Page:A Naval Biographical Dictionary.djvu/785

From Wikisource
Jump to navigation Jump to search
This page has been proofread, but needs to be validated.
MONK.
771

Hume Spence, with whom he continued until presented, 9 Nov. following, with a second promotal commission. His next appointment was, 16 April, 1814, to the Traave 36, armée en flûte; in which ship he conveyed part of the 4th Regiment of infantry from the river Garonne to North America. In Aug. of the same year he had charge of a subdivision of boats at the destruction of Commodore Barney’s flotilla up the Patuxent.[1] He commanded, too, a party of seamen, and obtained the thanks of Rear-Admiral Geo. Cockburn for his exertions and steady gallantry, in the attacks upon Washington and Baltimore;[2] and for his conspicuous conduct in the operations against New Orleans, where he was similarly employed, and had both bones of the right leg broken by a musket-shot at the storming of a battery on the Mississippi 8 Jan. 1815, he was highly lauded by Colonel Thornton, commanding the 85th Regiment, and most strongly recommended by Sir Alex. Cochrane to the protection of the Admiralty, and intrusted by him with the conveyance of his despatches to England.[3] He was in consequence promoted to Post-rank by commission dated 29 March, 1815; nominated a C.B. 4 June following; and awarded, 16 Feb. 1816, a pension of 250l. His last appointment was to an Inspecting Command in the Water Guard in the Isle of Wight, where he remained from 1822 until 1825. He accepted the Retirement 1 Oct. 1846.

Capt. Money married, 13 Sept. 1805, Maria, fifth daughter of the late Wm. Money, Esq., of Walthamstow, co. Essex, one of the Elder Brethren of the Trinity House, and a Director of the East India Company, and sister of the late Wm. Taylor Money, Esq., K.H., formerly H.M. Consul-General at Venice and Milan, and M.P. successively for Wotton Basset and St. Michael’s. By that lady, who died 6 Feb. 1847, he had issue four sons and five daughters. Of the latter, the eldest, Maria Rowlanda, married, in 1830, the Rev. Sam. Jas. Gambier, nephew of Admiral Lord Gambier, G.C.B.; the second, Amelia Mary, in 1841, the Hon. H. F. Pery, brother of the present Earl of Limerick; and the third, Angelica Mary, in 1844, Geo. Selby, Esq., of the Madras Artillery. Agents – Messrs. Stilwell.



MONK. (Lieutenant, 1812.)

George Mitford Monk entered the Navy, 29 Jan. 1805, as Fst.-cl. Vol., on board the Ramillies 74, Capts. Fras. Pickmore and Robt. Yarker; and, on 13 March, 1806, while cruizing with a squadron under the orders of Sir John Borlase Warren, was present at the capture of the Marengo 80, bearing the flag of Rear-Admiral Linois, and 40-gun frigate Belle Poule. In Oct. and Nov. 1808 (he had attained the rating of Midshipman in April, 1807) he successively joined the Princess of Orange 74, Capt. Fras. Beauman, and Resistance 38, Capts. Chas. Adam, John Hollinworth, and Philip Rosenhagen; and on 23 Jan. 1812, on his return home from the Mediterranean in the Topaze 36, Capt. Edw. Harvey, he was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant. Being ordered back in the Armada 74, Capt. John Ferris Devonshire, he joined, on his arrival off Toulon, the Edinburgh 74, Capt. Robt. Rolles. He was subsequently, during five months of the same year, 1812, again employed, under Capt. Devonshire, in the St. Albans 64, at the defence of Cadiz. From Feb. 1813 until Nov. 1814 we find him attached to the Niobe 40, Capts. Wm. Augustus Montagu and Henry Colins Deacon, stationed at first on the coasts of America and Portugal, and then engaged in conveying the staff of the Russian Imperial Guards to Cronstadt. His last appointments were – 2 Dec. 1814, to the Niger 38, Capt. Peter Rainier, with whom he remained for about nine months at the Cape of Good Hope – 3 July, 1816, to the Laeander 50, Capt. Edw. Chetham, in which ship he assisted at the bombardment of Algiers – and, 27 Jan. 1817, to an Inspecting Command in the Water Guard. Lieut. Monk’s services afloat extend to a period of ten years.



