Page:A Naval Biographical Dictionary.djvu/139

From Wikisource
Jump to navigation Jump to search
This page has been proofread, but needs to be validated.

125

BRIGSTOCKE—BRINE.

against Toulon and Corsica in 1793-4, and in Hotham’s partial actions of 14 March and 13 July, 1795. From L’Aigle Mr. Briggs, who had been confirmed in the rank of Lieutenant 28 Sept. 1797, removed to the Ville de Paris 110, flag-ship off Lisbon of Earl St. Vincent, and he shortly afterwards joined the Princess Royal 98, bearing the flag of Rear-Admiral Thos. Lennox Frederick off Cadiz. Assuming the acting-command, 10 July, 1799, of the Salamine 16, to which sloop he was officially appointed 30 June, 1800, Capt. Briggs assisted at the reduction of Genoa; took, 21 Jan. 1801, in company with the Caroline 36, a xebec, laden with arms, and mounting 4 guns, with a crew of 24 men; and, in March following, was sent by Capt. Manley Dixon, of the Généreux 74, then at Port Mahon, to Rear-Admiral Sir John Borlase Warren off Toulon with the intelligence of M. Ganteaume having sailed from the latter place with troops for Egypt, in consequence of which the French Admiral was pursued and induced to put back. While next engaged in the expedition under Lord Keith and Sir Ralph Abercromby, for his services during which he obtained the Turkish gold medal and the order of the Crescent, Capt. Briggs was promoted to Post-rank by commission dated 24 July in the same year. His succeeding appointments afloat were, in Aug. following, to the Madras 54, flag-ship of Sir Rich. Bickerton off Alexandria – in 1802 to the Agincourt 64, on the Mediterranean and Home stations – 14 Dec. 1805, to the Orpheus 32, in which he captured, 25 Sept. and 12 Nov. 1806, the privateers Guadeloupe, of 3 guns and 54 men, and Susanna, of 4 guns and 20 men, and was subsequently wrecked on the coral reef, Jamaica, 23 Jan. 1807, when he was personally rescued off the bowsprit of his ship by the present Lieut. Henry Belsey, in a boat belonging to the Elephant 74 – 27 April, 1808, to the temporary command of the Theseus 74, off L’Orient – 7 Nov. in the same year, to the Clorinde 38, on the East India station, where he took, 28 Jan. 1810, L’Henri privateer, of 8 guns and 57 men, proved of material service in disembarking the troops at the reduction of the Isle of France in Dec. 1810, and was next employed in the China Sea – in Oct. 1814, to the Leviathan 74, which ship, after serving on the Lisbon, Cork, and Mediterranean stations, was paid off 19 July, 1816 – and, 15 May, 1818, to the Queen Charlotte 100, as Flag-Captain at Portsmouth to Sir Geo. Campbell, with whom he continued until Feb. Z821. In 1823 Capt. Briggs was nominated Resident Commissioner of the Navy at Bermuda. He removed to Malta in 1829; attained the rank of Rear-Admiral 27 June, 1832; was appointed, about the same period, Superintendent of Malta Dockyard, where he remained until 1838; received the G.C.M.G. in 1833, for his services in the temporary command of the Mediterranean squadron; and was made a Vice- Admiral 23 Nov. 1841.

Sir Thos. Briggs married, in 1814, Isabella Harriet, daughter of General Trepand, and has had issue three sons, of whom the eldest, George Campbell, died a Lieutenant R.N. He has also a daughter married to Capt. Geo. Bohun Martin, R.N., C.B. Agents – Messrs. Chard.



BRIGSTOCKE. (Commander, 1821. f-p., 11;[1] h-p., 29.)

