Page:A Naval Biographical Dictionary.djvu/97

BIRCH—BIRD—BIRTWHISTLE—BISHOP. BIRCH. 

entered the Navy 2 Dec. 1830; passed his examination in 1837; and, after serving for some time as Mate of the 10, Capt. John Clements Wickham, in Australia, was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant 16 July, 1840. On 23 of the same month he joined the 72, flag-ship in the East Indies of Rear-Admiral Hon. George Elliot, on leaving which he was in succession appointed, 10 June and 17 Aug. 1841, to the  10, Capt. Owen Stanley, and  18, Capt. Rundle Burges Watson. As First-Lieutenant of the latter vessel during the campaign in China, he landed with the troops at the reduction of Chinghae, 10 Oct. 1841 – ably commanded the boats of the and E.I.C.’s ship Sesostris at the defence of Ningpo, 10 March, 1842 – and was employed on shore at the capture of Chapoo and of the batteries of Woosung, 28 May and 16 June, 1842. For these services Mr. Birch was advanced to his present rank 30 Dec. 1842. Since 7 Sept. 1844, he has been in command of the sloop of 10 guns. – John P. Muspratt.

 BIRCH. 

, born 16 Jan. 1805, is eldest son of the late Dr. Thomas Birch, Dean of Battel and Archdeacon of Lewes; and nephew of Rear-Admiral Sir James Alexander Gordon, K.C.B.

This officer entered the Navy, 1 Jan. 1819, as Fst.-cl. Vol., on board the 74, Capt. Fred. Lewis Maitland, stationed in the North Sea; removed, in Feb. following, to the 46, commanded by his uncle, Sir J. A. Gordon, on Particular Service; became Midshipman, in July, 1821, of the  46, in South America; passed his examination 2 March, 1825; and was afterwards, until the receipt of his first commission, 17 Aug. 1841, employed as Mate on board the  74, Capt. Sir Wm. Hoste, lying at Portsmouth, 28, Capt. Lord Henry Fred. Thynne, in South America, and yacht, engaged on Particular Service. His subsequent appointments were – 20 July, 1832, to the 18, Capt. Sir Geo. Young, also employed on a Particular Service – 17 Nov. 1834, to the 36, Capt. Hon. Henry John Rous, stationed off the coasts of Spain and America – 14 Dec. 1835, as Senior, to the  18, Capt. Robt. Craigie, on the coast of Africa – and, 14 April, 1837, and 24 April, 1838, to the successive command of the 3, and  10, on the same station. He was advanced to the rank he now holds 3 July, 1840, but continued in the until 5 April,. While in that vessel he succeeded in capturing four slavers. Commander Birch is at present on half-pay.

He married, 20 March, 1842, Ann, only daughter of Wm. Stephens, Esq., of Ives Place, Maidenhead, Berks.

 BIRD. 

entered the Navy, 9 Sept. 1812, as Fst.-cl. Vol., on board the 98, Capt. Chas. Jones, bearing the flag off Brest of Rear-Admiral Sir Harry Neale, with whom he afterwards served as Midshipman in the 110. He next, in Aug. 1814, joined the 74, flagship of Rear-Admiral Charles Vinicombe Penrose, in the Mediterranean, where, during a subsequent attachment, from Dec. 1815 until May, 1819, to the  74, Capt. John Coode, he assisted, 27 Aug. 1816, at the bombardment of Algiers, and, on 5 Oct. 1818, passed his examination. On 28 Feb. 1821, Mr. Bird was transferred from the 74, Capt. Aiskew Paffard Hollis, lying at Portsmouth, to a Mateship in the  bomb, Capt. Geo. Fras. Lyon, under whom he continued to be employed nntil Nov. 1823; after which he served, from Jan. 1824, until Nov. 1825, in the bomb, Capt. Henry Parkyns Hoppner, and, from 1826 until Nov. 1827, again in the, Capt. Wm. Edw. Parry. During the three epochs just alluded to, Mr. Bird (who appears to have been attached throughout the summer of 1826 to the 84, Capt. Sam. Hood Inglefield, lying in Portsmouth Harbour) accompanied Capt. Parry in his expeditions to the Arctic Seas, and, on the last occasion, was with him in the boats in his attempt to reach the Pole. He was in consequence, on his return to England, advanced to the rank of Lieutenant, by commission dated 7 Nov. 1827; and was afterwards appointed, 14 May, 1831, to the 36, Capt. Sir Chas. Napier, employed on the Home station and off the Western Islands – 16 Oct. 1833, to the 84, Capt. Wm. Furlong Wise, lying at Sheerness – 13 Feb. 1834, as First, to the steam-vessel, Capt. Horatio Thos. Austin, stationed in the Mediterranean, where he remained for nearly two years and a half – and, 9 April, 1839, in a similar capacity, to the bomb, Capt. Jas. Clark Ross, whom he attended in all the dangers and hardships of the Antarctic expedition, until its return home in Sept. 1843. During his absence he had been awarded a Commander's commission, dated 16 Aug. 1841; and on his arrival home he was immediately, 4 Oct. 1843, advanced to Post-rank. He is at present on halfpay. – Messrs. Stilwell.

 BIRD. 

entered the Navy, in April, 1803, as Fst.-cl. Vol., on board 38, Capt. David Milne, and in  following was wrecked on a sandbank near the Texel. He shortly afterwards joined the 32, Capt. Lucius Hardyman, in which frigate he attained the rating of Midshipman in July, 1805, and, in Feb. 1807, witnessed the reduction of Monte Video. Being promoted (after further serving for 15 months in the North Sea on board the 74, Capt. Hon. Henry Blackwood) to the rank of Lieutenant, by commission dated 4 Aug. 1809, he subsequently joined in that capacity – on 21 of the same month. frigate, Capt. Arthur Farquhar, lying at Portsmouth – 24 Oct. following, the 38, Capt. Geo. Scott, under whom, on 21 Feb. 1810, he assisted at the capture, after a long chase, and a running fight of an hour, of La Nécessité mounting 26 guns, with a complement of 186 men, and laden with naval stores and provisions – 3 Nov. 1810, the 44, bearing the flag of Lord Gardner at North Yarmouth – 21 June, 1811, the, Capt. Wm. Bell, employed in the North Sea – 6 March, 1812, the 18, Capt. Justice Finley, from which vessel, after intermediately cruizing in the Channel and Bay of Biscay; he invalided, in April, 1813 – and, on 24 Dec. in the latter year, the  74, Capt. Fras. Wm. Austen, lying at Portsmouth. He was paid off 10 May, 1814, and since 29 Sept. 1846, has been employed in the Coast Guard. – Coplands and Burnett.

 BIRTWHISTLE. 

served as Midshipman of the throughout the war in China, where, among other operations, he was employed in the boats at the taking of Chinghae. He passed his examination 30 March, 1843; and, after intermediately serving, as Mate, on board the gunnery-ship at Portsmouth, Capt. Sir Thos. Hastings, was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant 5 Aug. 1846.

 BISHOP. 

entered the Navy, 10 Feb. 1805, as Fst.-cl. Vol., on board the 32, Capt. Ross Donnelly. In Jan. 1806, he assisted at the reduction of the Cape of Good Hope, and about the same period was present at the destruction of the Napoléon privateer, of 32 guns and 250 men, and capture of the 46-gun frigate Volontaire. Mr. Bishop, who had attained the rating of Midshipman, next accompanied the expedition to the Rio de la Plata, where he witnessed the taking of Buenos