1877077A Naval Biographical Dictionary — Pike, WalterWilliam Richard O'Byrne

PIKE. (Retired Commander, 1840. f-p., 17; h-p., 32.)

Walter Pike was born 11 March, 1785.

This officer entered the Navy, 4 July, 1798, as A.B., on board the Achille 74, Capts. Hon. Henry Edwin Stanhope, Geo. Murray, and Edw. Buller, with whom he continued employed in the Channel, principally in the capacity of Midshipman, until transferred, in April, 1802, to the Endymion 40, Capts. Philip Chas. Durham and John Larmour, lying at Portsmouth. After a servitude of two years as Master’s Mate in the Isis 50, flag-ship at Newfoundland of Vice-Admiral Jas. Gambier, he became successively attached, in the course of 1804, to the Royal William, Swiftsure 74, and Glory 98, bearing the flags at Spithead and at Cadiz of Admirals Geo. Montagu and Sir John Orde. Of the ship last mentioned he was confirmed a Lieutenant 20 Feb. 1805. His succeeding appointments were – 22 June, 1805, to the Wolverene sloop, Capt. Thos. Smyth, at Plymouth – 3 Sept. following, to the Euryalus 36, commanded in the Mediterranean by Capts. Hon. Henry Blackwood and Hon. Geo. Heneage Lawrence Dundas, under the former of whom he took part in the battle of Trafalgar – 25 Feb. 1809, as First-Lieutenant, to the Mermaid 32, Capt. Major Jacob Henniker, in which ship he visited Lisbon and Quebec – and 8 May, 1810, with similar rank, to the Achates of 16 guns, Capts. John Davies, Isaac Hawkins Morrison, and Thos. Lamb Polden Laughame. Under Capt. Morrison he shared, 21 Oct. 1813, in a very gallant running action of several hours’ duration, fought off the coast of France between the Achates, whose sails and rigging suffered much, and La Trave, a French frigate of 44 guns and 321 men, which had been previously dismasted in a gale of wind, and which was captured two days afterwards by the Andromache 38, Capt. Geo. Tobin. He also, in the same vessel, witnessed the surrender, to the Eurotas of 46 guns and 320 men, of another French frigate, La Clorinde, mounting 44 guns and 12 brass swivels, with a complement of 360 picked men, 25 Feb. 1814. The Achates was paid off in Nov. 1815; and Mr. Pike, who did not again go afloat, accepted, 12 Aug. 1840, the rank he now holds.