Page:A Naval Biographical Dictionary.djvu/1126

1112 present he would in all probability have perished.

 STEELE. 

entered the Navy, in March, 1798, as A.B., on board the 32, Capt. John Gore, under whom, after visiting the Mediterranean, he assisted, 18 Oct. 1799, at the capture, off Cape Finisterre, of the Santa Brigida Spanish frigate of 36 guns and 300 men, laden with treasure to an enormous amount. In the course of 180O he became Midshipman of the 74, flag-ship of Sir Thos. Pasley at Plymouth, and 98, Capt. Theophilus Jones, attached to the Channel fleet; and in Hov. 1802, having left the in the preceding May, he was nominated Master’s Mate of the  36, Capt. Benj. Wm. Page. During the passage of that ship to the East Indies he was placed on board a prize and sent home. On his arrival he joined the 32, Capt. Edw. Brace, stationed in the Downs. He was nominated, early in 1805, Acting-Lieutenant of the 32, Capt. Wm. Bolton; was officially promoted 26 March in that year; and between Aug. following and Dec. 1812 was employed on the coast of North America, off Boulogne and the north coast of Spain, and in the North Sea and Mediterranean, in the 28, Capt. Chas. Pelly, 50, Capt. Salusbury Pryce Humphreys,  sloop, Capt. Chas. Pickford, 38, Capt. Robt. Mends, 38, Capt. John Chas. Woolcombe, 38, Capt. Sir Peter Parker, and  98, Capt. Sir Edw. Berry. He was on board the, we believe, when she compelled, 22 June, 1807, the U.S. frigate Chesapeake to surrender, after an engagement occasioned by a refusal on the part of the latter to permit the British to search her for deserters. On 20 March, 1809, a party of seamen under the orders of Lieut. Steele, who was then serving in the, destroyed the guns at Baignio, a place on the coast of France, and captured a vessel there laden with Merino wool; while Lieut. Fennel, of the Royal Marines, accompanied by Mr. Elliott, the Purser, and a boat’s crew, ascended a mountain and destroyed the signal-posts. He accepted his present rank 25 April, 1838. – Goode and Lawrence.

 STEELE. 

entered the Navy, 25 June, 1808, as a Volunteer, on board the 80, Capt. Joseph Sydney Yorke, flag-ship afterwards of the late Lord Exmouth, with whom (deducting one interval passed, between Feb. 1812 and Dec. 1813, in the  frigate and  sloop, Capts. Edwards Lloyd Graham and Jas. Wemyss, and another, from Sept. 1814 until April, 1815, spent on board the  74, flag-ship of Sir Thos. Byam Martin at Plymouth, and  84, Capt. Wm. Chas. Fahie) he continued employed in the North Sea, Channel, and Mediterranean, as Midshipman and Mate of the Signals, in the same ship and in the  120 and  98, until made Lieutenant, 22 Nov. 1815, into the  sloop, Capt. John Miller Adye. He was present in the in a partial action with the Toulon fleet 13 Nov. 1814, and at the surrender of Genoa. He left the 12 March, 1816, and has since been on half-pay.

Lieut. Steele married, 30 April, 1839, Anne, relict of H. Elkins Way, Esq., and second daughter of the late John Ranger Russell, Esq., of Beaminster, co. Dorset.

 STEELE. 

died in 1848.

This officer entered the Navy, 24 Aug. 1804, as L.M., on board the 64, Capt. John Harvey. After enacting a Midshipman’s part in Sir Robt. Calder’s action, he removed, 27 July, 1805, to the 98, bearing the flag of Rear-Admiral Chas. Stirling, whom he followed, in July and Dec. 1806, into the and  64’s. In the latter ship he was present at the taking of Monte Video in Feb. 1807. On leaving her he joined as Master’s Mate, 23 April, 1808, the 20, Capt. Arthur Farquhar, stationed in the North Sea; where, in the Baltic, and at Plymouth, we find him, from Feb. 1809 until Sept. 1810, employed in the  74 and  38, both commanded by Capt. Sam. Warren. He was then transferred to the 74, flag-ship of Sir Fras. Laforey in the West Indies; and on 24 Jan. 1811 he was there placed in command, with the rank of Lieutenant, of the schooner. He returned home in Sept. 1813; and was lastly, from 15 April until 1 Sept. 1815, employed in the North Sea in the 12, Capt. Abraham Mills Hawkins. – Joseph Woodhead.

 STEPHEN. 

entered the Navy, 21 Dec. 1805, as Ordinary, on board the 12, Lieut.-Commander Chas. Fred. Napier, stationed in the North Sea; where he became Midshipman, in Nov. 1807, of the 44, flag-ship of Vice-Admiral Billy Douglas, and, in Oct. 1808, Master’s Mate of the  16, Capts. Henry Evelyn Pitfield Sturt and Jas. Boxer. From 27 Nov. in the latter year until 31 Dec. 1811 (during part of which period he was employed with the flotilla in the defence of Messina) he served on the Halifax and Mediterranean stations in the 18, Capts. H. E. P. Sturt, Geo. Wm. Hughes D’Aeth, Rich. Buck, Rich. Moorman, Fred. Chas. Squire, and Wm. Hamilton. He then joined the 74, Capt. Rich. Hussey Moubray, also on the Mediterranean station; and in June and Sept. 1814 he was received on board the, flagship of Sir John Thos. Duckworth at Plymouth, and 6, commanded in the Channel by Lieut. Abraham Pike. In Aug. 1815 he took up a commission bearing date 23 of the preceding Feb.; and he was subsequently appointed – 31 May, 1823, and (after 12 months of half-pay) 4 March, 1830, to the and  74’s, Coast Blockade ships, both commanded by Capt. Hugh Pigot – 26 April, 1831, to the Coast Guard, in which service he continued until Jan. 1834 – 6 May, 1839, to the  80, guard-ship at Sheerness, Capts. Sir John Hill and Peter Fisher – and, 26 Jan. 1844, to the command, 10 months after he had left the, of the cutter, also stationed at Sheerness. He was superseded from the latter vessel on the occasion of his promotion to the rank of Commander 9 Nov. 1846; and he is now on half-pay.

For his exertions, 1 Nov. 1823, in saving the crew and the remains of the Lady Popham, wrecked on Margate Sands, Commander Stephen received the thanks of the Committee at Lloyd’s, and a piece of plate valued at 202. His only daughter is the wife of

 STEPHENS. 

entered the Navy 15 Oct. 1829; passed his examination 20 July, 1836; and while serving in the Mediterranean as Mate on board the 36, Capt. Danl. Pring, was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant 17 Aug. 1841. His succeeding appointments were – 19 Aug. 1841, as Additional, to the 84, Capt. Geo. Mansel, also in the Mediterranean – 23 Nov. following, for a short time, to the 72, Capt. Edw. Harvey, on the same station – 11 May, 1843, again as Additional-Lieutenant, to the 50, flag-ship of Rear-Admiral Rich, Thomas in the Pacific – 2 Aug. 1844, to the  steam-sloop, Capt. Claude Henry Mason Buckle, on the coast of Africa, whence he returned in the spring of 1845 – 8 April, 1846, as First, to the  12, Capt. John Chas. Pitman, on the East India station – and, 7 May, 1847, nine months after he had been superseded from the, to the 120, flag-ship of Sir John Louis, Admiral Superintendent at Plymouth,