SMITH. (Retired Commander, 1836.)
Benjamin Smith died about the commencement of 1848.
This officer entered the Navy, previously to Aug. 1790 (at which period he attained the rating of Midshipman), on board the Hannibal 74, Capt. John Colpoys, attached to the force on the Home station. In March, 1792, he removed to the Hussar frigate, Capt. Rupert George, at Halifax; and from the close of that year until made Lieutenant, 6 Nov. 1795, into the Sylph sloop, Capt. John Chambers White, he was employed in the Mediterranean and Channel in the Thetis and Leda frigates, Capts. Geo. Campbell, Hon. Wm. Paget, and John Woodley, Alcide 74, flag-ship of Vice-Admiral Philip Cosby, and Triumph 74, Capt. Sir Erasmus Gower. He was present in the Leda in a rencontre with two French frigates near Toulon, at the occupation of that place and the siege of Bastia, and in another action with two frigates off Cadiz; and in the Triumph, in Cornwallis’s retreat, 16 and 17 June, 1795. In the Sylph he assisted at the capture, in May and Sept. 1796, of the Mercury Dutch brig of 16 guns and Phoenix French privateer of 4 guns and 32 men. He was on board the same vessel in July, 1797, when by a well-directed fire she prevented the crew of the French 36-gun frigate Calliope, on shore near the Penmarcks, from using any means to save their ship or stores; and in the following month he was in her in an attack made upon a French convoy at the entrance of Sable d’Olonne, and at the capture of five coasting-vessels and the destruction of Le Petit Diable French cutter of 18 guns and 100 men. In the affair with the Calliope the Sylph had 6 of her people wounded, and with the convoy at Sable d’Olonne 2 killed and 4 wounded. From March, 1798, until April, 1802, Mr. Smith served on various parts of the Home station in the Lion 64, Capt. Manley Dixon, Tigre 74, Capt. Sir Wm. Sidney Smith, America 64, Capt. John Smith (part of the force engaged in the expedition to Holland in 1799), Royal George 100, Capt. Wm. Domett, and Texel 64, Capts. Rich. Incledon and Henry Garrett; from July, 1803, until June, 1805, he was employed in the Sea Fencibles; he then joined the Audacious 74, Capt. John Lawford, lying at Plymouth; and from Aug. 1805 until July, 1811, and from Oct. 1813 until Dec. 1814, he had charge of a Signal station in the counties of Denbigh and Devon. He became a Retired Commander on the Junior list 31 Dec. 1830, and on the Senior 24 March, 1836.
Commander Smith married, 4 Aug. 1841, Mrs. Ann Nibbs, widow, formerly of Liverpool. His only daughter, by a former marriage, is the wife of Lieut. W. S. Bradley, R.N. Agent – J. Hinxman.
SMITH. (Captain, 1841. f-p., 22; h-p., 19.)
Charles Smith is son of the late Charles Smith, Esq., who died Surgeon of H.M.S. Hind in the early part of 1794.
