Page:A Naval Biographical Dictionary.djvu/115

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101

BOULTBEE—BOULTON—BOURCHIER.

Erebus on 4 Sept. in the same year, and placed on the list of Retired Commanders 4 May, 1836. Agents – Messrs. Chard.



BOULTBEE. (Capt., 1841. f-p., 20; h-p., 16.)

Frederick Moore Boultbee is cousin of Lieut. J. B. Boultbee, R.N.

This officer entered the Navy, 17 March, 1811, as Fst.-cl. Vol., on board the Conquestador 74, Capt. Lord Wm. Stuart, attached to the Flushing and Channel fleets. From Nov. 1814, to Oct. 1820, he served as Midshipman and Master’s Mate in the Favourite 26, Capts. Hon. Jas. Ashley Maude and Hercules Robinson, on the East India, St. Helena, South American, and Newfoundland stations. While next employed in the Egeria 26, Capt. John Toup Nicolas, he was promoted, 13 Dec. 1821, to a Lieutenancy in the Grasshopper 18, Capt. David Buchan. Joining, 24 Dec. 1825, the North Star 26, Capt. Septimus Arabin, he co-operated, until advanced to the rank of Commander, 11 Feb. 1829, in the suppression of the slave-trade on the coast of Africa, where, in the course of 1827, we find him distinguishing himself, while in charge of the ship’s pinnace, at the capture of a Spanish brig pierced for 18 guns. Capt. Boultbee, whose next appointment was to the command, 24 May, 1838, of the Jaseur sloop, on the Mediterranean station, there served until elevated to the rank he now holds, 23 Nov. 1841. He has since been on half-pay.

Capt. Boultbee is Chief Constable for co. Bedford.



BOULTBEE. (Lieut., 1813. f-p., 14; h-p., 28.)

Joseph Bage Boultbee, born 6 Jan. 1791, is cousin of Capt. F. M. Boultbee, R.N.

This officer entered the Navy, 5 Aug. 1805, as Midshipman, on board the Hind 28, Capt. Fras. Wm. Fane, stationed in the Mediterranean, where, in 1806, while escorting a convoy of victuallers from off Cadiz to Gibraltar, that frigate was attacked by a flotilla of gun-boats, whom, however, she succeeded in defeating. After an attachment of more than twelve months with Capt. Fane to the Cambrian 40, during which period he appears to have been actively employed in co-operation with the patriots on the north coast of Spain, Mr. Boultbee removed, in Aug. 1809, to the Kent 74, Capt. Thos. Rogers; and on 13 Dec. 1810, took part in a gallant but unfortunate attack made by the boats of a squadron under Capt. Fane upon the enemy’s shipping in the Mole of Palamos, where, out of 600 seamen and marines who were landed, a full third were killed, wounded, or taken prisoners. Having passed his examination in Nov. 1811, and been occupied for a short time on board the Hibernia 120, flag-ship of Sir Wm. Sidney Smith, he was confirmed to a Lieutenancy, 25 Jan. 1813, in the Shearwater 10, Capts. W. Smith and John Townsend Coffin, in the boats of which vessel, in conjunction with those of the Volontaire and Undaunted, we find him employed in an attempt to capture a convoy in the Bay of Marseilles. The Shearwater being paid off in Oct. 1814, Mr. Boultbee next, on 13 Dec, 1821, joined the Grasshopper 18, Capt. David Buchan, whom he accompanied to Newfoundland. His last appointments were, 1 Sept. 1837, and 1 July, 1838, to the Téméraire 104, and Ocean 80, successive guard-ships at Sheerness. He has been on half-pay since 1841.

Lieut. Boultbee married, 7 May, 1822, and has issue a daughter. Agents – Hallett and Robinson.



BOULTON. (Lieut., 1817; f-p., 10; h-p., 33.)

