station; where, in Nov. 1807 (after he had again been for three months employed at Portsmouth as Midshipman in the Salvador del Mondo), he became attached to the Captain 74, Capt. Isaac Wolley, and, in Nov. 1808, to the York 74, Capt. Robt. Barton. In that ship he assisted at the capture of Martinique, the Saintes, and the 74-gun ship D’Haupoult, accompanied the expedition to the Walcheren, and then proceeded to the Mediterranean. From Oct. 1812 until Aug. 1815, when he took up a commission bearing date 10 of the preceding March, he served in South America, on the coast of France, and on the Canadian lakes, as Master’s Mate, in the Hermes 20, Capt. Philip Browne, Warspite 74, Capt. Lord Jas. O’Bryen, and Confiance sloop, Capt. Geo. Downie. His last appointment was, 30 July, 1825, to the Coast Blockade, in which service he continued for upwards of 12 months as Supernumerary-Lieutenant of the Ramillies 74, Capts. Wm. M‘Culloch and Hugh Pigot.
SIMMONS. (Lieut., 1825. f-p., 25; h-p., 15)
William Cress Simmons entered the Navy, 13 Dec. 1807, as a Boy, on board the Dasher 18, Capts. De Couroy and Robt. Worgan Geo. Festing; in which vessel he was for upwards of three years actively employed in the East Indies, part of the time as Midshipman and Master’s Mate. On removing with Capt. Festing, in 1811, to the Illustrious 74, he accompanied, under Commodore Broughton, the expedition against the island of Java, where he served in the boats and on shore with great credit. On his passage home with Capt. Festing, in the early part of 1812, in the Psyche 32, that frigate, being in a very dilapidated condition, was under the necessity of putting into Ferrol, where she was dismantled and laid up. Volunteering his services therefore on board the Rhin 38, Capt. Chas. Malcolm, he took an energetic part in the operations then in progress under Sir Home Popham on the north coast of Spain, landing on every occasion, and contributing to the reduction, with the exception of Santona and St. Sebastian, of all the enemy’s fortresses. After serving for two years and a half in the Channel in the Foxhound brig,. Capts. John Parish and Thos. Warrand, he returned, towards the close of 1815, to India as Admiralty-Midshipman (he had passed his examination 6 July, 1814) in the Iphigenia 42, Capts. Andrew King, John Reynolds, and John Tancock. While there he was transferred as Master’s Mate, in June, 1813, to the Challenger 18, Capt. Philip Henry Bridges, with whom he arrived at Spithead in March, 1819, in the Trincomalee 48. During six months that he had been in the latter ship he had occasionally had charge of a watch, and had “proved himself a most useful officer.” On leaving her, in the ensuing April, he joined the Queen Charlotte 100, flag-ship of Sir Geo. Campbell at Portsmouth. He was subsequently employed – from July, 1819, until July, 1821, as Master’s Mate, in the Dromedary store-ship, Master-Commander Rich. Skinner, in circumnavigating the globe – from July to Oct. 1821 in the Bustard 10, Capt. Wm. Geo. Martin, and Genoa 74, Capt. Fred. Lewis Maitland, both at Chatham – and from Oct. 1821 until June, 1825, as Admiralty-Midshipman, Master’s Mate, Second-Master, and Acting-Lieutenant, in the Northumberland 78, and Cambridge 82, commanded by the present Vice-Admiral Thos. Jas. Maling in the river Medway and in South America. He then returned to England, having been advanced to the rank of Lieutenant by a commission bearing date 10 Jan. 1825. Unable to procure further employment afloat he accepted, 18 Sept. 1840, the command, which he still retains, of a station in the Coast Guard.
