Page:A Naval Biographical Dictionary.djvu/1151

From Wikisource
Jump to navigation Jump to search
This page has been proofread, but needs to be validated.
STUART.
1137

expedition to Lisbon – from June, 1827, until Aug. 1830, in command of the Swallow Revenue-vessel, on the Irish station, where his conduct in rescuing the crew of a French hrig wrecked on the Isle of Man procured him a silver medal from the Royal National Shipwreck Institution – and, from June, 1839, until June, 1844, in charge of the Admiralty Semaphores at Putney and Chelsea. He has filled the appointment, since 13 Feb. 1845, of Admiralty Agent on board a contract mail steam-vessel.

From 1834 until 1838 Lieut. Strugnell was a Stipendiary Magistrate at Trinidad under the Act for the Abolition of Slavery. He married, 17 March, 1821, Miss Emma Bishop, and was left a widower, with nine children, in 1843.



STUART. (Commander, 1846. f-p., 27; h-p., 12.)

James Stuart (a) died in Aug. 1847, at Jersey, aged 68.

This officer entered the Navy, 5 May, 1808, as a Supemumerai-y, on board the San Juan, guard-ship at Gibraltar. From Sept. following until March, 1811, he was employed under the flags of Sir Rich. Strachan, Hon. Robt. Stopford, and Wm. Albany Otway in the Caesar 80; he then went back for a few weeks to the San Juan; and on 30 Aug. 1814, after he had made a voyage to the Pacific in the Standard 64, Capt. Hon. Chas. Elphinstone Fleeming, and had served on the Mediterranean station in the Iphigenia 42, Capts. Fleetwood Broughton Reynolds Pellew and Andrew King, and in the San Juan and Elizabeth under the flag of Rear-Admiral Fleeming, he was nominated Acting-Lieutenant of the Andromeda 24, Capt. Rich. Arthur. While attached, in 1809, to the Caesar, he assisted at the destruction of three French frigates beneath the batteries of Sable d’Olonne; witnessed Lord Cochrane’s celebrated attack upon the French shipping in Aix Roads; and took part in the operations connected with the expedition to the Walcheren. In the Iphigenia he was present at the surrender of Genoa in April, 1814. He was confirmed a Lieutenant of the Andromeda 11 Oct. in that year, but was paid off in Jan. 1816, and was subsequently appointed – 30 Nov. 1826 and 19 Feb. 1830, as Supernumerary, to the Ramillies and Talavera 74’s, Coast-Blockade ships, both commanded by Capt. Hugh Pigot – 16 March, 1831, as Senior, to the Barham 50, also commanded by Capt. Pigot, on particular service – 30 Aug. 1831, to the Coast Guard – 14 Oct. 1833, to the command of the Ranger Revenue-vessel – 12 Oct. 1836, again to the Coast Guard – and, 11 Jan. 1845, a second time to the Ranger. As a reward for long and active service in the Revenue he was promoted, 5 Jan. 1846, to the rank of Commander.



STUART. (Lieut., 1814. f-p., 9; h-p., 32.)

James Stuart (b) was born 13 April, 1788. This officer entered the Navy, 24 Feb. 1806, as Fst.-cl. Vol, on board the Medusa 32, Capt. Hon. Duncombe Pleydell Bouverie, under whom he assisted at the capture of Monte Video and Maldonado, and took part in other operations in the Rio de la Plata. On his return to England in the summer of 1807 he joined the Brunswick 74, Capt. Thos. Graves, part of the force employed in the ensuing expedition to Copenhagen; and he served afterwards, between Dec. of the same year and Dec. 1814, on the Lisbon, Mediterranean, and Home stations, as Midshipman and Master’s Mate, in the Minotaur 74 and Hibernia 120, flag-ships of Sir Chas. Cotton, Nymphe frigate, Capt. Edw. Sneyd Clay, Crocus and Éclair sloops, both commanded by Capt. John Bellamy, Royal Sovereign yacht,[1] Capts. Sir John Poo Beresford and Sir Edw. Berry, and Elizabeth 74, flag-ship of Hon. Chas. Elphinstone Fleeming. While attached to the Hibernia he was lent to the Rapid 14, Lieut.-Commander Henry Baugh; and on 18 May, 1808, he was on board that vessel when she was sunk by the batteries in the river Tagus, in an attempted attack upon two feluccas. His conduct on this and on other occasions exhibited, as we learn from a certificate given to him by Lieut. Baugh, a spirit of great bravery and enterprise. He was afterwards taken in a prize belonging to the Nymphe and carried into North Bergen, where he appears to have been the first prisoner detained since the days of Admiral Wager, in the reign of Charles II. We may here mention that a testimonial bearing the signature of Capt. Clay describes him as being at that time, 1810, “a young man truly deserving promotion.” He was created a Lieutenant of the Zenobia sloop, Capt. Nich. Dobree, three weeks after he had been ordered to act as such, 23 Dec. 1814; was paid off in March, 1815; and has not been since afloat. It may be added that he was frequently, during the war, engaged in cutting out vessels along the coasts of France and Italy.



