M. Russell, commander-in-chief on the North Sea station; June 14, 1809, to the Gibraltar of 80 guns, during the absence of Captain Henry L. Ball, who was then attending Lord Gambier’s court-martial; Oct. 21, following, to the Cyane, 22, vice Captain (now Sir Thomas) Staines; and Jan. 9, 1810, to the Dreadnought 98, flag-ship of Rear-Admiral Sotheby, with whom he continued on Channel service until Sept. 13, 1810, since which period he has not held any command.
Since writing the above we have been informed that Captain Collard, when a youngster on board the Shark, and endeavouring to outstrip other aspirants in the art of climbing, missed his hold of the main futtock-shrouds, fell overboard, and was saved by a marine jumping after him: two similar acts of humanity appear to have been performed by himself, when commanding the Vestal and Railleur, under circumstances of considerable difficulty and peril; his successful exertions on those occasions procured him the appellation of “the animated life-boat,” and would doubtless have obtained him the gold medal of the Royal Humane Society, had he thought proper to have made a timely application for that mark of distinction.
Captain Collard’s first lady died at Teddington, co. Middlesex, June 5, 1821; he married, 2dly, Sept. 25, 1823, Mary Ann, daughter of George Kempster, Esq. Two of his brothers lost their lives in the naval service, viz. James, a master’s-mate of the Terpsichore, died about 1794; and Sampson, a Lieutenant, perished in the York 64, on the North Sea station, about Jan. 1804.
JOHN FYFFE, Esq.
[Post-Captain of 1807.]
This officer was made a Lieutenant, April 24, 1782; but did not obtain his next step until 1798. He commanded the Cyclops, troop-ship, on the expedition against Quiberon, in 1798; and received a gold medal from the Grand Seignior, for his services during the Egyptian campaign.
Captain Fyffe’s next appointment was to the Reindeer of
