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DAVIES.
ment of his having saved the crews of three French vessels, has also conferred on him two gold “medals of merit;” and on the last occasion His Majesty presented him with the order of the Legion of Honour, which, however, the existing regulations did not permit him to accept. In addition to these testimonials of Commander Davies’ high merit, we may further enumerate the presentation of three pieces of plate, and the frequent thanks of the Board of Admiralty and of the Committee at Lloyd’s.
He married, 20 July, 1832, Julia, fourth daughter of Joseph Hume, Esq., for many years head of the Admiralty Department at Somerset House, by whom he has issue five children.
DAVIES. (Lieut., 1812. f-p., 19; h-p., 33.)
Hamilton Davies was born 28 Nov. 1784.
This officer entered the Navy, in July, 1795, as Yeoman of the Powder Room, on board the Heart of Oak fire-brig, Midshipman-in-command Wm. Beard, stationed off the coast of France; joined, in Feb. 1797, as Fst.-cl. Vol., the Royal Sovereign 100, bearing the flag of Sir Alan Gardner; served next, for 14 months, on board the Incendiary fire-ship, Capt. Geo. Barker, principally on the Jersey and Guernsey station; and on 20 June, 1798, was appointed Midshipman of the Virago gun-brig, Lieut.-Commander Wm. Beard, under whom we find him frequently in combat with the Algeciras flotilla, while in escort of convoys to Gibraltar. From Oct. 1798 until Sept. 1802, he afterwards served in the Spartiate 74, Capt. Hon. Chas Herbert Pierrepont, off Lisbon, Cambridge 80, flag-ship at Plymouth of Sir Thos. Pasley, and Ambuscade 36, Capt. Hon. John Colville. Under the latter officer, he appears to have often skirmished with the enemy off the coast of France, and in Samana Bay, St. Domingo. He next joined, 24 March, 1803, the Conqueror 74, Capts. Thos. Louis and Israel Pellew; and while in that ship, he accompanied Lord Nelson to the West Indies in pursuit of the combined fleets of France and Spain, in the summer of 1805, and was afterwards present in the battle of Trafalgar. On 20 Jan. 1808, while in charge of a prize, Mr. Davies, who had passed his examination in July, 1805, was unfortunately taken prisoner by the French. He was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant 20 Nov. 1812; but remained in captivity until May, 1814; since which period he has not been afloat.
Lieutenant Davies married 28 Sept. 1814; and has issue two sons and one daughter. Agents – Messrs. Ommanney.
DAVIES. (Captain, 1814. f-p., 17; h-p., 36.)
Henry Thomas Davies entered the Navy, 3 March, 1794, as Captain’s Servant, on board the Triton 28, Capt. John Elphinstone, lying in Portsmouth harbour; and, on soon after removing with the same officer to the Glory 98, bore a part in Lord Howe’s action of the 1st of June. He continued to serve with Capt. Elphinstone – as Midshipman and Master’s Mate of the Barfleur, Monarch, and Queen Charlotte, flag-ships of the late Lord Keith, and of the Diomede 50 – until March, 1800; during which period, while in the Monarch, he assisted at the reduction of the Cape of Good Hope in 1795, and was present at the surrender of the Dutch squadron in Saldanha Bay, 17 Aug. 1796. Mr. Davies returned home from the East Indies early in 1800, on board L’Oiseau 36, Capt. Sam. Hood Linzee; and on 24 Dec. in that year, after again serving with Capt. Elphinstone in the Hector 74, and with Lord Keith in the Foudroyant 80, was promoted to a Lieutenancy in the Winchelsea 32, Capt. John Hatley. In the course of 1801 he obtained a medal for his services in Egypt; subsequently to which we find him appointed – in Dec. of the latter year, to the Zealous 74, Capt. S. H. Linzee, whom he accompanied to the West Indies – 19 March, 1804, after 18 months of half-pay, to the Ruby 