citement and danger. All his testimonials concur in proving him to be an officer possessed of the greatest temper, and in the highest degree “principled, sensible, active, energetic, zealous, and judicious.” When on his passage from Halifax to London in the brig Brothers he was the means of saving the crew, in number 14, of a vessel, the Three Sisters, which was encountered in a sinking state, with everything swept from her decks, including both her boats. Although the wind was blowing hard and the sea running mountains high, his intrepidity and humanity induced him, regardless of danger, to endeavour, in a boat, to board the Three Sisters. As we have said, he providentially succeeded, and after repeated trips rescued the whole of the unfortunate persons, many of whom were in so disabled a state that they were unable during the remainder of the voyage to come on deck. Agents – Messrs. Halford and Co.
WATSON. (Lieutenant, 1826.)
James Stuart M‘Kenzie Watson entered the Navy 31 May, 1808; passed his examination in 1815; and was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant 27 March, 1826. His appointments have since been in succession – 19 June, 1833, to the Coast Guard – 23 Jan. 1840, to the Lion Revenue-cruizer – 14 Aug. 1841, again to the Coast Guard – 7 Feb. 1843, to the Victoria, another Revenue-vessel – and, 5 Nov. 1844, a third time to the Coast Guard, in which service he continues.
WATSON. (Commander, 1814. f-p., 28; h-p., 36.)
John Watson is the son of the late Major Watson. This officer entered the Navy, in 1783, as Fst.-cl. Vol., on board the Bombay Castle 74, Capts. Herbert Sawyer and Robt. Fanshawe, lying at Plymouth, where he remained for three years. He was employed next, from 1788 until Feb. 1794, in the North Sea, on the coast of Africa, and in the Channel, part of the time as Midshipman, in the Otter sloop, Capts. John Okes Hardy, Thos. Williams, and Jas. Hardy, Charon 44, Capt. Edm. Dodd, and Bellona 74, Capt. Geo. Wilson; and on 11 Aug. in the latter year, after having further served on the coast of France, in diiferent ships, under Vice-Admiral John M‘Bride, to whom he acted for a period as Flag-Lieutenant, he was officially promoted into his former ship, the Bombay Castle, Capt. Chas. Chamberlayne. Her he left in the ensuing Nov. During the remainder of the war, from March, 1795, until April, 1802, he was employed on the Home station in the Syren 32, Capt. Graham Moore, Shark gun-vessel, commanded by himself, Cynthia 16, Capt. Micajah Malbon, Neptune 98, Capt. Jas. Vashon, and Standard 64, Capt. Chas. Stewart. From 15 Dec. 1803 until 12 Aug. 1814 he commanded the Aggressor 12, chiefly in the Channel. He has since been on half-pay. His commission as Commander bears date 15 June, 1814.
WATSON, C.B. (Captain, 1842.)
Rundle Burges Watson is eldest son of the late Capt. Joshua Rowley Watson, R.N., who served on shore when a Lieutenant in the operations against Martinique in 1794, commanded the Inflexible 64 in the expedition to Copenhagen in 1807, and was afterwards Captain of the Alfred and Implacable 74’s.
