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CROOKE.
which ship he appears to have been wounded in an attack made on a French brig-of-war in the Mediterranean in 1805. After participating, as we believe, in the battle of Trafalgar, he proceeded to the West Indies as Master’s Mate of the Alligator 28, Capt. Hugh Pigot; and on becoming attached, as Acting-Lieutenant, to the Circe 32, Capt. Fras. Augustus Collier, took command of her boats, 12 Dec. 1808, and made a most heroic – though unsuccessful – dash at an enemy’s corvette, Le Cygne of 16 guns, protected, near St. Pierre, Martinique, by four batteries and a considerable body of troops, with field-pieces, assembled on the beach. Out of 68 men who had been detached on this service, the British lost 9 killed and 21 wounded, and 26 missing, making in the whole 56, inclusive of Mr. Crooke himself, who was badly wounded in four places.[1] The subject of this sketch, whose gallantry on the occasion was rewarded by a commission signed 9 Jan. 1809, remained in the Circe, under the command of Capt. Pigot, until 1810, when he invalided. On 27 Sept. 1811, he next joined the Medusa 32, Capt. Hon. Duncombe Pleydell Bouverie; and, on the night of 4 June, 1812, he served in the boats under Lieut. Josiah Thompson at the capture and destruction, in the harbour of Arcasson, of La Dorade, of 14 guns and 86 men, after a desperate struggle, in which the assailants had 5 men wounded, and the enemy, who had hailed the latter in their approach, and were in every way prepared for the attack, 63 killed and drowned. Lieut. Crooke’s last appointment was, 3 Jan. 1814, to the President frigate, Capts. Fras. Mason and Archibald Duff, on the Irish station. He attained his present rank 30 Aug. 1815, and has since been on half-pay.
Commander Crooke was awarded, 16 Feb. 1816, a pension of 150l. for his wounds; previously to which he had been presented with gratuities from the Patriotic Fund. Agents – Messrs. Stilwell.
CROOKE. (Lieut., 1814. f-p., 13; h-p., 38.)
James Crooke entered the Navy, 15 Feb. 1796, as Fst.-cl. Vol., on board the Diana 38, Capt. Jonathan Faulknor, employed off the coast of Ireland, where he assisted at the capture of several French privateers. Between March, 1798, and Aug. 1802, he next served, on the Home and Mediterranean stations, as Midshipman of the Royal George 100, bearing the flag of Lord Bridport, and Anson 44, Capt. Philip Chas. Durham. Being appointed, 8 May, 1804, to a Lieutenancy in the Cleopatra of 38 guns and 200 men, Capt. Sir Robt. Laurie, he was present when that vessel was captured, after a brilliant and self-sought action of nearly three hours, and a loss of 20 men killed and 38 wounded, including himself, by the French frigate Ville de Milan of 46 guns and 350 men, 10 of whom appear to have been slain, 17 Feb. 1805.[2] The latter ship, however, was herself taken, with her prize, on 23 of the same month, by the Leander 50, Capt. John Talbot; and, being added to the British Navy as the 38-gun frigate Milan, was commissioned by Sir R. Laurie, under whose orders Mr. Crooke continued until May, 1806. He then joined the Belle-isle 80, Capt. Wm. Hargood, in which he beheld the destruction, off Cape Henry, of the French 74-gun ship Impétueux, 14 Sept. following. From April, 1807, to April, 1809, he was afterwards on board the Niobe 40, Capt. John Wentworth Loring, off Cork; and in Feb. 1813, he joined the Diomede troop ship, Capt. Chas. Montague Fabian, employed on the coast of North America. Lieut. Crooke, the date of whose commission was subsequently altered for some reason to 15 Oct. 1814, has not been afloat since that period. In consideration of the wound above alluded to, he was presented with a sum of money by the Committee of the Patriotic Fund at Lloyd’s. Agent – J. Hinxman.
CROOKE. (Lieut., 1815. f-p., 9; h-p., 32.)
