her opponent blew up abaft and in five minutes more went down by the head. Sixty only of the French crew was it found possible to save. Le Trompeur during the fight, had been joined by an armed schooner with 60 men; but we are unable to discover that the latter afforded her consort any support. She succeeded, while the Pelican was endeavouring to rescue the crew of Le Trompeur in reaching the port of Jean Rabel in safety.[1] His appointment to the Albacore being confirmed 17 Aug. 1798, Capt. White continued to serve in that vessel in the West Indies until June, 1799. He then removed to the Dromedary 18; and in the following Dec. he returned to England. From Oct. to Dec. 1800 he served off Brest as a volunteer with Sir Hyde Parker in the Royal George 100. He was appointed afterwards – 11 June, 1804, to the Aurora armed ship in the Downs – 11 May, 1805, to La Flèche 18, employed on the coast of Ireland and in the Channel – 17 Nov. 1807, as Acting-Captain, to the Minotaur 74, at St. Helen’s – 21 of the same month, to La Flèche again – 31 May, 1808, to the Ariel 18, in the Baltic – 26 July, 1809, pro tem., to the St. George 98, flag-ship of Rear-Admiral Fras. Pickmore, on the latter station – 27 Sept. 1809, a second time, to the Ariel – 13 Oct. 1809, to the acting-command of the Dictator 64 – in Jan. 1810, afresh to the Ariel – and 4 June, 1810, again as Acting- Captain, to the Ruby 64. La Flèche, on 18 July, 1805, was engaged in a very gallant affair with the French flotilla and batteries near Cape Blanc-nez. Six of the enemy’s vessels were by her and her consorts driven on shore. So closely did La Flèche herself approach the land that it was necessary for the French at Blanc-nez to depress their guns; one shot took off a man’s hat, shattered a boat under the booms, and went through the water-way on the off side. The people on board La Flèche, indeed, were able actually to distinguish the buttons of the officer directing the fire of the battery. Her running-rigging was in consequence much injured, and she had 5 men severely wounded. While on the Baltic station in 1809 in the Ariel, and engaged in watching the Russian and Swedish fleets, Capt. White was again often exposed to the fire of the enemy’s batteries. Being confirmed to Post-rank 7 Aug. 1810, in the Ruby, he continued to serve in that ship in the North Sea until March, 1811. He was next, from 26 Dec. 1812 until 24 Dec. 1813, employed in the Vigo 74, as Flag-Captain, in the Downs and Baltic, to Rear-Admirals Jas. Nicoll Morris and Graham Moore. Under the former officer he assisted, in company with the Zealous 74, two frigates and several sloops-of-war, in escorting in safety through the Sound a convoy of 374 sail in spite of a large fleet of gun-boats and of the numerous batteries erected at Kronborg Castle by the Danes, who from mortars and from guns slung in chains threw shells and shot for the first time over to the Swedish shore. His last appointments were – 12 Aug. 1819 and 24 Jan. 1821, to the Superb 74 and Créole 42, each bearing the broad pendant of Sir Thos. Masterman Hardy on the coast of South America, whence he returned in March, 1822 – and 19 Sept. 1838, to the Royal Adelaide 104, flagship of Lord Amelius Beauclerk at Plymouth. He was placed on half-pay 4 May, 1839 and on the list of Retired Rear-Admirals 1 Oct. 1846. He had obtained the Captain’s Good Service Pension 19 Feb. 1842.
The death of William IV. prevented that monarch from fulfilling an intention he had expressed of creating Rear-Admiral White a Knight of the Hanoverian Guelphic Order. The Rear-Admiral was the author of a work, published in 1830, entitled ‘Naval Researches, or a Candid Inquiry into the Conduct of Admirals Byron, Graves, Hood, and Rodney, in the Actions of Grenada, Chesapeake, St. Christopher’s, and of 9 and 12 April, 1782.’ His eldest son, G. H. P. White, is a Captain R.N.; his youngest, Rich. Dunning White, a Commander R.N.
WHITE. (Retired Commander, 1831. f-p., 14; h-p., 53.)
