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FISHER—FITTON.
beth, sister of Sir Jas. Rivett Carnac, Bart., late Governor of Bombay, and of Capt. John Rivett Carnac, R.N. By that lady he has, with one daughter, an only son, who holds an appointment in the Madras Civil Service. Agents – Hallett and Robinson.
FISHER. (Lieutenant, 1845.)
William Edward Fisher entered the Navy in 1831; passed his examination 28 June, 1838; and was afterwards employed for several years in the Mediterranean, and on particular service, as Mate of the Ganges 84, Capt. Barrington Reynolds, Medea steam-vessel. Capt. Fred. Warden, and Crocodile 26, flag-ship of Sir Hugh Pigot. Since his promotion to the rank of Lieutenant, which took place 6 Dec. 1845, his appointments have been – on the latter date, to the Penelope steam-frigate, bearing the broad pendant on the coast of Africa of Commodore Wm. Jones – 31 Dec. 1845, to the Rapid 10, Capt. Henry J. W. S. P. Gallway, on the same station – and, 21 July, 1846, as First, to the Ferret 8, Capt. Geo. Sprigg, also on the African coast, where he is at present serving.
FITTON. (Lieut., 1804. f-p., 25; h-p., 42.)
Michael Fitton was born about 1766, at Gawsworth, in Cheshire, now the seat of the Earl of Harrington, but formerly the property of his ancestor Sir Edw. Fitton, Chancellor of Ireland temp. James II.
This officer entered the Navy, in Jan. 1780 (under the auspices of Lord Keppel), as Captain’s Servant, on board the Vestal 28, Capt. Geo. Keppel. In that frigate, besides assisting at the capture of the Phoenix, a heavy privateer, he witnessed that of an American packet having on board Mr. Laurens, ex-President of the Rebel Congress, who was proceeding to Holland with a secret treaty of alliance with the Dutch. This treaty, previously to the actual capture of the ship, had been thrown in a bag overboard, and would never have been discovered but for Mr. Fitton, who, being at the moment employed in furling the fore-top gallant sail, observed what he considered to be a man overboard, and instantly made a report which led to its recovery. A declaration of war against the Dutch, and the immediate sweeping of their numerous vessels from the face of the sea, were thus the momentous results of Mr. Fitton’s keenness. He continued to serve with Capt. Keppel until 1784, as Midshipman of the Fairy, Eolus, Fortitude, and Hebe; and had an opportunity, in consequence, of acting a part in many of the scenes connected with the American war, and of assisting in the Fortitude, as aide-de-camp to his Captain, at the relief of Gibraltar, in 1782. In 1793 he rejoined the same officer, as Master’s Mate, on board the Defiance 74, from which ship he removed, in 1796, to the Bristol, Lieut.-Commander Silly. He had not been long, however, in the latter vessel before he was appointed Purser of the Stork sloop, Capt. Rich. Harrison Pearson; on board of which vessel, during the great mutiny at the Nore, it was his fortune to be greatly instrumental to the preservation of order. In his arrival in the West Indies, Mr. Fitton, with a single boat, destroyed a privateer which the Stork had driven on shore. He was afterwards sent as Master of a prize, with four hands to assist in the navigation of her, to Jamaica, and on his passage, although detained but a short period, was taken captive by Le Télémaque French privateer. On resigning his appointment as Purser of the Stork, for the sake of obtaining more active employment, Mr. Fitton, who had passed the examination necessary to indicate his fitness for the receipt of a commission, and had more than once had charge of a watch, was immediately nominated, 11 Jan. 1799, Acting-Lieutenant of the Abergavenny[1] 54, and allowed, from that period until 1802, to command her tenders, on the Jamaica station; where, in the Ferret schooner, of 6 3-pounders and 45 men, he fought a gallant action of an hour with a Spanish privateer, of 14 6-pounders and 100 men; and where, in Sept. 1800, previously to witnessing the surrender of Curaçoa, he distinguished himself by his activity and spirited conduct on many other occasions, particularly in an attack made by him, in the Active, a schooner mounting 8 12-pounder carronades, with a crew of about 45 men, on five or six French privateers lying close to the walls of Fort Piscadero, near the harbour of Amsterdam.[2] On 23 Jan. 1801, being on a cruise on the Spanish main, Mr. Fitton, then in command of a small worn-out felucca, carrying 1 long 12-pounder on a traversing carriage, and 44 men, fell in with the Spanish gardacosta Santa Maria als Forano, of 6 long 6-pounders, 10 swivels, and 60 men; which vessel, having suffered herself to be driven on shore on the island of Varus, was boarded and carried through the irresistible heroism of Mr. Fitton, who, with his sword in his mouth, followed by the greater part of his crew similarly armed, plunged into the sea and swam to her. During his command of the Active we find him on one occasion expending the sum of 80l. out of his own private resources for the purpose of procuring intelligence which enabled him to capture four vessels in the gulf of Venezuela; of all the profit resulting from which he was ousted through the machinations of a prize-agent. Notwithstanding the valiant exploits we have recorded, Mr. Fitton was sent home at the peace without either promotion or reward. On his return to Jamaica at the recommencement of hostilities, he was appointed, again with the rank of Acting-Lieutenant, to the command of the Gipsy schooner, of 10 guns and 45 men, fender to the flag-ship, the Hercule. During the operations of 1804 against Curaçoa, being the only officer in the squadron who had ever been at the island before, he was assigned the honour of directing its movements. He also joined in the attack upon Fort Piscadero, and upon the enemy being driven out he landed with a detachment under Commodore Bligh, taking with him the Gipsy’s guns, which were dragged up a hill, and mounted in battery in a position to annoy the town of Amsterdam. The united testimony borne by all the Captains of the squadron to the zeal and judgment displayed by Mr. Fitton, who in the end was sent with despatches to the Commander-in-Chief, led at length to his confirmation in the rank of Lieutenant, 9 March, 1804. Pursuing his gallant career with the same ardour and success, he attacked, on 21 Jan. 1805, off Cape Antonio, and destroyed one of five pursuing privateers; and on 26 Oct. 1806, having in the mean while removed to the Pitt,[3] of 12 guns and 54 men, he effected the capture, after an arduous chase of 67 hours, interspersed with several close and spirited actions, in the course of which the British had 8 men wounded, of La Superbe, of 14 guns and 94 men, one of the most formidable privateers that had for a long time infested the commerce of the West Indies. Although the “zeal and perseverance, the very gallant conduct, and superior professional abilities,” again displayed by Lieut. Fitton on this occasion, were officially reported by the Commander-in-Chief,[4] he was, nevertheless – after having further captured Le Fon-
- ↑ While on the Abergavenny’s books Mr. Fitton was twice very severely injured; the first time, during a violent tornado, when he fell down the hatchway upon a bundle of iron-hoops, fracturing his left knee, and dreadfully lacerating his face; and the second, during an action with a privateer, on which occasion a gun, having snapped its breechings, fell upon him and smashed his right ankle. Altllough the latter accident occurred to him in the execution of his duty, he never received the slightest compensation.
- ↑ Vide Gaz. 1800, p. 1331.
- ↑ In the purchase of this vessel into the service Mr. Fitton appears to have himself expended the sum of 400l. He had also contributed with his prize-money to the purchase of all the Abergavenny’s tenders.
- ↑ Vide Gaz. 1806, p. 1680.
now in vogue, too much praise, it must be owned, cannot be awarded to the man who has been the happy instrument of a change so great. Capt. Fisher has conferred a boon on the service and the country at large which cannot be over-estimated.
