Page:A Naval Biographical Dictionary.djvu/816

From Wikisource
Jump to navigation Jump to search
This page has been proofread, but needs to be validated.
802
MURRAY—MUSTON—NAGLE—NAPIER.

frigate of 30 guns. On the occasion of his promotion as above he joined the Porcupine 24, Capt. Chas. Dudley Pater, with whom he continued until captured, while employed, we believe, on a detached service. On his restoration to liberty in March, 1799, he was appointed to the Wassenaar 64, commanded in the Channel and Baltic by Capt. Chas. Craven. He was next, from Jan. 1800 to Feb. 1801, emloyed in the Mediterranean on board the Inflexible 64, armée en flûte Capt. Benj. Wm. Page. Unable to procure any further appointment, he accepted the rank of Retired-Commander on the Junior List 26 Nov. 1830. His promotion to the Senior took place 13 July, 1840.

Independently of many cutting-out affairs, Commander Murray, during the term of his servitude afloat, was five times in action with the enemy. He married, 9 May, 1805, his cousin Helen, eldest daughter of Thos. Hunter, Esq., of Kirkconnell, by whom he has issue seven sons and two daughters.



MURRAY. (Commander, 1841.)

John Halliburton Murray entered the Navy 7 August, 1822; passed his examination in 1828; and obtained his first commission 22 March, 1832. His succeeding appointments were – 8 March, 1833, to the Ariadne 28, Capt. Chas. Phillips, on the North America and West India station – 7 Aug. 1834, to the Raleigh 16, Capt. Michael Quin, in the East Indies, where he was superseded about June, 1835 – 27 Oct. 1836, to the Samarang 28, Capt. Wm. Broughton, fitting at Portsmouth – 7 Feb. 1837, to the Tweed 20, Capt. Hon. Fred. Thos. Pelham, employed on particular service – and (the latter vessel having been paid off at the close of 1838), 29 July and 1 Oct. 1840, to the Howe 120 and Camperdown 104, as Flag-Lieutenant to Sir Henry Digby at Sheerness. Since his last promotion, which took place 14 Dec. 1841, Commander Murray has been on half-pay. Agents – Messrs. Chard.



MURRAY. (Lieut., 1815. f-p., 11; h-p., 32.)

William Hamilton Murray was born 20 June, 1789.

This officer entered the Navy, 5 April, 1804, as Fst.-cl. Vol., on board La Chiffonne 36, Capt. Chas. Adam; in which, ship, when in company with the Falcon sloop, Clinker gun-brig, and Frances armed cutter, we find him assisting at the destruction, after a chase of nine hours, attended with some loss to the British from the incessant fire of the forts along shore, of a division of the French flotilla, consisting of two corvettes and 15 gun-vessels, carrying in all 51 guns, 4 8-inch mortars, and 3 field-pieces, accompanied by 14 transports, under the batteries of Fécamp. On removing with Capt. Adam to the Resistance 38, he witnessed the capture, 13 March, 1806, of the French 80-gun ship Marengo, bearing the flag of Rear-Admiral Linois, and 40-gun frigate Belle Poule. After a servitude of nearly three years as Midshipman, on the Home and Baltic stations, in the Pilot sloop, Capt. Hon. Wm. Walpole, and Ardent 64, Capts. Jas. Giles Vashon and Robt. Honyman, Mr. Murray, in Sept. 1810, joined the Impérieuse 38, Capt. Hon. Henry Duncan, under whom it was his fortune to see a vast deal of active service in the Mediterranean. On 2 Nov. 1811 he participated, in conjunction with the Thames 32, in the gallant capture and destruction of 10 gun-boats and 22 richly-laden feluccas, defended by a strong tower and two batteries in the harbour of Palinuro on the coast of Calabria, at which place the British were opposed by a land-force of 700 men. He next contributed, 27 June, 1812, to the destruction of a French convoy and of the batteries at Languelia and Alassio – was also present, 17 Aug. in the same year, in a spirited skirmish with a powerful Neapolitan squadron in the Bay of Naples – and, in 1813-14, witnessed the capture of Port d’Anzo, and the operations against Leghorn and Genoa. He left the Impérieuse about July, 1814; and was next, from that period until April, 1815, employed in the North Sea on board the Larne 20 and Dee 24, both commanded by Capt. John Wm. Andrew. He then took up a commission bearing date 4 Feb. in the latter year, but has not been since afloat. Lieut. Murray married 7 July, 1835, and has issue



MUSTON. (Retired Captain, 1840. f-p., 12; h-p., 39.)

