lontaire succeeded, after a long running fight, in escaping from three French ships-of-the-line and two frigates belonging to the Toulon fleet. In 1814 the Volontaire brought a number of French prisoners from Pampeluna to England; and she was subsequently, until paid off in Dec. 1815, employed on the north coast of Spain, along the Italian shores, and off Marseilles. Since the latter date Lieut. Syer, who had not been more than two months on shore from the time of his entering the Navy, has been on half-pay. Agents – Messrs. Halford and Co.
SYER. (Commander, 1841.)
Frederick Chevallier Syer is second son of the Rev. B. B. Syer, Rector of Kiddington, co. Suffolk.
This officer entered the Navy 16 Jan. 1813; and in March, 1814, was present at the destruction, in the river Gironde, of a French line-of-battle ship, three brigs-of-war, several smaller vessels, and of all the forts and batteries on the north side of the river. He passed his examination in 1819; obtained his first commission 22 May, 1828; and was subsequently appointed – 26 Sept. 1828, to the Madagascar 46, Capts. Hon. Sir Robt. Cavendish Spencer and Edm. Lyons, on the Mediterranean station, whence he returned at the close of 1831 – 21 June, 1836, as Senior, to the Salamander steam-vessel, Capt. Sidney Colpoys Dacres, under whom he was for four years employed on the north coast of Spain, and twice commanded a rocket brigade in action with the Carlists – and, 14 Sept. 1840, to the command of the Comet steamer, on the Plymouth station. He attained his present rank 23 Nov. 1841; and, since 20 Feb. 1844, has been employed in the Coast Guard.
Commander Syer married, at Ipswich, 3 May, 1842, Agnes, fourth daughter of John Cobbold, Esq.
SYKES. (Vice-Admiral of the Blue, 1838. f-p., 25; h-p., 39.)
John Sykes is son of the late Jas. Sykes, Esq., Navy Agent, of Arundel Street, Strand; first-cousin of Commanders Thomas and John Sykes, R.N.; and brother-in-law of the late Capt. Rich. Byron, R.N., C.B.
This officer entered the Navy, 25 Dec. 1783, as Captain’s Servant, on board the Resource, Capt. Paul Minchin, stationed at Halifax. In May, 1787, he removed to the Merlin sloop, Capt. Edw. Pakenham, at Newfoundland; in April, 1789 (about two months after he had left the latter vessel), he became Midshipman of the Princess Charlotte yacht, Capt. Sir Hyde Parker; and, in Jan, and July, 1790, he joined the Discovery, Capt. Henry Roberts, and Courageux 74, Capt. Alan Gardner. Being again, in Dec 1790, received on board the Discovery, then commanded by Capt. Geo. Vancouver, he accompanied that officer as Master’s Mate in his voyage round the world (visiting with him the Canary Islands, the Cape of Good Hope, New Holland, New Zealand, the Sandwich Islands, Nootka Sound, and various parts of the north-west coast of America), and was in a boat with the late Rear-Admiral Spelman Swaine when, by rendering timely assistance, he saved his Captain and some others from being murdered by a party of Indians. On his return to England Mr. Sykes was made Lieutenant, 6 Nov. 1795, into the Swallow sloop, Capt. Geo. Fowke; and he was next appointed – 17 Dec. 1795, to the Goliath 74, Capt. Sir Chas. Henry Knowles – and 16 Feb. 1796, 25 May, 1797, and 7 Aug. 1798, to the St. Albans 64, Resolution 74, and Asia 64, bearing each the flag of Admiral Vandeput at Halifax. In the ship last mentioned he was First-Lieutenant. He was promoted to the rank of Commander 18 June, 1800; was appointed in that capacity, 5 May, 1803, and 8 March, 1805, to the Hecla bomb and Nautilus sloop, on the Home and Mediterranean stations; and, attaining Post rank 22 Jan. 1806, was subsequently, from 12 March, 1808, until 8 March, 1809, and from II May in the latter year until 31 Aug. 1810, employed in the Diomede 50 and Adamant 50, flagships of Sir Edm. Nagle on the coast of France and at Leith. In the Hecla he twice, in July and Aug. 1804, assisted at the bombardment of Havre-de- Grace. On each occasion he was very warmly engaged with the enemy, and displayed a degree ot meritorious conduct that gained him the admiration of Capt. Robt. Dudley Oliver, the senior officer present.[1] In 1809 he commanded the Adamant as a private ship in the attack upon Flushing. His last appointments were, 27 May, 1825, and 1 May, 1836, to the Ocean 80 and Royal Adelaide 104, flag-ships of Lord Amelius Beauclerk in the Tagus and at Plymouth. He remained in the former until 1827, and in the latter until Aug. 1837. He attained Flag-rank 28 June, 1838; and was made a Vice-Admiral 1 June, 1848.