MONK. (Lieut., 1814. f-p., 11; h-p., 30.)

John Monk entered the Navy, 5 July, 1806, as A.B., on board the Dictator 64, Capts. Jas. Macnamara and Donald Campbell; under the latter of whom he enacted a Midshipman’s part in the expedition of 1807 against Copenhagen; whence he returned to England in charge of one of the enemy’s captured vessels. In Aug. 1808, having rejoined Capt. Macnamara on board the Edgar 74, he served in a boat under that officer at the capture of the forts of Nyeborg, on the occasion of the embarkation thence of the Spanish General the Marquis de la Romana and his patriot troops; whom, in command of the Danish man-of-war prize Fama, he assisted in convoying as far as Gottenborg. After the operations against Flushing, where he received a wound in the left hand and had two of his fingers broken, he followed Capt. Macnamara, as Master’s Mate, in Feb. 1810, into the Berwick 74; in which ship he continued employed, under Capts. Sir Robt. Laurie and Edw. Brace, until July, 1816. At first he was very actively engaged in the vicinity of Cherbourg, and while so stationed was present, 25 March, 1811, at the self-destruction of the French 40-gun frigate L’Amazone. Proceeding next to the Mediterranean, he there participated in much boat-service on the coasts of Spain, France, and Italy. On 16 May, 1813, we find him aiding, in the boats of his own ship and the Euryalus 36, under Lieut. Henry Johnston Sweedland, and mentioned for his conduct, at the capture and destruction of La Fortune xebec of 10 guns, 4 swivels, and 95 men, and of 22 vessels collected under the enemy’s batteries (which were likewise taken) in the harbour of Cavalarie.[4] On the evening of 11 Dec. following, with a view to the capture of a convoy in the port of Negaye, he landed at that place at the head of a party of seamen, and, assisted by a body of marines, succeeded, without the loss of a man, in obtaining possession of a martello tower, and of the enemy’s castle and forts. This part of the business being accomplished, and the concerted signal being made for the boats to advance, he received orders from the First-Lieutenant, Sweedland, to take charge of the launch and second barge, and proceed to the attack of the vessels. Being unexpectedly met by a terrific fire from two national schooners, Lieut. Sweedland gave orders for a retreat; heedless, however, of which, Mr. Monk and his party with three cheers dashed alongside the first schooner, and, after a bloody struggle, carried her. She was found to be armed with long 18-pounders, and to have on board 200 barrels of powder and 1400 stand of arms. Her guns being immediately turned against her consort, the latter, we believe, was sunk. Unfortunately, at this juncture a heavy and unaccountable fire was opened by those who had been left in the batteries; in consequence of which Mr. Monk was under the necessity of ordering the cable of his prize to be cut, and of making the best of his way out of the harbour. On his road he picked up the gig with Lieut. Sweedland and the whole of her crew killed! In the second barge the loss was also most fearful, two-thirds of the crew being either slain or wounded, including, among the former, Mr. Jas. Hawkins Whitshed, Midshipman, son of the present Admiral of the Fleet. The captured vessel, we may add, was commanded by a son of the celebrated French General, Bertrand, whose life Mr. Monk had the good fortune on three occasions to save. He afterwards acted as Flag-officer to Lord Wm. Bentinck in the operations against Naples, Leghorn, and Genoa; and in March, 1814, commanded a party of seamen with scaling ladders at the reduction of the forts in the Gulf of Spezia. In consequence of his Lordship’s strong recommendation he was nominated, on 24 of the ensuing month, Acting-Lieutenant of the Berwick – an appointment to which the Admiralty accorded its sanction 13 June in the same year.

  1. Vide Gaz. 1814, p. 1941.
  2. Vide Gaz. 1814, p. 1938, 2074.
  3. Vide Gaz. 181S, p. 440, 450.
  4. Vide Gaz. 1813, p. 1805.