returned home with specie to the amount of nearly 700,000l, sterling, October 16, 1820. He has since commanded the Spartiate 76, and Wellesley 74, which ships successively bore the flag of Sir George Eyre, on the above station.
Agent.– Sir F. M. Ommanney.
WATKIN OWEN PELL, Esq.
[Post-Captain of 1813.]
A native of Northamptonshire. This officer entered the navy under the auspices of Earl Spencer, and first embarked as midshipman on board la Loire frigate, Captain James N. Newman, April 3, 1799. On the 5th February, 1800, he had the misfortune to lose his left leg in action with la Pallas French frigate, the capture of which has been recorded at pp. 248-250 of Vol. II. Part I.
During the peace of Amiens, Mr. Pell served under Captain, (now Sir James Athol) Wood, in the Acasta 40; and he appears to have continued with that officer till October, 1804. We next find him joining the Veteran 64, commanded by Captain Newman, with whom he removed to the Vanguard, 74, at Jamaica, in July 1805. The latter ship being paid off, towards the close of the same year, he was then received on board la Virginie frigate, in which he remained, under Captain Edward Brace, till his promotion to the rank of lieutenant, November 11, 1806.
On the 4th of April, 1808, Mr. Pell, then first of the Mercury 28[1], commanded a division of boats at the capture of seven Spanish tartans, loaded with valuable ship timber, for the arsenal at Cadiz; the dashing manner in which this service was executed, under the directions of Lieutenant Allan Stewart, of the Alceste, will be seen by reference to p. 802 of Vol. II. Part II.
The important services performed by the Mercury and her boats, between October 1808, and February 1810, have been noticed in our memoir of Captain the Hon. Henry Duncan, C.B., who thus describes the capture of la Leda[2].