This officer entered the Navy 1 Nov. 1821; passed his examination in 1828; obtained his first commission 7 Oct. 1829; and was appointed in succession – 15 April, 1831, to the Caledonia 120, Capts. Edw. Curzon and Jas. Hillyar, employed at first as an experimental ship under the flag of Sir Edw. Codrington, and next with the squadron on the coast of Portugal – 12 June, 1833, and 31 Aug. 1834, to the Vernon 50, flag-ship of Sir Geo. Cockburn, and Vestal 26, Capt. Wm. Jones, both on the North America and West India station – and, 17 Nov. 1837, as Senior, to the Calliope 26, Capt. (now Sir Thomas) Herbert. After serving for upwards of two years in the latter ship in South America, he sailed in her, in 1840, for the coast of China, where, as we shall proceed to show, he distinguished himself during the war in a very eminent degree. At the taking of Chuenpee, 7 Jan. 1841, he assisted, in command of the Calliope’s boats, at the destruction of 11 war-junks, the flower of the Celestial navy; and in the course of the same day he obtained the recommendation of his Captain for a creditable and impressive attack he made, supported by the boats of the Larne 18, upon other junks to the northward.[1] On 27 Feb., while a strong party under Capt. Herbert was storming the enemy’s entrenchments at Whampoa, Mr. Watson attacked, with boats from the Calliope, Modeste 18, and Nemesis E.I.C. steamer, boarded and carried the ship Cambridge of 900 tons, formerly an Indiaman, but then bearing the flag of a Chinese Admiral, and armed with 34 guns, the whole of which, as well as the prize, were destroyed.[2] Four days previously to this affair he had been recommended to the particular notice of Commodore Sir Gordon Bremer for his conduct in the boats at the destruction of a masked battery of 20 guns at the back of the island of Anunghoy.[3] On 13 March he contributed, still with the Calliope’s boats under his orders, to the capture of several rafts and of the last fort protecting the approaches to Canton. [4] At the ensuing capture of that city he was employed in the western division of boats;[5] and for his services during the second series of operations against it he was spoken of in the highest terms.[6] He was advanced in consequence to the rank of Commander by a commission bearing date 6 May, 1841; and in the course of the same year he was appointed, with Sir Thos. Herbert, to the Blenheim 72, and to the personal command of the Modeste 18. In the former ship he served at the taking of Amoy. While commanding the Modeste he co-operated in the reduction of Chinghae, and on that occasion, as well as on every other that presented itself, displayed signal zeal and activity.[7]On the night of 10 March, 1842, being at the time senior officer off Ningpo, he succeeded, with the assistance of his boats, in defeating an attack made by the Chinese on the city and on the shipping lying in the river. For this he acquired the approbation of Sir Wm. Parker, the Commander-in-Chief.[8] He headed, five days afterwards, the seamen employed under Capt. Thos. Bourchier of the Blonde 42, in unison with the troops under Sir Hugh Gough (who mentioned him in his despatches to Lord Auckland, the Governor- General of India), in the assault upon the enemy in their intrenched position on the heights of Segoan.[9] During the operations against Chapoo, 18 May, 1842, Capt. Watson served with a few seamen on shore, and proved of assistance in enabling Sir Hugh Gough to cross a canal which had impeded his progress.[10] In every instance, we may here observe, in which he was called upon to act in direct conjunction with the army, his conduct was such as to afford the highest satisfaction to the General. For some time previously to the attack made by the British on the batteries at Woosung, Capt. Watson appears to have been indefatigable in making observations and in sounding the narrow channel by which alone it could be approached.[11] The day following the action, at which we find he behaved in a very conspicuous and spirited manner,[12] he was placed in command, under Sir Wm. Parker, of the light ships-of-war which formed the naval part of the expedition sent up the river against the city of Shanghae. During the advance he took possession of six deserted batteries, destroying the iron and embarking the copper guns.[13] At the storming, 21
- ↑ Vide Gaz. 1841, pp. 1162, 1221-2.
- ↑ Vide Gaz. 1841, p. 1501.
- ↑ Vide Gaz. 1841, p. 1497.
- ↑ Vide Gaz. 1841, p. 1503.
- ↑ Vide Gaz. 1841, p. 1505.
- ↑ Vide Gaz. 1841, pp. 2505, 2510.
- ↑ Vide Gaz. 1842, p. 396.
- ↑ Vide Gaz. 1842, p. 2388.
- ↑ Vide Gaz. 1842, pp 2386-7, 2390.
- ↑ Vide Gaz. 1842, pp. 2844, 3692-3.
- ↑ Vide Gaz. 1842, p. 3398.
- ↑ Vide Gaz. 1842, p. 3399.
- ↑ Vide Gaz. 1842, pp. 3384, 3401.
