ployed in North America and the West Indies. After serving for a short time in the Speedwell schooner, he was nominated, in 1830, Acting First-Lieutenant of the Victor 18, Capt. Rich. Keane. On the paying-oif of that sloop in 1831, his promotion not being confirmed, he was appointed Mate of the San Josef 110, flag-ship of Sir Manley Dixon at Plymouth; where he remained until presented by Sir Jas. Graham with a commission bearing date 30 July, 1833, as “a reward for long services and good conduct, and, especially, for the zeal and exertions he had displayed on the occasion of a recent fire on board the San Josef.” His last appointment was, 26 Feb. 1834, to the Racehorse 18, Capt. Sir Jaa. Everard Home, in which vessel he remained until 1836, when he was compelled to invalid in consequence of an injury he had received while engaged in the boats in suppressing an insurrection at Para on the coast of Brazil.
PEARSE. (Lieutenant, 1841.)
William Alfred Rumbulow Pearse passed his examination 2 May, 1839; and was afterwards, until paid off at the commencement of 1843, employed as Mate and Acting-Lieutenant in the Modeste 18, Capts. Harry Eyres and Rundle Surges Watson. In the former capacity he assisted, during the war in China, in boarding, 27 Feb. 1841, the ship Cambridge, bearing the Chinese Admiral’s flag, at the enemy’s position below Whampoa Reach, where he also landed and contributed to the destruction, in the whole, of 98 guns.[1] On 13 of the following month he served in the boats at the capture of several rafts and of the last fort protecting the approaches to Canton; and on 18 he was similarly employed at the capture of the city itself,[2] During the series of operations against it we find him commanding the Modeste’s cutter, under the present Sir Edw. Belcher, in an affair up a creek on the western side, where 28 vessels were destroyed.[3] In a day or two afterwards he had the misfortune to be wounded.[4] In Aug. and Oct. he co-operated in the reduction of Amoy and Chinghae. As Acting-Lieutenant, Mr. Pearse, on 10 March, 1842, succeeded with two boats in towing four fire-rafts clear of the shipping off Ningpo.[5] On 15 and 16 of the same month he was employed on shore under Capt. Thos. Bourchier in an attack on the enemy’s camp at Tsekee.[6] On the paying off of the Modeste as above, he was confirmed a Lieutenant by commission bearing date 8 June, 1841. His appointments have since been – 28 May, 1843, to the Cyclops steamer, Capt. Horatio Thos. Austin, under whom he was employed for about six months on particular service – 9 Sept. 1844, as Senior, to the Osprey 12, Capt. Fred. Patten, fitting at Portsmouth, where he was shortly afterwards superseded – 19 May, 1845, as Additional, to the Penelope steam-frigate, bearing the broad pendant of Commodore Wm. Jones on the coast of Africa – 20 Feb. 1846, to the Raleigh 50, in which ship, bearing the broad pendant of Sir Thos. Herbert, he sailed for the south-east coast of America, and there became First-Lieutenant – and 8 June, 1847, to the command, which he still retains, of the Lizard steam-vessel, of 150 horse-power, on the latter station.
PEARSON. (Commander, 1820. f-p., 18; h-p., 30.)
