squadrons of France and Spain to the West Indies and back, he removed, in 1805, to the Amazon 38, Capt. Wm. Parker, in which ship he continued employed in the Mediterranean, West Indies, Channel, and North America until within a week of his promotion to the rank of Lieutenant, 7 July, 1809. He was in consequence present, 13 March, 1806, at the capture, after a long running fight and a loss to the Amazon (in company with whom was the London 98) of 4 men killed and 5 wounded, of the Marengo 80, bearing the flag of Rear-Admiral Linois, and 40-gun frigate Belle Poule. His next appointments were – 11 July, 1809, for two months, to the Blake 74, Capt. Edw. Codrington, part of the force engaged in the expedition to the Walcheren – 1 May, 1810, to the Menelaus 38, Capt. Sir Peter Parker, under whom he contributed to the reduction of the Isle of France – and, 11 Feb. 1812, after rather more than four months of half-pay, to the Diana 38, Capt. Wm. Ferris, in the Channel, where he cruized until the ensuing April. On 13 Aug. in the same year he was made Commander into the Redwing 18; and in that vessel he was again very actively employed in the Mediterranean. On 31 March, 1813, we find him commended in high terms for the able manner in which he covered the boats of his own vessel and of the Volontaire and Undaunted 38’s when, under Lieut. Isaac Shaw, they destroyed the batteries and captured a convoy at Morjean.[1] In an attack made, 2 May following, by the boats of the above ships and of the Repulse 74 on some other vessels collected at the same place, the fire of the Redwing proved of equal efficiency. With the boats of the squadron under his personal direclions. Sir John Sinclair, after the powerful batteries at Cassis, a town situated between Toulon and Marseilles, had been carried by a detachment of marines under Capt. Jeremiah Coghlan, entered the mole and brought out two heavy gun-boats and 24 vessels laden with merchandize. He had previously, to cover the marines, swept the Redwing in with much perseverance, accompanied by the Espoir 18, Capt. Hon. Robt. Cavendish Spencer, and had taken up a most judicious position, although exposed in doing so to a heavy fire from the batteries.[2] His conduct was very warmly applauded by Capt. Thos. Ussher, the senior officer present. This exploit was achieved 18 Aug. 1813; and on 6 June, 1814, Sir John Sinclair was advanced to Post-rank. His appointments have since been – 1 May, 1815, for nearly four months, to the Larne 20, stationed on the coast of France – 1 Feb. 1825, to the Doris 42, fitting for South America, whence he returned in 1829 – 17 Dec. 1842, to the charge of Naval Stores at Gibraltar – and, 8 Sept. 1846, to the superintendence (with his name on the books of the Victory) of the Packet Establishment at Southampton.
Sir John Sinclair is Deputy-Lieutenant for Caithness and Haddingtonshire. He married, 15 June, 1812, Anne, only daughter of Admiral Hon. Michael De Courcy, niece of John, 26th Lord Kingsale, by whom he has issue. His eldest son, Robert Charles, is an officer in the 38th Regt.; and his second, John Michael De Courcy, an officer in the Madras Artillery. His second daughter is the wife of Capt. Hon. D. W. A. Pelham, R.N. Agents – Messrs. Stilwell.
SISON. (Retired Commander, 1844. f-p., 16; h-p., 34.)
