STRATFORD, F.R.S. (Lieut., 1815. f-p., 7; h-p., 34.)
William Samuel Stratford entered the Navy 10 Feb. 1806, as Fst.-cl. Vol., on board the Pompée 74, Capt. Rich. Dacres; and while in that ship, which bore the flags successively of Admirals Sir Wm. Sidney Smith and Henry Edwin Stanhope, he co-operated in the defence of Gaeta and the reduction of Capri, accompanied the expedition to the Dardanells, assisted at the destruction of a Turkish squadron off Point Pesquies, and was present as Midshipman in the attack upon Copenhagen. After serving for a few weeks with Capt. John Serrell in the Victory 104, at Chatham, he rejoined Sir W. S. Smith, in March, 1808, on board the Foudroyant 80, and sailed for the coast of Brazil. On his return home in May, 1809, he was nominated Master’s Mate of the Puissant 74, Capt. Hall, lying at Spithead; he served next, in that capacity, from 15 April, 1810, until 12 March, 1812, in the Theseus 74, Capt. Wm. Prowse, in the North Sea; and on 14 March, 1815, he was advanced to the rank of Lieutenant. He has since been on half-pay.
Since 22 April, 1831, Lieut. Stratford, who is a Fellow of the Royal Society, has been Superintendent of the Nautical Almanac. He published, in 1831, ‘An Index to the Stars in the Catalogue of the Royal Astronomical Society;’ and in 1838 a volume ‘On the Elements of the Orbit of Halley’s Comet.’ He is married and has issue.
STREATFEILD. (Commander, 1814. f-p., 12; h-p., 33.)
Richard Streatfeild, born 29 May, 1789, is fourth son of the late Henry Streatfeild, Esq., of Chiddingstone, in Kent, High-Sheriff for that co. in 1792, by Elizabeth Catherine, daughter of the Very Rev. Newton Ogle, D.D., of Kirkley, co. Northumberland, Dean of Winchester, and niece of Admiral Sir Chaloner Ogle, Bart., father of the present Admiral Sir Chas. Ogle, Bart. He is brother of Thos. Streatfeild, Esq., late Lieut.-Colonel in the Grenadier Guards; also of Capt. Chas. Ogle Streatfeild, of the Royal Engineers; and cousin of Commander Robt. Streatfeild, R.N.
This officer entered the Navy, 14 July, 1802 (under the auspices of his cousin. Sir Chas. Ogle), as Fst.-cl. Vol., on board the Alarm 32, commanded by the present Sir Wm. Parker, with whom he removed, in the following Nov., to the Amazon 38. In that ship he brought the Duke of Kent home from Gibraltar, assisted at the capture of the privateers Le Félix of 16 guns and 96 men, and Principe de la Paz of 24 guns, 4 swivels, and 160 men, united in the very spirited pursuit of a French frigate into Toulon, accompanied Lord Nelson to the West Indies and back in pursuit of the combined squadrons of France and Spain, and took part, 13 March, 1806, in a long running-fight, which terminated in the surrender to the London 98 and Amazon, whose loss extended to 4 men killed and 5 wounded, of the Marengo 80, bearing the flag of Rear-Admiral Linois, and 40-gun frigate Belle Poule. He was also employed in active co-operation with the patriots on the coast of Spain. On 22 Oct. 1808 (he had left the Amazon 4 Aug. preceding) he joined the Tigre 74, Capt. Benj. Hallowell, in the Mediterranean; where he was nominated, 5 March, 1809, Acting-Lieutenant of the Minorca 18, Capts. Phipps Hornby, T. Everard (Acting), and Ralph Randolph Wormeley. In the latter vessel, to which he was confirmed 19 July following, he continued employed, until July, 1811 – nearly the whole time as Senior Lieutenant. His next and last appointments were, 8 Nov. 1811 and 29 Jan. 1812, to the Christian VII. 80, and, as First-Lieutenant, to the Impregnable 98, bearing the flags on the Home station of Admirals Wm. Young and H.R.H. the Duke of Clarence. He was promoted to the rank of Commander 26 May, 1814, but did not leave the Impregnable until after that ship had brought over the Allied Sovereigns.
