bearing the flag at Halifax of Vice-Admiral Sir John Borlase Warren, by whom he was nominated, 11 of the same month, Acting-Lieutenant of the Gorée 18, Capt. Hon. Henry Dilkes Byng. In that Tessel, to which he was confirmed 25 June, 1810, he continued until Jan. 1812, when he invalided. His last appointment was, 27 June in the latter year, to the Curlew brig, Capts. Michael Head and Hugh Pearson, with whom he continued employed, again on the Halifax station, until 21 July, 1815. He was in consequence present, 26 March, 1813, at the capture of the American ship letter-of-marque Volante, pierced for 22 guns, mounting 10 24-pounder carronades and 4 long 9’s, with a complement of 85 men.
Lieut. Shipton has been for many years Russian Vice-Consul at Gloucester. He married, 19 Jan. 1820, Eliza, daughter of Robt. Atkins, Esq., of Leamington Priors, co. Warwick, by whom he has issue.
SHIRLEY. (Vice-Admiral of the Red, 1840. f-p., 26; h-p., 41.)
George James Shirley died, 2 Aug. 1845, at Bath, aged 77. He was son of Capt. Jas. Shirley (1772), who was lost when in command of the Vestal frigate, with all on board, on the banks of Newfoundland, in 1777; and grandson of Capt. Jas. Shirley (1762), who died in command of the Dolphin 20, on the East India station, in 1774.
This officer entered the Navy, 18 May, 1779, as A.B., on board the Robust 74, Capts. Alex. Hood (afterwards Lord Bridport) and Philip Cosby, employed in the Channel and on the coast of North America. In March, 1782, he removed as Midshipman (a rating he had attained in Oct. 1780) to L’Espion, Capt. Thos. Revell Shivers, stationed in the West Indies; he next, in May, 1783, joined the Scipio, Capt. John Nicholson Inglefield, guard-ship at Sheerness; and from May, 1785, until promoted to the rank of Lieutenant in Nov. 1790, he was employed in North America and the Channel, as Master’s Mate, in the Weazle and Thisbe, both commanded by Capt. Sam. Hood, and London 98, Capt. Wm. Domett, flag-ship of Sir Alex. Hood. His next appointments were, on the Home station – 1 April and 27 Sept. 1791, to the Thorn and Spitfire sloops, Capts. John Woodley and Philip Chas. Durham – 15 June, 1793, to the Hebe frigate, Capt. Alex. Hood – and 18 Aug. 1794, to the Royal George 100, bearing the flag of Lord Bridport. By the latter nobleman he was placed in acting-command, 11 Sept. 1797, of the Megaera fire-ship, and, 26 April, 1798, of the Mars 74.[1] He was confirmed to the {{sc|Megaera} 11 Sept. 1797, and to the Mars by a commission bearing the same date as his acting-order. During the above period he was often in battle, and was several times wounded. In the Royal George he was present in the action off the Ile de Groix 23 June, 1795, and in the mutiny at Spithead. An attack of rheumatic gout, induced by frequent exposure to wet and cold, compelled him, in Aug. 1798, to leave the Mars, and prevented him from afterwards going afloat. From 26 March, 1804, until the corps was disbanded in Feb. 1810, he commanded the Poole district of Sea Fencibles. He became a Rear-Admiral on retired half-pay 2 June, 1825; and was placed on the active list of Vice-Admirals 12 Nov. 1840.
He was married and has left issue.
SHIRREFF. (Lieut., 1815. f-p., 10; h-p., 33.)
Patrick Shirreff entered the Navy, 26 July, 1804, as Midshipman, on board the Experiment 44, Capt. Geo. Chas. Mackenzie; on accompanying whom to the West Indies in the Wolfe 18, he was wrecked on Heneaga, one of the Bahama Islands, 5 Sept. 1806. A severe injury sustained on that occasion in the left leg (the effects of which he feels to this day) obliged him (after he had been for nearly four months employed in the Shark sloop, Capt. Henry Boys, and Cuba 36, Capt. Fred. Langford) to invalid home, in Jan. 1807, on board the Pelican 16, Capt. Wm. Ward. He subsequently, from Jan. 1808 until May, 1815, served, on the Home and North American stations, as Midshipman and Master’s Mate, in the Texel and Ardent 64’s, both commanded by Capt. Jas. Giles Vashon, Childers sloop, Capt. Joseph Packwood, Ruby store-ship, Master-Commander David Ferrie, Goliath 74, Capt. Fred. Lewis Maitland, and Tonnant 80, bearing the flag of Hon. Sir Alex. Cochrane. On leaving the ship last-mentioned, in which he had taken part in the expeditions to the Chesapeake and New Orleans, he took up a commission dated 9 Feb. 1815. He has since been on half-pay.
