A Naval Biographical Dictionary/Wooldridge, Samuel Otway
WOOLDRIDGE. (Lieut., 1837. f-p., 17; h-p., 3.)
Samuel Otway Wooldridge, born 13 Feb. 1814, at Penzance, co. Cornwall, is son of the late Capt. Jas. Wooldridge, R.N., who, for his distinguished conduct in command of the Mediator fire-ship in Lord Coohrane’s celebrated attack upon the French fleet in Aix Roads in April, 1809, was presented by the King with a chain and gold medal (struck expressly for him) valued at 100 guineas, and by the Patriotic Society with a sword worth the same amount.[1] He is a nephew of the late Capt. Wm. Wooldridge, R.N., and of the late Admiral Sam. Hood Linzee; and a godson of the late Admiral Sir Robt. Waller Otway, G.C.B.
This officer entered the Royal Naval College in Feb. 1827; and embarked, in Dec. 1828, as a Volunteer, on board the Pearl 20, Capt. Geo. Chas. Blake. After serving for about two years and a half on the coast of Ireland, part of the time as Midshipman, he joined, in the summer of 1831, the Ariadne 28, Capt. Chas. Phillips; under whom we find him, in 1832, employed in afibrding protection to the white inhabitants during the insurrection of the negroes at Montego Bay, Jamaica. On his return to England in 1833 in the Sparrowhawk 18, Capt. Thos. Maitland, he was received for a few months on board the Endymion 50, Capt. Sir Sam. Roberts; he next, in the summer of 1834, sailed for the Cape of Good Hope as Mate (about 12 months after he had passed his examination) in the Thalia 46, Capt. Robt. Wauchope, flag-ship of the late Sir Patrick Campbell. He was subsequently lent to the Buzzard brigantine, Lieut.-Commander Patrick Campbell. On 22 July, 1836, having been sent in a boat belonging to the latter vessel with only 5 men to reconnoitre the Old Calabar river, he fell in with a steamer and was by her taken in tow. On rounding an island, where the river takes a sudden turn, he found himself unexpectedly nearly alongside a Portuguese slaver, the Joven Carolina of 2 guns and 33 men, laden with a cargo of 422 Africans. Instantly casting off the tow-rope, he most gallantly boarded and, before the crew could recover from their surprise, carried the vessel. Upon an appearance of resistance shortly afterwards manifesting itself, Mr. Wooldridge, with the greatest presence of mind, lowered a boat, placed in it 16 of the crew, and then took it in tow. He ultimately displayed good seamanship and much judgment by the manner in which, circumstanced as we have described, he succeeded in getting the prize over the bar of the river, although too he had never before been there. As a reward for his spirited conduct in this very dashing affair, he not only received an assurance of the sense entertained of it by the Admiralty, but was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant by a commission bearing date 6 Feb. 1837. He was afterwards employed – from 7 Sept. 1837 until the spring of 1842, in the Crocodile 26, Capts. Jas. Polkinghorne and Alex. Milne, Magnificent receiving-ship, Commodore Peter John Douglas, and Comus[2] 18, Capts. Evan Nepean and Geo. Evan Davis, all on the West India station – and, from 1 July, 1843, until 2 Aug. 1844, and again from 11 March, 1845, until 23 June, 1848, in command of the Spy brigantine of 3 guns, on the west coast of Africa and in the Pacific. On leaving the port of Mazatlan in Nov. 1847, he was presented with an address, signed by several foreign consuls and by a long list of merchants, expressive of their gratitude and thanks for “the uniform courtesy, kindness, and assistance they bad invariably received from him,” and for the “prompt manner in which he had acceded to their request of remaining by them to afford protection to their lives and property when in extreme danger.”
At a general court holden at the Royal Humane Society’s Office, in Trafalgar Square, 13 July, 1847, it was resolved unanimously that “the noble courage and humanity displayed by Lieut.-Commander Sam. Otway Wooldridge, R.N., of H.M.B. Spy, in jumping overboard to the relief of a seaman, who had fallen from the topsail-yard off Sheerness on the night of 9 June, 1845, and whose life he saved, called forth the lively admiration of that general court, and justly entitled him to the honorary medallion of the Institution.” We may add, that the man alluded to in falling broke his arm and received other severe contusions; that Lieut. Wooldridge, on perceiving the accident, sprang overboard without waiting to throw off his shoes, or any portion of his dress, the whole of which was of a heavy description; and that, although not possessed of sufficient strength as a swimmer to lay hold of the man, he contrived, by keeping near, to encourage him until the two, together with Mr. Birtwhistle, Mate, who had also leapt into the water to afford assistance, were picked up, in a state of great exhaustion, after having been drifted to some distance by the strong tide which was at the time running. Agents – Holmes and Folkard.