Page:A Naval Biographical Dictionary.djvu/1279

Rh coast of Africa, whence he returned in 1842 – and, 22 Sept. 1846, to the Coast Guard, in which service he continues.

 WEEKES. 

was born 22 Nov. 1790, at Nevis, in the West Indies. He is brother of Thos. P. Weekes, Esq., Member of the Bombay Medical Board.

This officer entered the Royal Naval Academy in March, 1804; and embarked, in Sept. 1807, as Midshipman, on board the 38, Capt. Geo. Tobin, stationed on the coast of Ireland; where he removed, in July, 1809, to the 18, Capt. Henry Gage Morris. On 29 Jan. 1810, being in the Bay of Biscay, he took command of the cutter and, in company with the other boats of the and those of the  frigate, went in pursuit, during a cahn, of Le Charles, a French privateer of 14 guns and 90 men, which, after a chase of three hours, was gallantly boarded and carried, the ships being at the time hull-down in the distance. On 21 March, 1812, at which period he had been serving for about 18 months in the Baltic in the 100, flag-ship of Sir Jas. Saumarez, he was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant. His subsequent appointments were – 6 April and 31 Dec. 1812, to the 74 and  sloop, Capts. Robt. Williams and Thos. Percival, stationed off Flushing and in the Downs – 28 April, 1815, for a few days only (he had left the in July, 1813), to the  12, Capt. Job Hanmer, lying at Plymouth – 3 Feb. 1818, to the  74, Capt. Thos. Alexander, which ship, stationed at Portsmouth, was paid off in the following Sept. – and, 7 May, 1825, to the Coast Guard. In the latter service he remained until Aug. 1840. He has since been on half-pay.

Lieut. Weekes left the Coast Guard for the purpose of assuming the command, which he retained for some years, of a country ship of 11 hundred tons, in the East Indies. He married, 22 Feb. 1814, Grace, daughter of Peter Bunworth, Esq., of Mallow, co. Cork, by whom he has had issue two daughters. – Messrs. Ommanney.

 WEIR. 

entered the Navy, 22 Jan. 1803, as Sec.-cl. Boy, on board the 98, Capts. Joseph Sydney Yorke and Geo. Losack, stationed in the Channel. In Nov. 1806, two years after he had attained the rating of Midshipman, he removed to the 64, Capts. Peter Heywood and Wm. Pryce Cumby; and while in that ship, which bore the flags in succession of Admirals Geo. Murray and Bartholomew Sam. Rowley, he witnessed the unsuccessful attack made by Lieut.-General Whitelocke on Buenos Ayres in July, 1807, and assisted, as Master’s Mate, in the summer of 1809, at the blockade of the city of St. Domingo. Continuing in the West Indies he was there, 1 Dec. 1810, nominated Acting-Lieutenant of the frigate, Capt. John Fyffe. He was confirmed to that ship 29 April, 1811; and in the following Aug. he returned to England. He has since been on half-pay. – Messrs. Stilwell.

 WELCH. 

died in 1847.

This officer entered the Navy, in 1793, as Third-cl. Vol, on board the 28, Capts. Alan Hyde Gardner and Joseph Sydney Yorke. He served next, from Aug. 1794 until wrecked in Vigo Bay 6 Sept. 1800, in the 32, Capts. J. S. Yorke and Robt. Winthrop; and, from the latter period until April, 1807, in the 64 and  50, flag-ships of Vice-Admirals Alex. Graeme and Sir Andrew Mitchell, sloop and  32, both commanded by Capt. John Naime,  38, Capt. Robt. Laurie, and, , and , all under the command of Capt. Naime. He then (he had been employed hitherto on the Home and North American stations) sailed for the East Indies, as Midshipman, in the 50, Capt. Henry Edw. Reginald Baker. On his return he was received in succession, in Dec. 1808 and Feb. 1809, on board the 74, Capt. John Hayes, and  74, Capt. Graham Eden Hamond – the former stationed on the coast of Spain. After sharing, as Master’s Mate of the, in the operations against Flushing, he was nominated, 20 Sept. 1809, Acting-Lieutenant of the 74, Capt. Edw. Codrington. Being, however, superseded 24 Oct. following, he joined the 74; to which ship, bearing the flag of Sir Rich. Strachan in the North Sea, he continued attached until again ordered to act as Lieutenant, 8 Jan. 1812, in the 74, Capt. Thos. Baker. He was officially promoted 3 Feb. in the same year; and he was subsequently appointed – 2 March, 1812, to the bomb, Capt. Thos. Alexander, stationed in the Baltic, where he came frequently into action with the enemy – 17 May, 1813, for nearly three years, to the 74, Capts. G. E. Hamond and Edw. Stirling Dickson, under the latter of whom he assisted, while employed in the Mediterranean, at the capture, 30 April, 1815, of La Melpomène French frigate of 44 guns, after a brave defence of 15 minutes – 16 Jan. 1817 (after 10 months of half-pay), to the 100, flag-ship of Sir Edw. Thornbrough at Portsmouth – 18 May, 1818, to the 74, Capt. Thos. Alexander, in the Channel – 19 Sept. following, to the 74, Capt. Aiskew Paffard Hollis, at Portsmouth – 22 Oct. 1822, as Senior (he had left the  in July, 1821), to the  28, bearing the flag of Sir John Poo Beresford at Portsmouth – in April, 1824, and Dec. 1825, to the  and  74’s, Capts. G. E. Hamond and Fred. Warren, stationed on the coast of Brazil – 6 Sept. 1826, again as Senior (a few months after his return to England), to the 18, Capt. Wm. Symonds, under whom he was for nine months employed on experimental cruizes in the Channel – 26 Feb. 1836, to the command, which he retained until July, 1841, of the packet, on the Falmouth station – and, 22 Nov. 1844, to the  104, bearing the flag of Rear-Admiral Hyde Parker, Admiral-Superintendent at Portsmouth. He continued in the ship last mentioned until advanced to the rank of Commander 9 Nov. 1846.

Commander Welch was married, and has left issue. – Hallett and Robinson.

 WELCH. 

entered the Navy, 7 June, 1794, as Fst.-cl. Vol., on board the 36, Capts. Rich. Goodwin Keats and Hon. Geo. Byng; in which frigate, part of the force attached to the expedition to Quiberon in 1795, he continued employed on the French and Irish coasts until transferred, in June, 1798, to the 80, Capts. Sir Thos. Byard, John Elphinstone, Jas. Rich. Dacres, Wm. Brown, Thos. Masterman Hardy, Sir Edw. Berry, Stephenson, and Philip, flag-ship for some time of Lords Keith and Nelson. Under Sir T. Byard he witnessed the surrender, in Oct. 1798, of Le Hoche 74 and other ships destined for the invasion of Ireland; and under Sir Edw. Berry he assisted, during the blockade of Malta, at the capture, 18 Feb. 1800, of Le Généreux 74 and Ville de Marseilles armed store-ship; and, on 31 March in the same year, after a desperate conflict, in which the (in company at the time 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, bearing the flag of Rear-Admiral Decrès. Being nominated, 17 Dec. 1800, Acting-Lieutenant of the 44, Capts. John Griffin Saville and Geo. Chas. Mackenzie, he commanded the boats of that ship at the landing of the troops in Egypt, 8 March, 1801. The services he then rendered, as well as during the remainder of the campaign, procured him a gold medal from the Turkish Government. On leaving the (he had been confirmed to her 17 Nov. 1803)