Our officer was subsequently employed under the orders of Sir Charles Cotton, blockading the Tagus; in which service he continued until the surrender of the Russian fleet[1]; soon after which he was appointed to superintend the payments of the ships afloat at Chatham. On the 31st July, 1810, he attained the rank of Rear-Admiral; and in the following year accompanied his brother to the Mediterranean, as Captain of the fleet on that station, where he remained till the peace. He was nominated K.C.B. Jan. 2, 1815; and advanced to the rank of Vice-Admiral, Aug. 12, 1819.
ALEXANDER FRASER,
Vice-Admiral of the White, and Equerry to H.R.H. the Duke of Cambridge.
The subject of this memoir is the eldest surviving son of Hugh Fraser, Esq., surveyor of the Customs at Lerwick, in Shetland (and 5th in lineal descent from William, second son of Thomas Fraser, of Strichen, Esq., second son of Alexander fifth Lord Lovat, who died in 1558), by Jane, daughter of the Rev. Thomas Linning, of Walstein. His maternal grandmother was eldest daughter of John Hamilton, of Gilkerscleugh, Esq., descended from the first Marquis of Hamilton.
Our officer was born about the year 1751, and when only nine years of age, entered the naval service on board the Fly sloop, commanded by the late admiral Gayton, with whom he served at the reduction of Belleisle[2].
At the conclusion of the war, in 1763, Mr. Fraser returned to school, where he continued until the latter end of the year 1767, when he went as Midshipman of the Mermaid frigate, to America, and remained in her three years; at the expiration of which he was appointed acting Lieutenant of the Bonetta sloop.
- ↑ See p. 432.
- ↑ Belleisle surrendered June 7, 1761, to the naval and military forces under the respective commands of the Hon. Commodore Keppel, and Major-General Hodgson. The French garrison consisted of 2,600 men, 922 of whom were either killed, wounded, or taken prisoners, during the siege. The loss sustained by the British in ejecting this conquest, amounted to 313 killed, and 494 wounded.
