Page:A Naval Biographical Dictionary.djvu/78

BECHER—BECKETT—BECKFORD—BEDDEK. at the cutting out, with a loss to the British of only 5 persons wounded, of a convoy of 10 deeply laden vessels, moored close under the fort of a castle mounting 10 guns, in the harbour of Flodstrand, near the Skawe, defended also by a heavy fire from another battery, as well as from the crews of the vessels assembled on the beach, and made fast to the shore by hawsers. On 8 Aug. 1809, Mr. Beazeley joined the 40, Capt. Lord Wm. Stuart, then engaged in the expedition to the Scheldt. He removed, in Sept. following, to the St. Domingo 74, bearing the flag of Sir Kich. Strachan; afterwards joined the 74, flagship at the Cape of Good Hope of Hon. Sir Robt. Stopford; became Acting-Lieutenant, in Aug. 1811, of the 36, Capt. Jas. Henderson; and in May of the same year, having been officially promoted on 18 of the preceding month, returned home. His next appointments were – 2 Sept. following, to the 74, Capt. Wm. Chas. Fahie, employed in the Channel and off the coast of Spain; and, 20 April, 1814, to the 74, Capt. Thos. Baker, in which ship he again made a trip to the Cape. He has not been employed since Aug. 1815.

He is married, and has issue. – J. Hinxman.

BECHER. 

is son of the late Capt. Alex. Becher, R.N. (1802), an officer of high scientific attainments; grandson of the late Commander John Becher, R.N.; godson of Admiral Lord Bridport; and a close relative of the late Countess of Oxford.

This officer entered the Royal Naval College in April, 1810, and embarked, 28 Nov. 1812, as Midshipman, on board the 74, Capt. John Wm. Spranger, with whom he served in Basque Roads and the West Indies, latterly as Master’s Mate, until July, 1814. He then joined the 10, Capt. Wm. Sargent, lying in the Downs; was afterwards, from Dec. in the same year until June, 1817, employed, under Commodore Edw. W. C. R. Owen and Capt. Wm. Fitzwilliam Owen, chiefly in surveying the lakes of Canada; became attached, in Feb. 1818, as Admiralty-Mate, to the 74, Capt. Chas. Ekins, at Plymouth; was transferred, in a similar capacity, 2 Sept. 1818, to the 24, Capt. David Ewen Bartholomew; and after a period of twenty months, spent in surveying the whole of the Azores, part of the  Coast, and some of the Cape Verd Islands, joined the  26, Capt. Basil Hall, on the South American station. He was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant 31 May, 1822, and appointed to the 10, Capt. Hon. Fred. Spencer, but continued in the until paid off, 24 March, 1823. He afterwards officiated as First Lieutenant, from 30 March to 31 Dec. 1839, of the surveying-vessel, Capt. Wm. Hewett; and on 23 Nov. 1841, was advanced to the rank he now holds.

Commander Becher, who has been for many years employed in the Hydrographical Office at the Admiralty, is proprietor and conductor of that invaluable periodical the “Nautical Magazine.” He is married, and has issue one daughter.

BECKETT. 

entered the Navy, in Dec. 1795, as Midshipman, on board the, Capt. Wm. Gordon Rutherford, stationed in the West Indies, where he afterwards joined the 64, commanded by the same Captain, the  74, flag-ship of Rear-Admiral Rich. {{sc|Rodney Bligh, and, 11 Sept. 1798, as Acting-Master, the {{sc|Trent}} 36, Capt. Robt. Waller Otway. In the course of 1800 he was successively transferred with the latter officer, as Master’s Mate, to the {{sc|Royal George}} 100, and {{sc|London}} 98, bearing each the flag of Sir Hyde Parker. After serving in the launch of the last-mentioned ship at the battle of Copenhagen, 2 April, 1801, and a further attachment with Capt. Otway to the {{sc|Edgar}} 74, on the West India station, whence he came home at the peace of Amiens, Mr. Beckett joined, in March, 1803, the {{sc|Spartiate}} 74, Capt. Sir Fras. Laforey, under whom he again visited the West Indies, and, on his return with Lord Nelson in pursuit of the combined fleets of France and Spain, fought at Trafalgar, 21 Oct. 1805. He was promoted, in consequence, to the rank of Lieutenant 24 Dee. following, and, after serving four years longer in the {{sc|Spartiate}}, was subsequently appointed, – 6 Dec. 1809, to the {{sc|Dreadnought}} 98, bearing the flag of Rear-Admiral Thos. Sotheby, in the Channel – 23 July, 1812, to the {{sc|Bittern}}, sloop, Capt. Geo. Augustus Hire, employed at Plymouth and Liverpool – and, 2 Nov. 1812, to the {{sc|Chatham}} 74, as Flag-Lieutenant to Rear-Admiral Matt. Henry Scott, in the North Sea. Lieut. Beckett, who was paid off 27 Oct. 1814, and was next employed, from April to Aug. 1815, in raising volunteers at Manchester, afterwards served in the Ordinary at Sheerness from 1821 to 1824, and from 25 April, 1834, until 1837. Since 17 Oct. 1839, he has been in command of the Semaphore station at Putney.