Samuel Sison entered the Navy, 11 Sept. 1797, as Fst.-cl. Vol., on board the Flora frigate, Capt. Robt. Gambier Middleton, with whom he sailed for Lisbon. From 9 Feb. 1798 until 27 March, 180O, he served off Cadiz and at Gillingham Reach, the chief part of the time as Midshipman, in the Blenheim and Princess Royal 98’s, bearing each the flag of Rear-Admiral Thos. Lennox Frederick, and Argonaut hospital-ship, Lieut.-Commander Paul. He next, 10 June, 1803, joined the Colossus 74, Capts. Geo. Martin, Michael Seymour, and Jas. Nicoll Morris, employed off Brest and Ferrol; and on removing, in 1804, to the Lively 38, Capt. Graham Eden Hamond, he assisted, 5 Oct. in that year, at the capture, off Cape St. Mary, of three Spanish frigates laden with treasure, and the destruction of a fourth. In the course of 1805 we find the Lively, who on the latter occasion had had 2 men killed and 5 wounded, sustaining a self-sought and very spirited skirmish with the Spanish 74-gun ship Glorioso. On leaving her Mr. Sison was received as Master’s Mate, in May, 1806, on board the San Josef 110, bearing the flag of Sir Chas. Cotton off Brest. He was made Lieutenant (while serving at Newfoundland in the Isis 50, flag-ship of Vice-Admiral John Holloway) into the Avenger 20, Capt. Thos. White, 20 Aug. 1807; and was subsequently appointed – 13 Jan. 1808, to the Hibernia 120, bearing the flags of Admirals Sir Chas. Cotton and Fras. Pickmore off Lisbon and in the Mediterranean – in 1809, to the Volontaire 38, Capt. Chas. Bullen, also in the Mediterranean – 17 Nov. 1810 and 22 Sept. 1812, to the San Josef again, flag-ship of Sir C. Cotton, and Fylla 20, Capt. Henry Prescott, both on the Home station – 14 May, 1813, to the Akbar 50, Capt. Sir Archibald Collingwood Dickson, on the coast of Brazil – 6 Oct. and 20 Nov. 1814, to the Queen 98, bearing the flag of Rear-Admiral Chas. Vinicombe Penrose, and Tremendous 74, Capt. Robt. Campbell, again in the Mediterranean, where he had charge, from May, 1815, until Jan. 1816, of some Neapolitan line-of-battle ships – 16 Jan. and 1 March, 1816, to the acting-command of the Trident 64, receiving-ship at Malta, and Calypso sloop, which latter vessel he brought home and paid off at Chatham 10 July following – and, 25 Aug. 1827, to the command, which he retained until 3 April, 1829, of the Myrtle Falmouth packet. On the night of 31 Oct. 1809 Mr. Sison, then in the Volontaire, Served with the boats of a squadron under the orders of Lieut. John Tailour at the capture and destruction of the French armed store-ship Lamproie of 16 guns and 116 men, bombards Victoire and Grandeur armed xebec Normande, and seven merchant-vessels, defended by numerous strong batteries, in the Bay of Rosas, after a desperate struggle and a loss to the British of 15 killed and 55 wounded.[3] He accepted his present rank 11 Jan. 1844.
The Commander is married and has issue.
SKARDON. (Lieut., 1814. f-p., 14;[4] h-p., 28.)
George Briscoe Skardon entered the Navy, 26 March, 1805, as Midshipman, on board the Agincourt 64, Capts. Thos. Briggs and Henry Hill, stationed in the North Sea; and from June, 1806, until Nov. 1810, was employed, latterly as Master’s Mate, in La Chiffonne 36, Capt. John Wainwright, in the Mediterranean and East Indies. In 1807 he was wounded (in consideration whereof he obtained a grant from the Patriotic Fund) at the cutting-out of an armed vessel from Minorca; and in Nov. 1809 he assisted at the destruction of the strong town of Ras-al-Khyma and of more than 80 piratic vessels in the Persian Gulf. In June, 1810, on his arrival at St. Helena from China in the Belliqueux 64, Capt. Hon. Geo. Byng, he again joined La Chiffonne, and in her he returned to England. After serving at Spithead as a Supernumerary in the Royal William, Capt. Robt. Hall, and in the Bay of Biscay in the Dannemark 74, Capt. Jas. Bissett, he was received, in Aug. 1812, on board the Minden 74, flag-ship of Sir Sam. Hood, and sailed a second time for the East Indies, where he was nominated, 2 May, 1813, Acting-Lieutenant of the Volage 22, Capt. John Allen; was confirmed, 4 Feb. 1814, into the Leda 36, Capt. Geo. Sayer; and was in succession, in the course of 1815, removed to the Hecate 18, Capt. J. Allen, Wellesley 74, Capts. Michael Matthews and John Harper, and Doris 36, Capt. J. Harper. In March, 1816, he came home. His last appointments were, 14 Sept. 1818, for three years, to the Severn, Coast
