Page:A Naval Biographical Dictionary.djvu/409

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395

GIFFARD—GIFFORD—GILBERT.

capture of that city, again eliciting the best thanks of the same officer for his conduct at the destruction of the whole line of defences extending about two miles from the British factory.[1] On 8 June, 1841, Capt. Giffard was in consequence rewarded with a Post-commission. Continuing, howeyer, to serve in the Cruizer, he was further present in her in the ensuing operations of Aug. and Oct. against Amoy, Chusan, and Chinghae. At each of those places he was entrusted with the debarkation of the troops; and when at Amoy he was attached to the army during the whole period of its stay. In the performance of the duties which were thus imposed upon him Capt. Giffiird was quite indefatigable, and acquitted himself as much to the satisfaction of Sir Wm. Parker, the Naval Commander-in-Chief, as of the General. On every opportunity, indeed, his ardour and activity were eminently displayed.[2] He left the Cruizer in the early part of 1842; and, since 13 Oct. 1846, has been in command of the Penelope steam-frigate, bearing the broad pendant of Sir Chas. Hotham on the coast of Africa.

Capt. Giffard married, 19 March, 1846, Ella Amelia, fourth daughter of the late Major-General Sir Benj. C. Stevenson, G.C.H., and niece of the Rev. Sir Henry Rivers, Bart. Agent – J. Hinxman.



GIFFARD. (Lieutenant, 1814.)

James Giffard died aboat the commencement of 1847.

This officer entered the Navy, 6 Aug. 1807, as Sec.-cl. Boy, on board the Téméraire 98, Capt. Sir Chas. Hamilton, flag-ship afterwards in the Baltic and Mediterranean of Rear- Admirals Manley Dixon and Fras. Pickmore. In Dec. 1811, he became Midshipman of the Ville de Paris, 110, Capt. Geo. Burlton, on the latter station, where, until his promotion, 6 July, 1814, he continued to serve, in the Blossom, Capt. Wm. Stewart, Swallow and Kite sloops, Capts. Geo. Canning, Rowland Mainwaring, and Thos. Forster, San Josef 110, flag-ship of Sir Rich. King, Endymion prize-brig, Capt. Cornish, and Rainbow 26, Capt. Jas. Wemyss. From 3 Jan. to 31 May, 1815, he cruized on the Irish station in the Menai 24, Capt. Watkin Owen Pell; after which he obtained an appointment in the Water Guard, 14 Dec. 1820, and was invested with the command, 16 Dec. 1825, of the Dolphin Revenue-cutter. From the date of his quitting the latter vessel Mr. Giffard remained, we believe, unemployed.



GIFFARD. (Admiral of the White, 1841. f-p., 34; h-p., 33.)

John Giffard entered the Navy, 25 April, 1780, as a Boy, on board the Canada 74, Capts. Sir Geo. Collier and Hon. Wm. Cornwallis; and while in that ship was present, as Midshipman, at the relief of Gibraltar in 1781, the ensuing capture of the Spanish frigate Leocadia, of 36 guns, also in Sir Sam. Hood’s action off St. Kitt’s, and in Rodney’s actions with the Comte de Grasse, 9 and 12 April, 1782. He next joined in succession the Dragon 74, Capt. Lee, Ardent 64, Capt. Henry Harwood, Trimmer sloop, Capt. Chas. Tyler, Victory 100, flag-ship of Lord Howe, and Crown 64, bearing the broad pendant in the East Indies of Commodore Hon. Wm. Cornwallis, by whom he was promoted to a Lieutenancy, 20 Oct. 1790, in the Vestal 28, Capt. Sir Rich. John Strachan, and afterwards removed to the Crown and Minerva. Mr. Giffard, whose proximate appointments were, 14 Nov. 1793, and 12 July, 1794, to the Theseus 74, Capt. Robt. Calder, and Queen Charlotte 100, flag-ship of Earl Howe, was advanced, after participating under Sir Andw. Snape Douglas in Lord Bridport’s action, to the command, 1 Feb. 1796, of the Raven sloop, for his conduct in which vessel, in safely escorting a large convoy into Lisbon, he received the thanks of the Board of Admiralty. Being made Post by Sir John Jervis into La Mignonne, of 32 guns, 19 Oct. 1796, Capt. Giffard, we find, was subsequently appointed – 29 Dec. 1796, to La Mahonesa 40, off Lisbon and Cadiz – 23 Sept. 1800, to the Active 38, off Cherbourg, where he took, 26 Jan. 1801, Le Quinola privateer, of 14 guns and 48 men – 23 Feb. 1801, to the Magnificent 74, in which ship he was the instrument, early in the month of April, 1802, of suppressing a dangerous insurrection of the 8th West India Regt., then in garrison at Fort Shirley, Dominica – 23 April, 1803, to the Prince of Wales 98, lying at Portsmouth – 7 June, 1803, to the Dryad 36, on the Cork station, whither he conveyed Lord Gardner – 8 Oct. 1805, to L’Athénienne 64, in which ship he assisted at the defence of Gaeta – and, 27 Sept. 1806, to the Zealous 74, on the Mediterranean station. From 23 March, 1807, until his attainment of Flag-rank, 12 Aug. 1819, Capt. Giffard was next employed as Lieutenant-Governor of the Royal Naval College at Portsmouth. He became a Vice-Admiral 22 July, 1830, and a full Admiral 23 Nov. 1841.