This officer entered the Navy, 14 Jan. 1806, as Fst.-cl. Vol., on board the Caesar 80, Capt. Chas. Richardson, flag-ship of his patron, Sir Rich. John Strachan, and also of Hon. Robt. Stopford. Under the former he went in pursuit of a squadron which had escaped from Brest, was employed off Rochefort, and went to the Mediterranean in quest of another French squadron under Rear-Admiral Allemand. During the time he served with Hon. R. Stopford he assisted at the destruction of three French frigates beneath the batteries of Sable d’Olonne and of the enemy’s shipping in Aix Roads in Feb. and April, 1809. In the summer of the latter year he accompanied the expedition to the Scheldt, where he co-operated, on board an armed transport, in the attack upon Flushing, and remained until fever, produced by fatigue and exposure, caused him to invalid and be sent to the hospital at Deal. On his restoration to health he was again, in Nov. 1809, placed under the orders of Sir R. J. Strachan in the San Domingo 74, flag-ship afterwards of Sir John Borlase Warren on the coast of North America. While on that station he contributed, 3 April, 1813, in the boats of a squadron containing 105 men, under the orders of Lieut. Jas. Polkinghorne, to the capture, 15 miles up the Rappahannock river, of four schooners, carrying in the whole 31 guns and 219 men – an exploit whose achievement inflicted on the British a loss of 2 men killed and 11 wounded, and on the enemy of 6 killed and 10 wounded. He was made Lieutenant, 13 May following, into the Cressy 74, but her he never joined. His subsequent appointments were – 15 Oct. 1813, to the Chesapeake 38, Capts. Alex. Gordon, Geo. Burdett, and Fras. Newcombe, in which ship, with the exception of a few weeks passed in the summer of 1814 in the Hebrus 36, Capt. Edm. Palmer, he served at Halifax and the Cape of Good Hope until Sept. 1815 – 9 Nov. 1821, for a short time, to the Shearwater 10, Capt. John Walter Roberts – 11 March, 182.3, to the Ramillies 74, Capt. Edw. Brace, lying at Portsmouth – 31 May following, to the Ganges 84, Capts. E. Brace and Patrick Campbell, with whom he served in the West Indies and again at Portsmouth until Feb. 1826 – and, 8 March, 1827, as Senior, to the Briton 46, Capts. Geo. Fras. Seymour and Hon. Wm. Gordon. In that ship we find him, until paid off in April, 1830, employed on various particular services. He attained the rank of Commander 22 July following; filled an appointment in the Coast Guard from 6 June, 1833, until 5 July, 1836; and from 26 Jan. 1839 until paid off 11 May, 1842, officiated as Second-Captain of the President 50, flag-ship of Rear-Admiral Chas. Bayne Hodgson Ross, Commander-in-Chief in the Pacific. He has since been on half-pay. His promotion to Post-rank took place 23 Nov. 1841.
Capt. Smith married, first, in July, 1817, Jane, daughter of Robt. Smith, Esq., merchant, of Glasgow; and secondly, in Dec. 1830, Eliza, daughter of John Slight, Esq., Naval officer and agent-victualler at Gibraltar. By his first marriage he has issue one son; and by his second, six sons and one daughter.
SMITH. (Lieutenant, 1821.)
Christopher Smith died 28 May, 1845, at Woodlands, near Wington, Somerset. He was son of the late Leny Smith, Esq., of Tottenham [errata 1], co. Middlesex. This officer entered the Navy, 7 May, 1811, as Fst.-cl. Vol., on board the Laurestinus 24, Capt. John Clavell, with whom, from the following June until his return to England in 1819 in the Malabar 74, he served on the Mediterranean, North American, and East India stations, chiefly in the capacity of Midshipman, in the Orlando 42, flag-ship for some time of Sir Rich. King. After he had been for a year and eight months employed, latterly as Acting-Lieutenant, in the Vigo 74, flag-ship of Rear-Admiral Robt. Lambert at St. Helena, he was confirmed, we believe, 9 Nov. 1821, into the Shearwater 10, Capt. John Walter Roberts, in which vessel he came home and was paid off in the early part of 1822. From 6 July, 1825, until May, 1827, he served in the Tweed 28, Capt. Fred. Hunn, at Home and in the West Indies; he obtained an appointment in the Coast Guard 28 Aug. 1834; and from 4 April, 1836, until July, 1841, he commanded the Star Falmouth packet.
Lieut. Smith married, in 1839, Eliza, eldest daughter of T. Cox, Esq., of Stockwell. Agents Messrs. Halford and Co.
SMITH. (Commander, 1828.)
Edward Smith (a) entered the Navy, as A.B. on board the Lively 38, Capts. Graham Eden Hamond and Geo. McKinley. In that frigate, we are informed, he assisted at the capture of three Spanish frigates laden with treasure and the destruction of a fourth, off Cape St. Mary, 5 Oct. 1804. He was subsequently employed with great activity on the coasts of Spain and Portugal, and took part, in 1809, in the operations which led to the capture of Vigo and Santiago. Removing, as Master’s Mate, in Feb. 1810, to the Caledonia 120, bearing the flag of