STUART. (Commander, 1827. f-p., 18; h-p., 28.)

Richard Stuart entered the Navy, 27 Jan. 1801, as A.B., on board the Alecto sloop, Capt. Robt. O’Brien, lying off Lymington. He removed, in the following month, to the Trent 36, Capts. Sir Edw. Hamilton and Chas. Brisbane, employed at first on the coast of France and then in the West Indies, where, and in the Channel, we find him, from April, 1802, until Jan. 1808, employed as Midshipman (a rating he had previously attained) and Master’s Mate in the Goliath 74, Capts. C. Brisbane and Robt. Barton, Penelope 36, Capt. Wm. Robt. Broughton, and Caesar 80, flag-ship of Sir Rich. John Strachan. In the Goliath he witnessed the capture, 28 June, 1803, and 11 and 18 Aug. 1805, of La Mignonne of 16 guns and 80 men. La Faune of 16, and La Torche of 18 guns. He was nominated, 23 Jan. 1808, Acting-Lieutenant of the Cumberland 74, Capt. Hon. Philip Wodehouse, on the Mediterranean station; was confirmed to that ship 14 June, 1809; and was subsequently appointed – 21 Aug. and 26 Dec. 1811, to the Audacious 74 and Castilian 18, Capts. Donald Campbell and David Braimer, employed in the North Sea and Downs and on the coast of Ireland – 12 March, 1814, to the Dauntless 18, Capt. Daniel Barber, whom he accompanied to the coast of North America – 6 Oct. following, to the Centurion 50, commanded at first by Capt. David Scott, as flag-ship on the latter station of Rear-Admiral Edw. Griffith, and next, from 27 March, 1815, until 13 July, 1816, by himself – and, 10 Jan. 1825, to the command of the Starling 10 on the Portsmouth station. On the night of 31 Oct. 1809 Mr. Stuart, then in the Cumberland, served with the boats of a squadron under Lieut. John Tailour at the capture and destruction, after a fearful struggle and a loss to the British of 15 killed and 55 (inclnding himself slightly) wounded,[2] of the French store-ship Lamproie of 16 guns and 116 men, bombards Victoire and Grandeur, and armed xebec Normande, with a convoy of seven merchant-vessels, defended by numerous batteries, in the Bay of Rosas. In the Castilian he contributed, in company with the Rinaldo and Bermuda sloops, to the capture, under the fire of a battery near Boulogne, of the (lately British) brig-of-war Apelles. He was promoted from the Starling to the rank of Commander 12 March, 1827, and has since been on half-pay. Agents – Messrs. Ommanney.



STUART. (Captain, 1841. f-p., 21; h-p., 21.)

Robert Stuart was born in 1792.

This officer entered the Navy, 9 April, 1805, as Fst.-cl. Vol., on board the Thalia 36, Capt. Jas. Walker, with whom, after having served, chiefly in the capacity of Midshipman, on the North Sea, East India, North American, and Guernsey stations, he removed, in Oct. 1807, to the Bedford 74, commanded for some time by Capt. Adam Mackenzie. In that ship he escorted the Royal Family of Portugal in its flight to the Brazils, and was present in 1809, in the attack upon Flushing. On leaving the Bedford, in Dec. 1811, he joined in succes-

  1. Engaged in attendance on the allied sovereigns.
  2. Vide Gaz. 1809, p. 1904.