Admiral Russell is best remembered for his command of a squadron in the North Sea when he took possession of Heligoland after Denmark came into the war on the side of the French in 1809.

There is controversy surrounding the event in that the capture happened towards the end of the American Revolution and the British officers claimed that the French were flying false colours and a distress flag during the action.

On the death of his father when he was five years old, he is said to have inherited a large fortune, which, by the carelessness or dishonesty of his trustees, disappeared before he was fourteen.

[2] After a short period in the Merchant Navy[3] Russell first appears on the ship's muster of HMS Cornwall guardship at Plymouth in 1766.

He served as an able seaman for three years until his promotion to midshipman in 1769 aboard the cutter Hunter employed on "preventive service" in the North Sea.

[3] Russell was promoted master's mate aboard HMS Terrible, guardship at Portsmouth under Captain Mariot Arbuthnot.

"[3] In 1776 he was serving on the coast of North America, and on 2 June was promoted by Rear-Admiral Molyneux Shuldham to be lieutenant of the sloop Albany, from which he was moved to his first command, the 12-gun brig HMS Diligent.

[6] Briefly Russell was placed in command of Drake's Island lying in Plymouth Sound as a reward for his services on Jersey.

The French ship had been engaged three weeks previously with the 32-gun British frigate HMS Magicienne under Captain Thomas Graves.

Russell took the sword and reportedly said: "Sir, I must humbly beg leave to decline any compliments to this ship, her officers, or company, as I cannot return them.

And now, Sir, you will please observe, that lest this sword should ever defile the hand of any honest French or English officer, I here, in the most formal and public manner, break it.

[11] When Russell brought the prize into New York City he reported the circumstance, and his officers swore an affidavit in support of their captain.

The Treaty of Paris was then on the point of being concluded, and in consequence the Admiralty Board and British government thought the affair would cause undue scandal and kept the official account from the general public and did not publish Russell's letter.

"[12] On the declaration of peace, Hussar returned to England for decommissioning, and Russell was offered a knighthood, which he refused, as his income would not have been enough to support the title.

[13] Russell was informed that Kregarou had been tried and acquitted of the loss of his ship and the breach of internationally recognised laws and applied to the Admiralty for permission to travel to France.

During his time on the station, Russell made an impact, first with the inhabitants of Jamaica who highly praised his conduct[14] and secondly with the Spanish Governor in Havana, Cuba, Luis de Las Casas.

At a dinner held in his honour, he learned that a British officer, Lieutenant John Perkins, was imprisoned at Jérémie, on a charge of having supplied the revolting army with arms.

They agreed that Nowell's first lieutenant, an officer named Godby, would go ashore and recover Perkins whilst the two ships remained offshore within cannon shot, ready to land an invasion force if need be.

[3] He had one daughter and heir, Lucinda Russell born 18 April 1789, presumably from a previous marriage, who married Captain George Patey.