Page:A Naval Biographical Dictionary.djvu/909

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PENTLAND—PEPPIN—PERCEVAL—PERCY.
895

boats, and, in common with the others employed, was exposed to a galling fire from the enemy while endeavouring to launch some of the vessels which had been hauled high on the beach and lay flanked by two small batteries.[1] In Jan, 1811 he returned to England in the Warrior 74, Capt. John Wm. Spranger; but in the following summer, being appointed to the Fame 74, Capt. Walter Bathurst, he again sailed for the Mediterranean. Co-operating afterwards with the Spanish patriots, he landed in command of a party of small-arm men, and in conjunction with the troops under General Donkin took part in the unsuccessful attack upon the fortress of Denia, where, on the defeat of the British, he greatly distinguished himself by the gallant manner in which, under a heavy fire from the French garrison, who had advanced close to the beach, he exerted himself in carrying the wounded soldiers into the boats. We believe that he was subsequently present at the siege of Tarragona and at the reduction of the strong fort of St. Philippe in the Col de Balaguer. He was advanced to the rank of Commander 15 June, 1814; and has since been on half-pay. Agent – J. Hinxman.



PENTLAND. (Lieut., 1824. f-p., 17; h-p., 18.)

James Murray Pentland is son of the late Geo. Pentland, Esq., of Black Hall, co. Louth, many years Solicitor of the Excise in Dublin.

This officer entered the Navy, in 1812, on board the Ramillies 74, Capt. Sir Thos. Masterman Hardy, for the purpose of joining the present Sir Geo. Cockburn, with whom, during the war with the United States, he served as Fst.-cl. Vol. and Midshipman in the Marlborough, Sceptre, and Albion 74’s. He was in consequence present in the operations against Crany Island, Hampton, Washington, and Baltimore, and in various hostile operations of minor note. Following Sir G. Cockburn, in 1815, into the Marlborough 74, he sailed in that ship with Napoleon Buonaparte for St. Helena, where, in 1816, he joined the Leveret 10, Capt. John Theed. In 1818 he returned to England. He was subsequently, until advanced to his present rank 13 July, 1824, employed at home and in North America in the Bulwark 74, flag-ship of Sir John Gore, Mersey 26, Capt. Edw. Collier, Egeria 28, Capt. John Toup Nicolas, Ranger 28, Capt. Peter Fisher, and Sir Francis Drake frigate, flag-ship of Sir Chas. Hamilton. From 1826 to 1829 he filled an appointment in the Coast Guard. He has since been on half-pay. Agents – Messrs. Ommanney.



PEPPIN. (Lieutenant, 1837.)

Matthew Peppin entered the Navy 29 Nov. 1812; passed his examination in 1819; and obtained his commission 10 Jan. 1837. His succeeding appointments were – 28 March, 1837, to the Fairy surveying-vessel, Capt. Wm. Hewett, with whom he served until the commencement of 1838 – and, 13 Dec. 1838, to the William and Mary yacht, Capt. Phipps Hornby. He has not been employed since July, 1840.



PERCEVAL. (Lieut., 1845. f-p., 12; h-p., 1.)

Michael Henry Perceval is third son of the late Michael Henry Perceval, Esq., of Spencer Wood, Lower Canada, Collector of H.M. Customs at the port of Quebec, and Member of the Executive and Legislative Assemblies of that city, by Anne Mary, eldest daughter of Sir Chas. Flower, Bart., of Mill Hill, co. Middlesex, and Lobb Farm, co. Oxford. He is first-cousin of Alex. Perceval, Esq., of Temple House, co. Sligo, Lieut.-Colonel of the Sligo militia, many years M.P. for that co., and now Serjeant-at-Arms to the House of Lords.

