A Naval Biographical Dictionary/Craufurd, Peter
CRAUFURD. (Retired Commander, 1838. f-p., 19; h-p., 35.)
Peter Craufurd entered the Navy, 25 July, 1793, as Fst.-cl. Vol., on board the Glory 98, Capt. Bourmaster, stationed in the Channel; removed, as Midshipman, in Nov. 1795, to the Prince George 98, Capt. Theophilus Jones; and proceeded, early in 1796, to the West Indies on board the Invincible 74, Capt. Wm. Cayley. In April of the latter year he was wounded at the reduction of Ste. Lucie; and, in the course of 1797, he was further present at the taking of Trinidad, and in the unsuccessful attack on Porto Rico. After contributing to the capture of Surinam in Aug. 1799, he became attached for some months to the Requin gun-brig, Lieut.-Commander Sam. Fowell, on the Home station; and then, joining the Renown 74, bearing the flag of Sir John Borlase Warren, attended the expedition to Egypt in 1801. In Aug. of the same year he received an order to act as Lieutenant of the Camelion brig, Capt. Jas. Hawes, but he was not promoted by the Admiralty until 4 Sept. 1805 – previously to which he had further served for 18 months with Lord Nelson as Midshipman of the Victory 100, and for a shorter period with Capt. Hon. Courtenay Boyle as Acting-Lieutenant of the Amphitrite frigate. In Oct. 1805 Mr. Craufurd was next appointed to the Formidable 98, Capt. Fras. Fayerman, forming part of the Channel fleet after which he assumed command, 12 Dec. 1806, of the Surly cutter, and was employed at the blockade of Danzig, and the bombardment of Copenhagen, in 1807. His subsequent appointments were – 1 Feb. 1809, to the Fury bomb, Capt. Robt. Balfour, in the Baltic – 14 Nov. 1810, to the Formidable 98, Capt. Jas. Nicoll Morris, off Lisbon – 11 April, 1812, to the Union 98, Capt. Sam. Hood Linzee, in the Mediterranean – and, 12 June in the same year, to the command of the Triton in the river Tagus. He was finally placed on half-pay 14 Dec. following; and on 17 Jan. 1838, was advanced to his present rank.