Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Goodall, Samuel Granston
GOODALL, SAMUEL GRANSTON (d. 1801), admiral, was promoted to the rank of lieutenant in the navy in 1756, and on 2 June 1760 to the command of the Hazard sloop, in which he captured a French privateer, the Duc d'Ayen, at anchor on the coast of Norway near Egersund—an alleged breach of Denmark's neutrality, which gave rise to a long and curious correspondence, Goodall defending his action on the grounds that the French ship had made prizes within a league of the shore; that ‘the place was a piratical nest for French rovers, to the obstruction of commerce by the meanest of vessels;’ and that as the king of Denmark had no forts or ensigns there, and exercised no control or protection, the privateer became a just subject of forfeiture. On 13 Jan. 1762, Goodall was posted to the command of the Mercury of 24 guns, in which he joined the flag of Sir George Pocock [q. v.] in the West Indies, and took part in the reduction of Havana. He was afterwards employed in the protection of trade on the coast of Georgia, and returned home in the spring of 1764. In 1769 he commissioned the Winchelsea for service in the Mediterranean, and in the summer of 1770 was sent to protect British interests at Smyrna, where the Turks, by reason of the war with Russia and the recent destruction of their fleet in Chesme Bay [see Elphinston, John], were in a state of great excitement and exasperation. In 1778 he commanded the Defiance of 64 guns, in the action off Ushant on 27 July; and being afterwards moved into the Valiant, served in the Channel fleet through the three following years, and at the relief of Gibraltar in 1781. He afterwards went out with Rodney to the West Indies, and took an honourable part in the actions off Dominica on 9 and 12 April 1782. The Valiant was one of the ships then detached with Sir Samuel Hood to intercept the flying enemy in the Mona passage, and being, by her better sailing, ahead of her consorts, it was to her that both the Caton and Jason struck their flags on 19 April. She returned to England on the peace, and was paid off. For a short time in the summer of 1790 Goodall commanded the Gibraltar; and on 21 Sept. 1790 he was advanced to the rank of rear-admiral. In 1792 he was commander-in-chief in Newfoundland, but returned home in the winter, and in April 1793, with his flag in the Princess Royal, took one of the divisions of the fleet out to the Mediterranean, where, during the occupation of Toulon, he acted as governor of the city. On 12 April 1794 he became a vice-admiral, and after the recall of Lord Hood commanded in the second post under Admiral Hotham, in the actions of 13 March and 13 July 1795, but without any opportunity of special distinction. Towards the close of the year he applied for leave to strike his flag, being disappointed, it was said, at not succeeding to the command of the fleet. He had no further service, but was advanced to the rank of admiral on 14 Feb. 1799. He died at Teignmouth in 1801.
[Charnock's Biog. Nav. vi. 458; Ralfe's Naval Biog. i. 335; Official Letters in the Public Record Office. There are also some interesting notices in Nicolas's Nelson Despatches (see Index).]