A Naval Biographical Dictionary/Poore, William
POORE. (Retired Commander, 1847. f-p.,21; h-p., 26.)
William Poore was born 21 Aug. 1789. He is brother of Lieut. John Poore, R.N.
This officer entered the Navy, 15 Sept. 1800, as Fst.-cl. Vol., on board the Ganges 74, Capts. Thos. Fras. Fremantle and Joseph Baker, in which ship he was employed, until June, 1802, off Brest, in the Baltic (where he fought at the battle of Copenhagen), and in watching the French at St. Domingo. He then returned to England as a Midshipman in La Décade frigate, Capt. Wm. Geo. Rutherford. During the first six years of the war we find him serving in succession on the Channel, Mediterranean, and Cork stations, in the Amphion 32 and Victory 100, both flag-ships of Lord Nelson, Camelion sloop, Capt. Thos. Staines, Victory again, bearing the flag of Lord Nelson, and Eurydice and Druid frigates, both commanded by Sir Wm. Bolton. In the Amphion he was present at the capture of the Orion Dutch Indiaman, the first enemy’s vessel taken after the renewal of hostilities; in the Victory he assisted at the blockade of Toulon; and in the Eurydice he was often in action with gun-boats and batteries. In the Camelion’s boats he partook of much detached service on the coasts of Genoa and France; and on one occasion in particular, 11 Aug. 1805, brought off the ship’s cutter after an unsuccessful attack upon an armed convoy, consisting of seven sail of feluccas, in which the British had their commanding officer and 3 men killed, 1 man wounded, and another taken prisoner. On 2 March, 1809, he was made Lieutenant into the Hindostan 50, armée en flûte, Capt. John Pasco, fitting for a voyage to New South Wales, where he took charge of the Dromedary store-ship when on fire, and personally assisted in extinguishing the flames. His last appointments were – 28 Jan. 1811, as First, to the Rainbow 28, Capts. Jas. Wooldridge and Gardiner Henry Guion, employed in co-operation with the patriots on the coast of Catalonia – 2 Dec. 1812, in a similar capacity (having invalided from the Rainbow in May, 1812), to the Chanticleer 10, Capts. Rich. Spear, Stewart Blacker, John Thomson, Geo. Tupman, and Wm. Henry Dickson, in which vessel he served at the capture of Guadeloupe in 1815, and continued employed until paid off in Aug. 1816 – 29 Oct. 1822, to the command of the Lion, a most active and successful Revenue cruizer – 31 May, 1825, to the Astrea packet, Capt. Wm. King, stationed at Falmouth – and 22 Dec. following, to the Kingfisher, another Falmouth packet, the command of which he was induced from ill health and impaired vision to resign in Dec. 1828. He was admitted to the out-pension of Greenwich Hospital 3 March, 1834; and invested with his present rank 9 April, 1847.
Commander Poore married, 10 Juue, 1817, Marianne, daughter of Rich. Jeffreys, Esq., of Basingstoke, co. Hants, by whom he has issue two sons and one daughter. Agent – John P. Muspratt.