Page:A Naval Biographical Dictionary.djvu/1086

This page has been proofread, but needs to be validated.
1072
SIMPSON.

and brought off at different times as many as 60 women and children whom he placed in safety on board British merchantmen lying off that place. His conduct on this occasion was much approved by the Commander-in-Chief, Sir Edw. Griffith Colpoys. Repeated attacks of fever obliged him, in Aug. 1832, as above stated, to invalid. For his valuable services in the Weazle on the coast of Spain, in hastening to the relief of Castellon de la Plana with 250 troops on board his own vessel and 550 others in Spanish launches, who were all landed in time to save the town from falling into the hands of Cabrera, as also for watching the garrison of Melila when in a state of mutiny, Lieut. Simpson received the thanks of the Queen Regent and the Cross of a Knight-Commander. He was superseded from the Weazle on the occasion of his promotion to the rank of Commander 3 July, 1840; and was lastly, from 21 Dec. 1844 until Posted 9 Nov. 1846, employed in the Rolla 10, on the coast of Africa.

Capt. Simpson is married and has issue six children. Agents – Hallett and Robinson.



SIMPSON. (Retired Commander, 1841. h-p., 11;[1] h-p., 49.)

John Simpson entered the Navy in May, 1787, as Fst.-cl. Vol., on board the Irresistible 74, bearing the broad pendant of Sir Andrew Snape Hamond in the river Medway. In Aug. 1794 (he had left the Irresistible in 1789), he became Midshipman of the Invincible 74, Capt. Hon. Thos. Pakenham, on the Home station; where, after serving with that officer in the Juste 80, he was nominated, in June and Dec. 1797, Acting-Lieutenant of the Ganges 74 and St. Fiorenzo 36, Capts. Robt. M‘Douall and Sir Harry Burrard Neale. He was confirmed, 31 May, 1798, into the Xenophon sloop, Capt. Geo. Sayer, attached to the force in the North Sea; and was subsequently appointed – 26 Nov. 1799 and (after six months of half-pay) 8 July, 1800, to the Defence 74, Capt. Lord Henry Paulet, and Dictator 64, Capt. Hardy, employed in the Medway and at Spithead – 8 March, 1801, as First-Lieutenant (he had only remained a few days in the Dictator) to the Camilla 20, Capts. Robt. Larkan and Edw. Brace, with whom he served at Newfoundland and in the Channel, until July, 1802 – and, 20 May, 1803, to the Rosario sloop, which vessel, commanded by Capt. Wm. Mounsey on the Cork station, his health obliged him, in Aug. 1805, to leave. He afterwards had charge of a Signal station. He was placed on the Junior List of Retired Commanders 1 Dec. 1830; and on the Senior 8 Sept. 1841.



SIMPSON. (Lieut., 1808. f-p., 41; h-p., 11.)

John Simpson (b) was born 2 Nov. 1777.

This officer entered the Navy, 1 Aug. 179.5, as L.M., on board the Mercury 28, Capts. Hon. Geo. Byng and Thos. Rogers, in which ship he served with activity on the Newfoundland and Lisbon stations until Jan. 1798 – the last 15 months in the capacity of Midshipman. From 19 July, 1798, until 14 Jan. 1802, he was employed on the Home station in the Heroine frigate, Capt. Hon. John Murray; and, from July, 1803, until May, 1805, in the Tribune 36, Capts. Geo. Henry Towry and Rich. Henry Alex. Bennett. He passed his examination 7 Oct. 1801. In July, 1806, he became Master’s Mate (a rating he had held for 16 months on board the Tribune) of the Royal George 100, flag-ship of Sir John Thos. Duckworth, under whom, in Feb. 1807, he passed the Dardanells. After serving for eight months with Lords Gardner and Gambier in the Ville de Paris 110, he was made Lieutenant, 28 July, 1808, into the Bonne Citoyenne 20, Capt. John Thompson, stationed on the coast of Spain; where, as he had been on board the latter vessel, he was appointed, 3 April, 1809, First of the Goldfinch of 10 guns (8 18-pounder carronades and 2 sixes) and 75 men, Capts. Firzherbert Geo. Skinner and Arden Adderley; under the former of whom he assisted in beating off, 18 May following, the French corvette Mouche of 16 long brass 8-pounders and 180 men, at the close of an action of four hours, in which the British vessel, besides being much cut up, sustained a loss of 3 men killed and 3 wounded. On this occasion he was himself slightly wounded. He was next employed – from Oct. 1809 until May, 1811, as Senior Lieutenant, in the Trinculo sloop, Capts. Spence (Acting), John Lambom, and Alex. Renny, in the Channel – from Oct. 1812 until June, 1814, in the Veteran and Kroh Princessen, prison-ships at Portsmouth, Lieut.-Commanders Stephen Donovan and Thos. Bardwood – and, from 15 June, 1815, until 18 Aug. 1818, as Agent for Transports afloat. He has been serving, since 9 May, 1821, in the Coast Guard at Aldborough, in the Isle of Sheppy, and at Gravesend, Blackwall, Woolwich, and Barking Creek.

