tioned- in the West Indies; where and in the Channel he served as Midshipman and Master’s Mate in the Hector 74 and London 98, flag-ships of Admirals Geo. Montagu and Sir John Colpoys, from March, 1793, until promoted to the rank of Lieutenant 7 July, 1797. His succeeding appointments were – in 1798, for four years, to the Captain 74, Capts. John Aylmer, Sir Rich. John Strachan, Geo. Bowen, and Chas. Boyles, employed in the West Indies, Mediterranean, and Channel – in Oct. 1803 and Dec. 1804, to the command of the Rose hired cutter (engaged in the conveyance of despatches) and of the Musette guard-vessel – 27 Nov. 1806, to the London 98, Capt. Thos. Western, under whom he escorted the Royal family of Portugal in its flight to the Brazils, and was in consequence, we believe, created a Knight of the order of the Tower and Sword – in June, 1809, to the command, which he retained for seven months, of a gun-boat employed in the Walcheren expedition – and, 26 Oct. 1810 and 24 Jan. 1811, to the Hibernia 120 and York 74, Capts. White and Robt. Barton, both in the Mediterranean. He was promoted to the rank of Commander 1 Aug. 1811, and placed on the list of Retired Captains 1 March, 1841.
SIMPSON. (Retired Commander, 1843. f-p., 13; h-p., 41.)
Thomas Simpson was born 28 Nov. 1783.
This officer (whose name had been borne in 1790-1 on the books of the Roebuck 44, Capt. Linzee) embarked, in July, 1793, as Midshipman, on board the Raisonnable 64, Capt. Lord Cranstoun, with whom he served until March, 1794, in the Channel and among the Western Islands. Between 1795 and Feb. 1805 he was employed, chiefly on the Home station, in the Juste 80, Capts. Hon. Thos. Pakenham, John Lawford, and Wm. Hancock Kelly, Xenophon sloop, Capts. Geo. Sayer and John Henry Martin, Juste again, Capts. Sir Henry Trollope, Rich. Dacres, and Sir Edm. Nagle, Rosario sloop, Capt. Wm. Mounsey, and San Josef 110, flag-ship of the late Sir Chas. Cotton. In the Juste he went to the West Indies in 1801 in fruitless pursuit of the French fleet under Admiral Ganteaume. On leaving the San Josef he was in succession, 30 Feb., 22 May, and 25 June, 1805, appointed Sub-Lieutenant of the Griper, Nimble, and Growler gun-brigs, Lieut.-Commanders John Morris, Thos. Delafons, and Jas. Rose. In the Griper he was in frequent action with the enemy’s flotilla and batteries in the neighbourhood of Boulogne, and was on one occasion severely contused in the right hand; and, while serving in the Growler, he assisted at the capture, near the Lizard, of a French lugger of 6 guns and 60 men, and at the destruction of other vessels. The Growler was once chased by the French fleet for 12 hours, and only escaped by throwing most of her guns and shot overboard. From Aug. to Dec. 1806 Mr. Simpson acted as Lieutenant in the Conqueror 74, Capt. Israel Pellew: and, on 21 May, 1807, he was confirmed into the Hound bomb, Capt. Nicholas Lockyer. In the course of the following month, an illness, which lasted five years, caused him to invalid. He accepted his present rank 10 Feb. 1843; and was admitted to the out-pension of Greenwich Hospital 2 Sept. 1845.
Commander Simpson married, first, 10 Oct. 1807, Elizabeth, daughter of Joseph Andrews, Esq., of Chichester; and (that lady dying 14 June, 1833) secondly, 3 May, 1836, Agnes, daughter of Mr. Ley, of Exeter.
SIMS. (Lieutenant, 1815. f-p., 27; h-p., 14.)
