Page:A Naval Biographical Dictionary.djvu/652

638 LAWRENCE. 

has two brothers, we believe, in the Royal Marines, both of whom served with great credit during the late war with America.

This officer entered the Navy in March, 1798, as a Volunteer, on board the hired cutter, Lieut.-Commander John Chilcott, stationed off the coast of France; and on removing to the  sloop, Capt. Micajah Malbon, was employed as Midshipman and Master’s Mate in the expeditions to Holland, Quiberon, Ferrol, and Egypt. He continued to serve with Capt. Malbon in the 28, and  32, on the Newfoundland, Home, and African stations, until April, 1806, and, while in the latter ship, was often engaged with the enemy’s flotilla and batteries near Boulogne. Proceeding next to the West Indies, Mr. Lawrence, after he had been there borne for short periods as a Supernumerary on the books of the, , and , flag-ships of Hon. Sir Alex. Cochrane, was successively nominated, in June, 1806, and Jan. 1807, Sub and Acting Lieutenant of the, Lieut.-Commander Geo. Alex. Briarly, and 16, Capts. Wm. Coombe and John Watt. Being confirmed to the latter vessel by commission dated 19 May, 1808, we find him, on 28 of the following Nov., accompanying three boats under the personal command of Capt. Coombe in an attempt to cut out seven vessels lying under the protection of two batteries in the harbour of Mahaut, Guadeloupe. Having arrived at their destination after a row of about six hours, Lieut. Lawrence – while Capt. Coombe, in the barge with 19 men, was boarding a schooner of 2 guns and 39 men – landed with the remainder of the party, amounting to about 44 officers and men, and spiked the two 24-pounders upon the nearest battery. He then succeeded in boarding a brig; but, before either the schooner or the brig could be got off, the shore was lined with musketry, and 3 field-pieces were brought to bear upon the two captured vessels. These, having the misfortune to ground on their way out, became fixed objects for the enemy’s fire, and were ultimately abandoned, but not until Capt. Coombe had been killed and Lieut. Lawrence wounded by a musket-ball just above the wrist. Having distinguished himself in various other boat attacks, our officer (to whom the Patriotic Society awarded a gratuity for the injury we have alluded to) was permitted, as soon as he had served the necessary time, to ascend the next step in his profession, and his commission as Commander accordingly bears date 19 May, 1810. Previously, however, to his promotion, Capt. Lawrence appears to have been in acting-command of the sloop at the reduction of Guadeloupe. His next and last appointments were, 28 May, 1814, and 21 Oct. 1815, to the and  troop-ships, in the former of which he attended the expedition to New Orleans. He acquired his present rank 2 Sept. 1816, and accepted the Retirement 1 Oct. 1846.

 LAWRENCE. 

entered the Navy, 22 July, 1806, as Fst.-cl. Vol., on board the 74, Capts. Jaa. Nicoll Morris and Thos. Alexander, in which ship he was for upwards of six years employed off Lisbon and in the Channel and Mediterranean – the last four as Midshipman. He next, in the course of 1812-13, became in succession attached, on the Channel, Baltic, and Irish stations, to the 38, Capt. Sir Thos. John Cochrane,, flag-ship of Rear- Admirals J. N. Morris and Graham Moore, and 36, Capts. Edm. Heywood and Wm. Hugh Dobbie. He obtained his commission 18 March,1815, and was afterwards employed – from March to Aug. 1819, and again from 18 April, 1825, to May, 1828, in the Coast Blockade, as Supernumerary-Lieutenant of the 40, and  74, Capts. Wm. M‘Culloch and Hugh Pigot – and, from 31 Oct. 1828 until the early part of 1838, in the Coast Guard. He has since been on half-pay.

The Lieutenant married, 5 Oct. 1816, Mary Eliza, daughter of Christopher Jennings, Esq., Clerk in H.M. Dockyard at Portsmouth, by whom he has issue seven children.

 LAWRENCE. 

, as Midshipman, on board the sloop, Capt. Geo. Augustus Hire, and was employed in that vessel, on Impress service, until Dec. 1815. Joining next, in July, 1816, the 50, Capt. Edw. Chetham, he had an opportunity of participating in the ensuing bombardment of Algiers. After a further servitude in the same ship, on the Halifax station, he became, in Sept. 1819, Master’s Mate of the 42, Capt. Hon. Robt. Cavendish Spencer, and sailed for South America. He left the in Feb. 1822, having been advanced to the rank of Lieutenant on 30 of the previous Nov.; and he was lastly, from 30 April, 1825, until the commencement of 1833, employed in the Coast Guard.

 LAWRENCE, C.B.

entered the Navy, 18 Feb. 1793, as Fst.-cl. Vol., on board the 74, Capts. Sir John Collins and Wm. Shield, and in the following Aug. was present at the occupation of Toulon. Accompanying Capt. Shield as Midshipman, in May, 1794, into the 20, he served in that vessel at the sieges of Bastia and Calvi; after which, on joining the  98, flag-ship of the late Admiral Robt. Linzee, he took part in Hotham’s actions of 14 March and 13 July, 1795. Towards the close of the same year, being then with Capt. Jas. Macnamara in the 32, Mr. Lawrence assisted in compelling La Vestale of 36 guns, one of several French men-of-war that had just come out of the port of Genoa, to strike her colours. Between April, 1796, and Feb. 1799, we find him serving on the Mediterranean, Home, and Cadiz stations, in the 74 and  98, flag-ships of Admiral Linzee,  98, bearing the flag of Sir Roger Curtis,  32, Capt. Benj. Hallowell, 110, bearing the flag of Earl St. Vincent,  frigate, Capt. Geo. Hope, and again, Capt. Jas. Nicoll Morris. He then became Acting-Lieutenant of the 74, Capts. Alex. John Ball and Manley Dixon, in which ship (being confirmed to her by commission dated 28 June in the same year) he continued until Oct. 1802. He was in consequence present at the capture, 18 Feb. 1800, of Le Généreux 74 and Ville de Marseilles store-ship; and he served also on shore at the sieges of Malta and the Castle of St. Elmo, at Naples. His after-appointments, as Lieutenant, were, on the North American station – 4 Feb. and 6 Oct. 1803, to the and  frigates, Capts. Alex. Skene and John Erskine Douglas – 30 June, 1804 and 19 Aug. 1806, to the and  50’s, Capts. A. Skene, John Talbot, and Salusbury Pryce Humphreys – and, 17 Sept. 1807, to the 74, Capt. J. E. Douglas. Of the Mr. Lawrence was Senior when she effected an escape from a French squadron : he was present, in the, at the capture, 23 Feb. 1805, of the Ville de Milan of 46 guns, and retaking of her prize the  32; and, when in the , he witnessed the surrender to that ship of the U.S. frigate Chesapeake, 22 June, 1807. In Jan. 1808 our officer was nominated Acting-Commander of the sloop, to which it was his fortune to be confirmed on 30 of the ensuing March. In 1809 he removed to the, another sloop, in which, when in company with the 36, he assisted in taking the French 20-gun ship Fantôme. Being placed, in Aug. 1810, in command of the prize, Capt. Lawrence, who continued in her until Oct. 1814, was for some time, we understand, employed at the defence of Cadiz. In the early part of May, 1813, having returned to America, he took