Page:A Naval Biographical Dictionary.djvu/168

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154

BUTCHER—BUTLER.

tion; and afterwards, having rejoined Capt. Raggett in the Spencer 74, assisted at the capture of Castine, in Penobscot Bay. On 23 Feb. 1815, Mr. Butcher was confirmed a Lieutenant in the Clinker gun-brig, Capt. Joseph Crew Tullidge, and during the “Hundred Days” he appears to hare been employed in conveying the Duc de Douro and 200 French officers in the interests of Louis XVIII., together with 10,000 stand of arms, to the coast of France; after which he aided in quelling the riots at North and South Shields, and was paid off 5 Dec. in the same year. He subsequently served for two years in a transport at the Cape of Good Hope. He joinned the Coast Guard 22 Nov. 1822; removed, 18 Feb. 1827, to the command of the Redbreast R.C., stationed in Boston Deeps, where he remained until 11 July, 1842, during which period he seized eight vessels and acted 13 times as an Inspecting-Commander; and since the latter date has again been in charge of a station on shore.

Lieut. Butcher married, 8 Dec. 1815, Sarah Long, daughter of John Taplin, Esq., of Portsmouth, and has issue six children. Agents – Messrs. Stilwell.



BUTCHER. (Lieut., 1815. f-p., 26; h-p., 14.)

Robert Butcher is brother of Lieut. Jonathan Butcher, R.N.

This officer entered the Navy, 18 July, 1807, as A.B., on board the Forward gun-brig, Lieut.-Commander David Shells, stationed in the Baltic. He served, as Midshipman, from Dec. following until Oct. 1811, in the Paulina brig, Capts. John Rich. Lumley and Westby Percival, in the Mediterranean; then became Second-Master of the Pylades (afterwards Carlotta) gun-brig, Lieut.Commanders Newdigate Poyntz and Rich. Howell Fleming, under the latter of whom he saw a good deal of active service on the same station; removed, in Dec. 1813, to the Rivoli 74, Capts. Graham Eden Hamond and Edw. Stirling Dickson; joined, in July, 1814, the Berwick 74, Capt. Edw. Brace; and, on returning home, in Feb. 1815, was appointed Master’s Mate of the Spey 20, Capt. Geo. Ferguson. He was advanced to his present rank 3 March following, and in Aug. of the same year was paid off. He obtained command of the Tartar Revenue-vessel 28 March, 1831; was transferred to the Coast Guard 18 March, 1834; returned to the Tartar 27 March, 1840; and since 11 July, 1842, has again been in the Coast Guard. Agents – Messrs. Ommanney.



BUTCHER. (Rear-Admiral of the Red, 1840. f-p., 25; h-p., 36.)

Samuel Butcher, born 30 Oct. 1770, at Cople, co. Bedford, is a near relative of the late Admiral Sir Robt. Barlow, G.C.B., and of the present Capt. Chas. Anstruther Barlow, R.N., C.B.

