to their ship; and in another hour the Redoutable, with 300 persons whom it had not been possible to save, was no more. When subsequently in Palermo Bay Mr. Sykes, then First of the Swiftsure, subdued a fire which had been occasioned in the rigging by a stroke of lightning, in so prompt and able a manner as to win the admiration of his Captain and Sir Wm. Sidney Smith, both of whom were on shore and were eye-witnesses of what took place. From Sir Sidney indeed he received a letter bearing testimony to all that occurred. In the Tartar, of which frigate he was Senior-Lieutenant from Feb. 1808 until Feb. 1811, Mr. Sykes, on 15 May in the former year, when within five or six miles of Bergen, on the coast of Norway, and in the centre of a most rocky and intricate navigation, proceeded in command of the launch, in company with the other boats of the ship under Capt. Bettesworth, to the above town, for the purpose of bringing away the shipping in the harbour, among which were three privateers. On approaching the place an Indiaman was found lying there under the protection of a battery; and she would in all probability have been cut out, had not a guard-boat, which was without her, fallen in with and fired upon the launch; who immediately returned the salute, and, after wounding nearly all the crew, took her. This proceeding having alarmed the people on shore, they flew to the batteries, and Capt. Bettesworth, finding moreover that the shipping was effectually protected by a chain, returned to his ship, leaving the launch alone to watch the movements of the enemy. While so employed Mr. Sykes was attacked by six gun-boats, with whom he continued engaged until parted by some intervening rocks. On at length rejoining the Tartar, to which he was only enabled to retrace his way through the agency of a fisherman, he found that during his absence from her she had endured a severe action with the enemy’s flotilla, and that, besides being much cut up, her Captain had been killed, By means of the greatest exertion he succeeded, with the aid of a pilot, in ultimately carrying her into the open sea, through a passage so narrow that she was forced along by spars planted against the sides of the rocks. By Capt. Baker Mr. Sykes was twice officially mentioned, once in particular, 15 May, 1809, for the address and activity he displayed in command of the boats at the capture, near Felixberg, on the coast of Courland, of a Danish privateer of 4 guns, whose crew, 24 in number, had landed with their muskets, and, being joined by the country people, had posted themselves behind the sand-hills on the beach.[1] He was at length, 8 July, 1813, promoted by Sir John Borlase Warren to the command of the Indian sloop at Quebec; and on 9 Nov. following he was confirmed in his present rank. His last appointments were, 23 Feb. and 28 Oct. 1814, to the Recruit 16 and Fantome 18. While in the latter ship, in which he was wrecked 24 Nov. in the same year, on his passage from St. John’s, New Brunswick, to Halifax, he saved a valuably laden vessel and was presented in consequence with a piece of plate by the merchants of Castine.
Commander Sykes married Louisa, second daughter of Wm. Hayward, Esq., of Quedgeley House, co. Gloucester, and grand-daughter of Thos. Hayward, Esq., M.P. Agents – Messrs. Stilwell.
SYME. (Lieutenant, 1813. f-p., 11; h-p., 32.)
George Syme entered the Navy, 14 April, 1804, as Fst.-cl. Vol., on board the Defiance 74, Capt. Philip Chas. Durham. After sharing as Midshipman in Sir Robt. Calder’s action he removed, in Sept. 1805, to the Savage 18, Capt. Jas. Wilkes Maurice, on the Cork station. He was subsequently employed – from March, 1806, until Feb. 1810, in the Renown 74, Capt. P. C. Durham, in the Channel and also in the Mediterranean, where he united in the pursuit which led to the self-destruction, 26 Oct. 1809, of the ships of the line Robuste and Lion – from May, 1810, until Dec. 1811, in the Belvidera 36, Capt. Rich. Byron, and Eurydice 24, Capt. Jas. Bradshaw, on the coast of North America – and, from Aug. 1812 until March, 1814, in the Victory 100, Vigo 74, Defiance 74, and Argo 44, flag-ships of Admirals Sir Jas. Saumarez, Jas. Nicoll Morris, Sir Geo. Hope, and Graham Moore, and Ariel sloop, Capt. Danl. Boss, all in the Baltic. Of the vessel last mentioned he was created a Lieutenant 26 Oct. 1813. His last appointment was to the Araxes 36, Capt. Geo. Miller Bligh, with whom he served in the West Indies from 7 Sept. 1814 until 7 Aug. 1816.
SYMES. (Lieutenant, 1816. f-p., 10; h-p., 29.)
Aaron Stark Symes, born 17 Sept. 1792, at Coombe St. Nicholas, in the parish of Chard, Somersetshire, is eldest son of Jonathan Wyatt Symes, Esq., of Chardstock and Posted, co. Somerset. This officer entered the Navy, 7 Dec. 1808, as Fst.-cl. Vol., on board the Pheasant 18, Capts. John Palmer and Edm. Walker; in which sloop he continued employed on the Channel, West India, and Newfoundland stations, as Midshipman and Acting-Master, until Nov. 1815. He contributed during that period to the capture of three French privateers and several armed American vessels, and was often intrusted with the charge of a prize. Having passed his examination 5 April, 1815, he was nominated, 11 May, 1816, Admiralty-Midshipman of the Hebrus 36, Capt. Edm. Palmer; under whom we find him, in the ensuing Aug., assisting at the bombardment of Algiers. On that memorable occasion, and while the battle was at its height, the present Capt. Peter Richards, as will be seen by a reference to his memoir, was sent in the Queen Charlotte’s barge to set fire to an Algerine frigate moored across the Mole. At this moment Mr. Symes, who was in command of rocket-boat No. 8, “although,” to use the words of Lord Exmouth, “forbidden, was led by his ardent spirit to follow in support of the barge.” As his boat, however, being flat-bottomed, could not keep pace with her companion, she became exposed to a fire which, out of 17 persons, killed an officer and 2 men, and severely wounded 11 others. Mr. Symes himself had his lower jaw fractured, and part of his tongue carried away, by a musket-ball; his left side was pierced; and, in addition to several contusions, he received a painful wound in the right hand.[2] In this state he succeeded in getting from under the enemy’s batteries and reaching the Queen Charlotte, the Commander-in-Chiefs ship. As a reward for his conduct he was presented with a Lieutenant’s commission dated 16 Sept. 1816; and on 8 Dec. 1817, a special exception being made by the Admiralty in his favour, he was allotted for his wounds a pension of 91l. 5s. per annum. He obtained also a grant from the Patriotic Fund. He has been employed since 21 May, 1845, in the Packet service at Liverpool, in the Redwing, Urgent, and St. Colombia steamers – the first commanded by Capt. Thos. Bevis, the two last (to which he was appointed 19 June, 1846, and 5 Jam. 1848) by himself.
Lieut. Symes (who appears to have commanded a ship of his own in the Mediterranean, South America, and the North Sea) married, 19 Nov. 1819, Sarah, fourth daughter of Wm. Jefferys, Esq., for many years a merchant in the island of Guernsey, by whom he has issue five sons and three daughters.
SYMES. (Rear-Admiral, 1846. f-p., 10; h-p., 36.)
Joseph Symes is nephew of the late Admiral Sir Wm. Domett, G.C.B.
This officer entered the Navy, in March, 1801, as A.B., on board the Alkmaar 50, Capt. Rich. Poulden, lying at Portsmouth; and from the following April until promoted to the rank of Lieutenant 13 March, 1806, was employed, on the Baltic, Home,
