VALLACK. (Lieut.,1807. f-p., 22; h-p., 27.)
Richard Glinn Vallack entered the Navy, in 1798, as Fst.-cl. Vol, on board the Concorde of 42 guns, Capt. Robt. Barton; in which ship he was employed, until 1802, on the West India, Lisbon, and Newfoundland stations – part of the time in the capacity of Midshipman. On 27 Jan. 1801, having fallen in, off Cape Finisterre, with a French squadron under the orders of Commodore Moncousu, the Concorde was pursued by one of the latter, the Bravoure, of 42 guns and 320 men. With her the British frigate, as soon as she had sufficiently distanced the rest, came to a close action which lasted for about half an hour, when the enemy’s fire was completely silenced. The Concorde’s rigging being much damaged, the Bravoure, whose loss had amounted to 10 killed and 24 wounded, succeeded in making off and rejoining her consorts. The loss to the British in this affair is stated to have been 4 killed and 19 wounded, out of a crew of 224. Mr. Vallack was subsequently, from 1802 until 1805, employed in the Channel and West Indies in the Révolutionnaire 38, Capt. Walter Locke; and from 1805 until May, 1807, off Cadiz and in the Mediterranean, as Master’s Mate (a rating he had latterly held on board the Révolutionnaire) in the Queen 98, flag-ship of Sir Rich. Bickerton and Lord Collingwood. Being made Lieutenant, on 17 of the month last mentioned, into the Seahorse of 42 guns and 281 men, Capt. John Stewart, he was afforded an opportunity of sharing, on the night of 5 July, 1808, in a desperate conflict of three hours, in which that frigate singly, with 30 of her crew absent, defeated a Turkish force, consisting of the Baddere Zaffer, of 52 guns and 543 men, and Alis Fezan, of 26 guns and 230 men, both of which were at length reduced to perfect wrecks. The enemy in the Baddere Zaffer alone – the ship captured, the other having effected her escape – sustained the prodigious loss of 170 killed and 200 wounded; while that of the Seahorse did not exceed 5 killed and 10 wounded, although her mizenmast was shot away and her hull and rigging suffered severely. In May, 1809, Mr. Vallack accompanied the boats of the Seahorse and Halcyon brig, under the present Capt. Thos. Bennett, to the attack of the small island of Pianosa, near Elba, known to be defended by upwards of 100 veteran troops, and the town by a regular fortification. On landing, a carronade was mounted under his directions on a rock in front of the town; and a simultaneous attack being made on the enemy’s battery, the latter, after six hours’ hard fighting, was taken and destroyed, the French Commandant killed, and the guns disabled. Within 24 hours the whole island was brought under subjection to the British; whose loss was confined, though the enemy’s was great, to 1 man killed and 1 wounded. The Seahorse being paid off in June, 1811, Mr. Vallack was next, 2 Feb. 1813, appointed to the Aetna bomb, Capts. Rich. Kenah and Fras. Fead. In that vessel, in which he served on the Baltic and North American stations until she was put out of commission in Aug. 1815, he attended the expedition sent up the Potomac against Alexandria; and after sharing in the attack upon New Orleans, assisted at the capture of Fort Bowyer, On Mobile Point. In Feb. 1820 he obtained an appointment in the Coast Guard in Cornwall. He left that service in 1826, and has since been on half-pay.
VALOBRA. (Retired Commander, 1844. f-p., 21; h-p., 36.)
