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A Naval Biographical Dictionary/Browne, William Cheselden

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1641932A Naval Biographical Dictionary — Browne, William CheseldenWilliam Richard O'Byrne

BROWNE. (Commander, 1832. f-p., 21; h-p., 10.)

William Cheselden Browne,[1] whose ancestors were High Sheriffs of Leicestershire as far back as the reign of Henry VII., is second son of the late Suffield Brown, Esq., of Leesthorpe Hall, in that co.; nephew of the late Rear-Admiral Wm. Brown; and first-cousin of Commander C. F. Brown, R.N.

This officer entered the Navy, in 1816, as Midshipman, on board the Minden 74, Capt. Wm. Paterson, and, on 27 Aug. in the same year, was at the battle of Algiers. He next, in 1819, joined the Carron 20, Capt. John Furneaux, under whom he was wrecked in the Bay of Bengal on the night of 5 July, 1820, and, in 1821, the Euryalus 42, Capt. Augustus Wm. Jas. Clifford, attached to the force in the Mediterranean. He passed his examination 22 July, 1824; proceeded subsequently to the West Indies in the Pyramus 42, Capt. Robt. Gambler; and, after serving for some time as Flag-Mate to Sir Edw. Codrington in the Asia 84, again on the Mediterranean station, was advanced to the rank of Lieutenant 9 Oct. 1827. His succeeding appointments were, to the Talbot 26, Capt. Hon. Fred. Spencer – Pelican 18, Capt. Wm. Alex. Baillie Hamilton, in which we find him actively engaged at the destruction of several piratical vessels in the harbour of Carabusa – Warspite 76, as Flag-Lieutenant to Sir Edw. Codrington, with whom he returned home – Undaunted 46, Capt. A. W. J. Clifford, in the Channel – Alfred 50, Capt. Robt. Maunsell, in the Mediterranean – and Melville 74, as Flag-Lieutenant to Sir John Gore in the East Indies, where he was promoted, 13 June, 1832, to a death vacancy in the Comet 18, which sloop, however, he never joined. He returned to England in the early part of 1833, and since 15 July, 1842, has been in the Coast Guard.

Commander Browne married, 24 March, 1836, Susannah Inman, second daughter of the late Vice-Admiral Sam. Hood Linzee, and has issue two children. Agent – J. Hinxman.


  1. this officer’s name is, properly, Brown.