Thomas Robert Brigstocke entered the Navy, 8 Oct. 1807, as Fst.-cl. Vol., on board the Marlborough 74, Capt. Graham Moore, in which ship, after escorting the Royal family of Portugal to the Brazils, he attended, as Midshipman, the expedition to Flushing, and was employed, on the evacuation of Walcheren, in destroying the basin, arsenal, and sea-defences. He removed, in May, 1811, to the Acasta 40, Capt. Alex. Robt. Kerr, employed in the Bay of Biscay, Channel, and off St. Helena; rejoined Capt. Moore in the Chatham 74, on the North Sea station, in June, 1812; and, on his ensuing transference to the Java, of 46 guns and 377 men, was present, 29 Dec, off S. Salvador, in the gallant action that rendered the latter a prize to the American ship Constitution, of 55 guns and 480 men, after an obstinate conflict of 3 hours and 40 minutes, in which the British lost 22 men killed and 102 (including her Captain, Henry Lambert, mortally) wounded. In April, 1813, Mr. Brigstocke, who had been exchanged, joined the Eurotas, of 46 guns and 320 men, Capt. John Phillimore, under whom he witnessed, 23 Oct. following, the Andromache’s capture of La France [errata 1]; and was wounded, 25 Feb. 1814, in a successful engagement of 2 hours and 10 minutes, fought between the Eurotas and La Clorinde French frigate, mounting 44 guns and 12 brass swivels, with a complement of 360 picked men, of whom 120 were killed and wounded, with a loss to the British of 20 slain and 40 wounded. He was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant on 29 Nov. in the same year, and afterwards served, from 13 Dec. 1817, until advanced to his present rank, 31 Jan. 1821, in the Lee 20, Capt. John Pasco, lying at Plymouth, and, as Flag-Lieutenant to Sir Geo. Campbell, in the Queen Charlotte first-rate, at Portsmouth. He has not since been afloat.

Commander Brigstocke married, 24 July, 1822, Elizabeth Lydia, daughter and co-heiress of Geo. Player, Esq., of Ryde House, Isle of Wight; and has, with other issue, a daughter, Eustatia Georgina Player, married, 8 April, 1846, to James Butler Fellowes, Esq., 45th Regt., eldest son of Sir Jas. Fellowes. Agents – Messrs. Halford and Co.



BRINE. (Captain, 1818. f-p., 22; h-p., 280.)

George Brine is son of the late Admiral Jas. Brine, who commanded the Belliqueux 64, in Sir Thos. Graves’ action with the Comte de Grasse, 5 Sept. 1781, and died in 1814; and brother of Rear-Admiral Augustus Brine, who died about the early part of 1840.

This officer entered the Navy, in Feb. 1797, as Midshipman, on board the Glory 98, commanded by his father in the Channel; removed, in 1799, to the Prince 98, flag-ship of Sir Roger Curtis, with whom he shortly afterwards proceeded to the Cape of Good Hope in the Lancaster 64; became, 23 July, 1802, Acting-Lieutenant of the Diomede 50, into which ship the latter officer had shifted his flag; was officially promoted 15 April, 1803; and afterwards served in the same ship under Sir Jas. Saumarez on the Guernsey station. In 1804-5 Mr. Brine officiated as Flag-Lieutenant to his father, who at that time held the second command at Plymouth; from 18 June in the latter year, until 1808, he was employed on board the Rose sloop, Capts. Lucius Curtis and Philip Pipon, in the Channel, Mediterranean, and Baltic; and he then served for four years in the Victory 100, flag-ship of Sir Jas. Saumarez, also in the Baltic, where he was advanced to the command of the Sheldrake sloop, 13 Aug. 1812. His last appointment was, 12 Aug. 1815, to the Mosquito 18, which vessel, after an employment of three years on the St. Helena station, he paid off within a few days of the receipt of his Post-commission, which was dated 7 Dec. 1818. He accepted the Retirement 1 Oct. 1846.

Capt. Brine married, 26 Aug. 1836, Caroline, eldest daughter of the late Michael Bush, Esq., of Great Ormond-street. He became a widower 7 Oct. 1846. Agent – J. Hinxman.



BRINE. (Lieutenant, 1845.)

George Augustus Brine entered the Navy in 1832; passed his examination 15 March, 1840; and served as Mate, in the East Indies, and on the S.E. coast of America, in the Blenheim 72, Capt. Sir Thos. Herbert, and Curaçao 24, Capt. Sir Thos. Sabine Pasley. He obtained his commission 9 Dec. 1845; and since 13 of the same month has been employed in the Pacific on board the Carysfort 26, Capt. Geo. Henry Seymour.


  1. Correction: La France should be amended to La Trave : detail

  1. Exclusive of some time employed as Inspecting Commander of the Coast Guard at Calbourne, Isle of Wight.