POTTELL. (Captain, 1822. f-p., 19; h-p., 31.)
Herbert Brace Pottell, a native of Leominster, co. Hereford, is nephew of the late Vice-Admiral Sir Edw. Brace, K.C.B. He lost a brother in the Hero 74, Capt. Jas. Newman Newman, 25 Dec. 1811.
This officer entered the Navy, in Oct. 1797, as Fst.-cl. Vol., on board the Kangaroo 18, Capts. Edw. Brace and Geo. Clarke Pulling, under the former of whom he was twice, in Oct. 1798, engaged in a very gallant manner with 'La Loire' of 46 guns (part of a force originally under the orders of Commodore Bompart, and destined for the invasion of Ireland), previously to the surrender of that ship to the Kangaroo and her consort the Anson 44, Between the close of 1800 and June, 1804, Mr. Powell, besides being borne as a Supernumerary on the books of other vessels,[1] served as Midshipman, chiefly on the Home station, in the Nemesis 28, Capt. Edw. W. C. K. Owen, Isis 50, Capts. Edw. Thornbrough, Edw. Brace, and Wm. Grenville Lobb, and Dryad 36, Capt. John Giffard. He then joined the Castor 32, of which frigate, commanded by his uncle, he became, in Sept. 1804, an Acting-Lieutenant, and, 26 Jan. 1805, a confirmed one. In the following March he removed with Capt. Brace into the Iris 32, commanded subsequently by Capt. Thos. Lavie. Rejoining his relative, in Sept. of the same year, on board La Virginie of 46 guns and 281 men, he assisted in that ship at the capture, 19 May, 1808, after an obstinate conflict of an hour and ahalf, of the Dutch frigate Guelderland, of 36 guns and 253 men, 25 of whom were slain and 50 wounded, with a loss to the British of not more than 1 man killed and 2 wounded. Previously to the latter affair he appears to have acted, from May to July, 1807, as Commander of the Amsterdam at Cork, and to have contributed, 28 Sept. in the same year, to the gallant defence made by the Louisa tender, a vessel mounting only 4 three-pounders, with a complement of 18 men, against the French privateer Marsouin of 14 six-pounders. On the occasion of the capture of the Jesus Maria Josef, a notorious Spanish privateer of 14 guns and 45 men, Capt. Brace, relying on his exertions, detached him in the prize for the purpose of endeavouring to retake several vessels which she had captured, and of also affording information to the different cruizers.[2] In Sept. 1810, six months after he had left La Virginie, Mr. Powell was again placed under the orders of Capt. Brace on board the St. Albans 64, to which ship he continued attached, with Capts. Chas. Grant and John Ferris Devonshire, in the capacity of First-Lieutenant, until Oct. 1812. During that period he distinguished himself by his conduct at the defence of Cadiz, and held, from 21 May to 15 July, 1811, the acting-command of the Basilisk. He was afterwards employed, on the coasts of Spain and Portugal, in the Stag 36, Capt. Wolrige, Impétueux 74, flag-ship of Vice-Admiral Geo. Martin, Onyx 10, Capt. Cobb, San Juan 74, bearing the flags of Commodore Chas. Vinicombe Penrose and Vice-Admiral Sam. Hood Linzee, Papillon 16, Capt. Jas. Hay, and Rodney 74, flag-ship of Vice-Admiral Martin. On 15 June, 1814, he was advanced to the rank of Commander. Embarking next, in July, 1816, as a volunteer, on board the Impregnable 104, flag-ship of Rear-Admiral David Milne, he was afforded an opportunity of accompanying the ensuing expedition against Algiers. During the hottest period of the conflict fought on the memorable 27 Aug., Capt. Powell was despatched to Lord Exmouth for the purpose of representing to him the dreadful state of the Impregnable, and of requesting that he would, if possible, send a frigate to divert some of the enemy’s fire from her. On his return he was ordered by the Rear-Admiral to superintend the placing of the explosion-vessel, which, charged; with 143 barrels of powder, blew up close under the semicircular battery to the northward of the lighthouse. From 23 Oct. 1816 until paid off in Feb. 1819, Capt. Powell commanded the Heron 18, on the Milford station. He has since been on half-pay. He attained his present rank 26 Dec. 1822.
