Beagle, in which vessel he circumnavigated the globe, he aided in surveying the coast of South America. Having passed his examination 28 Nov. 1828, he was at length, 10 Jan. 1837, promoted to the rank of Lieutenant. His succeeding appointments were – 12 July, 1837, to the Alligator 28, Capt. Sir Jas. John Gordon Bremer, in which vessel, after assisting in the formation of a colony at Port Essington, in Australia, he proceeded to the East Indies – 22 June, 1840, to the acting-command of the Hyacinth, off the Canton river – 15 July following, again, as First-Lieutenant, to the Alligator, then commanded by Capt. Augustus Leopold Kuper – and, 9 July, 1841, to the command of the Royalist 10. While serving in the Alligator he assisted, during the operations on the coast of China, at the destruction of the Bogue Forts. He landed, also, at the storming, 27 Feb. 1841, of the enemy’s works close to Whampoa Reach, where 54 pieces of cannon were taken; served in the boats, on 13 March, at the capture of several rafts and of the last fort protecting the approaches to Canton; and, while participating in the second series of hostilities against that city, was mentioned for the activity with which, in command of the Alligator’s boats, he towed clear of that vessel a body of fire-rafts sent by the Chinese to effect her destruction.[1] In addition to these services he took part in the attack upon Amoy, and was in command of the boats when they drove on shore three large row-galleys of very superior force, and destroyed a war-junk. In Feb. 1842, having been advanced to the rank of Commander 8 June preceding, he left the Royalist; and since 13 Feb. 1845 he has been employed as an Inspecting-Commander in the Coast Guard.
Commander Stewart married, 16 July, 1844, Charlotte Augusta, eldest daughter of Capt. John Foote, R.N.Agents – Messrs. Stilwell.
STEWART. (Commander, 1845. f-p., 13; h-p., 5.)
Robert Arthur Stewart was born 20 April, 1813.
This officer entered the Navy, 14 Feb. 1829, as Fst.-cl. Vol., on board the Zebra 18, Capt. Rich. Pridham, fitting at Plymouth. He served next, from 16 March following until 6 Feb. 1832, part of the time as Midshipman, in the Despatch 18, Capts. Wm. Bohun Bowyer and Edw. Augustus Frankland, on the coasts of Ireland and Portugal; and from March in the latter year until June, 1834, in the San Josef 110, flag-ship of Sir Manley Dixon and Sir Wm. Hargood at Plymouth. He was then for nearly 11 months employed between Falmouth and Lisbon in the Viper brigantine of 6 guns, Lieut.-Commander Louis Augustus Robinson; and he next, in Sept. 1835, joined the Quail 4, Lieut.-Commander Philip Bisson. On 24 March, 1836, being then on her passage to Lisbon, the latter vessel, while laying to in a severe gale of wind, was struck by a heavy sea, thrown on her beam-ends, and dismasted; she soon became water-logged, and in that state, after the greater part of her crew had been drowned, she remained a complete wreck and perfectly helpless for the space of 10 days; at the expiration of which period she was providentially fallen in with and towed into Jersey. After serving for nine months with Lieuts. Bisson and Henry Pryce Deschamps as Mate in the Bonetta 3, on the coast of Africa, Mr. Stewart returned, in March, 1837, to England, and in the following Dec. was appointed to the Volage 26, Capt. Henry Smith, equipping for the East Indies. In her he assisted in Jan. 1839 at the capture of Aden and in taking possession of the island of Seerah;[2] and being strongly recommended for his gallant conduct, he was promoted, 1 May in the same year, to the rank of Lieutenant. Continuing in the Volage until removed, in June, 1840, to the Hyacinth 18, Capts. Wm. Warren and Geo. Goldsmith, he proceeded in her to China, and was present, 4 Nov. 1839, in an action fought with a fleet of war-junks off Chuenpee. In the Hyacinth he took part, 19 Aug. 1840, in a prompt and decisive attack made upon the works and barracks erected close to the barrier at Macao, in which the Chinese were quickly put to flight, and their intentions against that city frustrated. He assisted also in the operations of March[3] and May, 1841, against Canton; and on 26 of the latter month, in command of the Hyacinth’s pinnace, assisted by the boats of the Modeste 18 and Algerine 10, he proved instrumental in spiking the guns of a heavy battery, whose fire had been directed against the Algerine.[4] He became ultimately First-Lieutenant of the Hyacinth, and in that capacity was employed in a variety of boat-attacks in the Ningpo river. He returned home and was paid off in Nov. 1842; was next, 14 Dec. 1844, appointed to the Eagle 50, Capt. Geo. Bohun Martin, fitting at Chatham; and on 24 Feb. 1845 was advanced to the rank he now holds. He has not been since afloat. Agents – Messrs. Chard.
