Page:A Naval Biographical Dictionary.djvu/769

Rh seamen and 1 marine killed, 3 lieutenants, 12 seamen, and 5 marines wounded, and 1 seaman missing. For his conduct in this affair Mr. Mends had the honour of being publicly thanked by the Commander-in-Chief; who, although he had not completed his time, at once ordered him to act as Lieutenant-Commander of the gun-brig. Being officially promoted 9 April, 1801, and appointed to the command of the, another gun-brig, he was afforded an opportunity, in the course of the same year, of enacting a part in Lord Nelson’s attack on the Boulogne flotilla, on which occasion, it appears, he served in his own boat, and had 4 persons, out of 9, either killed or wounded. He paid the off in Sept. 1802; and was next in succession appointed – 4 July, 1803, to the  80, bearing the flag of Sir Thos. Graves in the Channel – 19 March, 1805, to the Sceinam 18, Capt. Alex. Shippard, whom he accompanied to Gibraltar – about March, 1806, again to the, flag-ship of Sir J. B. Warren on the West India, North American, and Home stations – 13 April, 1807, to the 74, Capt. Peter Puget, under whom he served with the advanced squadron at the siege of Copenhagen, and so distinguished himself that a strong recommendation in his favour was forwarded to the Commander-in-Chief – and 29 Oct. 1807, to the  74, bearing the flag of Sir J. B. Warren at Halifax, where, from June, 1808, until Oct. 1809, and from May to Sept. 1810, he was allowed to act as Commander of the  schooner and  sloop. On leaving the, Mr. Mends was presented with a second promotal commission, dated 26 Feb. 1811. After exactly two years of half-pay, he obtained command, 26 Feb. 1811, of the 18; and on 23 March, 1814, having been intermediately employed at the blockade of New London, he was nominated Acting-Captain of the  frigate, which ship he brought home and paid off 27 June following. His promotion had in the mean while been confirmed by a commission dated 26 May, 1814. His last appointments were – 24 Jan. 1824, to the 46, in which frigate he conveyed Vice-Admiral Lord Amelius Beauclerk to the Tagus, and then proceeded to South America, whence, after having been for some time Senior officer off the coast of Peru, he returned with nearly 800,000 dollars to England, 28 Sept. 1827 – and 26 Nov. 1836, to the  74. In that ship Capt. Mends was employed at first on the Lisbon station; then in affording co-operation, with a large squadron under his orders, to the Queen’s forces during the civil war on the south-east coast of Spain; next in transporting the 73rd Regt. from Gibraltar to Halifax, and the llth from that place to St. John’s, New Brunswick; and, finally, in the Mediterranean, on the Greek portion of which he was for six months Senior officer. The was put out of commission 3 Jan. 1840.

Capt. Mends has three sons in the Navy –, a Commander; and and , Lieutenants. – Messrs. Ommanney.

 MENDS. 

, born 27 Feb. 1812, is eldest son of

This officer entered the Royal Naval College 7 May, 1825; and embarked, 21 Dec. 1828, as a Volunteer, on board the 26, Capt. John Hayes. In the ensuing Jan. he removed to the 46, Capts. Arthur Batt Bingham and Sara. Burgess, with whom he continued to serve on the South American station, latterly in the capacity of Midshipman, until wrecked off Cape Frio 5 Dec. 1830; and he was next, between April, 1831, and his promotion to the rank of Lieutenant, 11 Aug. 1835, employed as Mate in the 26 and  36, Capts. Hon. Fred. Wm. Grey and Hon. Henry John Rous, in the Mediterranean and on particular service. His succeeding appointments were – 30 Dec. 1835, 29 Nov. 1836, and 17 Jan. 1837, to the 50, Capt. John M’Kerlie,  120, flag-ship of Sir Josias Rowley, and  92, Capt. Hyde Parker, all on the Mediterranean station – between 28 July, 1838, and June, 1843, to the  2,  74, and  84, as Flag-Lieutenant to Sir John Louis, Admiral Superintendent at Malta – and 3 Nov. 1843, as Senior, to the  42, bearing the broad pendant of Sir Henry Martin Blackwood in the East Indies. He returned to England on the occasion of his advancement to the rank of Commander, 9 Nov. 1846; and is at present unemployed.

Commander Mends married, 6 Jan. 1838, Melita, third daughter of Joseph Stilon, Esq., M.D., Surg. R.N. (1815).

 MENZIES. 

was born in March, 1759, and died, 20 Dec. 1846, at 4, Park-place, George-square, Edinburgh. He was uncle by marriage of

This officer entered the Navy in 1770, as Midshipman, on board the sloop, Capt. Ford; and was afterwards, until promoted to the rank of Lieutenant, 1 April, 1781, employed in the  32, Capt. Moutray,  and  74’s, Capts. Dundas and Ogle, again, Capt. Balfour,  90, Capt. Young, and Formidable of similar force, flag-ship of Sir Geo. Rodney; assisting during that period at the capture of Ste. Lucie in 1778, in the action off Cape St. Vincent 16 Jan. 1780, and as Aide-de-Camp to the last-mentioned officer at the reduction of St. Eustatius in Feb. 1781. On the occasion of his promotion, as above, Mr. Menzies joined the 74, Capt. Bayne, in which ship it was his fortune to be present in the memorable action of 12 April, 1782. On that occasion he was one of the officers sent on board the to receive the sword of the Comte de Grasse. In the course of the same year we find him present at the relief of Gibraltar. He subsequently, during the French revolutionary war, served on board the and  64’s, Capts. Brine and Jervis, on the West India station; also in the 64; and in command of the  gun-brig. In the latter vessel he accompanied the expedition to Holland in 1799, and assisted at the debarkation of the troops under Sir Ralph Abercromby. During the late war Lieut. Menzies was employed in the Impress service at Falmouth, and in command of the prison-ship at Plymouth. He retired with the rank of Commander 1 Jan. 1816.

Commander Menzies married, in Jan. 1808, Miss Elizabeth Grove, of Falmouth, and by that lady has left issue a son and two daughters.

 MERCER. 

entered the Navy, in 1798 as Midshipman, on board the 22, Capt. Wm. Chas. Fahie, on the books of which ship, stationed in the Leeward Islands, his name was borne until the following year. We next, in 1801, find him on board the 54, Capt. Alex. Fraser, off Harwich; and, in 1805, rejoining Capt. Fahie in the frigate, on the West India station; where, on following him into the, he assisted at the capture of the Danish islands of St. Thomas and Ste. Croix in Dec. 1807. In 1808 he returned to England in the 74, Capt. Robt. Tarker, but, being soon ordered back in the 38, Capt. Jas. Carthew, was again, in the course of the same year, placed under the orders of Capt. Fahie as Master’s Mate on board the 74 – following him afterwards into the  and  of similar force The Belleisle, we may here observe, formed part of the squadron employed at the reduction of Martinique in Feb. 1809; and, in the ensuing April the, with a loss to herself of 9 men killed and 30 wounded, proved the captor, when in company with the  32, of the French 74-gun ship,