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904  98, bearing the flag on the coast of France of the late Sir Henry Harvey, by whom, having again sailed for the West Indies, he was placed, at the close of 1796, in command of the tender, carrying 8 4-pounders, with a crew of 30 men. During a continuance of nearly four years in that vessel he was constantly engaged in carrying to different parts of the station the despatches of Admiral Harvey and his successor Lord Hugh Seymour. He very often, too, came into contact with the enemy’s privateers, six or seven of which he had the good fortune to capture. One of these, mounting 8 guns, with a crew of 70 men, he made prize of, after an action of three-quarters of an hour, 9 Oct. 1799 – the very day that an order he had received, in May, 1798, from Admiral Harvey to act as Lieutenant had been confirmed by the new Commander-in-Chief. We are informed that Mr. Pickernell was the only Acting-Lieutenant whom Lord Hugh Seymour on his arrival did not supersede. During his command of the it must be recorded that he witnessed the capture of Trinidad, the unsuccessful attack upon Puerto Rico, and the reduction of Surinam. His appointments, after the had been paid off, were – 5 Sept. 1800, to the  100, bearing the flag of Sir H. Harvey, with whom he served, principally off Brest, until the peace of Amiens – 30 Aug. 1803, to the  44, commanded by the Duke de Bouillon off Jersey – 21 Aug. 1804, to the  64, Capt. Isaac Wolley, lying in the river Humber – 9 April, 1805, to the  74, Capts. Robt. Moorsom and Sir John Gore, in which ship he served as Second Lieutenant at the battle of Trafalgar, 21 Oct. 1805, and as First at the capture, by Sir Sam. Hood, of four French frigates off Rochefort, 25 Sept. 1806 – 22 Jan. 1807, to the 74, Capt. John West, fitting at the Nore – and 13 July, 1808, to the command of the 12-gun brig. In the latter vessel, after cruizing in the Downs, and previously to being sent to the coast of Scotland, he accompanied the expedition to the Walcheren, and assisted in destroying the enemy’s batteries on South Beveland. He attained his present rank 4 July, 1810. The only active appointment he could ever afterwards succeed in obtaining was to the Ordinary at Sheerness, where he served for a period of three years, dating from 22 Oct. 1823. He was admitted to the out-pension of Greenwich Hospital 11 Dec. 1846.

Commander Pickernell married, 7 Feb. 1807, and has issue six children. – Wm. H. B. Barwis.

 PICKTHORN. 

is a native of Devonport, co. Devon.

This officer entered the Navy, 12 Oct. 1796, as Ordinary, on board the 74, Capts. Joseph Bullen, Alex. John Ball, and P. Ormsby; in which ship he came into frequent action with the enemy’s gun-boats and batteries in the neighbourhood of Cadiz, and took part in the battle of the Nile, in the blockade of Malta, and in various operations along the coast of Italy. Quitting the in Sept. 1800, he was next, until April, 1802, employed on the Mediterranean and Home stations as Midshipman (a rating he had previously attained) in the  84, Capt. Thos. Elphinstone, flag-ship of Admiral Milbank,, Capt. Fred. Lewis Maitland, and 84, Capt. Albemarle Bertie. In March, 1803, he returned to the latter ship, commanded at the time by Capt. Edw. Buller on the coast of Spain; and, from July, 1804, until Oct. 1806, he served in the West Indies and Channel on board the and  74’s, and  110, all flagships of Sir Edw. Thornbrough; whom, in Feb. 1807, after having been for about three months attached to the 40, Capt. Philip Beaver, he again joined in the  100, on the Mediterranean station. On 3 March, 1808, he was made Lieutenant into the 74, Capt. Chas. Rowley, also in the Mediterranean; where, from the following July until Jan. 1812, and from May in the latter year until Oct. 1814, we find him employed a second time in the 100, Capts. Henry Garrett, David Colby, Abel Ferris, Henry Whitmarsh Pearse, Joseph Spear, John Harvey, and Wm. Bedford, and 32, Capts. Geo. Burgoyne Salt and Sam. Geo. Pechell. During the first four months of his last servitude in the he officiated as Flag-Lieutenant to Sir E. Thornbrough. Since he left the he has not been afloat.

In the winter of 1840-1 Lieut. Pickthorn appears to have been engaged in raising men for the Navy at Aberdeen. He married the only daughter of Jas. Russell, Esq., Master-Attendant at North Yarmouth.

 PIERCE. 

entered the Navy, 5 Aug. 1803, as Fst.-cl. Vol., on board the 74, Capt. Wm. Bedford, employed at first on the Irish station and afterwards in the Channel; where, and in the Baltic, North Sea, and West Indies, he served from Feb. 1805, until promoted to the rank of Lieutenant, 21 March, 1812, as Midshipman and Master’s Mate, in the 110, flag-ship of Lord Gardner,  110, Capt. Geo. Aldham, 98, and  again, bearing the flags of Admirals Edw. Thornbrough, Sir Jas. Saumarez, and Lord Gambier, sloop, Capt. Thos. Oliver, 98, and  38, flag-ships of Hon. Sir Alex. Cochrane, 74, bearing the flag of Sir Fras. Laforey, and  frigates, Capts. Robt. Preston and Edw. Rushworth, and a second time in the under Sir F. Laforey. In the he accompanied the expedition of 1807 to Copenhagen; and, while attached to the, he commanded agun-boat in the attack upon Walcheren in 1809. His appointments in the capacity of Lieutenant (prior to his attainment of which rank he had been upwards of two years on the list for promotion) were – 1 Oct. 1812, to the 74, Capt. Thos. Jas. Maling, stationed in the Mediterranean, where he partook of much boat-service, and was present in the partial action fought with the Toulon fleet 5 Nov. 1813 – 1 Oct. 1814, to the 22, Capt. John Tailour, under whom, while employed on the coast of Africa, he ascended the new Calabar river as high as Duke’s Town (the  was the first man-of-war that ever did so) and assisted in the boats at the capture of several slavers – 3 July, 1816, as Senior, after eight months of half-pay, to the  bomb, Capts. Wm. Kempthorne and Fred. Thos. Michell, in which vessel he served at the bombardment of Algiers – 18 Dec. 1816, to the 46, Capt. Wm. Aug. Baumgardt, lying at Sheerness – 13 May, 1817, to the 80, flag-ship of Sir Benj. Hallowell at Cork – 7 Dec. 1818, to the 74, Capt. Thos. Gordon Caulfeild at Plymouth – and, 29 June, 1821, and 28 March and 6 Dec. 1822, to the 76,  74, and  120, flag-ships of Sir B. Hallowell in the river Medway. The day preceding his promotion to the rank of Commander, 5 Sept. 1823, he officiated as Aide-de-Camp to Viscount Melville at the opening of the new basin and dock at Sheerness. He was afterwards, from 15 June, 1832, until 1835, employed as an Inspecting-Commander in the Coast Guard.

Commander Pierce, during the last nine years, has filled the office of Secretary to the “Sailor’s Home,” in Wells Street, London Docks. In 1843 he was examined before the House of Commons on the state of the Merchant Seamen’s Fund. He is married and has issue.

 PIERCE. 

entered the Navy, 1 March, 1799, as Fst.-cl. Vol., on board the, Capt. 