Page:A Naval Biographical Dictionary.djvu/1045

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SAURIN—SAVAGE.
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hibited in the last-mentioned affair, which cost a Lieutenant, Yates, his life, Mr. Saunderson, who held the rating of Master’s Mate, was strongly recommended by his Captain to the favourable notice of the Commander-in-Chief, Sir Edw. Pellew. On 18 May, 1812, the Menelaus (in company with the Havannah and Furieuse frigates and Pelorus brig) was chased by the French Toulon fleet; and on 29 of the same month, having pursued the French 40-gun frigate Pauline and 16-gun brig Ecureuil under the batteries in the vicinity of Toulon, she again effected a masterly retreat from the fleet that had come out to their protection, by passing through its line ahead of one 74 and astern of another. In command of two of her boats Mr. Saunderson succeeded, 4 Sept. 1812, in bringing out from the entrance of the Orbitello Lake La Fidelle, a government transport, loading with ship-timber;[1] and on 28 March, 1813, he contrived, after a night-chase of many hours, to board and carry Le Nouveau Phénix privateer of 6 guns and 75 men. This vessel he carried as prize-master to Gibraltar. He continued in the Menelaus, the latter part of the time in the capacity of Acting-Lieutenant, until Dec. 1813. He next, for some months in 1814, served off Lisbon and Gibraltar, as Midshipman, in the Redwing 18, Capt. Sir John Gordon Sinclair; and, attaining the rank of Lieutenant 25 April, 1815, was employed as such, from 2 June until 30 Dec. in that year, in the Iris 32, flag-ship of Sir Home Popham in the Thames. He has since been on half-pay.

Lieut. Saunderson married Selina, fourth daughter of Colonel and Lady Ann Fox, and niece of John James, second and last Earl of Farnham. By that lady he has issue two daughters.



SAURIN. (Captain, 1814. f-p., 9; h-p., 35.)

Edward Saurin, is son of the Right Hon. Wm. Saurin, formerly Attorney-General for Ireland.

This officer entered the Navy, in Aug. 1803, as a Volunteer, on board the Euryalus 36, Capt. Hon. Henry Blackwood, in which ship, attached to the force on the Irish station, he remained for a few weeks. He next, in May, 1804, joined the Loire 46, Capt. Fred. Lewis Maitland, with whom he continued almost uninterruptedly employed in the same frigate, and, as Midshipman and as Master’s Mate, in the Volontaire 38 and Emerald 36, until promoted to the rank of Lieutenant 2 May, 1810. He was under the fire, during that period, of the batteries in Muros Bay, when they were gallantly stormed and carried, and the privateers Confiance and Bélier taken, by the boats under the late Sir Jas. Lucas Yeo, 4 June, 1805. He assisted also, on 25 of the same month, in capturing Le Vaillant of 30 guns; was in company with L’Egyptienne frigate at the taking, after an obstinate resistance, of La Libre of 40 guns; conveyed, in July, 1806, to Sir Rich. Keats, off L’Orient, intelligence which led to the capture of Le Rhin of 44 guns; aided at the capture of many other vessels and at the blockade of Rochefort; contributed, on the night of 13 March, 1808, to the destruction, in Vivero harbour, of a large French schooner, L’Apropos, of 8 guns and 70 men;[2] and was present, in April, 1809, at the destruction of the French shipping in Aix Roads. After serving for about four months at Portsmouth in the Ethalion 36, Capt. Edm. Heywood, he was appointed, 17 Feb. 1811, to the Alcmène 38, Capt. Edwards Lloyd Graham, fitting for the Mediterranean, where he remained until July, 1812. On 22 May in that year he made an attack with four boats, near the island of Lissa, upon a large armed convoy, the result of which was the capture of one of the enemy’s principal vessels, but not until nearly the whole of her crew had been either killed or wounded. The slaughter on the part of the British was almost equally dreadful, the pinnace alone sustaining a loss of at least 20 officers and men killed and wounded. Among the latter was their gallant leader, who by his voice and example encouraged the rest, and, notwithstanding he was severely wounded, still persevered. He lost his right arm, his left was shot through, his neckcloth was cut through the different folds, and his sabre broken by a ball. He was advanced in consequence to the rank of Commander 12 Dec. 1812, and was awarded, 24 Feb. 1813, a pension, increased, in Dec. 1815, to 300l. per annum. His last appointment was, 6 July, 1813, to the Hope 10, in which vessel he served on the Home station until advanced to his present rank 7 June, 1814. He accepted the Retirement 1 Oct. 1846.

