WELLS. (Lieut., 1821. f-p., 18; h-p., 22.)
John Palmer Wells entered the Navy, 23 July, 1807, as Fst.-cl. Vol., on board the Royal George 100, Capt. Rich. Dalling Dunn, whom he followed, as Midshipman, into the San Josef 110, Hibernia 120, Armide 38, and Dublin 74. In those ships he was employed, at first under the flag of Sir John Thos. Duckworth, in the Channel, off Cadiz and Gibraltar, in the Bay of Biscay, and among the Western Islands. While on the books of the San Josef he served with the gun-boats during the operations in the Scheldt in 1809. From the Dublin, which ship had been commanded latterly by Capt. Thos. Elphinstone, he removed, in Sept. 1814, to the Centaur 74, Capts. John Chambers White and Thos. Gordon Caulfeild. On his return in her from a voyage to Brazil and the Cape of Good Hope (he had for some time performed the duties of Second-Master) he joined, in Nov. 1815, the St. George 98, bearing the flag of Sir John Thos. Duckworth at Plymouth; where he continued to serve in the Pique 36, Capts. Hon. Anthony Maitland and Arthur Fanshawe, and Berwick 74 and Impregnable 104, flag-ships of Sir J. T. Duckworth, Lord Exmouth, and Hon. Sir Alex. Cochrane, until promoted to the rank of Lieutenant 19 July, 1821. He cruized, while thus attached, in different tenders for the suppression of smuggling, and had command for some time of the Admiral’s tender. From 29 Nov. 1839 until the spring of 1843 he was again stationed at Plymouth in the San Josef, under the flags of Rear-Admirals Fred. Warren and Sir Sam. Pym, Admiral-Superintendents.
WELSH. (Retired Commander, 1844. f-p., 18; h-p., 32.)
George Welsh entered the Navy, 12 Jan. 1797, as Midshipman, on board the Stork 18, Capt. Rich. Harrison Pearson, stationed in the North Sea, where he joined, in Jan. and April, 1798, the Braakel 54 and Veteran 64, both commanded by Capt. Jas. Robt. Mosse. In the latter ship, commanded next by Capt. Archibald Collingwood Dickson, he accompanied the expedition of 1799 to Holland, witnessed the surrender there of the Dutch squadron under Rear-Admiral Storey, and fought in the action off Copenhagen 2 April, 1801. In June, 1802 (he had attained the rating of Master’s Mate in April, 1799), he was appointed Admiralty-Midshipman of the Concorde 36, Capt. John Wood. Sailing in her for the East Indies he was nominated, in Jan. and May, 1805, Master’s Mate, on that station, of the Howe 38, Capt. Edw. Ratsey, and Culloden 74, bearing the flag of Sir Edw. Pellew. After acting for some months as Signal-Lieutenant in the latter ship, he was ordered, in Feb. 1806, to act as Lieutenant in his old frigate the Concorde, then commanded by Capt. John Cramer. He was officially promoted 21 Sept. 1807; and on his return to England he was appointed, 23 March and 8 Aug. 1808, to the Polyphemus 64, Capt. Peter Heywood, and Briseis 10, Capts. Robt. Pettet, John Miller Adye, Chas. Thurlow Smith, and Geo. Bentham (Acting). As Senior of the latter vessel he commanded a division of the storming party at the capture of Cuxhaven in July, 1809. In the course of the same year, for his conduct in having, in a single boat with only six men, taken the Courier, a Danish privateer, he received the public thanks of the Commander-in- Chief and a present of 50 guineas from the Chamber of Commerce at Heligoland. He was subsequently wounded in an engagement with a fleet of Danish gun-boats; and on 14 Oct. 1810 he assisted at the capture, after a chase of eight hours, and a desperate conflict of one, in which the enemy had 8 killed and 19 wounded, and the British 4 killed and 11 badly wounded, of the French privateer Sans Souci of 14 guns and 55 men – a service for which Capt. Bentham was confirmed in the rank of Commander. In Feb. 1811, Mr. Welsh invalided from the Briseis. He was employed lastly, from Oct. 1813 until Nov. 1814, in command of a Signal station on the coast of Suffolk; and, from Aug. 1820 until Jan. 1824, in the Coast Guard at Kessingland. He was placed on the List of Retired Commanders 15 April, 1844.
