applications for employment, remained on half-pay for a period of 14 years. His appointments have since been – 16 Aug. 1837, to the Hercules 74, on the Lisbon station, whence his health obliged him to return in Jan. 1839 – 10 April, in the latter year, to the Belleisle 72, employed on the Mediterranean and Home stations – 30 Sept. 1841 (on leaving the Belleisle, which, not being found effective as an active man-of-war, had been paid off and, at his suggestion, fitted for the conveyance of troops), to the Vindictive 50 – and, 1 Sept. 1847, to the Superintendentship of the Victualling Yard at Plymouth, where he is now serving. During the three years he commanded the Vindictive, Capt. Nicolas was chiefly employed on the East India station. On touching, on his passage home, at Tahiti, circumstances arose which called for his interference, and afforded him occasion for the display of much zeal, ability, and firmness, in resisting the aggressions of the French on that island.
In reference to the success which had attended the efforts of the American navy, Capt. Nicolas, towards the end of 1814, published a pamphlet entitled ‘An Inquiry into the Causes which have led to ou#late Naval Disasters, by an Officer In the Navy, in a Series of Letters addressed to a Friend.’ He was nominated a K.H. 1 Jan. 1834; and on 9 Nov. 1846 awarded the Good Service Pension. He married, 1 Aug. 1818, Frances Anna, daughter of Nicholas Were, Esq., of Landcox, near Wellington, co. Somerset, by whom he has issue four sons and two daughters. His third son, Beville Granville Wyndham, is in the Royal Navy.
NICOLAS, G.C.M.G., K.H. (Lieutenant, 1815. f-p., 7; h-p., 32.)
Sir Nicholas Harris Nicolas, born 10 March, 1799, is brother of Capt. John Toup Nicolas, R.N., C.B.
This officer entered the Navy, 27 Oct. 1808, as Fst.-cl. Vol., on board the Salvador del Mundo 112, Capt. Thos. Wolley, bearing the flag of Admiral Wm. Young at Plymouth; where he continued employed in the Résolue and Prince Frederick 74’s, flag-ships of Sir Edw. Buller, until April, 1811; in the course of which month he sailed in the Cephalus 18, Capt. Aug. Wm. Jas. Clifford, for the Mediterranean, and there joined the Pilot 18, commanded by his brother, Capt. J. T. Nicolas. In that vessel (of which he was nominated Midshipman 31 March, 1812) he served for a period of four years and a half, and was frequently engaged in her boats at the capture and destruction of armed vessels and convoys on the Calabrian coast. After a servitude of six months at Plymouth and again in the Mediterranean (whither he proceeded in the Sparrowhawk 18, Capt. Fred. Wm. Burgoyne), in the Impregnable and Boyne 98’s, flag-ships of Sir John Thos. Duckworth and Lord Exmouth, he was promoted, 20 Sept. 1815, to the rank of Lieutenant. He then went back to the Pilot, and served in her as an Extra-Lieutenant until the early part of 1816. Since that period he has been on half-pay.
Unsuccessful in his efforts to obtain employment, Lieut. Nicolas adopted the profession of the law, and in May, 1825, was called to the Bar by the Society of the Inner Temple. In Oct. 1831 he was nominated a K.H. and a K.C.M.G.; and in Oct. 1840 a G.C.M.G. He was appointed Secretary of the Knight Commanders and Companions of the Bath 10 April, 1832; and he was subsequently selected to fill the office (which he still holds) of Chancellor of the Order of St. Michael and St. George. Sir N. H. Nicolas, whose prolific writings, too numerous to enumerate here,[1] have rendered him eminent as a literary genius, has received the large Silver Medal of the ‘Society for the Encouragement of Arts, Manufactures, and Commerce,’ for telegraphic improvements; among which are the numerical code of flags now used by the Royal Yacht Squadron, and submitted by him to the Admiralty in March, 1819. He married, 28 March, 1822, Sarah, youngest daughter of John Davison, Esq,, of Loughton, co. Essex, by whom he has issue four sons and four daughters. Agents – Messrs. Stilwell.
