Page:A Naval Biographical Dictionary.djvu/1291

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WHEELER—WHICHELO—WHINYATES—WHIPPLE.
1277

Tigris 36, Capt. Robt. Henderson, and Liverpool 50, Capt. Fras. Augustus Collier. In the ship last mentioned he accompanied, towards the close of 1819, an expedition sent to the Persian Gulf for the purpose of crushing a race of notorious pirates, whose head-quarters lay at Ras-al-Khyma, which place was in a short time destroyed and all the vessels lying in its vicinity burnt or sunk. After acting as Lieutenant in the Leander 50, flag-ship of Hon. Sir Henry Blackwood, Satellite 18, Capt. Mark John Currie, and Ganges 84, Capt. F. A. Collier, he was promoted, officially, 9 Jan. 1823. His succeeding appointments were – 8 Aug. 1823, 10 Aug. 1826, and 2 Aug. 1827, to the Alacrity 10, Capt. Chas. Philip Yorke, Camelion 10, Capts. Peter Richards and Chas. Cotton, and Zebra 18, Capts. C. Cotton, Brunswick Popham, and Edmund Wm. Gilbert, all in the Mediterranean – 2 Jan. 1830, as First-Lieutenant (a post he had filled on board the Zebra), to the North Star 28, Capt. Lord Wm. Paget, in the West Indies – and to the command, next, of the Manly 12. In the Alacrity, Camelion, and Zebra he assisted at the capture of several piratical vessels in the Archipelago. In April, 1826 (he belonged at the time to the Alacrity), he was severely burnt in the right hand by an explosion of gunpowder on board a pirate in the Dora Passage; and in Jan. 1828 he was present in the Zebra in an attack made by a squadron under the orders of Sir Thos. Staines upon a fort and vessels in the possession of the freebooters at Carabusa. He was in the same sloop at the turning back of the Turco-Egyptian fleet from Patras. He was advanced to the rank of Commander 5 Dec. 1332; and was employed as such in the Coast Guard from 4 July, 1839, until July, 1844. While on duty on the night of 27 Oct. 1842, his horse took fright, ran away with him, and fell, breaking and dislocating the wrist of the same hand which had been on a former occasion burnt.

Commander Wheatley married, in April, 1838, at Bruges, Caroline Amelia Elizabeth, daughter of Francis Hoper, Esq., of Burlington Street, London.



WHEELER. (Lieut., 1815. f-p., 13; h-p., 28.)

John Wheeler entered the Navy, 21 Nov. 1806, as Midshipman, on board the Neptune 98, commanded, at Portsmouth, by the late Sir Thos. Fras. Fremantle. In the following month he joined in succession the Dreadnought and Barfleur 98’s, Capts. Wm. Lechmere and Joseph Sidney Yorke, the latter stationed in the Channel; where, and in the Baltic, Downs, Mediterranean, and South America, he served also, until July, 1815, part of the time as Master’s Mate, in the Brunswick 74, Capt. Thos. Graves, Cherokee 10, Capt. Rich. Arthur, Lively 38, Capt. Geo. M‘Kinley, Ville de Paris 110 and Rodney and Milford 74’s, flag-ships of Rear-Admiral Fremantle, Valiant 74, Capt. Zachary Mudge, Berwick 74, Capt. Edw. Brace, and Duncan 74, bearing the flag of Sir John Poo Beresford. He was present, in the Milford, at the reduction, in 1813, of Fiumé, Rovigno, Piran, Capo d’Istria, and Trieste. On leaving the Duncan he took up a commission bearing date 25 Feb. 1815. He filled an appointment in the Coast Blockade as Supernumerary-Lieutenant of the Severn 50 and Ramillies 74, both commanded by Capt. Wm. M‘Culloch, from 22 Sept. 1821 until, we believe, the close of 1825; and since then has been on half-pay. Agents – Goode and Lawrence.



WHEELER. (Lieutenant, 1826.)

Thomas Pryor Wheeler entered the Navy 8 July, 1809; passed his examination in 1816; obtained his commission 26 May, 1826; served, from 1 Aug. following until 1830, in the Coast Blockade as a Supernumerary-Lieutenant of the Hyperion 42, Capt. Wm. Jas. Mingaye; and, from 18 April, 1831, until the commencement of 1834, filled an appointment in the Coast Guard. He has not been since employed.