William Boulton entered the Navy, 24 Nov. 1804, as Fst.-cl. Vol., on board the Unicorn 32, Capt. Lucius Ferdinand Hardyman; and, after serving on the West India station, witnessed the reduction of Monte Video in Feb. 1807, and the destruction of the French shipping in Aix Roads in April, 1809. In May, 1813, having been unemployed for nearly four years, he re-embarked, as Master’s Mate, on board the Bahama, Lieut.-Commander Henry Smith Wilson, lying in the river Medway. He afterwards served – in 1814-15, in the Hasty gun-brig, Capt. John Brenton, on the Channel station – in 1815-16, in the Phaeton 38, Capt. Fras. Stanfell, with whom he visited the Cape of Good Hope, and subsequently conveyed Sir Hudson Lowe to St. Helena – and, in 1816-17, as Admiralty Midshipman, in the Eridanus 36, and Severn 50, Capts. Wm. King and Wm. M‘Culloch, on the Home station. He attained his present rank on 24 Nov. in the latter year, but has not since been afloat.



BOURCHIER. (Rear-Admiral, 1846.)

Henry Bourchier is eldest son of Capt. John Bourchier, R.N., who died Lieut.-Governor of Greenwich Hospital, 30 Dec. 1809; and brother of Commander Wm. Bourchier, R.N. (1815), who died 22 Jan. 1844.

This officer entered the Navy, 28 Aug. 1797, as a Boy, on board the Ariadne 20, Capt. Jas. Bradley, stationed in the Downs. He was next employed on the Home and Newfoundland stations in the Royal William, Capt. Fras. Pickmore, Anson 44, Capt. Philip Chas. Durham, Veteran 64, Capt. Archibald Collingwood Dickson (part of Sir Hyde Parker’s fleet during the action off Copenhagen, 2 April, 1801), Endymion 40, Capts. Henry Garrett and Joseph Larcom, and Iris 32, Capts. Edw. Brace and Wm. Grenville Lobb. Shortly after the receipt of his first commission, which bears date 1 May, 1804, Mr. Bourchier joined the Elephant 74, Capt. Geo. Dundas; on removing from which ship to the Unicorn 32, Capt. Lucius Ferdinand Hardyman, we find him, on 6 May, 1805, commanding one of four boats at the capture, off St. Domingo, in face of a heavy fire of great guns and musketry, of the French privateer Tape-à-bord of 4 long sixpounders and 46 men.[1] He subsequently served for two years with Sir Alex. Cochrane in the Northumberland and Belleisle 74’s; and, attaining the rank of Commander 20 April, 1808, was next appointed, on 9 Nov. in that year, to the Hawke 16. In that vessel, after taking, 7 Feb. 1811, Le Furet privateer, of 14 guns and 86 men,[2] and witnessing the destruction, 25 March ensuing, of the French 40-gun frigate Amazone, Capt. Bourchier, on 19 Aug., rendered himself conspicuous by his gallantry in attacking a convoy steering for Barfleur, under the protection of three gun-brigs carrying each from 10 to 16 guns, and of two large luggers of from 8 to 10 guns. With these an action of great spirit on both sides took place, and was maintained until two of the brigs and the luggers, together with 15 of the merchantmen, were driven on shore. The rest escaped in consequence of the Hawke unfortunately taking the ground, in which state she lay exposed for an hour and a half to an incessant discharge of artillery and musketry from the beach. Of the stranded vessels, the only remaining gun-brig, the Héron of 10 guns, and three large transports, were afterwards brought out by Lieut, (now Capt.) David Price.[3] The loss of the British in this highly creditable affair did not exceed 1 man killed and 4 wounded. Capt. Bourchier – whose conduct deservedly procured him a Post-commission on the very day the intelligence of this exploit reached the Admiralty, Aug. 22 – was subsequently appointed – 5 Jan. 1813, to the San Josef 110, fitting at Plymouth for the flag of Rear-Admiral Edw. Jas. Foote – 12 May following to the Myrtle 20 in which vessel he served for some time on the Lisbon station – 18 Nov. in the same year, to the Medina 20, employed, until Jan. 1816, off Newfoundland – and, 28 Nov. 1820, to the Atholl 28. He was nominated Superintendent, in Jan. 1827, of the Quarantine Establishment at Milford; and accepted his present rank 1 Oct. 1846.

Capt. Bourchier is married, and has, with other issue, a son, the present Lieut. Macdonald Bourchier, R.N. Agents – Messrs. Stilwell.


  1. Vide Gaz. 1805, p. 801.
  2. Vide Gaz. 1811, p. 289.
  3. Vide Gaz. 1811, p. 1635.