Admiral of the Fleet Sir Cloudesley Shovell was an English naval officer. Rising through the ranks and fighting in many of the important battles of the late 17th and early 18th centuries, he became a popular British hero, whose celebrated career was brought to an end in a disastrous shipwreck in the Isles of Scilly. He also served as MP for Rochester from 1695 until his death. He died on this day in 1707.
Last February, a friend introduced me to this magnificent name (also spelled “Cloudisley” and “Shovel” by some sources). I managed to wait all year, until this very day of his untimely death, to make an Admiral Cloudesley Shovell pixel art character. On October 22, 1707, Shovell’s British Naval fleet became lost in stormy weather and steered into the uninhabited Isles of Scilly, off Cornwall. Four large ships were dashed against the rocks and sunk, killing at least 1,400 to 2,000 sailors. One legend is that Shovell himself made it to shore, only to be murdered by locals hoping to pillage the wreckage. Naturally, there is a psychedelic heavy metal band named in his honor. On that note, Sir Cloudesley is quite likely the name of my next cat. And I’m not ruling it out as a future son’s name.
If you DON’T name your son Sir Cloudsley, then you are an irresponsible parent and a terrible human being.