Thomas Goldwyer Muston entered the Navy 24 July, 1796, as Midshipman, on board, we believe, the Iris 32, Capt. Thos. Surridge, with whom, after serving for 12 months in the North Sea, he sailed in 1797 for India as Master’s Mate of the Leopard 50, and there, in May, 1802, followed him into the Trident 64; of which ship, bearing for some time the flag of Admiral Rainier, he became an acting and a confirmed Lieutenant 31 March, 1803, and 4 July, 1804. His succeeding appointments were – 8 Sept. 1804, to the Albion 74, Capt. John Ferrier, also in the East Indies, where his health soon obliged him to invalid – 19 Aug. and 24 Nov. 1806, to the Spartan 38, and Africa 64, Capts. Geo. Astle and Wm. Henry Bayntun, on the Home and South American stations – and, 28 Jan. and 8 Aug. 1808, to the Victory 100, and Caledonia 120, flagships at the Nore and in the Channel of Sir Jas. Saumarez and Lord Gambier. For the distinguished manner in which he conducted the Harmony fire-vessel, at the destruction of the French shipping in Aix Roads, Lieut. Muston was promoted, on the recommendation of Lord Cochrane, to the command, 11 April, 1809, of the Doterel 18. In that sloop he served off Lisbon until the ensuing Sept. In 1810 he was again ordered to India to join Vice-Admiral Wm. O’Brien Drury on promotion. Finding, however, on his arrival that that gallant officer had just expired, he was under the necessity of returning to England without having received any appointment. It was afterwards proposed to send him on Admiralty promotion to the West Indies; but this offer the state of his health obliged him to decline. Unable subsequently to procure employment, he accepted, 10 Sept. 1840, the rank he now holds.

Capt. Muston married, in 1816, Susanna Eliza, daughter of Nathaniel Godbold, Esq., of London. Agents – Goode and Lawrence.


N.

NAGLE. (Lieut., 1815. f-p., 10; h-p., 32.)

Archibald Nagle entered the Navy, 2 Sept. 1805, as Fst.-cl. Vol., on board the Royal Sovereign 100, Capts. Mark Robinson, John Conn, Edw. Rotheram, and Fras. Pender; and after sharing under the flag of Vice-Admiral Collingwood in the action off Cape Trafalgar, removed, in Jan. 1806, to the Renown 74, Capt. Philip Chas. Durham, employed at first off Rochefort and then in the Mediterranean; where, in Oct. 1809, he witnessed, as Midshipman, the self-destruction of the French ships of the line Bohuste and Lion. Joining next, in March, 1810, the Nisus 38, Capt. Philip Beaver, he assisted under that officer at the reduction of the Isles of France and Java. On leaving the Nisus he served for a short time in the spring of 1813 in the Lion 64, Capt. Henderson Bain, at the Cape of Good Hope. He attained the rank of Lieutenant 14 March, 1815; and was afterwards, in 1829-30, employed in the Coast Blockade as Supernumerary-Lieutenant of the Ramillies and Talavera 74’s, Capt. Hugh Pigot. He has since been on half-pay. Agents – Goode and Lawrence.



NAPIER, K.C.B., G.C.T.S., K.M.T., K.S.G., K.R.E. (Rear-Admiral of the Blue. f-p., 20; h-p., 28.)

Sir Charles Napier, born 6 March, 1786, is eldest son of Hon. Chas. Napier, of Merchistoun Hall, co. Stirling, Captain R.N., who died 19 Dec. 1807, by his second wife. Christian, daughter of