372
FORSTER
against the enemy, voluntarily performed in a tender under the command of Lieut. John Pearse – conveyed in a crazy prize of only 10 tons burthen, and at great risk, important despatches relative to the Russian fleet from the Naze of Norway to Rear-Admiral Hope at Gottenborg, during the autumn of 1812, a service which ultimately led to his promotion – was frequently engaged with gun-boats and batteries – contributed to the capture of 69 armed and other vessels – and carried 10 prizes into British ports. After a further attachment of 10 months to the Penguin 18, Capt. T. R. Toker, Granicus 36, Capt. Wm. Furlong Wise, and Elizabeth 74, flag-ship of Rear-Admiral Chas. Elphinstone Fleming, on the Home, North American,, and Mediterranean stations, Mr. Forrest was appointed Acting-Lieutenant, 31 Oct. 1814, of the Jasper 10, Capt. Thos. Carew. He was confirmed to the latter vessel 23 Dec. following, but was placed on half-pay 29 May, 1815, and has not since been afloat.
Lieut. Forrest, who, from July, 1834, to May, 1844, had been employed as Government Agent for Emigration at Leith, is now Government Agent for Emigration in Scotland.
FORSTER. (Lieutenant, 1812.)
George Brooke Forster entered the Navy, 1 Nov. 1801, as Fst.-cl. Vol., on board the Phoebe 36, Capts. Thos. Baker, Jas. Keith Shephard, and Hon. Thos. Bladen Capel, under whom he served, on the Irish and Mediterranean stations, until May, 1805. With the exception of a few months in 1808-9 he appears to have been next employed, under Sir Sam. Hood, as Midshipman, from Jan. 1806, to Dec. 1812, in the Centaur 74, Hibernia 110, Tigre 74, Owen Glendower 36, and Illustrious 74. While in the Centaur he assisted, 25 Sept. 1806, at the capture, in company with the Mars and Monarch 74’s, of four French frigates from Rochefort, on which occasion Sir Sam. Hood lost his arm. He attended also the expedition to Copenhagen in Aug. and Sept. 1807 – witnessed the ensuing surrender of the island of Madeira – and, in Aug. 1809, was engaged, under Capt. Wm. Henry Webley, in the attack upon Walcheren. Being in the East Indies at the time of his promotion, which took place 27 Dec. 1812, he there joined the Theban 36, Capt. Stephen Thos. Digby, but he soon afterwards returned home with Capt. Alex. Skene in the Illustrious, and on 17 Feb. 1814 was paid off. From May, 1814, until wrecked, 11 Feb. 1817, he further officiated as an Agent for Transports afloat; after which he served for some time as an Inspecting Officer of the Water Guard, and as Commander, in 1826-8, of the Dove and Lapwing Falmouth packets. Since he left the latter vessel he has been on half-pay.
Lieut. Forster at present holds the appointment of Police Magistrate at Van Diemen’s Land. He is married and has issue.
FORSTER. (Commander, 1847. f-p., 21; h-p., 11.)
Matthew Charles Forster is son of the late Colonel Forster, of Gatcombe House, co. Hants. This officer entered the Navy, 17 Jan. 1815, as a Volunteer, on board the Cornwallis 74, Capt. John Bayley, bearing the flag in the East Indies of his patron, Sir George Burlton. Previously to passing his examination, in June, 1821, he further served, as Volunteer and Midshipman, in the Doris 42, and Wye 26, both commanded by Capt. John Harper, and in the Hind 20, Capt. Sir Chns. Burrard, on the same and on the North American and Channel stations. He then successively joined, as Mate, on the Brazilian, Home, North American, and Mediterranean stations, the Doris again, Capts. Thos. Graham, Fred; Edw. Venables Vernon, and Wm. Jas. Hope Johnstone, Albion 74, Capt. Sir Wm. Hoste, Victory 104, flag-ship of Sir Geo. Martin, Manly 12, Capt. Field, and Hussar 46, and Britannia 120, flag-ships of Sir Chas. Ogle and Sir Pulteney Malcolm. He attained the rank of Lieutenant 22 Oct. 1830, and was subsequently appointed – for two months to the Ferret 10, Capt. Edw. Wodehouse, in the Mediterranean – 16 Jan. 1832, to the Victory again, flag-ship at Portsmouth of Sir Thos. Foley and Sir Thos. Williams – 1 May, 1833, and 5 Sept. 1835, to the San Josef 110, and Royal Adelaide 104, bearing each the flag of Sir Wm. Hargood at Plymouth, where he continued until paid off, in April, 1836 – and, 11 June, 1845, to the Rodney 92, Capt. Edw. Collier, part of the Channel squadron. He acquired the rank of Commander 27 Jan. 1847.
