Page:A Naval Biographical Dictionary.djvu/670

From Wikisource
Jump to navigation Jump to search
This page has been proofread, but needs to be validated.
656
LEWIS—LEWORTHY—LEY—LEYCESTER.

station, he saved at different times the lives of two seamen, although at the hazard of his own.

From every Captain with whom he served Lieut. Lewis had the satisfaction of receiving the most flattering testimonials. He married, 12 June, 1830, Miss Eliza Watson, and by that lady has issue a son and three daughters.



LEWIS. (Lieut., 1821. f-p., 23; h-p., 15.)

Thomas Arundel Lewis entered the Navy, 13 June, 1803, as Fst.-cl. Vol., on board the Nemesis 28, Capt. Wm. Ferris, stationed in the Baltic; and on becoming Midshipman of the Pallas 32, Capt. Geo. Paris Monke, was wrecked in that frigate, off St. Abb’s Head, 18 Dec. 1810. He then joined the Laurel 38, Capt. Sam. Campbell Rowley, with whom he served until again wrecked, on the Govivas Rock, in the Teigneuse passage, 31 Jan. 1812. After an attachment of two years to the Pomone frigate, Capts. Fras. Wm. Fane and Philip Carteret, on the Newfoundland and Lisbon stations, Mr. Lewis, in Feb. 1814, was received on board the Ville de Paris 110, flag-ship in the Channel of Sir Harry Burrard Neale; and towards the close of the same year, having removed to the Bedford 74, Capt. Jas. Walker, he accompanied the expedition to New Orleans. He was next, from Sept. 1815 to Aug. 1818, employed on the coast of Africa in the Inconstant and Semiramis frigates, bearing each the broad pendant of Sir Jas. Lucas Yeo. During the two years which immediately succeeded his promotion to the rank of Lieutenant, 23 June, 1821, we find him borne on the books of the Bulwark 74, commanded in the river Medway by Capt. Warren, and Severn 40, Capt. Wm. M‘Culloch, lying in the Downs. His appointments have since been – 9 April, 1823, again to the Bulwark, Capt. Thos. Dundas, stationed at the time at Plymouth – 27 Dec. 1825 and 31 March, 1826, to the Superb 78, and Melville 74, guard-ships at Portsmouth, both commanded by Capt. Henry Hill – 12 Sept. 1826, to the Galatea 42, Capt. Sir Chas. Sullivan, with whom, until paid off in Jan. 1829, he participated in various services – and 9 May, 1842, to the command (which he still retains) of the Crane 6, on the Falmouth station. Agent – Fred. Dufaur.



LEWIS. (Retired Commander, 1837.)

William Lewis (b) entered the Navy, in the summer of 1796, as A.B., on board the Overyssel 64, commanded in the Downs by Capt. Wm. Bowen, with whom, until the peace of Amiens, he further served, as Midshipman and Master’s Mate, in the Ville de Paris 110, Blenheim and Prince George 98’s, flag-ships of Sir Wm. Parker, and Caroline frigate, on the Lisbon and Mediterranean stations. After an employment of exactly two years, at home and on the north coast of Spain, in El Corso, Lieut.-Commander Joshua Kneeshaw, Illustrious 74, Capt. Sir Chas. Hamilton, and Northumberland 74, flag-ship of Hon. Alex. Inglis Cochrane, he was made Lieutenant, 23 March, 1805, into the St. George 98, Capts. Hon. Michael De Courcy and Thos. Bertie, with whom he was employed, it appears, in the Channel until Jan. 1808. From the following May until Jan. 1815 he officiated as Agent for Transports Afloat on the Lisbon Embassy station; and he afterwards discharged the duties of Agent at Cork. In 1809 Mr. Lewis assisted in fitting out the fire-ships intended for the destruction of the French squadron in Basque Roads. He accepted the rank of Commander 23 Oct. 1837. Agents – Messrs. Stilwell.



LEWIS. (Lieutenant, 1826.)

