A Naval Biographical Dictionary/Widdrington, Samuel Edward
WIDDRINGTON. (Commander, 1824.)
Samuel Edward Widdrington entered the Navy 31 Dec. 1802, and served – until made Lieutenant into the Fame 74 – in the Ambuscade and Seine frigates, and Glory 98, Ocean 98, and Ville de Paris 110. At first he was in constant action with the enemy’s batteries and flotilla in the neighbourhood of Boulogne. He was also most actively employed in the West Indies; where, in June, 1805, while cruizing in the Seine’s barge under Lieut. (of Marines) Thos. Bland, he obtained mention for his conduct at the capture of a large felucca, the Concepcion, from Puerto Rico bound to Cadiz, laden with a cargo of cocoa and cochineal, and armed with 2 long 4-pounders and 14 men, 5 of whom were severely wounded, without, however, any loss to the British. He aided in making prize of many other vessels, and saw much boat-service on the coasts of Cayenne and Surinam. On leaving the Fame, in which ship he had been also actively employed, he joined, in 1810, the Resistance frigate. In her he assisted at the capture and destruction, on the coast of Tuscany, of a depôt of timber for the arsenal at Toulon. When First of the Swallow he united, 5 Oct. 1813, in an attack made by that vessel and the Edinburgh 74, Impérieuse 38, and Éclair and Pylades sloops, on the defences of Port d’Anzo, where a convoy of 29 sail fell into the hands of the British. On that occasion, after the fire of a tower, opposed to the Swallow, had been silenced, he landed and blew it up. In 1824 he was in attendance, with a division of boats under his orders, upon Don John of Portugal when that monarch sought refuge on board the Windsor Castle.
Commander Widdrington is the author of two works on Spain and of several minor contributions on scientific subjects. He is a Fellow of the Royal and Geographical Societies.