Page:A Naval Biographical Dictionary.djvu/1243

Rh by a squadron under Sir Sam. Hood, 25 Sept. 1806; in the expedition to the Walcheren; for nine months at the defence of Cadiz (where he saw much boat-service, and assisted in bringing off the British garrison from Fort Matagorda, on the occasion of its destruction by the French in April, 1810); and, in the ’ pinnace, at the cutting out, in company with the boats of the 74, of two merchant-vessels on the coast of Istria in 1812. On 25 Aug. 1814, being then on the coast of Brazil, he was nominated Acting-Lieutenant of the 36, Capt. Askey. His promotion by the Admiralty took place 8 Feb. 1815. With the exception of about 13 months in 1837-8, during which he commanded the hired-transport, and visited South America, the Ascension, and Canada, he has been employed since 12 Feb. 1828 in the Coast Guard. For the gallant conduct he displayed during the tremendous gale of 13 and 14 Jan. 1843, in putting off in a boat with Lieut. John BuUey of the adjoining station, when all other means had failed, and saving the crew of the brig George, of Sunderland, which had been wrecked at Atherfield, and immediately afterwards went to pieces, he received, in addition to the thanks of the Admiralty, a gold medal from the National Shipwreck Institution, and a silver one from the Subscribers at Lloyd’s.

Lieut. Vicary married Audry Ann, eldest daughter of Silas Winter, Esq., of Court House, Newton Ferrers, co. Devon, by whom he has issue three sons and two daughters. One of the former, William, is a Midshipman R.N.

 VIDAL. 

is brother of ; and of Emeric Essex Vidal, Esq., Purser and Paymaster R.N. (1808). His father was Secretary to Admirals Sir John Lockhart Ross, Duff, and Kingsmill.

This officer entered the Navy, 1 Dec. 1803, as Fst.-cl. Vol., on board the 74, Capts. Sir Chas. Hamilton, Michael Seymour, and Wm. Shield, with whom he served in the Channel, on the north coast of Spain, and in the West Indies, until Nov. 1805. On 22 May, 1807, he joined the Royal Naval College; and on leaving that institution he was received, in Nov. 1809, on board the 40, Capts. Lord Wm. Stuart and Geo. Digby; in which ship we find him for upwards of three years employed on the Mediterranean, West India, Cadiz, and Lisbon stations, the chief part of the time in the capacity of Midshipman. In the course of 1813-14 he was received in succession, on the Home station, on board the, flag-ship of Sir Robt. Calder, 40, Capt. Wm. Augustus Montagu, 74, Capt. Edw. W. C. R. Owen, 74, bearing the flag of Sir Thos. Williams, 20 and  24, both commanded by Capt. John Tancock, and  again, Capt. Henry Colins Deacon. Sailing in the latter ship for the Halifax station, he was there, and on the Canadian lakes, employed, from Feb. to Nov. 1815, principally on Surveying-service, although for a short time as Acting-Flag-Lieutenant to Commodore Sir Edw. W. C. R. Owen. He was then presented with a commission bearing date 6 Feb. 1815. He was next, 25 Aug. 1818, appointed to the 24, Capts. David Ewen Bartholomew and Wm. Fitzwilliam Owen, fitting for a surveying expedition to the coast of Africa, where he was promoted, 15 May, 1823, to the command of the 10, also a surveying-vessel. He was advanced to Post-rank 4 Oct. 1825; and was afterwards employed, still on Surveying-service – for a short time in 1831, in the 12 – from 15 Sept. 1835 until the close of 1838, and from 15 Sept. 1841 until Jan. 1845, on the coast of Africa and among the Azores, in the  and  – and, from 7 Jan. 1845 until the early part of 1846, with his name on the books of the  yacht.

In addition to other charts, Capt. Vidal has published, under the authority of the Lords of the Admiralty, one of the Salvage Islands, with a plan of the great Salvage; 13 of the Cape de Verde Islands; one of the coast of England; and one of Vidal Bank, on the north-west coast of England. He married, in Oct. 1839, Sarah Antoinette, daughter of Henry Veicht, Esq., of Madeira, and niece of Colonel Tweedy, of Bromley House, Kent, by whom, who died in June, 1843, he has issue.

 VIDAL. 

is brother of

This officer entered the Navy, 1 May, 1799, as L.M., on board the guard-ship at Waterford, Lieut.-Commander Rich. Dorrill. From Sept. 1800 until May, 1801 he cruized on the coast of Ireland in the 44, Capts. Geo. Duff and John Talbot; and in Aug. of the latter year he became Midshipman of the 74, commanded by his former Captain, Duff. In her, besides witnessing the mutiny in Bantry Bay, he served at the blockade of Brest and Rochefort, and visited the West Indies. Joining next, in July, 1802, the 50, Capt. Jas. Colnett, he made a voyage in that ship round the world. On his return to England he removed, in Nov. 1803, to the 14, commanded by the present Rear-Admiral William Fitzwilliam Owen, under whom he sailed soon afterwards for the East Indies, and was there for a long time employed as Master’s Mate and Acting-Master, chiefly on surveying service. The following copy of a testimonial, given to him by his Commander, will exhibit the creditable manner in which he comported himself during the period to which it refers:– “This is to certify my Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty, that Mr. Richard Emeric Vidal served on board H.M. brig, as my second in command, in the years 1804, 5, 6, 7, and that during that time his conduct marked him as extremely diligent, attentive, and obedient, greatly emulous of professional excellence, and, on the whole, as a very promising young officer. In the course of the said service in the he was captured in an attempt to cut out a French privateer from the road of St. Denis, in the Isle of Bourbon, with the loss of one-half of the men under his command, on which occasion he evinced the most noble devotedness, spirit, and enterprise, being himself wounded, and was in consequence promoted to the rank of Lieutenant by Sir Edw. Pellew (then our Commander-in-Chief in India), on his liberation from French prison in the Isle of France in 1808.” On 15 July, 1806, we may add, Mr. Vidal cut out from the island of Rodriguez Le Charles, a French national ketch. His release from captivity took place 29 Feb. 1808; in the following March and June he joined the and  74’s, flag-ships of Rear-Admirals Wm. O’Brien Drury and Sir Edw. Pellew; and on 24 Oct. in the same year he was nominated, as above stated, Acting-Lieutenant of the 50, Capt. Wm. Augustus Montagu. His services in that ship, to which he was confirmed 10 July, 1809, are thus described in a testimonial bearing the signature of Capt. Montagu, and presented to him in Nov. 1821, when applying for the appointment therein alluded to:– “This is to certify that Lieutenant R. E. Vidal served under my command, on board H.M.S., from Oct. 1808 until July, 1810; and that during that period frequent opportunities, asunder mentioned, occurred ofproving his professional talent and devotedness. First, that at the time the Madras army was in a state of insubordination, I was deputed by the Governor on a most delicate mission to the northern Circars, and, having occasion to leave Lieut. Vidal at Masulipatam for information, which he obtained, he followed me in an open boat upwards of 100 miles to communicate the same. Secondly, he commanded the boats and seamen in a successful attack on the port of Poulo Combo (island of Celebes), which, after a determined resistance, was taken and ultimately destroyed. Thirdly, on the jolly-boat boarding a