Page:A Naval Biographical Dictionary.djvu/321

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307

DREW—DRIFFIELD—DRUMMOND.

and South American stations; and, since 31 Oct. 1842, has been in the Coast Guard. Agents – Pettet and Newton.



DREW. (Commander, 1843. f-p., 32; h-p., 12.)

George Drew is elder brother of Lieut. Fred. Drew, R.N.

This officer entered the Navy, 30 .July, 1803, as Ordinary, on board the Hecate, Lieut.-Commander Parsons; and from the following November, until Sept. 1810, served under the late Lord Torrington, as Midshipman of the Texel 64, Malabar 50, and Belliqueux 64. In the latter ship he assisted at the reduction of the Cape of Good Hope in Jan. 1806, and was present at the capture and destruction, 27 Nov. following, of a Dutch frigate, seven brigs of war, and about 20 armed and other merchant-vessels, in Batavia Roads. On leaving the Belliqueux, Mr. Drew became successively Master’s Mate and Acting-Lieutenant of the Russel 74, flag-ship of Vice-Admiral Wm. O’Brien Drury, the Caroline 36, Capt. Christopher Cole, and the Procris 18; in one ot which two last-mentioned vessels he served at the reduction of Java, in Aug. 1811. He invalided home towards the close of the same year; and, being officially promoted, 8 May, 1812, was afterwards appointed – 30 Jan. 1813, and 18 Oct. 1814, to the Royal Sovereign 100, and Centaur 74, both commanded by Capt. Thos. Gordon Caulfeild, with whom he served on the Mediterranean and Cape of Good Hope stations, until May, 1816 – 1 April, 1822, to the Ordinary at Sheerness – 5 March, 1825, to the Coast Blockade, in which he officiated for six years as Supernumerary-Lieutenant of the Hyperion, Ramillies, and Talavera, Capts. Wm. Jas. Mingaye and Hugh Pigot – 15 April, 1831, to the Coast Guard – and 24 Feb. 1838, to the command of the Harpy Revenue-cruizer. He was promoted from the latter vessel to the rank he now holds 11 Jan. 1843; but has not since been officially afloat.

Commander Drew is at present employed as Superintendent of Convicts at Van Diemen’s Land.



DREW. (Lieut., 1815. f-p., 20; h-p., 18.)

Josias Drew was born, 28 Dec. 1790, at Devonport. His father was a naval officer.

This officer entered the Navy, 19 May, 1803, as Sec.-cl. Boy, on board the Imogene 18, Capt. Henry Vaughan. After visiting the coast of Africa, he proceeded to the West Indies, where, on becoming Midshipman of the Demerara 10, Lieut.-Commander Thos. Dutton, he was unfortunately taken captive, 14 July, 1804, by the French privateer Grand Décidé of 22 guns and 150 men, at the close of a sanguinary action, in which the British vessel lost a third of her crew in killed and wounded. On being exchanged, in the following December, Mr. Drew joined the Alligator 28, troop-ship, Capts. Robt. Henderson, Fras. Augustus Collier, Thos. Sharp, and Hugh Cameron; under the first of whom, and Capt. John Palmer, he afterwards served in the Pheasant 18. Returning with convoy to England in Sept. 1806, he next became attached to the Rattler 18; in which vessel, under Capts. Jas. John Chas. Agassiz, Henry Higman, Alex. Gordon, John Thomson, and Henry Bourne, he appears to have been very actively employed, on the North American and West India stations, part of the time as Master’s Mate and Acting-Master, until Oct. 1814. During that period, we find him serving in the boats at the capture, on 2 and 19 May, 1813, of the United States privateers Gallynippe, of 2 guns and 55 men, and Alexander, of 18 guns and 70 men. Having passed his examination 7 Feb. 1810, Mr. Drew, on leaving the Rattler, became Acting-Lieutenant of the Niemen 38, Capt. Sam. Pym, with whom he continued until paid off in May, 1815 – previously to which he had, on 22 Feb. in the same year, been officially promoted. With the exception of a command, from Oct. 1840, to Aug. 1843, of the Dove Revenue-vessel, he has been in charge, since 25 April, 1836, of a station in the Coast Guard.