William Lewis (b) entered the Navy 5 Dec. 1810; passed his examination in 1817; and was promoted, 18 Oct. 1826, into the Menai 26, Capt. Houston Stewart, on the Halifax station, whence he returned to England and was paid off in the following Dec. On 18 Nov. 1833 he became Additional Lieutenant of the Britannia 120, bearing the flag of Sir Josias Rowley in the Mediterranean; and be was lastly, from 10 July, 1834, until the early part of 1837, employed on that station in the Thunderer 84, Capt. Wm. Furlong Wise.



LEWORTHY. (Lieut., 1816. f-p., 35; h-p., 9.)

Henry Leworthy was born 23 Feb. 1793. This officer entered the Navy, 20 July, 1803, as Ordinary, on board the Grappler gun-brig, Lieut.-Commander Abel Wantner Thomas; and on 31 of the following Dec. was wrecked on the Iles de Chausey, near Granville; after sustaining a desperate engagement with an overwhelming force sent from which place to effect their capture, Mr. Leworthy and his companions were compelled to surrender and were taken prisoners to Verdun. In consideration of the distinguished bravery they had shown on the occasion, Napoleon Buonaparte in the course of a short time ordered the swords of all the officers to be restored to them, and that they should be allowed to wear them during the remainder of their captivity. After he had been for more than ten years in bondage, and had undergone inconceivable hardships in three thwarted attempts at escape, Mr. Leworthy at length, in the early part of 1814, succeeded in accomplishing a flight. He was then for upwards of two years employed on the American and Home stations in the Akbar 50, Capts. Jas. John Gordon Bremer and John Pasco; and on 14 Nov. 1816 he was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant. His appointments have since been – 21 Oct. 1825, to the Coast Blockade, as Supernumerary-Lieutenant of the Hyperion 42, Capt. Wm. Jas. Mingaye – 11 July, 1831, to the command of the Hawke Revenue-vessel – and 30 June, 1834, to the Coast Guard Service, in which he still continues. On 7 Dec. 1840, at the hazard of his life and of his boat’s crew, the Lieutenant rescued 8 persons from the French brig L’Espérance, which vessel was in fifteen minutes dashed to pieces against the rocks at the entrance of Salcombe Harbour. Agents – Goode and Lawrence.



LEY. (Lieutenant, 1813.)

George Ley entered the Navy, in July, 1806, as Fst.-cl. Vol., on board the Barfleur 98, Capt. Joseph Sydney Yorke, attached to the Channel fleet. Removing as Midshipman, in June, 1807, to the Brunswick 74, Capt. Thos. Graves, he attended the ensuing expedition to Copenhagen, and then returned to the Channel; where, and in the North Sea, he served from May, 1808, until promoted to the rank of Lieutenant, 6 Dec. 1813, on board the Christian VII. 80, and Impregnable 98, flag-ships of Sir Edward Pellew and Admiral Wm. Young. While in the Christian VII., during the years 1809-10, we find him assisting at the destruction of several convoys under the batteries on the coast of France. His next appointments were – 14 Feb. 1814, to the Hope 10, Capts. Edward Saurin and Henry Fyge Jauncey, with whom he was employed on home service until paid off in Oct. 1818 – and 18 April, 1829, to the Ordinary at Sheerness, where he remained until July, 1831. He is now on Quarantine duty.



LEYCESTER. (Lieutenant, 1841.)

Edmund Mortimer Leycester is third son of Geo. Hanmer Leycester, Esq., of White Place, co. Berks, by Charlotte Jemima, youngest daughter of the late Hans Wintrop Mortimer, Esq., of Caldwell, co. Derby, M.P. for Shaftesbury, who married a grand-daughter of the Duke of Hamilton.

This officer entered the Navy 9 Oct. 1825; passed his examination 2 July, 1834; and at the period of his promotion to the rank of Lieutenant, which took place 23 Nov. 1841, was serving in the Mediterranean as Mate on board the Vanguard 80, Capt. Sir David Dunn. His appointments have since been, on the same station – 30 Nov. 1841, to the Indus 78, Capt. Sir Jas. Stirling – 21 Dec. 1843, to the Orestes 18, Capt. Edw. St. Leger Cannon – 13 Dec. 1845, as Additional, to the Hibernia 104, flag-ship of Sir Wm. Parker – and, 4 June, 1846, to the Bonetta surveying-vessel, Capt. Thos. Saumarez Brock, un-