of Wales 98, bearing the flag on the coast of France of the late Sir Henry Harvey, by whom, having again sailed for the West Indies, he was placed, at the close of 1796, in command of the Alexandria tender, carrying 8 4-pounders, with a crew of 30 men. During a continuance of nearly four years in that vessel he was constantly engaged in carrying to different parts of the station the despatches of Admiral Harvey and his successor Lord Hugh Seymour. He very often, too, came into contact with the enemy’s privateers, six or seven of which he had the good fortune to capture. One of these, mounting 8 guns, with a crew of 70 men, he made prize of, after an action of three-quarters of an hour, 9 Oct. 1799 – the very day that an order he had received, in May, 1798, from Admiral Harvey to act as Lieutenant had been confirmed by the new Commander-in-Chief. We are informed that Mr. Pickernell was the only Acting-Lieutenant whom Lord Hugh Seymour on his arrival did not supersede. During his command of the Alexandria it must be recorded that he witnessed the capture of Trinidad, the unsuccessful attack upon Puerto Rico, and the reduction of Surinam. His appointments, after the Prince of Wales had been paid off, were – 5 Sept. 1800, to the Royal Sovereign 100, bearing the flag of Sir H. Harvey, with whom he served, principally off Brest, until the peace of Amiens – 30 Aug. 1803, to the Severn 44, commanded by the Duke de Bouillon off Jersey – 21 Aug. 1804, to the Galykheid 64, Capt. Isaac Wolley, lying in the river Humber – 9 April, 1805, to the Revenge 74, Capts. Robt. Moorsom and Sir John Gore, in which ship he served as Second Lieutenant at the battle of Trafalgar, 21 Oct. 1805, and as First at the capture, by Sir Sam. Hood, of four French frigates off Rochefort, 25 Sept. 1806 – 22 Jan. 1807, to the Excellent 74, Capt. John West, fitting at the Nore – and 13 July, 1808, to the command of the 12-gun brig Gallant. In the latter vessel, after cruizing in the Downs, and previously to being sent to the coast of Scotland, he accompanied the expedition to the Walcheren, and assisted in destroying the enemy’s batteries on South Beveland. He attained his present rank 4 July, 1810. The only active appointment he could ever afterwards succeed in obtaining was to the Ordinary at Sheerness, where he served for a period of three years, dating from 22 Oct. 1823. He was admitted to the out-pension of Greenwich Hospital 11 Dec. 1846.
Commander Pickernell married, 7 Feb. 1807, and has issue six children. Agent – Wm. H. B. Barwis.
PICKTHORN. (Lieutenant, 1808. f-p., 18; h-p., 33.)
John Pickthorn is a native of Devonport, co. Devon.
This officer entered the Navy, 12 Oct. 1796, as Ordinary, on board the Alexander 74, Capts. Joseph Bullen, Alex. John Ball, and P. Ormsby; in which ship he came into frequent action with the enemy’s gun-boats and batteries in the neighbourhood of Cadiz, and took part in the battle of the Nile, in the blockade of Malta, and in various operations along the coast of Italy. Quitting the Alexander in Sept. 1800, he was next, until April, 1802, employed on the Mediterranean and Home stations as Midshipman (a rating he had previously attained) in the Guillaume Tell 84, Capt. Thos. Elphinstone, flag-ship of Admiral Milbank, Alkmaar, Capt. Fred. Lewis Maitland, and Malta 84, Capt. Albemarle Bertie. In March, 1803, he returned to the latter ship, commanded at the time by Capt. Edw. Buller on the coast of Spain; and, from July, 1804, until Oct. 1806, he served in the West Indies and Channel on board the Eagle and Kent 74’s, and Ville de Paris 110, all flagships of Sir Edw. Thornbrough; whom, in Feb. 1807, after having been for about three months attached to the Acasta 40, Capt. Philip Beaver, he again joined in the Royal Sovereign 100, on the Mediterranean station. On 3 March, 1808, he was made Lieutenant into the Eagle 74, Capt. Chas. Rowley, also in the Mediterranean; where, from the following July until Jan. 1812, and from May in the latter year until Oct. 1814, we find him employed a second time in the Royal Sovereign 100, Capts. Henry Garrett, David Colby, Abel Ferris, Henry Whitmarsh Pearse, Joseph Spear, John Harvey, and Wm. Bedford, and Unicorn 32, Capts. Geo. Burgoyne Salt and Sam. Geo. Pechell. During the first four months of his last servitude in the Royal Sovereign he officiated as Flag-Lieutenant to Sir E. Thornbrough. Since he left the Unicorn he has not been afloat.
