autumn of that year he met with a serious accident, in which he broke his arm and sustained internal injuries, from the effects of which he never recovered. He died at Northbank, St. John's Wood, on 22 Jan. 1850. A portrait-bust of Westall was executed by Edward James Physick in 1850.
[Memoir by Robert Westall, son of the Artist, Art Journal, 1850, p. 104; Roget's Hist. of ‘Old Watercolour’ Society, i. 234, 261–5, 281–4 (an almost complete catalogue of the books illustrated by Westall is given on pp. 283–4).]
WESTBURY, first Baron. [See Bethill, Richard, 1800-1873.]
WESTCOTE, Barons. [See Lyttelton, William Henry, first baron, 1724-1808; Lyttelton, William Henry, third baron, 1782-1837; Lyttelton, George William, 1817-1876.]
WESTCOTE, THOMAS (fl. 1624–1636), topographer, baptised at Shobrooke in Devonshire on 17 June 1567, was the third son of Philip Westcote of West Raddon in the parish of Shobrooke, by his wife Katharine, daughter of George Waltham of Brenton in the parish of Exminster, Devonshire. In his youth ‘he was a soldier, a traveller, and a courtier,’ but in middle age he ‘retired to a private country life,’ probably residing at West Raddon with his eldest brother, Robert. In 1624 he held a lease of Thorn Park in the neighbouring parish of Holcombe Burnell.
On retiring to the country Westcote began to interest himself in local antiquities, and his tastes were encouraged by his friendship with the topographers Sir William Pole (1561–1635) [q. v.] and Tristram Risdon [q. v.] He was desirous of undertaking a description of Devonshire, similar to that accomplished for Cornwall by Richard Carew (1555–1620) [q. v.] He was encouraged in his design by Edward Bourchier, earl of Bath, and compiled two collections, ‘A View of Devonshire,’ in which, after a general dissertation on the history of the county, he gave a topographical account of its condition about 1630, and the ‘Pedigrees of most of our Devonshire Families,’ a compilation containing much genealogical information, but impaired by ‘some egregious mistakes and errors.’ The two manuscripts were published at Exeter in 1845, under the editorship of George Oliver (1781–1861) [q. v.] and of Pitman Jones.
Westcote was buried at Shobrooke, but the date of his death is uncertain, as the register of burials between May 1639 and July 1644 is missing. He was married to Mary (d. 1666), eldest daughter and coheiress of Richard Roberts of Combe Martin, Devonshire. By her he had one son, Philip (d. 1641), and four surviving daughters.
[Memoir prefixed to the View of Devonshire, 1845; Prince's Worthies of Devon, 1701, p. 585; Vivian's Visitations of Devon, p. 778.]
WESTCOTT, GEORGE BLAGDON (1745?–1798), captain in the navy, born about 1745, said to have been the son of a baker in Honiton, joined the 28-gun frigate Solebay, as master's mate, under the command of Captain Lucius O'Bryen, in 1768. As master's mate, able seaman, and midshipman, he continued in the Solebay for nearly five years under O'Bryen and George Vandeput [q. v.] . Afterwards he was for three years in the Albion as midshipman with Samuel Barrington [q. v.] and John Leveson-Gower [q. v.] , and passed his examination on 10 Jan. 1776, when he was described as ‘appearing’ to be ‘more than twenty-two.’ He can scarcely have been less than thirty at this time. On 6 Aug. 1777 he was promoted to be lieutenant of the Valiant, still with Gower, and afterwards with Samuel Granston Goodall [q. v.] ; was in her in the action off Ushant on 27 July 1778; in the fleet under Sir Charles Hardy the younger [q. v.] , in the summer of 1779; and under Vice-admiral George Darby at the relief of Gibraltar in April 1781. In November he was moved into the Victory, carrying the flag of Rear-admiral Richard Kempenfelt [q. v.] in his brilliant attack on the French convoy on 12 Dec., and of Richard, lord Howe [q. v.], in the relief of Gibraltar and the action off Cape Spartel in October 1782. In 1786–7 (after service in the Medway) he was first lieutenant of the Salisbury, carrying the broad pennant of Commodore John Elliot (d. 1808) [q. v.], commander-in-chief in Newfoundland, and on 1 Dec. 1787 was promoted to be commander. In 1789–90 he commanded the Fortune sloop, and from her was promoted to be captain on 1 Oct. 1790, and he was appointed to the London as flag-captain to his old chief Goodall.
The London was paid off in the end of 1791, and Westcott remained on half-pay till September 1793, when he joined the Impregnable as flag-captain to Rear-admiral Benjamin Caldwell [q. v.], with whom he took part in the battle of 1 June 1794. Afterwards he followed Caldwell to the Majestic, went with him to the West Indies, and remained there with Sir John Laforey [q. v.], whom he brought to England in June 1796. As a private ship the Majestic then joined the Channel fleet, was with Colpoys off Brest in December, and with Bridport during the mutiny at Spithead