He married, at Gosport, 9 Feb. 1832, Miss Smith.



WHICHELO. (Lieutenant, 1825.)

George Whichelo entered the Navy 16 June, 1807; passed his examination in 1814; and was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant 27 May, 1825. He had charge of a station in the Coast Guard from 11 July, 1831, until the end of 1837; was employed at Chatham in the Poictiers 72, Capt. Wm. Henry Shirreff, from 24 Aug. 1843 until Aug. 1846; and since 21 April, 1847, has been again employed in the Coast Guard. Agent – J. Hinxman.



WHINYATES. (Rear-Admiral, 1846.)

Thomas Whinyates is son of Thos. Whinyates, Esq., by Catharine, daughter of the late Admiral Sir Thos. Frankland, Bart.; and brother of Colonel E. C. Whinyates, K.H., K.A., of Major F. W. Whinyates, R.E., and of Colonel F. F. Whinyates, E.I.Co.’s Horse Artillery. He is first cousin of Rear-Admiral Wm. Bowles, C.B., of Capts. E. A. and C. C. Frankland, R.N., and of Capt. H. and Lieut. C. Gosset, R.N.

This officer entered the Navy in 1793, obtained his first commission 7 Sept. 1799, and was promoted to the rank of Commander 16 May, 1805. After having for some time commanded the Zebra bomb, he was appointed, in March, 1807, to the Frolic, a new brig of 384 tons, mounting 16 32-pounder carronades and 2 long sixes; in which vessel he proceeded, in the course of the same year, to the West Indies. On 18 Oct. 1812, while on his passage home with convoy, he fell in with, and, at the end of an action of 50 minutes, was captured by, the U.S. sloop-of-war Wasp, Capt. Jacob Jones, measuring 434 tons, and armed with 16 32-pounder carronades and 2 brass long 12-pounders, exclusive of 2 brass 4-pounders. The Frolic, before the contest, had been severely damaged in a gale. Her crew, debilitated in health, consisted of 92 men (including one passenger, an invalided soldier) and 18 boys; while the crew of the Wasp amounted to as many as 135 able-bodied men and 3 boys. The British in the action sustained a loss of 15 seamen and marines killed, and their Commander, two Lieutenants (one of them mortally), the Master, mortally, and 43 seamen and marines, wounded; the Americans of 8 killed and about the same number wounded. On the same day the Wasp was herself captured and the Frolic retaken by the Poictiers 74, Capt. John Poo Beresford; who allowed Capt. Whinyates (so “decidedly gallant” did he esteem the conduct he had displayed) to continue in command of his brig until she reached Bermuda. The court-martial, which assembled afterwards to try him, declared that he had done all that could be done in her defence, and most honourably acquitted him. He was advanced to Post-rank by a commission bearing date 12 Aug. 1812; and was placed on the list of Retired Rear-Admirals 1 Oct. 1846. Agents – Messrs. Stilwell.



WHIPPLE. (Commander, 1798. f-p., 24; h-p., 41.)

John Whipple entered the Navy, in 1782, on board the Europa 50, Capts. John Thos. Duckworth and Arthur Philip, stationed in the East Indies, whence he returned in May, 1784, having previously attained the rating of Midshipman. He served next, from March, 1786, until Dec. 1788, and again from March, 1789, until Dec. 1791, in the Rose, Capts. Henry Harvey and Jacob Waller, at Newfoundland; and from Dec. 1792 until Sept. 1793 in the Fortune, Capt. Fras. Wooldridge, in the North Sea and on the coast of Holland. He then joined the Gibraltar 80, Capts. Thos. Mackenzie and Hon. Thos. Pakenham; under the former of whom he fought in Lord Howe’s action 1 June, 1794. He was made Lieutenant, 28 Aug. following, into the Firm sloop, Capts. Robt. Plampin and Micajah Malbon, attached to the force on the coast of Holland; was placed in command, 25 June and 28 Aug. 1795, of the Wolf and Leopard gun-vessels, on the Sheerness and Portsmouth stations; and in March, 1796, was appointed to the Alexander 74, Capts, A. Philip, Joseph Bullen, and