Lieut. Drew married, 12 March, 1827, Mary, eldest daughter of Jas. Leverson, Esq., of Treheveris, in the parish of Kenwyr, co. Cornwall, by whom he has issue four children.



DRIFFIELD. (Lieut., 1824. f-p., 17; h-p., 17.)

Joseph Bligh Driffield, born 6 May, 1800, at Lichfield, co. Stafford, is son of the late Lieut.-Colonel Driffield, R.M.; and grandson of the late Admiral Sir Rich. Rodney Bligh, G.C.B.

This officer entered the Navy, 30 July, 1813, as Fst.-cl. Vol., on board the Medway 74, Capt. Aug. Brine; under whom, on proceeding to the Cape of Good Hope, he assisted at the capture, in July, 1814, of the United States’ brig-of-war Syren, of 18 guns and 137 men. From 1816, in which year he left the Medway, until Sept. 1821, his name was borne on the books of the Queen Charlotte 100, successive flag-ship at Portsmouth of Admirals Sir Edw. Thornbrough, Sir Geo. Campbell, and Sir Jas. Hawkins Whitshed; during which period he appears to have been occasionally lent, among other ships, to the Prince Regent yacht, Capt. Sir Michael Seymour, and to the Vengeur 74, Capt. Thos. Alexander. He then, having passed his examination 1 Sept. 1819, joined the Rosario 10, Capt. Fred. Marryat; and, proceeding soon afterwards to North America, in the Salisbury 50, flag-ship of Rear-Admiral Wm. Chas. Fahie, was there confirmed to a Lieutenancy, 10 May, 1824, in the Doterel 18, Capt. Rich. Hoare. After effecting the capture, in the boats of that sloop, of four smuggler-boats and of two schooners, in the Bay of Fundy, Mr. Driffield returned to England, and was paid off, in Aug. 1825. We afterwards find him appointed – 17 March, 1826, to the Parthian 10, Capt. Henry Byam Martin, in the Mediterranean – 5 Nov. 1827, to the Primrose 18, Capt. Thos. Saville Griffinhoofe, off the coast of Africa, where he was sent in charge of a prize to Siena Leone – 3 Nov. 1830, and 27 Dec. 1831, to the Undaunted 46, and Jaseur 18, commanded on the Cape station by Capts. Edw. Harvey and Arch. Sinclair – 9 Nov. 1833, for a short period, to the Excellent gunnery-ship at Portsmouth, Capt. Thos. Hastings – and, 25 Oct. 1841, as Senior Lieutenant, to the North Star 26, Capt. Sir Jas. Everard Home, fitting at Portsmouth. He was discharged from the latter ship in consequence of ill health in the following December; and since that period has been on half-pay.

Lieut. Driffield married, 31 March, 1835, Emily, daughter of Rear-Admiral Chas. Carter, R.N.



DRUMMOND, Kt., K.C.H. (Vice-Admiral, of the Red, 1837. f-p., 19; h-p., 48.)

Sir Adam Drummond – a collateral descendant of the Drummonds, Earls and Dukes of Perth, and Earls of Melfort – is third son of the late Colin Drummond, Esq., by Catherine, daughter of Robt. Oliphant, Esq., of Rossie, co. Perth; brother of General Sir Gordon Drummond, G.C.B.; brother-in-law of the late Lord Hervey, Capt. R.N., who died in 1796; and uncle of the present Colonel John Drummond, of the Boyce, co. Gloucester – as also of the late Lieut. Wm. Russell Drummond, R.N., who lost his life from a wound received during an insurrection at Calao, when Second-Lieutenant of H.M.S. Satellite, Capt. Robt. Smart, 31 Jan. 1835.

This officer entered the Navy, 22 March, 1780, as a Servant, on board the Daphne, commanded, on the Home station, by his future brother-in-law, Lord Hervey. After serving with that officer for some time in the Recovery, he joined him, as Midshipman, in Jan. 1782, on board the Raisonnable 64, and, towards the close of the same year, was present at the relief of Gibraltar, and in Lord Howe’s partial action with the combined fleets of France and Spain. Until promoted to the rank of Lieutenant, 17 Aug. 1795, Mr. Drummond – who beheld the capture, near Barbadoes, of the French ship-of-tho-line 'Solitaire', and of her consort, the Speedy corvette – further served, on the West India