756, 12,000 French troops landed at Santandria in the West of the island. They marched the length of the island on Kane’s Road to besiege the British in Fort San Felipe. Admiral Byng was sent from England to prevent the invasion but arrived too late and with inadequate troops to attempt a landing. On 20th May 1756 the Battle of Minorca took place just outside the harbour of Port Mahon. You can see the location from the rooftop bar of the Hamilton Hotel or the restaurant on the point in Calas Fonts. After four hours of battle between equal numbers of ships on each side, both sides withdrew. News by the French claiming victory reached Paris and London first. The loss of Minorca caused an uproar in England. Admiral Byng was made the scapegoat. He was relieved of his command and court martialled for ‘failing to do his utmost to take, seize and destroy the ships of the enemy’. A cartoon of the time shows the British Lion losing its paw (Minorca). Admiral Byng was condemned to be shot by firing squad on the deck of HMS Monarch in Portsmouth harbour in March 1757. As Voltaire quoted in Candida – ‘to encourage the others’ – and it did!
The French General Richelieu held a victory feast to celebrate. It is said that his French chef needed to make a sauce but there was no cream to be found so he substituted it with olive oil. It was so well received that it was named Mahonaise after its birthplace. The mayonnaise which we still have today! An alternate Spanish version of history tells us that the French chef learned the recipe from the locals of Menorca but either way this is how it got its name.
1763-1780 RETURN TO BRITISH RULE
In 1763, at the end of the Seven Years War, Minorca was returned to Britain. There was a lot of poverty on the island and, in 1768, 110 Menorcan families under Padre Camps of Mercadal left and settled in St Augustine, Florida. There is a monument to their emigration on top of Monte Toro in the centre of the island, and there are many Menorcan names in the St Augustine community of today.
During their second occupation of the island, the British built a new military barracks town, which they called Georgetown, after King George III. This was a short distance from the walls of the ancient Fort San Felipe. This is Es Castell of today with the red painted barracks still surrounding the British Parade Square. Red painted buildings signify historic and largely exmilitary buildings. The Military Governor’s headquarters on the North side is now the Es Castell Town Hall. The town was designed by engineer Colonel Patrick MacKeller on a traditional grid pattern and was completed in 1771. It housed up to 4000 soldiers which were part of up to 18000 British troops garrisoned on the island.
In 1776 the British Naval Hospital on the Isla del Rey was expanded into the 1200 bed structure which you see today.
The sailors being treated there called it ‘bloody island’. You can visit the Isla del Rey (Kings Island from when King Alfonso landed there in 1287) and see the restoration of this British Naval Hospital by local volunteers. Take the Yellow Catamaran in the harbour and see the Hauser & Wirth art gallery as well.
During this period of British occupation of the island, much building took place in Mahon and in other inland towns. The British Georgian influence can still be seen with many ‘Bay’ and ‘Bow’ windows (‘Boinders’ in Menorcan) and balconies. Other British words have crept into the local Menorcan dialect: – ‘torni screw’ for a screwdriver, and ‘grevi’ for gravy is still in use! With all the British military troops on the island there was a demand for their favourite drink, gin. At first it was imported but it was not long before gin was being distilled on the island. The local Xoriguer Gin of today has much the same distinctive flavour as when it was created. Do try some. There is a ’Gin Factory’ at the far end of the port with free samples. With cloudy lemonade it is the local ‘fiesta’ drink called Pomada (which also means ointment), unless you are in Ciutadella where it is called gin amb llimonada.
1781-1798 Spanish Rule
After 19 years of British occupation, in 1781 the island was invaded by a Spanish force commanded by the French Duke de Crillon. After a 5-month siege of Fort San Felipe, the British were starved into surrender and the Duke de Crillon was made Duke of Mahon. In the first year of the new Spanish rule, Fort San Felipe was demolished leaving the ruins you can see today. It would be nice to see it rebuilt to its former glory one day.
1798-1802 THIRD BRITISH OCCUPATION
This time Great Britain wanted Minorca as a base from which to blockade the French fleet in Toulon during the Napoleonic wars. In November 1798 Commodore Duckworth brought a British Squadron with 20 transport ships of British soldiers under General Stuart. They landed at Addaya and Mesquida on the north coast to capture the island.
In October 1799, Vice Admiral Lord Horatio Nelson visited Minorca to ask the British Military Commander, General Erskine, for troops to relieve Malta which had been captured by Napoleon Bonaparte on his way to conquer Egypt in 1798. Nelson was not successful and left after 5 days in Port Mahon, as it was then known, to return to Lady Hamilton in Palermo. His ship, HMS Foudroyant, would have moored just off the Isla del Rey opposite the magnificent house on the top of the North hills of the harbour. This is San Antoni, and its golden fields of wheat went right down to the harbour edge. This was taken as a marker for visiting ships to drop anchor. It earned the name of Golden Farm which it still has today.
1802-1810 RETURN TO SPANISH RULE
Under the Treaty of Amiens on 25th March 1802 Minorca was handed back to Spain. There has always been a rumour that the British planned to keep it, as they did with Malta which was also supposed to have been returned? Instead, the British now enjoy the island as tourists and residents and were instrumental in a lot of its tourist development in the 1960-70s. There are still many ‘Brits’ living here today and there is even a cricket ground the MCC – Menorca Cricket Club.
After the island was returned to Spain, the Napoleonic wars continued with France controlling the Spanish peninsular. The Balearic Islands were not involved and the British, who were still blockading the French in Toulon, used Port Mahon for reprovisioning and repair of their ships. After the Battle of Trafalgar, in October 1805 when Nelson was killed, the British Mediterranean Fleet was commanded by Nelson’s friend and his second in command at Trafalgar, Admiral Lord Cuthbert Collingwood.
In February 1810, after 5 years of patrolling the seas, Admiral Collingwood became very ill. He had not been granted any home leave to see his family in Northumberland since before the Battle of Trafalgar. He was taken ashore to the colonial style house ‘El Fonduco’ overlooking the harbour. It was too rough to sail, but on 9th March 1810 HMS Ville de Paris did eventually set sail with Collingwood on board. Sadly, he died just outside Mahon harbour the following day.
He is buried alongside Nelson in the crypt of St Paul’s Cathedral in London. Collingwood House is now The Hotel Almirante – containing many items of Collingwood memorabilia. It is a superb example of colonial style architecture and well worth a gin and tonic on the front terrace looking down the Palm Tree lined drive. Collingwood had a large room overlooking the harbour, now Rooms 7 and 8. You can stay there but be beware of his ghost – in either room! Also, read about his dog ‘Bounce’ who was his closest companion at sea for many years. There is a bust of Collingwood on the Isla del Rey looking across to Fonduco.
