Page:A Naval Biographical Dictionary.djvu/38

ATKIN—ATKINS—ATKINSON. 1813. He then returned to England, and has not since been afloat. – Coplands and Burnett.

 ATKIN. 

entered the Navy, 28 Sept. 1797, as A.B., on board the 44, Capt. Hon. Mich. de Courcy. In the course of the following year he assisted at the capture, off Cape Finisterre, of La Décade French frigate, of 36 guns, and was also present at the defeat, with a loss to the of 7 men wounded, of a squadron commanded by Commodore Bompart, and intended for the invasion of Ireland. During the remaining part of the war he served, as Midshipman, in the sloop, Capt. Thos. Geo. Shortland, and, of 42 guns and 224 men, Capt. Robt. Barton; and, while in the latter ship, contributed, 27 Jan. 1801, to the defeat, after a contest of 40 minutes, in which the British lost 4 men killed and 19 wounded, and the enemy 10 killed and 24 wounded, of the French frigate La Bravoure, of 42 guns and 320 men. In Dec. 1804, Mr. Atkin reembarked on board the frigate, Capt. Robt. Dudley Oliver, employed in blockading Havre de Grace. Between Oct. 1805, and Jan. 1808, we next find him employed in the 74, Capts. Edw. Griffith and Matthew Henry Scott, and 32, Capt. Fred. Warren. He was then, having been for nearly two years on the West India station, obliged to invalid home, whence in the summer of 1810, he proceeded to the East Indies, and was there promoted, from the 38, Capt. Fleetwood Broughton Reynolds Pellew, to a Lieutenancy, on 19 Sept. in that year, in the  38, Capt. Thos. Briggs, part of the force employed at the ensuing reduction of the Isle of France. Mr. Atkin has been on half-pay since Oct. 1814, the date of his leaving the.

 ATKINS. 

passed his examination 25 April, 1840; and served as Mate, on the North America and West India, Home, and Mediterranean stations, in the 18, Capt. Evan Nepean,  104, flag-ship of Sir Edw. Brace, and 36, Capt. Chas. Howe Fremantle. Since his promotion to the rank of Lieutenant, 15 Jan. 1846, he has been attached to the 104, flag-ship of Sir Wm. Parker, in the Mediterranean.

 ATKINS. 

(a) was born 2 May, 1777.

This officer (who had previously, while in the Transport service, co-operated with the forces under Sir Ralph Abercromby and Sir Hugh Cloberry Christian in the reduction of the islands of Ste. Lucie, St. Vincent, and Grenada) entered the Navy, in Nov. 1797, as A.B., on board the 18, Capts. John Nash and Peter Hunt, in which vessel he continued until May, 1804. During that period he took part in an attack made in 1797 on the African island of Goree, where the sank a 20 gun ship which had been opposed to her – served on shore during the expedition to Holland in 1799 – was at the capture, in 1801, of St. Bartholomew and St. Martin – and, in 1803, assisted in reducing Ste. Lucie, Tohagp, Demerara, Essequibo, and Berbice. Until Dec. 1808, Mr. Atkins was next employed as Acting-Master of the brig, Lieut.-Commanders John Barker and Geo. Grey Burton, under whom he contributed to the capture of nine privateers, but particularly of the Princess Murat, of 3 guns and 52 men, on which occasion, 15 Feb. 1806, an eighteen-ounce shot entered his chest immediately under the right collar-bone, and caused a wound so severe that he was presented, six years afterwards, with a gratuity of 136l. 17s. For his bravery on this and on other occasions, he appears to have been also voted the sum of lOOl. by the Patriotic Society. Being invested by Sir Alex. Cochrane with the rank of Lieutenant, 20 Dec. 1808, and appointed to the command of the schooner, Mr. Atkins rendered good service during the operations which led to the surrender of Martinique, an event that was followed by his removal to the, another schooner, in the command of which the Admiralty confirmed him, 12 Aug. 1809. After assisting at the capture, in Feb. 1810, of the island of Guadeloupe and its dependencies, and being usefully employed in the protection of trade, the latter vessel was unfortunately cast away, 21 Oct., and, although her commander was ultimately rescued by some fishermen, it was not until he had been beaten about for five hours upon a piece of the wreck, and had been reduced to a state of insensibility from the effects of several desperate lacerations, which he yet feels. An uninterrupted servitude of twelve years in the West Indies, added to his severe misfortunes, having at length shattered his constitution, he returned to England, in June, 1812, a passenger in the frigate, Capt. Jas. Carthew; and, on 14 Nov. following, was appointed to the 74, Capts. Henry Vansittart and Fred. Warren. After an intermediate employment in the North Sea and Channel, latterly under the flag of Lord Keith, he was paid off, 20 Aug. 1814, and has not since been afloat.

Lieut. Atkins married, 22 Oct. 1819, Belle Sophia, eldest daughter of Jos. Gray, Esq., of Jamestown, co. Wexford, a Magistrate for that county, and Captain of the Wexford Militia, and niece of Lieut.-Colonel Loftus Gray, of the Rifle Brigade. He has issue two sons and three daughters.

 ATKINS. 

(b) entered the Navy, 31 March, 1791, as Fst.-cl. Vol., on board the 16, Capts. Chas. Jones and Peter Halkett, employed on the Newfoundland and Channel stations. Removing, in June, 1794, to 36, Capts. Geo. Murray and Geo. Losack, he bore a part in Lord Bridport’s action, 23 June, 1795; subsequently to which he joined the 64, and served in that ship under Capts. Joseph Ellison, Geo. Burlton, and others, until 10 Feb. 1798. On 25 May, 1803, he re-embarked on board the 74, bearing the flag of Lord Keith; but being transferred, in May, 1804, to the  98, successive flagship of Admirals Hon. Wm. Cornwallis, Sir John Orde, and Chas. Stirling, was a participator, under the latter officer, in Sir Robt. Calder’s action, 22 July, 1805. In June, 1809, we find Mr. Atkins, who had been transferred, in Jan. 1808, to the 74, Capt. Wm. Hargood, serving in a boat action with six of the enemy’s gun-vessels off Trieste, and a few days after that event promoted to the rank of Acting-Lieutenant. In Oct. following he became attached, in the latter capacity, to the 16, Capt. Wm. Stephens, to which sloop, after having been employed on shore at the reduction of the island of Santa Maura, he was confirmed by commission dated 4 May, 1810. He subsequently served, from 10 Aug. 1811, until he invalided, 31 Jan. 1814, in the 18, Capts. Wm. Hellard and Geo. Robbin, on the Leith and West India stations; and, on 15 June, 1816, was next appointed to the command of the signal station at Rowe Hill, in Kent, which he retained until 1821. He has been employed, since 1 May, 1843, on the quarantine establishment at Standgate Creek.

 ATKINSON. 

, born 23 Oct. 1793, is brother of

This officer entered the Royal Naval College 22 May, 1807, and embarked, 3 June, 1810, as Fst.-cl. Vol., on board the 32, Capt. Hon. Duncombe Pleydell Bouverie, stationed off the coast of France, where he attained the rating of Midshipman, 2 May, 1811. On the night of 4 June, 1812, he served with the boats, under Lieut. Josiah Thompson, at the capture and destruction, in the harbour of Arcasson, of La Dorade French storeship, of 14 guns and 86 men, after a desperate struggle, in which the assailants had 5 men wounded, and in which 63 of the enemy (who had hailed the latter in their