Page:A Naval Biographical Dictionary.djvu/354

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340

ERSKINE—ESSELL—ESTCOURT—ETHERIDGE—ETOUGH.

three privateers, carrying 34 guns and 270 men, and witnessed the surrender, 27 Jan. and 9 April, 1801, of the French 36-gun frigate La Dédaigneuse, and national corvette Le Général Brune of 14 guns. With a brief interval, from 7 June to 18 July, 1805, during which he officiated as Acting-Lieutenant of the Cruizer 18, Capt. John Hancock, Mr. Entwisle continued to serve in the Amethyst until Sept. of the latter year, when he rejoined Capt. Cooke on board the Bellerophon 74, commanded subsequently by Capt. Edw. Rotheram. After participating in the battle of Trafalgar, towards the close of which he had been sent with Lieut. Douglas to take possession of the Bahama, a Spanish 74, he obtained a Lieutenancy, 28 Jan. 1806, in the Paulina 16, Capts. John Rich. Lumley and Westby Percival, under whom, during a period of six years and a half, he attended Lord Gambier’s expedition to Copenhagen, and was very actively employed in the Mediterranean. His succeeding appointments were – 5 Aug. 1812, to the Warspite 74, Capt. Hon. Sir Henry Blackwood, stationed in the Channel – 12 April, 1814, to the Bucephalus troop-ship, Capt. Geo. Wm. Hughes D’Aeth, employed in the operations against New Orleans – and, 14 June and 11 Nov. 1815, to the Seahorse and Madagascar 38’s, both commanded by Capt. Sir Jas. Alex. Gordon. Commander Entwisle, who has been on half-pay since 20 Aug. 1816, accepted his present rank 8 Jan. 1839.

He married, 11 Oct. 1824, Mary Anne, eldest daughter of Jas. Royds, Esq., of Mount Falinge, Rochdale. Agents – Messrs. Halford and Co.



ERSKINE. (Captain, 1838. f-p., 17; h-p., 11.)

John Elphinstone Erskine is son, we believe, of David Erskine, Esq., of Cardross, by Keith, youngest daughter of John 11th Baron Elphinstone; nephew of Hon. Chas. Elphinstone Fleeming, Admiral of the Blue, and M.P. for Stirling, who died Governor of Greenwich Hospital, 30 Oct. 1840; grand-nephew of Admiral Lord Keith, G.C.B., who reduced the Cape of Good Hope in 1795, expelled the French from Egypt in 1801, and died in April, 1823; and cousin of Vice-Admiral Sir Chas. Adam, K.C.B.

This officer entered the Navy 6 May, 1819; passed his examination in 1825; and obtained his first commission 2 Jan. 1826. His succeeding appointments were – 25 Nov. 1826, 20 July, 1827, and 20 May, 1828, to the Barham 50 (as Flag-Lieutenant to his relative, Sir C. E. Fleeming), Druid 46, Capt. Sam. Chambers, and Barham again, all on the Jamaica station; where he assumed command, 24 Dec. 1829, of the Arachne 18, and where he was next appointed, 3 May, 1830, to the Grasshopper 18. Quitting the latter vessel in 1831, he joined, 16 Aug. 1836, the Harlequin 16; from which vessel, then in the Mediterranean, he was advanced to Post-rank 28 June, 1838. On 6 Aug. 1841 Capt. Erskine became Flag-Captain, in the Illustrious 72, to his cousin. Sir Chas. Adam, Commander-in-Chief on the North America and West India station. He returned to England in 1845; and has not since been employed. Agent – John P. Muspratt.



ESSELL. (Lieutenant, 1827.)

William Foulkes Essell passed his examination in 1817; obtained his commission 27 Dec. 1827; and served in the Coast Guard from 17 Dec. 1828 until 1846. He has since been on half-pay.



ESTCOURT. (Commander, 1841. f-p., 20; h-p., 6.)