Commander Streatfeild married, 27 July, 1824, Anne, third daughter of Henry Woodgate, Esq., of Riverhill, near Seven Oaks, co. Kent, by whom he has issue an only daughter.
STREATFEILD. (Commander, 1815. f-p., 14; h-p., 34.)
Robert Streatfeild is fourth son of the late Sandeforth Streatfeild, Esq., of Long Ditton, co. Surrey, by Frances, daughter of Thos. Hussey, Esq., of Ashford, co. Kent; and cousin of Commander Rich. Streatfeild, R.N. One of his brothers, Henry Caldwall, is a Lieut.-Colonel in the Army.
This officer entered the Navy, 21 July, 1799, as Fst.-cl. Vol., on board the Arethusa 38, Capt. Thos. Wolley; under whom he escorted the Duke of Kent to Halifax, and, besides cruizing with great activity and Success, accompanied an East India fleet from St. Helena to England, and brought home from Madeira Brigadier-General Clinton and suite. Becoming, in May, 1802, Midshipman (a rating he had attained in the Arethusa) of the Amphion 32, Capts. Alex. Fraser, Thos. Masterman Hardy, and Sam. Sutton, he went with the Duke of Sussex shortly afterwards to Cuxhaven; and, at the commencement of the war, sailed with the flag of Lord Nelson for the Mediterranean; whence, in Dec. 1803, he returned to England in the Prevoyante store-ship, Master-Commander Wm. Browne. He then joined the Rattler sloop, Capt. Fras. Mason; in which vessel he was for about a year and nine months stationed in the North Sea and came into repeated collision with the enemy. On one occasion in particular, 16 May, 1804, he united (the Cruizer 18 in company) in a gallant attack upon a flotilla of praams, schooners, &c., in all 59 sail, passing alongshore from the above place to Ostend. On that occasion the Rattler sustained a loss of 2 men killed and 10 wounded, and had her lower masts disabled by shot, and her yards, sails, and rigging much injured. On 23 of the ensuing June she received further damage while engaged with her consorts, the Galgo and Inspector, in close conflict with 27 schuyts, whose fire was strengthened by that of several land-batteries and a body of artillery. Mr. Streatfeild was created, 3 Oct. 1805, Sub-Lieutenant of the Pylades sloop, Capts. Brian Hodgson and Geo. Miller Bligh, again in the Mediterranean; he was promoted to the rank of full Lieutenant 6 Nov. 1806; and he was subsequently appointed – 7 Feb. 1807, to the Sappho of 18 guns and 120 men, Capts. Geo. Langford and Charlton – 27 April, 1809, to the Fylla 20, Capt. Hon. Edw. Rodney, on the Home station – 26 Jan. 1810, after four months of half-pay, to the Rose sloop, Capt. Thos. Mansell – 7 April, 1810, to the Ruby 64 and Vigo 74, flag-ships of Rear-Admiral Manley Hall Dixon in the Baltic – and 30 Jan. 1812, to the Montagu 74, hearing the flag of the same officer in South America, whence he invalided in May, 1813. While serving in the Sappho, in which vessel he ultimately proceeded to the West Indies, he escorted the Hon. Mr. Pierrepont as Ambassador to the King of Sweden, Gustavus Adolphus, then besieged by the French army in Stralsund; accompanied the expedition to Copenhagen; and assisted, 2 March, 1808, at the capture, off Flamborough Head, after a close action of an hour, of the Admiral Yawl Danish brig of 28 guns and 83 men – a service for which Capt. Langford was advanced to Post-rank. During his stay in the Ruby he contrived, with two row-boat luggers under his orders, to destroy two Danish armed vessels off Lassoe in 1810.[1] He also, in command of three lugger gun-boats, attacked, in that neighbourhood, several of the enemy’s privateers; one of which was captured, besides two of them being destroyed and the remainder forced to take shelter in Jutland.[2] “On the night of the 31st ult. and the 1st inst.,” writes Rear-Admiral Dixon in a letter dated 1 June, 1811, addressed to the Commander-in-Chief, Sir Jas. Saumarez, “two privateers armed with swivels and small arms, and with 12 men in each boat, were captured by the guard-boats of the Vigo; the first
