Page:A Naval Biographical Dictionary.djvu/235

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221

COMPTON—CONANT—CONGDON.

100, flag-ships of Vice-Admiral Hotham and Sir John Jervis, on the West India and Home stations, as also in the Mediterranean, where, in the Romulus, he beheld the occupation of Toulon in Aug. 1794. Being confirmed, 11 March, 1796, to a Lieutenancy in the Agamemnon 64, Capt. Horatio Nelson, he continued to be employed with that hero in the Captain 74, Theseus 74, Seahorse 38, Vanguard 74, and Foudroyant 80, until 1799; and was consequently present, during that period, – latterly as First-Lieutenant, – at the siege of Porto Ferrajo, the cutting out of four French vessels from under a heavy fire at Loano, the battle of Cape St. Vincent, the attack on Santa Cruz, Teneriffe, the victory of the Nile, and throughout the various operations in the Bay of Naples which led to the restoration of the King of the Two Sicilies. Having been confirmed in the command, 3 Sept. 1799, of the Perseus bomb, he further served at the blockades of Alexandria and Malta, and in many active operations on the coast of Italy, including the reduction of Civita Vecchia. Capt. Compton, who has not been afloat since the peace of Amiens, accepted his present rank 10 Sept. 1840.



COMPTON. (Lieutenant, 1838.)

John Compton entered the Navy 31 Oct. 1823; passed his examination in 1830; obtained his commission 28 June, 1838; and was next successively appointed – 13 July, 1839, to the Stag 46, bearing the broad pendant of Commodore Thos. Ball Sullivan – 11 Jan. and 19 Oct. 1840, to the Grecian 16, Capt. Wm. Smith, and Curaçoa 24, Capt. Jenkin Jones – and, 26 July, 1841, to the Rose 18, Capts. Peter Christie and Thos. Baillie, all on the South American station. From 14 May, 1844, until 1845, he further served in the St. Vincent 120, flag-ship at Portsmouth of Sir Chas. Rowley and Sir Chas. Ogle, part of an experimental squadron lately under the orders of Rear-Admirals Hyde Parker and Sir Sam. Pym. He is now on half-pay.



COMPTON. (Lieut., 1815. f-p., 20; h-p., 24.)

Richard Compton Was born, 30 Dec. 1784, at Paington, co. Devon.

This officer entered the Navy, 3 Oct. 1803, as a Supernumerary, on board the Zealand 64, guardship at the Nore; and on joining, 11 Nov. following, the Champion 24, Capts. Robt. Howe Bromley and Kenneth Mackenzie, appears, for four consecutive years, to have been in frequent and very hazardous conflict with the enemy’s flotilla and batteries between Ostend and Havre. During that period he also made a short trip to America. With Capts. Bromley, Chas. Worsley Boys, and others, Mr. Compton afterwards served on board the Solebay 32, and Statira 38; and in the latter ship he was present at the forcing, in Aug. 1809, of the passage between the batteries of Flushing and Cadsand, and the reduction, in Feb. 1810, of Guadeloupe. After an additional servitude of five years, repeatedly as Acting-Lieutenant, in the Blonde 38, Capt. Thos. Huskisson, Macedonian 38, Capts. Lord Wm. Fitzroy, Hon. Wm. Waldegrave, and John Surman Carden, Conquestador 74, Capt. Lord Wm. Stuart, Maeander 38, Capt. John Bastard, and Aquilon 32, Capt. Thos. Burton, on the Lisbon, Home, and West India stations, he was at length, having passed his examination in 1811, confirmed in the rank he now holds by commission dated 13 Feb. 1815. Mr. Compton was subsequently appointed, 7 Feb. 1827, First-Lieutenant of the Alert 8, Capts. Sam. Burgess and John Coghlan Fitzgerald, under whom he continued successively employed until the summer of 1831, when a severe attack of gout compelled him to invalid. Since then he has been on half-pay.

He is married, and has issue seven children.



COMPTON, Lord. (Commander, 1842.)