Capt. Saurin has been for many years a Commissioner of Stamps and Taxes. He married, 15 July, 1828, Lady Mary Ryder, second daughter of the Earl of Harrowby.



SAVAGE. (Lieutenant, 1816.)

James Savage entered the Navy, 25 July, 1809, as Fst.-cl. Vol., on board the San Josef 110, Capt. Rich. Dalling Dunn, bearing the flag of Sir John Thos. Duckworth in the Channel. He continued to serve with Capt. Dunn in the Hibernia 110, Armide 38, and Dublin 74, until July, 1813. In the course of that month he went back to the San Josef, then the flag-ship of Sir Rich. King in the Mediterranean; where, and in the West Indies and at Sheerness, we find him, from Jan. 1814 until March, 1816, employed in the Aigle and Scamander frigates, both commanded by Sir John Louis, In the former ship he assisted at the capture and destruction of a French convoy under the guns of Porto Maurizio 11 April, 1814. He was made Lieutenant, we believe, into the Magicienne 42, Capt. John Brett Purvis, on the East India station, 2 July, 1816; and was lastly, from 31 March, 1819, until the close of 1822, employed on the East India station in the Liverpool 50,, Capt. Fras. Augustus Collier; under whom he accompanied an expedition against the pirates of the Persian Gulf, and there, in Jan. 1820, assisted at the bombardment of Ras-Al-Khyma, their principal stronghold, where the fortifications were all destroyed, the vessels burnt, and a large quantity of treasure seized. Agents Messrs. Stilwell.



SAVAGE. (Commander, 1 830. f-p., 17; h-p., 34.)

William Savage entered the Navy, in Nov. 1796, as Fst.-cl. Vol., on board the Agincourt 64, Capts. John Williamson and John Lawford; under the former ofwhom he enacted a Midshipman’s part in the battle off Camperdown 11 Oct. 1797. On his removal with Capt. Lawford to the Romney 50 he assisted, in the course of 1798, at the capture of a convoy of Swedish vessels, laden with naval and military stores for the use of France, and accompanied, in the autumn of 1799, the expedition to Holland. He subsequently proceeded in the same ship, under the command of Sir Home Popham, to the East Indies, and made a visit, during his sojourn on that station, to the Red Sea. While there and on shore in the neighbourhood of Mount Felix for the purpose of procuring a supply of water, his party, 11 in number, was suddenly attacked by a party of the natives, lying in ambush, who murdered all but himself and a Midshipman, the late Retired Commander John Manton. Being severely wounded in the head, his own life was only saved through the exertions of his companion, who forcibly dragged him into a boat, and succeeded in keeping the enemy at bay until they were both out of danger. On his return to England in May, 1803, he joined La Seine 36, Capt. David Milne; and on that ship being wrecked 21 July following off Schelling Island, in the North Sea, he was received on board the Excellent 74, Capt. Frank Sotheron, with whom he continued employed, on the Mediterranean station, until nominated, 5 May, 1806, Acting-Lieutenant of the Intrepid 64, Capt. Hon. Philip Wodehouse. He was

  1. Vide Gaz. 1812, p. 2017.
  2. On this occasion he landed with a party under Lieut. Chas. Bertram, assisted in taking possession of a battery (whose guns, 8 24-pounders, were at the same time spiked), and, after having encountered and routed the crew, was for several hours engaged (under the annihilating fire of a body of troops not 30 yards distant) in a fruitless attempt to launch the schooner, which had been run on the rocks, and was in consequence set fire to and blown up. – Vide Gaz. 1808, p. 416.