Page:A Naval Biographical Dictionary.djvu/269

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255

CURZON—CUTLER.

Arthur Kaye Legge; and, continuing to serve in that ship for the period of six years, was present in Sir Robt. Calder’s action with the combined fleets of France and Spain, 22 July, 1805 – witnessed the capture of the Marengo of 80 guns, bearing the flag of Admiral Linois, and 40-gun frigate Belle Poule, 13 March, 1806 – was at the taking of Le President 44, by a squadron under Sir Thos. Louis, 27 Sept. following – and attended the expeditions to Constantinople and Flushing in Feb. 1807, and Aug. 1809. Being confirmed to a Lieutenancy in the Blake 74, Capt. Edw. Codrington, 14 March, 1811, he served on the coast of Catalonia until March, 1813; after which he joined, 5 March, 1814, the Tonnant 80, flag-ship of Hon. Sir Alex. Inglis Cochrane, and was employed on shore as an Aide-de-Camp to the Commander of the Forces during the ensuing operations against New Orleans. At the termination of hostilities with the United States, Mr. Curzon obtained a second promotal commission dated 29 March, 1815. He subsequently commanded the Pelican 18, on the West India station, from 23 July, 1816, until 7 Dec. 1818; and on 10 Oct. 1822, was appointed to the Fly 18, fitting for the South American station, where he assumed Post-rank 8 Feb. 1823. Becoming Flag-Captain to Sir Edw. Codrington, in the Asia of 84 guns, 6 Oct. 1826, he obtained the highest praise for the able and zealous assistance he afforded that distinguished officer at the battle of Navarin, 20 Oct. 1827.[1] He was superseded from the Asia in 1828; and, with the exception of a few months in 1831, when he commanded the Caledonia 120, as an experimental ship, was not further employed. He accepted the Retirement 1 Oct. 1846.

Capt. Curzon, for his services at Navarin, was nominated a C.B. 18 Nov. 1827,[2] and invested with the orders of St. Louis of France, St. Vladimir of Russia, and the Redeemer of Greece. He is Senior Captain on the list of 1823. Agents – Hallett and Robinson.



CURZON. (Lieutenant, 1843.)

The Honourable Frederick Curzon entered the Navy 13 April, 1836; passed his examination 7 Feb. 1843; and after an intermediate servitude, as Mate, on board the St. Vincent 120, flag-ship at Portsmouth of Sir Chas. Rowley, and Victoria and Albert yacht, Capt. Lord Adolphus FitzClarence, was awarded a commission 30 Dec. following. He joined, 9 Sept. 1844, the Mutine 12, Capt. Rich. Borough Crawford, at the Cape of Good Hope; and since 23 April, 1846, has been employed in the Pacific in the Constance 50, Capt. Sir Baldwin Wake Walker.



CURZON. (Admiral of the Red, 1837. f-p., 24; h-p., 46.)

The Honourable Henry Curzon was born 24 May, 1765, and died 2 May, 1846, at Derby. He was youngest son of the first Lord Scarsdale, by Caroline, daughter of Charles, second Earl of Portmore; and uncle of the present Lord Scarsdale, as also of the Hon. Wm. Curzon, Deputy Assistant Adjutant General to the Army in the Netherlands, who fell at Waterloo.

