A Naval Biographical Dictionary/Moorsom, Constantine Richard

by William Richard O'Byrne

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MOORSOM. (Captain, 1818. f-p., 18; h-p., 25.)

Constantine Richard Moorsom, born 22 Sept. 1792, is son of the late Admiral Sir Robt. Moorsom, K.C.B.,^[1] by Eleanor, daughter of Thos. Scarth, Esq., of Stakesby, near Whitby. One of his brothers, Robert, died in command of the Jasper sloop in 1826; and another was a Captain in the Army.

This officer (whose name had been borne, between Oct. 1804 and Jan. 1806, on the books of the Majestic and Revenge 74’s, both commanded by his father) entered the Royal Naval College 21 July, 1807, and (after having carried off three mathematical prizes, together with the first medal) embarked, 13 Nov. 1809, on board the Revenge, commanded at first by Capt. Hon. Chas. Paget, and subsequently by Capts. John Nash and Chas. Philip Butler Bateman, under whom he served at the defence of Cadiz – latterly as Signal-Mate to Rear-Admiral Hon. Arthur Kaye Legge – until May, 1812. He then returned to England in the Warspite 74, Capt. Hon. Henry Blackwood; and, attaining the rank of Lieutenant on 6 of the ensuing month, was next appointed, 30 July and 19 Oct. 1812, to the St. Alban’s 64, Capt. John Ferris Devonshire (also on the Cadiz station), and Superb 74, Capts. Hon. Chas. Paget and Alex. Gordon. In the latter ship he continued employed in Basque Roads, on the coast of Brazil, and, under the broad pendant of Hon. Henry Hotham, on the coast of North America, until made Commander, 19 July, 1814, into the Gorée sloop, at Bermuda. His succeeding appointments were – 16 June, 1815, to the Terror bomb, in which he returned from Bermuda to England in the following Aug. – 2 July, 1816, to the Fury bomb, part of the force employed at the bombardment of Algiers,^[2] where that vessel, in the course of nine hours, threw 318 shells, nearly double the number ejected by any other of her class^[3] – and, 4 Oct. and 15 Nov. 1816, to the Britomart 10, and Prometheus 22, both on the Home station, where he served until paid off in Aug. 1818. He was advanced to Post-rank 7 Dec. following; and was afterwards nominated Captain – 2 April, 1822, and 29 Dec. 1824, of the Ariadne 28, and Andromache 42, attached to the squadron at the Cape of Good Hope – and, 19 Dec. 1825, of the Prince Regent 120, bearing his father’s flag at Chatham. The Ariadne, originally built as a corvette, had been raised, when commissioned by Capt. Moorsom, by the addition of a quarter-deck and 6 more guns, after the fashion of the Valorous, a ship which had not however been found to answer. By a different method of stowage, and with only 75 tons of ballast instead of the established proportion, 120 tons, Capt. Moorsom succeeded in making the Ariadne sail as fast, work as well, and prove as good a seaboat as could possibly be expected. He took command of the Andromache on the death of Commodore Joseph Nourse, and, hoisting a broad pendant, continued in personal discharge of the duties of Commodore, until the arrival at the Cape of Good Hope of the present Rear-Admiral Christian, when he returned to England and paid the Andromache off. Since 1827, in the summer of which year the Prince Regent was put out of commission, Capt. Moorsom has not been afloat.

He married, 12 March, 1822, Mary, daughter of Jacob Maude, Esq., of Silaby Hall, co. Durham, by whom he has issue five sons and three daughters. Agents – Case and Loudonsack.

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1. Sir Robert Moorsom was born in June, 1760, and embarked, in 1777, on board the Ardent 64, commanded by the late Lord Mulgrave. Removing with the same officer to the Courageux 74, he was afforded an opportunity of participating, as Midshipman, in the battle off Ushant, under Admiral Keppel; the relief of Gibraltar, under Admiral Darby, and also under Lord Howe; and the action off Cape Spertel, and the capture, by Admiral Kemperfelt, of part of a convoy going to the West Indies with Admiral de Guichen. Attaining Post-rank in 1790, he commanded, during the war of 1793, the Niger and Astrea frigates, and Hindostan 50; and during that of 1803, the Majestic and Revenge 74’s. In the latter ship he served at the battle of Trafalgar 21 Oct. 1805. In the course of 1809 he was successively appointed a Colonel of Marines, a Lord of the Admiralty, and Master-General of the Ordnance. He became a Rear-Admiral in 1810, a Vice-Admiral in 1814, a K.C.B. in 1815, and a full Admiral in 1830. He commanded in chief at Chatham from 1824 to 1827; and died about April, 1835.
2. Vide Gaz. 1816, p. 1792.
3. An inquiry into the cause of the difference was set on foot by the Admiralty, and the result was, the adoption of an entirely new description of bomb-vessel, founded on the plan acted upon by Capt. Moorsom.