74, bearing the flag of Rear-Admiral Thompson, Assurance and Blanche frigates, Capts. Chas. Sawyer and D’Arcy Preston, and Ville de Paris 110, flag-ship of Sir John Jervis. In the Vetekan he served at the siege of Fleur d’Epée and as Aide-de-Camp to Capt. Robertson, who was killed, in the attack on the town of Point-a-Pitre, Guadeloupe. When Midshipman of the Blanche he contributed in one of her boats to the capture of a schooner from under the land at Ste. Lucie; and on 19 Dec. 1796, having fallen in, when in company with La Minerve, bearing the broad pendant of Commodore Nelson, with the two Spanish 40-gun frigates Sabina and Ceres, he assisted, while La Minerve took possession of the former, in enforcing the surrender of the Ceres. He was also present in many attacks made by Nelson on the coasts of France and Spain; on one of which occasions a red-hot shot fired from a battery lodged itself in the hold of the Blanche. In June, 1797, Mr. Pridham was successively nominated Acting-Lieutenant of the Meleager 32 and Colossus 74, Capts. Chas. Ogle and Geo. Murray. He was confirmed, 2 Jan. 1798, into the Argo 44, Capts. John Hill and Jas. Bowen; and was next appointed – 26 Dec. 1799, to the Centaur 74, Capts. John Markham and Bendall Robt. Littlehales, the latter of whom he accompanied to the West Indies – 3 Feb. 1803, to the Excellent 74, Capt. John Nash, in which ship he returned to Portsmouth and 4 June following, to the Hussar 38, Capt. Philip Wilkinson. In the Argo Mr. Pridham commanded a company of seamen with guns, and acted as Adjutant to the Naval Battalion at the reduction of Minorca in Nov. 1798; on 6 Feb. following he assisted in the same ship at the capture of the Santa Teresa Spanish frigate of 42 guns and 530 men, including 250 soldiers; and he was subsequently employed in her boats at the cutting out of 14 Spanish vessels from the river Ebro. The Hussar being wrecked off the Saintes during her passage home with despatches from Ferrol 8 Feb. 1804, it was his misfortune to be detained a prisoner of war in France from that period until May, 1814; on 15 June in which year he was advanced to the rank of Commander. His subsequent appointments were – 4 Nov. 1814, to the Prince Frederick receiving-ship at Plymouth, where he was paid off in Feb. 1815 – 24 March, 1816, for three years, to a command in the Ordinary at the same place – 16 Aug. 1819, to the Water-Guard Service in Lincolnshire, in which he continued until 1824 – 26 Oct. 1825, to the Nimrod 18, on the Irish station, where he remained until obliged by ill-health to resign in 1826 – and 25 Jan. 1829, to the Zebra 18, fitting for the East Indies. On 23 Sept. 1829, in a severe gale off the Cape of Good Hope, his left arm was broken and his wrist dislocated by a fall on the deck at midnight; and he also experienced severe injury in the head. Although his arm was so much hurt that he still feels the effects, he has never received any compensation. He returned home on the occasion of his promotion to Post-rank 22 July, 1830; and has not been since afloat.
Capt. Pridham married, 20 March, 1801, Miss Glanville, of Plymouth, a lady by whom he has had issue six children, two only of whom are living. Agents – Messrs. Halford and Co.
PRIDHAM. (Lieut., 1815. f-p., 12; h-p., 31.)
William Downman Pridham entered the Navy, 21 Feb. 1804, as Fst.-cl. Vol., on board the Diomede 50, Capt. Hugh Downman, with whom, after having served as Midshipman off Boulogne and at the blockade of the Texel, he removed to the Diadem 64, bearing the broad pendant of Sir Home Popham, and sailed with the expedition to the Cape of Good Hope. In Jan. 1806 he was transferred to the Espoir sloop, Capt. Henry Hope, and sent home with the despatches announcing the reduction of that colony. He was subsequently employed in her with great activity in the Adriatic, where he saw much boat service and assisted at the capture of many of the enemy’s vessels. In 1807 he was made prisoner, marched across Italy, and lodged in a fortress. Being exchanged, however, in the course of the same year, he was received on board the Aurora 28, Capts. Geo. Fras. Seymour and John Duer; in which vessel, on her arrival in the West Indies, we find him present, as Master’s Mate, at the capture of the town of Samana, in the island of Hayti, also of the city of San Domingo, and of the islands of Guadeloupe, St. Martin’s, and St. Eustatius. On his return to England he joined, in Oct. 1810, the Puissant 74, guardship at Spithead; and he was next, in the early part of 1811, again placed under the orders of Capt. Downman on board the Princess Caroline 74. Continuing in that ship until Feb. 1814, he escorted several convoys through the Great Belt, and often came into contact with the enemy. On one occasion, when in command of a boat with 10 men, he succeeded in cutting out a Danish galliot with a body of troops on board, moored close under the batteries at Hoornbeck, in Zealand. On leaving the Princess Caroline he was sent on promotion to the Lakes of Canada in the Dover troop-ship, Capt. Davies. After there serving for nine months as Master’s Mate in the Prince Regent 56, Commodore Sir Jas. Lucas Yeo, and for three as Acting-Lieutenant in the St. Lawrence 98, Commodore Sir Edw. W. C. R. Owen, he returned in the summer of 1815 to England in the Sovereign transport, and, on his arrival in Sept. of that year, found that he had been awarded a commission dated 1 of the preceding July. His last appointment was, 29 May, 1816, to the Prometheus sloop, Capt. Wm. Bateman Dashwood, under whom he fought at the battle of Algiers 27 Aug. following. In the course of the next month he invalided.
Including the services above recorded, we find that Lieut. Pridham during the war was two-and-twenty times actually engaged with the enemy; that he assisted at the reduction of six colonies, the capture and destruction of one line-of-battle ship, eight frigates, five corvettes, five privateers, and 40 sail of gun-boats, galleys, and other armed vessels; and that he was twice comprised in the thanks of Parliament. He is the author of ‘Scenes in the Adriatic in 1806-7,’ and of ‘The Journal of a Visit to Algiers under Lord Exmouth in 1816.’ He married, in 1825, the only daughter of John Meadway, Esq., of Grove House, Dorset, and has issue one son and two daughters.
PRIDHAM. (Lieutenant, 1840.)
William White Pridham is nephew of Capt. Rich. Pridham, R.N.
This officer entered the Navy 17 Nov. 1825; passed his examination in 1832; and for his services on the coast of Syria, including the bombardment of St. Jean d’Acre, was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant 5 Nov. 1840. He has since been on half-pay.
PRIEST. (Lieutenant, 1842.)
Benjamin Portland Priest entered the Navy 13 Dec. 1827; passed his examination 27 May, 1834; and in 1841, after having been for some time a Student at the Royal Naval College, was nominated a Mate of the Dublin 50, bearing the flag of Rear-Admiral Rich. Thomas in the Pacific. Being reappointed (on the occasion of his promotion to his present rank, 24 March, 1842) to the Dublin, in the capacity of Additional Lieutenant, he continued in that ship until transferred, 23 Dec. 1844, to the Carysfort 26, Capt. Lord Geo. Paulet. He returned home from the Pacific in 1845; but being next, 25 Nov. in the same year, appointed to the Grampus 50, Capt. Henry Byam Martin, he again proceeded thither. He has been employed, since 25 Sept. 1847, as First of his former ship, the Carysfort, Capt. Geo. Henry Seymour.
PRINCE. (Retired Commander, 1841. f-p., 15; h-p., 32.)
John Prince entered the Navy, 30 May, 1800, as a Volunteer, on board the Ariadne 20, Capt.
