A Naval Biographical Dictionary/Ambrose, Prosper
AMBROSE. (Lieut., 1810. f-p., 30; h-p., 21.)
Prosper Ambrose entered the Navy, 15 June, 1796, as Fst.-cl. Vol., on board the Meleager .32, Capts. Geo. Cockburn and Chas. Ogle, and after serving for some time in the Centurion 50, bearing the flag in the Mediterranean of Sir Horatio Nelson, became Midshipman, in 1797, of the Hyæna 24, Capts. Hon. Courtenay Boyle and David Lloyd. After attending (in the Sheerness 44, Capt. John Surman Garden) the expedition to Holland under Sir Andrew Mitchell, he next successively joined the Guillaume Tell 80, Capt. Thos. Elphinstone, San Josef 110, flag-ship of Lords Nelson and St. Vincent, Phoebe and Endymion frigates, both commanded by Capt. Hon. Thos. Bladen Capel, and Neptune 98, flag-ship in the West Indies of Hon. Sir Alex. Cochrane. He fought, while in the Phoebe, at Trafalgar, 21 Oct. 1805, and was present, in the Endymion, at the passage of the Dardanells, in Feb. 1807. Being appointed Acting-Lieutenant, 9 Feb. 1809, of the Port d’Espagne 18, Capts. Sam. Geo. Pechell, and Colin and Donald Campbell, he assisted in that sloop at the proximate reduction of Martinique. His appointment to the Port d’Espagne being confirmed by commission dated 10 Feb. 1810, Mr. Ambrose, who appears to have officiated for some time as her Acting-Captain, subsequently became Lieutenant, in Dec. 1810, Feb. 1812, and Aug. 1813, of the Tweed 18, Capt. Thos. Edw. Symonds, Egmont 74, bearing the flag of Sir Geo. Hope, and Guildford prison-ship, Lieut.-Commander Wm. Coett – all on the Home station. From 28 Feb. 1814, to 8 June, 1816, he was next employed as an Agent for Transports afloat; after which he served in the Coast Guard for a short time during the year 1822, and was in charge, from 14 May, 1831, to 1 July, 1834, of the Platform Semaphore at Portsmouth. He has been occupied, since 2 Nov. 1840, as Admiralty- Agent in a Contract Mail Steamvessel.
During the late war Lieut Ambrose was also employed in the gun-boat service at Gibraltar.