This officer entered the Navy, 14 Oct. 1776, as A.B., on board the Aeolus frigate, Capt. Christ. Atkins, and on his return from the West Indies in 1780, became Midshipman of the Magnanime 64, Capt. Chas. Wolseley. In that ship he sailed for India, and there joining the Superb 74, bearing the flag of Sir Edw. Hughes, took part, on 12 April, 6 July, and 3 Sept. 1782, in three general actions with the French fleet under M. de Suffrein, the collective loss of the Superb on which occasions amounted to 70 killed and 167 wounded. Being promoted, 1 Feb. 1783, to a Lieutenancy in the Minorca, Capt. John Gell Mr. Curzon was further present in Sir E. Hughes’ fifth and last action with the enemy, off Cuddalore, 20 June following, when the latter ship had 6 men slain and 14 wounded. Between July, 1784, and March, 1790, he next served in the Flora, Ambuscade, and Aquilon frigates, Capts. Geo. Storey, O’Hara, and Robt. Montagu, and, as First-Lieutenant, in the Adamant 50, flag-ship of Sir Rich. Hughes, on the Jamaica, Home, Mediterranean, and Halifax stations. He then came home as Acting-Commander of the Brisk sloop; was confirmed to the Tisiphone fire-ship, 21 Sept. in the same year; and on 22 of the succeeding Nov. was advanced to Post-rank. Until he invalided, in June, 1801, Capt. Curzon was subsequently appointed – in June, 1791, to the Lapwing 28 – 22 Jan. 1794, to the Pallas 32 – 28 Feb. 1799, to the Indefatigable 46 – and, in April, 1801, to the Audacious 74. When in the Lapwing, he was sent to Villa Franca for the protection of British property, on the occasion of the French taking possession of Nice in 1792; and at the commencement of the war he brought a convoy home from Gibraltar. On his removal to the Pallas, he acquitted himself very much to the satisfaction of the Hon. Wm. Cornwallis by the manner in which he repeated that gallant officer’s signals during the celebrated retreat of 16 and 17 June, 1795;[3] after which he captured, 16 July, 1797, the San José y Nuestra Señora de Begogna, Spanish letter-of-marque, of 16 guns and 52 men, and was wrecked, on Mount Batten Point, in Plymouth Sound, 4 April, 1798. During his command of the Indefatigable, he further captured, in May, 1799, and on 12 June and 23 Oct. 1800, La Vénus and Le Vengeur, privateers, carrying between them 30 guns and 201 men, and, in company with the Fisgard, the French frigate La Vénus, of 32 guns and 200 men.[4] He also, in the autumn of 1800, attended the expedition to Ferrol. After an interval of six years, occasioned by extreme ill health, Capt. Curzon obtained command, 10 June, 1807, of the Elizabeth 74; in which ship he served for some time at the blockade of Lisbon – escorted the Russian fleet to England subsequently to the convention of Cintra – superintended the embarkation of Sir John Moore’s army at Corunna in Jan. 1809 – and ultimately brought a convoy home from the Brazils. Capt. Curzon, who had been appointed a Colonel of Marines, 25 Oct. 1809, was superseded from the Elizabeth on attaining the rank of Rear-Admiral, 31 July, 1810. He subsequently became a Vice-Admiral, 4 June, 1814; and on 22 July, 1830, was made a full Admiral, but he never hoisted his flag. Agents – Hallett and Robinson.



CUTLER. (Lieut., 1812. f-p., 16; h-p., 31.)

Frank Cutler entered the Navy, 5 April, 1800, as Fst.-cl. Vol., on board the Caesar 80, Capt., afterwards Rear-Admiral, Sir Jas. Saumarez; under whom he successively bore a part, 6 June, 1801, in the battle off Algesiras, and, six days later, in the victory gained over the Franco-Spanish squadron near Cadiz. In Dec. 1802, he next joined the Minerve, of 48 guns, Capt. Jahleel Brenton, and was serving on board that frigate when she took the ground under the batteries of Cherbourg, and was compelled, in spite of a sanguinary resistance of several hours, to strike her colours, 2 July, 1803. After a period of nearly six years spent in bondage, Mr. Cutler at length regained his liberty in June, 1809; between which period and the date of his promotion, 21 March, 1812, he further served, as Midshipman and Master’s Mate, in the Ajax 74, Capt. Robt. Waller Otway, fitting at Portsmouth; Crocus sloop, Capt. Hon. Wm. Walpole, cruizing in the Channel; Curaçoa 36, Capt. John Tower (under whom he sailed with convoy for the East Indies); and Daphne 20, Capt. Philip Pipon, stationed in the Baltic. His next appointments were – 18 May, 1812, to the Clio 18, Capt. Wm. Ffarington, the boats of which sloop he commanded in conjunction with those of the Hamadryad 36, under Lieut. Pesley, at the capture, off Hermeren, of a French privateer, Le Pilotin, carrying 4 12-pounder

  1. Vide Gaz. 1887, p. 2322.
  2. Vide Gaz. 1827, p. 2331.
  3. Vide Gaz. 1795, p. 656.
  4. Vide Gaz. 1800, p. 1256.