A Naval Biographical Dictionary/Mends, George Clarke

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A Naval Biographical Dictionary
by William Richard O'Byrne

Mends, George Clarke

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1833430A Naval Biographical Dictionary — Mends, George ClarkeWilliam Richard O'Byrne

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MENDS. (Commander, 1841.)

George Clarke Mends is son of the late Commodore Sir Robt. Mends, Kt., G.C.C.,^[1] by a daughter of the late Jas. Butler, Esq., of Bagshot, co. Surrey; brother of Commander Jas. Augustus Mends, R.N.; and nephew of Capt. Wm. Bowen Mends, R.N. His eldest brother, Robert Butler Mends, Midshipman of the Owen Glendower 42, died on board that ship off Sierra Leone, 5 Dec. 1823, from the effects of illness contracted in the preceding June, while employed in her boats in the Bight of Biafra.

This officer entered the Navy, 21 Feb. 1821, on board the Queen Charlotte 100, flag-ship at Portsmouth; served, from Sept. in the same year, until Sept. 1823, under his father’s broad pendant, on the coast of Africa; passed his examination in 1827; and was made Lieutenant, 24 Jan. 1829, into the Maidstone 42, bearing the broad pendant of Commodore Chas. Marsh Schomberg at the Cape of Good Hope; where he removed, 9 March following, to the Jaseur 18, Capts. John Lyons and Fras. Harding. His succeeding appointments were – 27 Dec. 1831, to the Undaunted 46, Capt. Edw. Harvey, in the East Indies – 16 Sept. 1834, to the Aetna surveying-vessel, Capt. Rich. Laird Warren, fitting at Portsmouth – 17 Dec. following, to the Champion 18, Capt. Robt. Fair, on the North America and West India station, whence he returned in 1835 – 10 April, 1839, as First, to the Blenheim 72, Capt. Sir Humphrey Fleming Senhouse, attached to the force off Lisbon – and, 12 Feb. 1840, to the Cambridge 78, Capt. Edw. Barnard, in the Mediterranean. He acquired his present rank 23 Nov. 1841; and since 25 Feb. 1843 has been employed as an Inspecting-Commander in the Coast Guard. Agents – Messrs. Ommanney.

↑ Sir Robert Mends entered the Navy 1 Jan. 1779, on board the Culloden 74, in which ship he assisted at the defeat of Don Juan de Langara 16 Jan. 1780. he was afterwards, 16 March, 1781, present in the Guadaloupe in the action between Admiral Arbuthnot and M. Destouches; and, from the following April until taken prisoner with Lord Cornwallis and his army, was employed on shore with a detachment of seamen throughout all the operations of the campaign in Virginia. On the last-mentioned occasion his right arm was shot off by a cannon-ball, and his left knee slightly wounded by a shell. He had the further misfortune, while sharing, in the Conqueror, in the glories of 9 and 12 April, 1783, to receive a splinter-wound in the head, and to sustain a fracture of the right jaw. In 1789, at the especial command of George III., Mr. Mends was presented with a Lieutenant’s commission. After witnessing the evacuation of Toulon, and being severely burnt and bruised in the Colossus in Lord Bridport’s action, he was promoted, in 1796, to the command of the Diligence sloop of 16 guns; and on 2 May, 1800, having previously effected the capture of La Nativetas Spanish ship of 500 tons, 16 guns, and 50 men, he was advanced to Post-rank. During the remainder of the French revolutionary war he had command of the Abergavenny 54, Thunderer 74, Quebec 32, and Néréide 36. In 1805 he was placed over the Malahide district of Sea Fencibles in Ireland; and in 1808, as a reward for the manner in which he had for some time discharged the duties of Regulating Officer at Liverpool, he was appointed to the Arethusa of 46 guns. In that frigate, in 1809-10, Capt. Mends rendered himself conspicuous by a system of the most active co-operation with the patriots on the north coast of Spain; where, in the summer of the latter year, a squadron under his orders effected the destruction of all the batteries (with the exception of Castro) from St. Sebastian to St. Andero, mounting in the whole about 100 pieces of cannon. For these services the Order of the Cross of Victory of Asturias, and the rank of Major-General in the Spanish army, were conferred on him, and he was recommended in the strongest manner to his Majesty’s Government by the Regency of Spain, and by the Captain-General of the Junta of Gallicia, He had previously, while assisting at. the capture of the French frigate, Le Niemen, of 46 guns and 339 men, been struck by a splinter in the forehead, the effects of which he seriously felt during the remainder of his life. From 1811 until 1814 we find him superintending the prison-ships in Portsmouth Harbour. He received, in 1815, the honour of Knighthood, together with the insignia of the Order of Charles III. of Spain; and in 1816 a pension of 300l. was settled upon him in consideration of his wounds. In June, 1821, Sir Robert Mends hoisted a broad pendant in the Iphigenia 42, as Commodore of the squadron employed on the western coast of Africa, where he died, on board the Owen Glendower frigate, 4 Sept, 1823.