 {{larger|BECKFORD. }} ({{sc|Commander, 1821. f-p., 16; h-p., 28.}})

{{sc|John Leigh Beckford}}, an immediate descendant of Col. Peter Beckford, Lieut. Governor and Commander-in-Chief, temp. William III., of the island of Jamaica, is third son of Fras. Love Beckford, Esq., late of Basing Park, Hants, by Johanna, third daughter and co-heir of John Leigh, Esq., of Northcourt House, Isle of Wight. He is grand-nephew of the late Wm. Beckford, Esq., M.P., twice Lord Mayor of the city of London; also of the late Countess of Effingham, wife afterwards of Field Marshal Sir Geo. Howard, K.B.; and cousin of the present Wm. Beckford, Esq., of Fonthill Abbey, co. Wilts.

This officer entered the Navy, 21 March, 1803, as Fst.-cl. Vol., on board the {{sc|Ardent}} 64, Capt. Robt. Winthrop, and, on 28 Nov. following, witnessed the destruction in Finisterre Bay of La Bayonnaise French frigate of 32 guns and 200 men. He removed, as Midshipman, for a short time, in 1803, to the {{sc|Revenge}} 74, Capt. Robt. Moorsom, fitting at Chatham; was then transferred to the {{sc|Sybille}}, Capt. Winthrop, employed on the Channel and Irish stations; and in July, 1807, joined the {{sc|Canopus}} 80, bearing the flag in the Mediterranean of Rear-Admiral Geo. Martin, under whom he continued to serve for three years, and during that period, in Oct. 1809, assisted in the pursuit of a French squadron of four sail, two of which, the Robuste of 84, and Lion of 74 guns, were destroyed by their own crews to prevent their falling into the hands of the British. He obtained, while serving in the {{sc|San Josef}} 110, flag-ship in the Mediterranean of Sir Chas. Cotton, a commission dated 27 Nov. 1810; was employed during the five following months with the flotilla at the defence of Cadiz; then joined the {{sc|Standard}} 64, Capt. Hon. Chas. Elphinstone Fleeming, in which ship he proceeded to Lima for specie; was next, from 13 Feb. 1813, to 30 Aug. 1815, employed, under Capts. Lucius Curtis and Bentinck Cavendish Doyle, off the Western Islands, in the Channel, and on the coast of North America, in the {{sc|Madagascar}} 38; obtained an appointment, 8 May, 1818, to the {{sc|Queen Charlotte}} 108, flag-ship at Portsmouth of Sir Geo. Campbell; became, 2 Oct. 1819, Flag-Lieutenant, on the Leith station, to Rear-Admiral Robt. Waller Otway, in the {{sc|Dover}} 28; and was, in consequence, advanced to his present rank 30 Nov. 1821 He has since been on half-pay.

Commander Beckford married, 6 Nov. 1829, Harriette, fourth daughter of Geo. Ward, Esq., of Northwood House, Isle of Wight.

 {{larger|BEDDEK. }} ({{sc|Lieut., 1829. f-p., 18; h-p., 15.}})

{{sc|Henry Beddek}}, born 19 Sept. 1799, is brother of Rich. Pritchard Beddek, Esq., Purser, and Paymaster, R.N.

This officer entered the Royal Naval College {{smallrefs}}