Thomas Leslie Crooke entered the Navy, 10 Dec. 1806, as Fst.-cl. Vol., on board La Flêche 18, Capt. Thos. White, whom he subsequently followed, as Midshipman, into the Ariel 18, St. George 98, and Ruby 64, on the Channel and Baltic stations. In Feb. 1811, he joined the Vanguard 74, Capt. Henry Rich. Glynn; and removing, next, to the Dictator 64, Capts. Robt. Williams and Jas. Pattison Stewart, commanded a boat at the cutting out of a schooner and other vessels from under a heavy fire in the Baltic. On 6 July, 1812, being in company with the Calypso 18, we find the Dictator gallantly effecting the capture and destruction, within the rocks of Mardoe, on the Norway coast, of a whole Danish sqnadron, consisting of the Nayaden of 48 guns, the Laland, Samsoe, and Kiel sloops, and several gun-boats, after a long contest, which occasioned a loss to the British 64 of 5 men killed and 24 wounded, and to the Danes of 300 killed and wounded. Until the conclusion of hostilities, Mr. Crooke was next employed, in succession, on board the Shamrock 18, Capt. Andrew Pellet Green, stationed in the Channel – Vigo 74, flag-ship in the Baltic of Rear-Admiral Graham Moore – Gloucester 74, Capt. Robt. Williams, whom he accompanied with convoy to the Leeward Islands – and Prince Regent 56, and St. Lawrence 98, bearing each the broad pendant of Commodore Sir Jas. Lucas Yeo on Lake Ontario, where he took part in many active operations. Since the receipt of his commission, 13 March, 1815, the subject of this notice has been on half-pay. Agent – J. Hinxman.
CROOKE. (Commander, 1846. f-p., 31; h-p., 7.)
William Crooke entered the Navy, 1 Jan. 1809, as a Supernumerary, on board the Clorinde 38, Capt. Thos. Briggs; and from July following until Feb. 1811, served in the East Indies as Midshipman of the Samarang 20, and Blanche 38, both commanded by Capt. Rich. Spencer, under whom he assisted, in the Samarang, at the capture, in 1810, of the Dutch islands of Amboyna, Saparona, Naso-Laut, and Pulo-Ay, and of the Dutch national brig Recruteur laden with money and stores for the latter place. Until the peace he next served, in the Channel and again in India, on board the Diomede 50, Capt. Hugh Cook, and Theban 36, and Cornwallis 74, each under the command of Capt. Stephen Thos. Digby; after which we find him successively joining the Duncan 74, flag-ship at the Brazils of Sir John Poo Beresford, Harrier 18, Capt. Sir Chas. Thos. Jones, on the Halifax station, Camelion brig, Capt. Wm. Jas. Mingaye, in the Channel, and Leander 50, flag-ship of Hon. Sir Henry Blackwood, on the East India station, where he was promoted, from the Acting-Mastership of the Dauntless, Capt. Geo. Cornish Gambler, to a Lieutenancy in the Satellite 18, Capt. Mark John Currie, 9 Jan. 1823. He returned to England with the latter officer in 1824, on board the Asia 84; and was next appointed – 9 June, 1828, as First, to the Falcon 10, Capts. John Pole and Henry Griffith Colpoys, at the Cape of Good Hope – 2 Oct. following, and 29 March, 1832, to the Ranger 28, Capt. Wm. Walpole, and Winchester 52, Capt. Lord Wm. Paget, both in the West Indies – 29 Oct. and 31 Dec. 1832, 3 Jan. 1834, and 18 Aug. 1838, to the command of the Speedwell, Pincher, Nautilus, and Peterel, on the Jamaica, Lisbon, Mediterranean, and Falmouth stations – and, 9 April, 1845, again as First-Lieutenant, to the Queen 110, flagship at Devonport of Sir John West. Since the date of his last promotion, 15 Jan. 1846, Commander Crooke has been unemployed.
He married, in 1840, Eliza Keelir, eldest daughter of W. Vice, Esq., of Truro, co. Cornwall. Agents – Messrs. Stilwell.
CROOKE. (Lieut., 1815. f-p., 8; h-p., 31.)
William Boyle Crooke is fourth and youngest son of the late William Crooke, Esq., of Ahavrin, co. Cork.
This officer entered the Navy, 23 Feb. 1808, as a Volunteer, on board the Virago 13, Lieut.-Com-