Vice-Admiral Sykes is a Deputy-Lieutenant for co. Surrey. He married, in 1811, a daughter of Edw. Earl, Esq., Chairman of the Board of Customs in Scotland. Agents – Messrs. Stilwell.
SYKES. (Commander, 1814. f-p., 23; h-p., 35.)
John Sykes is brother of Commander Thos. Sykes, R.N.
This officer entered the Navy, 29 Jan. 1789, as Master’s Servant, on board the Blonde 32, Capt. Affleck, in which frigate he served on the Jamaica station until July, 1792. He was next, from 19 Nov. 1793, until promoted to the rank of Lieutenant, 15 July; 1796, employed with Capt. Geo. Countess in the Channel and North Sea, on the coast of Africa, and again in the West Indies, chiefly in the capacities of Midshipman and Master’s Mate, in the Charon 20, Pegasus 28, and Daedalus 32; he then removed for a few days to the Swiftsure 74, bearing the flag of Sir Hyde Parker at Jamaica; and he was subsequently appointed – 1 Aug. 1796, to the Dictator 64, Capts. Thos. Totty, Wm. Geo Rutherford, and Thos. Byam Martin – 18 July, 1799 (13 months after he had returned in the latter ship from the West Indies), to the Constance 24, Capts. John Baker Hay, Zachary Mudge, and Anselm John Griffiths, with whom he served off the coast of Portugal and in the Mediterranean and North Sea until Nov. 1802 – 1 July, 1803, to the Magicienne frigate, Capt. Adam Mackenzie, again in the North Sea, whence he invalided in the following Feb. – 7 Sept. 1804, to the Camel store-ship, Capt. Thos. Garth, in the Mediterranean – in 1805-6 to the Kent 74, Prince of Wales 98, Ville de Paris 110, and Royal Sovereign 100, flag-ships of Viee-Admiral Edw. Thornbrough on the Home and Mediterranean stations – 22 Aug. 1808, for upwards of three months, to the Malta 80, Capt. Robt. Waller Otway, also in the Mediterranean – and, in Feb. 1810, to the Belvidera 36, Capt. Rich Byron. In the Charon, which vessel had been converted into an hospital-ship, Mr. Sykes took part in Lord Howe’s action, 1 June, 1794, and in the Dictator he co-operated, in 1797, in the reduction of Trinidad. In the Constance he assisted at the capture of El Duides Spanish national cutter of 8 guns and 69 men; of the privateers Venture of 2 guns and 27 men and El Cantara of 22 guns and 110 men; and of a vessel mounting 10 guns. He was frequently also, among other services, engaged in command of her boats in affording protection to convoys in the Gut of Gibraltar. In the Belvidera, in which frigate he continued employed as First-Lieutenant until Oct. 1814, Mr. Sykes, after visiting the latitude of Greenland and cruizing on the coast of Africa, sailed for the North American station. On 23 June, 1812, he was present at the Belvidera’s celebrated retreat from a powerful squadron under Commodore Rodgers, with whom she endured a running action which killed 2 and wounded 22 of her crew, and lasted until the enemy at length surrendered the chase. Referring to Mr. Sykes’ conduct on this occasion, Capt. Byron, in his public letter, says, “The President (the Commodore’s ship) must have suffered considerably from the
- ↑ Vide Gaz. 1804, pp. 893, 938.
