A Naval Biographical Dictionary/Gray, Francis
GRAY. (Lieut., 1814. f-p., 20; h-p., 24.)
Francis Gray has lost three brothers in the Navy, all of whom had attained the rank of Lieutenant, viz. George, who fell in the Defiance at Copenhagen, 2 April, 1801, aged 26 – Richard, who, after having captured, in command of the Active schooner, a Spanish polacre of very superior force, died, from the effects of a tropical climate, while on his passage home on board La Prompte, in May, 1801, at the age of 18 – and William, who obtained a pension for wounds, and died in 1835.
This officer entered the Navy, in 1803, as Fst.-cl. Boy, on board the Pégase, Lieut.-Commander Edw. Crouch; and on becoming Midshipman, in 1805, of the Orion 74, Capt. Edw. Codrington, officiated as that officer’s sole Aide-de-Camp at the battle of Trafalgar. Continuing to serve in the Orion, under Sir Archibald Collingwood Dickson, until Dec. 1813, he next accompanied the expeditions of 1807 and 1809 to Copenhagen and the Walcheren. He was ordered, after the surrender of the Danish shipping, to assist Lieut. Geo. Hilton in navigating to England the Perlen of 44 guns; and during the siege of Flushing he was arduously employed on board a gun-vessel. On the Orion being paid off, Mr. Gray took a passage from Plymouth in the Fortune hoy, for the purpose of joining the Venerable 74, then fitting at Portsmouth for the flag of Rear-Admiral Philip Chas. Durham, but he was unfortunately wrecked during the voyage, on the Shag-stone, when, out of about 70 persons who were on board, not more than 11 were saved. On that occasion, perceiving that the only chance of escape was in keeping the vessel on the reef, Mr. Gray nobly refused a place in the boat he had assisted in launching, that he might remain on board, and afford to those who were left the benefit of his advice and exertions towards effecting that object. As a reward for this singularly intrepid act of humanity, he was rewarded by being placed first upon Rear-Admiral Durham’s list for promotion. He had previously distingmshed himself in the month of Oct. 1809, in jumping overboard when the Orion was refitting in Portsmouth Harbour, and rescuing the life of a boy named Edw. Simmons, who had fallen overboard, and could not swim. Shortly after joining the Venerable, and when off Madeira, we find Mr. Gray contributing to the capture, on 16 and 20 Jan. 1814, of the French 40-gun frigates Iphigénie and Alcmene – the latter of whom he was among the first to board. On 7 of the following June, having passed Ms examination nearly five years, he was appointed Acting-Lieutenant of the Pique 36, Capt. Hon. Anthony Maitland, to which frigate the Admiralty confirmed him on 26 of the next Aug. The Pique, stationed in the West Indies, being placed out of commission in Aug. 1815, he remained unemployed until 6 June. 1831, when he joined the Ordinary at Chatham. During his continuance in that service, which he did not quit until 1 Oct. 1834, he appears to have been twice deputed to assist Capt. John Marshall in the conduct of the Quarantine Establishment at Standgate Creek. From 11 Jan. 1834 until Nov. 1835, he next had the direction of the Police department of Chatham Dockyard. He then went on half-pay for the purpose of joining the merchant-service, and has not been since officially employed.
Lieut. Gray is married, and has issue two sons and three daughters.