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 the ‘Chronologia Saxonica,’ based on two manuscripts, of which one belonging to Sir Thomas Cotton has since, with the exception of a few pages, been destroyed; the pages that remain and are now in the British Museum show that Wheelocke was an accurate editor. Anglo-Saxon scholars speak less warmly of his work as a translator. This work was dedicated to Sir Thomas Adams (Sir Henry Spelman being then deceased), and was reissued in 1644, with a reprint of Lambarde's ‘Archaionomia’ and other matter. Wheelocke professes to have derived his knowledge of Anglo-Saxon mainly from the letters and published writings of Spelman, who also suggested several tasks to Wheelocke, among them a complete dictionary of Anglo-Saxon, which Wheelocke commenced, but never finished. And indeed Wheelocke's high standard of accuracy, together with the variety of the subjects which he pursued, seems to have hindered him from production.

He suffered from ill health at many periods of his life, and also, as has been seen, from pecuniary anxiety. He died apparently in London in September 1653, leaving five children. His funeral sermon, preached at St. Botolph's, Aldersgate Street, on 25 Sept. by William Sclater [see under, (1575–1626)], was published in 1654.

 WHELER. [See also .]

WHELER, FRANCIS (1656?–1694), admiral, born about 1656, was the younger son of Sir Charles Wheler (d. 1683), second baronet, by Dorothy, daughter of Sir Francis Bindloss, and great-grandson of the sister of Sir Sackvill Trevor [q. v.] and Sir Thomas Trevor [q. v.] His elder brother, Sir William, third baronet, was born in 1654.

In April 1678 Francis was appointed second lieutenant of the Rupert by Vice-admiral Arthur Herbert (Earl of Torrington) [q. v.] in the Mediterranean; he was afterwards with Sir John Narbrough [q. v.] in the same ship, and again with Herbert in the Bristol, from which he was promoted on 11 Sept. 1680 to be captain of the Nonsuch, and in her, on 8 April 1681, he captured a powerful Algerine corsair [see, (1653–1702)]. In August 1681 he was moved into the Kingfisher, in which in October he captured another corsair, after an obstinate defence. In August 1683 he was appointed to the Tiger, which he seems to have commanded till 1688, when he was moved into the Centurion and afterwards into the Kent. At this time, too, he was knighted by King James. If other influences were wanting, his old friendship for Herbert probably led him to accept the Revolution without difficulty. In April 1689 he was appointed to the Rupert, in which he sailed to join Herbert, whom he met coming back from the indecisive action near Bantry Bay. On the way he had made prize of a large and rich French West Indiaman. In July he was sent by Torrington with a small squadron to keep a watch on Brest, off which he captured several vessels laden with military stores for Ireland, and one with despatches. In 1690 he commanded the 90-gun ship Albemarle in the battle of Beachy Head, and in 1692 in the battle of Barfleur.

In October 1692 he was made rear-admiral of the blue and appointed to command a squadron sent to the West Indies, with an order to wear the union flag at the main as soon as he was clear of the Soundings. He sailed from Portsmouth early in January 1692–3, and on 1 March arrived at Barbados, where, in consultation with the land officers, it was resolved to attack Martinique. But nothing had been prepared beforehand; even eight hundred men of the local militia, who were to be added to the regular troops, had not been raised, nor had Colonel Codrington, the captain-general of the Leeward Islands, been called on for his co-operation. It was thus 30 March before the expedition sailed from Barbados, and 1 April when they landed in Martinique, still without Codrington and his reinforcements. Including the eight hundred Barbados militia, the land force numbered 2,300 men, to which Wheler added fifteen hundred seamen under his personal command. On the 9th they were joined by Codrington; but even then the force proved quite inadequate for the purpose, and after several desultory attacks and the loss of about a thousand men by sickness, it was resolved to abandon the attempt. The troops were re-embarked and taken to Dominica to recruit their health. Codrington then proposed an attack on Guadeloupe, but to this Wheler could not consent, as his orders were to leave the West Indies by the end of May at latest. It is probable too that, with newly raised and sickly troops, he thought good success at Guadeloupe as unlikely as at Martinique. In the end of May he sailed for Boston, where he arrived on 12 June. He proposed to Sir William William