The Right Honourable Lord William Compton, born 21 Aug. 1818, is second son of the Marquess of Northampton, by Margaret, eldest daughter of the late Major-Gen. Douglas Maclean Clephane, of Forloisk, N.B.; and brother-in-law of Lord Alford, son of the Earl of Brownlow.

This officer entered the Navy 6 June, 1831; passed his examination in 1837; was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant 16 Dec. 1839; joined, a few days afterwards, the Melville 72, flag-ship at the Cape of Good Hope, and then in the East Indies, of Hon. Geo. Elliot; and, on 13 Feb. 1841, was appointed to the Wellesley 72, Commodore Sir Jas. John Gordon Bremer. The great exertions of his Lordship, when in command, jointly with Acting-Lieutenants Geo. Campbell Fowler and John Astle, of the barge and two cutters belonging to the Wellesley, had the happy effect, on the evening of 24 May following, of preserving that ship, then in the Boca Tigris, from a most formidable and well-planned attempt made on the part of the Chinese to destroy her by means of a flotilla of nearly 20 fire-vessels, the whole of which, although in many instances chained in couples, and some even three together, were towed clear, without doing the slightest injury.[1] Since the attainment of his present rank, 19 Aug. 1842, Lord Wm. Compton – who, on 10 Oct. in ’the previous year, had further commanded the Wellesley’s boats at the reduction of Chinghae[2] – has been unemployed.

He married, 21 Aug. 1844, Elizabeth, daughter of Rear-Admiral Hon. Geo. Elliot, C.B. Agents – Messrs. Stilwell.



CONANT. (Retired Commander, 1831. f-p., 8; h-p., 45.)

John Edward Conant entered the Navy, 21 April, 1794, as Ordinary, on board the Suffolk 74, Commodore Peter Rainier; and, on arriving in the East Indies, became successively attached, as Midshipman, to the Swift 16, and Centurion 50, both commanded by Capt. John Sprat Rainier, in the former of which he received a severe contusion at the reduction of the Moluccas. Having returned to England, he was next, in Aug. 1798, received on board the Beaulieu 40, Capt. Fras. Fayerman, with whom he served in the Mediterranean until Nov. 1800. He then came home – joined the Royal William, and Ville de Paris, flag-ships of Sir Peter Parker and Earl St. Vincent – and on his promotion to the rank of Lieutenant, 18 July, 1801, was appointed to the Princess Royal 98, bearing the flag of Sir Erasmus Gower. Commander Conant, who invalided in Jan. 1802, and has not since been afloat, became a Retired Commander on the Junior list 13 July, 1831, and on the Senior 10 March, 1846.

He is a retired police magistrate. Agents – Messrs. Stilwell.



CONGDON. (Lieut., 1816. f-p., 24; h-p., 16.)

William Congdon entered the Navy, 26 Nov. 1807, as Sec.-cl. Vol., on board the Superb 74, Capt. Sam. Jackson, with whom he soon afterwards visited the Mediterranean in pursuit of a French squadron that had effected its escape from Rochefort. After a further servitude of some months in the Baltic under the flag of Sir Rich. Goodwin Keats, the subject of this notice – who had in the mean while contributed, in the Mistletoe, tender to the Superb, to the capture of one and the defeat of another of the enemy’s brigs – joined the Derwent 18, Capt. Joseph Swabey Tetley, off Flushing. He next, in the early part of 1810, proceeded to the East Indies as Midshipman of the Chichester store-ship, Master-Commander Wm. M‘Kirby; and becoming attached, subsequently, to the Illustrious 74, Commodore Wm. Robt. Broughton, and Caroline 36, Capt. Christopher Cole, assisted at the reduction of Java in Aug. 1811. From Jan. 1812 to March, 1814, he appears to have again served with Mr. M‘Kirby in the Abundance and Cormorant store-ships, on the Mediterranean, Cape of Good Hope, and Lisbon stations; after which we find him doing duty at Newfoundland, as Acting

  1. Vide Gaz. 1841, p. 2514.
  2. Vide Gaz. 1842, p. 397.