This officer entered the Navy, 2 Jan. 1834, as Fst.-cl. Vol., on board the Orestes 18, Capt. Sir Wm. Dickson, employed off Lisbon; and on becoming attached, in the following June, to the Dee steamer, Capt. Wm. Ramsay, sailed for the North America and West India station, where he became Midshipman, in Sept. 1836 and Dec. 1837, of the Skipjack schooner, Lieut.-Commander John Jas. Robinson, and Vestal 26, Capt. Thos. Wren Carter. In the summer of 1841, having passed his examination 21 May, 1840, he was appointed Mate of the Indus 78, Capt. Sir Jas. Stirling, in which ship he remained for a period of three years in the Mediterranean. Previously to joining her he served a few months, we believe, in the Queen 110. Obtaining, in May, 1845, an appointment to the Excellent gunnery-ship at Portsmouth, Capts. Sir Thos. Hastings and Henry Ducie Chads, he continued there employed, as Mate and Gunnery-Lieutenant (his commission bears date 8 Aug. 1845), until May, 1847. He has been serving since in the Howe 120, again with Sir Jas. Stirling.



PERCEVAL. (Lieut., 1815. f-p., 24; h-p., 18.)

Richard Perceval entered the Navy, 15 Nov. 1805, as Midshipman, on board the Steady gun-brig, Lieut.-Commander Arthur Stow, stationed at first in the Rio de la Plata and on the coast of Brazil, and afterwards in the Mediterranean, where, in Feb. 1812, he removed to the Ocean 98, Capt. Robt. Plampin. In Sept. 1814 he became Master’s Mate of the Pickle schooner, Lieut.-Commander Wm. Figg, attached to the force in the Channel; and in Oct. 1815, at which period he had been just nominated Admiralty-Midshipman of the Lee 20, Capt. John Pasco, he was presented with a commission dated back to 6 of the preceding April. His appointments have since been – 19 June, 1833, to the Coast Guard – 17 March, 1838, to the command, for upwards of four years, of the Badger revenue-vessel – 19 July, 1842, again to the Coast Guard, which he left at the close of 1844 – and, 4 July, 1845, to the office of Admiralty Agent on board a contract mail steamer. He is still employed in the latter capacity.



PERCY, C.B. (Rear-Admiral of the Red, 1841. f-p., 26; h-p., 24.)

The Honourable Josceline Percy, born 29 Jan. 1784, is fourth son of Algernon, first Earl of Beverley, by Isabella Susannah, second daughter of Peter Burrell, Esq., of Beckenham, in Kent, and sister of Peter, first Lord Gwydyr. One of his brothers, Algernon, Minister Plenipotentiary to the Swiss Cantons, died 10 Aug. 1833; another, Hugh, present Bishop of Carlisle, is married to a daughter of the late Vice-Admiral Sir Wm. Johnstone Hope, G.C.B.; a third, Henry, having served as Aide-de-camp to Sir John Moore at Corunna and to the Duke of Wellington at Waterloo, became a Lieutenant-Colonel and died a C.B. in 1825; a fourth, William Henry, is now a Rear-Admiral; and a fifth, Francis John, died a Captain in the 23rd regt. in 1812. The Rear-Admiral (whose eldest brother, the Earl of Beverley, holds the appointment of Captain of the Queen’s Yeomen of the Guard) is grandson of the first Duke of Northumberland.

This officer entered the Navy, 23 Feb. 1797, as a Volunteer, on board the Sans Pareil 80, Capts. Wm. Browell and Chas. Vinicombe Penrose, in which ship, bearing for some time the flag of Lord Hugh Seymour, he witnessed an attack made in July, 1799, on a Spanish squadron in Aix Roads In 1801, being then in the West Indies, he removed as Midshipman to the Amphion 32, Capts. Rich. Henry Alex. Bennett, Alex. Fraser, and Thos. Masterman Hardy. He next, on his arrival in 1803 off Toulon, joined the Victory 100, flag-ship of Lord Nelson. On 1 Aug. in the same year he was nominated Acting-Lieutenant of the Medusa 32, Capt. John Gore; and on leaving that ship [2] to which he had been confirmed 30 April, 1804, he was appointed, 31 Dec. following, to the Diadem 64,

  1. Vide Gaz. 1810, p. 1860.
  2. The Medusa formed one of a squadron which effected the capture of three Spanish frigates laden with treasure, and the destruction of a fourth, off Cape St. Mary, 6 Oct 1804 On 8 of the following month she intercepted the Matilda worth 200,000l.