Page:A Naval Biographical Dictionary.djvu/283

DAVIS. DAVIS. 

was born 17 Oct. 1795.

This officer entered the Navy, 19 Oct. 1806, as Midshipman, on board the cutter, Lieut.-Commander Nicholas Kortwright, employed in the Impress service at Swansea; and from Aug. 1807, until Eeb. 1810, was borne on the books of the 100, and  110, flag-ships in the Channel of Sir John Thos. Duckworth. During that period he served in a gun-boat throughout the whole of the operations connected with the expedition to the Walcheren, and received the particular thanks of Sir Home Popham for his conduct in the four-hours’ action which preceded the capture of Campvere. After a re-attachment of a few months to the and, the latter bearing the flag in the Mediterranean of Sir Chas. Cotton, Mr. Davis, in Feb. 1811, joined the, of 18 guns, Capt. Nesbit Palmer. On 26 May following, that vessel, being on a cruize off Cape St. Andre, island of Corsica, with an effective crew on board of not more than 94, of whom 14 were boys, came to a close action, which lasted 45 minutes, with the French corvette L’Abeille, of 20 guns and 165 men. At the end of that time, having sustained a loss of all her officers, and in the whole of 32 killed and wounded, and being othervrise greatly disabled, the hauled down her colours, and was taken possession of by L’Abeille, whose own loss on the occasion amounted, as acknowledged, to 7 men killed and 12 wounded. In company with L’Abeille were also a schooner and three xebecs, all heavily armed. On his recovery, Mr. Davis, who had himself been badly wounded, was marched through Italy to France; whence he ultimately effected his escape in Dec. 1813. Previously to his promotion to the rank of Lieutenant, which took place 10 March, 1815, he further served in the 18, Capt. Robt. Russell, and 38, Capt. Sir Jas. Alex. Gordon; and in the latter ship he took an active part in the hostilities against New Orleans, where he also served on shore. On the transference of the Packet establishment to the jurisdiction of the Admiralty in July, 1837, Lieut. Davis, who for nearly 12 years had been employed in that service by the Post-Office, was re-appointed by the Board to the command, on the Holyhead station, of the steam-vessel, in which he remained until 31 March, 1839. He was confirmed in his present rank on 20 Jan. 1842, shortly after his assumption of the acting command of the 18, in the West Indies. He brought that vessel home and paid her off in May following; and since 25 June, 1846, has been in command of the steam-sloop at the Cape of Good Hope.

Commander Davis, from the commencement of the peace until 1825, when he entered the service of the Post-Office, was chiefly employed, either in command of a merchant-vessel or steam-packet, or in the capacity of Agent or Managing Director of a Steam-Navigation Company established at Liverpool. He married, 17 Feb. 1823, Isabella, youngest daughter of John Sperling, Esq., of Dynes Hall, co. Essex; and has issue, with one daughter, a son, St. George Clarence Sperling, a Clerk in H.M. Dockyard at Portsmouth.

 DAVIS. 

(c) was born, 28 Oct. 1789, at Cobham, co. Surrey.

This officer entered the Navy, 23 Sept. 1805, as Ordinary, on board the 64, Capt. Robt. Campbell, fitting at Woolwich. From 27 Feb. 1806, to 7 Nov. 1808, he next served, a great part of the time as Midshipman, in the fire-brig, of 4 12-pounder carronades and 24 men, Lieut.Commanders Wm. Jas. Hughes and Robt. Danl. Lancaster; and, on 14 Aug. in the former year, he assisted in the peculiarly gallant defeat of a French privateer, carrying 12 guns and upwards of 70 men, which sheered off after an action of 70 minutes, 45 of which were spent in an ineffectual attempt to board the British vessel. For his conduct on the occasion Lieut. Hughes, who with 7 others was wounded, received his promotion. In Aug. 1809, having removed to the 16, Capts. Wm. Bamham Rider and Goddard Blennerhassett, Mr. Davis accompanied the expedition to the Walcheren, subsequently to which, on her return from the West Indies, whither she had gone with convoy, the was captured by a French frigate and armed store-ship, after a running fight of four hours, 12 March, 1811. Between 28 May, 1814, the period of his liberation, and July, 1815, Mr. Davis was afterwards employed, as a Supernumerary, in the 98, Capt. Geo. Fowke, lying at Spithead, and, as Master’s Mate, in the 32, Capts. Jas. Pattison Stewart and John Brett Purvis (under the former of whom he again went to the West Indies with convoy), and in the 24, Capt. Wm. M‘Culloch, fitting at Portsmouth. He then received a commission dated 24 Feb. 1815, and has not been since employed.

Lieut. Davis married, 7 Aug. 1815, Miss Mary Lloyd, by whom he has issue three children. Agents – Messrs. Ommanney.

 DAVIS. 

passed his examination in 1834; and obtained his commission 9 Feb. 1838. We subsequently find him appointed – 26 Sept. 1838, to the gunnery-ship at Portsmouth, Capt. Thos. Hastings – 9 May, 1839, to the 78, Capt. Hon. Wm. Waldegrave, employed on the Lisbon and Mediterranean stations – and, 21 June, 1842, as First-Lieutenant, to the 18, Capt. Robt. Fitzgerald Gambler, whom he accompanied to South America. Since 22 Sept. 1846, Mr. Davis, who had been on half-pay since 1843, has been employed in the Coast Guard.

 DAVIS. 

entered the Navy, 1 Oct. 1800, as L.M., on board the gun-brig, Capt. John Gentle, on the Home station. From Nov. 1801, until March, 1805, he was further employed in the frigate, Capt. Thos. Geo. Shortland, and 24, Capt. Anselm John Griffiths; and under the latter officer he served at the blockade of the Rivers Elbe and Weser. In March, 1805, Mr. Davis became Midshipman of the 64, bearing the flag in the North Sea of Rear-Admiral Thos. Macnamara Russell, from which ship he removed, in May following, to the 64, Capt. Geo. Parker. On 22 March, 1808, being off the coast of Zealand, he assisted, in company with the 64, and was slightly wounded, as Master’s Mate, at the capture and destruction, after an obstinate running fight, and a loss to the  of 4 men killed and 28 wounded, of the Danish 74-gun ship Prindts Christian Frederic. Mr. Davis continued to serve with Capt. Parker, the last six months as Acting-Lieutenant of the 74, until April, 1809, when he resumed the rank of Midshipman, and joined Capt. Chas. Rowley, in the 74. He was next lent to the gun-boat service in the expedition against Walcheren; after which he proceeded to the West Indies, and there joined in succession the 98, and  38, flag-ships of Sir Alex. Cochrane, who, on 21 July, 1810, promoted him to a Lieutenancy in the, Capt. Fras. Douglas. He was at length confirmed by the Admiralty in his present rank 21 March, 1812, and, on 19 Nov. 1813, was appointed to the 20, Capts. John Pasco and Thos. Rich. Toker. After serving for two years on the Irish and North Sea stations, Lieut. Davis was paid off 29 Nov. 1815; since which period he has not been employed.

 DAVIS. 

entered the Navy, 18 Feb. 1806, as Fst.-cl. Vol., on board the 74, Capt. Geo. Burlton, under whom, in the 74, and