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DECŒURDOUX—DE COURCY—DELAFONS.
Captain in the 3rd West India Regt.; and first cousin of the Earl of Orkney.
Thia officer passed his examination 3 Jan. 1838; and was afterwards employed, as Mate, in the Wellesley 72, bearing the broad pendant in the East Indies of Sir Jas. John Gordon Bremer, the Excellent gunnery-ship at Portsmouth, Capt. Sir Thos. Hastings, and the Howe and Caledonia, flag-ships in the Mediterranean and at Devonvort of Sir Fras. Mason and Sir David Milne. He obtained his commission 23 Sept. 1844; and has been actively employed, since 4 Dec. in the same year, as Gunnery Lieutenant of the Eagle 50, Capt. Geo. Bohun Martin, on the American and West India stations.
DECOEURDOUX. (Retired Commander, 1844. f-p. 27; h-p., 31.)
George Lacey Decoeurdoux entered the Navy, 4 Nov. 1789, as Lieutenant’s Servant, on board the Childers 10, Capt. Hon. Robt. Stopford; and after an additional servitude, latterly as Midshipman, in the Saturn 74, Capt. Robt. Linzee, Royal Sovereign 100, flag-ship of Sir Thos. Graves, and L’Espion 38, Capt. Manley Dixon, accompanied the last-mentioned officer, in July, 1797, into the Lion 64. On 15 July, 1798, being off Carthagena, he took part in a brilliant action between the Lion and four Spanish frigates of 42 guns each, which terminated in the surrender of one of the latter, the Santa Dorothea subsequently to which, when in company with the Penelope and Foudroyant, at the blockade of Malta, he further assisted, as Acting-Lieutenant, at the capture, 31 March, 1800, of the French 80-gun ship Guillaume Tell, after a tremendous conflict, in which the Lion sustained a loss of 8 men killed and 38 wounded. Mr. Decoeurdoux, who next served for upwards of 12 months as a Supernumerary of the Ville de Paris 110, flag-ship in the Channel of the Hon. Wm. Cornwallis, was confirmed to a Lieutenancy in the San Fiorenzo frigate, 16 April, 1802. He was afterwards appointed – 23 March, 1803, to the Mars 74, Capts. Robt. Dudley Oliver, Geo. Duff, and Wm. Lukin – 11 Dec. 1806, to the Weymouth store-ship, Capt. Martin White – 18 Jan. 1808, to La Flêche 18, Capts. Thos. White and Wm. Buchanan – and, 12 June, 1809, to the command of the Pegase prison-ship at Portsmouth, which he retained for upwards of three years. During his attachment to the Mars, Lieut. Decoeurdoux, besides sharing in the battle of Trafalgar, was present at the capture, 28 July, 1806, of Le Rhin, of 44 guns and 318 men; and, on 25 Sept. following, he was with Sir Sam. Hood’s squadron at the taking, off Rochefort, of four heavy French frigates, two of which, La Gloire 46, and L’Infatigable 44, struck to the Mars. From Jan. 1813, to July, 1817, he was next very actively employed, as a Transport Agent, on various stations, and was particularly active at the embarkation of the allied troops at Calais, in July, 1814, and Dec. 1815. His last appointment was to the Ordinary at Portsmouth, where he served from 26 May, 1831, until 30 April, 18-34. The rank he now holds was conferred on him 15 June, 1844.
Commander Decoeurdoux was admitted to the out-pension of Greenwich Hospital 12 July, 1839. He married, 21 Oct. 1809, Miss Jane Arnold, of Forton; and is father-in-law of Capt. John Reynolds, R.N.
DE COURCY. (Commander, 1842.)
Michael De Courcy is eldest son of the late Capt. Nevinson De Courcy, R.N., K.T.S., by Catherine, daughter of Wm. Blennerhasset, Esq.; brother of First Lieut. Nevinson Willoughby De Courcy, R.M.; grandson of the late Hon, Michael De Couroy, Admiral of the Blue, who died in 1824; and cousin of the present Lord Kingsale.
