Page:A Naval Biographical Dictionary.djvu/261

CROSBIE—CROSBY—CROTTY—CROUCH.  Wm. Robt. Ashley Pettman; and on removing to the 16, Capts. John Martin Hanchett and George Gustavus Lennock, attended the expedition to the Walcheren in Aug. 1809, and was for four hours on one occasion in destructive contact with the batteries of Cadsand and Flushing. In March, 1811, he joined the 98, bearing the flag in the Channel of Sir Harry Burrard Neale, to whom he acted for nearly two years as Signal Mate; after which he proceeded to North America with Capt. J. M. Hanchett, in the  armée en flûte and co-operated in the attack on Craney Island and the town of Hampton, 22 and 26 June, 1813. He had the good fortune, about the same period, to rescue from a watery grave an officer and three men belonging to the. Until the receipt of his commission, which bears date 7 March, 1815, Mr. Crooke further served, on the Halifax, Irish, and West India stations, on board the 32, Capt. John Rich. Lumley, 38, Capt. Edw. Pelham Brenton, and 36, Capt. Nathaniel Day Cochrane. He has not since been afloat.

 CROSBIE. 

is third son of the late General Sir John Crosbie, G.C.H.

This officer entered the Navy, 5 Aug. 1819, as Fst.-cl. Vol., on board the 50, Capt. Chas. Richardson, fitting for the flag of Hon. Sir Henry Blackwood, Commander-in-Chief in the East Indies, where he served, a great part of the period as Midshipman, until the close of 1822. He was afterwards employed for some time in the 18, Capt. Rodney Shannon, on the coast of Ireland; passed his examination 2 Nov. 1825; and in 1826 returned to India as Mate of the  52, flag-ship of Rear-Admiral Wm. Hall Gage. He there served, from 22 Feb. 1828, to 27 March, 1829, as Acting-Lieutenant, on board the 18, Capt. Geo. Delmé, and 18, Capts. Wm. Clarke Jervoise and Hon. John Fred. Gordon; and being then confirmed by commission dated back to 28 May, 1828, was subsequently appointed – 25 April, 1831, to the 28, Capt. Chas. Graham – and, 22 Nov. 1836, to the 26, Capt. Henry Byam Martin, respectively employed on the South American and Mediterranean stations. He has been on half-pay since Nov. 1838. – Joseph Woodhead.

 CROSBY, K.T.S., G.S.C.

entered the Navy, 6 April, 1806, as Fst.-cl. Vol., on board the store-ship, Capt. Edw. Killwick, in which he sailed for the Cape of Good Hope, and thence to the Rio de la Plata. Joining, there, the 38, Capt. Robt. Honyman, he witnessed, as Midshipman, the capture of Monte Video and the unsuccessful attack made on Buenos Ayres in Feb. and July, 1807; after which, on his return to Europe, he assisted at the bombardment of Copenhagen in Sept. following, and was wrecked, near the entrance of Milford Haven, 31 Jan. 1808. Until the receipt of his commission, 1 Feb. 1815, Mr. Crosby appears to have been further employed, on the Home, Lisbon, Mediterranean, American, and West India stations, as Midshipman and Master’s Mate in the sloop, Capt. Alex. Innes, 40, Capts. Lord Wm. Stuart and Geo. Digby, 74, Capt. Hon. Chas. Paget, 32, Capt. Wm. Bowen Mends, 74, Capt. Wm. Henry Webley, and 74, flag-ship of Sir Philip Chas. Durham. While in the, we find him present at the forcing of the passage between the batteries of Flushing and Cadsand, 11 Aug. 1809, and next engaged at the defence of Cadiz in 1811-12. He has not been officially employed since his return home from the West Indies in 1815.

Lieut. Crosby is, by royal licence, an officer of the Portuguese order of the Tower and Sword, and a Grand Dignitary of the order of the Southern Cross. – Frederick Dufaur.

 CROTTY. 

was born 7 July, 1772.

This officer entered the Navy (into which he was impressed), 23 May, 1793, as A.B., on board the 18, Capt. Lord Augustus Fitzroy, stationed in the Channel; served next, from Jan. 1794, to Jan. 1799, in the  74, flag-ship in North America of Rear-Admirals Murray and Vandeput; and on then joining, of 48 guns and 281 men, was present, 21 Aug. 1800, at the capture, in the Mona Passage, of La Vengeance, of 52 guns and 326 men, after a brilliant contest of two hours and a half, in which the British lost 13 men killed and 29 wounded, and the French more than twice that number. Until the peace of Amiens he further served in the West Indies as Midshipman of the 74, Capt. Edw. Tyrrell Smith; after which we find him successively joining, between 1 Jan. 1804, and the date of his promotion, 25 March, 1809 – the and, hired armed tenders, both under the command of Lieut. John Keenan – 110, and  98, flag-ships in the Channel of Lord Gardner and Earl St. Vincent –  sloop, Capt. Thos. Fras. Chas. Mainwaring, in which he received a wound at the bombardment of Copenhagen in Sept. 1807 – and gun-brig, Lieut.-Commander Mayson Wright. From 10 Nov. 1809, until 19 Feb. 1814, Mr. Crotty lastly served, on the Plymouth and Newfoundland stations, as Lieutenant of the 18, Capt. John Palmer. He has not since been afloat.

Lieut. Crotty has been in the enjoyment, since 4 April, 1844, of a pension for wounds of 8l. He married 5 March, 1815; and has had issue 17 children.

 CROUCH. 

, born 3 Dec. 1816, is son of

This officer entered the Navy, 12 June, 1830, as Fst.-cl. Vol., on board the 120, Capt. Jas. Whitley Deans Dundas, bearing the flag at the Nore of Sir John Poo Beresford. While in the performance of his duty on board that ship, he had the misfortune, on 4 Nov. following, severely to lacerate both hands, and lose the top of five fingers. Removing, in April, 1831, to the 20, Capts. Wm. Broughton and Robt. Gordon, he visited the West Indies; and he afterwards served, from 4 Jan. 1833, until wrecked on the coast of Chili, 19 May, 1835, as Midshipman, in the 76, flag-ship of Sir Michael Seymour, Commander-in-Chief in South America, and  28, Capt. Michael Seymour. On his ultimate return to England after suffering many privations, Mr. Crouch, in Dec. of the latter year, joined the, Capt. Thos. Hastings, gunnery-ship at Portsmouth, where he passed his examination in Oct. 1836. He returned, in April, 1837, to South America, as Gunnery Mate of the 28, Capts. Wm. Broughton and Jas. Scott; and, on eventually proceeding to China, removed, in a similar capacity, to the 72, Commodore Sir Jas. John Gordon Bremer, 22 Dec. 1840. Taking part in the hostilities that followed, he served on board the Hon.E.I.Co.’s steamer at the destruction of 10 war-junks, near Chuenpee, 7 Jan. 1841; after which he mainly contributed by the perfection of his fire to the rapid success which, between 13 and 15 March following, attended an expedition up the inner passage from Macao to Whampoa, where were destroyed five forts, one battery, two military stations, and nine man-of-war junks, containing in the whole 115 guns and 8 gingalls. Mr. Crouch, who obtained his first commission 8 June in the same year, was next employed on shore at the reduction of Chinghae 10 Oct. ensuing. Becoming attached, 22 Jan. 1842, to the 42, Capt. Thos. Bourchier, he further commanded two boats in an attack on Chin-Kiang-Foo, 21 July, 1842; where, in an attempt to land the