This officer entered the Navy, 4 Feb. 1786, as Captain’s Servant, on board the Barracouta cutter, Lieut.-Commander Robt. Barlow, actively employed against the smugglers of the Channel; served, from Nov. 1788, until June, 1791, as A.B., in the Salisbury, flag-ship at Newfoundland of Admiral Milbanke; then rejoined Capt. Barlow, as Master’s Mate, in the Childers 16, attached to the force in the Channel; and, on his subsequent removal to the Queen 98, bearing the flag of Rear-Admiral Alan Gardner, witnessed the unfortunate attack on Martinique in 1793, and was present with Lord Howe in the actions of 28 and 29 May and 1 June, 1794, the two last days as Acting-Lieutenant. He was confirmed to the Aquilon 32, Capt. R. Barlow, 17 July following, and was First of that frigate when she acted as one of Lord Bridport’s repeaters in the action with the French fleet off Ile de Groix, 23 June, 1795. On 9 Oct. following Mr. Butcher was appointed to the Sans Pareil 80, fitting for the flag of Lord Hugh Seymour, with whom he continued to serve, in the Channel and West Indies, until 28 April, 1800, when he was promoted by that nobleman to the command of the Guachapin brig, of 14 4-pounder and 2 18-pounder carronades, with a complement of 65 men and boys. On 21 April, 1801 (a few weeks previously to which period, 19 Feb., his appointment had been confirmed), Capt. Butcher very gallantly, under cover of the Guachapin’s fire, cut a privateer out of the Bay of Aguada, Porto Rico, although lashed to the shore and defended by two formidable batteries and a whole range of howitzers and small arms; and, on 16 Aug. in the same year, he proved himself worthy of all praise by the capture, after a sterling conflict of two hours and a half, the yards of the two ships being part of the time locked together, of the Spanish letter-of-marque La Teresa, carrying (with 120 men) 2 long 18-pounder, 10 long 12-pounder, and 6 36-pounder carronades.[1] For these and other valuable services he was advanced to Post-rank 29 April, 1802. He afterwards, from March, 1804, until Dec. 1808, commanded a district of Sea Fencibles in Ireland; and was next, on 18 Nov. and 21 Dec. 1812, appointed, in succession, to the Barham 74, and Antelope 50. In the latter ship he was for some time employed in protecting the trade in the Great Belt, and while on that service was particularly successful in capturing the enemy’s gun-boats and privateers. On 1 March, 1814, having joined the fleet in the Roompot under Admiral Wm. Young, he was sent with two ships to reinforce a squadron of frigates in the West Scheldt. Owing, however, to the disablement of one of her pilots, and the desertion of the other, the Antelope, while in the act of forcing the Hondt passage for that purpose, unfortunately took the ground abreast of Flushing, and for 48 hours lay exposed to an incessant discharge of shells from the batteries of the place. She was, however, to the astonishment of the whole Roompot fleet, ultimately got off in safety through the colossal exertions of her officers and ship’s company, who justly received the unqualified acknowledgments of the Commander-in-Chief and of the Board of Admiralty. Capt. Butcher, by order from the Lord High Admiral, was subsequently, on the occasion of the grand levee at Portsmouth, presented to the Prince Regent, by Rear-Admiral Hon. Sir Henry Blackwood, as “the officer who had so highly distinguished himself in the Scheldt.” He paid off the Antelope, after a voyage to Quebec, 22 Dec. 1815, and has not since been afloat. His advancement to Flag-rank took place 17 Aug. 1840.

Rear-Admiral Butcher married, 4 Feb. 1806, Elizabeth, daughter of Rich. Townsend Herbert, Esq, of Caharneen, co. Kerry, and has issue five sons and three daughters.



BUTLER. (Lieutenant, 1846.)

Augustus Butler served for a considerable period on the East India station, as a Volunteer and Midshipman, in the Wellesley 72, under Sir Fred. Lewis Maitland, Sir Gordon Bremer, and Sir Wm. Parker. While so attached he witnessed the capture of Kurrachee from the Ameers of Scinde, and of Chusan from the Chinese, in 1839-40; accompanied Rear-Admiral Elliot up the Peiho River; took part in the celebrated attack on the Bogue Forts in Feb. 1841; served on shore and afloat throughout the operations connected with the ensuing capture of Canton; and was also employed at the taking of Amoy, the re-capture of Chusan, the storming of the fortified heights and citadel of Chinghae,[2] and the occupation of Ningpo. Volunteering as Midshipman (on the Wellesley’s departure) into the Algerine 10, Lieut.-Commander Wm. Heriot Maitland, Mr. Butler further assisted at the capture of the city of Chapoo 18 May, 1842,[3] and fought with the army on 16 June following in the assault on the enemy’s batteries at Woosung.[4] He passed his examination 13 July, 1843, and was ultimately, after having officiated as Mate, on th« Home and Mediterranean stations, of the Excellent gunnery-ship, Capt. Sir Thos. Hastings, and Hibernia 104, bearing the flag of Sir Wm. Parker, promoted to the rank he now holds by commission

  1. Vide Gaz. 1801, p. 1283.
  2. Vide Gaz. 1842, p. 3694.
  3. Vide Gaz. 1842, p. 396.
  4. Vide Gaz. 1842, p. 3400.