Page:Royal Naval Biography Marshall v3p2.djvu/281

 

son of the late Arthur M‘Gwire, of Clonea Castle, co, Waterford, Esq.

This officer was born in 1766; and entered the royal navy, at the age of thirteen years, as midshipman on board the Egmont 74, in which ship he served under Captains John Carter Allen and Robert Fanshawe, on the Channel and West India stations, until the end of 1781. He had scarcely been a year at sea before he experienced a most dreadful hurricane, which spread desolation over the whole of the Carribbean Islands and Jamaica; and in which the Egmont was totally dismantled.

During the remainder of the American war, we find Mr. M‘Gwire in the Proselyte frigate, Captain John Brown, on the Leith station; and for three years after the termination of hostilities, in 1783, he served as midshipman and master’s-mate, under Captain Thomas Wilson, in the Racehorse sloop, on the African, Halifax, and North Sea stations. He next joined the Centurion 50, fitting out for the flag of Rear-Admiral Philip Affleck, commander-in-chief at Jamaica, by whom he was appointed to the command of the Advice cutter, with an acting order as lieutenant, in 1792.

Mr. M‘Gwire’s first commission, appointing him to the Helena sloop, Captain William Charleton, on the same station, was signed in Jan. 1793. He subsequently served on board the Vestal 32, Captain John M‘Dougal, in the North Sea; and removed from that frigate into the Invincible 74, Captain the Hon. Thomas Pakenham, of which ship he was second lieutenant at the battles of May 29th and June 1st, 1794 ; aad became first, on the promotion of his senior officer, the present Sir Henry Blackwood.

In the spring of 1795, Lieutenant M‘Gwire followed Captain Pakenham into the Juste 80, attached to the Channel