Admiral Giffard married, 20 Nov. 1802, a daughter of the late Sir John Carter, Kt., of Portsmouth, and has, with other issue, a son, the present Capt. Henry Wells Giffard, R.N., and a daughter, married to Capt. Geo. Evans, R.N.



GIFFORD. (Rear-Admiral, 1846. f-p., 19; h-p., 45.)

James Gifford (whose name had been previously borne for upwards of three years, as Captain’s Servant, on the books of the Hannibal and Agamemnon, both commanded by Capt. Benj. Caldwell) entered the Navy, 1 Oct. 1783, as Midshipman, on board the Assistance, Capt. Wm. Bentinck, bearing the broad pendant on the Halifax station of Commodore Sir Chas. Douglas. Until the receipt of his first commission, 22 Oct. 1793, he served, latterly in the West Indies, Channel, and Mediterranean, on board the Weazle and Juno, Capt. Sam. Hood, Colossus 74, Capt. Henry Harvey, Robust 74, Capt. Rowland Cotton, and St. George 98, flag-ship, during the occupation of Toulon, of Rear-Admiral John Gell. He then joined the Lutine 32, Capts. Jas. Macnamara and Wm. Haggitt; and on 7 Oct. 1795, was in company with the Censeur 74, when that ship was captured by a French squadron under M. Richery, from whom the Lutine herself with difficulty effected her escape. As Lieutenant, Mr. Gifford’ s subsequent appointments were – to the Pompée 74, Capt. Jas. Vashon, and Prince and Prince George 98’s, flag-ships of Rear-Admiral Chas. Cotton. Being properly qualified, by commission dated 7 May, 1802, he subsequently, after officiating for a few months as Acting-Captain of the Braave frigate, assumed command, 8 May, 1804, 16 May, 1808, and 17 Feb. 1812, of the Speedy, Sarpen, and Sheldrake sloops, on the Channel and Baltic stations. He attained Post-rank 12 Aug. 1812; and on 1 Oct. 1846, became a Rear-Admiral. Agents – Hallett and Robinson.



GILBERT. (Commander, 1822. h-p., 27; h-p., 21.)

Edmund Williams Gilbert, born in 1787, is fourth son of the late Rev. Edm. Gilbert, Vicar of Constantino, and Official of the Archdeaconry of Cornwall (grandson of Admiral Edm. Williams of Plymouth), by Anne, daughter of Henry Garnett, Esq., of Bristol; brother of Lieut. Henry Garnett Gilbert, R.N., who was lost at sea in H.M.S. Hawke in May, 1805, of Major-General Walter Raleigh Gilbert, Hon. E.I.Co.’s service, and of Capt. Fras. Yarde Gilbert, R.E.; and brother-in-law of Sir Walter Roberts, Bart., and of Lord Robt. Kerr. Commander Gilbert, who belongs to one of the oldest families in the co. of Devon, is a collateral descendant of the celebrated Sir Walter Raleigh and lineally derives from Sir Humphrey Gilbert, a seaman noted for his discoveries in the northern

  1. Vide Gaz. 1841, pp. 1503-4, 2506.
  2. Vide Gaz. 1842, pp. 82, 383, 385, 388, 393-5-6.