William White died in 1846.
This officer entered the Navy 6 April, 1780, as Captain’s Servant, on board the Marlborough 74, Capt. Taylor Penny; in which ship he continued employed as Midshipman in the Channel and West Indies until July, 1783. He served next on the same stations, from May, 1784, until July, 1786, and from Feb. 1787 until Sept. 1790, in the Orestes 18, Capt. Jas. Ellis, and Sybil frigate, Capt. Rich. Bickerton. In Jan. 1793 he became Master’s Mate of the Thalia 36, Capt. Rich.Grindall, employed in the Channel, among the Western Islands, and off Lisbon; he was made Lieutenant, 20 Aug. 1794, into the Andromeda frigate, Capts. Thos. Sotheby and Wm. Taylor; he left that ship, after having served in her in the North Sea and at Halifax, in June, 1797; and he was lastly, from July, 1806, until Feb. 1807, stationed on the coast of Ireland in the Brisk 18, Capt. John Coode. He was placed on the Junior List of Retired Commanders 26 Nov. 1830, and on the Senior 17 Sept. 1831.
WHITE. (Lieut., 1815. f-p., 10; h-p., 33.)
William White died in 1847.
This officer entered the Navy, 26 April, 1804, as Fst.-cl. Vol., on board the Devastation bomb, Capt. Alex. Milner, under whom he was for nearly five years, the greater part of the time as Midshipman, employed in the same vessel and in the Swallow sloop in the Downs and Channel. He served afterwards as Midshipman and Master’s Mate in the Plantagenet 74, Capts. Wm. Bradley, Thos. Eyles, and Robt. Lloyd, on the Baltic station, from March, 1809, until May, 1813; and as Acting-Master in the Pictou schooner, Lieut.-Commander Edw. Stephens, on the coast of North America, from the latter date until Feb. 1814. He was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant 24 Feb. 1815. He remained thenceforward on half-pay. Agents – Goode and Lawrence.
WHITEHEAD. (Lieutenant, 1815. f-p., 15; h-p., 28.)
Abraham Whitehead entered the Navy, 1 Feb. 1804, as A.B., on board the Triton 32, guard-ship at Waterford, Capt. Wm. Cashman. In the following April he was rated Midshipman; and in May, 1805, he removed to La Flèche 18, Capt. Thos. White; under whom we find him, 18 July in the same year, present in a gallant, attack upon the French flotilla near Blanc-nez, in which La Flèche, assisted in driving on shore six of the enemy’s vessels, and, besides having her running-rigging much injured, sustained a loss of 5 men severely wounded. From Aug. 1805 until Nov. 1812, Mr. Whitehead served in the Dictator 64, Capts. Jas. Macnamara, Donald Campbell, Wm. Harrison Pearson, Robt. Williams, and Jas. Pattison Stewart, chiefly on the Baltic station. In 1807 he united in the operations against Copenhagen; and on 6 July, 1812, he contributed, in company with the Calypso 18, to the gallant capture and destruction, within the rocks off Mardoe, on the coast of Norway, of an entire Danish squadron, consisting of the Nayaden of 48 guns, the Laland, Samsoe, and Kiel sloops, and several gunboats, at the close of a long conflict, productive of a loss to the Dictator of 5 killed and 24 wounded, and to the Danes of 300 killed and wounded. On leaving the Dictator he became Master’s Mate of the Heron sloop, Capt. Wm. M‘Culloch, in the Channel; in the year following he sailed for the West Indies in the Gloucester 74, Capt. Robt. Williams; and in June, 1814, having volunteered for the Canadian Lakes, he joined the Prince Re-
- ↑ In forwarding to the Admiralty an account of the exploit we have detailed. Sir Hyde Parker thus expresses himself : – “His (Lieut. White’s) spirited conduct and officer-like management, I am sure, will be as stronglv impressed on their lordships’ minds, by his account of the action, herewith enclosed, as it was on mine, in giving him credit for both.” – Vide Gaz. 1797, p. 1114.
