1838. His succeeding appointments were – 25 July, 1838, to the Asia 84, Capt. Wm. Fisher, attached to the force in the Mediterranean, whence he returned in the spring of 1841 – 2 Sept. 1841, to the Thalia 42, Capt. Chas. Hope, fitting at Chatham – and, 30 Oct. following, to the Queen 110, in which ship he was for upwards of two years again employed in the Mediterranean under the flag of Sir £dw. W. C. R. Owen, and the command of Capt. Sir Chas. Sullivan. He attained his present rank 23 Sept. 1844; and, since 11 Oct. 1847, has been in command of the Fly 18 in the East Indies. Agents – Messrs. Chard.
OLIVER, Kt. (Capt., 1834. f-p., 23; h-p., 24.)
Sir Robert Oliver is uncle of Lieut. Geo. Cleaveland, R.N.
This officer entered the Navy, 23 May, 1800, on board the Formidable 98, commanded by the late Sir Edw. Thornbrough, with whom he continued for eight years employed as Midshipman and Master’s Mate in the Maes 74, Galykheid 64, Ruby 64, Eagle and Kent 74’s, and Royal Sovereign 100, on the Home and Mediterranean stations, where, during the remainder of the war, he served (his promotion to the rank of Lieutenant took place 22 Feb. 1810) in the Ocean 98, flag-ship of Lord Collingwood, Espoir sloop, Capt. Robt. Mitford, Menelaus 38, Capt. Sir Peter Parker, Banterer sloop, Capt. Chas. Warde, and Glasgow 50, Capt. Hon. Henry Duncan. On 4 April, 1810, he commanded the boats of the Espoir, in unison with those of the Success 32, under Lieut. Geo. Rose Sartorius, and was particularly mentioned for his conduct at the destruction, under a heavy fire of great guns and musketry, of several vessels on the beach near Castiglione, on the coast of Calabria.[1] He assisted soon afterwards at the destruction of an armed ship and three barks under the castle of Terracina. His appointments after he left the Glasgow were – 4 March, 1823, to the Isis 50, Capt. Gordon Thos. Falcon, lying at Chatham – 23 June following and 21 Aug. 1825, to the Spartiate 76 and Wellesley 74, flag-ships of Sir Geo. Eyre in South America – and, 30 April, 1827, to the Victory 104, Capt. Hon. Geo. Elliot, lying at Portsmouth. Obtaining a second promotal commission 29 Oct. 1827, he was successively invested with the command – 30 May, 1831, of the Asia 84, flag-ship off Lisbon of Rear-Admiral Wm. Parker – and, 9 June, 1832, and 6 Nov. 1833, of the Dee and Phoenix steamers. The Dee served with the North Sea squadron during the blockade of the Dutch ports, and afterwards conveyed Vice-Admiral Sir Pulteney Malcolm to Lisbon. The Phoenix attended Queen Adelaide to Rotterdam in the summer of 1834. On 28 Aug. in the latter year Capt. Oliver was advanced to Post-rank; and since 1837 he has been in discharge of the duties attached to the office of Superintendent of the Indian Navy. The honour of Knighthood was conferred on him 20 April, 1843, as a reward for services he had rendered during the war in China. Agents – Messrs. Ommanney.
OLIVER. (Commander, 1814. f-p., 15; h-p., 34.)