SHIRREFF. (Rear-Admiral of the Blue, 1846. f-p., 30; h-p., 21.)
William Henry Shirreff died Admiral-Superintendent at Portsmouth, 1 Dec. 1847, aged 62. He was only son of the late General Shirreff.
This officer entered the Navy, 1 Jan. 1796, as Fst.-cl. Vol., on board La Juste 80, Capt. Hon. Thos. Pakenham; in which ship,[2] and in the Princess Royal 98, commanded, we believe, by Capt. John Wm. Spranger, Neptune 98, Capt. Sir Erasmus Gower, and Circe and Stag frigates, both commanded by Capt. Robt. Winthrop, he continued employed as Midshipman, on the Home station, until wrecked, in Vigo Bay, 6 Sept. 1800. He served next for about two years in the East Indies in the Romney 50, Capt. Sir Home Popham; at the commencement of 1803 he joined the Magnificent 74, Capt. Wm. Henry Jervis, on the Irish station; and towards the close of the same year he sailed for the West Indies in the Reynard sloop, Capts. Robt. Cathcart, Hill, and John Ayscough. While in the latter vessel he was promoted, 3 March, 1804, to the rank of Lieutenant. In the following Dec, having returned home in the Hornet sloop, Capt. Shepherd, he received an appointment to the Circe 32, Capt. Jonas Rose. On 1 March, 1805, the Circe, on her way with despatches to the fleet off Cape St. Vincent, fell in with and captured, off Oporto, the Spanish schooner privateer La Fama, of 4 guns and 62 men. Placed in charge of this vessel, Lieut. Shirreff was sent to the West Indies with an official communication for Rear-Admiral Hon. Alex. Cochrane. On his passage, however, he had the misfortune to encounter two French privateers, whose superior force enabled them to carry him a prisoner to Guadeloupe. Subsequently to his enlargement he was nominated, in Nov. 1805, Acting-Commander of the Lily sloop, on the West India station; where, the appointment being confirmed 5 March, 1806, we find him, in March, 1808, assisting at the reduction of the island of Deseada. On that occasion he landed in command of the boats of the squadron and displayed signal merit.[3] The island having surrendered, he was ordered to cruize for its protection with, in addition to his own vessel, the Express gun-brig and Mozambique schooner under his orders. While thus employed his little squadron made prize, 21 April, 1808, of Le Jean Jacques French letter-of-marque, pierced for 18 guns, but mounting only 6 long 9-pounders.[4] In March, 1810, after he had been for some time stationed off Cadiz, Capt. Shirreff, whose promotion to Post rank had taken place 15 Nov. 1809, left the Lily. He was subsequently employed – from Oct. 1812 until he invalided in July, 1814, in the Barrosa 36, on the coast of North America and in the West Indies – from 10 Sept. 1817 until Sept. 1821, in the Andromache 44, in South America[5] – from 22 Jan. until Nov. 1830, in the Warspite 76, flag-ship of Rear-Admiral Thos. Baker on the same station – from 9 March, 1838, until Aug. 1841, and from 24 Aug. in the latter year until Sept. 1846, as Captain-Superintendent of the
- ↑ Vacant by the death of Capt. Alex. Hood, who had fallen in action with the French 74-gun ship, Hercule. – Vide Gaz. 1798, p. 342.
- ↑ One of those involved in the Mutiny at Spithead.
- ↑ Vide Gaz. 1808, p. 661.
- ↑ Vide Gaz. 1808, p. 872.
- ↑ An account of the Andromache’s voyage from Valparaiso to New South Shetland, was published by Mr Edw. Bransfield, Master R.N. in 1821.
