A Naval Biographical Dictionary/Scott, David
SCOTT. (Captain, 1814. f-p., 19; h-p., 35.)
David Scott entered the Navy, in May, 1793, as a Volunteer, on board the Goelan 14, Capts. Thos. Wolley and Geo. Hopewell Stephens, attached to the force in the West Indies, where he served on shore at the reduction of St. Domingo, and was severely wounded in the head at Tiburon. On his return to England in Sept. 1794 he was transferred, as Master’s Mate, to the Daedalus 32, commanded by the late Sir Thos. Williams, with whom he continued employed in the Unicorn 32, and Endymion 40, until made Lieutenant, 4 March, 1800, into the Ariadne 20, Capt. J. Bradby. In the early part of 1795 the Daedalus sailed in charge of a convoy of transports laden with supplies for the army retreating through Holland. Impeded by wind and ice, two months elapsed before the coast was made, and then, a pilot not being at hand, Mr. Scott was sent in a hired cutter with despatches for the Commander-in-Chief of the army at Emden. These he succeeded in delivering, although exposed, on his way up the Ems, to a heavy fire from the French at Delfzyl. The pilots whom he brought back with him contriving to run the frigate aground, Mr. Scott took personal charge of the convoy, conducted it in safety to its destination, and remained for its protection until the Daedalus, nearly a week afterwards, got in. For this service he received the thanks of his Captain and of Sir Home Popham, who at the time was attached to the army. In the Endymion he performed the duties of Lieutenant in an action fought, 13 Oct. 1797, between that frigate and the Brutus 74, bearing the flag of Rear-Admiral Bloys, at anchor off the heights of Hinder – one of the ships recently defeated in the battle off Camperdown. A few days afterwards, having fallen in with the Jupiter 74, a prize taken on the same occasion, and at the time in great distress, he went on board, rigged jury-masts, and carried her in safety into the Humber. In the spring of 1798, while engaged in clearing away the wreck of the mizenmast, Mr. Scott was a second time severely hurt. During the period he served with Sir Thos. Williams we find him intrusted with most of that officer’s valuable prizes, and on no occasion, while so employed, did he lose a man. His appointments, in the capacity of Lieutenant, were – 4 June, 1800, to the Arethusa 38, Capt. Thos. Wolley, in which ship he served in the Channel, escorted an East India convoy from St. Helena to England in the spring of 1801, and, in the early part of the following year, brought Brigadier-General Clinton home from Madeira – 17 June, 1803, as Senior (after 14 months of half-pay), to the Circe 28, Capt. Chas. Fielding – 3 Dec. ensuing, to the Sea Fencibles at Cardigan – 9 Oct. 1804, to the Bellerophon 74, Capts. John Loring, John Cooke, and Edw. Rotheram, stationed in the Channel and off Cadiz – 3 Oct. 1807, as First, to the Bedford 74, Capt. Jas. Walker – in the course of 1809, to the Clyde 38, Venerable 74, Pallas 32, and San Domingo 74 – and, 5 Oct. 1810 (after his name had been borne as a Supernumerary on the books of different ships on the North American station) to the command of the Tourterelle, at Bermuda. The Circe, while in pursuit of an enemy, was wrecked, on the Lemon and Ower, in the North Sea, 16 Nov. 1803. After the court-martial, which took place in consequence, Mr. Scott was sent for by the President, and informed that, if he felt fit for duty, several members of the court were desirous of applying for him; but fever and ague, contracted on the coast of Holland, had, unfortunately, so affected his health that he was obliged to decline the offers made to him. On presenting himself, however, at the Admiralty, Lord St. Vincent, who then presided at the Board, refused to allow him to go on half-pay, as it was his intention, he intimated, to include him in the first batch of promotions. He accordingly placed him, as above, in the Sea Fencibles, for the recovery of his health; but the promise of promotion was never fulfilled. In the Bellerophon Mr. Scott fought at Trafalgar. On that occasion he received a severe contusion from a splinter, and nearly lost all sense of hearing – a circumstance which reduced him, in April, 1806, to the necessity of invaliding. On being appointed to the Bedford he escorted the Royal Family of Portugal in its flight to the Brazils; and we may here add that he was the first British subject upon whom the Cross of the Tower and Sword was ever conferred. While cruizing on the Brazilian coast he nearly lost one of his legs (both were much injured) by the strop of a leading block giving way. The result was that, although he had been promised by the Admiral the first promotal vacancy that should occur, he was obliged, in Dec. 1808, to return to England. Notwithstanding that he was only a passenger in the frigate that brought him home, he was intrusted (and we mention the fact as indicative of the estimation in which he was held) with the despatches both of the Commander-in-Chief, Sir Sidney Smith, and of the British Ambassador, Lord Strangford. During the expedition of 1809 to the Walcheren, Mr. Scott officiated as Flag-Lieutenant to Sir Rich. Strachan in the Venerable and also in the Pallas, in which latter ship he had the sole charge of getting the transports into the Scheldt. On the fall of Flushing he became First-Lieutenant to the same officer in the San Domingo. Being made Commander, 2 Aug. 1811, into the Morgiana 18, he was chiefly employed in that vessel, during a period of three years, in affording protection to the trade on the coast of North America. Of the numerous convoys placed under his care none at any time suffered loss. On one occasion the Morgiana narrowly escaped falling into the hands of the U.S. frigate President, Commodore Rodgers, who, although he had chased her during a whole day, and had nearly arrived within gun-shot, “was deterred,” as expressed in his letter to the Secretary of the American navy, “from taking her, because he saw by her manoeuvres that she was trying to lead him into a scrape.” Not long after this affair, Capt. Scott fell in with the American brigs-of-war Rattlesnake and Enterprise. After he had pursued them for several hours they separated, each shaping a different course. Following the one nearest, the Enterprise, the Morgiana, before sunset, approached so close that her people could perceive the enemy throwing everything overboard, and contemplated arriving in half-an-hour alongside. A sudden thunder-storm, however, came on, every stitch of canvas was taken in, and the prey got off. The Morgiana’s mainmast on the occasion was shattered, and several of the crew were for a time rendered blind. Capt. Scott himself was struck down, and for more than an hour lay insensible. The effects of the shock he sustained he feels to this day. He was Posted, 22 Oct. 1814, into the Centurion 50, flag-ship of Rear-Admiral Edw. Griffith at Halifax – returned in April, 1815, to England – and, unable to procure further employment, was induced, 1 Oct. 1846, to accept the Retirement.
He married, first, Elizabeth, daughter of Simon Halliday, Esq., and, secondly, Anne, daughter of Jas. Gibbon, Esq.; and has issue.