NICOLAS. (Lieut., 1809. f-p., 14; h-p., 30.)
William Keigwin Nicolas was born 23 April, 1792. He is brother of Capt. J. T. Nicolas, R.N., C.B.
This officer entered the Navy, 16 March, 1803, as Fst.-cl. Vol., on board the Malta 80, Capts. Edw. Buller, Wm. Shield, and Robt. Waller Otway, under the first-mentioned of whom he fought as Midshipman in Sir Robt. Calder’s action with the combined fleets off Cape Finisterre 22 July, 1805. In Nov. 1808, on his return from the Mediterranean, he joined the Defiance 74, Capt. Hon. Henry Hotham, attached to the force employed on the coast of France, where, under the batteries of Sable d’Olonne, he contributed, 24 Feb. 1809, to the destruction of three French frigates, after a contest in which the Defiance, added to severe damage experienced in her sails and rigging, sustained a loss of 2 men killed and 25 wounded. He was made Lieutenant, 15 April following, into the Crocodile, Capt. Edwin Henry Chamberlayne, employed off Shetland and in the Arctic Sea; and he was next in succession appointed – 4 Dec. 1809, to the Rapid sloop, Capt. Wm. Mather, in the Channel – 26 Jan. 1811, and 8 March, 1813, to the Boyne 98 and Ville de Paris 110, flag-ships of Sir Harry Burrard Neale on the Home station – and, 11 Jan. 1815, as Senior, to the Pilot 18, commanded by his brother, Capt. John Toup Nicolas. In the Ville de Paris, which ship he paid off as First-Lieutenant in Aug. 1814, he took part in the grand naval review held at Spithead at the close of the war; and in the Pilot he was warmly recommended to the notice of the Admiralty for his conduct in the gallant victory gained by that vessel over the French corvette Légère of 28 guns, 17 June, 1815. Although his Captain, under whose name we have more fully alluded to the action, was deservedly rewarded with a Post commission, the valour displayed by Lieut. Nicolas was allowed to pass unnoticed, nor has it yet been regarded. The Pilot being put out of commission in Aug. 1816, he did not succeed in procuring fresh employment until 16 July, 1847. Since that period he has been serving as First-Lieutenant of the Ocean 80, Capt. David Price, guard-ship at Sheerness.
NICOLSON, Bart. (Captain, 1846.)
Sir Frederick William Erskine Nicolson, born 22 April, 1815, is son of the late Major-General Sir Wm. Nicolson, Bart., by Mary, daughter of John Russell, Esq., and grand-daughter of Dr. Robertson, the celebrated historian. He succeeded his father, as 10th Baronet, 5 Aug. 1820.
This officer entered the Navy (from the Royal Naval College) 24 Nov. 1829; passed his examination in 1831; obtained his first commission 2 Jan. 1837; served during the two following years on the Lisbon station in the Trinculo 16, Capt. Henry Edw. Coffin; and on 7 Nov. 1839 was appointed to the Blonde 42, Capt. Thos. Bourchier. For his services in the latter ship in the operations of May, 1841, against Canton (where he well played his part),[2] and the meritorious and valuable assistance he afforded as her Senior Lieutenant in those of the ensuing Aug. and Oct. against Amoy and Chinghae,[3] he was rewarded with a Commander’s commission dated 26 Aug. in the same year. Obtaining command, 14 Dec. 1844, of the Fantome 16, he sailed, in the early part of the following year, for the Mediterranean, where, in personal command of the boats of that vessel, he was for many hours, 12 May, 1846, engaged in a desperate affray with a large force of Moorish pirates on the coast of Barbary in a successful attempt to recover the merchant-brig Ruth, of which they had obtained possession. The British on the
