On 10 Feb. 1809, at the commencement of which year, being in the Latona, he commanded the blockading squadron off Guadeloupe, we find him assisting at the capture of La Junon French frigate of 46 guns and 323 men, whose fire wounded 6 of the Latona’s crew. The exertions and activity he displayed in erecting jury-masts, &c., and putting the prize in a sea-worthy state, procured him the warm official thanks of the senior officer present, Capt. Geo. Scott, of the Horatio 38.[1] On 17 April following Capt. Pigot witnessed (and was much praised for his spirited exertions during the chase which preceded) the surrender of the D’Haupoult 74;[2] and on 18 June in the same year he captured La Félicité, pierced for 42 guns, but having only 14 of her main-deckers mounted, with a complement of 174 men, and a cargo of sugar, coffee, &c.[3] In the Orpheus, besides effecting the destruction, 28 April and 11 May, 1813, of the Wampoe letter-of-marque of 8 guns, and the Holkar privateer of 20 guns, he captured, 20 April, 1814, the U.S. ship Frolic, of 20 32-pounder carronsides, 2 long 18’s, 539 tons, and 171 men.[4] On 3 Nov. 1825 Capt. Pigot was appointed Superintendent of the Coast Blockade and Captain of the Ramillies 74, in which ship, and the Talavera of similar force (he was transferred to her 15 Sept. 1829), he continued, on the Downs station, until placed in command, 9 March, 1831, of the Barham 50, fitting for the Mediterranean, where he continued the usual period of three years. He was nominated a C.B. 26 Sept. 1831, and a K.C.H., accompanied with the honour of Knighthood, in 1834; created a Rear-Admiral 10 Jan. 1837, and a Vice-Admiral 6 Aug. 1847; and raised, 10 July in the latter year, to the dignity of a K.C.B. From 16 May, 1844, until 1 July, 1847, Sir Hugh Pigot commanded-in-Chief on the Cork station.
PIGOT. (Commander, 1814. f-p., 17; h-p., 34.)
Richard Henry Holms Pigot, born 20 July, 1787, is son of the late John Hollis Pigot, Esq., M.D., of Derby.
This officer entered the Navy, 20 June, 1796, as Fst.-cl. Vol., on board La Pomone 40, Commodore Sir John Borlase Warren, under whom, while cruizing with a squadron on the coast of France, he aided at the capture of many of the enemy’s armed and other vessels, particularly of the frigates Andromaque and Calliope. Continuing employed with Sir J. B. Warren until Sept. 1800, he successively followed him, during that period, into the Canada 74, Téméraire 98, and Renown 74. In the Canada he witnessed the defeat, 12 Oct. 1798, of a French squadron under Commodore Bompart, intended for the invasion of Ireland; and when Midshipman of the Renown, having first accompanied the expedition to Ferrol, he assisted, 29 Aug. 1800, in the boats of a squadron, 20 in number, commanded by Lieut. Henry Burke, at the cutting out, close to the batteries in Vigo Bay, of La Guêpe privateer, of 18 guns and 161 men; which vessel, 25 of whose people were killed and 40 wounded, was, in 15 minutes, boarded and carried, with a loss to the British of 3 seamen and 1 marine killed, 3 Lieutenants, 12 seamen, and 5 marines wounded, and 1 seaman missing. On leaving the Renown in Sept. 1800, Mr. Pigot removed to the Cynthia 18, Capt. Jas. Halves. He went back to the former ship in the following Nov., but, rejoining Capt. Hawes, in Aug. 1801, on board the Camelion 18, continued to serve with him in that vessel and the Roebuck 44, on the Mediterranean station, until April, 1802. After an attachment of three years and a half, on Home service, to the Clyde 38, Capt. John Larmour, Winchelsea, Lieut.-Commander D. Pope, and Moucheron 16, Capt. Jas. Hawes, he was nominated, 13 March, 1806, Sub-Lieutenant of the Adder gun-brig, Lieut.-Commander Molyneux Shuldham. He was made full Lieutenant, 22 Oct. in the latter year, into the Kangaroo 18, Capt. John Baker, lying in the Downs; andsubsequently appointed – 14 Nov. 1807, to the Swiftsure 74, bearing the flag of Sir J. B. Warren at Halifax – 27 May, 1811, as Senior, to the Druid frigate, Capts. Thos. Searle and Fras. Stanfell, in which ship he served at the sieges of Cadiz and Tarifa – 31 Dec. 1812, as a Supernumerary, to the San Juan 74, bearing the broad pendant of Commodore Chas. Vinicombe Penrose at Gibraltar – and, 31 March, 1814, after 12 months of half-pay, to the San Domingo 74, as Flag-Lieutenant to Sir J. B. Warren on the coast of North America. Since the attainment of his present rank, 31 May, 1814, he has been on half-pay. During the war Commander Pigot was often engaged in cutting out the enemy’s vessels. He married, in 1838, Catherine, daughter of the Rev. J. Parsons, Rector of Cossington, Derby, by whom he has had issue one daughter.