He was left a widower 10 July, 1847.
POWELL. (Lieutenant, 1842.)
Richard Ashmore Powell embarked (from the Royal Naval College) 24 Dec. 1831; passed his examination 8; Feb. 1836; and at the period of his promotion to the rank of Lieutenant, which took place 18 May,, 1842, was serving on the North America and West India station as Mate in the Hydra steamer, Capt. Alex. Murray. His succeeding appointments were – 16 March, 1843, to the Excellent gunnery-ship at Portsmouth, Capt. Sir Thos. Hastings – 29 June following, to the Penelope steamer, Capt. Wm. Jones, on the coast of Africa – and, 10 April, 1847, as First (after 12 months of half-pay) to the Styx steam-sloop, Capt. Henry Chads, on the same station, whence he returned in 1848.
POWER. (Lieutenant, 1839.)
Edward Roche Power entered the Navy 1 Dec. 1824; passed his examination in 1831; and obtained his commission 14 Aug. 1839. His appointments have since been – 15 Aug. 1839, as Additional Lieutenant, to the Winchester 50, flag-ship of Sir Thos. Harvey in North America and the West Indies – 29 Oct. following, as First, to the Satellite 18, Capt. John Robb, on the same station – 20 May, 1841, to the Excellent gunnery-ship at Portsmouth, Capt. Sir Thos. Hastings – 2 Sept. ensuing, to the Harlequin 16, Capt. Hon. Geo. Fowler Hastings, fitting at Chatham – 2 Dec. in the same year, as Senior, to the Snake 16, Capt. Hon. Walter Bourchier Devereux, whom he accompanied to the Mediterranean – 5 July, 1842, for a short time, to the Calcutta 84, Capt. Geo. Fred. Rich, employed on particular service – 27 May, 1843, again as First, to the Virago steam-sloop, Capts. Geo. Graham Otway and John Lunn, in the Mediterranean – and 1 July, 1846, to the command, on the same station, of the Locust steamer, of 100-horse power, in which vessel he is still serving.
POWNEY, K.H. (Commander, 1827. f-p., 25; h-p., 22.)
John Powney is youngest son of the late Pennyston Portlock Powney, Esq., of Ives Place, Maidenhead, Lieutenant-Colonel of the Berkshire Militia, Custos Rotulorura of that county. Ranger of the Little Park, Windsor, and many years M.P. for the borough of New Windsor, who died in 1794.
This officer entered the Navy, in June, 1800, as Fst.-cl. Vol., on board the Cambrian 40, Capts. Hon. Arthur Kaye Legge and Geo. Henry Towry, under whom, until paid off at the peace of Amiens, he was employed in attendance upon the Royal Family off Weymouth, and in escorting a large East India fleet to St. Helena. He then became Midshipman of the Immortalité 36, Capt. Edw. W. C. R. Owen, lying in the Downs; and he next, in the course of 1802-3, joined the Nemesis, Magicienne, and Fortunée frigates, all commanded by Capt. Henry Vansittart, and Phaeton 38, Capt. Geo. Cockburn. In the Magicienne he assisted in conveying a number of disbanded Dutch troops from Lymington and Jersey to the Texel and Helvoetsluys; in the Phaeton, after escorting Mr. Merry, the British Minister Plenipotentiary, to the United States, he sailed for India, and was subsequently engaged in the blockade of the Mauritius and the Ile de Bourbon. While so employed he frequently distinguished himself in boat expeditions, and on one occasion in particular, at the capture and destruction of a ship which had run on shore for protection under a fort situated on Pointe Cannoniere. On his return to England with Capt. Cockurn in the Howe 38, having on board the Marquis of Wel-
- ↑ Including the Apollo 36, Capt. John Wm. Taylor Dixon, under whom he was wrecked, off the Coast of Portugal, 1 April, 1804. The Captain and 60 of the crew wore lost; and Mr. Powell and the remainder left for three days on the wreck without sustenance, and only partially clothed.
- ↑ Vide Gaz. 1807, p. 1351.
