WILLIAM MARTIN, Esq.
[Commander.]
Third son of Mr. Thomas Martin, of Spring Mount, co. Cork, Ireland; a gentleman well known to the government of that kingdom, during the rebellion, as a magistrate and the commander of a corps of yeomanry, who, by his activity and zeal, helped to maintain the peace of his district, obtained himself the good will of the neighbouring gentry, and secured the esteem of General Myers, then commanding at Cork and in the surrounding country.
Mr. William Martin was born near the village of Glamuir, about three miles from Cork, in 1783; and entered the royal navy under the auspices of General Myers, as midshipman on board the Dryad frigate, Captain Charles John Moore Mansfield, employed on the Irish station, where he continued from 1799 until 1802. During the ensuing four years, he served under the same highly respectable officer, in the Minotaur 74, which ship, on the 28th May, 1803, captured the French frigate Franchise, of 44 guns, with a reduced complement of 187 men, returning from St. Domingo. She also formed part of Nelson’s fleet at the glorious battle of Trafalgar.
On the 1st Aug. 1806, Mr. Martin was promoted into the Saturn 74, Captain Lord Amelius Beauclerk, then employed on the Mediterranean station, and subsequently exposed to much peril, in consequence of getting on shore near Cadiz light-house, when returning home for the purpose of undergoing repair. Notwithstanding the difficulty of the service, however, this ship was dismantled and hove down, at Gibraltar, (both garboard strakes out,) re-equipped, and at sea, with the homeward bound trade under her protection, in the space of six weeks from the time of the accident.
Lieutenant Martin now obtained a short respite from active service, but soon joined the Ardent 64, fitting out for the reception of troops destined to Bermuda. On his return from thence, he was removed into the Magnet sloop. Commander John Smith (a), under whom he served for some time, and saw much boat service at the entrance of the Ger-
