243
CRITCHELL—CROCKER—CROFT—CROFTON.
across the river;[1] and, on 11 Sept. following, he was on board the Confiance, of 37 guns and 270 men, Capt. Geo. Downie, when that ship and several others were taken beneath the hostile batteries of Plattsburgh, on Lake Champlain, by a greatly superior American squadron under Commodore Macdonough, on which occasion the loss of the Confiance amounted to 41 killed, including Capt. Downie, and 60 wounded. Mr. Criswick, whose commission is dated 9 March, 1815, has not since been employed.
He is married, and has issue.
CRITCHELL. (Commander, 1846. f-p., 24; h-p., 14.)
William Critchell entered the Navy, 22 Aug. 1809, as Fst.-cl. Vol., on board the Caledonia 120, Capt. Wm. Bedford, flag-ship afterwards of Sir Harry Burrard Neale, whom he followed, as Midshipman, in 1811, into the Boyne 98. From 1812 until July, 1816, this officer, who had been hitherto employed in the Channel, served with Capt. Phipps Hornby of the Stag and Spartan frigates, on the Cape of Good Hope and Mediterranean stations; after which he became attached, as Admiralty Midshipman, to the Martin 16, Capt. Andrew Mitchell, off Cork, and Iphigenia 36, Capts. John Tancock and Hyde Parker, under the latter of whom, in 1818, he escorted to Quebec the Duke of Richmond, then recently appointed Governor-General of Canada. He was confirmed to a Lieutenancy in the Confiance, Capt. Alex. Montgomerie, on the West India station, 14 Oct. 1819; and afterwards appointed – 11 Sept. 1824, to the Esk 20, Capt. Wm. Jardine Purchas, off the coast of Africa – 3 July, 1834, as First, to the Wolf 18, Capt. Edw. Stanley, in the East Indies – 15 April, 1836, to a station in the Coast Guard – 16 Dec. 1837, and 27 June, 1839, again as Senior Lieutenant, to the Electra 18, Capts. Wm. Preston and Edw. Keeves Philip Mainwaring, and President 50, Capt. Wm. Broughton, on the South American station – and, 1 March, 1843, and 16 Nov. 1844, in a similar capacity, to the Hecla steam-sloop, Capt. John Duffill, and Bonetta surveying-vessel, Capt. Thos. Saumarez Brock, both employed in the Mediterranean. Since the attainment of his present rank, 9 Nov. 1846, Commander Critchell has been on half-pay.
He married, 23 Feb. 1830, Fanny, youngest daughter of the late T. Croft, Esq., by whom he has issue. Agents – Messrs. Chard.
CROCKER. (Lieut., 1812. f-p., 37; h-p., 6.)
Henry Crocker entered the Navy, 12 July, 1804, as Fst.-cl. Vol., on board the Adamant 50, Capt. Geo. Burlton, on the Home station; and, on removing to the Resolution 74, attained the rating of Midshipman 2 July, 1806, and was present, under the same officer, at the bombardment of Copenhagen in 1807. In 1808 he joined the Trident 64, Capt. Campbell, in the Mediterranean, where he appears to have been successively transferred, until Sept. 1810, to the Kingfisher 18, Capt. Hepenstall, Theodosia, Lieut.-Commander Thos. Younger, and Ganymede 26, Capt. Robt. Cathcart. From May, 1811, until promoted, 7 Feb. 1812, he next served in the West Indies on board the Arethusa 38, bearing the flag of Vice-Admiral Chas. Stirling, and Polyphemus 64, Capt. Peter John Douglas, in which latter ship he returned to England. Being then appointed to the Brazen 18, Capt. Jas. Stirling, he visited Hudson’s Bay, and again the West Indies, on his arrival home from which station he was paid off in Sept. 1815. Mr. Crocker (who subsequently joined, 11 Feb. 1818, the Grasshopper 18, Capt. Henry Forbes) obtained an appointment in the Coast Guard 29 March, 1820; and, since his resignation of that office in 1833, has been successively invested with the command – 18 March, 1834, of the Wickham revenue-cutter – 22 June, 1836, again of a Coast Guard station – 4 Sept. 1838, of the Wickham again – 22 March, 1839, of the Syrian packet, on the Falmouth station – 27 Feb. 1843, once more of a station in the Coast Guard – and, 20 June following, and 29 Jan. 1844, of the Shamrock and Prince Albert, other revenue-vessels, in the latter of which he is at present serving.
