Page:A Naval Biographical Dictionary.djvu/1323

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WILSON—WINDHAM.
1309

Indies and Mediterranean, until presented, in Dec. 1815, with a commission bearing date 23 Feb. in that year. His last appointments were, 18 Nov. 1820 and 13 Feb. 1822, to the Surinam 18 and Tyne 26, Capts. W. M‘K. Godfrey and John Edw. Walcott, again on the West India station; whence he returned in 1823.



WILSON. (Lieutenant, 1843.)

John Wilson (b) entered the Navy 6 Aug. 1831; passed his examination 14 Dec. 1837; and, between 1841 and the date of his promotion to the rank of Lieutenant 22 Feb. 1843, was employed on the Home and Mediterranean stations as Mate in the Excellent gunnery-ship, Capt. Sir Thos. Hastings, Queen 110, bearing the flag of Sir Edw. W. C. K. Owen, and Thunderer 84, Capt. Dan. Pring. He was then nominated Additional of the Queen; and was appointed next – 12 Jan. 1844, in a similar capacity, to the Madagascar 44, Capt. John Foote, on the coast of Africa – 16 April following, to the Star 6, Capt. Robt. John Wallace Dunlop, on the same station – and, 14 Oct. 1845 and 7 July, 1846, to the Retribution steam-frigate, Capt. Stephen Lushington, and Trafalgar 120, Capt. John Neale Nott, both attached to the Channel squadron. He has been on half-pay since the close of the year last mentioned. Agents – Messrs. Chard.



WILSON. (Lieut., 1815. f-p., 10; h-p., 28.)

Orlando Hart Wilson died 3 Jan. 1845, at Aberdeen.

This officer entered the Navy, 1 May, 1807, as Midshipman, on board the Trent frigate, Capt. Walter Grosett, bearing the flag of Vice-Admiral Jas. Hawkins Whitshed at Cork. In the autumn of 1810, after having served for two years in the West Indies and on the coast of France in the Raven sloop, Capt. Jas. Grant, and Lyra 10, Capts. Wm. Bevians, Thos. Southey, and Robt. Bloye, he sailed in the Scipion 74 for the Cape of Good Hope, with the flag of Hon. Sir Robt. Stopford; previously to following whom into the Lion 64 we find him cooperating, as Master’s Mate, in the reduction of Java. From Sept. 1813, until presented, in Aug. 1815, with a commission bearing date 1 March in that year, he was employed chiefly on the South American and Home stations, in the Nisus 38, Capt. Chas. Marsh Schomberg, Warspite 74, Capt. Lord Jas. O’Bryen, Akbar 50, flag-ship (off Flushing) of Rear-Admiral Thos. Byam Martin, and Harrier sloop, Capt. Sir Chas. Thos. Jones. He served afterwards, from 13 Nov. 1841 until the summer of 1843, as an agent for Transports afloat.



WILSON. (Commander, 1843.)

Thomas Wilson entered the Navy 8 Jan. 1828 passed his examination in 1835; obtained his first commission 9 May, 1839; was then appointed to the Excellent gunnery-ship at Portsmouth, Capt. Sir Thos. Hastings; and from 3 Jan. 1840 until paid off in March, 1843, was employed in the Blenheim 72, Capts. Sir Humphrey Fleming Senhouse and Sir Thos. Herbert. He shared in consequence in most of the operations of the China war. At the assault and capture of the forts and batteries at Chuenpee, 7 Jan. 1841, he commanded in person the Blenheim’s seamen.[1] He attained his present rank 20 Sept. 1843; was nominated, 19 Nov. 1846, Second-Captain of the Canopus 84, Capt. Fairfax Moresby, attached to the Channel squadron; and since 4 May, 1848, has been serving in a similar capacity in the Howe 120, Capt. Sir Jas. Stirling, in the Mediterranean.



WILSON. (Lieutenant, 1841.)

William Watts Wilson was born 20 March, 1808, in the New Road, London, and died 29 May, 1845, while serving on the coast of Africa, as under, in the Lily.

