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BLOYE. 1782; uncle of Lieut. Peter Stark, R.N.; and brother-in-law of Col. Alex. Munro, R.A.

This officer entered the Navy, 29 May, 1784, as Lieutenant’s Servant, on board the 64, guard-ship at Plymouth, Capt. Geo. Hope; and next joined the 74, similarly employed under the orders of Capt. Fitzherbert. On 24 Jan. 1791, after an interval of nearly five years, he re-embarked on board the 74, Capt. John Thos. Duckworth, likewise stationed as a guard-ship at Plymouth; and he appears to have subsequently served in the 18, Capt. John Holloway,  32, and  98, both commanded by Capt. Richard Goodwin Keats,  32, Capt. John Markham, in which frigate he co-operated in the reduction of the French West India Islands in 1794, and  74, commanded by the same Captain, under whom he further witnessed the capture, 11 April, 1795, of La Gentille French frigate, of 42 guns. After an employment of two years as Midshipman, on the Home station, of the receiving-ship, Lieut. -Commander Sam. Blow, 18, Capt. Christopher Parker, and  74, Lieut.-Commander Woodger, he became Acting-Lieutenant, in July, 1797, of the  32, Capt. Philip Wilkinson, an appointment which, on 19 of the following Oct., received the sanction of the Admiralty. In July, 1798, Mr. Blow was appointed Senior of the 36, part of the squadron employed in 1799 at the memorable defence of St. Jean d’Acre, where (in consequence of the Captain, David Wilmot, being killed during an early part of the operations) he succeeded to the acting-command, and fought his ship with consummate gallantry until the close of the siege. He continued to command the for six months, but was then, in spite of the earnest recommendations of Sir Sidney Smith for his promotion, superseded by Earl St. Vincent, the Commander-in-Chief, and suffered to continue on the Lieutenants’ List for a period of 30 years! Indignant at the conduct so deserving an officer had experienced, Lord Nelson immediately appointed him to his flag-ship, the 80, Capt. Sir Edw. Berry, under whom, while at the blockade of Malta, we find him assisting at the capture, on 18 Feb. 1800, of Le Généreux 74, and Ville de Marseilles armed storeship, and on 31 March, after a desperate conflict in which the (then in company with the  64, and  36) sustained a loss of 8 men killed and 64 wounded, of Le Guillaume Tell, of 84 guns and 1000 men, flag-ship of Rear-Admiral Decrès. Among the wounded on the latter occasion was Mr. Blow himself, who, although his sight was severely injured, never obtained the least compensation. He returned to England in the Guillaume Tell, and on that ship being added to the British Navy under the name of, and commissioned by Capt. Thos. Elphinstone, continued to be employed in her for some months. His ensuing appointments afloat were – 20 Jan. 1801, to the 36, Capts. Lord John Colville and David Atkins, stationed in the West Indies and Channel – and, 10 May, 1803, and 24 April, 1810, to the command of the, of 12, and , of 10 guns. During the nearly seven years of his continuance in the, Mr. Blow, besides capturing various smuggling vessels, succeeded in making prize, 28 May, 1805, of the De Zenno, a Danish privateer carrying 13 men, participated also in the operations of 1807 against Copenhagen, and was then employed in surveying the Malmo Road, on the Swedish coast, for the purpose of enabling H.M. ships and convoys to pass, a service he very ably accomplished. On 9 June, 1808, the formed part of a small convoying squadron, one of which, the  gun-brig, was captured by a Danish flotilla near the south end of Saltholm; and in the following December, while escorting the trade through Malmo Road, she was attacked by a detachment of gun-boats of very superior force – for his conduct in defeating which, and at the same time re-capturing two of his own convoy, her Commander was honoured vpith the thanks of the Admiralty. In Aug. 1809, Mr. Blow further accompanied the expedition to the Walcheren, and after the bombardment of Flushing he was deputed by Sir Home Popham to survey and place buoys along the Scheldt, from Bathz, on the island of South Beveland, to Fort Lillo. On assuming command, as above, of the, he took three privateers and several merchantmen; and while subsequently cruizing in company with the 12-gun brig , Lieut.-Commander Thos. Barker Devon, he fell in with and was pursued, 31 July, 181 1, by a Danish force, consisting of three brigs, carrying in the whole 54 guns and 480 men, against whom the British could only oppose a force of 22 guns and 107 men. Although Mr. Blow does not appear to have been enabled directly to render much efifective aid to the in her close action on 1 Aug. with the largest of the enemy’s vessels, the Langland, of 20 guns and 170 men (except at the commencement, when the  had 1 man killed and 2 wounded), beyond sending her a boat and sweeps, yet, for his skilful manoeuvres in detaching the remainder of the enemy’s force, and his exertions in facilitating the subsequent escape of himself and consort, he received through Sir Jas. Saumarez, a second time, the acknowledgments of the Board of Admiralty. On 30 of the following Oct., in consequence of a dispute with a Capt. Campbell, R.M., to whom we believe he had sent a challenge, he was unfortunately dismissed from the command of the by sentence of court-martial; but not long afterwards, on 19 Feb. 1812, was appointed to the Impress service at Folkestone, where he remained until Aug. 1813. On 1 Jan. 1826, he obtained command of the gun-brig, fitting at Portsmouth, but was superseded on being advanced to the rank of Commander, 27 March following. From 23 April, 1834, until May, 1837, we next find him attached, the last nine months as Second Captain of the 104, to the Ordinary at Sheerness. He was afterwards, in the early part of 1842, selected by Her Majesty to command the, on the occasion of her visiting in that vessel the 110, lying at Spithead, and about to proceed to the Mediterranean with the flag of Sir Edw. W. C. R. Owen. He was promoted, in consequence of that service, to Post-rank, by commission dated 7 March in the same year; since which period he has been on half-pay.

Capt. Blow is married, and has issue. – Coplands and Burnett.

 BLOYE. 

entered the Navy, 5 Aug. 1793, as A.B., on board the 74, Capt. Hon. Geo. Cranfield Berkeley, under whom he participated, as Midshipman, in Lord Howe’s action of 1 June, 1794. He accompanied the same officer, as Master’s Mate, in July, 1795, into the 98, commanded afterwards by Capts. Jas. Hawkins Whitshed and Edw. Thornbrough; removed, in May, 1799, to the 98, bearing the flags in succession of Rear-Admirals Sir John Borlase Warren and J. H. Whitshed; and, on 2 Oct. 1800, was made Lieutenant into the  sloop, Capt. Robt. Keen. His next appointments were – on 12 Sept. 1804, to the 74, Capt. Thos. Rogers – and, on 11 March, 1806, to the 110, flag-ship of Earl St. Vincent, under whom he served until promoted to the rank of Commander 4 Aug. following. Assuming command, 13 Dec. 1809, of the 10, Capt. Bloye continued to be employed in that vessel (with the exception of two months, from 30 July to 30 Sept. 1812, when he appears to have officiated as Acting-Captain of the  38) for nearly four years, and during part of that period was highly distinguished by his zealous and gallant co-operation with the patriots on the north coast of Spain. He commanded a party at the destruction, on 24 June, 1812, of the Castle of Galea, and of the 