Page:A Naval Biographical Dictionary.djvu/1320

1306 WILSON. 

entered the Navy, 28 July, 1793, as A.B., on board the 32, Capt. John Markham, stationed in the Channel and West Indies; where he continued chiefly employed, in different capacities, but principally as Midshipman and Master’s Mate, with the same officer and with Capts. Thos. Louis and Edw. Thurlow Smith in the and  74’s, with Admirals Lord Hugh Seymour and Robt. Montagu in the so, and with Capt. Chas. Brisbane in the 74 and  38, until Aug. 1808. He co-operated in the in the reduction of the West India islands in 1794; assisted in the  at the capture, 11 April, 1795, of La Gentille French frigate of 42 guns; aided in the, in making prize, 28 June, 1803, of La Mignonne corvette, of 16 guns and 80 men; and in the , besides sharing in the brilliant attack upon Curaçoa, took part, 23 Aug. 1806, near the Havana, in a spirited action which terminated in the surrender (with a loss to the British of 2 men killed and 32 wounded) of the Pomona Spanish frigate of 38 guns and 347 men laden with specie and merchandize, and defended by a castle mounting 11 36-pounders, and a flotilla of 10-gunboats, all of which were destroyed. On leaving the he followed Capt. Brisbane into the  74, commanded next by Capt. Edw. Codrington; under whom we find him, in 1809, accompanying the expedition to the Scheldt. From Jan. 1810 until Nov. 1812 he served again in the West Indies, in the 98,  38, and  74, under the flags of Hon. Sir Alex. Cochrane and Sir Fras. Laforey; and in Nov. 1813 he joined the of 42 guns and 284 men, Capt. Edm. Palmer. In that ship it was his fortune, 27 March, 1814, to assist as Master’s Mate, at the capture, under Cape La Hogue, of the French frigate L’Etoile of 44 guns and 315 men, after a close and obstinate engagement of two hours and a quarter, attended with a loss to the British of 13 killed and 25 wounded, and to the enemy of 40 killed and 73 wounded. He sailed subsequently for Halifax, where on 2 July, 1814, about six weeks after he had been ordered to act as Lieutenant, he was under the necessity of being sent to sick quarters. In the course of the same month he was received as a Supernumerary on board his former ship the, Capt. Robt. Barrie, for the purpose of again joining the. From her he was transferred, 23 Oct., to the 80, bearing the flag of Sir A. Cochrane, by whom, having participated in the operations against New Orleans, he was nominated, 15 April, 1815, Acting-Lieutenant of the  38, Capt. Sam. Jackson. On his return to Spithead in the ensuing July he was presented with a commission bearing date 2 Feb. 1815. He has since been on half-pay. In addition to the ships above named Mr. Wilson commanded, as an Acting-Lieutenant, the and  schooners, and served as such in the  brig, Capt. Sam. Chambers, during a period, in the whole, of seven months.

 WILSON. 

entered the Navy 14 Sept. 1814; passed his examination in 1822; and was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant 5 June, 1832. His appointments have since been – 22 Feb. 1833, as Supernumerary, to the 74, flagship of Sir John Gore in the East Indies – 24 Oct. following, to the  18, Capt. Spencer Lambart Hunter Vassall, on the same station, whence he returned to England and was paid off in July, 1835 – 2 March, 1840, for a brief period, to the Coast Guard – 28 July, 1841, as Additional, to the  26, Capts. Hugh Nurse and Wm. Tucker, on the coast of Africa – 24 Dec. ensuing, to the 16, Capt. Thos. Rodney Eden, also on the African station, where he was superseded about the close of 1842 – and, 18 July, 1844, to the post, which he still retains, of Admiralty Agent, on board a contract mail steam -vessel. -Joseph Woodhead.

 WILSON. 

entered the Navy 20 Nov. 1816; and was made Lieutenant, 12 Oct. 1824, into the 42, Capt. Gardiner Henry Guion, off Lisbon. He was employed afterwards – from 30 Nov. 1826 until 1830, in the 18, Capts. Wm. Symonds, Chas. Crole, and John Townshend, on the Home and Halifax stations – from 3 Nov. 1834 until the early part of 1837, in the 50, Capt. John M‘Kerlie, in the Mediterranean – trom 7 July, 1840, until the close of 1843, in command of the  brig, on the coast of Africa – and from 7 Sept. 1844 until June, 1846, as Acting-Commander and Commander (commission dated 2 Jan. 1845) in the  sloop, on the same station.

Commander Wilson is senior of 1845. – Messrs. Stilwell.

 WILSON. 

(a) entered the Navy, 27 Feb. 1779, as Lieutenant’s Servant, on board the sloop, Capt. Agnew; in which vessel he was for three years stationed in the North Sea; where we again find him serving, from 29 May, until 22 Dec. 1789, as Gunner’s Mate, in the  cutter, Lieut.-Commander Geo. Younghusband. In the course of 1790 he joined in succession the and  74’s, both commanded by Sir Andrew Snape Douglas,  36, Capt. Chas. Morice Pole, and frigate, Capt. Joseph Ellison; he was again, in April, 1791, placed under the command of Capt. Pole as Midshipman (a rating he had already attained) in the  74; he went back, in the ensuing Sept., to the ; and after serving in her with Capt. Ellison in the Channel and West Indies, he was once more, in Feb. 1793, received by Capt. Pole, who then commanded the  74. He was present in the same year at the occupation of Toulon; was made Lieutenant, 20 Aug. 1794, into the 32, Capt. Wm. Luke, stationed in the Channel and on the coast of Spain; and (ill health obliging him to leave the latter ship in June, 1795) was appointed afterwards – 5 Feb. 1796, to the of 44 guns, Capt. Thos. Wolley, with whom he continued until 28 Sept. 1797 – next, for about four months, to the command of the schooner, employed in carrying the despatches of Rear-Admiral Sir Hugh Cloberry Christian and General Sir Ralph Abercromby to the different West India islands – 10 Sept. 1799, to the command, which he retained until Oct. 1801, of the  hired armed brig in the North Sea – 22 July, 1803, to the Sea Fencibles in Berwickshire – 20 May, 1806, to the  32, Capt. Lord Wm. FitzRoy, on the coast of Ireland, where he cruized until sickness, in the ensuing Nov., caused him to be superseded – and, 13 June, 1807, to the charge of a Signal-station near Hull. In the he accompanied Sir E. Abercromby to the West Indies, assisted at the reduction of Ste. Lueie, co-operated in the suppression of an insurrection among the Caribs in the islands of St. Vincent and Grenada, and, besides contributing to the conquest of Trinidad and the destruction there of a Spanish squadron, was present, 10 Aug. 1797, in an action of 30 minutes, which terminated in the surrender of La Gaieté French corvette of 20 long 8-pounders and 186 men. He retained charge of the Signal-station above alluded to until 3 June, 1814; and was placed on the Senior List of Retired Commanders 9 Oct. 1834.

 WILSON. 

(b) entered the Navy, 18 March, 1807, as A.B., on board the 64, Capts. Donald Campbell and Jas. Giles Vashon, stationed in the North Sea; where he attained the rating of Master’s Mate in the following June, and became, in Oct. of the same year, Acting-Master of the sloop of 14 12-pounder carronades and 65 men, Capts.Thos. Innes, Wm. Henry Dillon, Fras. John Nott, and Joseph Packwood. Under Capt. Dillon he assisted, 14 March, 1808, in driving on shore, after a gallant action, continued with intervals for six hours, the