Page:Royal Naval Biography Marshall v2p2.djvu/399

  officer is the third son of the late Rev. E. Humphreys M.A. Rector of Montgomery, in North Wales, and of Clungunford, near Ludlow, in Shropshire, by Mary, eldest daughter and co-heiress of the late Rev. Salusbury Pryce, D.D.

He was born at Clungunford Rectory, Nov. 24, 1778; and entered the naval service as a Midshipman on board the Ardent 64, commanded by Captain, now Admiral, Vashon, during the Spanish armament, in 1790. From that ship he was removed to the Trusty of 50 guns, bearing the flag of Sir John Laforey, Bart, commander-in-chief at the Leeward Islands; by whom he was successively placed under the protection of Captains Matthew Squire and Francis Laforey, commanding the Solebay frigate and Fairy sloop of war, in which latter vessel he returned to England after the capture of Tobago, April 15, 1793.

Mr. Humphreys next joined the Severn a 44-gun ship fitting for the conveyance of Lord Dorchester, his family, and suite, to Quebec, from whence she returned to the home station in 1794. He subsequently removed with Captain Paul Minchin into the Hebe frigate, and continued to serve under that officer, and his successor, the present Vice-Admiral Scott, until promoted to the rank of Lieutenant by his patron, Sir John Laforey, at the Leeward Islands, in April, 1796.

We next find Lieutenant Humphreys co-operating with the army under Sir Ralph Abercromby, during the siege of St. Lucia; and the Fury sloop to which he had been appointed appears to have brought home that officer’s despatches relative to the unsuccessful attack upon Porto Rico, in April, 1797. His gallant conduct, and a miraculous escape experienced by him when serving on the coast of Holland, in Aug. 1799, have already been noticed.

After the occupation of the Helder, Aug. 28, 1799, Lieutenant Humphreys left the Juno frigate and joined the Isis 50,