James Valobra entered the Navy, 30 Sept. 1790, as Captain’s Servant, on board the Ruby 64, Capt. Sir John Collins; from which ship, lying at Spithead, he was discharged in 1791. Re-embarking, in 1793, on board the Berwick 74, Capts. Sir J. Collins, Geo. Campbell, Wm. Shield, Smith, and Adam Littlejohn, he was in her, after having witnessed the occupation of Toulon and assisted, as Midshipman, at the reduction of Corsica, captured by the French Mediterranean fleet, at the end of a long running fight 7 March, 1795. On 14 of the same month he was present on board one of the French ships in their partial engagement with Admiral Hotham off Genoa. On being released from captivity he joined, in Oct. 1795, the Terrible 74, Capts. Geo. Campbell, John Miller, and Sir Rich. Bickerton, employed at first in the Mediterranean and then in the Channel, where he was again, in Feb. 1799, placed under the command of Capt. Campbell, as Master’s Mate, in the Dragon 74. He was made Lieutenant, 31 Aug. following, into the Discovery bomb, Capt. John Dick, in the North Sea; and he was next appointed – 12 Dec. 1799, for upwards of two years, to the Glory 98, Capt. Thos. Wells, in the Channel – 30 Aug. 1803, to the Severn 40, Capt. the Duc de Bouillon, off Jersey – 30 Aug. 1804, to the command, in the Channel, of the Hero cutter – 10 Dec. ensuing, to the Drake sloop, Capt. John Drury, in the same station – 21 Feb. 1805, to the Royal William, flag-ship at Spithead – and 8 April, 1805, to the command of the Confounder brig, of 16 guns. In the latter vessel, in which he remained for upwards of nine years, he was at first, until the peace with Spain, stationed between Cabritta Point and the African side of the Gut of Gibraltar. He was afterwards employed off Malta and Sicily, and in the Adriatic and Archipelago. At different times he took, sunk, and otherwise destroyed nearly 80 of the enemy’s vessels, including privateers and gun-boats. As many as 200 sail were by him convoyed in safety to their various destinations; and full 20 times he came into collision with the enemies of his country. He had reason thus, at the end of the war, to anticipate promotion; but his expectation was not to be realized. He was placed on the Junior List of Retired Commanders 10 Feb. 1831; and on the Senior 7 Feb. 1844. Agents – Messrs. Stilwell.
VALPY. (Commander, 1814. f-p., 9; h-p., 33.)
Anthony Blagrave Valpy is third son of the late Rev. Dr. Valpy.
This officer entered the Navy, 10 Oct. 1805, as Fst.-cl. Vol., on board the Salvador del Mundo, Capt. John Loring, bearing the flag of Admiral Wm. Young at Plymouth. Removing in Feb. 1806 to the Niobe 40, Capt. John Wentworth Loring, he was present in that ship, in the course of the following month, at the capture, off, L’Orient, of 'Le Néarque' corvette, of 16 guns and 97 men, in company at the time with three French frigates. He continued employed in the Niobe on the Irish, Lisbon, West India, and Channel stations, as Midshipman and Master’s Mate, until 5 Oct. 1810. He then joined the Dragon 74, flag-ship in the Leeward Islands of Sir Fras. Laforey; under whom we find him, from 11 Oct. 1811 (the date of his first commission) until June, 1814, performing (with the exception of a few weeks,[1] during which he commanded the Elizabeth schooner) the duties, in different ships, of Flag-Lieutenant. On 7 July, 1814, he assumed the acting-command, which he retained until 2 Aug. following, of the Apollo 38. He has since been on half-pay. His promotion to the rank he now holds took place 19 July, 1814.
Commander Valpy married, 13 Dec. 1818, Anna, daughter of Robt. Harris, Esq., Banker, and at that time Mayor of Reading. Agents – Hallett and Robinson.
VANS. (Lieutenant, 1811. f-p., 12; h-p., 32.)
Randell Vans is son of the late Lieut. Sam. Barrington Vans, R.N., of Barnbarrach, near Wigton, N.B., whose grandfather. Colonel Vans, died of wounds he received during the War of Succession in Spain.
This officer entered the Navy, 22 Dec. 1803, as Fst.-cl. Vol., on board the L’Aimable 32, Capt. Wm. Bolton; previously to following whom, as Midshipman, in Aug. 1805, into the Fisgard 38, we find him frequently engaged with the enemy on the coasts of Holland and France. On one occasion in particular, 16 May, 1804, L’Aimable, forming
- ↑ From 11 Dec. 1813 until 18 Jan. 1814.