This officer entered the Navy, 27 Oct. 1821, as Fst.-cl. Vol., on board the Liffey 50, fitting for the broad pendant of Commodore Chas. Grant, Commander-in-Chief in the East Indies. He was present as Midshipman at Rangoon during the Burmese war, and saw much boat service up the rivers of Ava. In Feb. 1826 he left the Liffey. He was afterwards for many years employed on surveying duty in South America, the North Sea, and West Indies, in the Adventure and Beagle, Capts. Phillip Parker King and Robt. FitzRoy, Fairy 10, Capt. Wm. Hewett, Thunder 6, Capt. Edw. Bamett, and Lark schooner, Lieut.-Commander Thos. Smith (d). While on the South American station be sketched the greater part of the S.W. coast of Terra del Fuego. Having passed his examination so far back as 29 Nov. 1827, he was at length, 30 April, 1841, promoted to the rank of Lieutenant. His last appointments were, 24 Sept. 1841, for nearly six months, to the North Star 26, Capt. Sir Jas. Everard Home, in the East Indies; and, 14 Dec. 1844, to the Lily 16, Capt. Chas. Jas. Franklin Newton, fitting for the coast of Africa, where he died. Agents – Messrs. Stilwell.



WINDHAM. (Commander, 1838. f-p., 18; h-p., 7.)

John Henry Windham, born 22 Oct. 1809, is son (by Anne, daughter of Peter Thellusson, Esq., of Broadsworth, co. York, and sister of the first Lord Rendlesham) of the late Wm. Windham,[2] Esq., Vice-Admiral of the White, of Felbrigg Hall, co. Norfolk, who assumed the name of Windham, in lieu of his patronymic Lukin, on inheriting in 1824 the estates of his uncle the Right Hon. Wm. Windham. He is brother of the present Wm. Howe Windham, Esq., of Felbrigg Hall (a son-in-law of the Marquess of Bristol), who represented the Eastern division of co. Norfolk in 1832, and served as Sheriff in 1842; also of Capt. Chas. and Lieut. Joseph Windham, of the Coldstream and 1st Foot Guards; and of the Countess of Listowel.

This officer entered the Royal Naval College 5 Sept. 1822; and embarked, in Sept. 1824, on board the Orestes 18, Capt. Henry Litchfield; in which vessel and in the Aurora 46, Capt. John Maxwell, Forte 44, Capt. Jeremiah Coghlan, and Challenger 28, Capts. John Hayes and Adolphus FitzClarence, he was for about four years employed as Midshipman on the Channel, Lisbon, and North American stations. He passed his examination 3 Dec. 1828 served next, as Mate and Acting-Lieutenant, in the Ferret 10, Capt. Thos. Hastings, in the Mediterranean; was officially promoted 17 April, 1831; and was appointed afterwards – 1 May, 1832, to the Vernon 50, Capt. Sir Fras. Augustus Collier, an experimental ship – 26 Dec. following, as a Supernumerary-Lieutenant, to the Isis 50, bearing the flag of Rear-Admiral Fred. Warren at the Cape of Good Hope – and, 13 April, 1835 (the Isis had been paid off in the preceding Dec), to the Barham 50, Capt. Armar Lowry Corry, fitting for the Mediterranean, whence an illness that seriously affected his sight compelled him, in Oct. 1837, to invalid. He attained his present rank 28 June, 1838; and served as an Inspecting-Commander in the Coast Guard from 3 July, 1843, until July, 1848. Agents – Messrs. Halford and Co.


  1. Vide Gaz. 1841, p. 1163.
  2. Vice-Admiral Wm. Windham (eldest son of Geo. Wm. Lukin, Dean of Wells) attained the rank of Lieutenant in 1793. He commanded the Hornet sloop in 1795, acquired Post-rank 28 Nov. in the latter year, and served afterwards in the Espion frigate. Standard 64, Thames 32, Doris 36, Thunderer 74, Gibraltar 80, and Mars 74. He was present in the Thames in Sir Jas. Saumarez’ action with the French and Spanish squadrons in the Gut of Gibraltar, 12 and 13 July, 1801; and in the Mars (in which ship he afterwards accompanied the expedition under Admiral Gambier against Copenhagen) he assisted, with a squadron under Sir Samuel Hood, at the capture, off Rochefort, 25 Sept. 1806, of four heavy French frigates – two of which, the Gloire 46, and Infatigable 44, struck to the Mars. He was advanced to flag-rank 4 June, 1814, and became a Vice-Admiral 22 July 1830. He died in 1833.