PIGOTT. (Lieutenant, 1844.)
Leighton Price Pigott is fourth son of the Rev. John Dryden Pigott, of Edgmond, co. Salop, Rector of that place and of Habberley, by Frances, second daughter and co-heir of Henry Bevan, Esq., of Shrewsbury.
This officer entered the Navy in 1834; passed his examination 6 July, 1840; and, after having served oil the Mediterranean and Home stations as Mate in the Impregnable 104, Capt. Thos. Forrest, St. Vincent 120, flag-ship of Sir Chas. Rowley, and Victoria and Albert yacht, Capt. Lord Adolphus. Fitz-Clarence, was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant 22 Oct. 1844. He has been again employed in the Mediterranean since 18 Nov. 1844, in the Amazon 26, Capt. Jas. John Stopford.
PIKE. (Retired Commander, 1847. f-p., 25; h-p., 29.)
Thomas Pike was born in 1782 at Exeter, co. Devon. His nephew, Thomas W. R. Pike, is a Master R.N. (1842.)
This officer entered the Navy, 14 Sept. 1793, as Captain’s Servant, on board the London 98, Capt. Rich. Goodwin Keats, on the Home station, where he continued employed, latterly as a Volunteer of the first class, in the Valiant 74, Capt. Thos. Pringle (part of Lord Howe’s fleet in the action of the 1st of June), and again with Capt. Keats in the Galatea 32, until Nov. 1794. Re-embarking, 6 July, 1799, in the Téméraire 98, Capt. Peter Puget, he served in that ship with Rear-Admirals Sir John Borlase Warren, Jas. Hawkins Whitshed, and Geo. Campbell, in the Channel, off the coast of Ireland, and in the West Indies, until Oct. 1802. On the renewal of hostilities in 1803 he became Midshipman of the Culloden 74, flag-ship in the Channel of Lord Keith. Removing shortly afterwards to the Canopus 80, bearing the flags of Rear-Admirals Geo. Campbell and Sir Thos. Louis, he accompanied the latter officer in 1805 in Lord Nelson’s pursuit of the combined squadrons of France and Spain to the West Indies, and back. In July, 1805, he returned from the Mediterranean to England in the Prevoyante store-ship, Master-Commander Daniel McCoy, for the purpose of passing his examination. That ordeal having been gone through, he next in succession joined the Superb 74,[5] flag-ship of Sir John Thos. Duckworth, Téméraire 98 and Audacious 74, Capts. Elias Harvey and John Larmour, and Tonnant 80; of which latter ship, bearing the flag of Rear-Admiral E. Harvey, he was confirmed a Lieutenant 25 March, 1807. His succeeding appointments were – 29 July, 1807, to the Theseus 74, Capt. John Poo Beresford, off Ferrol – 30 June and 22 Oct. 1808, to the Briseis 10, Capt. John Pettet, and St. George 98, flag-ship of Rear-Admirals E. Harvey and Fras. Pickmore, stationed in the Channel and Baltic – in Nov. 1809, to the Avenger 18, Capt. Thos. White, also in the Baltic – 13 March, 1811, to the Monmouth 64, as Flag-
