A Naval Biographical Dictionary/Smith, Edward (a)

1947472A Naval Biographical Dictionary — Smith, Edward (a)William Richard O'Byrne

SMITH. (Commander, 1828.)

Edward Smith (a) entered the Navy, as A.B. on board the Lively 38, Capts. Graham Eden Hamond and Geo. McKinley. In that frigate, we are informed, he assisted at the capture of three Spanish frigates laden with treasure and the destruction of a fourth, off Cape St. Mary, 5 Oct. 1804. He was subsequently employed with great activity on the coasts of Spain and Portugal, and took part, in 1809, in the operations which led to the capture of Vigo and Santiago. Removing, as Master’s Mate, in Feb. 1810, to the Caledonia 120, bearing the flag of Lord Gambier, he served in the launch belonging to that ship at the bombardment of Fort Matagorda, during the siege of Cadiz, and aided, in the course of the same year, in cutting out a convoy near Rochelle. After he had been for 10 months attached to the Christian VII. 80 and Impregnable 98, flag-ships of Admiral Wm. Young in the North Sea, he was made Lieutenant, 26 Feb. 1812, into the Prometheus sloop. That vessel having sailed for the West Indies before he could join, he was next, 18 Aug. in the same year, appointed to the Diomede troop-ship, Capts. Chas. Montagu Fabian and Sam. Malbon. In her, having first visited the coasts of Spain and Portugal, and served in the Chesapeake and on the coast of North America, he proceeded to the West Indies, where, in Nov. 1814, he followed Capt. Malbon, as First-Lieutenant, into the Peruvian 16, commanded afterwards by Capt. Jas. Kearney White at the Cape of Good Hope. His last appointments were – 8 April, 1826, to the Gloucester 74, Capt. Joshua Sydney Horton, employed on particular service – and, in March, 1827, to the command of the Nightingale 8, on the Plymouth station. He attained his present rank 30 Aug. 1828.

Commander Smith married, in 1815, Miss White, of Bingham Town, near Gosport, co. Southampton. Agent – J. Chippendale.