Andrew Sims entered the Navy, 20 Aug. 1806, as Midshipman, on board the Edgar 74, Capt. Geo. Jackson, bearing the flag of Lord Keith in the Downs; and, from the following Oct. until Oct. 1809, was employed in the Acasta 40, Capt. Philip Beaver, on the West India station; where he assisted, in Feb. of the latter year, at the reduction of Martinique. After serving for eight months in the Channel in the Scipion 74, flag-ship of Hon. Robt. Stopford, he again, in June, 1810, joined Capt. Beaver on board the Nisus 38. In that frigate he co-operated in the reduction of the Isle of France and of Java. He continued in her under Capt. Chas. Marsh Schomberg until May, 1814; and, on 15 Feb. 1815, he was advanced to the rank of Lieutenant. Since 31 March, 1828, he has been in charge of a station in the Coast Guard.
SINCLAIR. (Captain, 1841.)
Archibald Sinclair, born 20 Sept. 1801, is fourth son of the late Right Hon. Sir John Sinclair, Bart., D.C.L., F.R. and A.S., Cashier of the Excise in Scotland, by his second wife, Diana, youngest daughter of Alexander, first Lord Macdonald. He is brother of the present Sir Geo. Sinclair, Bart.; and brother-in-law of George, late Earl of Glasgow. His first-cousin, Jane, daughter (by one of his father’s sisters) of General Alex. Campbell of Barcaldine, was wife of the late Earl of Caithness.
This officer entered the Navy, 19 April, 1814, as Fst.-cl. Vol., on board the Armada 74, Capt. Chas. Grant, attached to the fleet in the Mediterranean. In Nov. of the same year he became Midshipman of the Chatham 74, commanded in the Channel by Capt. David Lloyd; and between Sept. 1815 and Feb. 1823 he was employed on the East India station in the Challenger sloop, Capts. Henry Forbes and Philip Henry Bridges, Trincomalee of 48 guns, Capt. P. H. Bridges, Orlando 36 and Malabar 74, both commanded by Capt. John Clavell, Minden 74, flag-ship of Sir Rich. King, and Liffey 50, Commodore Grant. He was then nominated Acting-Lieutenant of the Dauntless 24, Capt. Geo. Cornish Gambier; and on his return to England he was officially promoted by a commission bearing date 22 Oct. 1823. He had, while in India, accompanied an expedition against the pirates of the Persian Gulf. His appointments after he left the Dauntless were – 10 Feb. 1825, to the Glasgow 50, Capt. Hon. Jas. Ashley Maude, in the Channel – 10 Dec. following, to the Doterel 18, Capt. Henry Edwards, on the Halifax station – and, 7 Sept. 1829, to the St. Vincent 120, flag-ship of the Earl of Northesk at Plymouth. He was promoted to the rank of Commander 22 July, 1830; was appointed the next day Second Captain of the Warspite 76, bearing the flag of Sir Thos. Baker in South America; and on 16 Sept. 1831 was removed to the command of the Jaseur 18, at the Cape of Good Hope. He paid that vessel off in Oct. 1832; and has not been since afloat. His Post-commission bears date 23 Nov. 1841.
In 1826 Capt. Sinclair was presented with the honorary medallion of the Royal Humane Society for having twice, in the Glasgow, saved the life of others, at the imminent hazard of his own. On the first occasion he plunged in his uniform overboard, in a dark night and a high sea, after a Midshipman, the present Commander Thos. Hope, and was only saved from perishing by accidentally grasping a rope which happened to be hanging over the side of the ship. In the second instance he similarly rescued a seaman named Friend, who had fallen overboard in an epileptic fit. Agents – Messrs. Stilwell.
SINCLAIR, Bart. (Captain, 1814. f-p., 20; h-p., 28.)
Sir John Gordon Sinclair, born 31 July, 1790, is only son of the late Sir Robt. Sinclair, Bart., Lieutenant-Governor of Fort St. George, in Scotland (whom he succeeded as eighth Baronet 4 Aug. 1795), by Madalina, second daughter of Alexander, fourth Duke of Gordon.
This officer entered the Navy, 1 Sept. 1799, as a Boy, on board the Mars 74, Capt. John Monckton, with whom he served in the Channel until Feb. 1800. Joining next, in April, 1803, as Fst.-cl. Vol., the Amphion 32, he sailed in that frigate for the Mediterranean with the flag of Lord Nelson, whom he followed as Midshipman, on their arrival, into the Victory 100. After pursuing the combined