Walter Grimston Bucknall Estcourt was born 16 May, 1807, and died, while in command of H.M.’s steamer Eclair, from the effects of inveterate African fever, which, in its frightful progress, proved fatal to nearly all on board, 16 Sept. 1845. He was fourth son of the present Thos. Grimston Bucknall Estcourt, Esq., of Estcourt, co. Gloucester, Barrister-at-law, D.C.L., and M.P. for the University of Oxford, by Eleanor, second daughter of Jas. Sutton, Esq., of New Park, co. Wilts; and brother (with Capt. Jas. Bucknall Estcourt, of the 43rd Regiment) of Thos. Henry Sutton Estcourt, Esq., M.P. for North Wiltshire, who married the only child of the late Admiral Frank Sotheron.

This officer entered the Navy 5 Aug. 1819; and passed his examination in 1826. Obtaining his first commission 30 April, 1827, he was afterwards appointed – 12 May, 1827, to the Revenge 76, Capt. Norborne Thompson, lying at Portsmouth – 17 Aug. 1830, to the Rainbow 28, Capt. Sir John Franklin, in the Mediterranean – 13 March, 1834, to the Excellent gunnery-ship at Portsmouth, Capt. Thos. Hastings – 3 April, 1835, to the Pique 36, Capt. Hon. Henry John Rous, on the North America and West India station – 18 March, 1836, to the Vanguard 80, Capts. Hon. Duncombe Pleydell Bouverie and Sir Thos. Fellowes, employed on particular service – and, 9 Dec. 1840, to the command, in the Mediterranean, of the Lizard steam-vessel. He attained his last promotion 23 Nov. 1841; and, from 26 Avg. 1844, until the period of his death, commanded the Eclair steam-sloop on the coast of Africa. A tablet in the Royal Dockyard Chapel at Portsmouth records the untimely end of the gallant Commander of the Eclair and his ill-fated companions. Agents ¦ – Messrs. Halford and Co.



ETHERIDGE. (Lieutenant, 1840.)

Thomas Etheridge entered the Navy 25 Sept. 1824; passed his examination in 1830; and was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant 2 May, 1840. His appointments have since been – 27 Oct. 1840, to the Impregnable 104, Capt. Thos. Forrest, in the Mediterranean – and 17 Oct. 1843, and 9 Aug. 1845, as First, to the Star 6, Capt. Robt. John Wallace Dunlop, and Larne 18, Capt. John Wm. Douglas Brisbane, both on the coast of Africa, where he is at present serving.



ETOUGH. (Lieut., 1813. f-p., 11; h-p., 31.)

Henry Gladwell Etough entered the Navy, 12 May, 1805, as Fst.-cl. Vol., on board the Druid 32, Capt. Philip Bowes Vere Broke, with whom – after contributing to the capture of the Prince Murat privateer of 18 guns, and Le Pandour national brig of similar force – he removed, as Midshipman, in 1806, to the Shannon of 50 guns, throwing a broadside weight of 538 lbs., and 306 men. In Dec. 1807 he witnessed the surrender of the island of Madeira; and he also, at various times, assisted in taking a large number of the enemy’s armed and other vessels. On 1 June, 1813, being then Acting-Master of the Shannon, Mr. Etough distinguished himself, and was particularly recommended for his conduct, at the memorable capture of the American ship Chesapeake of 50 guns, yielding a broadside of 590 lbs., and 376 men; an exploit which was achieved after 15 minutes of intense combat, in which the British sustained a loss of 24 men killed and 59 wounded, and the enemy of 47 killed and 115 wounded.[1] He was therefore promoted to the rank of Lieutenant, by commission dated 9 July; but he did not leave the Shannon until the month of November; subsequently to which we find him appointed, in the course of 1814, to the Chanticleer 10, Capt. Stewart Blacker, and Clarence and Bedford 74’s, Capts. Fred. Warren and Jas. Walker. Previously to participating in the operations against New Orleans, Mr. Etough, on 14 Dec. 1814, served with the boats of the latter ship, and of a squadron, at the capture, on Lake Borgne, of five American gun-boats under Commodore Jones, which did not surrender until the British, after a fierce contest, had been occasioned a loss of 17 men killed and 77 wounded.[2] His next appointments were – 1 Sept. 1815, to the Prometheus 16, Capt. Wm. Bateman Dashwood, from which vessel he was obliged, in the following month, to invalid – and, 8 May, 1819, to the Alert sloop, Capt. Chas. Farwell, employed in

  1. Vide Gaz. 1813, p. 1329.
  2. Vide Gaz. 1815, p. 448.