CROFT. (Lieutenant, 1841)
Henry Croft is third son of Rear-Admiral Croft. This officer entered the Navy 16 Feb. 1828; passed his examination 7 Feb. 1833; and was serving on the North America and West India station, as Mate of the Rover 18, Capt. Chas. Keele, when promoted to the rank of Lieutenant, 23 Nov. 1841. He was afterwards appointed, 15 July and 23 Dec. 1842, to the Queen 110, flag-ship of Sir Edw. W. C. B. Owen, and Scout 18, Capt. Hon. Jas. Robt. Drummond, both on the Mediterranean station, whence he returned home and was paid off in the summer of 1845. Since 11 June, 1846, Mr. Croft has been employed, latterly in the Mediterranean, as First of the Crocodile 8, Capt. Geo. Lowe, and Spartan 22, Capt. Thos. Matt. Chas. Symonds. Agent – Joseph Woodhead.
CROFT. (Rear-Admiral of the White, 1841. f-p., 12; h-p., 40.)
William Croft, born in April, 1782, is second son of the late Stephen Croft, Esq., of Stillington Hall, co. York; and brother of Col. Harry Croft, now of Stillington, a magistrate and deputy-lieutenant for that county.
This officer entered the Navy, 1 Sept. 1795, as Fst.-cl. Vol., on board the Amazon 36, Capt. Robt. Carthew Reynolds. In April, 1796, he assisted, in company with the Indefatigable 46, Capt. Sir Edw. Pellew, at the capture of L’Unité, of 38, and La Virginie, of 44 guns; and, on 14 Jan. 1797, he was wrecked and taken prisoner, near Isle Bas, at the close of a gallant action of 10 hours with Les Droits de l’Homme 74, on which occasion the Amazon, whose consort in the engagement had again been the Indefatigable, sustained a loss of 3 men killed and 15 wounded. On being released Mr. Croft, in 1797, joined, as Midshipman, the Centaur 74, Capt. John Markham, under whom he took part in the reduction of Minorca, in Nov. 1798. Becoming subsequently attached to the Foudroyant 80, bearing the flag of Lord Keith, he attended the expedition of 1801 to Egypt, where he served on shore with the naval brigade, and was present at the capitulation of Alexandria. He was confirmed, 22 Dec. in the same year, to a Lieutenantcy in the Success 32, Capt. Geo. Burlton; and being paid off at the peace, was next successively appointed, in the course of 1803, to the Revolutionnaire 44, Capt. Walter Lock, Camel store-ship, Capt. John Ayscough, and Hercule 74, flagship of Sir John Thos. Duckworth. After witnessing the unfortunate attack on Curaçoa he was promoted to the command of the Vigilante sloop, 8 May, 1804. Invaliding, however, in the following August, he did not again go afloat until appointed, 4 Feb. 1807, to the Alacrity 18. For his services during the subsequent operations against Copenhagen, Capt. Croft was elevated to Post-rank, by commission dated 13 Oct. 1807. From Aug. 1810, until Dec. 1813, he further officiated as regulating officer at Hull. Unable to procure employment, he has since been on half-pay. His advancement to Flag-rank took place 23 Nov. 1841.
Rear-Admiral Croft is Treasurer of the North Riding of Yorkshire. He married, in March, 1805, Harriet, eldest daughter of the late Hall Plumer, Esq., of Hockton Hall, co. York, and niece of Sir Thos. Plumer, Master of the Rolls, by whom he has issue ten children. His third son, Henry, is a Lieutenant R.N.; and his youngest daughter, Marianne, the wife of Capt. Geo. Joseph Huband, late of the 8th Hussars.
CROFTON. (Captain, 1812. f-p., 20; h-p., 29)
The Honourable George Alfred Crofton, born in 1785, is third son of Sir Edw. Crofton, Bart., M.P., Colonel of the Roscommon Militia, by
- ↑ Vide Gaz. 1814, p. 1366.
