Page:Royal Naval Biography Marshall v4p1.djvu/425

 the 2d, or Queen’s, regiment of dragoon guards, by Sarah Gawen, of Salisbury, whose family, for many generations, possessed considerable estates in Wiltshire. His paternal ancestors were related to the former Earls of Radnor, and long settled in Yorkshire, from whence his grandfather emigrated to Poland, where he formed a noble alliance, and had several children.

This officer was born at Salisbury, co. Wilts, July 21st, 1791. He entered the royal navy early in 1804; and served the whole of his time as midshipman in the Terrible 74, Captain Lord Henry Paulet, on the Channel, West India, and Mediterranean stations. On the 19th Aug. 1806, while pursuing a French squadron under Mons. Villaumez, that ship was totally dismasted in a hurricane, which continued with unabated violence for thirty-six hours.

A few days after he had passed his examination, Mr. Roberts received, through the interest of Lord Henry Paulet, an appointment from Lord Collingwood, to act as lieutenant of the Terrible; which was confirmed by the Admiralty on the 3d March, 1810. His next appointment was, about May 1811, to the Dreadnought 98, Captain Samuel Hood Linzee, then preparing to sail for the Baltic; from whence she departed in November following, in company with the ill-fated St. George, Defence, and Hero. On her return home, after encountering much severe weather, she was found unfit for further service, and ordered to be paid off at Plymouth.

Lieutenant Roberts afterwards served under Captains William Isaac Scott and George Bell, in the Freya troopship and Medusa frigate, the former employed in taking out reinforcements to the army in the peninsula, and bringing to England French prisoners for the different depôts; the latter as a cruiser on the North coast of Spain.

In December 1813, lieutenant Roberts was recommended by his warm and constant friend Lord Henry Paulet, then at the Board of Admiralty, to Sir Alexander Cochrane, who 