Lord Gambier, he served in the launch belonging to that ship at the bombardment of Fort Matagorda, during the siege of Cadiz, and aided, in the course of the same year, in cutting out a convoy near Rochelle. After he had been for 10 months attached to the Christian VII. 80 and Impregnable 98, flag-ships of Admiral Wm. Young in the North Sea, he was made Lieutenant, 26 Feb. 1812, into the Prometheus sloop. That vessel having sailed for the West Indies before he could join, he was next, 18 Aug. in the same year, appointed to the Diomede troop-ship, Capts. Chas. Montagu Fabian and Sam. Malbon. In her, having first visited the coasts of Spain and Portugal, and served in the Chesapeake and on the coast of North America, he proceeded to the West Indies, where, in Nov. 1814, he followed Capt. Malbon, as First-Lieutenant, into the Peruvian 16, commanded afterwards by Capt. Jas. Kearney White at the Cape of Good Hope. His last appointments were – 8 April, 1826, to the Gloucester 74, Capt. Joshua Sydney Horton, employed on particular service – and, in March, 1827, to the command of the Nightingale 8, on the Plymouth station. He attained his present rank 30 Aug. 1828.
Commander Smith married, in 1815, Miss White, of Bingham Town, near Gosport, co. Southampton. Agent – J. Chippendale.
SMITH. (Lieutenant, 1827.)
Edward Garrow Smith passed his examination in 1817; obtained his commission 11 Oct. 1827; and, since 3 June, 1833, has been employed in the Coast Guard. On the occasion of the wreck of H.M. brig Skylark off the Isle of Wight, 25 April, 1845, he rendered, at great personal risk, all the assistance that gallantry and humanity could suggest.
SMITH. (Lieutenant, 1820. f-p., 13; h-p., 23.)
Frederick Abraham Smith, born 7 Dec. 1797, is second son of the Rev. Geo. Smith, Vicar of Ottery St. Mary, Devon, and a Magistrate for that co. This officer entered the Navy, 8 Feb. 1811, as Fst.-cl. Vol., on board the Edinburgh 74, Capt. Robt. Rolles, with whom he continued to serve in the Mediterranean in the Union 98, the last four months in the capacity of Midshipman, until transferred, in July, 1814, to the Valiant 74, Capt. Zachary Mudge. While attached to the Edinburgh he assisted in cutting out some vessels near Toulon, took part in the siege of Tarragona, and witnessed the fall of Genoa. On his return in the Valiant from a visit to the coast of Brazil, he joined, in July, 1815, the Albion 74, Capts. Philip Somerville and Jas. Walker, stationed in the Channel; and next, in the course of the same and of the following year, the St. George 98, Impregnable 104, Berwick 74, and Impregnable again, flag-ships of Sir John Thos. Duckworth and Lord Exmouth at Plymouth, where he was for some time employed in the Quail Revenue-tender. After serving for nearly 18 months on the coast of Africa as Master’s Mate in the Tartar 42, bearing the broad pendant of Sir Geo. Ralph Collier, he was there, 18 Jan. 1820, nominated Acting-Lieutenant of the Myrmidon 20, Capt. Henry John Leeke, to which ship he was confirmed 10 April ensuing. In the Tartar he aided in taking several slave-vessels; and while in command of the Augusta, a tender belonging to the Myrmidon, he effected other captures. In an attack made by him, 20 May, 1820, on some slave-towns in the Rio Pongo, Mr. Smith had the misfortune to lose the sight of an eye. He was in consequence reduced, in Feb. 1821, to the necessity of invaliding. His next appointments were, 30 April, 1827, and 17 Sept. 1829, to the Britannia 120, flagship of the Earl of Northesk, and Kent 78, Capt. John Ferris Devonshire, both on the Plymouth station. Severe and repeated inflammation of the eye obliged him a second time, in 1830, to seek half-pay; and he has not been since afloat. He was granted, 5 Jan. 1831, a pension of 91l. 5s. per annum.
