Page:A Naval Biographical Dictionary.djvu/1241

Rh This officer entered the Navy 3 Feb. 1832; passed his examination 9 March, 1839; and, sailing in 1841 for China, as Mate, in the 72, flag-ship of Sir Wm. Parker, took part there, in 1842, in the operations on shore at Tsekee, in the attack upon the fortified heights at Chapoo, and at the capture of the batteries at Woosung. As a reward for his services he was presented with a commission bearing date 23 Dec. 1842. He was afterwards, from 18 Jan. 1843 until advanced to his present rank 7 Jan. 1847, employed, the latter part of the time as First-Lieutenant, in the 72, flag-ship of Rear-Admiral Sir Thos. John Cochrane on the East India station. On 8 July, 1846, having accompanied (he was at that period filling the post of Flag-Lieutenant) an expedition conducted by the Rear-Admiral in person against the Sultan of Borneo, he was present, on the staff; at the destruction of the enemy’s forts and batteries on the river Brune. In the course of the same month he was engaged, as Aide-de-Camp to the commanding officer, Capt. Geo. Rodney Mundy, in an arduous and fruitless pursuit of the Sultan’s person up a branch of that stream and across a difficult swampy country. His conduct on the latter occasion obtained Capt. Mundy’s thanks.

 VASSALL, Kt, K.H.

was born 17 May, 1799, and died 29 May, 1846, at 29, Hyde Park Gardens. He was eldest son of Lieut-Colonel Spencer Thos. Vassall, who, after a dashing career ot 28 years, was mortally wounded at the head of his regiment, the 38th, in the assault upon Monte Video 3 Feb. 1807, by Catherine Brandrith Backhouse, daughter of the Rev. D. Evans, D.D., Rector of West Tilbury, co. Essex, and Chaplain to George III., and wife afterwards of Thos. Chetham Strode, Esq., of South-hill House, co. Somerset, brother of Rear-Admiral Sir Edw. Chetham Strode, K.C.B., K.C.H. Sir Spencer was only brother of the present Major Rawdon John Popham Vassall. His youngest sister, Catherine, married, first, Hon. Thos. Le Marchant Saumarez, second son of the late Lord de Saumarez, G.C.B.; and, secondly, the Rev. Eardley Wilmot Michell.

This officer entered the Navy, in May, 1812, as Fst.-cl. Vol., on board the 74, Capt. Sir Home Popham. Proceeding in her to the north coast of Spain he was there present in an attack upon the French at Lequeytio; at the destruction of the fortifications of Bermeo and Plenoia, the castle of Galea, and the batteries of Algorta, Begona. El Campillo las Quersas, and Xebiles; at the reduction of Castro; at the attacks upon Puerto Galletta, Guetaria, and Santander; and at the capture of the castle of Ano. Removing with Sir H. Popham in March, 1813, to the 74, he sailed in that ship with the Earl of Moira for India; on his return whence he joined, in June, 1814, the  74, Capt. Willoughby Thos. Lake, and sailed for the West Indies, where he attained the rating of Midshipman. In Aug. 1815 he was received, at Spithead, on board the 38, Capt. Sam. Jackson; with whom in the ensuing Sept. we find him proceeding, in the 38, to the coast of North America. He was there, in July, 1817, transferred to the 18, Capt. Sir Chas. Thos. Jones. In Oct. 1818, four months after he had returned to England (which he had done for the purpose of passing his examination), he was again, in the 42, Capt. Hyde Parker, ordered to the West Indies; on which station, in Feb. 1819, he rejoined his former Captain, then Rear-Admiral, Sir Home Popham, on board the, 44. On 11 March ensuing he went back, as Acting-Lieutenant, to the ; he was officially promoted 3 July in the same year; and he was subsequently appointed – 16 Aug. 1819, for rather more than two months, to the 46, Capt. Wm. Furlong Wise, employed in the West Indies and Channel – 5 July, 1820, to the 24, Capts. Fred. Edw. Venables Vernon (now Harcourt) and Archibald McLean, fitting for St. Helena and the Brazils, from which latter station repeated attacks of yellow fever compelled him in July, 1823, to invalid – 11 Aug. 1824, to the 120, flag-ship of Sir Robt. Moorsom at the Nore – 23 July, 1825, to the 28, Capt. Lord Henry Fred. Thynne, whom he accompanied to South America – and, in April, 1827, to the 84, bearing the flag on that station of Sir Robt. Waller Otway. In the following July (he had been promoted at home to the rank of Commander by a commission bearing date 30 April, 1827) he was nominated Acting-Commander of the sloop; which vessel he paid off two months afterwards. His next and last appointment was, 24 Nov. 1831, to the 18, in the East Indies, where he was actively employed, particularly in the suppression of piracy in the straits of Malacca. After two severe conflicts he succeeded in destroying the settlements at Poulo Arroa and Poulo Sujee; and to him may be ascribed the merit of having commenced a system of decided operations against the marauders, and of setting an example which was followed by the and other men-of-war. The was paid off in July, 1835; and her Commander advanced to Post-rank 10 Jan. 1837. He was nominated a K.H. 22 of the same month; and in 1838 he received the honour of Knighthood.

Sir H. L. S. Vassall married, 9 May, 1844, Letitia, only daughter of the late Edw. Berkeley Napier, Esq., of Pennard House, co. Somerset, and widow of the Rev. C. H. Pulsford, Canon of Wells Cathedral and Vicar of Burnham. – Collier and Snee.

 VEITCH. 

, born in 1813, is son of Capt. Jas. Veitch, R.N. (1812), who died 17 Oct. 1839 at Tresco, Scilly.

This officer entered the Navy, 25 May, 1830, as Fst.-cl. Vol., on board the 18, Capt. John Jas. Onslow, fitting for South America; whence he returned to England in March, 1833, in the 76, flag-ship of Sir Thos. Baker. He served afterwards, from Feb. until July, 1834, as Midshipman, in the 120, bearing the flag of Sir Josias Rowley in the Mediterranean; from July, 1834, until June, 1838, as Midshipman and Mate (he passed his examination 14 Dec. 1837) in the  52, flag-ship in the East Indies of Hon. Sir Thos. Bladen Capel; and, as Mate – from July, 1838, until June, 1839, in the 72, flagship of Hon. Sir Chas. Paget in the West Indies – from July, 1839, until Feb. 1842, in the 72, Capt. John Lawrence – from March until Aug. 1842 in the  104, flag-ship of Sir Edw. Brace at Sheerness – during the next two months in the 18, Capt. J. J. Onslow, on particular service – and, from Oct. 1842 until promoted to the rank of Lieutenant 25 Sept. 1843, in the  120, bearing the flag of Sir David Milne at Plymouth. In the, which ship was stationed in the Mediterranean, he took part in the operations on the coast of Syria, including the blockade of Beyrout. His appointments, since his promotion, have been – 25 Oct. 1843, to the gunnery-ship at Portsmouth, Capt. Sir Thos. Hastings – and, 11 Feb. 1846, 28 Jan. 1848, and 1 Jan. 1849, to the 110,  110, and  104, flag-ships of Sir John West and Sir Wm. Hall Gage at Plymouth, where he is now serving.

Lieut. Veitch married, 14 Nov. 1843, Georgiana Ommanney, youngest daughter of Capt. Lawrence, R.M. – Messrs. Ommanney.

 VEITCH. 

is son of Mr. Veitch, formerly Consul at Madeira.

This officer entered the Navy 11 Aug. 1828; passed his examination 22 Dec. 1834; and from