Lieut. Simpson married, 28 Oct. 1804, the daughter of Mr. Crispin, Carpenter, R.N., by whom he has issue 8 sons and 4 daughters. One of the former, Benjamin, is a Master, R.N. (1846.) His eldest daughter, Susanna, was married, in Aug. 1833, to G. Wright, Esq., R.N. Agents – Burnett and Holmes.



SIMPSON. (Retired Commander, 1837. f-p., 11; h-p., 43.)

Samuel Ash Simpson died 22 Nov. 1845.

This officer entered the Navy, in Dec. 1793, as Midshipman, on board the Albacore sloop, Capt. Geo. Parker, with whom he continued employed during the remainder of the war, chiefly on the North Sea, Irish, and West India stations, in the same vessel, and in the Squirrel 20 and Santa Margarita 36. In the latter ship he contributed to the capture, among other vessels, of L’Adour of 16 guns (pierced for 20) and 147 men. La Victorine of 16 guns and 82 men, the San Francisco of 14 guns and 53 men, and Le Quatorze Juillet of 14 guns and 65 men. In the course of 1802-3 he joined, in succession, the Juno 32 and Renown 74, Capts. Richardson and White, both in the Mediterranean; where, on his passage in the Arrow sloop, Capt. Rich. Budd Vincent, to join the Sagesse frigate (of which he had been created a Lieutenant 4 May, 1804) he was captured, 4 Feb. 1805, as detailed in our memoir of Capt. John Simpson (b), by the French frigates Hortense and Incorruptible. On being exchanged, in June, 1805, he joined the Glory 98, flag-ship of Rear-Admiral Chas. Stirling; under whom he fought, 22 July following, in Sir Robt. Calder’s action with the combined fleets of France and Spain off Cape Finisterre. After serving off the port of Cadiz he removed, in Jan. 1808, to the Barfleur 98, bearing the flag at Lisbon of Rear-Admiral Wm. Albany Otway. He was subsequently employed – from Oct. 1808 until April, 1813, in the Niobe 40, Capts. John Wentworth Loring and Wm. Augustus Montagu, in the Channel, North Sea, and West Indies – and, from 1 July in the latter year until wrecked on a reef of rocks in Anatto Bay, Jamaica, 19 May, 1814, in the Halcyon 18, Capt. John Houlton Marshall. In Nov. 1810, Mr. Simpson, then in the Niobe, took part, and was mentioned in the highest terms by his Captain for his conduct, in a gallant attack made in company with the Diana 38, on the French 40-gun frigates Amazone and Eliza under the batteries of La Hogue;[2] and, in March, 1811, he aided in causing the self-destruction of the Amazone then on shore near Cape Barfleur.

He accepted the rank of Commander on the Retired List 25 Jan. 1837. Agents – Burnett and Holmes.



SIMPSON, K.T.S. (Retired Captain, 1841. f-p., 17; h-p., 39.)

Thomas Simpson died 28 March, 1848, at Stoke, Devonport.

This officer entered the Navy, 3 July, 1791, as Fst.-cl. Vol., on board the Expedition cutter, attached to the force in the North Sea. In the course of the same year he joined the Ardent and Triton, Capts. Jas. Vashon and Geo. Murray, the latter sta-

  1. Not including Signal station service.
  2. Vide Gaz. 1810, p. 1840.