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A Naval Biographical Dictionary/Sison, Samuel

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1944177A Naval Biographical Dictionary — Sison, SamuelWilliam Richard O'Byrne

SISON. (Retired Commander, 1844. f-p., 16; h-p., 34.)

Samuel Sison entered the Navy, 11 Sept. 1797, as Fst.-cl. Vol., on board the Flora frigate, Capt. Robt. Gambier Middleton, with whom he sailed for Lisbon. From 9 Feb. 1798 until 27 March, 180O, he served off Cadiz and at Gillingham Reach, the chief part of the time as Midshipman, in the Blenheim and Princess Royal 98’s, bearing each the flag of Rear-Admiral Thos. Lennox Frederick, and Argonaut hospital-ship, Lieut.-Commander Paul. He next, 10 June, 1803, joined the Colossus 74, Capts. Geo. Martin, Michael Seymour, and Jas. Nicoll Morris, employed off Brest and Ferrol; and on removing, in 1804, to the Lively 38, Capt. Graham Eden Hamond, he assisted, 5 Oct. in that year, at the capture, off Cape St. Mary, of three Spanish frigates laden with treasure, and the destruction of a fourth. In the course of 1805 we find the Lively, who on the latter occasion had had 2 men killed and 5 wounded, sustaining a self-sought and very spirited skirmish with the Spanish 74-gun ship Glorioso. On leaving her Mr. Sison was received as Master’s Mate, in May, 1806, on board the San Josef 110, bearing the flag of Sir Chas. Cotton off Brest. He was made Lieutenant (while serving at Newfoundland in the Isis 50, flag-ship of Vice-Admiral John Holloway) into the Avenger 20, Capt. Thos. White, 20 Aug. 1807; and was subsequently appointed – 13 Jan. 1808, to the Hibernia 120, bearing the flags of Admirals Sir Chas. Cotton and Fras. Pickmore off Lisbon and in the Mediterranean – in 1809, to the Volontaire 38, Capt. Chas. Bullen, also in the Mediterranean – 17 Nov. 1810 and 22 Sept. 1812, to the San Josef again, flag-ship of Sir C. Cotton, and Fylla 20, Capt. Henry Prescott, both on the Home station – 14 May, 1813, to the Akbar 50, Capt. Sir Archibald Collingwood Dickson, on the coast of Brazil – 6 Oct. and 20 Nov. 1814, to the Queen 98, bearing the flag of Rear-Admiral Chas. Vinicombe Penrose, and Tremendous 74, Capt. Robt. Campbell, again in the Mediterranean, where he had charge, from May, 1815, until Jan. 1816, of some Neapolitan line-of-battle ships – 16 Jan. and 1 March, 1816, to the acting-command of the Trident 64, receiving-ship at Malta, and Calypso sloop, which latter vessel he brought home and paid off at Chatham 10 July following – and, 25 Aug. 1827, to the command, which he retained until 3 April, 1829, of the Myrtle Falmouth packet. On the night of 31 Oct. 1809 Mr. Sison, then in the Volontaire, Served with the boats of a squadron under the orders of Lieut. John Tailour at the capture and destruction of the French armed store-ship Lamproie of 16 guns and 116 men, bombards Victoire and Grandeur armed xebec Normande, and seven merchant-vessels, defended by numerous strong batteries, in the Bay of Rosas, after a desperate struggle and a loss to the British of 15 killed and 55 wounded.[1] He accepted his present rank 11 Jan. 1844.

The Commander is married and has issue.


  1. Vide Gaz. 1808, p. 1908.