Robert Oliver (a) entered the Navy, 28 Nov. 1798, as Midshipman, on board La Seine, of 48 guns and 281 men, Capt. David Milne, employed at first in the Channel and off the coast of Africa, and then in the West Indies, where, 21 Aug. 1800, he assisted at the capture, in the Mona Passage, of La Vengeance of 52 guns and 326 men, at the close of a brilliant action of two hours and a half, in which the British lost 13 men killed and 29 wounded, and the French more than twice that number. After a servitude of three years and four months in the North Sea and Channel, nearly the whole time as Master’s Mate, in the Amethyst 36, Capts. Henry Rich. Glynn, Alex. Campbell, and John Wm. Spranger, and Penelope 36, Capt. Wm. Robt. Broughton, he was nominated, 14 Nov. 1805, Sub-Lieutenant of the Liberty 14, Lieut.-Commander John Codd. He was made full Lieutenant, 30 Jan. 1806, into the Captain 74, Capt. Geo. Hopewell Stephens, lying in Portsmouth Harbour; and subsequently appointed – 18 Feb. 1806, to the Champion 24, Capts. Robt. Howe Bromley, Kenneth Mackenzie, and Jas. Coutts Crawford, in which vessel he visited Halifax and Quebec – 26 May, 1808, to the Rover sloop, Capt. Fras. John Nott, attached to the force in the North Sea, where he remained a year and eight months – towards the close of 1810, to the Tonnant 80, Capt. Sir John Gore, off Lisbon in May, 1811, to the gun-boat service at Cadiz – 21 Sept. following, to the Queen 74, Capt. Lord Colville, in the Channel – and, in Jan. and March, 1813, to the Ville de Paris 110 and Boyne 98, both commanded by Capt. Geo. Burlton. Prior to joining the Tonnant Lieut. Oliver had been the means, in 1810, of rescuing from destruction a Spanish frigate from Cadiz bound to Ferrol, together with the whole of her crew, upwards of 200 soldiers, and a large quantity of specie. For his signal exertions on the occasion he was earnestly recommended by the Spanish to the British Government. When Second of the Boyne he was present, 13 Feb. 1814, in a partial action fought with the Toulon fleet, in which that ship bore the brunt and greatly distinguished herself. In the ensuing April Lieut. Oliver (who, we may here observe, had been often employed on detached service and had participated in various cutting-out affairs) witnessed the fall of Genoa. His promotion to the rank of Commander took place 27 Aug. in the same year, and since that period he has been on half-pay.
During his career afloat Commander Oliver received not less than five wounds in the head, in addition to one in the right arm and other grievous injuries, which have had the effect for many years past of incapacitating him from great exertion. Agent – John P. Muspratt.
OLIVER. (Admiral of the Red, 1841. f-p., 26; h-p., 42.)
Robert Dudley Oliver was born 31 Oct. 1766.
This officer entered the Navy, 13 May, 1779, on board the Prince George 98, Capts. Phihp Patton, Wm. Fox, and Jas. Williams, hearing the flag of Rear-Admiral Digby; and in the following Dec. sailed with Sir Geo. Rodney for the relief of Gibraltar. During the passage he assisted at the capture of a 64-gun ship (afterwards named the Prince William, in honour of His late Majesty, who was on board the Prince George), six armed vessels belonging to the Royal Caraccas Company, and 14 sail of transports from St. Sebastian, bound to Cadiz, laden with naval stores, provisions, &c.; and also at the defeat of the armament under Don Juan de Langara 16 Jan. 1780. Gibraltar having been placed in a state of perfect security, he was next, while returning to England, present, 23 Feb. 1780, at the capture of the Prothée, a French 64-gun ship, and three vessels, forming part of a convoy bound to the Mauritius, laden with naval and military stores. Towards the close of 1782, having participated, as Midshipman, in the relief of St. Kitts, and shared in Rodney’s celebrated action of the 12th of April, Mr. Oliver successively joined the Vixen galley, Lieut.-Commander John White, and, as Master’s Mate, the Albacore sloop, Capts. Geo. Oakes and Edm. Crawley, both on the North American station; where, from June, 1783, until July, 1785, he acted as Lieutenant in the Ariadne, Capt. Sam. Osborne. He then came home as a Supernumerary of the Hermione, Commodore Sir Chas. Douglas; and in 1789 he again received an order to act as Lieutenant in the Racehorse sloop, Capt. Thos. Foley, in the North Sea. Being officially promoted by a commission bearing date 21 Sept. 1790, he was successively appointed Senior Lieutenant – 26 April and 11 Sept. 1791, of the Aquilon 32 and Squirrel, Capts. Hon. Robt. Stopford and Wm. O’Brien Drury, employed on the Channel and Irish stations – and 24 Jan. 1793, and 23 July, 1794, of the Active frigate and Artois of 44 guns and 281 men, both com-
- ↑ Vide Gaz. 1810, p. 1138.
