parture of Nelson for Naples, Foote remained attached to the blockading squadron; but the following spring he rejoined Nelson at Palermo, and in March was sent with Captain Troubridge into the Hay of Naples, where, on Troubridge being called away in May, he was left as senior officer [see Troubridge, Sir Thomas; Nelson, Horatio, Viscount]. In this capacity, on 22 June, he, in conjunction with Cardinal Ruffo and the Russian and Turkish admirals, signed the capitulation of the forts Uovo and Nuovo; a capitulation which Nelson, on arriving in the bay two days later, pronounced invalid, and refused to carry into effect. Nelson does not seem to have seriously blamed Foote for his share in the transaction, considering that he had yielded to the false representations of Ruffo, who had received express orders not to admit the rebels to terms; nor, on the other hand, did Foote present any remonstrance against the capitulation being annulled. On the contrary, throughout July, August, and September—in which month he was ordered home—he repeatedly addressed Nelson in terms of gratitude and devotion, which went far beyond the submission required from a junior officer (Nicolas, Nelson Despatches, iii. 517 n., 518). It was not till 1807, after Nelson's death, that he, publicly at least, found out what wicked things had been done in the Bay of Naples in 1799, and published a 'Vindication' of his conduct, which had never been attacked, and a virulent criticism of Lord Nelson's, which he had till then inferentially approved of. The fact was that he had learned from Harrison's 'Life of Nelson' that the great admiral had described the capitulation as 'infamous,' a term correct enough when applied, as Nelson had applied it, to the conduct of Ruffo, but which Nelson's personal bearing towards Foote had clearly shown was not applied to him. That Foote had exceeded his powers was perfectly certain; he had been guilty of an error of judgment and a weakness which Nelson had pointed out and had condoned; Ruffo's treating with armed rebels, contrary to the orders of his sovereign, was on a totally different footing.
On his return to England in the early part of 1800, Foote, still in the Seahorse, was again sent out to the Mediterranean, with Sir Ralph Abercromby [q. v.] and staff as passengers, and in charge of a convoy of store-ships and transports. He was appointed to attend on the king at Weymouth during the summer of 1801, and was then sent to India in charge of convoy. In October 1802 the Seahorse was paid off, and the following year, at the particular desire of the king, who had conceived a strong partiality for him, Foote was appointed to the royal yacht Princess Augusta, in which he remained till promoted to flag rank in August 1812. It is said that he would have much preferred active service, but that, as his attendance seemed grateful to the king in his derangement, he felt that the yacht was his proper sphere of duty. In 1814 he hoisted his flag as second in command at Portsmouth, but struck it at the peace, and had no further service, becoming in due course a vice-admiral in 1821. He was nominated a K.C.B. in 1831, and died at his house in the neighbourhood of Southampton on 23 May 1833. He was twice married: first, to Nina, daughter of Sir Robert Herries, banker; secondly, to Mary, daughter of Vice-admiral Patton; and had issue by both wives.
[Ralfe's Naval Biography, iii. 130; Marshall's Roy. Nav. Biog. i. 558; United Service Journal (1833), pt. ii. p. 379; Gent. Mag. (1833), vol. ciii. pt. ii. p. 180; Foote's Vindication of his Conduct (1807); Nicolas's Despatches and Letters of Lord Nelson, iii. 477.]
FOOTE, MARIA, Countess of Harrington (1797?–1867), actress, was born 24 July 1797(?) at Plymouth. Her father, Samuel T. Foote (1761-1840), who claimed to be a descendant of Samuel Foote [q. v.], sold out of the army, became manager of the Plymouth theatre, and married a Miss Hart. In July 1810 Miss Foote appeared as Juliet at her father's theatre, in which also she played as Susan Ashfield in 'Speed the Plough,' and Emily Worthington in the 'Poor Gentleman.' Foote afterwards took an hotel in Exeter. The experiment not succeeding, his daughter appeared at Covent Garden, 26 May 1814, as Amanthis in the 'Child of Nature' of Mrs. Inchbald. In this part, which specially suited her, she made a great success. Her second appearance was at the same theatre in the same character in the following season, 14 Sept. 1814. On 6 Dec. she was the original Ulrica in 'The King and the Duke, or Which is Which?' attributed to Jameson. On 2 Jan. 1815 she played Miranda in the 'Tempest,' and 17 April 1815 was the original Adela in the 'Fortune of War,' attributed to Kenney. For her benefit, 6 June 1815, she appeared as Statira in 'Alexander the Great,' Betty acting, for that occasion only, Alexander. This was her first appearance in tragedy. Fanny in the 'Clandestine Marriage, Hippolita in an alteration of the 'Tempest,' Lady Percy in 'King Henry IV,' Helena in the 'Midsummer Nights Dream,' and many other parts, chiefly secondary, in old pieces and new,
