1801; on which occasion he received a splinter wound in the right thigh, and was otherwise hurt. He was in consequence voted a gratuity from the Patriotic Fund. Having passed his examination 2 Sept. 1801, and been intermediately employed on the Irish and Channel stations in the Formidable 98, Capt. Rich. Grindall, Hyaena 24, Capt. John Wm. Spranger, Hercules 74, Capt. Wm. Lake, and Atalante 16, Capt. Anselm John Griffiths, he was promoted, 29 April, 1802, to the rank of Lieutenant. His ensuing appointments were, in 1803-4, to the Sulphur and Prospero bombs, Capts. Daniel M‘Leod and Jones, and Romney 50, Capt. Hon. John Colville. In the Sulphur he assisted at the bombardments of Granville and Havre, and at the destruction of several of the French invasion flotilla and other vessels. At Granville the sudden going off of a 10-inch mortar deprived him for ever of the sense of hearing on the left side. For this severe injury, however, he was unable to procure compensation, ill health, produced by the fatigue he had undergone in the Sulphur, he being her only Lieutenant, compelled him in the end to invalid from that vessel. In the Romsey, Mr. Whymper was wrecked, for the third time, near the Texel, 19 Nov. 1804. He became a prisoner in consequence to the Dutch, but in the course of the following month was exchanged. As soon as the court-martial upon the officers and crew was over he was appointed to the Hebe 32, Capt. Micajah Malbon, off Boulogne, on which station he was again for many months in constant action with the French flotilla. On one morning alone he contributed to the capture of as many as 10 of their gun-vessels. A second attack of putrid fever rendering it necessary for him to invalid, he was for some time confined to the hospital at Deal. In Dec. 1805, as the state of his health would not allow of his resuming his duties afloat, he accepted the command of a Signal-station on the coast of Essex, where he remained until May, 1809. He then joined the Courageux 74, Capts. Robt. Plampin and Wm. Butterfield. After the reduction of Flushing, at which he was present, he assumed command of a gun-boat, for the purpose of uniting in the attack upon Camvere, where he landed at the head of 200 officers and seamen in order to co-operate with the army, and by his conduct acquired, with others, the thanks of the Commander-in-Chief, Sir Rich. Strachan. On the return of the expedition he proceeded in the Courageux to Basque Roads, and served there with activity until Nov. 1810. The last appointments he was able to procure were – 25 Sept. 1811, to the Namur 74, bearing the flag of Sir Henry Edwin Stanhope at Sheerness – 23 Dec. following, as Senior, to the Prince of Wales 98, which ship, commanded in the North Sea and Mediterranean by Capt. John Erskine Douglas, he had been ordered to commission and facilitate the fitting out of – and, 2 Feb. 1813, after four months of half-pay, to the Queen 74, Capts. Lord Colville and John Coode. In the following Nov. the Queen (she had been until then serving in different ways in the North Sea and Channel) sailed with convoy for the West Indies. On her passage out she encountered a violent gale, in which, among other damages, she had her tiller broken and the larboard quarter-gallery stove in. After bearing the flag for a time of Sir Fras. Laforey, she returned with the trade to England, and arrived in time to take part in the grand naval review held before the allied sovereigns at Spithead. She was next employed in bringing troops home from France. Mr. Whymper, who was superseded from her 28 Sept. 1814, obtained the out-pension of Greenwich Hospital 3 Aug. 1837, and was allotted the rank he now holds 21 Dec. 1841.
The Commander married, first, 28 June, 1812, Eliza Margaret, daughter of the late W. Crane, Esq., of Hendon, co. Middlesex. That lady dying 26 Aug. 1815, he married again, 12 May, 1816, Marianne, daughter of the Rev. John Black, of Woodbridge, co. Suffolk. Being once more left a widower 26 June, 1826, he married a third time, 24 April, 1840, Catherine, daughter of Jeremiah White, Esq., of Mendlesham, co. Suffolk. By his second wife he has living, we believe, two sons and two daughters. His eldest son, Logie Augustus, is now serving as Mate on board the St. Vincent 120.
WHITE. (Lieutenant, 1843.)
John William White entered the Navy, from the Royal Naval College, 24 June, 1832; passed his examination 17 Oct. 1836; served for some years on the North America and West India and Portsmouth stations, as Mate, in the Comus 18, Capt. Evan Nepean, Vestal 26, Capt. John Parker, and Excellent gunnery-ship, Capt. Sir Thos. Hastings; obtained his commission 1 Nov. 1843; and was appointed, 9 March and 27 Nov. 1844, to the Ringdove 16 and Larne 18, Capts. Sir Wm. Daniell and John Wm. Douglas Brisbane, both on the coast of Africa, whence he returned to England in 1847 and was paid off. Agent – J. Hinxman.
WHYTE. (Lieutenant, 1840.)
Robert Charles Whyte entered the Navy 4 Aug. 1826; passed his examination in 1833; and was advanced to his present rank 1 Aug. 1840. His appointments have since been – 31 Oct. 1840, to the Pelican 16, Capts. Chas. Geo. Elers Napier and Philip Justice, fitting for the East Indies – 20 June, 1845 (a few months after his return to England), as First-Lieutenant, a post he had latterly filled on board the Pelican, to the Crocodile 26, flag-ship of Sir Hugh Pigot at Cork – 11 June, 1846, for a brief period, and in a similar capacity, to the Spartan 22, Capt. Thos. Matthew Chas. Symonds, equipping at Devonport – and, 10 June, 1847, to the Vengeance 84, Capts. Stephen Lushington and the Earl of Hardwicke, in which ship he is now serving in the Mediterranean as First-Lieutenant. Agents – Hallett and Robinson.
WICKHAM. (Commander, 1837.)
John Clements Wickham entered the Navy 21 Feb. 1812; passed his examination in 1819; and was made Lieutenant, 6 Oct. 1827, into the Adventure surveying-vessel, Capt. Philip Parker King, on the South American station; whence he returned to England and was paid off in Nov. 1830. His next appointment was, 25 June, 1831, to the Beagle, another surveying-vessel, Capt. Robt. Fitzroy, with whom he returned to South America as First-Lieutenant. He came home again at the close of 1836 and was put out of commission; and on 10 Jan. 1837 he was advanced to his present rank. Being re-appointed to the Beagle 16 Feb. following, he was in her until he invalided in March, 1841, employed in surveying the coast of Australia and Bass’ Strait. He has since been on half-pay. Commander Wickham is now a Police Magistrate in New South Wales. Agents – Messrs. Stilwell.
WIDDRINGTON, formerly Cook, K.T.S. (Commander, 1824.)
Samuel Edward Widdrington is only surviving son of the late Rev. John Cook, M.A., of Newton, co. Northumberland. He assumed the name of Widdrington in 1840.
This officer obtained his first commission 10 June, 1809. While serving as First-Lieutenant with Capt. Edw. Reynolds Sibly in the Swallow sloop, he attacked with three boats belonging to that vessel, near Port d’Anzo, 16 Sept. 1813, after a row of two hours, the Guerrière French brig, carrying 4 guns and 60 stand of arms, whose crew escaped over the bow as the British boarded on the quarter. The Guerrière had been taken in tow by numerous boats and two gun-vessels sent from d’Anzo to her assistance. These, however, left her on the arrival of the Swallow’s boats; and a 4-gun xebec, which had been in company, also effected her escape. The loss sustained on this occasion in Mr. Cook’s own boat alone amounted to 2 seamen killed and 4 severely wounded. After again serving with Capt. Reynolds as Senior-Lieutenant in the Niemen 28,