He married, 16 June, 1840, Dorothea Louisa, widow of Wm. Carew Hunt, Esq.
SMITH. (Lieutenant, 1846.)
Frederick Wetherall Smith passed his examination 11 July, 1842; served from the close of that year until the commencement of 1845 in the Excellent gunnery-ship at Portsmouth, Capt. Sir Thos. Hastings; then joined the Superb 80, Capt. Armar Lowry Corry; and, on 26 June, 1846, at which period he had been for upwards of four months employed in the Terrible steam-frigate, of 800-horse power, Capt. Wm. Ramsay, was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant. In March, 1847, he was re-appointed, for a few months, to the Excellent, then commanded by Capt. Henry Ducie Chads.
SMITH. (Captain, 1832.)
George Smith entered the Navy, 16 Sept. 1808, as Fst.-cl. Vol., on board the Princess Caroline 74, Capts. Chas. Dudley Pater and Hugh Downman; in which ship he served in the North Sea, Baltic, and Channel, witnessed the destruction of the French 40-gun frigate Amazone, near Cape Barfleur, 25 March, 1811, and escorted a fleet of Indiamen to Madeira. Removing, in Feb. 1813 (he had attained the rating of Midshipman), to the Undaunted 38, Capt. Thos. Ussher, he took part in the boats of the frigate and a small squadron in a very gallant attack made, 18 Aug. 1813, on the batteries at Cassis, where, after sustaining a loss of 4 men killed and 16 wounded, the British, in four hours, succeeded in capturing three heavy gun-boats and 24 vessels laden with merchandize. He was again, 9 Nov. following, in the boats at the taking of a vigorously defended tower at Port Nouvelle, and the destruction of seven French vessels, lying there under the protection of several batteries; and, in April, 1814, he shared in the honour of conveying Napoleon Buonaparte from Frejus to Elba. Previously to the latter event he had aided, on different occasions, in cutting out a Greek ship and a brig from under the batteries of Marseilles. He left the Undaunted in July, 1814; served from the following Sept. until Aug. 1815 in the Duncan 74, commanded at first by Capt. Ussher and next by Capt. Sam. Chambers, as flag-ship to Sir John Poo Beresford on the coast of Brazil; obtained his first commission 20 Sept. in the latter year; and was subsequently appointed – 13 Sept. 1819, to the Alert sloop, Capt. Chas. Farwell, in the Downs – 23 Jan. 1821 and 25 April, 1323, to the Dispatch 18 and Cambrian 48,[1] Capts. Wm.Clarke Jervoise and Gawen Wm. Hamilton, both on the Mediterranean station, whence he returned to England and was paid off in 1824 – and, 2 Aug. 1826, to the Ganges 84, flag-ship in South America of Sir Robt. Waller Otway, with whom he continued until promoted to the rank of Commander 8 Sept. 1829. In 1830 he was ordered to superintend the instruction of the officers and seamen in the art of naval gunnery on board the Excellent at Portsmouth, where all inventions connected therewith were referred to his opinion. He was nominated, 16 Feb. and 2 Dec. 1831, Supernumerary-Commander of the Spartiate 76 and Victory 104; and, as a reward “for improvements in gunnery,” was advanced to his present rank 13 April, 1832. He has since been on half-pay.
Capt. Smith is the inventor of very superior sights for ships’ guns, of a lever or moveable target, and of paddle-box safety-boats for steam-ships. In 1833 he published a volume entitled ‘A few Remarks on the Siege of Antwerp; also, a Plan for the Suppression of Piracy.’ Agents – Hallett and Robinson.
SMITH. (Lieutenant, 1825.)
George Hamilton Smith died 23 Dec. 1845. This officer entered the Navy 4 July, 1808; passed his examination in 1814; and obtained his commission 10 Jan. 1825.
- ↑ While belonging to this ship he assisted in her boats at the capture of a piratical vessel in the Grecian Archipelago.
