About Boston Castle

The American Connection

Thomas 3rd Earl Of Effingham
Lord of The Manors of Kimberworth & Rotherham 1746 - 1791

Governor of Jamaica 1790

The American Navy honoured Thomas 3rd Earl of Effingham, whose principles led him to resign his commission rather than fight the American Colonists, by naming the following Naval Fighting ships after him (Source: Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships).

Effingham
A frigate built at Philadelphia in 1776 which Captain John Barry was ordered to command.

When the British took possession of Philadelphia in September 1777, Barry was ordered to take the uncompleted ship up the Delaware River to a place of safety. On 25 October, General George Washington asked for the crew of the Effingham for use in the fleet and two days later the ship was ordered sunk or burned.

Effingham was sunk on 2 November just below Bordentown New Jersey to deny her use to the British. She was burned at the waters edge by the British on their way north from Philadelphia on 9 May 1778.

Effingham
Built in 1944 and transferred to the Navy on 19 July 1944 and commissioned under the command of C H McLaughlin USNR.

Sailing from San Francisco 2 January 1945 Effingham trained at Guadalcanal with the 1st Marines, then staged at Ulithi for the invasion landings on Okinawa on 1 April. For six days she remained off the island, unloading her cargo and fighting off enemy air attacks. At the end of the war, she transported troops to Jinsen, Korea and Taku, China for the reoccupation of those countries. After a further voyage to the far east on ‘Magic Carpet’ duty she was decommissioned on 17 May 1946.

Effingham received one battle star for World War II service.

Boston Castle was built, as a shooting lodge, by Thomas 3rd Earl of Effingham in 1776.

The Earl, being a nobleman with liberal ideals, approved of the American Colonists’ rights for their independence. As deputy Earl Marshall of England and a commissioned officer in the army, the Earl of Effingham was expected to fight for George III against the rebelling American colonists.

Earl of Effingham

When a controversial tax on tea was levied on the colonists by the British, they angrily resisted by dumping 342 chests of tea into the harbour at Griffin’s Wharf. This act. which was known as the Boston Tea Party ultimately triggered off the American war of Independence

Rather than fight in a war which he considered to be unjust, the Earl resigned his commission. In an impassioned speech in the House of Lords, the Earl spoke of the injustice of the proposed taxation to be levied upon tea, stating that Britain had no right to exercise this power.

[Read the full speech]

Old Boston Castle

So strong was his opposition to the events in the Americas that he decided to name his new shooting lodge Boston Castle. The castle was the scene of many parties but “tea that obnoxious beverage” was barred.