A Naval Biographical Dictionary/Cotesworth, William

1664973A Naval Biographical Dictionary — Cotesworth, WilliamWilliam Richard O'Byrne

COTESWORTH. (Commander, 1829. f-p., 16; h-p., 22.)

William Cotesworth is brother of Lieut. Chas. Cotesworth, R.N.; and brother-in-law of Capt. Chas. Bell, R.N., C.B., Lieut. Edmund Scott, R.N., and Jas. Kerr, Esq., Master, R.N.

This officer entered the Navy, 30 Oct. 1809, as Fst.-cl. Vol., on board the San Josef 110, Capt. Rich. Bailing Dunn, flag-ship in the Channel and off Cadiz of Sir John Thos. Duckworth; with the former of whom he appears to have been successively transferred to the Hibernia 110, Armide 38, and Dublin 74. Having attained the rating of Midshipman, he next removed, in June, 1813, to the Medusa 32, Capt, Geo. Bell. He cruized for some months afterwards in the Bay of Biscay on board the Andromache 38, Capt. Geo. Tobin; and, sailing then for North America in the Akbar 50, Capt. Archibald Dickson, joined the Saturn 38, Capt. Jas. Nash, off New York. He subsequently obtained a berth on board the Endymion, of 48 guns and 319 men, Capt. Henry Hope, in time to participate, 15 Jan. 1815, in that vessel’s memorable capture, after a close action of two hours and a half; a loss to the British of 11 killed and 14 wounded, and to the enemy of 35 killed and 70 wounded, of the President American frigate, of 56 guns and 465 men. On being paid off in Sept. 1815, Mr. Cotesworth served for 10 months at Portsmouth under the flag of Sir John Duckworth; after which he proceeded to the Mediterranean in the Impregnable 104, flagship of Rear-Admiral David Milne, and was with Lord Exmouth in the Queen Charlotte 100, at the bombardment of Algiers, 27 Aug. 1816. He assumed the rank of Lieutenant 16 Sept. following; and was afterwards appointed – 19 Aug. 1818, to the Révolutionnaire 46, Capt. Hon. Fleetwood Broughton Reynolds Pellew, on the Mediterranean station – 17 March and 30 Oct. 1823, to the Thetis and Lively frigates, Capts. Sir John Phillimore and Wm. Elliott – 30 May, 1824, again to the Thetis – and, 13 April, 1827, as First-Lieutenant, to the Herald 10, Capt. Edw. Wm. Corry Astley, employed on particular service. While in the Thetis, Mr. Cotesworth commanded her boats and those of the Swinger gun-brig, during a series of arduous operations against the Ashantees in July, 1824; took part also in various experimental cruizes; and was employed in escorting different diplomatic personages to Naples, Constantinople, and South America. In the Herald we find him accompanying to India S. R. Lushington, Esq., Governor of the Madras Presidency; then returning home with Earl Amherst; and next conveying to Barbadoes and Jamaica Major-General Sir Jas. Lyon and the Earl of Belmore, the newly-appointed Governors. Since his last promotion, 6 April, 1829, Commander Cotesworth has been on half-pay.

He married, 9 March, 1844, Susan Maria, daughter of the late W. Greaves, Esq., of Walthamstow. Agent – J. Hinxman.