This officer entered the Navy 5 Feb. 1824; passed his examinatiun in 1830; and, obtaining his commission 28 June, 1838, was appointed, 20 Sept. following, to the Racer 16, Capts. Geo. Byng and Thos. Harvey, on the North America and West India station. He assumed command, 4 March, 1841, of the Charybdis brigantine; and, on 12 Feb. 1842, was promoted to his present rank for his extraordinary gallantry at the capture of the Carthagenian squadron, when protecting the British interests in South America. Since 13 July, 1844, Commander De Courcy has been employed in the Coast Guard. Agent – J. Hinxman.
DELAFONS. (Commander, 1814. f-p., 27; h-p., 33.)
Thomas Delafons, born in Feb. 1772, is elder brother of Lieut. W. P. Delafons, R.N.
This officer entered the Navy, in 1787, as Fst.-cl. Vol., on board the Irresistible 74, bearing the broad pendant in the river Medway of Commodore Sir Andrew Snape Hamond. From 1789, until promoted to the rank of Lieutenant, 25 Aug. 1794, he afterwards served, on the Home and West India stations, as Midshipman of the Barfleur 98, flag-ship of Admiral Barrington, Saturn 74, Capt. Robt. Linzee, Niger 32, Capt. Rich. Goodwin Keats, and Hector 74, Capt. Geo. Montagu. While in the latter ship he was present at the unsuccessful attack on Martinique in June, 1793; and on one occasion, falling from the mizen-top on the deck, he had the misfortune to break his thigh and both arms. For some months after his promotion, Mr. Delafons served with the Channel fleet in the Orestes 18, Capt. Orrok, from which vessel he next joined, 3 April, 1795, the Standard 64, Capts. Joseph Ellison, John Parr, and Thos. Revell Shivers, under the first of whom we find him witnessing Lord Bridport’s action with the French fleet off Ile de Groix, 23 June following – and next attending Sir John Borlase Warren on his ill-fated expedition to the relief of the Royalists at Quiberon. He continued in the Standard for the period of three years; and, prior to the peace of Amiens, was further appointed, on the African, West India, and Home stations – 9 May, 1798, to the Amphion 32, Capt. Rich. Henry Alex. Bennett – 6 Nov. 1800, to the Nimrod 18, Capt. Edwards – and, 6 May, 1801, to his old ship the Irresistible 74, Capt. Wm. Bligh. Mr. Delafons was next invested with the successive command, between 30 May, 1803, and 22 Feb. 1808, of the Venus cutter, Alert lugger, Nimble brig, and Capelin schooner. While in the Nimble, in 1805-6, he appears to have been intrusted by Sir Alex. Cochrane with the command on the Virgin Islands station, where, for a period of four months, he had under his orders a small squadron, consisting of the Netley 14, the Flying Fish 10, and the Mosquito 8. Being next employed under the Transport Board, from 24 April, 1808, until the early part of 1814, he officiated, during that period, as Resident Agent at Flushing at the time of the Walcheren expedition; acted also in the same capacity at Jersey; and was latterly Principal Agent with the army under the Marquess of Wellington in Spain and France. On the recommendation of the latter nobleman, Mr. Delafons, for his Indefatigable services, was promoted to the rank he now holds 28 April, 1814, and appointed to command the transport department of the expedition against New Orleans, for his conduct throughout the operations connected with which he received the acknowledgments of the Board. After a further employment of a few months as Principal Agent at Antwerp, he was discharged, towards the close of 1815, and has since been on half-pay.
Commander Delafons was appointed, in Jan. 1835, Stipendiary Magistrate at Demerara, where he continued until April, 1839, when his health obliged him to resign. On 26 June, 1844, he was admitted to the out-pension of Greenwich Hospital. He married, first, Matilda Louisa, only daughter of Lieut.-General Lewis, R.M., by whom, who died in April, 1816, he had issue three sons and two daughters; and, secondly, Jane Harson, daughter of M. Grigg, Esq., of Tamerton Foliott. By the latter lady he has, with three sons, six daughters, one of whom