STEWART. (Lieutenant, 1842.)
Thomas Bedford Stewart entered the Navy 21 Oct. 1824; passed his examination 29 March, 1831; served in 1841 on the North America and West India station as Mate in the Firefly steamer, Lieut.-Commander Wm. Winniett; attained his present rank 10 Feb. 1842; was appointed, 28 Nov. following, to the Thunderbolt steamer, Capt. Geo. Nathaniel Broke, fitting at Portsmouth; and from 23 March, 1843, until the summer of 1844, was employed in the Coast Guard. Agents – Messrs. Ommanney.
STEWART. (Commander, 1843. f-p., 24; h-p., 15.)
Thomas Dilnot Stewart, born 1 Jan. 1796, is only son of John Stewart, Esq., of Brookstreet, near Sandwich, by Margaret, daughter of Mr. Thos. Staines, of Dent de Lion, near Margate, and sister of Lieut. Wm. Staines, R.N., who died at Haslar 17 Oct. 1797, and of the late Capt. Sir Thos. Staines, R.N., K.C.B.[5]
- ↑ Vide Gaz. 1841, pp. 1501, 1503, 2504, 2505.
- ↑ Vide Gaz. 1839, p. 670.
- ↑ Vide Gaz. 1841, p. 1505.
- ↑ Vide Gaz. 1841, p. 2506.
- ↑ Sir Thomas Staines was born, in 1776, at Dent de Lion, and entered the Navy, in Jan. 1790, on board the Solebay 32, Capt. Matthew Squire. From the commencement of the French revolutionary war until the surrender of Calvi in Aug. 1794, he was employed in different ships under the late Rear-Admiral Chas. Cunningham; he then joined the Victory 100, flag-ship of Rear-Admiral Robt. Mann in Hotham’s second partial action 13 July, 1795; and after serving as Mate of the Signals under Sir John Jervis he was made Lieutenant, 3 July, 1796, into the Peterel sloop. In the boats of that vessel, in which he continued until site was captured towards the close of 1798 by several Spanish frigates, he performed a variety of very gallant exploits. On being restored to liberty after a short captivity he went back as First-Lieutenant to the Peterel (she had been retaken), and he continued to serve in her with much distinction under the present Sir Francis Wm. Austen until appointed Third of the Foudroyant 80. In this ship, which bore the flags of Lords Nelson and Keith, he assisted at the capture of Rear-Admiral Perrée’s squadron 18 Feb. 1800; was present at the surrender, 31 March lollowing, of Le Guillaume Tell of 84 guns and 1000 men; and served as signal officer throughout the campaign in Egypt. The part he took in expelling the French from that country procured him the superior medal of the Turkish Order of the Star and Crescent. In Dec. 1801 he was placed in acting-command of the Romulus troop-ship; in July, 1802, he was confirmed a Commander in the Camelion brig; and on 22 Jan. 1806, having performed much valuable service and won considerable fame, he was advanced to Post-rank. His next appointment was, 28 March, 1807, to the Cyane of 32 guns and 175 men; in which ship he accompanied the expedition to Copenhagen and then returned to the Mediterranean, where he again signalized himself on many dashing occasions, and on 27 June, 1809, in particular, displayed unparalleled valour in an action nobly maintained by him for an hour with the French frigate Cerès of 42 guns and about 350 men, whose fire was in the end completely silenced, although oxcasionally assisted by the Fama corvette of 28 or 30 guns and 260 men, several gun-boats, and the batteries at Naples. In the course of the battle Capt. Staines lost his arm out of the socket, and was wounded in the side; and his ship was so battered that she was under the necessity of returning to England to refit. Shortly after his arrival he received the honour of Knighthood 6 Dec. 1809; and about