[Robert_Mends-1] Sir Robert Mends entered the Navy 1 Jan. 1779, on board the Culloden 74, in which ship he assisted at the defeat of Don Juan de Langara 16 Jan. 1780. he was afterwards, 16 March, 1781, present in the Guadaloupe in the action between Admiral Arbuthnot and M. Destouches; and, from the following April until taken prisoner with Lord Cornwallis and his army, was employed on shore with a detachment of seamen throughout all the operations of the campaign in Virginia. On the last-mentioned occasion his right arm was shot off by a cannon-ball, and his left knee slightly wounded by a shell. He had the further misfortune, while sharing, in the Conqueror, in the glories of 9 and 12 April, 1783, to receive a splinter-wound in the head, and to sustain a fracture of the right jaw. In 1789, at the especial command of George III., Mr. Mends was presented with a Lieutenant’s commission. After witnessing the evacuation of Toulon, and being severely burnt and bruised in the Colossus in Lord Bridport’s action, he was promoted, in 1796, to the command of the Diligence sloop of 16 guns; and on 2 May, 1800, having previously effected the capture of La Nativetas Spanish ship of 500 tons, 16 guns, and 50 men, he was advanced to Post-rank. During the remainder of the French revolutionary war he had command of the Abergavenny 54, Thunderer 74, Quebec 32, and Néréide 36. In 1805 he was placed over the Malahide district of Sea Fencibles in Ireland; and in 1808, as a reward for the manner in which he had for some time discharged the duties of Regulating Officer at Liverpool, he was appointed to the Arethusa of 46 guns. In that frigate, in 1809-10, Capt. Mends rendered himself conspicuous by a system of the most active co-operation with the patriots on the north coast of Spain; where, in the summer of the latter year, a squadron under his orders effected the destruction of all the batteries (with the exception of Castro) from St. Sebastian to St. Andero, mounting in the whole about 100 pieces of cannon. For these services the Order of the Cross of Victory of Asturias, and the rank of Major-General in the Spanish army, were conferred on him, and he was recommended in the strongest manner to his Majesty’s Government by the Regency of Spain, and by the Captain-General of the Junta of Gallicia, He had previously, while assisting at. the capture of the French frigate, Le Niemen, of 46 guns and 339 men, been struck by a splinter in the forehead, the effects of which he seriously felt during the remainder of his life. From 1811 until 1814 we find him superintending the prison-ships in Portsmouth Harbour. He received, in 1815, the honour of Knighthood, together with the insignia of the Order of Charles III. of Spain; and in 1816 a pension of 300l. was settled upon him in consideration of his wounds. In June, 1821, Sir Robert Mends hoisted a broad pendant in the Iphigenia 42, as Commodore of the squadron employed on the western coast of Africa, where he died, on board the Owen Glendower frigate, 4 Sept, 1823.

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