A Naval Biographical Dictionary/Mingaye, William James

1836759A Naval Biographical Dictionary — Mingaye, William JamesWilliam Richard O'Byrne

MINGAYE. (Capt., 1822. f-p., 24; h-p., 25.)

William James Mingaye entered the Navy, 16 Sept. 1798, as a Volunteer, on board the Anson of 46 guns, Capt. Philip Chas. Durham; and in the course of the ensuing month was present, we believe, at the defeat of the squadron under Commodore Bompart, carrying troops for the invasion of Ireland, and (in company with the Kangaroo 18) at the capture, with a loss to the Anson of 2 killed and 13 wounded, of La Loire of 46 guns and 664 men (including troops), 46 of whom were killed and 71 wounded. After an attendance of some time upon the King off Weymouth, he accompanied Capt. Durham, in Feb. 1801, into the Endymion 40, in which ship, besides assisting at the capture of La Furie privateer of 14 guns, he escorted a convoy of 10 Indiamen home from St. Helena. In 1802 he became in succession attached to the Alarm and Amazon frigates, both commanded by Capt. Wm. Parker; and on next joining the Magnificent 74, Capt. Wm. Henry Jervis, he was wrecked on the Black Rocks off Brest, in March, 1804. On 8 Feb. 1805, having in the interim served with Capt. Jervis on board the Tonnant 80, he was nominated Sub-Lieutenant of the Tickler gun-brig, Lieut.-Commander John W. Skinner, stationed off Boulogne, where he remained until presented with a Lieutenant’s commission dated 6 July following. Joining then the Belliqueux [errata 1] 64, Capt. Hon. Geo. Byng, he served on shore with the naval brigade under that officer at the capture of the Cape of Good Hope in Jan. 1806;[1] after which he was, it appears, appointed – 10 June, 1806, to the Bombay alias Ceylon 32, Capt. Wm. Jones Lye, on the East India station, whence he invalided 10 Aug. 1809 – 19 March and 31 Dec. 1812, to the Cossack 22 and Druid frigate, both commanded in the Mediterranean by Capt. Wm. King, with whom he continued until 5 July, 1813 – and 5 March, 1816, and 21 July, 1817, as Senior, to the Eridanus 36, and Royal George yacht, Capts. Wm. King and Hon. Chas. Paget, each employed on Home Service. As Commander, a rank he attained 2 Oct. 1817, Capt. Mingaye served, from 1 Oct. 1818 until paid off in Jan. 1822, in the Camelion 10, on the Portsmouth station. He was advanced to Post-rank on 29 of the month last mentioned; became Acting-Captain, 23 July ensuing, of the Royal George yacht; obtained command, in July, 1824, of the Romney 50, armée en flûte, fitting at Chatham; and, from 8 Jan. 1825 until the abolition of the Service in 1831, was in command of the Hyperion 42, lying in Newhaven Harbour, on the establishment of a third-rate, for the purposes of the extended Coast Blockade.


  1. Original: Belligerent was amended to Belliqueux : detail

  1. Vide Gaz. 1806.