A Naval Biographical Dictionary/Matthews, Michael

1830150A Naval Biographical Dictionary — Matthews, MichaelWilliam Richard O'Byrne

MATTHEWS. (Commander, 1815. f-p., 17; h-p., 31.)

Michael Matthews is son of F. Matthews, Esq., formerly in the Ordnance Department at Portsmouth.

This officer entered the Navy, in Aug. 1799, as Fst.-cl. Vol., on board the Sans Pareil 80, Capts. Chas. Vinicombe Penrose, Jas. Katon, and Wm. Essington, successive flag-ship of Admirals Lord Hugh Seymour and Robt. Montagu in the Channel and West Indies, where he served until Sept. 1802, latterly in the capacity of Midshipman. In Feb. 1 803, he joined the Venerable 74, bearing the flag, on the former station, of the late Lord Collingwood; whom, in the course of 1804, he followed into the Colossus and Culloden 74’s, and Prince and St. George 98’s. He was made Lieutenant, 15 Oct. 1806, into the Prince of Wales 98, Capt. Wm. Bedford, flag-ship for some time of Sir Jas. Saumarez in the Baltic; and he was next, between Aug. 1807, and July, 1813, employed, on the latter and on the West and East India stations, in the Captain 74, Capt. Isaac Wolley, Melville sloop, Capt. Hon. Jas. Wm. King, Cornelia frigate, Capt. Henry Folkes Edgell, Russel 74, bearing the flag of Vice-Admiral Wm. O’Brien Drury, and Minden 74, Capts. Edw. Wallis Hoare, Alex. Skene, and Jos. Prior, flag-ship latterly of Sir Sam. Hood. In the Russel he took part in the earlier portion of the operations that preceded the fall of the Isle of France; and in the Minden he saw much active service on the coast of Java. On leaving that ship he was nominated Lieutenant-Governor of the Naval Hospital, and Superintendent of the Impress, at Bombay. He continued in discharge of the duties thus imposed upon him until Feb. 1815; and on 20 of the following Sept., after having acted in command of the Wellesley 74, he was confirmed in that of the Hesper sloop. He returned to England about Aug. 1816 in the Hecate 16; and has since been on half-pay.

He is married, and has issue. Agents – Messrs. Ommanney.