64, Capt. Chas. Rowley, employed in the North Sea and off Cadiz – 18 Jan. 1805, to the Matilda, as Flag-Lieutenant in the river Thames to Hon. Henry Edwin Stanhope – and, 6 Feb. 1806, in the capacity of First-Lieutenant, to the Blanche of 46 guns and 265 men, Capt. Thos. Lavie. For his conduct, and the strong recommendation of his commander, at the capture, 19 July following, off the Faeroe Islands, of the Guerrière French frigate, of 50 guns and 317 men, which struck her colours at the close of a warm action, in which the British lost only 4 men wounded, and the enemy 50 killed and wounded, Mr. Davies was rewarded with a Commander’s commission, dated on 28 of the same month.[1] He assumed command, in Jan. 1809, of the Tyrian 10, on the Channel station, where he removed, 3 Aug. 1811, to the Albacore 18; and, on 18 Dec. 1812, he particularly distinguished himself by the gallantry with which, in company with two or three smaller vessels, he pursued and engaged, with a loss to the Albacore of 1 Lieutenant killed and 6 or 7 men wounded, the French 40-gun frigate La Gloire who ultimately efiected her escape. Capt. Davies attained Post-rank 19 Feb. 1814; and, from 9 June following until 10 July, 1815, further commanded the Niagara 20, and Prince Regent 56, on Lake Ontario. He accepted the Retirement 1 Oct. 1846.
His only son, the Rev. H. C. Davies, of Sydney College, Cambridge, died 5 Aug. 1836.
DAVIES. (Commander, 1816. f-p., 16; h-p., 34.)
John Davies was born 3 May, 1781.
This officer entered the Navy, 28 Sept. 1797, as A. B., on board the Sulphur 12, Capts. Jas. Keith Sheppard and John Wainwright, under whom, during the three following years, he was frequently in action with the enemy’s batteries and flotilla at Havre de Grace. From Aug. 1803 to March, 1808, he next served, in the North Sea and Baltic, on board the St. Alban’s 64, Capt. John Temple, and Dictator 64, Capts. Jas. Macnamara and Donald Campbell; and, while in the latter ship, was present at the bombardment of Copenhagen in Sept. 1807, and commanded, 9 Aug. 1808, a gun-boat, under Capt. Macnamara, at the attack and capture, previous to the embarkation from Nyeborg of the Marquis de la Romana and his army, of a Danish man-of-war brig, the Fama of 18, and her consort, the Salorman cutter of 12 guns. On leaving the Dictator, Mr. Davies rejoined the last-mentioned officer in the Edgar 74; from which ship, having passed his examination 3 Feb. 1806, he was promoted, 25 Nov. 1808, to an Acting-Lieutenancy in the Hound bomb, Capt. Nich. Lockyer. He was confirmed by the Admiralty in his new rank 2 Feb. 1809; and was subsequently appointed – 22 May following, again to the Edgar – 10 March, 1810, to the Berwick 74, Capts. J. Macnamara and Edw. Brace – 16 June, 1812, to the Thames 32, Capts. Chas. Napier and John Strutt Peyton – 26 Feb. 1814, to the Warspite 74, Capt. Lord Jas. O’Bryen – and, 25 March, 1815, and 3 July, 1816, to the Boyne 98, and Queen Charlotte 100, flag-ships of Lord Exmouth. When in the Berwick, Mr. Davies assisted in causing the destruction, near Barfleur, of the French 40-gun frigate Amazone, 25 March, 1811; and, while Senior of the Thames, he acquired, in 1813, the approbation of his commander by his conduct at the capture,[2] in face of considerable opposition, of the island of Ponza, and cooperated with the patriots on the coast of Catalonia, where he served at the arduous reduction of the Col de Balaguer. For his exertions at the bombardment of Algiers, 27 Aug. 1816, on which occasion he commanded a gun-boat, Lieutenant Davies was advanced to his present rank, by commission dated 8 Oct. in the same year.[3] He has since been on half-pay.
He married, 10 Oct. 1820, Maria, youngest daughter of Peter Pavin, Esq., of Milford Haven, co. Pembroke, by whom he has issue two children.