In the winter of 1840-1 Lieut. Pickthorn appears to have been engaged in raising men for the Navy at Aberdeen. He married the only daughter of Jas. Russell, Esq., Master-Attendant at North Yarmouth.
PIERCE. (Commander, 1823. f-p., 22; h-p., 22.)
George Pierce entered the Navy, 5 Aug. 1803, as Fst.-cl. Vol., on board the Thunderer 74, Capt. Wm. Bedford, employed at first on the Irish station and afterwards in the Channel; where, and in the Baltic, North Sea, and West Indies, he served from Feb. 1805, until promoted to the rank of Lieutenant, 21 March, 1812, as Midshipman and Master’s Mate, in the Hibernia 110, flag-ship of Lord Gardner, Ville de Paris 110, Capt. Geo. Aldham, Prince of Wales 98, and Ville de Paris again, bearing the flags of Admirals Edw. Thornbrough, Sir Jas. Saumarez, and Lord Gambier, Apelles sloop, Capt. Thos. Oliver, Neptune 98, and Statira 38, flag-ships of Hon. Sir Alex. Cochrane, Dragon 74, bearing the flag of Sir Fras. Laforey, Ganymede and Barbadoes frigates, Capts. Robt. Preston and Edw. Rushworth, and a second time in the Dragon under Sir F. Laforey. In the Prince of Wales he accompanied the expedition of 1807 to Copenhagen; and, while attached to the Apelles, he commanded agun-boat in the attack upon Walcheren in 1809. His appointments in the capacity of Lieutenant (prior to his attainment of which rank he had been upwards of two years on the list for promotion) were – 1 Oct. 1812, to the Mulgrave 74, Capt. Thos. Jas. Maling, stationed in the Mediterranean, where he partook of much boat-service, and was present in the partial action fought with the Toulon fleet 5 Nov. 1813 – 1 Oct. 1814, to the Comus 22, Capt. John Tailour, under whom, while employed on the coast of Africa, he ascended the new Calabar river as high as Duke’s Town (the Comus was the first man-of-war that ever did so) and assisted in the boats at the capture of several slavers – 3 July, 1816, as Senior, after eight months of half-pay, to the Beelzebub bomb, Capts. Wm. Kempthorne and Fred. Thos. Michell, in which vessel he served at the bombardment of Algiers – 18 Dec. 1816, to the Madagascar 46, Capt. Wm. Aug. Baumgardt, lying at Sheerness – 13 May, 1817, to the Tonnant 80, flag-ship of Sir Benj. Hallowell at Cork – 7 Dec. 1818, to the Windsor Castle 74, Capt. Thos. Gordon Caulfeild at Plymouth – and, 29 June, 1821, and 28 March and 6 Dec. 1822, to the Bulwark 76, Gloucester 74, and Prince Regent 120, flag-ships of Sir B. Hallowell in the river Medway. The day preceding his promotion to the rank of Commander, 5 Sept. 1823, he officiated as Aide-de-Camp to Viscount Melville at the opening of the new basin and dock at Sheerness. He was afterwards, from 15 June, 1832, until 1835, employed as an Inspecting-Commander in the Coast Guard.
Commander Pierce, during the last nine years, has filled the office of Secretary to the “Sailor’s Home,” in Wells Street, London Docks. In 1843 he was examined before the House of Commons on the state of the Merchant Seamen’s Fund. He is married and has issue.
PIERCE. (Lieut,, 1807. f-p., 15; h-p., 33.)
Thomas Pierce entered the Navy, 1 March, 1799, as Fst.-cl. Vol., on board the William, Capt. Ro-