A document, signed by Admiral Maling, informs us that while Mr. Simmons was serving with him in the Northumberland and Cambridge “he found him to be a person whom he thought it his duty to bring forward before others who had stronger private claims.” In a testimonial given to him on leaving the Dromedary he had been strongly recommended as “an excellent ofEcer, good seaman and navigator, and deserving young man.” He married, 19 Aug. 1828, Harriet, fourth daughter of the late Hugh Douglass, of Plymouth, co. Devon, and grand-daughter of the late Hugh Douglass, of Dalkeith, N.B.
SIMONDS. (Lieut., 1812. f-p., 11; h-p., 33.)
Richard Smith Simonds was born 9 July, 1788, at Islington, co. Middlesex.
This officer entered the Navy, 25 June, 1803, as a Volunteer, on board the Defence 74, Capt. Geo. Hope, in which ship, after serving for about 15 months in the North Sea, he proceeded off Cadiz, then pursued the combined squadrons of France and Spain to the West Indies, and, on his return, fought at Trafalgar. In Dec. 1805 he removed as Midshipman (a rating he had attained about May, 1804,) to the Sparrow 16, Capt. Hon. Wm. Pakenham, lying at Sheerness. He next, in May, 1806, joined the Antelope 50, Capts. Henry Bazely and Edw. Galwey; under the former of whom we find him employed in the Downs in escorting the East India trade to and from St. Helena, and in conveying the Earl of Caledon and suite to the Cape of Good Hope. Under Capt. Galwey he was for some time stationed off Oporto, where he was daily in the habit of landing, and witnessed the arrival of the first detachment of British troops. In April, 1809, he was transferred to the Caledonia 120, flag-ship in the Channel of Admirals Lord Gambier, Fras. Pickmore, and Sir Harry Burrard Neale; by the last mentioned of whom (having passed his examination 4 Oct. 1809) he was nominated, 27 Aug. 1810, Acting-Lieutenant of the Courageux 74, Capt. Wm. Butterfield. While on the books of the Caledonia he was lent, with the greater part of the crew, to the Spencer 74, for the purpose of accompanying the expedition to the Scheldt, where he took an active part in all the operations, and was constantly detached on boat-service. On rejoining the Caledonia, in which ship, deducting four months passed on board the Courageux, he continued until May, 1811, he united in the defence of Cadiz, assisted in carrying powder to Fort Matagorda, and was once very nearly taken prisoner. He contributed also to the cutting out of two brigs under a battery on the coast of France; on which occasion the Marines spiked the enemy’s guns and brought off a small brass field-piece. Besides being otherwise actively employed in her boats, he aided in the Caledonia in preventing the escape of four French frigates from Rochefort. In the course of 1811-12 he was received in succession on board the Christian VII. 80, Impregnable 98, and Victory 100, bearing the flags, off Flushing and in the Baltic, of Admirals Wm. Young and Sir Jas. Saumarez. From July in the latter year until promoted by the Admiralty to his present rank, 20 Nov. following, he served as Acting-Lieutenant with the flotilla under Capt. Hew Steuart at the defence of Riga, and accompanied during that period a highly-successful expedition against the French and Prussians at Mittau, on the river Aa. His last appointment was, for a few months in 1813, to the York 74, Capt. Alex. Wilmot Schomberg, attached to the Flushing fleet.
SIMPKINSON. (Lieutenant, 1845. f-p., 11; h-p., 4.)
Francis Guillemard Simpkinson, born 26 May, 1819, is son of Sir John Augustus Fras. Simpkinson, Kt., Q.C., by Mary, daughter of John Griffin, Esq., of Bedford Place, London, and sister-in-law of Capt Sir John Franklin, R.N., Kt., K.C.H.
This officer entered the Navy, 16 March, 1832, as Fst.-cl. Vol., on board the Britannia 120, Capt. Peter Rainier, under whom he was for three years employed on the Lisbon and Mediterranean stations. On his return to England in the early part of 1835 he joined, in the capacity of Midshipman (a rating he had previously attained), the Jupiter 38, Capt. Edw. Henry A’Court, fitting for the conveyance of