Commander Forster married, 20 Sept. 1832, Mary, niece of Capt. Edw. Wallis Hoare, R.N., sister of Commander Wm. O’B. Hoare, R.N., and daughter of Sir Joseph Wallis Hoare, Bart., by Lady Harriet O’Bryen, sister of Vice-Admiral the Marquess of Thomond, G.C.H.; and became a widower 11 Dec. 1836. Agents – Messrs. Stilwell.
FORSTER. (Commander, 1815. f-p.,. 18; h-p., 21.)
Robert Forster, of the ancient family of Forster of Bamborough, co. Northumberland, is the eldest of ten brothers, all of whom were in the service of their country – six in the army, the others in the navy. Seven of these gentlemen died in actual service abroad, and an eighth, the late Capt. John Forster, R.N. (1838), died, in 1841, from the effects of wounds he had received when Lieutenant of the Apollo, in a desperate cutting-out affair in the Bay of Rosas, in 1809. Commander Forster’s only surviving brother, Hugh Percy, is District Paymaster, N.B.
This officer entered the Navy, 27 Dec. 1795, as Fst.-cl. Vol., on board the Camelion 18, Capt. Rich. Henry Alex. Bennett, whom he soon afterwards accompanied into the Eurydice 24. Between 1796 and 1802 he successively served, on the Home and Mediterranean stations, in the Garland 28, Capt. John Erskine Douglas, Ville de Paris, flag-ship of Earl St. Vincent, Alcmene 32, and Majestic 74, both commanded by Capt. Geo. Hope, Kent 74, and Ville de Paris again, bearing the respective flags of Lord Duncan and Earl St. Vincent, and Leda 38, Capt. G. Hope. After acting for a few weeks as Lieutenant of the Foudroyant 80, flag-ship of Lord Keith, Mr. Forster was confirmed, 20 July, 1802, into the Nemesis 28, Capt. Philip Somerville; after which he served, from April, 1803, until promoted to the rank of Commander, 13 June, 1815 (nearly the whole time as First Lieutenant), in the Charwell 18, Capt. Philip Dumaresq, Gibraltar 80, and Mars 74, both commanded by Capt. Wm. Lukin, Owen Glendower 36, Capt. Wm. Selby, Pompée 74, Capt. Sir Jas. Athol Wood, Asia 74, Capt. Geo. Scott, and Tonnant 80, and Asia again, both flag-ships of Sir Alex. Cochrane. During that period he assisted in the Charwell at the bombardment of Granville and Havre in 1803 – was on board the Mars at the capture, by a squadron under Sir Sam. Hood, of four heavy French frigates, two of which, the Gloire 46, and Infatigable 44, struck to the Mars, off Rochefort, 25 Sept. 1806 – and (while in the same ship) attended the expedition to Copenhagen in 1807, where he landed as Senior Lieutenant of the Naval Brigade. He also, in 1808-9, among other detached services, commanded the gun-boats at Gottenborg, and a fire-ship at Rogerwick. At the reduction, in May, 1809, of the island of Anholt, Mr. Forster, then Senior of the Owen Glendower, landed in command of the seamen; and he afterwards, when First of the Asia, obtained the especial notice of Sir Alex. Cochrane for the destruction, under a fire from field-pieces and small arms, of a deeply-laden schooner lying in Cherryston Creek, in the Chesapeake.[1] During the ensuing operations against New Orleans he commanded a division of boats which crossed the Mississippi on the morning of the attack. He subsequently officiated as Beach Master at the capture of Fort BoWyer, in Feb. 1816,
- ↑ Vide Gaz. 1814, p. 1964.