During the war Commander Welsh was present at the capture and destruction of 17 sail-of-the-line, 6 frigates, and 10 privateers – the latter varying in force from 4 guns and 21 men to 26 guns and 240 men.
WELSH. (Lieutenant, 1828.)
William Welsh entered the Navy 30 April, 1805. He was on board the Windsor Castle 98, Capt. Chas. Boyles, in the action fought, 22 July following, with the combined fleets of France and Spain off Cape Finisterre; and at the passage of the Dardanells in Feb. 1807. He served afterwards, in 1813, on the north coast of Spain in the Révolutionnaire frigate; and in 1814-15 we find him employed on the Lakes of Canada. Having passed his examination in 1816 he was made Lieutenant, 4 Dec. 1828, into the Infernal bomb, Capt. Brunswick Popham, stationed in the Mediterranean; whence, in 1830, he returned to England. He has been in command, since 4 Oct. 1839, of a station in the Coast Guard.
WELSTEAD. (Retired Commander, 1835. f-p., 18; h-p., 33.)
Frederick Welstead died 14 May, 1848, aged 68.
This officer entered the Navy, 5 May, 1796, as Midshipman, on board the Theseus 74, Capts. Augustus Montgomery and John Aylmer, employed at first in the Channel and next in the Mediterranean; where he followed Capt. Aylmer, in the early part of 1798, into the Captain 74. After serving for six months in the Channel in the Formidable 98, Capt. Edw. Thornbrough, he joined, in Sept. 1799, the Téméraire 98; in which ship, bearing the successive flags of Rear-Admirals Sir John Borlase Warren and Geo. Campbell, he continued employed, on the Home and West India stations, until Oct. 1802 – the last four months as Acting-Lieutenant. He was confirmed a Lieutenant, 17 Nov. 1802, into the Culloden 74, also the flag-ship, in the Channel, of Rear-Admiral Campbell, with whom and with Rear-Admiral Thos. Louis he served, from April, 1803, until Aug. 1807, in the Canopus 80. In her he was present in the action off St. Domingo 6 Feb. 1806; at the capture, 27 Sept. following, of Le Président French frigate of 44 guns; at the passage of the Dardanells in Feb. 1807; and in the ensuing operations in Egypt. He was afterwards employed, from Aug. until Nov. 1807, in the Queen 98, Capt. Thos. Geo. Shortland; and from May, 1808, until Dec. 1814, in the Princess of Orange 74, Agincourt 64, and Monmouth 74, flag-ships of Admirals Campbell and Foley in the Downs. He accepted the rank of Commander on the Retired List 14 July, 1835.
Commander Welstead married Emilia Sophia, daughter of John Bristow, Esq., President of the Board of Trade at Calcutta, and grand-daughter of John Bristow, Esq., of Quidenham Hall, co. Norfolk, Sub-Governor of the South Sea Company, by whom he has left, with other issue, a daughter, Augusta Henrietta, married to G. E. Hannam, Esq., of Bromston House, and Allen Grange, Isle of Thanet. Agents – Messrs. Stilwell.
WEMYSS. (Captain, 1814. f-p., 12; h-p., 34.)
James Erskine Wemyss, born in 1789, is eldest son of Lieut.-General Wm. Wemyss, who died in 1822, by Frances, daughter of the late Sir Wm. Erskine, Bart.; and grandson of Hon. Jas. Wemyss, M.P. for Sutherland (himself the son of James, fifth Earl of Wemyss), who married a daughter of William, 16th Earl of Sutherland. He is brother of the present Lieut.-General Wm. Wemyss; brother-in-law of the Earl of Rosslyn; and first-cousin of the last Duchess of Gordon.
This officer entered the Navy, in 1801, as a Volunteer, on board the Unicorn 32, Capt. Chas. Wemyss, with whom he served in the Channel until
