Page:A Naval Biographical Dictionary.djvu/933

Rh POTTELL. 

, a native of Leominster, co. Hereford, is nephew of the late Vice-Admiral Sir Edw. Brace, K.C.B. He lost a brother in the 74, Capt. Jas. Newman Newman, 25 Dec. 1811.

This officer entered the Navy, in Oct. 1797, as Fst.-cl. Vol., on board the 18, Capts. Edw. Brace and Geo. Clarke Pulling, under the former of whom he was twice, in Oct. 1798, engaged in a very gallant manner with 'La Loire' of 46 guns (part of a force originally under the orders of Commodore Bompart, and destined for the invasion of Ireland), previously to the surrender of that ship to the and her consort the  44, Between the close of 1800 and June, 1804, Mr. Powell, besides being borne as a Supernumerary on the books of other vessels, served as Midshipman, chiefly on the Home station, in the  28, Capt. Edw. W. C. K. Owen, 50, Capts. Edw. Thornbrough, Edw. Brace, and Wm. Grenville Lobb, and 36, Capt. John Giffard. He then joined the 32, of which frigate, commanded by his uncle, he became, in Sept. 1804, an Acting-Lieutenant, and, 26 Jan. 1805, a confirmed one. In the following March he removed with Capt. Brace into the 32, commanded subsequently by Capt. Thos. Lavie. Rejoining his relative, in Sept. of the same year, on board of 46 guns and 281 men, he assisted in that ship at the capture, 19 May, 1808, after an obstinate conflict of an hour and ahalf, of the Dutch frigate Guelderland, of 36 guns and 253 men, 25 of whom were slain and 50 wounded, with a loss to the British of not more than 1 man killed and 2 wounded. Previously to the latter affair he appears to have acted, from May to July, 1807, as Commander of the Amsterdam at Cork, and to have contributed, 28 Sept. in the same year, to the gallant defence made by the tender, a vessel mounting only 4 three-pounders, with a complement of 18 men, against the French privateer Marsouin of 14 six-pounders. On the occasion of the capture of the Jesus Maria Josef, a notorious Spanish privateer of 14 guns and 45 men, Capt. Brace, relying on his exertions, detached him in the prize for the purpose of endeavouring to retake several vessels which she had captured, and of also affording information to the different cruizers. In Sept. 1810, six months after he had left, Mr. Powell was again placed under the orders of Capt. Brace on board the 64, to which ship he continued attached, with Capts. Chas. Grant and John Ferris Devonshire, in the capacity of First-Lieutenant, until Oct. 1812. During that period he distinguished himself by his conduct at the defence of Cadiz, and held, from 21 May to 15 July, 1811, the acting-command of the. He was afterwards employed, on the coasts of Spain and Portugal, in the 36, Capt. Wolrige,  74, flag-ship of Vice-Admiral Geo. Martin, 10, Capt. Cobb,  74, bearing the flags of Commodore Chas. Vinicombe Penrose and Vice-Admiral Sam. Hood Linzee, 16, Capt. Jas. Hay, and 74, flag-ship of Vice-Admiral Martin. On 15 June, 1814, he was advanced to the rank of Commander. Embarking next, in July, 1816, as a volunteer, on board the 104, flag-ship of Rear-Admiral David Milne, he was afforded an opportunity of accompanying the ensuing expedition against Algiers. During the hottest period of the conflict fought on the memorable 27 Aug., Capt. Powell was despatched to Lord Exmouth for the purpose of representing to him the dreadful state of the, and of requesting that he would, if possible, send a frigate to divert some of the enemy’s fire from her. On his return he was ordered by the Rear-Admiral to superintend the placing of the explosion-vessel, which, charged; with 143 barrels of powder, blew up close under the semicircular battery to the northward of the lighthouse. From 23 Oct. 1816 until paid off in Feb. 1819, Capt. Powell commanded the 18, on the Milford station. He has since been on half-pay. He attained his present rank 26 Dec. 1822.

He was left a widower 10 July, 1847.

 POWELL. 

embarked (from the Royal Naval College) 24 Dec. 1831; passed his examination 8; Feb. 1836; and at the period of his promotion to the rank of Lieutenant, which took place 18 May,, 1842, was serving on the North America and West India station as Mate in the steamer, Capt. Alex. Murray. His succeeding appointments were – 16 March, 1843, to the gunnery-ship at Portsmouth, Capt. Sir Thos. Hastings – 29 June following, to the steamer, Capt. Wm. Jones, on the coast of Africa – and, 10 April, 1847, as First (after 12 months of half-pay) to the steam-sloop, Capt. Henry Chads, on the same station, whence he returned in 1848.

 POWER. 

entered the Navy 1 Dec. 1824; passed his examination in 1831; and obtained his commission 14 Aug. 1839. His appointments have since been – 15 Aug. 1839, as Additional Lieutenant, to the 50, flag-ship of Sir Thos. Harvey in North America and the West Indies – 29 Oct. following, as First, to the 18, Capt. John Robb, on the same station – 20 May, 1841, to the  gunnery-ship at Portsmouth, Capt. Sir Thos. Hastings – 2 Sept. ensuing, to the 16, Capt. Hon. Geo. Fowler Hastings, fitting at Chatham – 2 Dec. in the same year, as Senior, to the 16, Capt. Hon. Walter Bourchier Devereux, whom he accompanied to the Mediterranean – 5 July, 1842, for a short time, to the  84, Capt. Geo. Fred. Rich, employed on particular service – 27 May, 1843, again as First, to the steam-sloop, Capts. Geo. Graham Otway and John Lunn, in the Mediterranean – and 1 July, 1846, to the command, on the same station, of the steamer, of 100-horse power, in which vessel he is still serving.

 POWNEY, K.H.

is youngest son of the late Pennyston Portlock Powney, Esq., of Ives Place, Maidenhead, Lieutenant-Colonel of the Berkshire Militia, Custos Rotulorura of that county. of the Little Park, Windsor, and many years M.P. for the borough of New Windsor, who died in 1794.

This officer entered the Navy, in June, 1800, as Fst.-cl. Vol., on board the 40, Capts. Hon. Arthur Kaye Legge and Geo. Henry Towry, under whom, until paid off at the peace of Amiens, he was employed in attendance upon the Royal Family off Weymouth, and in escorting a large East India fleet to St. Helena. He then became Midshipman of the 36, Capt. Edw. W. C. R. Owen, lying in the Downs; and he next, in the course of 1802-3, joined the, , and frigates, all commanded by Capt. Henry Vansittart, and  38, Capt. Geo. Cockburn. In the he assisted in conveying a number of disbanded Dutch troops from Lymington and Jersey to the Texel and Helvoetsluys; in the, after escorting Mr. Merry, the British Minister Plenipotentiary, to the United States, he sailed for India, and was subsequently engaged in the blockade of the Mauritius and the Ile de Bourbon. While so employed he frequently distinguished himself in boat expeditions, and on one occasion in particular, at the capture and destruction of a ship which had run on shore for protection under a fort situated on Pointe Cannoniere. On his return to England with Capt. Cockurn in the 38, having on board the Marquis of 