Alexander Stevenson Pearson (whose name had been borne from 12 April, 1799, until Oct. 1801, on the books of the Royal William, flag-ship at Portsmouth of Admirals Sir Peter Parker and Mark Milbanke) embarked, in Jan. 1803, as Midshipman, on board the Garland 28, Capts. John Serrell and Fred. Cottrell. Removing, in the following Sept., to the Theseus 74, Capt. John Bligh, he served in that ship at the capture of the French squadron with the remains of General Rochambeau’s army from Cape François on board, and also in the unsuccessful attempt upon Curaçoa. While attached next, between Oct. 1805 and June, 1808, to the Powerful 74, Capts. Robt. Plampin, Rich. Buck, Hon. Fleetwood Broughton Reynolds Pellew, and Chas. Jas. Johnston, he assisted at the capture of the privateers La Henriette of 20 guns and 124 men, and La Bellone of 30 guns and 194 men; at the capture and destruction, 27 Nov. 1806, of a Dutch frigate, seven brigs-of-war, and about 20 armed and other merchant-vessels lying in Batavia Roads; and at the destruction, at Griessee, 11 Dec. 1807, of the dockyard and stores, and of all the men-of-war remaining to Holland in the East Indies. La Bellone was not taken until after a running-fight of considerable length, in which the enemy sustained a loss of 1 man killed and 6 or 7 wounded, and the British of 2 killed and 1 1 wounded. Mr. Pearson continued employed in the East Indies in the San Fiorenzo 36, Capt. John Bastard, until Jan. 1809. From that period he did not again go afloat until May, 1812. He then joined in succession the Union and Ocean 98’s, Capts. Sam. Hood Linzee, Wm. Kent, and Robt. Plampin, both on the Mediterranean station; whence, in Sept. 1813, he returned to England. Proceeding, in the early part of 1814, to Canada in the Ceylon troop-ship, Capt. Arthur Philip Hamilton, he was very actively employed from the following June until Aug. 1815, on the river St. Lawrence and on Lake Ontario, in the flotilla under Capt. Chas. Cunliffe Owen, and as Lieutenant (commission dated 14 Dec. 1814) in the Niagara 20 and Prince Regent 56, Capts. Edw. Collier and Henry Thos. Davies. He afterwards, from 7 Nov. 1816 until promoted to his present rank 3 Oct. 1820, served, latterly as Flag-Lieutenant, under Rear-Admiral Robt. Plampin in the Conqueror 74 on the St. Helena station; and from 24 June, 1836, until the summer of 1839, discharged the duties of an Inspecting-Commander in the Coast Guard. He has since been on half-pay.
PEARSON. (Captain, 1837. f-p., 21; h-p., 26.)
Charles Pearson entered the Navy, 12 July, 1800, as Fst.-cl. Vol., on board the Prince George 98, Capt. Jas. Walker, whom he successively followed into the Prince 98, Isis 50, Tartar 32, and Vanguard 74. In the Isis he fought at Copenhagen 2 April, 1801; and in the Vanguard he assisted, in 1803, at the capture, besides a variety of smaller vessels, of Le Duquesne 74, and La Créole of 44 guns, with the French General Morgan and 530 troops on board. He was also present at the surrender of the town of St. Marc, St. Domingo; the garrison of which place, amounting to about 1100 men, were brought off by the Vanguard and her prizes to rescue them from the vengeance of the black General, Dessalines. After a further servitude of six months with Capt. Walker, as Midshipman, in the Duquesne, he joined, in the autumn of 1804, the Amphion 32, Capts. Sam. Sutton and Wm. Hoste; under the latter of whom, in 1805, he accompanied Lord Nelson to the West Indies and back in pursuit of the combined squadrons. He served subsequently in the Mediterranean in the San Ildefonso, Capt. John Quilliam, Amphion again, Capt. Hoste, and Ocean 98, flag-ship of Lord Collingwood; was made Lieutenant, 8 Nov. 1808, into the Meteor bomb, Capt. Jas. Collins; and was next consecutively appointed – 11 July, 1810, to the Columbine sloop, Capts. Jas. ColUns and Wm. Shepheard – in May, 1811, to the Leyden 64, armée en flûte, Capt. Edw. Chetham – 20 Feb. 1812, after five months of half-pay, to the Tonnant 80, Capt. Sir John Gore – and, 20 Aug. following, to the Phoebe of 46 guns and 300 men, Capt. Jas. Hillyar. In command of the boats of the Meteor Mr. Pearson cut out one privateer on the coast of Dalmatia, and another (although protected by batteries and a large detachment of French troops) from the Bay of Almeria, on the coast of Spain – the British on both occasions sustaining loss. He served in the boats of the same vessel also at the defence of Rosas; and was employed in her at the siege of
